Best Comic of the Week:
That Texas Blood #16 – I love this series. Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips have made this series, ostensibly a police procedural set in different decades in a remote region of Texas, into a book about the townsfolk. Sheriff Joe Bob is having a tough week – he’s facing a competitive opponent in the next election, there’s a rare snowstorm blowing in, and a serial killer has come into town. All of these events impact each other in various ways, and we watch as Joe Bob tries to do the right thing, while being too distracted to see what’s right in front of him. This arc is creepy and very effective, and Phillips just keeps getting better. I can’t recommend this title enough.
Quick Takes:
Batman #126 – Chip Zdarsky is making good use of the larger Bat-Family in this arc, which often makes me happy. Whatever this Failsafe robot is, it takes Batman down hard in the beginning of the issue, making him take some questionable steps to address the problem. Jorge Jimenez’s art has really leveled up for this story, and it looks great. I’m also really enjoying the Catwoman backup that has her searching for the children of the Penguin. Zdarsky’s Batman run is off to a really strong start.
The Closet #3 – When I finished this, the last issue of The Closet, I checked to make sure it really was the last issue. James Tynion and Gavin Fullerton’s subtle family horror story does not come with the most satisfying of endings, but I think that’s because it’s very much a story about the horror of everyday life, and surviving the mundane, which we all know doesn’t exactly ever come to a neat conclusion. Thom, the main character, has been driving across America with his four year old, to meet his wife at their new home in Portland. We know that Thom and Maggie are not having an easy marriage, but we as readers also know that there really is a monster in their son’s closet, because we get to see it. Thom’s explanations for things in this issue make sense, but we’re left wondering. I like books like this that aren’t clear-cut, and I think that Tynion and Fullerton have done a terrific job of portraying this family in crisis. This was a good series, and I’m comfortable sitting in the mystery of how it ends.
Dark Crisis #3 – It’s becoming increasingly clear that Deathstroke is a vessel for something terrible, as his campaign against the heroes of Earth has a chilling effect. Black Adam’s attempts to rebuild the Justice League his way meet resistance, and the Green Lantern Corps tries to take the fight straight to Pariah. A lot happens in this issue, but Joshua Williamson still finds some time for some quiet and emotional moments. This is working, but as someone who is finally happy with the DC Universe the way it is, more or less, I’m really hoping that we aren’t headed towards another big reset. I don’t really understand the point of this particular ‘crisis’, but here we are.
Immortal X-Men #5 – Exodus gets the spotlight with this issue, as the war between Krakoa and the Eternals begins. I’ve long been interested in Exodus as a character, as a few writers have hinted at his potential. Kieron Gillen writes him as a religious fanatic with an undying faith in Hope as the mutant messiah. It makes him more interesting than a lot of characters on the island, and makes him a strong contrast to Sinister on the Quiet Council. We’re not too deep into the AXE event, but I think this is off to a strong start.
Iron Man #22 – I like this new arc, which has Tony and Rhodey investigating a black market weapons ring that specializes in world-destroying stuff. Chris Cantwell is taking his time building this story, and makes use of long-defunct Iron Man supporting cast in interesting ways. Angel Unzueta’s art looks great, and Tony is back to some of his old manipulative tricks, which probably won’t end well for him, personally. I think this plotline is a better fit than the Korvac one was.
Legion of X #4 – A lot gets revealed this month, as Kurt has meaningful conversations with Szen and the god they are hunting (although one looks like it’s a lot more fun than the other), while Charles acts shady. This series is complex and thoughtful, and requires close reading to catch every detail. I’m glad that Simon Spurrier is being given the space and freedom to tell such a weird X-Men story, and I really enjoy it.
Little Monsters #6 – The unity of the group of child vampires, who have been alone together for centuries, is starting to fray now that they know that there are still people in the world, and that they taste great. Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen are taking a pretty decompressed approach to this story, and filling each panel with the individuality of these kids. It’s a gorgeous and interesting book.
