Best Comic of the Week:
Underheist #1 – I’m a huge fan of David Lapham’s work, so I was really happy to see that he and his wife Maria have a new series coming out at Boom! Like most of their work, it’s a crime comic, but it’s a different kind than we’ve seen before. It focuses on a utility worker who spends his days under the streets of New York, wishing for a better life. We learn that his wife is disabled due to something he was involved in back in the day, and that his chances for promotion or a raise are not as good as he hoped. When he learns of the opportunity to take advantage of a planned bank heist for his own ends, he puts together a small crew that really shouldn’t give anyone much hope, and predictably, things start falling apart. This is a good first issue, establishing characters and suggesting that there’s another aspect to this story we haven’t puzzled out yet, and Lapham’s work looks as good as ever. This has me excited.
Quick Takes:
Action Comics #1060 – Superman is pulling out all the stops in his attempt to track down his kidnapped daughter, Otho-Ra, going so far as to work with John Constantine. I’ve really been enjoying Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run on Action, and am sad that it’s coming to a close soon. I can see that he’s working to tie up all of his threads before then, and do wonder if Clark is going to end up keeping his adopted children in Jason Aaron’s run (which I’m likely to not stick around for).
Antarctica #6 – This bizarre Top Cow book has been extended into an ongoing, and I’ve chosen to stick with it, even though I’m not always sure it’s clear in telling its story. This issue shows us a scene from Hannah’s childhood, as she experiences a Christmas at home with her father, but there’s a lot more going on which isn’t all that obvious to us. Simon Birks is putting together a unique story, and while I sometimes worry he won’t stick the landing (I get Lost vibes from this issue), he’s got me curious about where this is going.
Batman and Robin #4 – Simone Di Meo’s art has been very unique in this series, and while I don’t always understand the storytelling, I do enjoy it. I find it odd that DC decided to pair Di Meo with Mikel Janín for this issue, as their styles are so different. It would have been fine had Janín just drawn the flashback pages, but he also finishes off the issue, which has Batman and Robin facing down the new Man-Bat and Shush. The stylistic differences are too pronounced, and it really distracts from the story. This is a good title; I’m surprised I’m reading three regular Batman series after avoiding the character for a good long time, but I like how different each of them is.
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #2 – Rafael Grampá’s Batman story is not really what I expected. I knew the art would be incredible, and it is, evoking Paul Pope at times, but the story is exceeding my expectations in a number of ways. Grampá’s Batman is still in the early years of his career, and is toying with the idea of doing away with his civilian identity. The problem is that the new killer stalking a particular group of people in Gotham is connected to a heretofore secret part of Wayne’s past, and his brief time at Arkham Asylum when he was a child. This is a very cool retcon (obviously this series is out of continuity), and it adds a few interesting layers to the character. I like how Grampá writes both Alfred and James Gordon, and it’s got me wanting to see him write a longer run with the character. It’s a shame that Grampá is not more prolific, because this stuff is very cool.
Beyond Real #1 – My LCS was selling issues of this new Vault series by Zack Kaplan, Fabiana Mascolo, and Toni Fejzula at a ridiculously discounted price, so I figured I’d give it a shot. It’s about a young woman who is in a car accident with her boyfriend that leaves him in a coma and seems to give her extrasensory perception and an ability to do things with her mind that she couldn’t before. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is not so much a superhero story as it is an exploration of themes from The Matrix, and I was intrigued. The art is lovely, and the story is interesting enough that I will probably swing back around for issue two (so I guess the store’s plan worked).
Damn Them All #11 – This is another excellent issue of this series, as Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard have Ellie working to retrieve her uncle’s body so she can put an end to the madness in London that he caused. We learn the fate of Cillian, her old lover, as she rejects the bliss that he offers through his use of one of the demons. This series is dark and biting, and shows a good understanding of how people would act in this kind of situation. Adlard’s work is fantastic.
