Last week’s stack was huge, and life was incredibly busy, so I couldn’t get through it all, hence a double-column this week.
Best Comics of the Fortnight:
Fire Power #28 – This issue kind of broke me. It’s an issue of all splash pages, narrated by a sequence of letters that Doug, Owen’s youngest, sends to his grandparents detailing the family’s battles against the dragon and Master Shaw. Chris Samnee makes the most of the space he’s given to show us how intense the fight is, as Owen, his family, their allies, and the US military go up against the people that were taken over by Shaw, and then go up against the dragon itself. Now, when Kirkman wrote this, and when Samnee drew it, there wasn’t a constant stream of horrific images coming out of Gaza on the news and social media, but reading this comic this week made things feel very different. Kirkman does a great job of showing how Doug moves through his initial excitement at his growing powers and ability to enter this fight to a state of constant fear and despair, as their family is on the run and the cities they travel to increasingly resemble utter wastelands. It’s impossible to look at Samnee’s art and not think about the thousands of Palestinian children that have been killed or are somehow managing to survive this devastation. Comics are a form of escapism, but this comic about people who can form balls of fire from their hands and are fighting an ancient evil dragon just felt too real this week. And then Kirkman hit us with one of his trademark twists at the end, and it hurt even more. I think if Doug’s voice wasn’t so strong in this issue, and if Kirkman wasn’t such a good writer, this wouldn’t have hit so hard. We need a better world.
The Space Between #1 – I like Corinna Bechko’s writing, so I didn’t hesitate to preorder this book. It’s the start of a new science fiction series set on a massive space arc where there is a rigid social order. The main character, Revla, is a pilot who defies orders, saving another pilot from certain death. As she is being detained afterwards, she slips into the lower levels of the ship, meeting someone from the labour class who keep the whole thing running, but who has never been able to see starlight. Their whirlwind romance lands the man in jail, and Revla dedicates her life to helping him. This is a packed first issue, with a lot of development, and it really held my attention. The end of the issue feels a little abrupt, and it’s hard to tell where this series is going, but I’m going to be along for the ride. I like Danny Luckert’s art on this a lot, and Bechko’s writing is as good as ever.
Quick Takes:
Action Comics #1058 – I learned this week that Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s months on this book are numbered, and I’ll be jumping ship when he leaves. It’s not that I don’t like Jason Aaron, I’m just not all that interested in Superman, and will get my fill from his eponymous book and Priest’s Lost. Johnson has had a great run, and while it hasn’t recaptured the heights of the Warworld storyline, it’s still very good. This issue has Superman fighting a powerful doppelganger connected to the Blue Skies movement. It also has a Super-Man (Kong Kenan) story by the original New Super-Man creative team of Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic, which I loved. The Bibbo and Super-Twins story was silly.
Alan Scott: Green Lantern #1 – My love for Golden Age characters has been well-documented, and I am always happy when DC comes back around to using theirs. This new miniseries, by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, focuses on Alan’s early days as Green Lantern, just after the forming of the Justice Society. He learns early in the issue that J. Edgar Hoover has compromising photos of him (this series seems to do away with the sexual confusion we’ve seen in Alan in recent years, and shows his first relationship with a fellow enlisted engineer) and wants to blackmail him into being a bigger part of the JSA. At the same time, through flashbacks, we learn about Alan’s relationship, and a strange mission where the two men worked on a project trying to capture a sentient underwater flame. I found the character work in this issue to be excellent, and like Tormey’s art. I’m glad this exists.
Alpha Flight #3 – I’m sad that, as I’m reading it, it’s clear that this book is not going to lead to an ongoing Alpha Flight series, what with the team being divided and actively working against Department H. I guess we’re doomed to forever just get random, status quo changing miniseries every six or seven line-wide events. Still, I am enjoying this book, even if Ed Brisson doesn’t have space to develop these characters or really even allow them to show much personality. It’s still a trip seeing these characters again.
The Avengers #7 – In a bit of a throwaway issue, we see an alternate version of the team take on a deadly giant being who seems to be taking them all out. It’s Wanda who figures out what’s really going on, though. This is so decompressed, it feels more like Daniel Way wrote it than Jed MacKay. If this keeps happening, I’ll be bailing on this book.
Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1 – The original idea behind this event, that Batman is more concerned with property crimes than with lifting people out of poverty, is totally subsumed when a whole bunch of villains attack the city, and Vandal Savage summons a meteor that is likely to destroy the city. I found this to be disappointing in the end, as I was much more interested in the social commentary that was coming out of the start of this event. Maybe Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard were just being a little too real with it, and had to redirect? Anyway, this was still an entertaining event, although I’m not sure where things stand with Jason now that it’s all over. The art in this issue seemed really stiff and kind of rushed, which is too bad.
