Best Comic of the Week:
The Ultimates #2 – I liked the first issue of The Ultimates, but this one is much more what I was expecting from this series and writer Deniz Camp. In this issue, Captain America catches up on the history he missed while in suspended animation, and sees how thoroughly the Maker has reshaped the world. The team goes to the White House, which is now the property of Midas, who wears a gold version of the first Iron Man armor, and they learn the source of much of his wealth and power. This is a very good issue that builds on the same cynicism towards America that Camp showed in his incredible 20th Century Men comic, only mapped onto the new Ultimate line. He was an excellent choice for this book. I’m also impressed by Juan Frigeri’s art, and how he’s made subtle changes to the familiar characters in this book. I’m hoping that this gets a nice long run, as I can see there’s a lot to build on here.
Quick Takes:
Absolute Power #1 – This event is off to a strong start, with Amanda Waller broadcasting misinformation about the world’s heroes as her first salvo in her war with them. The revelation of her new associate will make things harder for the heroes, as it’s someone who knows their moves and methods of communicating with one another. Dan Mora’s art is great, and Mark Waid handles the various characters well. I like that, as with Blood Hunt, this event is being kept to a minimum number of main event issues, and that the tie-ins seem pretty optional.
Avengers #16 – Cap and his team finish their fight with Baron Blood, effectively keeping this title busy while the main Avengers team deals with the main Blood Hunt storyline. I like side stories like this from time to time, and it was nice to see some of these Avengers again. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing any of them join the main lineup. I always like the Avengers best when it’s got a fat roster of characters.
Batman #150 – This is the kind of Batman story I’ve missed the last few years. One of the guys that was working with Catwoman discovered Batman’s true identity a while back, and now he’s shopping around that information, hoping to sell it and retire from the henchman game. Chip Zdarsky keeps the story on this guy, and we learn how years of henchmaning (henching?) has left him separated from his family and utterly unsatisfied in life. And, at every turn, Batman is watching him. This main story’s scenes featuring the henchman is drawn by the legend Denys Cowan, while Jorge Jimenez handled all of the scenes featuring Batman. It’s great to see Cowan’s art again on a Batman title, and the story is the best we’ve seen from Zdarsky on this title. The backup story connects to Absolute Power as Batman tries to rescue Cyborg from one of Amanda Waller’s Amazo robots, and helps establish how the resistance to Waller’s moves is establishing itself. It’s a decent story.
Batman And Robin #11 – Batman and Robin head to Dinosaur Island to hunt Bane, but find Kobra and a surprise character in the process. This is the first that Damian’s confronted Bane since he killed Alfred, so things are emotionally charged. I’ve been enjoying this series, and was really happy to see artist Juan Ferreyra on this issue; his work is always great, and I appreciate his approach to layouts.
Bear Pirate Viking Queen #3 – This series, by Sean Lewis and Jonathan Marks Barravecchia, ended up being even trippier in the end than I expected. It started off being about a pirate and the bear that rescued him from drowning, but then became a story about an immortal Viking with a deep hatred of the British monarchy. With this issue, as the Viking and the Queen engage in battle, the focus shifts back on the bear and what it means as a metaphor. Barravecchia’s art reminds me of peak Bill Sienkiewicz, which is what drew me to this project. I’m not sure if Lewis succeeded fully in saying what he was hoping to say with this story, but I was kept entertained and enjoyed this book nonetheless.
Birds of Prey #11 – Kelly Thompson has the Birds jumping around in a pocket dimension that resets itself, so now they’re fighting dinosaurs while trying to figure out how to rescue Barbara Gordon and make their way home. Thompson’s characterizations are the best part of this series, which I’m enjoying quite a bit. I’m still a little thrown by the way that Jordie Bellaire slightly off-sets the colours in this comic, but it does make things look unique, regardless of which of this issue’s three artists are drawing a given page.
Crocodile Black #3 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson is doing an excellent job of writing this strange series about a young man who has gone off his medication and run away from home, which is sending him down a spiral of violence and hallucination, as he keeps seeing his dead brother and a crocodile. The kid ends up getting involved in some stuff for a local cartel. I like how Johnson is weaving in stories from a dead soldier’s time in Iraq, and showing Daniel’s family, helping to explain why he’s not in a rush to head home. Som’s art is enigmatic, but does a good job of showing us how things look to Danny. I’m really liking this book.
Daredevil #11 – Daredevil and Elektra confront Kingpin again, while the kid who ran away from Matt’s group home gets caught by Bullseye. Saladin Ahmed is doing a good job of building a long story in this series, and it’s working for me. He has a really solid understanding of Matt’s character. It’s nice to see Aaron Kuder back on art, even though I loved Juann Cabal’s work too. These two artists compliment each other nicely, and have a good feel for this title.
Dawrunner #4 – Ram V and Evan Cagle’s science fiction monster fighting mech series has been really interesting, as the character of Anita, who pilots the Dawnrunner mech in its fight against giant Tetza monsters, is a really well developed and compelling character. She’s been interfacing ever deeper with the mech’s human brain, while her city faces the largest monster it’s ever seen. This issue is solid, with great art.
