Best Comic of the Week:
The Walking Dead #72
W
ritten by Robert Kirkman
Art by Charlie Adlard
Now that the crew has made it to their new safe haven, they face a challenge perhaps more difficult than the others they’ve had to deal with when they were surrounded by zombies: fitting in in the suburbs.
The people in the town they are now living in seem very nice. They want Rick and his friends to acclimate to things, and so they throw them a party, and this results in some of Kirkman’s best writing on this title. Some of the characters are not ready to let go of their mistrust or their edge, while others are beginning to revert to something more like what they were before the zombies started showing up.
Kirkman has been doing a great job of building these characters over the last few years, and it’s quite interesting to see them in this type of situation. Michonne, who is always so quiet and capable, cannot handle hanging out with gossiping housewives. Abraham, who was so quick to act, is now dreading leaving the walls of the town. Glenn and Maggie are having their first domestic arguments, and Carl is still being very sullen and morose. Andrea is the new target of Douglas, the town’s leader and self-styled Lothario.
What really stood out in this issue is how Adlard has started to change the way some of the characters are drawn. They aren’t as unwashed and haggard as usual. Now they are shaving, and look more clean-cut than ever before. It almost looks like they are gaining weight and becoming less stressed. He really is a great artist.
Also of interest in this issue is the way that Kirkman is beginning to lay the groundwork for future issues. It’s clear that some of these townspeople have some secrets, and I loved the last page reveal of what Rick has planned. This is a great series that shows no signs of slowing down.
Other Notable Comics:
Air #21
Written by G. Willow Wilson
Art by MK Perker
I was pretty disappointed to hear the news this week that Air is being canceled with its 24th issue. I’ve been enjoying this comic a great deal since its inception, and, because it is a Vertigo title not written by a big-name writer or featuring an old DC character, have been expecting this cancellation since about issue six.
Air has been a unique book for Vertigo. It features a female lead who is, at least at the beginning, pretty screwed up and unsure of herself. She has been swept along by events, but has slowly been exerting influence and control over her surroundings, especially in this month’s issue, as she has to decide whether or not she is going to quit the ‘trials’ that she is being put through, or is going to embrace her new role in the world.
This comic has been intelligent and literary from the beginning, and has featured consistently lovely artwork. While I’m going to be sad to see it go, I hope that both Wilson and Perker will be working on new projects soon, either together or apart. They are both immensely talented, and are creators whose work I am guaranteed to purchase.
American Vampire #3
Written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
I have really been enjoying this new series. The lead story continues with Pearl’s journey of self-discovery, as she figures out what her new abilities are, and begins to use them for revenge on the creatures that attacked her. The back-up story continues to give us the story of Sinner Sweet, the first of the American Vampires, and Pearl’s sire.
I like the system of telling the two stories at once, and the way in which information is being slowly revealed, the most interesting piece in this issue being that the ‘American’ vampires are weakened on evenings where there is no moon.
Of course, the best thing about this comic continues to be Albuquerque’s art, which is phenomenal, but the story has completely drawn me in, and I look forward to future issues.
Battlefields #6
Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Carlos and Hector Ezquerra
The Firefly and His Majesty ends as we all knew it had to, with the final battle between the Firefly tank and the King Tiger it has been hunting for the last two issues.
This arc, the sequel to The Tankies
As usual with Ennis, this is a very well-realized portrayal of warfare, and one that I found interesting throughout.
DV8: Gods and Monsters #2
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Rebekah Isaacs
I’m finding this series to be interesting, even though I have no real knowledge of the characters and very little is being done to fill in the backstory. Wood has dumped these eight misfits on a strange world, and each of them seems to have found their way into a different tribe of barbarians, amazons or mystics. Where Leon and Gem are working with the people they found, Bliss, another member of their team, is leading her tribe while posing as a goddess.
This book doesn’t really read like a typical Brian Wood series at all. It’s much more a traditional superhero story, especially with the hints being dropped that these characters have been sent here for a reason (Wildstorm Secret Wars, anybody?).