Black Hammer: The End #3 – Things are starting to fall apart on the farm, as Gail recovers her memory (and powers), and everyone blames Lucy. Meanwhile, on another earth, Anti-God makes his move, and the evil Black Hammer makes his move in Limbo. This series is the culmination of years of work, and it’s pretty exciting. I like how Malachi Ward uses different art styles depending on what world the story is taking place.
Captain Marvel #1 – Having learned my lesson by ignoring Kelly Thompson’s run on Captain Marvel and regretting it, I figured I should get on the ground floor of Alyssa Wong’s run and latest relaunch. She and artist Jan Bazaldua move Carol forward with a new costume, but when a new threat comes searching for her and Genis-Vell, they also move her backwards, using an old Captain Marvel trope from Genis- and Mar-Vell’s days. I am intrigued by this, and think it does open up some new storytelling directions for Carol. Bazaldua’s art is very nice, and Wong’s writing has a similar tone to her work with Doctor Aphra, which I enjoy. I’ll give this a full arc before I make up my mind for good, but I like what I’m seeing so far.
Dark X-Men #3 – This is kind of a chaotic issue, as the two teams of Dark X-Men face struggles, and don’t really achieve their goals. This issue felt a little rushed to me, and lacked any real connection with the characters.
Detective Comics #1075 – I was really happy to see that Francesco Francavilla drew and coloured this issue, that has Batman continuing to fight the Azmer in his system, while also wrestling with the spirit of Barbatos. Francavilla’s art is so emotionally devastating here, and it fits the story perfectly. I am starting to wonder when the last time I read a Batman story that wasn’t all about his personal trauma was, but I’m enjoying the way that Ram V is starting to center Batman in this book again.
Detective Comics #1076 – The Orghams are going to hang Batman in three days, and while he continues to fight the Azmer taking over his mind, someone alerts Catwoman to his plight, and she sets out to put together a team, of sorts, to help him. Ram V’s story is getting more complex, but also more exciting, as he’s joined by Jason Shawn Alexander on art for a run that is going to be biweekly. I’m glad to see some momentum building in this series again, and appreciated the backup stories in this issue, featuring the Question and Azrael.
Doctor Strange #9 – Strange fights his older self, while Clea takes on the warrior made from her unborn sister in this all-action issue. Pasqual Ferry’s art is fantastic in this issue, and I’m so happy he was chosen to draw this comic. It’s a big part of the draw for me, although I am enjoying the new approach to Doctor Strange that Jed MacKay is taking. This is a good series.
The Flash #2 – Simon Spurrier’s take on Flash is interesting, as he digs into the physics of Wally’s abilities, and introduces some cosmic characters that are keeping tabs on him, and are somehow connected to Grodd’s plans. There aren’t as many big cosmic entities in the DCU compared to Marvel, so I’m curious to see what Spurrier has planned. I’m impressed with Mike Deodato’s art here, which is very detailed and makes interesting use of panel layouts. I’m not at the point where I like this more than Jeremy Adams’s recent run, but it’s still very good.
Gone #1 – This is the first comic I’ve picked up from DSTLRY, who appear to be publishing high end oversized prestige format comics with gorgeous production values. Gone is by Jock, and focuses on Abi, a young girl who joins a crew of thieves trying to steal supplies from a high end luxury space cruise ship so she can help feed her pregnant mother. Her raid goes poorly when the adults helping get them into the largest ship in the galaxy turn out to be revolutionaries, and soon she’s stuck as a stowaway. Jock’s art is very atmospheric, and his writing is pretty good. I like how he doesn’t take a lot of time explaining the politics or realities of this world, but instead leaves it to us to figure out as we go along. I’m looking forward to the next issue, and will keep my eye on this publisher.
Green Arrow #5 – Ollie’s time traveling adventures continue, and end up with him running into various versions of himself from different eras. I love that Phil Hester and Ande Parks stepped in to draw the pages that deal with the era when they drew Green Arrow, and would love to see more of something like that. Joshua Williamson is also using this series to advance his larger Amanda Waller storyline, which is still pretty mysterious. I like that Cheshire showed up at last.
The Immortal Thor #3 – I think this series is starting to grow on me, as Al Ewing has Thor wake up from the All-Sleep on a strange world, needing to solve a riddle given to him by Loki in order to return to Earth and see what his enemy has wrought in his absence. I can’t help but find Thor a boring character these days, and am not that interested in god-based stories anymore. At the same time, Ewing is bringing Storm into the story with the next issue, and that’s reason to stick around a little while longer.