Doctor Strange #17 – One of the best additions to Doctor Strange’s mythos of the last decade is his ghost dog Bats. I’m not usually in favour of talking animals in superhero comics, but Bats is pretty cool. In this issue, he gets Mordo to help him contact the God of Dogs to help with the whole “Strange is now a vampire whose body is inhabited by the spirit of his evil brother” thing, bringing about a resolution to a minor Blood Hunt subplot. It’s decent, and made better by Pascual Ferry’s art.
The Domain #1 – So Chip Zdarsky’s characters in his series Public Domain (see below) are creating a comic wherein they are updating the concept of an old comic. Now, Zdarsky, along with Rachel Stott, are also publishing that comic, The Domain. It’s a cool concept, even if this reads like some pretty standard superhero stuff. Public Domain is an amusing satire of the comics industry, while this feels a lot more pedestrian. At the same time, it’s decent, and I wonder how much reading this will enrich the main series.
Green Lantern #13 – This issue checks in with almost every character that’s ever shown up in it as it ties in to Absolute Power. Hal’s been captured by Amanda Waller, and is being tortured, while his friends continue to resist on Oa. We check in on Alan Scott and the Justice Society, which feels like an ad for the Task Force VII series, and also see how Carol’s fiance is dealing with her abandoning him at the altar. This series has been growing on me lately, but this issue felt pretty disjointed.
Grendel: Devil’s Crucible – Defiance #1 – I’m so happy to see Grendel Prime back in comics. Our cyborg hero is on Earth for the first time in five hundred years, and finds that things have changed quite a bit. The cities are empty, and a group of people called the Necro Lords seem to run things. Their main target are Grendels, and while Prime tries to hide his nature, he’s found out pretty quickly, bringing a heap of trouble down on him and the people in the market where he’s trying to shop. Matt Wagner’s art looks as good as ever, and he picks up this decades-long story well, making it feel fresh and consistent at the same time. I’m really happy that we’re going to be getting three four-issue minis out of this current run.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #22 – Miles, Hightail, and Bloodline work together to stop one vampire, before returning to the fight against all the other vampires. This issue has art by Brent Peeples and Daniel Picciotto, and it’s much easier to follow than what has become the norm for this series lately. I’m concerned that this Miles is a vampire stuff isn’t getting reversed at the end of Blood Hunt, as I’m not sure it’s a good fit for his character.
Outsiders #9 – The team, without Batwoman, finds themselves in an Amazon jungle, looking for the world’s largest gun, a cannon the size of a small city. They find it, and agents of Order and Chaos, as we learn some things about Luke Fox’s true nature, and the role the team may play in the future. It feels like writers Lanzing and Kelly are being given a lot of latitude to both shape the current DC Universe, and comment on the constant reboots that universe has had to endure. It makes for an interesting comic, but I’m not sure that someone without decades of knowledge would be able to follow it all.
Precious Metals #2 – I’m not entirely sure I understand everything that is happening in this book, but that is not impacting my enjoyment of it at all. Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram have created a very strange vision of the future, with bizarre body modifications, death cults, and strange societal rules being the norm. Bertram’s art is terrific – it’s detailed and strange, merging the visions of Geof Darrow with Tradd Moore, but it’s also very unique in its own right. I know that this is a prequel to their series Little Bird, but I’m struggling to remember the finer details of that series, and therefore am not sure how clear the connection between the two is. This does work on its own though, as a very trippy science fiction adventure.
Public Domain #6 – Chip Zdarsky’s excellent satire of the comics industry has returned with a new arc. The creator of The Domain has succeeded in getting back rights to his character, much to the chagrin of the Stan Lee type he’s been feuding with, but now he finds that his plan to make comics with his children is running into problems, as he doesn’t agree with their vision for it. At the same time, at not-Marvel, not-Stan is unhappy to learn that a Grant Morrison-type co-writer has been brought in to work with him on their version of the character. The satire is enjoyable, but at the same time, Zdarsky is also giving us a poignant story about generational divides, which makes this all really compelling. This is a really good book.
Transformers #10 – This is a big issue of Transformers, as Shockwave’s biggest plans get put into motion, and things look ever worse for the Autobots, especially as their numbers dwindle. I am having a hard time accepting that this book covers millions of years in places; it doesn’t make sense that, for example, Beachcomber just sat on the moon for that long, but I am still enjoying this series. It’s hard for me to keep track of who all these robots are, but I appreciate that Daniel Warren Johnson is doing his best to make them distinct, personality wise, and I’m enjoying Jorge Corona’s art.
The Whisper Queen: A Blacksand Tale #3 – Chip Zdarsky and Kris Anka wrap up this second Blacksand miniseries with some tragedy, and charting a clear course for the next miniseries. I wish I’d reread the original mini before starting this one, as I didn’t remember a lot of the details, but I really came to like the characters that filled this one. Anka is a brilliant artist, and Zdarsky a very good writer. I’ll be here for the next mini for sure.
