Have I been doing this too long?
Best Comic of the Week:
Immortal X-Men #11 – Kieron Gillen shows us the aftermath of the Sins of Sinister event, as Storm works to restore the Quiet Council even though she no longer trusts Charles, Emma, Hope, and Exodus after Sinister’s machinations have been revealed. I should have read this before the Sons of X oneshot, as this takes place before that, but it does help explain a few things that were confusing me. I really like how much thought Gillen has put into each of the characters on the Council, and the deep understanding of them that he shows. Ororo has long been one of my favorite X-Men, and it’s been years since she’s been written this well. Gillen really gets her, and uses her best qualities to forward a couple of storylines. I love Lucas Werneck’s art in this book – he is definitely reaching superstar status on this book.
Quick Takes:
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #3 – Jon is in another world where its Superman has created a version of Utopia. He’s confused when he learns that Batman is in opposition to what this Clark and his friends have accomplished, but when he really looks around, he starts to question what is really happening. Because I’ve never read Injustice (or played it?) I know there are references I’m missing here, but looking at this world through Jon’s eyes, I’m excited to see Tom Taylor deconstruct another false utopia. I also just really like the way Taylor writes Jon’s character, and the way Clayton Henry draws him.
Almighty #4 – Fale and Del are hiding out in Zone One, a cordoned off part of a city where a fungus-zombie like creature roams around. Del tries to look after Fale, who was shot, but it’s not long before things start to fall apart again, and the people who have been chasing them catch up. I’m really enjoying Edward Laroche’s work on this series, and the atmosphere he’s created in this world.
Batman #135 (Batman #900) – Chip Zdarsky wraps up his multiverse storyline with Bruce hopping through a number of different worlds, chasing the Red Hood as he goes. We see some familiar realities, and really, knowing Zdarsky’s sense of humor, I now wonder if this entire arc wasn’t designed to lead to a particular moment towards the end (which I kind of saw coming). This has been a decent storyline, but I’m ready to see Bruce return to his Earth.
Carnage Reigns Alpha #1 – I’ve been impressed with Cody Ziglar’s writing on Miles Morales’s series, and I’ve become a huge fan of Alex Paknadel’s independent writing. These two things should be enough to get me to trust that I’ll like the Carnage Reigns event crossing Miles’s book with Carnage’s, but I have a deep hatred of symbiotes in the Marvel Universe. I decided to bite the bullet and pick this up anyway (I should have paid more attention to the cover price!), and came away disappointed. I don’t know a lot about Carnage – I have mostly managed to avoid the character since he debuted, so didn’t really understand a lot of what is happening in this book. Cletus Kassidy is inside a suit of Carnage-ized Iron Man armor, but he also can change his shape and be a whole building? Anyway, he lures Miles in for some reason, and bites him, and then fights him, while Agent Gao plays Amanda Waller and sends Scorpion in to also fight Carnage? And there’s another serial killer who is acting as his acolyte? I’ll be honest, this was a little confusing. My completionist side is telling me to get this whole event, but man, I didn’t really like this very much and now kind of wished I’d just dropped my Miles preorders for the next two months. Are symbiotes really that popular? The back pages of this overpriced book advertise a lot of symbiote stuff coming this summer, but the promotional writing feels more desperate than excited.
Draculina: Blood Simple #3 – As is so often the case with Priest’s writing, this series has to be read pretty carefully, as he jumps around a lot. Things are more or less happening at the same time, which is rare in his work, but there are a lot of plot threads kind of coming together, and it can be a little tricky to remember everything that’s happening. Still, it’s interesting to see Draculina fight with Katie, who is her from another dimension, while the syndicate of rogue angels prepares to go to war with the retired demon/gangster Belial, and while Vampirella’s mother takes Victory on a tour to try to recruit her again. I like this stuff, and I never thought I’d be so many years deep into a Vampirella story.
The Flash #798 – I’m so bummed out that Jeremy Adams is going to be leaving The Flash soon. His run has been the best I’ve seen since Mark Waid’s original run, and he’s done so much to restore the things I love best about the extended Flash family, and some other corners of the DCU too. Hourman returns in this issue – the android version that Grant Morrison introduced in their JLA run, and that got his own excellent series in the early 00s. Anyway, Granny Goodness has snatched Wally’s newborn son, so it’s time for him, Mr. Terrific, and a small crew to go get him. This is an exciting and fun issue, which somehow needed three different artists. I want to say that I would totally buy a Gold Beetle series, if Adams was the one writing it.
Hairball #2 – Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins have made this story about an odd little girl, her adoptive family, and the very disturbing cat they took in, into a truly chilling story. It’s clear that there is something wrong with this cat, but after it triggers an allergic reaction in the girl’s father, and sets the family home on fire, Anna realizes that Bestie is not her bestie. I really like the way we see this story through Anna’s eyes, and that she is such an unreliable narrator. It leaves me wondering how Kindt intends to wrap up this story. I love Jenkins’s art, especially when Hilary Jenkins colours/paints it. I’m glad these three continue to work together.