Kaptara: Universal Truths #3 – Chip Zdarsky and Kagan McLeod must have had a ball designing the characters that fight our heroes in this issue. They are more ridiculous than the wannabe heroes that got rejected from the Legion of Substitute-Heroes. We learn some hard truths about the wormhole that brought Keith and his crew to Kaptara, and about Kaptara’s evolution. We also see what’s happening in the main city, as it seems the separation from Earth isn’t permanent. This is a fun series.
Newburn #12 – Someone from Emily’s past comes calling, needing her help, and she splits off from Newburn for a couple of days to solve the problem, although it ends up landing Newburn in even more trouble with his bosses. This is a fascinating crime series, and I love how Chip Zdarsky structures his plots, where each issue works on its own, but tells a part of the bigger story. Jacob Phillips’s art is great, but I found the shadows and reflections on peoples’ faces to be distracting in this issue. The excellent backup story by Dave Brothers and Nick Dragotta echoes the events of the Newburn, but in an even more violent fashion. I love Dragotta’s work.
Penguin #3 – Tom King’s Penguin is a delight. Last issue, he recruited some Help for himself, and now he’s after some goons. He targets the former members of the Force of July, which, as a huge fan of the John Ostrander Suicide Squad, made me really happy (even if I was sure most of these characters have been killed off more than once over the years). King’s Penguin is not a joke of a character at all, and while it’s not all that clear what his goals are, it’s fun to watch him put together his crew and move towards them.
The Plot Holes #3 – I’m really enjoying all the work that Sean Murphy has put into this series. This issue digs deeper into a couple of the characters on the team, and we learn the truth about Ed. The concept behind this series is silly, but Murphy has pulled it off very well; I’m happy to see that his partnership with Massive is continuing and that he has a Zorro series coming out in the new year. He’s very talented.
Rare Flavours #2 – I am absolutely loving this series by Ram V and Felipe Andrade. Our main character, a demon, is traveling India with a young filmmaker in an effort to make a documentary about food, but he’s also killing and eating people, and being pursued by two men. V focuses on the human elements of this story though, and gives us a recipe in each issue that illustrates an aspect of the culture or the lives of the people that prepare it. Andrade’s art is lovely and evocative of the place, and the whole package is very compelling. Boom! has become the home of prestige stories like this, it seems, and I’m very happy about that. This is definitely going to show up on some Eisner lists.
Realm of X #3 – I’m regretting adding this series to my pull list, as it’s not doing much for me. It’s rare that a series starring Dani Moonstar, Magik, and Typhoid Mary would be a let down, but I’m not feeling this one. I’m glad it is over with the next issue.
The Sacrificers #4 – We continue to learn more about the truths behind the sacrifices that give this title its name. Some of these are the hidden truths shared only by the mythical beings who gather for their party, while the other is the unvoiced trauma remaining with the family of the blue bird kid that is among those waiting to be sacrificed. Rick Remender and Max Fiumara continue to build this world, and capture my interest in it.
Star Wars #40 – Lando gathers the usual squad together to try to go rescue Lobot from the Scourge, as we are calling the droid entity now. This is another solid chapter in this excellent event, and it nudges us closer and closer to the events of the Return of the Jedi. I assume that this series is going to be relaunching soon.
Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #2 – R2’s adventures continue, as he convinces Triple-Zero to work with him to capture BT-1, who has been taken over by the entity that is controlling most droids. This is an amusing issue that ropes in a couple other prominent droids.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #37 – While Aphra, Lucky, and the Tagges fight the droid entity on one of Domina’s research stations, Tolvan fights it on an abandoned vessel. Aphra’s series fits very nicely into the Dark Droids event, and this issue was exciting.
Ultimate Universe #1 – I haven’t been too clear on what Jonathan Hickman is looking to accomplish with his new Ultimate Universe, but this one-shot makes things a little clearer. Tony Stark and Reed Richards have come to understand how much the Maker has manipulated their world, erasing heroes or stopping them from reaching their potential, and now they want to restore things to the way they should have been. We meet this world’s Thor and Sif, but our new heroes don’t get very far in their mission. I’m not sure if I want to engage in a new Ultimate line, but this issue did intrigue me. I was going to skip the Ultimate Spider-Man series, but now I can see myself checking it out. Dammit.
Uncanny Avengers #3 – Gerry Duggan put it all on the table in this issue, that has Captain America giving a press conference to a large crowd, calling out the discrimination in America. He doesn’t limit his remarks to anti-mutant discrimination, and I’m sure that there are corners of Twitter that have things to say about it, but it has me wanting to see Duggan write Cap; he gets him more than recent writers have. This issue is mostly about building the team, and not much else happens, but I wish this was an ongoing series.
