Considering that I was out of town for all of last weekend, I’m impressed that I’ve only got about ten issues from the week before last to read before I get into last week’s books. With the holiday coming, I hope I can get caught up soon, and then will stay caught up.
Best Comic of the Fortnight:
Absolute Wonder Woman #2 – There is just so much I like about this series, despite my general dislike of Elseworlds books. Kelly Thompson’s bottom-up redesign of Diana is very cool; instead of growing up loved and valued among a sorority on Paradise Island, she’s grown up in Hell, raised by Circe. In this issue, we see how she first met Steve Trevor, and get a sense of the extent of the threat she’s facing as her introduction to the modern world. The writing in this book is very good, but the art, by Hayden Sherman, is fantastic. I love the way Sherman is drawing Diana to have her match Classical ideals, giving her an Ancient Grecian look. I also love his Pegasus design. I don’t know how the two Absolute books I’m reading are going to end up fitting with the Darkseid stuff we’ve seen in the All In Special, but I hope that doesn’t happen for some time, as I’m enjoying this the way it is.
Quick Takes:
Batman #155 – Chip Zdarsky builds this issue very well, as we learn just what James Gordon’s connection to the murdered mayor of Gotham is, and it’s a bit surprising on a few levels. Batman is kind of secondary to this issue, and I like that. Jorge Fornés’s art is as good as it always is, and my only complaint is that the cover does not match the interior of the issue at all. I’m going to miss Zdarsky on this book.
Birds of Prey #16 – Batgirl’s undercover mission goes all wrong in this issue, and the rest of the team finally gets to move on the shady company that has been trying to transform women into super soldiers. It’s another very solid issue of this great series. Kelly Thompson impresses me with everything she does, and it’s been cool to continue to see Sami Basri grow as an artist; this is his best work yet.
Black Canary: Best of the Best #1 – I wasn’t sure what this series would be like; it was billed as a fight between Dinah and Lady Shiva, but I didn’t know more than that, other than it was by Tom King and Ryan Sook. King is known for in-depth character study series, and while the formula isn’t always hitting lately (i.e., Jenny Sparks), he has more wins than losses. Dinah and Shiva are fighting in Las Vegas in a televised match, and much of the issue is given over to meaningless commentary that truthfully got old quickly. In between the fight scenes, we see Dinah reconnecting with her mother to get ready for the fight. I like that this is the classic version of Black Canary that I grew up with; she seems post-Crisis, but the continuity baggage is kept to a minimum. There’s a bit of a twist at the end, but I’m not sure that this is going to sustain anything more than four issues, except for Sook’s gorgeous artwork. I already know that this book is going to be hella delayed (unless Sook has already finished it), because he’s always been a slow artist, but it’s worth it. This book looks really good, and that’s enough of a reason to overlook any other deficiencies.
Dazzler #3 – Dazzler’s tour is running afoul of bad press and anti-mutant hate, and when Lila Cheney takes her for a girl’s day in Tokyo, things get even worse, as Arcade comes after her. This series has been fun, but it’s not really doing anything new with Alison or any of the supporting cast.
Detective Comics #1091 – I’ve noticed that more and more Batman writers are depicting him as aging in various ways. Part of this current run, written by Tom Taylor, has Bruce agreeing to try out a medical regimen that is proven to de-age people. As I was reading this, and thinking about some of my own aches and pains, I started thinking about how I’ve spent my life as part of the key comics demographic, and as even middle age starts to wane, it’s fitting that Batman is feeling the same way, even if that is a little limiting in the long run. Anyway, I’m enjoying Taylor’s run, which has Bruce confronting the accumulation of his years as a vigilante, while he and Robin work to protect a young thief from the consequences of his actions. Mikel Janín’s art is very nice, and suits this story nicely.