Mind MGMT Bootleg #2 – I’d thought that Farel Dalrymple was drawing this whole miniseries, but I guess not, as this issue is drawn by Matt Lesniewski. Kito travels and recruits two more agents to the cause, and deals with a couple of attacks by enemy agents. This series is moving a lot faster than the original Mind MGMT did, but Matt Kindt is still finding time to get up to some of his old tricks. There’s a script depicting panels that do not appear in the comic, and I’m left questioning what’s real and what isn’t in this series once again. I like Lesniewski’s art, and like these new characters. I’ll admit that some of the finer points of the original title are lost to my poor memory now, so I’m sure there’s some subtle stuff I’m missing.
Moon Knight #14 – Marc Spector is forced to have a talk with himself this month, which means an uncomfortable conversation with his two alters, Steven Grant and Jake Lockely. It’s telling that Marc shows up for the talk in his Mr. Knight guise, which makes it clear that there’s no distinction between Marc, Mr. Knight, or Moon Knight in his and the others’ thoughts. While they’re talking, there’s a fight between MK and the two villains the vampires have hired to come after him. This issue shows just how much thought writer Jed MacKay has put into Marc and his situation. I like how, unlike other recent attempts at Moon Knight runs (including Warren Ellis’s), MacKay is grounding Moon Knight in the Marvel Universe, and exploring his psyche at the same time. For a long time, we’d either get one or the other.
Once & Future #28 – This is a really big issue, as Christmas rolls around, and it’s time to put Brigitte’s plans into motion. We are very close to the end of this series, and that means that promises are being kept, and debts are coming due. Kieron Gillen has surprised me with this series – when it began, I thought it was a little too simplistic and decompressed, but the last year or so has been fantastic, as this book about living stories has revealed its full structure. The last page of this issue genuinely surprised me.
The Scumbag #14 – Rick Remender and Roland Boschi have now wrapped up The Scumbag, giving Ernie a pretty great ending. The two sides of American culture – the nationalist/fascist right and the extremely censorious left are at each other’s throats when this issue begins, and it looks like the only person who can save the country is Ernie, who has been learning about Socrates. It’s probably more than a little messed up that the speech Remender has him deliver is something that more people need to hear in the world right now. There’s a twist at the end (this is a Remender comic, and he’s not going to let things go out too happily) that made me a little sad, but it’s also very fitting with Ernie Ray’s character. This was an interesting book that hopefully got a few people to reexamine some of their beliefs or stances on things.
Stillwater #14 – Galen has decided that it’s time to expand the borders of Stillwater, where no one can die or age, and encompass the neighbouring town. This leads to all sorts of resistance, problems, and a lot of excitement over being able to interact with new people, and breathes new life into the town and the book, as it moves through its final arc. I’m really enjoying this book (is Chip Zdarsky capable of writing a bad book?) and look forward to seeing whatever is coming in the time that’s left.
20XX: Transport #1 – Jonathan Luna’s 20XX was a very good miniseries that came out a couple of years ago (a number of characters wore face masks throughout the series, which made it a little bit prescient, I think). This one-off returns to that world, telling a story about three kids who attack and shoot up a school bus. One of the kids on the bus has SMS though, a form of telekinesis that’s been outlawed, but does his best to save everyone. What makes this issue especially interesting is that Luna originally worked on it online, and after every couple of pages, gave his followers a chance to vote on what would happen next. I’m sure that’s a challenging way to tell a self-contained story, while also working in some backstory for the original miniseries. It’s good, and reminds me of how much I liked 20XX. I’m pretty sure that book was in black and white, though, whereas this is in colour.
X-Men Red #5 – In the first issue of AXE, Uranos is given an hour on Arakko to create as much destruction as possible. This issue shows us just how devastating that hour was, as the Eternal plowed through Arakkan defenses and defenders. I like how coordinated this event is, and how brutal this comic can be in terms of constantly changing its key cast.
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Batman: Killing Time #6
Bargain Comics:
Infidel #1-5 – This is a great horror story that explores prejudice and distrust in big cities. Aisha is a South Asian woman living with her white husband, stepdaughter, and mother-in-law in a walkup apartment building that was damaged a while back when a neighbour’s homemade bombs exploded. Aisha’s husband does not trust his mother, whom he thinks has something against Aisha’s religion. The building seems to be home to some sort of malevolent spirit that at first only Aisha can see, and it takes her down a path that makes her look guilty of doing some terrible things. From there, things get wilder and wilder, as writer Pornsak Pichetshote and the spirit play with the mistrust the neighbours have for one another. Aaron Campbell drew the hell out of this book – it’s both very realistic and incredibly creepy and disturbing. I like how the trappings of a traditional horror story have been modernized for the modern moment, and found this book to be very compelling.