Uncanny Spider-Man #2 – Simon Spurrier is just so good at these slightly off-kilter kinds of stories. Kurt is mystified by what’s happened to Mystique, has a chance encounter with Dagger, and then has to fend off Rhino and Silver Sable’s squad. Spurrier’s Nightcrawler (I’m not calling him Spider-Man) is mercurial and true to himself, but also in a strange situation now that he doesn’t have the backing of a squad. I like how this series is playing out, and am always happy to see Lee Garbett’s name on the cover of a book. This is one of the better, if lower profile, Fall of X books.
Unnatural Order #1 – I added this new Vault comic to my pull file on the strength of Christopher Yost’s name; it’s been a while since I’ve seen anything he’s written. The story has a group of misfits gathering together in the mid-40s BC to try to stop a Druid who is terrorizing Briton. There’s a Roman soldier, a barbarian, a witch, and some others. The comic, which has great art by Val Rodrigues, continues along typical lines for this type of story, and then has a really interesting twist at the end that makes me glad I’ve ordered the rest of the story. Vault is a really interesting company, and I’m always going to check out their new series.
Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 – The best part of the last issue of this Doom Patrol miniseries is the news that the team will return – I hope that means that Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham will be getting a second ‘season’ or ongoing book with this incarnation of the team, as it’s the one I’ve liked best since Grant Morrison left the title. The Patrol’s fight with their various enemies ends really well, and leaves me wanting more, especially after reading the epilogue. This was a really solid series.
Void Rivals #5 – Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici flesh out Solila’s character a lot more, revealing a few things about her past as she and Darak continue to be imprisoned by her people. Like with many Kirkman series, I realize that whatever happens in these early days is part of a buildup to something I’m not going to see coming, and part of the fun is trying to predict what some of the clues to the series’s future shape might be. It’s a very readable, entertaining series.
What’s The Furthest Place From Here? #15 – Prufrock, Mal, and a couple of others have been traveling for ages, and facing various threats, but aren’t really meeting their goals. We get to see more of this world, and some of its wonders, as Pru and Mal spend their days fighting, and their nights doing something else. More and more, this series is making me think of the TV show Lost, and leaves me wondering if Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss really have a plan, or if things are slowly spiraling out of control. At the same time, I like these characters, and the art is great, so I’ll be along for the ride no matter what.
X-Men #28 – Gerry Duggan is packing a lot into each issue of X-Men lately. We check in on Sunfire, in Otherworld, and then see Juggernaut make his escape, followed by Shadowkat and Ms. Marvel departing on a secret mission. Duggan is making Firestar a favourite character, and is really carrying most of the important aspects of the Fall of X event. This is really good stuff.
The Fortnight in Music:
Fly Anakin – Skinemaxxx – On this album, Fly Anakin teams up with the producer Foisey to give us a number of tracks that deal with growing up, all framed around some skits about a kid discovering ‘Skinemaxxx’, a steamy cable TV channel. Anakin has a propulsive flow and scratchy voice that is appealing. This is not as serious an album as Frank, his last, but it stands out for its vocal audacity and fantastic production.
James Blake – Playing Robots Into Heaven – The first half of this new James Blake album sounds like a return to form, with his ethereal vocals floating over sparse production. As the album continues, it gets a little more experimental and strange, and while I prefer the earlier tracks, the back half is still interesting.
Dessa – Bury the Lede – When the Doomtree collective was more active as a rap group, Dessa’s verses always blew me away. She has a fierceness to her writing and delivery that I’ve always admired, and I love the way her brain works. As she’s moved more into a pop vein, I’ve been less enthused. She still writes incredible observations, and sometimes that edge comes back into her voice, but I don’t feel like this music speaks to me the way it used to. I’m happy for her that she’s found something she loves to do, and she is very good at it, but I’m not really the audience anymore. If this had had one track where she laced a Paper Tiger beat with one of her brethren, I’d have been so happy.
Loraine James – Gentle Confrontation – I think Lorraine James named this new album correctly. There’s a tension in her work between the drum and bass beats and the gentle vocals that I love. This hour long album ranges all over the place but also has a consistency to it that I love. It touches on hiphop and r&b, and occasionally approaches the sounds of James’s Whatever The Weather project.
Spiritual Jazz Vol. 14: Private – The latest installment in Jazzman’s long running Spiritual Jazz series has gathered together a bunch of private pressings that I’ve never heard of. At this point in the series’s history, I know to trust it, and while there might be a few tracks that are kind of irritating, the rest of it is quite beautiful. Now I have a bunch of artists who are new to me that I need to learn about.
Oneohtrix Point Never – Again – This is a challenging album by this electronic artist. Some tracks are very beautiful, but others are layered in distortion and noise. It’s not an easy background kind of album, but it’s pretty interesting to see what Oneohtrix Point Never is doing with it.
