Best Comic of the Week:
Deep Cuts #1 – I love comics, and I love music, but I don’t often love comics about music. Translating the emotions and experiences conveyed through the ear into a visual medium is not easy at all, yet I always find myself drawn to projects that make the attempt. With Deep Cuts, I think that writers Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark, and artist Danilo Beyruth have figured it out, and have also created the example for people who try this in the future. This series looks like it’s going to be an anthology of sorts, but this first graphic novella-sized issue tells only one story. “Ace” is a young clarinet player living in WWI era New Orleans, and he’s determined to play. He connects with an up-and-coming cornet player who shows him the ropes, and even gets him a regular gig at a whorehouse, which is against the wishes of the woman raising him. This single issue accomplishes a lot – it paints a vivid portrait of this time and place, and the ways in which musicians have to hustle to make ends meet. Beyruth’s art is really nice, and while the music has to be imagined, I can tell it swings. Clark is a composer, and I’m not sure if he’s worked in comics before, but he and Higgins make a very good team. I’m already looking forward to the next issue of this.
Quick Takes:
Action Comics #1054 – Superman’s fight with Metallo becomes another opportunity for writer Philip Kennedy Johnson to show just how good a person Kal-El really is, while faced with a rough situation. I’m enjoying his run a lot, and like the way the rest of the Superman Family features in this book. I am more than tired of Dan Jurgens’s backup, but did like the Steel story this month. I wish it was made by the creative team of the upcoming Steelworks series, because I’m interested in that but am not sure that Michael Dorn should be writing comics.
Alien #1 – This is the third Alien #1 since Marvel has taken over the license, which is kind of annoying. This time out, Declan Shalvey is writing and Andrea Broccardo is drawing, and the feel is different from that of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s excellent stories. This miniseries is set on an icy moon, where a family is running surveys looking for deposits of water for extraction – I’m not sure why they seem to differentiate between water and ice though – it seems like the same thing to me… Anyway, not unexpectedly, the daughter of the crew discovers evidence of xenomorphs, which causes a quick takeover of the company they work for by Weyland-Yutani, and the sudden appearance on the rock of some W-Y goons. I like how the Alien franchise has always been about corporate greed as much as it’s been about aliens in space, and I’m glad to see that Shalvey is continuing with this. The story feels a little familiar and predictable, but it’s all handled very well, and Broccardo’s art is very nice. I’m going to stick with this.
The Ambassadors #3 – I don’t think I ever expected to see interiors by Travis Charest ever again, so this issue of Mark Millar’s latest book is a real treat. We meet Codename: France, one of the people chosen to be given powers, because she wanted to connect to and rescue her son, who was on his way to becoming a terrible person thanks to the internet. Like many Millar stories, the issue’s end is pretty sentimental and sweet, but the real draw here is the art, which is fantastic.
Behold, Behemoth #5 – I really only picked up this series because the store I shop at had a signing by the writer, Tate Brombal, and it looked interesting. I’m really glad I got introduced to it, and the work of the amazing artist, Nick Robles. This series had a neat spin on the standard post-Apocalyptic story, and wove in the main character’s struggle with his mental health very well. I’m going to be watching for more from both of these people.
Captain America: Symbol of Truth #12 – The two Captain Americas are working together to stop Bucky and White Wolf, but are having some differences of opinion on the best way to do that. The best thing about this series is RB Silva’s art and Jesus Arbutov’s colours. The last few issues contained a lot of fire, but this issue has the heroes fighting in deep snow, and again this team makes it look fantastic. I’m so on the fence with this storyline, but this was a good issue.
Daredevil #10 – This issue blew me away. Matt and Elektra face off against the Avengers, who have come to their island base to take them in and retrieve the prisoners they’ve freed. It’s an intense issue, made more so by Marco Checchetto’s incredible art. Chip Zdarsky has done such an incredible job of revitalizing this character, honouring the groundwork of Frank Miller, but also framing Matt’s fight with the Hand in a very modern way. Even though this is just the tenth issue of this current run, Zdarsky has clearly been working on this story from the very beginning of the last run, and building towards something very big. It’s really great stuff, and the type of comic that would appeal to new readers and rewards the people who have been here most of their lives.
Detective Comics #1071 – Ram V’s Detective really does not have a whole lot of Batman in it, and I’m fine with that. This issue explains the history of the Orgham family a little more clearly, including the way they were involved in the rise of R’as Al Ghul. It also features another immortal character who is against the Orghams, just as they are about to make their big move in Gotham. This run has been pretty interesting.
Doctor Strange #2 – Moon Knight calls in the Stranges for help with a girl who appears to have fallen victim to Nightmare, but they soon learn there is more going on. I like the way writer Jed MacKay is building this series, and am over the moon to be seeing Pasqual Ferry art on a monthly basis again.
Dune: House Harkonnen #4 – I’m continuing to enjoy this Dune prequel series. This issue jumps in time a couple of times, and pushes the stories forward a little faster than before. It’s good.
Green Arrow #1 – I like DC best when they lean on their history and stable of legacy characters, as fractured and confusing as that can often be. As a minor plot point in Dark Crisis, Green Arrow went missing. In this series, we see where Ollie is, and what he’s facing. Back at home, Dinah, Roy, and Connor are searching for him and tracking down leads, which leads them to another prodigal character that it’s good to see again. With this issue, Joshua Williamson achieves the right balance of action, sentiment, and mystery. Sean Izaakse’s art fits perfectly, and has a lot of excitement to it. I’ve got high hopes for this run, and think this is exactly how a first issue should be made.
