Best Comic of the Week:
What’s The Furthest Place From Here? #19 – I was pleasantly surprised to see Dylan Burnett listed as the artist for this issue. I’ve been a huge fan of his work, but haven’t seen anything new in a little while. I thought this was a flashback issue at first, in that it depicted a very different aspect of the strange world Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss have created in this series, but then I was surprised to find out what was really going on. This issue focuses on a girl, Father Soil, who is being pursued by monsters and seeks help in a lighthouse. The characters in this issue use a diction that’s different from what we’ve seen before, and honestly, is really annoying to read (there’s a lot of plurals for singular things and odd contractions). This book tends to jump around a lot, chronologically, and in terms of its release schedule, so I’m not sure when these new story threads will get picked up again. I’m always pleasantly surprised to see that this book is still going strong, given that it’s one of the strangest ones being published right now.
Quick Takes:
Fishflies #7 – I hadn’t realized we’d reached the end of Jeff Lemire’s oddball small town horror series. The last issue revealed much of what is behind the strange transformation into an insect of a criminal who later befriended an unhappy girl. This issue wraps up the story pretty well, without ever fully explaining things. I always like Lemire’s art and the strange sensibilities he brings to his work. Everything always feels off in his books, and that is a big part of the appeal of his work to me. This was a good series that really took its time to reveal itself. I like the chunky square bound formatting he used for this.
Green Lantern War Journal #11 – The thing I’ve liked most about this run is how Phillip Kennedy Johnson is making use of Shirley Stewart, John’s aging and ailing mother. There is a sensitivity and realism to the way he portrays her growing dementia, and I find her pages much more interesting than the rather everyday cosmic threat pages focusing on John. This is an interesting book, and I’m sad that it’s ending with the next issue. I miss long runs for secondary characters.
The Incredible Hulk #14 – I find the decompressed nature of this run is starting to get me down. I think that Phillip Kennedy Johnson is doing some interesting stuff with Hulk here – this issue explores why the Hulk is just so angry with Bruce Banner right now (I’d completely forgotten that there was a Hulk run between this one and Immortal Hulk), but Banner spends most of the issue running around in the Hellscape of Hulk’s mind, and very little happens. Nic Klein’s art is terrific, but the lack of forward momentum is getting to me. I want more. This issue also has the first chapter of this Weapon X-Traction thing, starring Wolverine and Deadpool (can’t think of a reason why Marvel would want to promote that partnership right now), by Ryan North and Javier Garron. I like both of those creators, but I did not like this story (Deadpool is so annoying, even when he’s joking about being annoying).
Into the Unbeing Part One #2 – I’m very intrigued by this post-Apocalyptic series by Zac Thompson and Hayden Sherman. The world is in rough shape, environmentally, and a group of scientists have discovered a strange geologic shift in remote Australia. It’s pretty obvious that they are sheltering from a storm inside a massive dead body, but they haven’t quite figured that out yet. It looks like the narration shifts with each issue, and that helps develop these characters. Sherman makes things look very creepy and strange. I find it interesting that Dark Horse is putting this series out as ‘Part One’, and I wonder how many parts are planned. I like Thompson’s writing a lot, so I’ll be here.
Invincible Iron Man #20 – Gerry Duggan wraps up his Iron Man run here, and provides an epilogue to the Krakoan Era, as Tony and Emma address their marriage. It really feels like Duggan is tidying up for the next creative team, restoring Tony’s wealth, showing us what happened to Feilong, and moving Tony and Rhodey to the west coast again. We also see the publication of Tony’s memoir, even though the narrative technique of using that memoir to narrate continues. This makes it seem like the last chapter of Tony’s book details the book’s publication and the start of the book tour, which makes no sense. Duggan’s Iron Man was alright. It was very much driven by the events of X-Men, and while I didn’t mind that, it did take the focus away from Tony doing Tony things for a while. I am not familiar with the next writer, Spencer Ackerman, who was announced at the end of this issue, so I’m not sure if I’ll be picking up that series. I do like this felon-filled West Coast Avengers idea that keeps being floated, but I haven’t seen that announced anywhere yet.
Napalm Lullaby #5 – This issue explains a lot, as our two heroes meet their mother in the holy city, and we learn all about the Church of Glokor, its magnificent leader Caden, and how the two main characters got their powers. Rick Remender is taking an interesting approach to this title, waiting this long to explain a lot of the key concepts, and that really works for me. The more restrained flashback nature of this issue doesn’t give Bengal the chance to shine that last month’s huge fight scene did, but he still does an excellent job of conveying all of this heavy information. This is a cool series.
Nightwing #116 – Heartless’s plans to destroy Dick Grayson’s life are working very well, causing Dick to have to go into hiding. We learn why Dick has been experiencing a fear of heights lately, and learn the identity of the acrobat who first helped him get over the same fears as a child. Tom Taylor’s plotting of this series has been very impressive – I’m not used to seeing stories build this organically over time anymore, and I like that his first issues of Nightwing were connected to this last arc. Bruno Redondo’s art is fantastic as always. I’m really going to miss this run when it ends soon, and hope that Taylor and Redondo continue to partner up on something else.