Isaac’s art is quite decent, and I really like this month’s cover.
Ex Machina #49
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris
In the penultimate issue of Ex Machina, Mayor Hundred suits up as the Great Machine to track down Suzanne Padilla, and end her threat to the world. There are going to be some pretty big implications of Hundred using his powers so publicly, but Vaughan is saving them for the last issue.
As always, this book is quick and witty, and features incredible artwork from Tony Harris. I have liked this title from the very beginning; it’s mix of politics with super hero-ing has always been unique and interesting, and felt much more grounded in the real world than other comic books.
It’s great that Vaughan has been able to play out the story as he has always intended, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it ends.
Joe the Barbarian #5
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Sean Murphy
There’s not much new to say about this book at this point in the series. Joe is continuing his quest, which depending on which layer of reality you’re thinking about, is either to get a soda from the kitchen, or to fulfill his destiny as the Dying Boy and protect or restore the Light to the Kingdom.
What I like about this series is the way that Morrison has arranged all of the different elements so carefully. Back in the first issue, I remember it being odd that Joe left the front door of his house open. In an establishing shot last issue, I noticed the dog standing out in the yard of a house on the same street. Well, in this issue, the dog comes in to Joe’s house. It’s a big scene in the story, and I appreciate the care that was put into setting it up.
As usual, the art in this comic is fantastic.
Kill Shakespeare #2
Written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
Art by Andy Belanger
With the second issue, the story seems much clearer, as Hamlet and Richard go on an old-style quest to track down the wizard Will Shakespeare that Hamlet has agreed to kill in order to bring his dead father back. Of course, just like in Shakespeare’s greatest play, Hamlet is a bit of a dupe, and doesn’t realize that he is being manipulated by Richard, who is after Shakespeare’s quill.
When MacBeth begins to renege on a deal he made with Richard, our scheming king leaves Hamlet to Iago’s care, and departs. It looks like there are schemes hatching within schemes, as plots thicken and other famous characters from the plays begin to appear.
This is a pretty interesting title. I’m not going to pretend to know enough about the original plays to be able to judge characters’ portrayals or motivations, but much like one can enjoy The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen without a detailed knowledge of Victorian literature, I am finding this to be a fun title to read. I was going to stay on the fence for another issue, but I think I’m committed now to reading the whole series.
Resurrection #11
Written by Marc Guggenheim and Jen Van Meter
Art by Justin Greenwood and TJ Kirsch
It’s hard to find new things to say about the main story in this book every month. Guggenheim and Greenwood have been very consistent in their delivery of this story, and have been steadily building up their characters (those that survive) as they dribble out information about the Bugs and what they were up to on Earth.
In this issue, Sarah confronts the mutated citizens of Balitmore, and works to free Spock, the only Bug still on Earth from their clutches.
What does stand out month after month in this comic are the back-up stories. This issue has a great story written by Jen Van Meter (whose superhero stuff I find pretty hit or miss) and TJ Kirsch, an artist I’m not familiar with. It’s about a group of ‘high school nerds’ who end up trapped in the school at the time of the invasion, and who have built their own little commune in the building, based on equality and exacting rotating work schedules. When the guy who trapped them in the school shows up, a person they have built into the status of a legend for their children, everyone reacts differently. I have always loved post-Apocalyptic kind of stories, especially when they focus on the daily life of survivors. This story was exactly the type of thing I enjoy the most.
Quick Takes:
Atlas #1 – This would be the ‘Heroic Age’ title I’m most excited about, and this first issue doesn’t disappoint at all, even if the main characters of the book are barely in it. Instead, we get a 3D Man story, featuring Delroy Garrett (formerly Triathlon) on the run and somehow connected to Jimmy Woo’s team. First time readers will find this story accessible, and quite gorgeous with great art by Gabriel Hardman and colours by Elizabeth Breitweiser. The short back up is cool too.
