Best Comic of the Week:
Black Adam #1 – I’ve been interested in Black Adam since he began appearing in Geoff Johns’s JSA series, and have found him the most interesting part of the Shazam/Captain Marvel universe since that time. I would probably have checked out a Black Adam series with just about anyone writing it, but DC went and got Christopher Priest to write this one, and it’s pretty glorious. Teth-Adam is in DC answering questions about his tiny nation on the same day that his main political opponent is assassinated. Adam soon meets a young doctor (who is very much an update of Priest’s Queen Divine Justice, from his Black Panther run) who seems connected to the whole thing, but knows nothing about it. As all of this is going on, we see that Adam is also suffering from some ill effects after a recent battle with Darkseid. Rafa Sandoval’s art looks really nice here, and it’s great to see him and Priest teaming up again after their excellent Deathstroke run. I can tell this miniseries is going to be one of my favourite titles for the next year.
Quick Takes:
Arrowsmith: Behind Enemy Lines #6 – This issue marks the half-way point in this current story, but is also the end of the six-part Behind Enemy Lines series. It sounds like it might be more than a year before we see the continuation of the story, as both writer Kurt Busiek and artist Carlos Pacheco are dealing with some health issues that make producing comics difficult. I wish them both well, especially as they’ve been at the top of their game with this series. This issue sees Fletcher start to understand the depth of his magical potential, as his education continues while he travels on his current mission. Pacheco’s work on this book is gorgeous.
Deadly Class #53 – Marcus and Maria’s life just keeps getting more challenging was we move into the Obama era, and we see what’s become of Helmut. As they wrap up this title, Rick Remender and Wes Craig are putting their characters through the wringer one last time, making it clear that for many, life just stays hard. Does Remender ever give us happy endings?
Flash #783 – This issue ties in to Dark Crisis, and starts the multi-part search for Barry Allen, which might signal the end of my brief period of excitement about this series. The fact that this book is focusing on Wally and his family is what drew me to start reading it, and while I was happy to see Jay Garrick, Max Mercury, and Jesse Quick in this issue, I have no interest in seeing more of Barry. I just find him a boring character… Anyway, this is a very good issue, with nice art by Amancay Nahuelpan. The various Flashes and friends enter the speed force to hunt down various Barrys, but Wally’s kids slip through first. There’s potential in this story.
Immortal X-Men #3 – I am loving the approach Kieron Gillen is taking to this series. This issue digs into Destiny’s character in ways that no writer has ever done before, using her abilities to set up a gang of plotlines that should keep this book, and the rest of the Krakoan titles, moving forward for a couple of years. She comes to a revelation about Sinister’s plans, and foresees the coming fight with the Eternals. At the same time, we get a clearer look than ever before at her relationship with Mystique. This book is intelligent, very grounded in character, and gorgeous, thanks to Lucas Werneck’s art. I especially like how Gillen is leaning into the general distastefulness of Charles Xavier’s character. I hope Gillen stays on this book for a long time.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #39 – Miles, Shift, and their alternate reality allies continue their fight against Emperor Selim, discovering that Selim has been using Peter Parker’s bone marrow to stay young, and is using another living battery to power the forcefield he has around Brooklyn. This is another solid issue with good characterization and very nice art. I’m liking this series, but I like it best when we get to see Miles’s supporting cast, and they’re absent here.
Moon Knight #12 – Moon Knight and Tigra are rushing to stop Zodiac from killing the people in his neighbourhood, but they are being pursued by the ghosts of previous fists of Khonshu. This is a big issue in terms of it being all-action, and it ends with an interesting twist. I’m liking this series a lot.
Newburn #8 – The first multi-part Newburn story really makes it clear just who Newburn is, and what lengths he’ll go to to protect his staff. This is a very tough issue, as writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Jacob Phillips reveal that the ex-cop who now works as a private investigator exclusively for organized crime is maybe not such a good person. It’s funny that that would surprise anyone. This book is really good, and this issue was one of the best yet. I also liked the unconventional ending to the Spook-a-rama backup story by Casey Gilly and Soo Lee. I would definitely read something longer by them.
New Mutants #26 – I was invested in this story about Illyana trying to give control of Limbo to Madelyne Pryor when it started in the last issue, but Vita Ayala’s story just couldn’t hold my attention this time around. Illyana and her companions find an older version of Illyana and Warlock fighting off S’ym and his demons, who have been infected by the Technarch virus, but it’s never really explained how the two versions of the same character are existing at the same time, and I’m not sure that we get much insight into Illyana’s character. It feels a little like Ayala and artist Rod Reis are going through the motions with this one.
Nightwing #93 – Dick confronts the power structure in Blüdhaven over their attack on his Haven youth centre, while Heartless, the villain that’s been creeping around the background of this book, gets into it with Blockbuster. Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo have made this one of the best books DC is putting out right now, and I like how it focuses on smaller stories, while telling a larger one. Redondo is going to be a superstar soon.
The Silver Coin #11 – The third ‘season’ of The Silver Coin kicks off with a creepy story set in a failing diner in the 1980s written by James Tynion IV. I like this series, because for each issue, Michael Walsh invites a different writer, and the stories all revolve around a demonic coin that forces its possessor into strange actions or situations. This issue suggests there might be a larger arc though, in the form of a man who drops the coin off in the diner, then sits outside to watch what happens. There’s also a short backup written and drawn by Walsh that looks like it will continue through this season. I’m glad to see that Walsh is innovating, and keeping this title interesting. I’d be down for a lot more of these types of artist-driven anthologies.
