I got close to finishing this week’s stack, but fell short, sadly. I’m skipping next week’s column, but hope to return in July with a double column.
Best Comic of the Week:
Into The Unbeing Part One #1 – I’m a big fan of writer Zac Thompson, so this title was an automatic buy for me, without even knowing what it was going to be about. Thompson and artist Hayden Sherman take us to a bleak near-future, where billions have perished in climate-related disasters. His narrator, Hildur, a botanist, is working for an agency called SINEW in the Australian Outback with a small group of scientists. Out of the blue, a massive change in the landscape registers on their equipment, and Hildur insists that the four of them hike out to check it out, finding a strange new structure that might actually be alive. Thompson sets up some interesting personality dynamics in the group, and Sherman gives this new landscape a very interesting look. Thompson does a lot of body horror writing, and is good at exploring these kinds of liminal spaces. I like that this is Part One, as I’m in the mood for a longer project like this at the moment.
Quick Takes:
Action Comics #1066 – We are nearing the end of the House of Brainiac story, and Superman, his family, and allies square off against Brainiac and his family. This event has started to lose some steam as it gets closer to the end here, and I can’t help but feel that Joshua Williamson is rushing things a little.
Avengers #15 – Captain America and his reserve Avengers continue to fight Baron Blood and his vampires in a Helicarrier, while this book spins its wheels for the duration of Blood Hunt, I guess. This is a solid issue – Jed MacKay should maybe be writing Cap’s book – but the lighthearted dialogue feels a little hollow given how dire things are. CF Villa’s art looks great on some pages, and a bit rushed on others.
Batman #149 – This issue felt like Chip Zdarsky was wrapping things up, having Bruce try to help the clone of him that Zur Enn Arrh created, reconcile with his family, and restore his fortune. I wonder if Chip is leaving the book after Absolute Power? This very much felt like a coda to a run that has seen a lot of big changes in Bruce’s life. It’s entertaining and I liked seeing Steve Lieber draw part of this issue.
Blow Away #3 – Zac Thompson’s murder mystery set on an Arctic island continues to intrigue me. The photojournalist main character gets ever more obsessed with the murder she thinks has happened, and despite clear instructions from the local police, makes moves to investigate on her own. This leads to her climbing a mountain on her own while a storm descends on her. Nicola Izzo makes this look great, and I really get a sense of how precarious the mountain climb is.
Crocodile Black #2 – I am loving this dark and mysterious series by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Som. This issue has Danny falling deeper into his delusions, as he takes on aspects of the life of the man he’s found dead in an apartment, fantasizing about the man’s service in Iraq. At the same time, a retiring detective is tasked with investigating a pharmacist who is dealing drugs in cartel territory. This book is moving at a strange pace, as these two stories move towards a collision, and I like it. Johnson is a really interesting writer.
The Displaced #5 – I think this is the final issue of this miniseries, and my hopes of understanding why the city of Oshawa disappeared are dashed, but I do like the way Ed Brisson wraps up the story (unless there is another issue, but this really felt like the end). I’ve enjoyed this series, not just because the thought of making a town my city makes fun of disappear off the map is amusing to me, but because Brisson is just so good at these kinds of stories. I recommend checking this out in trade.
Doctor Strange #16 – As Blood Hunt has everyone running all over the place, Wong gets left behind, guarding Stephen’s body (he’s been transformed into a vampire, and is existing as his astral self to avoid the infection). Stephen’s brother Victor emerges from his mirrored cell, and tries to take over, leading to a fight between him and Wong. Pascual Ferry makes this look very exciting, and Jed MacKay makes good use of the event he’s writing to further his goals for this book.
Fantastic Four #21 – One thing that I’ve liked most about Ryan North’s Fantastic Four is the way the book has centred Alicia Masters, making her the most essential non-member of the team. In this issue, Alicia and Reed head to New York to take in an art exhibit, before being attacked by vampires as part of the Blood Hunt event. The best part of this issue has Reed talking about how he’s never found art emotionally resonant. I did wonder why hordes of vampires would be attacking the Grimm family farm in Arizona, as I don’t imagine Blade would know they live there, but aside from that this is a solid tertiary tie-in; it doesn’t contradict the main event, nor does it add to it, but it gives the team a chance to participate.
Green Lantern #12 – Hal is facing certain defeat at the hands of the United Planets, at least until Carol shows up in her Star Sapphire guise. Jeremy Adams’s story is dovetailing into the Absolute Power event, which I wasn’t really expecting, rather organically with this issue. There’s a lot going on in this book now, after a slow start, and I feel like Adams is getting a handle on Hal, almost making him into a character I could like (which has never happened before). The Guy Gardner backup has a good balance to it too, and I’m very happy to see Kevin Maguire drawing Guy again.
Helen of Wyndhorn #3 – It’s a testament to how dense this book is that I expected this issue to be the fourth or fifth, not the third. We learn about what happened to Helen when she traveled with her grandfather to another world, and met someone significant to her family. Tom King frames this story curiously, with Lilith’s words being the transcript of a cassette tape that is up for sale in an auction. I like how King and artist Bilquis Evely are playing with a Robert E. Howard type character in this series, but not making him the focus of it all. This reminds me a lot of their Supergirl series, with the way that big chunks of travel are narrated away quickly, and in how beautiful Evely’s art is. It’s a slow burn story, but it’s a very interesting one.