Invincible Iron Man #5 – I think it’s really cool that Gerry Duggan is building on his X-Men work in his Iron Man run. Feilong has taken over Stark Enterprises, and now has discovered some films and information from Howard Stark that Tony has never seen. Things are not looking good for Tony, as he’s lost control of his legacy. This series is working really well right now.
Kaya #7 – A new story arc begins, as Kaya, Seth, and a couple of others head into the Poisoned Lands, hoping to rescue her brother Jin from the beings who stole him. We learn a little about the empire that attacked Jin and Kaya’s home (I didn’t know they were robots, did I?), and see that the Poisoned Lands are a deeply bizarre and interesting landscape. We also get proof that this is all taking place in a future version of our world. Wes Craig is clearly having an amazing time with this series, and it shows in the detail and love that’s evident on every page. I’m really enjoying this series.
Monica Rambeau: Photon #5 – Monica’s journey to discover the truth about the warping of reality going on all around her takes her deep into herself, with some help from Starfox and some dialogue lifted from that old Saturday Night Life self-affirmation recurring sketch. I enjoyed this miniseries, and was really happy to see Monica again. She was one of my favourite characters as a kid, and it’s good to finally see her get some shine. I wish she was joining the Avengers in their latest relaunch.
Sins of Sinister: Dominion #1 – Kieron Gillen and his collaborators put together a very different kind of event here, with a look one thousand years into a future where Sinister has gotten everything he wants, but is still denied his true goals. This issue, which wraps up the event, has a few surprises in it that make it hard to discuss here without spoilers. We do end up back on Krakoa, in the current era, and a character I was enjoying does make their debut in the regular timeline. The end of this helps explain what the upcoming Before the Fall one-shots might be about, as Krakoa is left in a precarious situation. Gillen’s tenure as the showrunner behind the X-books has been enjoyable, and I’m left feeling some kind of way about the rumours that it’s all coming to an end soon. I also am left wondering if Legion of X was quietly cancelled as part of this event. I really hope not.
Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2 – I find it frustrating that DC is so coy about what books are miniseries and which are ongoing. I picked up the first issue of Doom Patrol last month, and liked it enough to add it to my pullfile. Had I known, as this cover announces, that it was just going to be six issues, I might not have bothered with it. Still, this series is good – I just don’t like that it’s not building to anything. In this issue, Peacemaker (who is running Department X now?) sneaks an undercover operative into the team’s facility as a way of spying, but also as a way of letting readers know what the team’s status quo is. We see that the Patrol is taking on more of an Xavier School approach to new and unusual metahumans, providing them with training and therapy as well as a place to live. I guess with the X-Men all living on Krakoa, it makes sense that DC might move this book in this direction. Chris Burnham’s art continues to be a delight here, and I like how the rivalry between Dr. Caulder and the new Chief is growing. I would stick around for more than another four issues if the quality stays at this level.
What’s The Furthest Place From Here #12 – I love this series, but I’m finding its lack of linearity kind of frustrating lately. Last issue filled us in on the whereabouts of a missing character, and had him meet up with another key member of the book’s cast. Now, with this issue, we’re going back in time, filling in what happened to that character before the family turned up at the house where all the kids pretended to be old. This recap makes no sense if you are not reading this book, and that’s fine. It’s a crazy series from Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss that works on its own sense of logic, and I love it for that. I can’t recommend this book enough, but pretty soon I’m going to have to start consulting websites to keep track of the order of events. Boss’s art is fantastic as always, even if it looks a little less detailed than it did in the earlier issues. And, we finally get to see one of the Strangers with their mask off, and it’s not at all what I was expecting.
W0rldtr33 #1 – I’ve been missing James Tynion IV’s Department of Truth lately, so was curious to see what this series, with its title that reminds me of old hacker orthography, was all about. It seems that there’s a malignant form of the Internet, or a sentient being cordoned off within the world wide web that is now making moves to escape containment through the dark web. This story touches on our fears about AI, youth and hacker culture, and horror in a way that feels fresh and strange. I like Fernando Blanco’s art (it’s giving Paul Azaceta vibes), and how it works with this kind of story. I’m interested and invested.
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White, and Red #1
Wasp #4
The Week in Music:
Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra – Lightning Dreamers – Sometimes astral jazz can be a little too much for me (I can’t listen to Sun Ra for long stretches), but on this album, Rob Mazurek and his Exploding Star Orchestra stay on the right side of things. Mazurek, a mainstay of the jazz scene, has a few other International Anthem artists on this album with him – Jeff Parker and Damon Locks contribute – and the whole thing is dedicated to the late jaimie branch. It’s a good album to get cosmic to.
Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – I’m pretty conflicted when it comes to Lana Del Rey. I think that she’s an incredible songwriter, comparable to people like Leonard Cohen or Joni Mitchell, but aside from the brilliant album Norman Fucking Rockwell, I often find myself getting bored by her albums. I don’t know who to blame for this – is it Lana’s fault that her albums are often bloated, or is it because of Jack Antonoff, her usual producer? She does work with other producers on this album, and experiments with some new sounds, but this thing is still too long. I would have liked to see it cut in half, and then I think it could be among the top albums of the year (depending on which half she released).
