Best Comic of the Week:
Daredevil #5 – I think that Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s Daredevil might be the best run this character has seen in two decades. At the least, this is as good as Ed Brubaker’s run, which I rate as being just below Frank Miller’s. As Matt and Elektra continue to build The Fist, they find themselves more powerful than ever before. In this issue, they go on a recruitment drive in a supervillain prison, and attract the attention of the Avengers. This storyline is moving with relentless momentum, but still finds time for good character moments, and to continue to comment on things like the prison-industrial complex. Zdarsky is slowly taking over comics, and I love how he’s embedding his point of view in them.
Quick Takes:
Action Comics #1049 – I’ve really been enjoying Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run with Action Comics, but we’ve reached the point where the constant trickle of news about Mark Waid taking over, and Superman’s identity going back into the closet, is starting to impact how I read the current issues. I want to think that this book, which features Superman staring down the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips over protecting Osul-Ra, and Lex Luthor maneuvering yet another attempt to stop Superman, is part of a larger story Johnson is still planning on telling, but instead it feels like things might be winding down, and that’s too bad. This has been the best Superman run in decades, but DC can never just leave things alone. I might check out Waid’s work – I’m liking what he’s doing with Batman Vs. Robin, although that is starting to sprawl too much. Not everything needs to be an event.
Alien #3 – The group of artificial humans that are the stars of this arc have discovered people still living on a planet that is ridiculously radioactive and should be empty. Phillip Kennedy Johnson has figured out that some of the most interesting aspects of the Alien franchise are the politics and corporate jockeying of the world, and the way in which people interact with artificial life, and is leaning into all of that with this series. It’s very good.
Deathstroke Inc. #15 – Ed Brisson and Dexter Soy wrap up their Year One storyline with this issue, and I think this is the end of the title? I was excited to see Slade get his own book again, after the fantastic and memorable run that Priest had with the character, but ultimately even though much of this book was very good (including Brisson’s revamp of his origins), I feel let down. At first, I’d assumed that the book would get back to current time once Dark Crisis ended, but now I’m not sure that’s going to happen. I guess I should get over expecting any long runs at DC…
Defenders Beyond #5 – Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez wrap up their foray into the Defenders with a trip to the House of Ideas. Much of this series, and the series that came before it, gets tied up in metaphysics and metanarrative, but it still works as a chance to see some of the wilder ends of the Marvel Universe. I’m not entirely sure what Ewing has accomplished with this story, but it was fun to see some rare characters in a new light.
Department of Truth #22 – It’s time to figure out what to do about the fact that Cole’s husband knows about his job, and has an idea of what the Department of Truth is. Everyone’s in a tough spot, as it becomes increasingly clear that Black Hat is accelerating their actions against the Department. I both like and am disappointed by the way that James Tynion IV was able to predict where the world was headed when he started this series, and has been able to weave the increased belief in conspiracy theories in the real world into his story. At the beginning of this series, it felt like he was taking the piss out of the Qanon crowd, but now it almost feels like he’s chronicling everything that’s happening in real time. This is perhaps the most 2020s comic on the stands. It looks like the book might be going on a bit of a hiatus now, but I hope it returns soon, as it’s just getting better and better.
Detective Comics #1066 – I find I’m increasingly happy that I stuck out the first issues of Ram V’s Detective Comics, as it’s fully got my attention now. As the Orgham family moves in to consolidate control over aspects of Gotham, they work to recruit some key Bat-villains. Harvey Dent continues to do battle with the darker half of his mind, effectively containing it for now. Batman is probably the least interesting part of this story, essentially serving as a device to further the plot. The main story in this issue is drawn by Ivan Reis, who I don’t prefer to Rafael Albuquerque, but his art is easier to follow from a storytelling standpoint.
The Human Target #9 – As he lives out his last days, Christopher Chance has been having interactions with one member of the old JLI after another. He’s been investigating who is responsible for his poisoning, and now he knows, and has dealt with that person, but he’s still expecting some sort of consequence from it, namely, a visit from Batman. As he and Ice try to go about their day, Chance gets increasingly more paranoid, seeing evidence of Batman everywhere, especially where there is no evidence of Batman. Tom King understands this aspect of Batman very well, and plays it up beautifully. I like this series, which is moving towards its finale.
Star Wars: Revelations #1 – I think this was supposed to come out before last week’s issue of Hidden Empire. This is kind of a Star Wars sampler, with a framing sequence that has Darth Vader speaking to a being that shows him glimpses of the future. Marc Guggenheim, who wrote this, uses it as a chance to tie together all of the Star Wars comics. We see how Qi’ra’s messing around with a Sith relic is connected to the Spark Eternal taking control of Doctor Aphra, while an ancient droid revolutionary is revived and comes into conflict with Luke Skywalker. There’s a lot going on here, and it doesn’t exactly make for an exciting story on its own, but it’s designed to get someone to pick up some of the lower selling Star Wars books. Remember when this is the type of thing Marvel would give away for Free Comic Book Day? I do.
What’s the Furthest Place From Here #8 – I was starting to wonder if we’d ever see another issue of this series, so I was pleased to have this turn up in my pullfile stack this week. This is another prequel issue, drawn by Ricardo López Ortiz in a chaotic style, and it shows us the story of a Big Business kid who didn’t really fit in there, and whose attempts to escape triggered a number of events across the various families, and ended up being very significant for The Academy, the family that has been at the centre of this very odd series. I do wish we could return to a regular publishing schedule, and that Tyler Boss would draw the series again, but I’m also appreciating these issues and the opportunity to see other artists’ takes on this world.
X-Force #34 – Sage’s drinking is becoming more and more of a problem for the team, as Beast takes advantage of it to create his own black site prison for enemies of Krakoa, and where he can experiment on people. I like how Ben Percy has slowly made Beast into more and more of a villain, which fits with a lot of his more recent history, but I still feel like this book is often rudderless and messy.
X-Men #17 – I’ve liked this Vault storyline, and how well Gerry Duggan writes Forge. He’s a pretty conflicted and complicated character, who has proven that he can’t always be trusted, and it’s good to see Duggan lean into that, while building off one of Jonathan Hickman’s plotlines. This book has often felt too episodic, so it’s nice to see a larger story being developed for a change.
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Dark Spaces: Wildfire #5
Fear of a Red Planet #1
Frank Miller’s Ronin Book II #1
Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Golden Age #3
Other History of the DC Universe TP
The Week in Music:
Open Mike Eagle – Component System With the Auto Reverse – This has been an incredible year for independent hip hop, and I think that Mike Eagle’s newest album is an easy contender for the top five. After becoming very personal on his last album, he uses this one to just bar out over great beats with some of his friends. There are lots of interesting topics, sharp observations, and great rhymes. His close pals Video Dave and Still Rift turn up on a number of tracks, as do RAP Ferreira, Armand Hammer, and Aesop Rock. The beats are from Diamond D, Madlib, and many other top producers. Mike’s tribute to MF DOOM is on here too, and I find that repeated listens keep revealing new gems. Mike’s a big comics head, and I think that shows in numerous ways that someone reading this site might appreciate.
Takuya Kuroda – Midnight Crisp/Fly Moon Die – This double cd contains two EPs from the Japanese trumpet player. The first one is groovy jazz that fits nicely with the rest of Kuroda’s discography – it’s traditional and contemporary, and sounds very nice. The second disc is longer and more varied, with vocals and a wider range of sounds. Together, this is an impressive purchase and I’m glad I added it to my collection.
