There have been a number of problems plaguing the store where I buy comics, as they’ve switched their Image Comics shipments away from Diamond. For that reason, I’ve been cut off from a number of Image titles; a problem that was almost entirely resolved this week, hence the large number of Image books that have been out for a while.
Best Comic of the Week:
Nights #1 – I never noticed the solicitation for this series (there needs to be a conversation about the state of Image solicitations since they stopped being exclusive to Diamond), but it jumped out at me from the stands, even though this was such a big new comics week. This series is written by Wyatt Kennedy and drawn by Luigi Formisano, neither of whom are familiar to me. The book is set in Florida, in an alternate world where vampires and ghosts exist, and because it’s set in the early 2000s, there are still Blockbusters. Vince, a kid, moves to Florida to live with his cousin, Ivory, after his parents died. Ivory is a bit mysterious, as are his roommates, but after a five-year time jump, we see that this is a good place for Vince, except for some strange and bad things that are happening. This first issue is a good length, and it digs into the weirdness of the series’s environment without really giving away a whole lot. In places it’s confusing and maybe a little hard to follow, but there’s a warmth and passion behind this project that is clear. I’ve just added this to my pullfile list, and am excited to learn more about Vince’s life.
Quick Takes:
Avengers #6 – The Avengers turn the table on the Ashen Combine, and kind of pick up a new member in the process. I’m liking what Jed MacKay is doing with this book, but I would have liked to see CF Villa finish off this arc on art. There’s a pretty random backup story featuring Firebird, who I’m always very happy to see, but it doesn’t do much to add to her character or pave the way for her return.
Batman And Robin #2 – Our heroes continue to try to figure out who is behind a number of animal-themed villains kidnapping a scientist, and continue to try to figure out how to work together again. I’m enjoying this series, which has Damian attending school again (how many times has that been done?), but find Simone Di Meo’s art to be a little confusing in places (much as I did with his work in We Only Find Them When They’re Dead). There’s a lot of potential here, but I’m starting to think I’m buying too many Batman books again.
Bone Orchard: Tenement #4 – There’s a group of people lost in a series of caves that they accessed from their apartment building, as Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino continue to mess with our understanding of some standard horror tropes (this entire issue is people splitting up and going down dark tunnels or hallways). I have very little idea of what is really happening in this series, but with Sorrentino’s art, I am more interested in how he shows the strange situations these characters find themselves in. I am starting to want some kind of clearer connection between these Bone Orchard stories, though.
The Cull #2 & 3 – Of all the Image books that I’ve missed out on over the last month, the one I wanted most was The Cull. Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis’s first issue really grabbed me, as a group of teens entered a strange new world looking for the younger brother of the most beloved girl in the group. These two issues have them starting to explore the new world, finding themselves changed by their experiences. De Iulis’s art is so photorealistic and beautiful, making the fantasy elements of this story so believable. Thompson is so good at building characters, and I already find myself caring for these kids. I’m deeply invested in this book already, and really liked being able to read two issues back to back.
Damn Them All #9 – Simon Spurrier is moving this story into ever more philosophical places, as Ellie reconnects with an old lover and learns how he fits into everything that is going on with the demons who are now on the Earth. As this series continues, we get more and more insight into the characters, and see more and more proof that Spurrier is one of the best there is at this kind of thing. I first thought of this series as being a bit of a Hellblazer knockoff, but it’s really grown into its own thing now, and I really like it. Charlie Adlard’s art is so nice here, and I am starting to really love Glas, the demon dog who gets to narrate this issue.
Danger Street #10 – As we get close to the end of this sprawling and strange series, characters’ stories start to collide more. Creeper learns that that the Commodore knows who he is, as they deal with the aftermath of Codename: Assassin’s fight with Manhunter, and Warlord goes looking for Orion in an attempt to fix some of the problems he and Starman started. This series has been a curiosity, and a very well-executed one. Jorge Fornés’s art has been phenomenal.
The Enfield Gang Massacre #3 – Things continue to go poorly for the Enfield Gang, as they are boxed into their small community with a Texas Ranger taking shots at them. Now there are some soldiers getting involved, as the town’s sheriff steps down and continues to find facts pointing that the Enfields are not even the cause of the murder that has rocked the town. Chris Condon has put together an interesting and compelling story, and Jacob Phillips just keeps getting better on art. The pulpy paper this book is printed on makes it a unique reading experience.