Danger Street #12 – Tom King and Jorge Fornés put together one of the stranger series we’ve seen in the last few years with Danger Street. Basically, King took all of the characters that appeared in the DC First Issue Special series, and spun together a story featuring all of them. This issue wraps it all up, and at the end it’s kind of moving and affecting. Fornés’s art has been great throughout this book, and I’m a bit surprised to realize that I started to care about characters like Lady Cop and the Dingbats.
Dark X-Men #5 – Another Fall of X miniseries reaches its end without really doing anything along the way. Madelyne and her team face off against the Orchis-related attackers in the Limbo embassy, but ultimately, we have Madelyn even commenting on how she changes so much (hinting that every writer that touches her has their own take). I would have liked it if all of these series built into the two miniseries that are coming, but what can you do?
Detective Comics #1079 – I have been loving this run lately, and thought this issue was executed perfectly. Selina’s rescue plan looks like it’s about to collapse, but that’s only if you believe that the plan we were shown was the actual plan. Jason Shawn Alexander’s art is fantastic here, and the pages done by Liam Sharp are incredible. I also liked seeing Juan Ferreyra on the backup story. This book is really exciting, and if I just ignore that it doesn’t fit with the other Bat-titles at the moment, I can really love it.
The Enfield Gang Massacre #5 – Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips reveal who is really behind the killings that led to the start of the massacre of Enfield’s gang, as things get bloodier and darker than they’ve been so far, and that’s already pretty dark. This is a really good period series, and it leaves me wanting to rewatch Deadwood for some reason.
Green Lantern #6 – This series continues to grow on me, as Hal faces off against Sinestro, who has tapped into a massive amount of Red Lantern energy. The fight is pretty epic, with Sinestro making a massive kaiju construct that Hal counters with a mech, before we finally get to the point where we are going to learn why Earth is blockaded and what happened on Korugar next issue. I kind of assumed that Jeremy Adams was working off events that took place in the last GL series, since I didn’t read it, but apparently this has more of a OYL thing happening. I’d like to get some more understanding of this stuff, so I’m looking forward to that.
Guardians of the Galaxy #9 – I’ve really struggled with this run, and the writing by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, but the last couple of issues have started to coalesce nicely, and I’m beginning to enjoy the book more. In this issue, Gamora and Mantis take a side mission to Earth to get something from the current holder of the Soul Stone (I hate that we don’t call them gems anymore). It provides some insight into why Mantis’s character has been so strange lately (really, I thought they were just basing her on the film version of her), and gives Gamora a chance to confront her own issues. As always, Kev Walker’s art is the high point of this comic, but it’s nice to know that I’m not just buying this book for his art anymore; the story has finally made itself worthy of him.
Immortal Thor #5 – I’m still finding Al Ewing’s Thor to be a little boring. Thor has gathered a mess of former Mjolnir users to defeat Thoranos, but it’s through guile that Thor is really making his best move. I find Thor so hard to care about, so even though Storm is in this issue, and Ewing writes her very well, and even though Martin Cóccolo’s art is gorgeous, I found my attention wandering again. I should take this as a hint and drop this book, shouldn’t I?
Junior Baker the Righteous Faker #4 – We finally get to the point where Dizzy starts talking about his father, although it’s clear he doesn’t know a whole lot about him. A visit to one of his safe houses leads him to the Amazon, where he finds an older superhero, and we start to get close to maybe getting some answers. Joe Casey is writing this book in a withholding way, and I’m not really sure what the plot is all about yet (maybe I’m just not bright enough for this), but I’m still enjoying it, especially with Ryan Quackenbush’s art.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13 – I’m thankful that I don’t need to know much about the Gang War event to appreciate this story, which has Miles facing down a couple of silly villains in Brooklyn, with help from the Daughters of the Dragon. Cody Ziglar spends some time focusing on Miles’s current mental health concerns, and I’m always happiest with this book when it treats Miles like a regular kid, so I liked that. Frederico Vicentini’s art is growing on me too.