Star Wars: Crimson Reign #5 – I really have been enjoying the way that Star Wars books have been coordinated since the War of the Bounty Hunters, even through what appears to be massive scheduling issues. This issue wraps up Crimson Reign with the Emperor becoming aware of Qi’ra’s moves against him, just as she sends the Archivist and Knights of Ren to acquire something for her. This will lead to the next part of Charles Soule’s Crimson Reign trilogy in the fall, and I’m looking forward to that. This miniseries has done a good job of establishing the extent of Crimson Dawn’s reach and ambitions. Now I’m looking forward to seeing that play out.
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead #11 – With the start of this third arc, Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo jump forward in time again, as decades of experimentation in trying to access Malik George’s memories come to fruition. Thierry-9 is an AI that is built on a framework of heart crystal harvested from God Malik, and the first iteration of AI that can remember his life. It looks like this arc might finally reveal where the Gods come from, or who they really are. This series has been wildly unpredictable and a rewarding read, with big time jumps and character shifts at the start of each arc. I really enjoy this book, and am glad to see it back from hiatus.
X-Men #12 – The women of the X-Men finish their fight with Cordyceps Jones, a sentient fungus trying to destroy the Earth through gambling, while Cyclops and Synch take on Dr. Stasis, whose actual identity has been revealed. This feels like a last issue, as the team prepares to have its lineup shaken up at the upcoming Hellfire Gala. I wish Gerry Duggan had spent more time with this iteration of the X-Men, as there’s no reason to have a Gala every twelve issues. This book is good, but it was just finding its footing and it’s too soon to shake it all up again.
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Batman The Knight #6
Clementine Book 1 GN
Lonesome Hunters #1
Snow Angels Vol. 2
Bargain Comics:
Flash #754 – I’ve been enjoying Jeremy Adams’s Flash run, and the re-centring of Wally Wood as the star of the book (see above), and it’s left me wondering about getting caught up on the Flash in general. I found this 2020 issue in a $0.50 bin, and thought I’d check it out, especially since I’ve been feeling Joshua Williamson’s work for a while now. This was an interesting issue, taking place towards the end of a story arc, but it has all the elements that drove me away from Geoff Johns’s Barry Allen work. For one, I just don’t like Barry as much as I do Wally. He’s kind of boring in comparison. Secondly, this is another story that has Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash, jumping around in time, and we once again revisit the story of Barry’s mother’s death. Imagine if every single Batman story you ever read had to return to his parents’ murder? It’s too much. I’m much happier with where this title is today, but I didn’t hate this.
The Flowers Department:
Louise Simonson – I just finished reading the Galactus the Devourer miniseries for my Retro Review column, and it got me thinking about Louise Simonson, and how much she’s contributed to my comics reading over my lifetime. Starting as Louise Jones, she first rose to prominence as the editor on Uncanny X-Men, working closely with Chris Claremont to make that one of the most prominent comics of all time. She moved on to write New Mutants and X-Factor, giving both of those books the same character-driven treatment that Claremont was known for, and helping to create a cohesive feel across the line. She was also the co-creator of Power Pack, an immensely charming book about a group of young siblings who acquired powers from an alien, and had to navigate difficult situations. She later went to DC where she wrote Man of Steel, and later Steel, but I never really read those books. Simonson’s Marvel work was pretty important to me. It took her a while to find her footing on New Mutants after Claremont left the book, but much of what she did there was memorable. Her X-Factor was amazing, and it really clicked when her husband, Walter Simonson, came onboard as artist. I also loved Power Pack, and should probably revisit it in my Retro Reviews one day. I’ve also long suspected that Simonson was responsible for many of the things I loved most about the X-Men line.
The Week in Music:
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – It’s been out for a while, but I’ve just recently gotten this album on CD and taken some time to really listen to it. I know this has been a bit of a controversial album, as Kendrick made it intensely personal and uncomfortable to listen to, as he raps about therapy, trauma, addiction, and abuse. There are some mis-steps here, but overall, I’m really liking this album. It doesn’t have the freedom and exhilaration of To Pimp A Butterfly, or is as propulsive as Damn, but it’s exceptionally well-written, and has a lot of good beats. I think the way albums get consumed and forgotten in a week or two is going to work against this, as there is plenty to return to and dissect. There’s really no one rapping at Kendrick’s level, and he straddles the line between mainstream success and indie sensibilities imperfectly. I don’t see this as album of the year material, but it’s an important part of his catalogue. It’s just not a summer album.
Soccer96- Inner Worlds – I got to know Danalogue and Betamax through their work with Shabaka Hutchings in The Comet Is Coming. Much of this electronic album has the same sweep and fury, but other parts are quieter and more contemplative, while still being dance music. I do think this could have benefited from a saxophone in more than a few places, but I’m liking it a lot.
Forgiveness – Next Time Could Be Your Last Time – It’s another slightly jazzy ambient electronic album from Gondwana Records! This album is more sparse and slow than most of their catalogue, and it’s really quite lovely. This is a good album to read to, or to just bliss out.