Avengers #1 – I think I’m missing something here, and that’s the point. Are the Avengers really just a big collection of Pokemon cards for Steve Rogers now? “Wolverine- I choose you! (for your ruthlessness and selflessness).” I don’t really see why this team has this line-up, while other characters that might fit better are left off – maybe that will be explained in New New Avengers #1 (which I also don’t understand the point of, but I’ll wait until it comes out before I say that). And then we have Kang, working with the team for the first time, except for Avengers Forever, and a few other storylines. I also don’t know if Romita is right for this book. Sometimes he’s brilliant, and other times, he’s just quick. Look at the flying motorcycle things the team rides after Thor punches Kang. What year is it? You have this arc Avengers, and I need to be more impressed, and quickly.
Brightest Day #2 – So if the book wasn’t all about the new ‘bright’ future of DC, and supposed to symbolize the return of heroic stories, I guess it wouldn’t have a scene where a woman bludgeons her own family to death with a Guitar Hero set before ripping off her own skin, right? Other stuff happened in this comic too, but I think I’m stuck on that one scene. Really regretting having pre-ordered this through June…
Invincible Iron Man #26 – Matt Fraction really gets Tony Stark, perhaps even better than he does Scott Summers. There’s a story about Tony at the Playboy Mansion that is fantastic, especially as it informs Tony’s actions of the last few years. So, as the Hammer women try to sell their Detroit Steel suit to some strange clients, the Spymaster starts to amass his own resources, and obliviously, Tony is working on building Halo batteries and cars. Oh wait, I mean Stark batteries and cars. It’s easy to see how I was mistaken…. Even though much of this could have been in an issue of Wildcats Version 3.0, it’s still great stuff.
Legion of Super-Heroes #1 – Like many comics readers, I love the Legion. My Legion was the later ‘Baxter’ team through the ‘5-Year Gap’. Basically, it was the Legion that ran between Crisis and Zero Hour that matters to me the most, and while this new incarnation effectively negates almost all of that run, I am very excited to see Paul Levitz back on the title. However, having read this first issue, I fear that it borrows a little too much from the Geoff Johns playbook of late. In other words, a planet blows up, and a mother’s children get torn from her. I’m okay with both of these events more than I am with the forced inclusion of Earth Man on the team – it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Newcomer Yildiray Cinar does a nice job on the art, but it’s nothing too spectacular. This is not the most stellar of starts (and I could do without the second ‘Flashpoint’ name drop), but I do have hope for this title.
Superman: War of the Supermen #3 – Fighting it out with Brightest Day for worst comic of the week, this issue basically counters last issue’s big ending, kills some D-list characters who are going to turn up again the next time we need cannon fodder in a big dumb crossover, and generally fills pages. On the up side, after next week, I’m officially dropping the Superman books again, at least until Morrison and Quitely find some way to make me like the character again.
X-Factor #205 – This Second Coming tie-in feels a little more disjointed than the last issue, as Bastion’s human soldiers track down and try to kill the team. It’s an okay issue, but it doesn’t really do much for me. I always like this title more when it doesn’t care about the rest of the Marvel universe.
X-Men Legacy #236 – Bastion makes his move on Utopia (and San Francisco) as the skies go red (in case you didn’t realize this is a Crisis the X-Men are facing), and no one dies. There’s a nice little Avengers cameo, and tolerable Greg Land artwork. I like this crossover.
Comics I Would Have Bought if They Weren’t $4:
Age of Heroes #1
DC Universe Legacies #1
Enter the Heroic Age #1
Farscape #7
Rescue #1
Spirit #2
Bargain Comics:
Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk #1-3 – I love the Micronauts. I collected the original series through bargain bins as a kid, and bought the second volume as it came out. I even read the Image series a few years ago (regretfully). One of the biggest draws of Guardians of the Galaxy is that Bug is a character. So, when I heard that Commander Rann and Marionette were in this series, I knew that I wanted to check it out. Of course, having never read the Son of the Hulk series, I have no idea what’s up with Hiro-Kala or any of these characters. Three issues of this series doesn’t help clarify anything either…
Wolverine: Weapon X #10 – This is a really good issue as Logan debates with himself the merits of entering into a relationship with a San Francisco reporter, and revisits most of the other women in his life for advice. The issue is illustrated by CP Smith, who should be doing more comics work than he is.
