Best Comic of the Week:
X-Men: Trial of Magneto #1 – I was at first irritated when I learned that X-Factor was over, but then I saw that Leah Williams was writing this series, and that so many of the cast of that book would still be prominent in it. I love having Magneto as a driving force on Krakoa. I’ve really enjoyed his decades-long journey into becoming a better person, and I hate when he gets reverted back into being a tantrum-throwing bully or advocate of human genocide. Williams is walking a fine line with this issue, but I’ll say right here that I don’t believe that Magneto killed Wanda, and I’m looking forward to watching how the various characters work their way through this case and figure out the truth of what happened. I know that everyone this week is focusing on the fact that Jonathan Hickman is leaving the X-Men, and I don’t know the extent of his involvement in a book like this, but I trust that some of the X-writers are going to be just fine without him, and this book is a good example of how that is true. I was very pleased with it. I do hope that, once it’s over, X-Factor gets to return as a monthly title though.
Quick Takes:
Ascender #18 – Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen first introduced us to Tim-21 and his world in March of 2015 in Descender #1, and with this issue, that story is finally finished. Throughout, each issue of Descender and Ascender have been absolutely gorgeous, thanks to the beautiful painted art of Nguyen. His pastel tones gave beauty to the bleak worlds this series portrayed, and a real sense of humanity, even to the robotic characters. Lemire wrote some memorable and likeable characters, and closed things off very nicely in this issue. I’m sad to see this series go, but was in the mood for a happy ending when I read this.
Gamma Flight #3 – The team finds themselves in a strange landscape in this issue, as we learn just who Dionne, the woman they saved from Skaar, is. I’m enjoying this book a lot, as I like just about every character in it.
Guardians of the Galaxy #17 – Al Ewing is just so good at big sweeping, multi-character stories, as shown here. Nova’s still unhappy about Doctor Doom working with the team, but when facing a magical threat, it makes sense to have a magic user around. This is a big issue with a lot of action, but it finds time for some decent character moments. I’m not sure if I need to get the next few tie-ins or not (I mean, I’ll get the Cable one because I’ve been reading his series), but I look forward to seeing how this all ends next month.
Hero Trade: Passive/Aggressive – I’ve liked the Hero Trade backup stories that appeared in ENIAC, but never really got a full sense of what makes Hero Trade unique. It seems like Matt Kindt is using the title to tell various dark stories in a generic superhero world. This has a Batman-like hero called The Watch (I think) deal with the fact that Russians hacked his bank accounts. Maybe it’s because David Lapham is the artist, but I kept expecting some kind of twist like we’d see in Stray Bullets. Still, it was entertaining. I also liked the backup story by Kindt and Klaus Janson about a criminal trying to go straight. It’s been ages since I’ve seen new Janson art, so that was a treat. I didn’t realize that Bad Idea made two different books with the same cover. Honestly, I think that’s a cool gimmick, but I’m a little cheesed at the fact that I have probably missed the boat on getting the other comic, especially since they didn’t send the other one to any stores in the same state or province. Whatever.
Hollow Heart #6 – This series has been a pretty unique one. An experiment in super soldier cyborg technology has gone sideways after a lab tech decided to take the subject home and enter a relationship with him, which has all been a ruse for continuing experiments in a setting where the subject would be less resistant. Things all fall apart at the end, and this exploration of loneliness and responsibility stays oddly touching. I really liked this book, and look forward to seeing what Paul Allor and Paul Tucker might cook up next.
Iron Man #11 – I still find it strange that Chris Cantwell decided to pull Tony out of the storyline he’s in, and take him to another planet for a bit, but that all starts to make more sense with this issue, as we learn who is behind the abductions, and return to the Korvac plotline. I like the way Cantwell writes Tony, and seems to be setting up a longer story for when Korvac is finished with.
Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #3 – Hutch is my favourite character in Jupiter’s Legacy, so it was nice to see him getting the lion’s share of this book, while the rest of it dealt with Chloe and what she’s doing in space. This book is gorgeous – Tommy Lee Edwards is outdoing himself – but a little confusing, with a lot of different threads. Not checking in with any of the other characters might be a mistake – I’m already having a hard time remember just who they all are.
Lazarus: Risen #6 – We’ve waited a long time for this comic to come out, but it was worth it. Greg Rucka and Michael Lark have really embraced the expanded room that this quarterly (he said with a smirk) prestige format book allows. Carlyle makes an overture of peace to Hock, resulting in a negotiation that Hock insists be attended by Carlyle’s wife, whom Forever meets for the first time. We get a good reminder that all military and business conflicts are, at their core, personal, and learn a few things that we never knew before. This book is brilliantly plotted, and Lark’s art is so clear and good. I sincerely hope it’s not another year before we see the next issue of this, but I can wait, so long as the quality stays this high.
Marauders #23 – It’s cool that Tempo and Banshee are featured prominently in this issue. We see what happens in Ireland when the supply of Krakoan flowers gets cut off, and when Verendi gets involved. This was an entertaining issue. I’d like to see more of Tempo and Banshee. There are just so many great characters that, even with so many Krakoan titles being published, don’t get used nearly enough.
