Best Comic of the Week:
X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 – Well, a lot certainly happened in that one. As I started to read this oversized (and expensive) comic, I started thinking about how the Hellfire Gala schtick was getting a little tired. I thought it odd that Gerry Duggan used this to bring back a prominent character who was only just killed off, revealing that they are a mutant in the process. Then I thought the election of the new X-Men team was rushed and a little forced, as was the cameo by a character from Jonathan Hickman’s GODS (I only recognized him because he’s on the cover of this week’s solicitations). And then Orchis attacks, and Duggan quickly dismantles just about everything that felt stable in the Krakoan era. This issue moves in a hurry, and tears things (and a few characters) apart. I’m definitely curious about where things go from here, and can now understand why there are so many new series dropping as part of the Fall of the Mutants event. This is a definite shot in the arm, and has shaken up everything. There are a ton of artists on this book, and they are mostly very good to amazing. I’m going to want to read this again, because it’s hard to recognize some characters in their gala outfits, and I’m not sure who made it out of this story and who didn’t. I’m guessing this will be the last of the Hellfire Galas for some time to come…
Quick Takes:
The Avengers #3 – It’s been years since I’ve read the Avengers, but I’m pleased to see that this title is reflecting changes (some still to come) in some of the team’s monthly books, as shown in the costumes of Black Panther, Iron Man, and Thor. A big new threat has arrived on Earth, and the team has to split up to deal with them as these superbeings attack various cities. A lot of this issue is given over to showing us who these new villains are, and with names like Idol Alabaster and Meridian Diadem, they do feel like rejects from Jonathan Hickman’s Black Order. Still, it’s nice to see the members of this team doing their thing, and CF Villa’s art is very impressive. I’ve been enjoying Jed MacKay’s writing on individual books, and am curious to see what he continues to do with a team book like this one.
Bone Orchard: Tenement #2 – Last issue introduced us to the residents of one floor of an apartment building, and we got a sense of their various problems. Now, they’ve been transported to another realm, or Hell, or something, and predictably, they’re kind of freaking out. Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have done a great job of introducing these characters, so now that it’s all hitting the fan, their reactions are pretty interesting. Sorrentino’s faces are becoming incredibly realistic, and it adds a layer of realism to this story.
Fire Power #25 – This incredible series returns, and it’s clear that Chris Samnee used the off time well, as this issue looks amazing. Owen has learned that his teacher and father figure is the person who killed his parents when he was young, and the rift this creates is a problem, given the challenges Owen, his family, and their allies are facing. At the same time, the dragon attacks Chicago, and Robert Kirkman steadily raises the stakes. This series is one of the better ones on the stands, and it’s so good to see it back. I’m excited to see where the creators are taking things.
Hellcat #5 – Chris Cantwell finishes up his Hellcat miniseries, and I’m not sure if it’s really done a whole lot for her. There’s a montage that shows the number of times she’s died, gone to Hell, and been resurrected, and maybe it’s time for Patsy to do something different with her life? I am glad that Mad-Dog didn’t end up in this series beyond a flashback appearance, mainly because I can’t handle the fact that his name is Buzz. This was not a bad series, and I really liked Alex Lins’s art, but it kind of proves why Patsy can’t manage her own title for long, and also why Sleepwalker hasn’t had a real revival.
Incredible Hulk #2 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson is approaching the Hulk from a new angle, and I’m liking it. He’s doubling down on the horror aspects that Al Ewing brought to the title, and mixing in some stuff that wouldn’t feel out of place in a late 90s Vertigo title. Banner and his new young friend find themselves at a revival meeting attended by corpses. Nic Klein’s art is perfect for this (I especially like the pages he coloured himself), and he is giving Hulk a look that takes me back to the days when Mike Deodato drew the book. It’s interesting and feels new. I’m here for it.
Invincible Iron Man #8 – This issue takes place in the immediate aftermath of the Hellfire Gala (see below), as Feilong comes after both Emma Frost and Tony Stark. Gerry Duggan has coordinated this larger story very well, and has driven Tony to a new level of despair. It gives this book a very unpredictable aura that really works for me.
Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 – Listening to other people talk about their dreams is boring. Sadly, so is reading about Power Girl’s nightmares. I bought this for the second story though, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. The extended Superman family is hanging out at the Kents’, with Connor, Natasha, and Kenan babysitting the kids when Cyborg-Superman makes another move on them. Are they in the dream realm? Probably, but this one works a lot better, and Mico Suayan’s art is great.