The Incredible Hulk #13 – Banner and Hulk have entered a Hell dimension in an effort to rescue Charlie, and are navigating how to work together when they have so much animosity towards one another. It makes for an interesting issue, as Nic Klein goes wild on character designs. This Hulk run kind of bugs me; Philip Kennedy Johnson is working with some interesting themes, but the individual issues feel pretty decompressed and like they never really get to the heart of the matter. Johnson’s recent Action Comics run was a lot denser, and I miss that.
Invincible Iron Man #19 – As the fight against Orchis wraps up, Rhodey recruits a bunch of villains to help him fight some Sentinels, and gives out all of the weapons he and Tony spent Chris Cantwell’s run collecting. Gerry Duggan’s run is winding down, but it looks like he might be writing a Suicide Squad style version of the Avengers soon, if this issue is any indication. Does that mean the Force Works name is coming back? Anyway, this was a decent issue, and I was happy to see Andrea Di Vito drawing it; the art has been a little lackluster on this book lately, so it’s good they went with someone dependable.
Napalm Lullaby #4 – Sarah and Sam are trying to process the loss they just suffered when the Janitor comes at them full force. Rick Remender and Bengal share some more information about this world (including the meaning of the comic’s title) as almost every panel is devoted to watching this Supergirl-like figure destroy a massive cathedral in her effort to kill our heroes. Bengal’s action scenes are so fluid, as this book continues to click with me after a bit of a puzzling start.
Nightwing #115 – Heartless’s plans for Dick are put in motion, and it looks like things are going to get rough for our hero. I’m still struggling with accepting that Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo are leaving this book, and I really hope they get to work together on their next thing. This is the best Nightwing has maybe ever been.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #47 – Vader and his allies use kyber crystals to fight a big monster on Exegol, while Luke Skywalker starts getting the sense that something is going on with Vader. It feels like Greg Pak is getting ready to wrap up his run on this title, and I’m okay with that. Increasingly, I’m finding Vader to be a dull character; his book works best when it doesn’t focus on him.
Transformers #9 – I’ll admit that I find this series confusing. I don’t know my Transformers well enough to immediately recognize them, and as new characters keep popping up, I find it even harder to keep track. The size-change that Soundwave undergoes when he transforms really threw me, as I tried to keep track of the scale of the characters relative to one another, but then I read an explanation in the textpage after finishing the story that helped clarify it. I liked the slower issues a couple of months back that helped establish these characters, but I also really like how wild Jorge Corona’s action sequences can be. This book has a lot of potential, which I would not normally say about a Transformers comic.
Ultimate Spider-Man #6 – Spider-Man and Green Goblin confront the Kingpin in this issue, only to find that he has been aware of them and prepared for their attack for a while. Peter’s family also discover what he’s been up to, as Jonathan Hickman further solidifies the differences between this Ultimate Spidey and his other incarnations. This series is pretty enjoyable, and I like how so many character dynamics are different.
The Whisper Queen #2 – Chip Zdarsky and Kris Anka focus on the relationship between the characters in this series in this issue, revealing why the older assassin woman is kind of estranged from the son she is fighting to rescue. I like this book, and think it’s gorgeous, but am not sure I have enough of a handle on this world to truly feel invested in it.
Wonder Woman #10 – The Sovereign dumps Wonder Woman on an island where Cheetah has been living (and starving). Their fight takes up most of the issue, while Donna and the other Wonder Girls try to figure out how to go rescue Diana. This is another very solid issue with wonderful Daniel Sampere art, but it still leaves me a little cold. I think that Tom King is best working on the margins of the DC Universe, and struggles with tent-pole books, especially since this has to line up with the Absolute Power event soon.
X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1 – I hate that we are reverting Apocalypse to the villain role, and because of that, when this was solicited, I had no idea it was an in-continuity story. I decided to pick it up on spec, and I’m not sure about it. Apocalypse is looking to find someone to take on his role on Earth while he moves to Arakko, so he’s gathered a motley crew of mutants (and Sinister) to run through a gauntlet of tests in an ancient labyrinth in Egypt. Many of these characters don’t really fit here, and Steve Foxe doesn’t explain the scenario very clearly at first. At the same time, Netho Diaz’s art is nice, and I like seeing more Exodus, among other characters. I’ll probably end up getting the rest of this series, but I’ll also likely regret it.
The Week In Music:
Moor Mother – The Great Bailout – This is an album that, if you give it time and really listen, is going to stick with you. Moor Mother breaks down the economic and social persistence of empire, and how Britain exploited people of colour around the world in a quest for dominance and supremacy. This is a spoken word performance, a dive into both jazz and noise music, a history lecture series, and a truly edifying piece of work. There are no bangers here, and this is not music you can play with guests over, but it’s so meaty and thoughtful, creative, and bizarre. This is an historic album that only gets better with each replay.
Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch – There is something so timeless about Pratt’s slightly lispy voice and warm production that makes her music addictive to me. I first discovered her soul/folk music after rapper RAP Ferreira called her his favourite rapper, jokingly, and I remain so thankful to him for that. Here in the Pitch is much more produced and musical than her more stripped down last album, and it makes me very happy. I can’t wait to see her play this autumn.
Carlos Niño & Friends – Placenta – I’ve already lost track of how many projects Carlos Niño has put out this year. Placenta was made after his son’s birth, and reflects his understanding of the birthing experience, or some such. At this point, if you like Niño’s approach to making ambient-ish music, which I do, you’ll enjoy this album, but you’ll also have to permit some of its quirks, of which there are many.
Vegyn – The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions – I’ve been pretty enchanted with this album, which runs a gamut of dance/pop influences. Early songs on the album, which feature artists I’ve never heard of, are good dance/pop songs, while later tracks remind me a bit of The Range. This is a very pleasing collection.