Set of the Week:
Angel: Blood & Trenches #1-4
by John Byrne
Like a lot of comics readers who grew up in the 80s, John Byrne was the first super-star artist whose work I could immediately recognize, and whose career I found myself following (almost to the point where I started reading Superman, but not quite). And while he’s done a lot to alienate himself from the major publishers and much of the comics-reading public, I do get the odd nostalgic twinge for his work.
So, when I hear that he has taken Joss Whedon’s vampire with a soul character Angel, and placed him in the trenches of the first world war, I couldn’t resist reading this
Anyway, this is a decent enough comic, although there is nowhere near enough trench action for me. Angel, hearing rumors of vampires along the Eastern Front, travels to France and begins investigating. He quickly finds some vampires preying on both sides, and he also crosses paths with a British Colonel who is a vampire hunter. There is betrayal, trashed old convents, ice-covered rivers, and enough action to keep the book from getting slow.
Byrne penciled the book, but it seems no one has inked it, leaving the art scratchy and kind of faint in places. The pages are in black and white, although as the story requires it, some panels are splashed in a lurid red. It’s not Byrne’s best work, but he does still have what it takes, although his little gag on the last page is cringe-inducing.
The Week in Graphic Novels:
Sword of My Mouth
Written by Jim Munroe
Art by Shannon Gerard
This
In this follow-up book, which can be read completely on its own, we are given an interesting look at post-Rapture Detroit. Now, Detroit is no stranger to having droves of people take off – this is where they invented ‘white flight’ remember, and the people living there are used to having to scratch by without the usual benefits of a functioning society. In a lot of ways, this book serves as an overview of contemporary post-urban life. There are people farming abandoned lots, ‘locavore’ farmers’ markets, and commune-style living. Only there’s working magic.
The book is mostly centred on Ella, a single mother trying to look after her slightly strange baby Wilson. When the building she’s been squatting in burns down, she has to find a new place to live, and falls in with a collective of urban farmers. There she works the farm, and starts to rebuild a life for herself.
Amid all this, there is the specter of Wilson’s father, who eventually shows up on a mission from his commanders in the fight against the Angels in Chicago. The group also gets visited by Ursula, a witch from New York who is there to study their agricultural practices. There is also a man claiming himself to be Famine, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who has some ideas about food pricing and undercutting the local producers.
As you can tell, this is not your typical comic book, and that’s what I like most about it. Munroe adds a ton of whimsical details, such as the dots painted on the houses on Heidelberg Street coming off the houses and floating around the city, but there is also this strong sense that he has a lot of other important details about this world worked out, and he is only giving us snippets of it.
Also unique is Shannon Gerard’s artwork. She doesn’t really use panels, but instead layers the art in sections running down the page. In some ways, her art reminds me of time lapse photography, as a person moves about the same image, stopping in places long enough to register on the film. It’s a little jarring at first, but you quickly become used to it. Her lettering is like that too. At first, I hated it, but it really grew on me as I proceeded through the book.
This is a project worth checking out, and I highly recommend it. You can sample and purchase it here.
The Nevermen
Written by Phil Amara
Art by Guy Davis
This one
This is a deeply weird project. It was a four issue series, preceded by a three-part story in Dark Horse Presents, but I can’t help feeling like I’ve missed some essential origin story, as this starts off as if the reader has been following these characters for years, and knows all about who they are, their relationships to each other, and how their world works. You can tell Amara assumes this, because NO WHERE in this book is there any sort of explication. The story starts, and you just sort of float along in it, completely guessing as to what’s going on.