Phoenix #1 – I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this series. I’m not familiar with Stephanie Phillips’s writing, although I have seen her name more and more often lately. I’m also not sure I’m a big fan of Phoenix. To me, Jean Grey has too often felt like a secondary character, to either be lionized, or to be used as a plot device. I wondered if moving her into space, away from the X-Men, was going to work or not. I’m still not sure, but there was enough happening in this issue that intrigued me. I like that Phillips is using Jean to explore cosmic stories, and I especially like that she doesn’t have her talking to the Phoenix, a device that I despise. It’s cool that Nova is in this issue, and that we’re going to see at least one of the Starjammers next month. With the Guardians of the Galaxy stuck in comic book limbo at the moment, it’s cool that there’s going to be a cosmic title, and that it’s bringing back deep cut characters like Morg. I like Alessandro Miracolo’s art, and intend to be back for the next issue.
Star Wars #48 – Leia’s been thinking about Alderaan again, and wants to rescue Han Solo before the Rebellion goes up against the new Death Star. Luke and the other Alderaanian officer convince her to go check in on the survivors’ fleet, which has maybe gone missing. I like issues that focus on the main characters and help fill in some of the gaps between the movies, in terms of their development. I assume we’ll be hearing about a Star Wars relaunch soon, as I predict this and Vader’s book will end with issue fifty. I’ve liked what Soule has done here, and am not sure what I’d be looking for from a relaunch (which will presumably fill in space between Return of the Jedi and the Disney movies).
Superman #16 – It looks like Absolute Power is going to be very tightly coordinated. This issue follows up on the beginning of that event series, and as Mr. Terrific and Doctor Mid-Nite work to save Superman, Mercy works to save superheroes on the run from Amanda Waller. This issue feels a little essential to the greater event, and makes me pleased that almost all the announced tie-ins are happening in series I already buy (but I might need to pick up some of the Task Force VII issues). This was a good issue, and I like how Joshua Williamson is keeping the focus on the large supporting cast he’s assembled in this series.
Titans #13 – As Dark Raven continues to work on her plans, Beast Boy ends up fighting Apex Ava again, and ends up questioning his own mind. Like with Nightwing, Tom Taylor has spent some time setting up this story, and it’s cool to watch it play out. I liked the art, by Daniele Di Nicuolo, but it is very different from the look that Nicola Scott established for this title. It was a little jarring.
Wonder Woman #11 – I guess Tom King’s plans for Wonder Woman are getting superseded by Absolute Power this month. Diana is hanging out with a number of Justice League Dark members, playing cards, when they are attacked by a Dickens-quoting Amazo. This issue leads into last week’s issue of Task Force VII, which in turn leads into Absolute Power #2. There’s nothing here that advances the story this series is telling, not even a nod to it. Like the recent issue that had Clark and Diana shopping in an outer space mall, this one did nothing for me. I’m very sick of the back-up stories featuring Damian and Jon hanging out with Diana’s kid at some undetermined point in the future where Damian and Jon are the ages they are now, but the kid is almost ten. The continuity issues bug me, but also, I don’t find the stories that amusing. Maybe if I cared about Taylor Swift…
The Week In Music:
Cavalier – Different Type Time – Cavalier is a master in the rap game, and this album provides the proof of that. It’s a lengthy twenty-one tracks, featuring production from Quelle Chris, Messiah Musik, Ohbliv, Ahwlee, Child Actor, and a bunch of people I’m not familiar with. Cav shows off the range of his skills, with some strong storytelling tracks. It’s a really solid release, which makes sense as it’s on the incredible Backwoodz Studioz label.
Nourished By Time – Chasing Chickens – Nourished By Time is hard to describe; Marcus’s music is bedroom alternative r&b, with large pop sensibilities. He’s kind of an oddball, which comes across in his music, but he’s also a perceptive songwriter. This five-song EP, his first on XL Records, showcases his talent well. This is an artist who is on the come up, and worth checking out while his star is rising.
Hermanos Gutierrez – Sonido Cosmico – I found this album by chance, and immediately fell in love with it. The Hermanos Gutierrez construct soundscapes with guitars, and this album is restful, alluring, and at times a little menacing. It plays with Latin traditions, but is really its own thing. The album was produced by Dan Auerbach, and while it doesn’t fit with much of what I listen to, I really like it.
Spiritual Jazz 16 – Riverside Etc. – I’ve mentioned many times before how I feel indebted to the people at Jazzman Records for compiling the Spiritual Jazz series. It’s become my window into my preferred form of jazz, and it introduced me to a number of artists I hadn’t heard before (I still feel very new to jazz music, and know that I have a very piecemeal education, with many gaps). This volume has some big names, such as McCoy Tyner, Cannonball Adderley, and Joe Henderson (with Alice Coltrane), but also introduces (to me at least) other artists from the Riverside label. It’s as good as any other entry in the series, and always worth checking out.
Actress – Statik – There’s an unexpected sparseness to this new Actress album that I really enjoy. I like moody electronic music, and this album delivers.
