Best Comic of the Week:
The Flash #1 – Now this is a good debut issue. I was sad to see Jeremy Adams leave this book, but incoming writer Simon Spurrier is picking up where he left off, with an intact status quo. More than that, he’s signaling in this issue that he’s going to continue to focus on the things that made Adams’s run work so well – family, work, and the extended cast of characters that make Wally a little unique in comics. There’s something wrong with the Speed Force, and Grodd is up to something, and Linda is feeling a little stuck as the mother of a new infant who no longer has speed powers. There’s also something going on with Jai at school. Mike Deodato’s art fits this book better than I thought it would, and I like the way he is expanding the panel grid beyond the actual events of the story on each page. I’m excited to see where Spurrier, who is an excellent, if unconventional, writer goes with all of this, but my trepidation is gone.
Quick Takes:
Action Comics #1057 – Philip Kennedy Johnson launches a new arc in this issue, that has Clark Kent interviewing the leader of the Blue Earth movement, which is being seen as a terrorist organization. You can tell that Johnson is lightly touching on themes of Qanon, MAGA, and other similar movements today, but he’s careful to wrap it up in the story’s fictional trappings. I don’t see this being as epic as the Warworld story was, but it is a very good start to a new storyline. The backup stories didn’t do a lot for me, and I wish this book was focused just on the main story.
Avengers #5 – As the various Avengers continue to fight their various way too powerful new foes, Captain America and Black Panther make contact with the enemy’s home, a sentient space city that wants to end its existence. I’ve gotten a little bored of overpowered villain teams made up of people with weird names, but Jed MacKay is pulling this story off, and it looks really nice, thanks to Ivan Fiorelli.
Black Hammer: The End #2 – As Lucy’s family struggles to make peace with having to stay on the Earth where Abraham Slam lives, the remaining heroes of a few worlds band together to try to stop the Anti-God. Jeff Lemire is building to a big ending, but is also taking the time to give each character their own little arc. It’s nice to see how so many threads are coming together in this series, rewarding years of reading.
Detective Comics #1074 – As I feared, Ram V’s epic Orgham story has lost some momentum after the two-month Knight Terrors interlude. Batman’s been dosed with the azmer (is that how it’s spelled – the word isn’t in this issue at all), the thing that allows the Orghams to control people, and is rampaging across the city while facing his inner demons. The focus is on a cop who is following him, and that framing works well. Dustin Nguyen’s art is always welcome in an issue of Detective; it’s been a long time since we’ve had that. I am enjoying this story, but it needs to pick up the pace some (and by that, I don’t mean the upcoming three or four issues a month). I didn’t really like the backup story about the Ten-Eyed Man, or whatever he’s called.
Fire Power #27 – Another member of Owen’s family has access to the fire power, which means that the good guys’ chances against the dragon just got a little better. At the same time, their enemy is consolidating his grip on the US, taking over more and more people to join his forces. This book is building to something big again, and apparently the next issue is going to be very significant. I’m just happy to be getting regular doses of Chris Samnee’s art again.
Green Arrow #4 – Even without the appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes, I’d be enjoying this book. Joshua Williamson has Ollie and some of his family lost in time, trying to figure out a problem Ollie may have caused, while back home, Black Canary and Roy (it’s weird that I don’t even remember if he’s called Arsenal or not) head into a supervillain bar for answers. I do wish this was an ongoing series, rather than a mini. There’s a real chemistry between Williamson and artist Sean Izaakse that makes this book stand out on a crowded shelf.
The Immortal Thor #2 – I’m kind of shocked, but I’m not really feeling Al Ewing’s run so far. I think that Ewing is one of the best writers at Marvel right now, but I also don’t really believe that you can make Thor interesting in this day and age. We’ve got another ancient threat that is more powerful than him bearing down, causing him to tap into the Odinpower that makes him sleepy. Oh, and there might or might not be some Loki-involved intrigue. I just feel like we’ve been here before, and that this isn’t really saying anything new. It’s like a retread of some of Jason Aaron’s work, without the annoying jumps to the future. Martín Cóccolo’s art is nice, but I hate the way the wings on Thor’s helmet just kind of float next to his face like gigantic metal muttonchops. I think I should give up on this book (or, at the least, stop preordering it).
Invincible Iron Man #10 – It’s wild to me that in the middle of the Fall of X event, which is pretty dark for the mutants involved, Gerry Duggan is turning this book into a bit of an oddball romantic comedy. To protect Emma Frost’s new secret identity as his assistant, Tony Stark ends up having to propose to her, and what follows is a Las Vegas wedding that is crashed by Tony’s biggest adversary at the moment. Duggan keeps things serious enough, but the premise is pretty funny. I’m liking this book a lot more than I was when it launched.
Kaptara: Universal Truths #2 – Chip Zdarsky and Kagan McLeod are having a ton of fun with this series. Keith has found another member of his crew, who has had his head grafted to a plant body, and has a way to get them home, but does not have pure motives. There’s a lot of silliness in this book that serves as a nice palate cleanser from some of the week’s more serious books. I’m happy it’s returned.
