I’m still working at getting caught up on my reading and balancing it with work and life. On the up side, I’ve seen some great live music lately…
Best Comic of the Week:
The Deviant #8 – There’s only one more issue left in this excellent and creepy series, and James Tynion IV is still keeping a lot from us readers. This issue has an agent continuing to dig into a serial killer case, despite having a man in custody. At the same time, it looks like the killings are continuing, and maybe the accused’s boyfriend is involved. I really like how Tynion has constructed these characters and plot, connecting the killings to the characters’ queerness in ways that are uncomfortable and strange. Joshua Hixson has done a fantastic job in supporting this story through his art, making some of the characters inscrutable, and leaving us with even more questions. It’s a really solid series, and I’m excited to see how it ends.
Quick Takes:
Absolute Batman #1 – There was no part of me that ever wanted to read Scott Snyder on Batman ever again, and I’m not all that interested in Elseworld style stories these days. But then I saw that Nick Dragotta would be drawing this series, and I knew I’d be picking up the first few issues, at least. This is a pretty different reimagining of Batman, and I have to admit that I was drawn in pretty quickly. In this story, Batman grew up without much money, and was friends with the people who grew up to be his rogues gallery in the mainline DCU. Gotham is under siege by a vicious gang of sadists in animal masks, and we see that some of the usual mobster types hold power. Alfred Pennyworth arrives in the city as a spy/black ops agent, tasked with watching the ‘Party Animals’ but not interfering. He is, however, given the green light to take out Batman, but he doesn’t seem too interested in doing that. I don’t know what’s up with the tentacle-headed people hanging out with Black Mask, but beyond that, this feels like a pretty grounded take on things, if taken to the extreme. Dragotta’s art is stupendous, as I expected, and I love how brutal his Batman is, from his huge frame to the way his cowl hides two large knives. I really like that none of the Darkseid stuff from the All In Special is apparent here (see below), because that is a huge turn-off for me. I’ll stick around for an arc or two, and see where Snyder is taking this story (at least as long as Dragotta stays).
Absolute Power #4 – It’s clear that this series, and this whole event, was really put together as a rationale to bring back that Justice League, and Mark Waid uses this issue to put forward the case for the return of that team nicely. The heroes take the fight back to Amanda Waller, dealing with her threat for a good long time, and setting up a lot of new stories as heroes have their powers changed and switched. This issue flew by, with Waid and artist Dan Mora squeezing a lot in, while also leaving out some details (where is Peacemaker, for example?). I thought this was a very well-coordinated event, and I’m looking forward to the followup in DC All-In (stupid name).
Batman #153 – Chip Zdarsky sets up the All In era with this issue, introducing a few new plotlines that already look to be connected. Bruce Wayne has been revitalizing the inner city, causing a big drop in crime. At the same time, Edward Nygma, formerly the Riddler, is making moves in the world of cryptocurrency. The mayor is getting tired of interference from both the Court of Owls and his police commissioner, Vandal Savage, and a new flag-draped vigilante makes his debut. I found this issue a little slow, as it had a lot to establish, but still enjoyed the way Zdarsky is making things feel fresh and new, and a lot more down to Earth after his recent storylines. Jorge Jimenez’s art is nice, but he’s not given many chances to shine with this story. I also thought it was notable that Zdarsky named Bruce’s replacement for Lucius Fox after the owner of the comic store we both shop at…
Batman and Robin #14 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson is writing this series now, and I really appreciate that it’s not getting a relaunch. Johnson builds off of the work Joshua Williamson did in this title, as Bruce and Damian continue to navigate one another while fulfilling their shared mission. They stop some bombers wanting to blow up a bridge (I like that this connects to something happening in Poison Ivy’s book, which I’m not reading), then go to a charity event that goes sideways. The art, by Javi Fernández, is very nice, and I see a lot of potential for this run. Johnson, whose name shows up two more times in this column, is a very promising writer and I’m happy to see him getting more prominent books.