The Week in Graphic Novels:
The Flash Vol. 16: Wally West Returns – I’ve become a big fan of Jeremy Adams’s recent work on The Flash with Wally West, and have been meaning to pick up the issues from before I started reading. When I saw this trade released last week, I thought that it was a sign, and decided to grab it, even though I don’t usually buy a lot of brand new trades. I guess I should have read the back more carefully, because the first half of this book is a Barry Allen story written by Kevin Shinick. I guess that part of the book isn’t bad, but I have a deep aversion to Barry, and Shinick’s story touched on many of the reasons why. He is upset when he loses his ring, and ends up getting involved in a very convoluted story involving Dr. Alchemy and his ring, which (and this is what irritates me about modern Barry) is of course made from his parents’ wedding rings. I just find that Barry is a dull character, and that writers don’t really know what to do with him except have him constantly return to his mother’s death. When Adams and Wally take over this volume about halfway through, the change is very noticeable. Yes, Barry is prominent in Wally’s story, but in a supporting role. Adams brought humour to the book, and started building on Wally’s family even though they were barely in the story. I also like when the Flash is connected to other speedsters, and this had me very nostalgic for Mark Waid’s classic run. Most importantly, Adams found a story reason to explain away the hatchet job Tom King did on Wally in Heroes In Crisis that made perfect sense and helped restore the character. This book has something like 45 artists on it, but I was especially impressed by Brandon Peterson’s work. This is a good reminder that I should try to track down the rest of Adams’s run, as I’m back to being a Flash fan (Dark Crisis better not mess that up for me).
The Week in Music:
DoomCannon – Renaissance – The British jazz scene has been on fire for the last five or six years, and with the emergence of DoomCannon, does not look to be slowing down at all. This is a fantastic album of mostly instrumental jazz and breakbeat tracks that really soars. DoomCannon plays keyboards or synths, and leads his band through some excellent mellow yet energetic tracks. This is a must-have for fans of Yussef Kamaal or Sons of Kemet.
Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Katalyst – Jazz Is Dead 13 – This volume of the Jazz is Dead series changes up the formula some, as the band Katalyst is young and contemporary, whereas the rest of the series has had Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad working with elders in the jazz world. I also noticed that Muhammad wasn’t as present in the credits, playing on only a few of the tracks (while still receiving writing and producing credits). Like every installment before, though, this is a lovely exploration of jazz, and it’s great. Katalyst is a bigger band than we’ve previously seen here (except, perhaps, for the Azymuth chapter), and this sounds pretty expansive. Jazz Is Dead gives me life.
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Jazz Is Dead 11 – I’m not sure why it took me so long to get the eleventh edition of this series, which serves as a sampler of the offerings on our way this ‘season’. The eight tracks on here preview upcoming collaborations involving artists such as Lonnie Liston Smith, Henry Franklin, Garrett Saracho, Phil Ranelin, Wendell Harrison, and the recently deceased Tony Allen, in addition to Katalyst and Jean Carne, whose albums have been released already. There’s also a Midnight Hour track, which is Younge and Muhammad’s band, making me wonder if they’re planning their very own JID album. This stuff is always great.
Kibrom Birhane – Here and There – I love Ethiopian jazz and funk music, and fell hard for the album the first time I heard it on a streaming service. It’s a good example of why I like owning physical copies of things, as the liner notes revealed that Birhane is not recording in Ethiopia, but in LA with a band of non-Ethiopian musicians. I might not be all that schooled on this stuff, but it definitely sounds authentic, with Ethiopian rhythms that would belong next to a Mulatu Astatke track. This is great stuff.
Amanda Whiting – Lost in Abstraction – I’m almost always in the mood to listen to some nice harp-based jazz, and Amanda Whiting’s latest album scratches that itch nicely. This is a pretty gentle album, perfect for late summer night reading or just lying on the couch. Jazzman Records will never let you down.