Newburn #9 – I’m really happy to see that Chip Zdarsky and Jacob Phillips have returned with their series about a former cop who works as a fixer for the various crime families that call New York home. Newburn is not liked by anyone, but he is effective, and when one of the guys from a prominent family fakes his own death, it’s Newburn who has to go find him. At the same time, a reporter is starting to sniff around, and that can’t be good. This book is executed perfectly. I also really like the backup feature, by Dave Brothers and Nick Dragotta, that is about a teen pickpocket who makes a mistake. Dragotta is incredible, and his art always looks best in black and white.
Predator #5 – Ed Brisson and Netho Diaz wrap up the latest Marvel Predator series, and I’d say it’s a satisfying ending. I liked a lot of things about this mini, and found it interesting how the last two issues ended up following a typical Alien plotline, with most of the action happening on a single ship. Brisson is a solid writer, so I typically like anything he does.
Ultimate Invasion #2 – I really didn’t know where this series was headed, so I was curious to dive into this issue. The Maker, having escaped the 616, has gone about shaping his new world to his liking, deleting some heroes before they come to exist, and altering others. It’s never enough though, as some familiar-looking characters come after him still. Bryan Hitch is doing his big-scale thing, and doing it wonderfully, and I’m still not very sure where Jonathan Hickman is taking this story. I’m interested, but can’t escape the feeling that this is an anachronism that I could have done without…
Wolverine #35 – Logan and Maverick face down Beast while Sage and the rest of X-Force infiltrate his mobile base. I guess all of this stuff had to get wrapped up in time for the Hellfire Gala (see below), and once again, this is as much an issue of X-Force as it is an issue of Wolverine. I’ll be curious to see how the fallout of these larger events play out in both books, but I’m ready to see some actual character work done on Logan. I don’t think that will be happening in this upcoming Ghost Rider crossover though…
W0rldtr33 #4 – James Tynion IV continues to blow me away with this series about a group of former friends who are maybe the only people who can stop whatever it is that lives beneath the internet. The tension of this series has been steadily increasing, but I wasn’t expecting the revelation that came on the last page of this issue. Fernando Blanco is doing a fantastic job of making the horror of this series feel very everyday and normal, until it suddenly isn’t, and that adds a lot to the general feel of disquiet I get from this series. It’s a really good read.
The X-Cellent #5 – Decades ago, there was a lot of talk about the difference between Good Peter Milligan and, well, Not-So Good Peter Milligan. I kept kidding myself that the work he was doing on The X-Cellent was good, like the original run on X-Statix, but really, it’s not. We’ve built to this big conflict between Zeitgeist and X-Statix for two miniseries, and it all kind of fizzles out without either an exciting or an insightful ending. What was the point? I regret picking these up, even with art by Michael Allred.
Bargain Comics:
Amber Blake: Operation Dragonfly – I found this Heavy Metal published magazine-sized comic in a dollar bin, and figured that it was worth getting because of Butch Guice’s name on the cover. It’s a good enough adventure story about a young woman who is part of a spy/agent school (I think?) who takes over a mission to stop someone from trafficking young children to the uber-rich. I’m guessing it’s part of a series, because there’s a lot of backstory I didn’t really get. Guice is great, as always, and this is the right kind of story for him. The writer, Jade Lagardere, who is apparently a supermodel, does a fine job, although I wish I’d known this was a continuation of an earlier story.
The Week in Music:
billy woods & Kenny Segal – Maps – This is easily one of the best rap albums of this year. woods and Segal work well together (their last collaboration was the excellent Hiding Places), complimenting each other’s strengths nicely. This album is largely about touring, being in unfamiliar places, and looking for spaces where woods can be comfortably himself. It ends with a pair of tracks that have him back home, noticing how quickly things change when you leave your city even for a little while, and then reflecting on being a parent. Segal’s beats are varied and creative, and always impressive. There’s a freedom to the structure of this album that is rare. woods, as always, is sharp and incisive in his lyrics. He’s really one of the best writers working in any genre, and I love digging into his words.
Kassa Overall – Animal – Kassa Overall’s approach to jazz is not like other musicians, including others who blend in hip hop to the same degree that he does. There’s a theatricality to his music that sometimes makes me think of enthusiastic high school band kids, but at the same time, it really works. There are some unexpected features from the rap world (Wiki, Danny Brown, Lil B, and Shabazz Palaces), but also from the jazz world (Theo Croker turns up all over the place, as does Vijay Iyer). This is a varied journey of an album, and it’s an enjoyable listen.