Birds of Prey #14 – The All In era brings a new mission, as Batgirl works to infiltrate a wellness product company that seems as much a cult as a corporation (Goop, anyone?). There’s a connection between this company and some missing Amazons, and the team has been brought in by Queen Nubia to deal with this problem. It’s hard for Canary to sit on the sidelines, while other members of this team spend their time sparring with Barda. Kelly Thompson continues to write one of the best DC books on the stands, and artist Sami Basri does a fantastic job. This looks to be a very good arc.
Crocodile Black #5 – I’ve really liked this series about mental illness, drug cartels, and a young man’s need to tell a story about his life that doesn’t really match reality. It’s rare to see a book about a character who cannot be interpreted as a hero or protagonist in any way, but that’s what Phillip Kennedy Johnson has given us. Som’s art impressed me from the beginning, but also got steadily better as the series ran. Boom is very good at producing odd little series like this these days.
Daredevil #14 – I’m not sure why this book costs a dollar more than most other Marvel titles, but I think about it a lot while reading the book, especially when there are as many splash pages and double-page spreads as this issue contains. I like Saladin Ahmed’s take on DD, and how Matt has decided to leave the priesthood (I honestly thought that status quo would last a while longer though), but as we move from having art by Aaron Kuder to talented new artists like Luigi Zagura, I’m wondering why I’m paying more for this. It might be on the chopping block soon…
DC All In Special #1 – I’m not sure why DC feels the need to keep messing with the multiverse, and on an increasingly sped up schedule for the last two decades, but here we are, launching the latest iteration of things. This is a flip book, and I started with the DCU side, which features Superman and the other heroes bringing back the Justice League in the wake of the Absolute Power event. The new League is ‘unlimited’, in that just about every worthy hero is given a fancy new identicard (it’s not actually called that, but real ones know). Of course, their first meeting gets interrupted by Darkseid and some cosmic stuff (Scott Snyder is a co-writer, so the Heavy Metal stuff gets acknowledged), and soon a new world is born, which is where the new Absolute titles will take place. I guess that Darkseid is going to have a ‘Maker’-type role in those stories, which deadens my enthusiasm for the line, but also leaves me more interested in Ram V’s upcoming New Gods series. The art by Daniel Sampere is nice, in the DC style, and it was cool seeing so many heroes joining the League. I thought it was odd that no mention was given to how peoples’ powers have gone wonky, but maybe we’ve already moved on from that. On the flip side, there is a gorgeous story drawn by Wes Craig (!), explaining Darkseid’s latest quest and all that. It feels like it was more directed by Scott Snyder than Joshua Williamson, so the story didn’t work that great for me, but I loved the art. As much as I love Craig’s Kaya, and will always treasure his Deadly Class work, I’ve always wondered why he never got more work at the Big Two. So, I’m not sure where DC is taking things, and I’m less excited about the Absolute line than I should be, but I do like the setup for Justice League Unlimited.
Exceptional X-Men #2 – There are things I like about this series so far, but both the slow-burn development, and the unlikely way in which Kate Pryde keeps coming across new mutants is bothering me. Kate goes on a date (it’s curious that she’s dating women now, after years of mostly only going out with guys named Peter) and ends up meeting two more new mutants who need her help. I find that her insistence on not being involved in X-Business more than a little out of character, and even more so the way she keeps trying to rid herself of these teens. This book is very 2024, in a way that might end up looking and feeling pretty dated, and I worry that writer Eve Ewing is making an attempt to bring in younger readers without fully being able to connect with them. That just might be my biases poking through though; I didn’t feel that way about other teen-oriented books though. I’m going to give this more time to impress me, but so far, I haven’t liked any of these new characters; they feel kind of flat. Maybe with Emma Frost getting involved, things will pick up.