Love Everlasting #7 – Things have changed for Joan Peterson. She’s actually settled down with her husband, and is living a perfect life of domestic bliss, 1963 style. But then, one day, Joan has a bit of a break, and remembers every previous life she’s lived, and how each of her romances has ended. Tom King and Elsa Charretier weave their bizarre story into a comment on mid-century domesticity and its impact on the mental health of women. It’s weird that I kind of wanted this to return to its usual predictability, as I was getting used to the rhythms of this series (I feel like you could make an interesting comparison to Bá and Moon’s Daytrippers, one of my all-time favorite comics, in the way that issues tend to end the same way). I am definitely invested in figuring out what is happening to Joan, and love that her previous adventures turn up in this current life as trashy romance novels that she reads before falling asleep.
Maple Terrace #1 – I’m not sure why I almost didn’t pick this up, but I’m glad I did. Noah Van Sciver has started a three-part mini-series depicting scenes from his childhood. This issue shows how Noah, youngest of (I think) five brothers, is growing up in poverty and neglect, in the era of the rise of Image comics. The one connection Noah has with his brothers is comics and pop culture, but they don’t treat him any better than the people around his neighbourhood do. I’m sure lots of people would be interested in this just to see how it depicts the young Ethan Van Sciver (it does kind of explain some things), but he is shown as the only person to treat Noah with any kindness. This is a good comic, and I’m definitely going to be getting the rest of this series. I appreciate that Uncivilized Books puts out such unconventional material.
Moon Knight #23 – Unfortunately, Jed MacKay felt the need to include Venom in this issue of Moon Knight, as he comes to the Midnight Mission looking for help when four mercenaries target him. It turns out that Venom is now Eddie Brock’s son (I’m sure other people knew this), and for some reason he has chains coming out of his arms in what I can only assume is a tribute to the 90s Ghost Rider. I’ve really been enjoying Moon Knight in this latest run, but after the emotional writing and clarity of the last issue with its focus on Tigra, this one was a bit of a letdown. I do kind of like the idea of Moon Knight increasing the number of established characters he can call on though.
Rogue State #3 – In typical Matteo Pizzolo fashion, this very late comic introduces new characters, ends on a cliffhanger, and then announces that volume 2 is coming soon. It brings me back to Young Terrorists, Calexit, and other Black Mask comics that drew me in with great storytelling, but never delivered on promises of longer series. I hope that’s not going to be the case here, as this comic is very good. Our hero is saved from arrest, and gets connected to a larger resistance, led by a very interesting character whose backstory takes up the first half of this issue. Pizzolo is very good at tapping into the zeitgeist and imagining a believable possible future that could grow from it. His collaborator on this series, Carlos Granda, is excellent, and the larger format pages give Granda space to really show what he can do. I would like to read more of this, and I hope that is possible (but Black Mask has such a bad track record on things like this).
Star Wars #34 – I can feel this series approaching the time when it will have to incorporate the events of Return of the Jedi, yet Luke still has a long way to go in his mastery of the Force. I expect we’re going to see a lot more comics like this one in the future, with Luke searching for a kyber crystal to replace the cracked one that is making his lightsaber unpredictable. This is at the same time that the Force is reverberating with the events of the Hidden Empire series, so Luke’s lack of training is a problem for him. I like the way Charles Soule is writing this series, and am happy with Madibek Musabekov’s art.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #33 – In another very short read, Vader and Sabé continue their strange codependent relationship as Vader attempts to control the waves of Force energy washing through him in the wake of Hidden Empire. I’m a little tired of these stories that show Vader as a weak character who is forever being tested and having to prove himself. I’d like to see something meatier and more original in this book. It was nice to see Adam Gorham contribute the art to this issue – he’s always appreciated.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #31 – It’s wild to me that at the start of this series, I felt that Alyssa Wong didn’t really understand Aphra’s character. I don’t feel that way any more. This issue has Aphra having to thank the friends and family who risked everything to save her from the Spark, which is not a comfortable thing for her. Wong shows a deep understanding of Aphra’s complexity, as she has to try to explain herself to the two women who love her. At the same time, Just Lucky takes a risk in his relationship with Ariole. I really like the extended cast of this series, and how Wong approaches them. Minkyu Jung is also very good at these kinds of emotional issues, portraying these characters very well. I think she’s going to be leaving the book soon, as I think she’s on one of the new Asian-centric DC titles. I’m going to miss her work, it’s been very good. I love that Aphra has become one of my favourite corners of the Star Wars universe.
X-Men: Before the Fall – Sons of X #1 – Well, I guess Legion of X really is canceled, sadly, as Simon Spurrier uses this one-shot to wrap up a number of plotlines from that excellent book, and from the Sins of Sinister event. We see Mother Righteous attempt to work with Legion to rescue Nightcrawler from Orchis, and to restore him to his usual form. A lot happens in this book that will continue to impact these characters, and it was a pretty enjoyable read. I’m always happy when Phil Noto draws something, and his work looks great, as always. I’m not sure why I’m getting nervous about this upcoming Fall of the Mutants – I do not want the Krakoan era to end, but am concerned that Marvel might be headed in that direction.
