Best Comic of the Week:
X-Factor #10 – I’m disappointed that X-Factor is over with this issue, but take heart that they will have a key role in the upcoming Trial of Magneto miniseries. This Hellfire Gala issue wraps up a number of unresolved plotlines, with Prodigy figuring out the mystery of how he died, Aurora and Akihiro figuring out where they stand with one another, and Eye-Boy really coming into his own. I’ve really enjoyed the way Leah Williams has written these characters. I can’t think of another mainstream comic that has been so progressive in its portrayal of queer and non-traditional characters in such an accepting and normalizing way. Beyond that, Williams has made me like characters like Eye-Boy, who I always thought were kind of stupid before this. I hope that this team shows up again after the Trial miniseries. I also like how Williams throws such a wrench into things at the very end, closing off the Gala with a mystery.
Quick Takes:
Beta Ray Bill #4 – Bill’s ship has been captured by a mythical squid of some sort, which is trying to distract Bill and Scuttlebutt by replaying key moments in Bill’s life. This parade of bad memories serves to help us better understand him, and flesh him out more than any writer has done before, but it also sucks some of the momentum out of the story. Daniel Warren Johnson is still doing an incredible job with this series. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and finally treats a long-standing character with the respect he deserves. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens in the last issue, with Bill set to fight Surtur. That should look wild.
Cable #11 – This book has become unmoored from the rest of the X-Line lately, with this issue coming out a month late (and it doesn’t look like the next one will tie in with the Hellfire Gala, despite the fact that its architect, Gerry Duggan, writes this title). Nate admits that he needs his older self back, which is possible given The Five, and then the two of them get ready to go after Stryfe once and for all. This was an enjoyable issue, with great Phil Noto art. I just wonder why it’s so late.
Crossover #7 – Usually, this book is by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, and deals with the fallout that came with the opening of a portal into all fictional comic books worlds, causing the city of Denver to be overrun with superheroes, villains, and other comics characters, before it was all sealed off by a huge dome. The early issues hinted that someone has been hunting and killing comics creators. This issue is not by the usual creative team, but by Chip Zdarsky and Phil Hester. It also stars the real Chip Zdarsky, who has gone into hiding under an assumed (actually, probably his real) name. His past catches up to him though, as he has to deal with the very real consequences of Sex Criminals #14. This issue is great – it adds a lot to the creative energy of Cates’s series, although I’m sure it would be very confusing for a casual reader. At the same time, I doubt that there are many casual comics readers who would be too interested in this book, which benefits from a deep knowledge of past Image and other creator-owned series. I love when things like this happen and creators are so generous with their properties. This was a really fun issue.
Daredevil #31 – This is supposed to be the beginning of a new arc, but really, Chip Zdarsky is just continuing the various plotlines that have been running for a while now. Matt decides to take on the Warden in the prison he’s been assigned to, while Elektra gets tired of playing things Matt’s way, and confronts Izzy Libris, not knowing that Mike Murdock is making his move on her too. And then Bullseye decides to kill everyone in New York. This series stays pretty dynamic and exciting, although this issue felt a little stretched thin with so many plotlines.
The Department of Truth #10 – It’s time to learn about Cryptids, as Hawk takes Cole on a Bigfoot hunt. This issue is split between Cole and Hawk’s conversation and the notebook of a man who has spent most of his life looking for Bigfoot, after his father found the creature’s footprint when he was a young boy. James Tynion IV touches on material that reminds me of both Proof and Fables with this issue, as this book continues to remind me of classic Vertigo series. It’s not the fastest-moving series, but it is consistently entertaining.
Dune: House Atreides #8 – Stuff keeps happening in this series, but it still feels very disconnected. I guess that’s just to be expected with prequels.
ENIAC #4 – Bad Idea’s flagship title ends very well, with Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite providing a satisfying and interesting conclusion. This has been an interesting series with a lot of big ideas, and I think that Kindt was able to pull it all off. I enjoyed the Hero Trade backup he wrote, drawn by David Lapham, as well. Bad Idea itself is a total trainwreck of a company, but they have managed to put out some pretty great comics.