Newburn #11 – Newburn continues to burn bridges as he tries to appease the new leader of the Yakuza, all while a reporter continues to sniff around his trail. This series is smart and a little unpredictable, like all good crime comics should be. Chip Zdarsky has found a new approach to mob stories, and it’s really working. I’m very happy with this book, and am once again in awe of the fact that Jacob Phillips has two gorgeous books (including The Enfield Gang Massacre) on the stands at the same time.
The Penguin #2 – Last issue, Tom King and Rafael Dela Torre portrayed the Penguin as a much more vicious criminal than we’ve seen previously, but also showed him to be the victim of his surroundings, as he’s manipulated into working for the US government. This issue has him aggressively recruiting a man as his assistant, despite the fact that this older gentleman wants to live in comfortable retirement. King is a master of these kinds of character deconstructions, and we get to hear the thoughts of everyone that Penguin encounters here, as he makes sure he gets his way. This is a very odd book – it’s set in current continuity and is described as an ongoing series, but it reads like one of King’s Black Label prestige projects. Dela Torre is very good at keeping what is essentially a talking heads story interesting visually.
Realm of X #2 – There’s nothing wrong with this miniseries, which features Dani, Illyana, and some others, and has them stuck in Vanaheim, not knowing that Saturnyne is working against them, but there’s also nothing about it that I’m likely to remember in a few years. I’m starting to think I have an allergy to anything Asgard related these days, as my attention wanders. With this cast (which includes Marrow and Typhoid Mary), I should like this book a lot more than I do.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 – Aphra and Lucky are facing some old battle droids that have been taken over by the droid entity, while Magna is sent on a mission to rescue a Rebel supply ship that has had a similar problem. This arc feels a little tacked on, as Alyssa Wong has to give Aphra something to do during the Dark Droids event. It’s still an enjoyable story though, and I’m happy to see Magna back.
Ultimate Invasion #4 – I must have missed some nuance or something in reading this oversized conclusion to Jonathan Hickman’s return to the Ultimate Universe (until next month’s Ultimate Universe #1, followed by the relaunch of Ultimate Spider-Man). I’m not sure where this leaves us, or why I should care about it. It’s nice seeing Bryan Hitch doing double-page action spreads with dozens of characters (even if they’re all iterations of the same eight or nine base models), but I don’t come away from this with an understanding of why we need it. I’ll check out the one-shot, but I’m on the fence about the Spider-Man book. It’s weird to me that Hickman is bringing back a form of the universe that he himself shut down, and also, I don’t trust him to stick around for the conclusion of whatever grand thing he’s trying to start.
Unstoppable Doom Patrol #6 – As we get close to the premature end of this series (I really think there’s more than enough material in this latest revamp to justify an ongoing series), the Doom Patrol’s enemies attack their base in large numbers, bringing a number of oddball villains into the pages of this book. It’s all a cover though, as they are after something else. Chris Burnham’s art on this book has been so good, and I’m now going to start checking out everything Dennis Culver writes.
Vampirella/Dracula: Rage #2 – Priest is taking this book to pretty dark places, as a post-partum Vampirella tries to search for her newborn son, who was stolen from the hospital by cultists who worship Dracula. Victory is with Dracula, who has taken over the body of a famous cellist, trying to find Vampirella. Christian Rosado’s art matches the vibe very well, leaving behind the standard Dynamite house style for a look that reminds me more of Roberto Dela Torres. This series is working well for me.
Void Rivals #4 – One of our main characters has betrayed the other, making sure she gets home, but she doesn’t get the welcome she was hoping for, and we realize that the secrets shared by their two races and homeworlds run deeper than expected. There’s also a random appearance of another Transformer. I’m really enjoying Lorenzo De Felici’s designs on this series, and as always, Kirkman keeps the twists coming. This is a solid series.
What’s The Furthest Place From Here? #14 – This book is getting weirder by the issue, as Sid finds herself in a home full of kids wearing Hallowe’en masks that give her magic mushrooms, and then take her to a cemetery where it’s clear something bad is going to happen. Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss are really leaning into the Surrealistic aspects of this series lately. I love how Boss portrays Sid’s trip; the art goes from very psychedelic to just a little off as she starts to come down, and it’s handled very well. The release schedule for this book has gotten hella sporadic, but it’s always worth the wait.
WildCATS #11 – It’s too bad that this book is going to be ending soon (how many times have I said that about DC books this week?) but at least Matthew Rosenberg is heading for a big ending, as two teams of our heroes run into their enemies in their final bid to shut down Halo. I’ve liked this series, but think it would have benefited from a more consistent approach to the art. The alternating between Segovia and Derenick is kind of jarring.
The Week in Music:
Tenderlonious – You Know I Care – Sax and flute player Tenderlonious was pretty prolific during the pandemic, releasing a number of albums. He’s still at it, dropping this six-track album that has him playing some covers. His take on Wayne Shorter’s Infant Eyes is gorgeous, and the whole thing is a good example of his chill approach to jazz.
Jalen Ngonda – Come Around and Love Me – Jalen Ngonda might be the new torch-carrier for the signature Daptone Records sound. Like Charles Bradley before him, he delivers a classic soul sound with songs about love and loss backed by a terrific band. I got to see Ngonda perform the other week, and his energy and enthusiasm captured the crowd. That carries over to his recordings. It’s great to see that people are still working in this older style, and doing more than just aping their predecessors.