Free Comic Book Day Offerings:
Life is busy this week, so I’ll talk about the rest of the FCBD stuff later.
Dawn of DC Knight Terrors FCBD Special Edition 2023 #1 – Even with an insane dream sequence showing Damian Wayne journeying through many heroes’ nightmares, drawn by the incomparable Chris Bachalo, this did nothing for me. I guess that this summer DC is pausing their successful Dawn of DC initiative to have the entire publishing line move into nightmare territory for some reason? I do not think this sounds interesting at all, despite the fact that Joshua Williamson is showrunning it (it looks more like something Scott Snyder would dream up). The back half of this comic is filled with designs for the event, and many of them look like they’re left over from the Metal event that I avoided like the plague. I guess I’ll wait to see who the creative teams are for the tie-in miniseries before making any preorders. I’d much rather see Dawn of DC take the time to develop.
Free Comic Book Day 2023: Avengers/X-Men #1 – I’d rather hoped that Marvel would skip the Hellfire Gala this year, as I think the event is going to become as tiring as the Met Gala was this year, but I guess that’s not going to be the case. In the lead story, someone sneaks into the X-Men’s tree fort in New York during the Gala, and steals the Captain Krakoa suit after a fight with Cyclops. In the second story, we see Orchis go after Captain America, just as Captain Krakoa makes a pitch to the Senate Intelligence Committee. It seems that Marvel is putting the Uncanny Avengers back together, and I don’t know, I’m not all that excited about it. It feels like it’s going through some of the motions, instead of feeling organic. Likewise, the end of this comic has a few pages of Doctor Strange trading barbs with some bearded guy, as a preview of another thing that Jonathan Hickman will be doing for Marvel. None of this stuff got me too excited, which is a shame, and I cannot imagine anyone not reading X-Men books right now understanding anything in this comic. FCBD stuff doesn’t really work like it’s supposed to anymore, does it?
The Sacrificers #1, FCBD Edition – Now this is how these should be done. Rick Remender and Max Fiumara are launching a new series at Image, and have given us most of the first issue for free. It looks great – like his series Low and Seven to Eternity, Remender has created a strange fantasy world, and Fiumara and colourist Dave McCaig have made it look incredible. We see two families in this preview – there’s a very religious family of bird-like people whose patriarch clearly doesn’t live by the messages he espouses before dinner. There’s also a royal family whose patriarch seems brusque and indifferent to the women in his life (we meet only his mistress and his daughter). I don’t really know what this series is going to be about, but the title and cover art, when matched with the story, give me some idea. Either way, I’ll be preordering this (although I hope there’s a lot more to the first issue than what I’ve already read).
Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Weren’t So Expensive:
Murky World HC
Peacemaker Tries Hard #1
Scarlet Witch #5
SHAZAM #1
Starsigns #1
TCAF Purchase:
I did not get as much time to read this week as I would have liked, so my other TCAF purchases will be discussed in the weeks to come.
Peregrines: Londinium #1 – I really enjoyed the Group of 7 graphic novel I picked up at last year’s TCAF, a self-published adventure series featuring seven prominent Canadians who were all secretly running missions for the Canadian army during the First World War. The creators, Chris Sanagan and Jason Lapidus are currently putting together issues featuring the Peregrines, a group of costumed female operatives who have kept Canada safe since Dominion was established. This one-off has them in London, investigating some strange cases of arson, which leads them to an underground temple/arena and a fight with a minotaur. This story was designed as part of a daily Instagram challenge, so it’s a bit of a rush job and a lot rougher than the other book I read, but it is also fun and a lot more loose with its story-telling. I should probably pick up the other Peregrines issues at my local comics store instead of trade-wait this series.
The Week in Music:
Mark De Clive-Lowe, Shigeto, and Melanie Charles – Hotel San Claudio – I love when artists I admire collaborate, so I was happy to see an album that brings together master keyboardist Mark De Clive-Lowe, drummer/electronic artist Shigeto, and avant-garde vocalist Melanie Charles. They are mostly playing De Clive-Lowe’s music, with a couple of Pharoah Sanders joints tossed into the mix, and it’s all great fun. Charles shows off her range, and MdCL and Shigeto get into their grooves. This album was a surprise, and I love it.
Brandee Younger – Brand New Life – I love this new album from harpist Brandee Younger. Most of the songs on here are reworks of classic Dorothy Ashby songs, with Younger updating them with her own aesthetic. Harp-based jazz is a favourite of mine, so I was really looking forward to this beautiful album, and it’s everything I was hoping for. Younger has some interesting and surprising collaborators with her on this, including Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, and Mumu Fresh, in addition to her band, which includes Makaya McCraven (who also produced the album) and Joel Ross. Fantastic stuff.