Eternals #5 – I’ve been finding this title a little slow moving, but with this issue, Kieron Gillen ramps things up some, as The Forgotten One is brought into the group trying to figure out where Thanos is. At the same time, we finally get some understanding of why Thanos seems a little different from what we’re used to, and what his goals are. It also looks like we get to know who is behind his new abilities and understanding of the Machine that aids the Eternals and resurrects them. Esad Ribic’s art is, once again, very nice here.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #11 – Aphra’s attempt to capture Domina Tagge’s cousin goes very wrong after Aliens-like creatures infest the pleasure yacht he’s on. Aphra and Starros look like they’re in real trouble, until a bounty hunter named Durge shows up. I am liking Alyssa Wong’s Aphra a little more with each issue, but I still wish these stories were a little more complex. Next, Aphra’s headed to the Crimson Dawn party that is going to run through all the Star Wars books soon (kind of like the Hellfire Gala).
Teen Titans Academy 2021 Yearbook #1 – I’m not sure how, so soon after the Teen Titans Academy got its launch, it’s time for a yearbook, but I did enjoy the opportunity to get to know more of the new characters in this book. Stitch gets the spotlight first, although we also get to know Matt a little better, and get a story that sheds a little light on Red X’s origin. I am really liking what Tim Sheridan is doing with the Teen Titans, so while this book was way overpriced (at $6), I was happy to get to know a little more about where this book is headed.
That Texas Blood #7 – This terrific Southern Gothic series returns with a new arc centred on a spree of Satanic killings that happened in 1981. Joe Bob, now the Sheriff, was a deputy back then, and on the 40th anniversary of that strange event, he starts to reminisce about it. That Texas Blood’s first arc was very good, and I’m happy to see the book back on the stands. Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips are expanding the county and characters with this new arc, and are once again giving us a character-driven mystery. This series is great.
Two Moons #5 – I think I’d expected this title to last longer than five issues. I don’t know if that was always John Arcudi’s plans, or if sales weren’t really there for it. Things wrap up kind of neatly, without ever explaining why there are devils hidden among the soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, or just what exactly Virgil’s role in the world is. I liked this series, and would have gladly continued to support it.
Undone by Blood or The Other Side of Eden #4 – I think I’d expected this series to have another issue, so I was a little surprised when I realized that things were wrapping up. Silvy is convinced that his and his friend’s decision to rob the Wright family is the cause of all their subsequent misfortune, and finds he has some decisions to make about what to do next. I didn’t enjoy this Undone by Blood series as much as I did the first one, but I do find that the two stories are interesting in the ways they intersect and contrast. I am always going to check out a Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson series, especially when they work with an artist like Sami Kivelä, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next.
The United States of Captain America #1 – I’m not sure why this would have to come out the week before Ta-Nehisi Coates’s long-running Cap story closes up next week, but here we are. Someone dressed like Cap manages to steal his shield, and uses it to try to cause a train wreck. This leads to Cap and Falcon meeting the first of many people who use the name Captain America. In this case, we meet the Cap of the railroads, a young gay man who rides the rails and looks out for people experiencing homelessness. I like the main story, which appears to be exploring what role Cap plays in such a divided America. Christopher Cantwell has been inconsistent since coming to write at Marvel, but this looks to be among his better work. The backup story gives us this new Cap’s origin, and it’s decent. I’m down for this title.
Vampirella #21 – Vampirella, her mother, some of the Senate pages from Drakulon, and Shane, the murderous undead astronaut, have spent the last eight months trapped on Arcadia, the Earth-like planet Shane is from. They’re trying to get home, but face a number of challenges, resulting in the apparent death of a key member of the book’s cast. Priest keeps this series moving ahead at a crazy, unpredictable pace. I never would have expected to enjoy this book so much, or for so long.
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead #7 – This issue shows us what happened to the two surviving members of the crew of the Vihaan II in the decades after their fateful mission between galaxies, and gives us a better understanding of how the culture has shifted in that time. It’s another solid issue written by Al Ewing, and for maybe the first time, I found that Simone Di Meo’s art didn’t confuse me that much (it’s not really the art, but the digital colouring that usually throws me off). The quality of Ewing’s writing, and the concepts going into Di Meo’s art make up for that issue though…
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Black Knight Curse of the Ebony Blade #4
Bargain Comics:
Champions #9 & 10 – I liked the way Jim Zub expanded the ranks of the Champions, but I guess his run really didn’t catch on, because after ten issues, Marvel relaunched it again, and I have no idea what’s going on in it now. These constant relaunches are exhausting, and really make readers stop caring.