To recap this puppy is just about impossible. What I can tell you is that there are five guys who all dress the same who seem to be superheroes. There are some wondrously bizarre villains, and another guy called the Murderist who is either a hero or a villain, but I can’t really tell. Some guy called Clockwork has some kind of doomsday device. Or something like that. There is little in the way of narrative, and next to nothing in terms of character development.
What saves this book is the visual aesthetic that Davis employs. The setting is some sort of retro-future gangland Chicago. It’s not steampunk, because it is meant to evoke a later period, but it does look damn cool. The bad guys put the weirdest Dick Tracy villains to shame, my favourite being Honshu, a squid-faced Triad boss. Around the half way point, I think I stopped trying to understand things, and instead just focused on Davis’s wonderful art.
This is worth avoiding. Trust me.
Welcome to Hoxford
by Ben Templesmith
I’ve long enjoyed Templesmith’s work on books like Fell
Welcome to Hoxford is a twisted little piece of work. Hoxford Correctional Facility and Mental Institution is a privately run (by a Russian corporation) institute of last resort for incurably insane violent offenders. The men that are sent to this place are to remain there for the rest of their lives. They are given no visitors, and the American government has basically washed its hands of them. What no one knows is that it is a front for a group of werewolves who have immigrated to America.
Our hero (if that term can apply in any possible way) is Raymond Delgado, an insane murderer with delusions of godhood. His fellow inmates include cannibals, pedophiles, and necrophiliacs. So basically, it’s not a very nice comic. Instead, it’s a gloriously deranged story where horrible people get what’s coming to them from more horrible creatures, at least until Raymond starts to fight back.
As usual, Templesmith’s art is terrific, if you like his style. I think I need to track down some of his other solo work now, as I definitely want to read more.
The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.2: The Soul of Venice & Other Stories
Written by Mike Mignola, Miles Gunther, Michael Avon Oeming,Brian Augustyn, and Joe Harris
Art by Michael Avon Oeming, Guy Davis, Adam Pollina, Guillermo Zubiaga, and Cameron Stewart
I find it sort of odd that so early into its existence as a separate, non-Hellboy entity, Mike Mignola would hand over the reins to such a variety of different creators. But that’s exactly what he did, in the form of three one-shot stories (joined here
Each of the stories follow the usual Hellboy/BPRD set-up of a town under siege by some sort of weirdness, followed by our heroes showing up to deal with it. There’s nothing out of the box about any of the stories, but it’s cool to see such a variety of talented artists work in Mignola’s playground. I especially like seeing Adam Pollina drawing Abe Sapien – he seems to just get the character, and makes him quite unique.
After reading his story here, it’s not hard to see why Guy Davis was picked to be the semi-regular artist on this title, as he turns in some great work. The only story here that doesn’t really do it for me is the Geoff Johns/Scott Kolins piece, but I’ve always had an issue with Kolins’s art, so it’s not a surprise that I didn’t like it.
The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.3: Plague of Frogs
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Guy Davis
This
The book starts with the reincarnation of Sadu-Hem, the big bad from the first Hellboy volume, in the form of a gigantic elephantine fungus creature that turns people into frog creatures. This volume also gives us a very disjointed understanding of Abe Sapien’s background, but in such a way that raises more questions than it answers.
Also important is the way in which the BPRD team has started to mesh. Liz Sherman finally comes to a level of comfort with her abilities, and Abe takes on the duties of leadership with some reluctance, but with great facility.
Davis is a really good fit for this book. He draws great monsters and creatures, and tends to draw the main characters with the same stout body shapes that is typical from Mignola. I really like the way he draws Johann Krauss, the ‘ectoplasmic’ character. This guy is basically ectoplasm in a suit (kind of like the Legion’s Wildfire), and Davis draws him like he’s a huge, wobbly balloon character, which I found brilliant.
Album of the Week:
Young Jazz Rebels – Slave Riot (more Madlib!)