X-Men #1 – I couldn’t help but get swept up in the excitement that comes with a line-wide relaunch, even though I know I’m going to miss the Krakoan Age a great deal. This is the first of the From The Ashes books to be released, and it feels like a return to an older form of X-Book. Cyclops has set up a mutant enclave in an old Orchis Sentinel factory in Alaska, and his team is working to make it self-sustaining and liveable. Beast gives the local Sheriff a tour, and this part of the comic reminded me of the time when the X-Men lived on Utopia, off the coast of San Francisco. While this is going on, Cyclops runs a mission to rescue Wolverine from the Fourth School, an Orchis remnant that felt very paint-by-numbers. Writer Jed MacKay does a solid job of introducing the new status quo for this corner of the X-Universe, without fully showing everyone who might be living in the factory. He sets up a new threat, 3K, that doesn’t really grab me, but he has a good handle on these characters, and I can see a lot of potential in this series. Artist Ryan Stegman is very good, but I feel like his characters are a little too cartoonish and young-looking (it reminds me a bit of when Nick Bradshaw was drawing Wolverine and the X-Men). I’m also left wondering what’s up with Magneto, and why he feels the need to float around in a chair like he’s replaced Charles Xavier. I’m curious and hopeful for this series, and want to see where things are headed before I pass judgment. There’s a lot to like here, but I feel like I already miss the tight coordination between books that made the Krakoan Age work so well.
X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #3 – Archangel confronts Apocalypse this issue, while the remaining mutants continue to compete to gain Apocalypse’s favour. Steve Foxe is rising in my esteem with this series, as he has a good handle on these characters, and writes a pretty decent Mr. Sinister. I see that the prediction I made last week about the deaths we’ve seen so far is accurate, and looking at who is left by the end of this comic, I really can’t predict who is going to “win” the job of replacing Apocalypse. Netho Diaz continues to impress with his art.
Bargain Comics:
Captain America #1-4 – It’s weird for me to not be reading Captain America, so I picked up the first four issues of JMS’s run a while ago, but only got around to reading them now. I don’t know, it’s kind of weird. On the one hand, I think that Jesus Saiz’s art is gorgeous and among the best work he’s ever done. The story is giving me pause though. The flashback sequences show young Steve, an orphan who is just getting by doing odd jobs in the late 30s and early 40s in New York, is an unlikely figure to be attending Nazi rallies in local parks to shout down men three times his size. It’s even more unlikely that famous gangster Meyer Lansky would be tapping his shoulder for help in dealing with the Nazis. The story in the present feels a little off too. I like that Steve has bought the building he grew up in, and is investing in his community, but the running jokes with Sharon, and the casual appearances of other heroes, all feel forced to me. I’m a little curious about this demon he’s fighting, but I think I made the right decision to not keep this title on my pullfile list.
The Week in Music:
Khruangbin – A La Sala – It’s easy to say that all Khruangbin albums sound like one another, but there are subtle changes and growth happening to the trio’s signature guitar and drum sound. For one, there are increasingly more vocals with each new album, and that continues here. A La Sala is a sunny album that touches on all sorts of antecedents – surf music, Thai psychedelia and funk, and many other things. Their sound is unique, and keeps getting better.
Rapsody – Please Don’t Cry – I feel like this album might be a little too long, but I don’t know what I’d take out. Rapsody gives us a lot of very straight-forward, high quality raps over a variety of beat styles. She really showcases her versatility, and opens up to her audience in a number of very honest and confessional songs. Many of the beats are by BLK ODYSSY, which surprised me, and I find new things every time I listen. I’m looking forward to seeing her perform this in the fall.
Whatever The Weather – s/t – Whatever The Weather is an ambient side project of the electronic artist Lorraine James, whose work I find fascinating. This album came out a couple of years ago, but it took me that long (and a friend traveling to Japan) to get my copy of it. James moves from traditional ambient electronic tracks to some pretty uptempo drum and bass, and back. Each track is named for a different temperature, and the album gives us that sense of how things can shift slowly for a while, and then move quickly into a more extreme situation, just like the weather. I really love this album and am so happy to have my own copy of it now.
Arushi Jain – Delight – Arushi Jain uses her modular synth to construct her take on classical Indian ragas. This sounds like it might not work, but it’s actually very beautiful. On this newer album (it came out a while ago, but I only managed to grab a copy because of the same Japan trip I mentioned above), she uses a lot more vocals than she did on her last album. This is a great album to bliss out to.
Nxworries – Why Lawd? – When Anderson .Paak gets together with Knxwledge, we all benefit. It’s been a long time since Yes Lawd came out, and both artists have just gotten better and better at what they do. Andy’s clearly split from his wife, and has a lot to work through in that regard; most of this album is breakup songs that vary from wistful to downright angry. It’s a bit ugly in places, but the beats and production are so nice, that his emotions make for some incredible music. There are a couple of dirty songs (Cheeky Andy makes an appearance or two), and some great guest appearances (Earl Sweatshirt!). Nxwledge mines some pretty impressive samples, and taps into an older, soulful sound. This is among the best albums to come out this year.