Dead Man Logan #11 & 12 – I liked this long goodbye to Old Man Logan. It ends in a pretty predictable way, given the name of the book, but Ed Brisson and Mike Henderson make that ending effective and a little poignant. It’s clear to me now that in OML’s world, there was no Krakoan nation…
Excalibur #4-12, 16-21 – I got myself caught up on Excalibur this week, skipping the X of Swords tie-in issues, which I’ve already read. The first three issues of this series didn’t do much for me, but I thought that maybe with time this book would work better. I was wrong, and it’s kind of a mess. Tini Howard is doing that thing that a lot of modern writers do, where they try to change a character’s portrayal by just stating how things are. For example, there is a lot of story balancing on the idea that Rogue and Captain Britain (Betsy Braddock) are very close friends, but I’ve never gotten the sense of that from decades of reading X-Men comics. I always got the impression that they were co-workers who got along, but not particularly connected to each other. Likewise, I do not understand how Rictor, the wary gay mutant from Peter David’s X-Factor run would become such a willing acolyte of Apocalypse, and then later, a neo-Druid. I never fully understood why Jamie Braddock became the King of Avalon, or why the people of England would care that much about Betsy taking on the Captain Britain role. I like that Howard dealt with some things, like Malice’s origin, that are long overdue, but I just never found myself investing in this group as a team. Marcus To’s art is nice enough, but from time to time, I found it hard to follow, although I think that’s more of a plotting thing. I’m having similar issues with Howard’s X-Corp, which also seems to be trying to write things into being. I’ve liked some of Howard’s independent work, but in those cases, she was working with her own characters, and not ones with long histories.
The Week in Graphic Novels:
Quantum and Woody Vol. 4: Q2 – The Return – I wrote two of my Retro Trade Review columns on the first two volumes of Q&W. The third one, I never finished, because I got kind of lost in it, and too busy. I still had this volume, which had writer Priest and artist MD Bright return to these characters after twenty years or so, which came out at the same time as Valiant’s recent remake. This is pure Priest – the story is almost too confusing to follow, as the aged Woody returns to discover that Eric has been using a young man (who might be a robot with alien DNA) to replace him as Quantum, and a fourteen year old has taken the role of Woody. The plot is thick with contradictions, misdirections, and betrayal, and it really was confusing in places, but I also enjoyed it. Priest is a great writer, and Bright is a classic and undersung artist. Their Quantum and Woody became a product of its time, and was hurt by the collapse of the independent market in the 90s. It’s really cool that Valiant gave them another chance to wrap things up (not that Eric and Woody were ever going to resolve their issues with each other).
The Week in Music:
Green-House – Music For Living Spaces – Green-House creates very beautiful, minimalist electronic New Age music, and I’m here for it. Her Six Songs For Invisible Gardens was a favourite last year, and this longer album feels like an advancement of the ideas that made that work so well. This is great thoughtful background music that would be perfect music to get a massage to.
João Donato, Adrian Younge, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Jazz is Dead 7 – Once again, Younge and Muhammad team up with a legend of the jazz scene, this time João Donato, to compose a brief album. As with every previous chapter, this one really swings, and sounds great. Loren Oden provides vocals on more than half the tracks, and Donato’s Fender Rhodes sounds so nice. I love this series, and am very thankful for it.
Masayoshi Fujita – Bird Ambience – This is such a beautiful combination of vibraphone and electronic music from an artist who is new to me. Fujita’s approach to ambient music feels very different, but in a way that I find difficult to describe. It’s warm, and feels very organic, since he plays his vibraphone slowly and warmly. I don’t know – I’m bad at describing music, but I know that this is beautiful and very restful.
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant – Hiatus Kaiyote are a hard band to define. They are soulful and funky, but also utterly bizarre and unpredictable. This new album has a song about slug sex. It also shows some new sides to the band, especially on the tracks where they work with a full string section, under the direction of Arthur Verocai. Those songs really showcase how incredible Nai Palm’s voice is. This album is going to take a while to fully absorb, but I already love it after just a couple of listens. I’m glad this band has returned to us; it’s been too long.