Moon Knight #2 – I’m intrigued by this new Moon Knight series. Jed McKay has MK investigating a group of senior citizens who have been attacking people in the neighbourhood, which turns out to be connected to a larger plot he can’t quite see the shape of yet. I like this take on Moon Knight, with Khonshu absent as a character.
Nightwing #83 – I’m so glad I decided to jump onto Tom Taylor’s Nightwing. In this issue, Dick, who has just inherited a sizeable amount of money from Alfred, announces his plans for this money. It’s refreshing to see a superhero comic where the hero works to solve real world problems, such as lack of housing in cities, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes. Bruno Redondo’s art is great in this book – his actions sequences are thrilling, but he’s also really good at showing the weight of a scene like the one in which Dick talks about his plans with Superman. I’m really impressed with a lot of what I’m seeing from DC right now, and this book is quickly becoming a favourite.
Sacred Six #12 – This companion book to Priest’s Vampirella run has always been a challenging read, weaving in and out of the main book’s continuity, but it was often interesting. It ends with this issue, that squeezes a little too much story into it. Some of the characters decide to stick around in Ashthorne, but with Priest’s Vampi run shutting down soon, I doubt we’ll see them again. Does Dynamite maintain continuity from one relaunch to the next? I don’t really understand how this company works, aside from their covers (which, let’s face it, is their entire business model).
Shazam! #2 – I’m glad I chose to pick this up. Tim Sheridan, who is killing it on Teen Titans Academy, has Billy Batson heading to Hell to figure out where the Rock of Eternity is, and getting into conflict with the local boss, who has turned Hell into a version of Los Vegas. It’s weird that the same thing has been happening at Marvel. We get a surprise about Billy’s friend Dane in this issue. I enjoyed it.
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #3 – This event is fantastic. Chewbacca throws down with Boba Fett, while Darth Vader fights Q’ira. Luke Ross’s art is just great in this book, and the whole thing moves with a pace and level of excitement we rarely see in Marvel’s Star Wars comics.
Star Wars #16 – Continuing from the above issue, Charles Soule and Ramon Rosanas gives us some alternate looks at some of the same scenes, and goes further to flesh out Luke’s feelings about the coming confrontation with Vader. This book has been great since this War event started.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #3 – While Supergirl and Ruthye continue to hunt down the criminal who killed Ruthye’s father, they find themselves in a town that previously appeared to live under a type of apartheid system, only now, all the purple inhabitants are missing. Tom King and Bilquis Evely are providing us with some interesting adventures for the girl of steel, while also injecting just a touch of social commentary. It’s an entertaining series, and Evely’s art is great.
Superman and the Authority #2 – Superman and Manchester Black continue to gather up their new team, recruiting Steel, Apollo, and the Midnighter, and then getting involved in something regarding the Enchantress. I’m still very confused by this book, and where it stands in continuity, since it seems like it might be featuring the original version of Superman, who has been active since the middle of the 20th century, but acknowledges all prior continuity. This is my biggest issue with DC books, especially since I know that the definitely mainstream Superman will be working with the Authority in Action Comics. Grant Morrison is kind of going through the motions with this issue, which has four artists. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I’d hoped for something more dynamic than this.
Way of X #5 – I’ve found Simon Spurrier’s contribution to the growing body of Krakoan series interesting, and enjoyed this issue. Nightcrawler has been trying to reconcile Krakoan society with his beliefs, and try to figure out how to develop a belief system for the island nation. Along the way, he’s tried to help a mutant called Lost, Fabian Cortez, and Legion, who has stumbled on the fact that Onslaught has returned. This issue has Kurt figuring things out, but also having to face a massive threat that only he can stop. It’s a little frustrating that this last issue carries into an Onslaught one-shot, but that just seems to be Marvel’s publishing model these days. I’d happily buy an ongoing series written by Spurrier, but the less Legion, the better.
X-Corp #4 – I’m glad this is not an ongoing series, as I’m getting a little tired of watching everyone bicker over who gets to be on the X-Corp board, while Angel and Monet keep taking shots at each other. I don’t really understand why it’s so important that Krakoa have such a tech company that would become as powerful as Apple (or, I guess, Stark?). Nothing was ever really established with this series, and I find it odd that anyone would be willing to work with someone like Selene. It just feels slapped together and a little out of place with the rest of the line.
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Batman Catwoman #6
Home #5
Kang the Conqueror #1
Miles Morales Spider-Man Annual #1
The Week in Music:
Durand Jones & The Indications – Private Space – With this latest album, Durand Jones has decided to explore the higher ends of his vocal range, and that threw me a little. This is a lovely, soulful album that I would love to see performed live some time. It really works.
Emma-Jean Thackary – Yellow – This is a really hard album to describe, as Emma-Jean Thackray tries on a number of different styles, sometimes in the same song, over the course of Yellow. I guess it can be described as a very British-sounding exploration of psychedelic jazz, blending the sounds of a brass band with a spiritual jazz aesthetic. I like it, but I find I need to really pay attention when I’m listening, or I quickly get lost in it.
Amaro Freitas – Sankofa – I stumbled across this incredible jazz album by algorithm, and am so happy I did. Freitas is an incredible piano player, and this album really showcases his virtuosity. This thing is shocking and beautiful. I’d love to see him play.