Moon Knight #30 – I don’t think it was necessary to kill Moon Knight (this is not a spoiler – we’ve seen this advertised for months), but can’t deny that this book is getting more engrossing with each issue lately. I like how Jed MacKay has grounded this run in so much Marvel history, but has also done a number of new things with MK and his mythos, introducing Hunter’s Moon, Reese, and the Midnight Mission. I’m excited to see where this book (technically, Vengeance of the Moon Knight) does with Marc gone. It’s long past due for MK to get a run that is going to be remembered for a long time. If you’re coming to check this out because of the manufactured internet outrage, read the whole run, and be prepared to enjoy yourself.
Outsiders #2 – I’m really interested in this new series, and am liking Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s writing on it more than on anything else I’ve seen from them. This issue has the team investigating an oceanic mystery that has bothered Batwoman for years, and leads them into some conflict with the new Challengers of the Unknown. Ryan Carey’s art is really nice, and I like the way this book pays homage to some of Warren Ellis’s Wildstorm work, without being too obvious about it. Books like this haven’t had long lives lately, but I’m hoping that the creative team gets enough time and space to do what they intend with this series.
Phantom Road #7 – Things are speeding up in this strange series, as the FBI agent makes contact with the guy who seems to exist in both worlds, and our trucker and his passenger meet the bear mascot of a gas station chain in the apocalyptic world they are trapped in. Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Hernandez Walta are giving us the type of story that can only be told in comics, as it would seem ridiculous anywhere else, and I love it.
Speed Force #2 – I can tell that Jarrett Williams is working hard to attract a younger readership with this book, but I’m not sure that it will be successful, as some of the more important aspects of the storytelling, such as clearly establishing timelines and threats, aren’t really happening. I like seeing Wallace and Avery get some space, and love that Mister Terrific and Roundhouse feature here (I care a lot less about Superboy), but it feels like Terrific is the focus of the book, and a few story elements don’t make sense. I’m not sure how Wallace gets data reception while running across the Atlantic Ocean, for example. Still, this is kind of fun.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 – I hadn’t realized that this series was ending next month, but I guess it makes sense, story-wise, as Ethan Sacks works to wrap up numerous long-running storylines. We see the end result of the crew’s attempt to rescue Valance from the Scourge, and get a reunion of sorts. It’s funny that after feeling for so long that this series was a bit of an obligation buy, I think I’m going to miss it.
Superman: Lost #9 – I’m sad that we’re getting so close to the end of this excellent miniseries written by Priest. Clark and Lois resolve their issue with Lex Luthor, which Lois caused, and Priest sets up the conclusion for next issue. I’ve really enjoyed this series, which has had some wonderful Carlos Pagulayan artwork. I’m not as excited about the Dan Jurgens pages which kind of just pad out this story this month.
Vampirella/Dracula: Rage #4 – Vampirella’s quest for vengeance over the murder of her son takes her to an Estonian submarine, which is complicated by the fact that there are no Estonian submarines. Priest is playing some of his usual games, which he does very well, as we see Vampi continue to spiral into darkness, while Victory hopes to help her, and has partnered with Dracula to do it. Christian Rosado’s art is very nice in this book, and suits it perfectly. His work reminds me of both Michael Lark and Roberto Dela Torre. I’m enjoying this series.
X-Men Red #18 – I’m pretty sure this is the last issue of this series, as Storm faces off against Genesis, and we see what’s happening with most of the cast of this series (no idea how Nova’s doing though). I’ve really enjoyed this series, because I like the way Al Ewing has his books interact with the larger Marvel Universe, and how he’s focused on very likeable characters. I wish there was more time spent here, but I can always hope that Ewing will get a new ongoing after the dust of Fall of X settles. I do look forward to his Resurrection of Magneto series (or whatever it’s called) as I expect it will advance a lot of the work that started here.
Bargain Comics:
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #1 – I was curious to check this out, because I’ve loved Juan Ferreyra’s art since he was working on Rex Mundi, and wanted to see him on a major character like this. As I expected, the book is gorgeous, and full of interesting panel layouts and page designs. The story, about Peter Parker waking up in a world where no one knows him, is interesting, but doesn’t live up to the hype on the cover. Saladin Ahmed is a great writer, but I don’t see myself tracking down the other issue of this book that’s out yet or jumping on for the rest of the series. It will probably make a gorgeous trade some day though.