The Flash #13 – Simon Spurrier’s first, strange story ends with a birth of sorts, and it looks like much of the weirdness that has enveloped Wally for the last year is finally resolved. I really liked the beginning of Spurrier’s run, but the last five issues or so have been a bit of a slog, as I haven’t always grasped his cosmic intent. I’m hoping that things become a little more clear for the next story, which will involve Skartaris. I do like Ramón Pérez’s art in this comic, but I’m not sure he drew the last few pages (regardless of what the credits say).
Green Lantern Civil Corps Special #1 – The story about Thaaros and the United Planets was put on the backburner for the Absolute Power event, but now regular GL writer Jeremy Adams has joined forces with GL War Journal writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson to bring threads from both of those series together. Hal and John head to Thanagar to try to expose Thaaros’s plans, while Guy and Shepherd head to Oa to try to join the resistance, while Alan takes on the Unseeing. A lot happens in this book, and it stays pretty exciting. I was surprised to see Salvador Larocca draw this issue, as I don’t remember ever seeing him work for DC before. This was a solid issue, and it has me excited about where Hal’s book is headed.
Justice Society of America #12 – The last issue of this series felt like it was the final one, so I was surprised that there was one more. This issue, by Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck, is a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the character Stargirl, and it’s not really a JSA issue at all, although they do appear in a series of double-page spreads. Courtney is valedictorian at her high school graduation, and this issue is basically just her speech. The text page at the back makes me think that this was originally intended as a stand-alone special, given that Geoff Johns, in his tribute to Lee Moder, writes about how Mike Wieringo’s brother and some other people helped create the cover, only the cover to the book is clearly by Mikel Janín, and features the whole JSA. I don’t know, it’s weird. I kind of hope that this is also Johns’s swan song. His Justice Society has been a mess, plagued with huge delays and a strange mission statement. I’m more looking forward to seeing what Jeff Lemire is cooking up, despite his poor track-record on Big Two comics. I can’t help but think that Johns is just too out of step with the modern DC Universe, as much as he bears responsibility for breaking it, and I’m not that interested in what he has to say anymore. I’m sure people who liked Stars and STRIPE will like this issue, and I know that Todd Nauck has his fans (I’ve never been one of them), but I could have done fine without this issue. I hope the next iteration of the JSA is a better one.
Phoenix #4 – It’s probably not a good sign that I find the scenes of this comic that don’t include Jean Grey to be more interesting than the ones that do. She faces off against Gorr, the God Butcher, who apparently kills her, while her new enemy tries to get the council of planets, or whatever they’re called, to agree that she’s a problem. I don’t know, this book doesn’t seem to have a lot of purpose yet, and it’s exposing the fact that Jean, away from the X-Men, lacks real purpose.
Precious Metals #5 – At this point, I’m totally lost in the Surrealism of this series, but with art as good as Ian Bertram’s, I don’t mind. This series is wild and strange, and while I don’t fully understand what’s going on, I do enjoy the ride.
Sentinels #1 – I’ve been a huge fan of Alex Paknadel’s writing for various creator-owned projects, and was excited to see his X-Men debut with this odd little series. Larry Trask has brought back his father’s Sentinels, but has now used nanotechnology to transform people, usually military folk who were injured in the course of their duties, into new Sentinels, and then sending them to hunt mutants. The process of making these Sentinels is often fatal, and so the characters we are introduced to in this issue might not be around for long. Paknadel does a lot of heavy lifting with this issue, but still manages to make it interesting and fresh. I like Justin Mason’s art, which makes this feel a little like an indie book. This is the outer edge of the X-line, but it’s also where some of the more interesting things happen. I’d love to see Paknadel work his magic in the Ultimate line at some point.
Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #1 – I wasn’t sure what to expect from this series, which is set immediately after the end of Return of the Jedi. Alex Segura is not a writer I’m very familiar with, and I still think of this era of Star Wars as largely uncharted. I liked this issue, which establishes Grand Moth Adelhard as one of the successors to the Emperor, and I’m guessing, the guy who will meet his defeat at Jakku. It strikes me as odd that Leia and the others wouldn’t move to secure Coruscant after the Emperor’s death, because given the size of the Empire, I would assume it would be able to keep going for some time without Palpatine and Vader at the helm. Anyway, this was a good start to what looks to be a twelve issue run spread across three miniseries. I’m curious to see what Marvel is going to do with these characters after that.
Transformers #13 – After the big events of the last arc, we get a flashback issue, more or less, showing how Starscream came to be a Decepticon. This issue gives us some more insight into life on Cybertron before the war began, but also makes Starscream a more sympathetic character, making me wonder how and why he changed so drastically. Jason Howard drew this issue, and it works with his lighter style. I’m guessing that the people who we see salvaging Starscream’s body in the present have something to do with GI Joe, but I’m so ignorant of those characters, the significance escaped me.
Wolverine: Revenge #2 – Greg Capullo’s series continues to exhibit great art and a bit of an inconsequential Elseworlds story that doesn’t really do all that much with Wolverine’s character to make it seem necessary. In a lot of ways, we’re getting a fan service series that is set in the future, but not too distant, yet features the real Nick Fury. Capullo and Jonathan Hickman make the story entertaining, but there’s not really anything happening beneath the surface, and that’s a bit frustrating.
X-Force #4 – This issue focuses on the action inherent in any series called X-Force, and that makes things exciting. It’s not very clear what the threat is in this story, as the team chases Nuklo to Florida and an encounter with Man-Thing, before a surprise team shows up at the end. I’m not clear on what Geoffrey Thorne’s long game is for this title, but I think we might be seeing a few too many instances of the telepaths on the team complaining about Forge’s reticence to take off his anti-psi headband. It’s not really foreshadowing, so much as flogging a dead horse. There has to be something more to this series, but I don’t know what it is yet.
X-Men #5 – One of the things I find frustrating about Marvel series that often have a double-shipping schedule is that it gives writers permission to further decompress their storytelling. I think that’s what’s happening in X-Men, as Jed MacKay devotes almost the entire issue to Kwannon and Quentin’s attempt to retrieve information from the mind of the guy from issue two. It doesn’t provide that much insight into either character, but it also doesn’t advance the larger story much either. This is one of Ryan Stegman’s better issues to date, art-wise, but he has two inkers other than himself. The first few pages, which focus on Kwannon and John Greycrow, remind me a lot of Chris Bachalo’s X-Men work, and it made me nostalgic. I like this series, but five issues in, I’m not sure that much has happened yet and that’s a little frustrating.
The Week in Music:
Hiroshi Suzuki – Cat – This is a Japanese jazz fusion classic from 1976 that was re-released a few years ago in Japan that I’ve finally been able to add to my collection. It feels very much like a product of that time, but also like something that could be coming out of the scene today. I really want to learn more about this era and Japanese jazz in general, but don’t feel like I have a lot of English-language resources to do that with.
Tycho – Infinite Health – This feels a little different from other Tycho releases, as it’s a lot more up-tempo and drum-led. The opening track really threw me, as it’s so guitar-heavy, but the rest of the album falls more within Tycho’s usual wheelhouse of lush soundscapes created with a blend of electronic and live instruments. This is made more for the dancefloor though, and while I don’t mind that, I miss the more contemplative stuff he used to make.
MINT – The 915 Sessions – I was fortunate enough to be one of a few dozen people who got to see MINT, an up-and-coming Toronto duo perform this EP live the other night in a small coffee shop in a swanky neighbourhood that I often forget exists. These two performers, one on drums and the other on guitar, craft sonic landscapes that just let me float away. You would think that they’d have a limited range, given their two instruments, but this EP, which also includes their first release, Of This World, is something I could spend hours listening to. It’s fine work that defies easy categorization.