The Forged #4 – I’m so happy to see this title return. The Forged team has found themselves in the Imperial Palace, which sets off a number of shockwaves. Writers Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann use this issue as an opportunity to show us more of how the Empire works, and to give us some more insight into the characters, especially Victory and Crazyjo. This is a fantastic series, with inventive art by Mike Henderson. I love the oversized format and the amount of content that is crammed into each issue.
Green Lantern #4 – I think things are turning around for this title a little. Sinestro confronts Hal in a diner, and then Hal has to scramble to find and defuse the bombs he’s left around the city. He calls in Flash for help, and they buddy up for a bit. Hal is my least favourite Green Lantern, and Barry is my least favourite Flash, but together they work better than they do apart. Jeremy Adams is coming off a fantastic run with Flash, so I’m going to give this book a little more rope, but I’m not sure I’ll come back for a second arc. I am getting more interested though, and that’s good.
Guardians of the Galaxy #7 – Hulkling and Wiccan go looking for the Guardians, and discover how Grootspace is changing. It’s nice to see Kev Walker back on art, as writers Lanzing and Kelly continue their strange story that doesn’t do much to respect the characterizations of the team we’ve seen in the past. I stay intrigued in this book, but really do need Walker’s art to make it more palatable.
Hunt for the Skinwalker #2 – This issue drew me in a lot more than the first one did. This book is narrated by some ‘scientists’ who are telling the story of a ranch where, in the 90s, a rancher kept coming across strange phenomena. In this issue, his cattle keep getting mutilated, and his efforts to find proof go poorly. Zac Thompson made a strange choice in having this story be narrated by a neutral voice that has knowledge of what happened, but isn’t able to humanize the experience much. This is a very odd series, in that I think it’s an adaptation of a book and/or a film, and I’m not sure how true anything in here might be. I think I’d like a little more context, especially since I don’t find myself caring a lot about this rancher and his family. That said, some of their experiences are kind of terrifying.
Immortal Sergeant #9 – Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura make quite a team. With this issue, they finish off their nine-part miniseries about a retiring detective who has spent his entire life being stuck thinking about a single case, to the extent that it has severely damaged his relationship with his only son, who is still trying to reconcile with him. Like their series I Kill Giants, Immortal Sergeant is a little unpredictable, and makes good use of Niimura’s minimalist art to convey deeper meanings. I really enjoyed this series, and it’s given me some things to think about.
In Hell We Fight #4 – John Layman and Jok are having fun with this series about a group of kids in Hell who are trying to rescue an angel, but keep coming up against some problems. It’s a lighthearted book, especially given its setting, with great art.
Junior Baker: The Righteous Faker #1 – I distinctly remember a few panels from Butcher Baker, the series that this is now a sequel to, but don’t remember a lot of the story itself. There was a guy who was hyper-masculine, he drove a massive truck, and the book was amusing. Joe Casey has returned to this world in this series, bringing with him artist Ryan Quackenbush. The main character is Dizzy Baker, a reporter on the weird beat for an online clickbait site, and he’s starting to put together some curious dots to get a bigger picture of what’s happening in the world. It’s an intriguing first issue that does a lot to develop Dizzy’s character. I wish I remember how Butcher ended, as I felt a little unmoored. Quackenbush’s art is very nice, reminding me of Martin Simmonds and his work on Department of Truth. I trust Casey to always be unpredictable, so this has me intrigued.
Kaya #11 & 12 – The first of these two issues finishes off the second arc, with Kaya finding Jin just as the mutants who have him turn on the Atrians who want him. There’s a lot of chaos in this issue, as Jin embraces his destiny. The second issue follows Lord Vox as he meets with his superior, who is not happy that he’s not captured Jin yet. Wes Craig is doing incredible things with this series, and I’m happy to see it going so strongly. Issue twelve also has a backup story drawn by Gabriel Walta that is gorgeous. This is a really good title.
Project Riese #3 – I am loving this high octane adventure series by Zac Thompson and Jeff McComsey. Our heroes are trapped in an underground Nazi city that is starting to flood in places, and have to wear big diving suits and fight off cybernetic dolphins in their attempt to uncover a train full of gold. I don’t see how Hollywood or Netflix can resist this one.
Quest #3 – The Princess and her small crew continue their journey into the demon lands looking for the kidnapped prince. They find some clues in an old library, but are pursued by soldiers sent by the king to bring them back. Jonathan Luna and Crystal Wood have made an interesting world for this series, and I like how we’re slowly getting to learn more about it. Luna’s art is luminous, and I’m starting to really like some of these characters.
Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 – The Entity continues to take over the droids of the Star Wars Universe, as it seeks out Darth Vader to take over, and also faces an attack from Ajax Sigma and his people. I’m enjoying this event, even if it seems a little unfocused in places, like it’s stretching to bring all of the Star Wars titles under its umbrella.
Superman: Lost #7 – I love how Priest writes Superman and Lois in this series. In the present, Clark seeks out help in the form of therapy (Priest does write fantastic therapists), while Lois seeks out help in the form of Lex Luthor, which seems like a worse idea. In the past, we see that Clark ran into a different version of himself as he tried to navigate the space-time anomaly and make his way home. We see how this future version struggled with his choices, and Lee Weeks draws the pages that show his life, making them stand out. This has been a great series, and I’m excited to see what happens in the last three issues.
Terrorwar #6 – Muhammad and his crew continue to struggle against the Terrors, which are making coordinated attacks now. Saladin Ahmed keeps threading issues of social and economic inequality into this story, which I appreciate and wish were more prevalent. It’s a good comic, but I think it could go a little deeper.
Wolverine #38 – Logan goes to get Captain America to help him recover a shipment of stolen Krakoan tech, weapons, and personal goods. It makes sense to have Logan and Cap work together sometimes, but this mission doesn’t seem to be one where Cap would be a natural ally. I’m not sure why Logan’s not connected with the X-Men or other pockets of resistance. I get that he’s often a loner, but he knows that he is most effective with coordination. In truth, I think it would have been interesting to have him reconnect with Beast during this dark time; that could have been fertile ground for some good stories about compromise. Anyway, this was a decent issue.
X-Men Red #16 – The mutants of Arakko have one major weapon they can use against Genesis’s forces: an hour of Uranos’s time. As some of Apocalypse’s children fight amongst themselves, the planet’s defenders weigh this option, as it is beyond a nuclear one. Al Ewing has a lot happening here, and I like it. The events of this series are taking place on a grand scale, but at the same time, with the exception of a few characters, no one is all that important to the Marvel Universe as a whole, so there is more unpredictability here. It’s a good series, even if it’s never stayed on one topic for long.
In Memoriam:
Keith Giffen – I was devastated to learn of Keith Giffen’s passing this week. Giffen was one of the most prolific and original creators in comics during my lifetime. I first came across his work when I was just beginning to get into DC Comics, and his Justice League, with JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire blew my mind. I’d never thought about superheroes being funny before, but this sitcom-approach, which was still squarely part of DC’s new continuity, became my guide to the DCU and left an indelible mark on me. From there, I started to look for anything with Giffen’s name on it, which led me to the Legion of Super-Heroes and its spin-off LEGION ‘89. The Legion, under Giffen and Paul Levitz, and then under Giffen with Tom and Mary Bierbaum (as well as Jason Pearson, later), became my favourite DC book. Giffen’s work on the controversial Five Years Later run is a touchstone in my comics reading life, as its complexity helped me realize just how incredible comics storytelling could be. I grew to love his nine-panel grids, his strange camera angles, and penchant for showing the outside of buildings instead of the conversations happening within them. I recently re-read his entire Legion run starting from the 80s through the end of the 5YL run, and loved it even more as a cohesive whole (you can look through my Retro Reviews for that ). Later, at Marvel and through his Annihilation event, he revitalized a number of beloved characters and positioned the Guardians of the Galaxy to be the second tentpole of the MCU. Giffen’s work would turn up in strange places. I have fond memories of his short-lived Reign of the Zodiac. He was also one of the key players in DC’s 52, the weekly comic that I really enjoyed. I didn’t love everything Giffen did – I’ve never cared for Ambush Bug, and stayed away from his other humor-oriented books like Heckler and Trencher. I also avoided his more recent collaborations with Dan Didio, like OMAC. Still, had he only had his Legion run, I’d still see him as one of the most impactful creators on my life. I am really sorry to hear that he passed so soon, and would like to pass on my condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and Legion of Fans.
The Week in Music:
Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music – Drummer Yussef Dayes has put together my favourite jazz album of this year with his ‘debut’, Black Classical Music. He explores a number of sounds from a variety of genres, blending African and island rhythms into his compositions. He works with some incredible artists from the UK scene, chiefly saxophonist Venna and bassist Rocco Palladino. There are appearances from Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Misch, Masego, and Chronixx, and the whole album makes you feel like you’ve gone on a journey around the world. This is incredibly lovely, textured music, and an album that I’m going to treasure.