Dune: House Corrino #8 – After three series and a few years, it looks like Boom! has finished their adaptation of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s Dune prequel series. All the storylines converge in this issue, which comes with a gigantic body count and an explanation as to why the Emperor is such a bitter man when we meet him in the original series. I enjoyed these stories, even if they ultimately dilute or muddy what Brian Herbert was trying to accomplish with his first three novels. I do like this world, and appreciated the opportunity to explore it more. I found that the first miniseries, House Atreides, was pretty stiff, and that over the course of all these comics, the writers did get better at adapting their prose to comics. I hope we’ll see some more Dune stuff from Boom! soon.
The Flash #15 – I kind of always knew that Simon Spurrier would be a strange fit with The Flash. The last issue felt like a pretty normal Wally West story, but then we learn in this issue that Wally has split himself in two so he can spend more time with his family, but one of the two of them don’t know that, and if they merge incorrectly, they could destroy the future or something. It’s another oddball issue that is kind of fun, but also a little hard to follow. Morrisonian plots don’t really work with a character like Wally; he does have a lot in common with Animal Man (family oriented, and all that) but it feels like a strange fit with Wally.
Grommets #6 – The penultimate issue of this vaguely autobiographical comic really drives home how difficult middle school was for Rick Remender and Brian Posehn. I know that this is an amalgamation of their early teen years, but seeing as both of the characters based on their younger selves take vicious beatings in this issue, it couldn’t have been pretty (much worse than the image that was hinted at in Deadly Class letters pages by Remender). This book is very, very good, with fantastic artwork by Brent Parson. Where the series started off as just a fun read, this issue hurt more than a little, and that’s how you know it’s good. I hope that making this comic has been cathartic for the creators.
Iron Man #2 – I didn’t really expect this latest Iron Man run to be like this, with its steampunk armor and wizard-looking take on Tony Stark. He tries to drum up opposition to the joint AIM and Roxxon takeover of his company, but doesn’t find a lot of success. His meeting with the Scientist Supreme of AIM goes poorly too, as he ends up getting attacked by a former colleague. I don’t know Spencer Ackerman, the series’s new writer, but he has a fresh take on the character that is steeped in deep knowledge of his past, which I appreciate. Artist Julius Ohta is doing fine work as well, and this has to be one of the least decompressed new comics I’ve read in a while; Ackerman fits a lot into this book. I’m definitely intrigued by it.
JSA #2 – Jeff Lemire’s not wasted much time in diving straight into the action with this title, that has the JSA dealing with both Kobra (who have raided Opal City) and the Injustice Society, who have attacked them in their brownstone, looking to take Fate’s helmet and Jakeem Thunder with them. I’m really happy to see all these characters in one place, and found that Diego Olortegui’s art appealed to me more in this issue than it did in the last one. I am definitely liking this book more than the recent Geoff Johns series.
Jupiter’s Legacy: Finale #2 – I know that in 2024, reading Mark Millar comics is maybe a bit of a weird choice, as he’s gone down some rabbit holes to territory I don’t belong in. In this issue, he reveals the true purpose of humanity, and it’s to be livestock for a more powerful race. This means that the people of Earth, and the other two worlds with powered beings, face an approaching harvesting, and it doesn’t look like they can save themselves. Tommy Lee Edwards’s art is wonderful here, but I don’t know, this series is just so far away from what it was when it started as to be almost unrecognizable.
Mystique #2 – I like the way Declan Shalvey is approaching this series. Mystique can be a difficult character to write, so I think the notion of splitting the story between her perspective, as she hunts for Destiny, with that of Nick Fury Jr. and Maria Hill, as they hunt for Mystique, is a smart one. Raven hunts down Avalanche for information in this issue, giving Shalvey the opportunity to draw a really cool fight scene. I like how he has Raven shape change in the fight, giving the scene some real fluidity.
Napalm Lullaby #7 – As the new arc of this series starts, everything gets rearranged. Sam wakes from dreaming the first six issues, and we see that he lives in a beautiful home, with a beautiful wife and kids. He’s a journalist, and he heads to a meeting with someone who wants to tell him the truth about Glokor. Now, I’m a little lost; is this the dream, or was the first arc? It’s really unclear what we should be trusting or believing in, but that’s a big part of the fun of this book, as Rick Remender and Bengal go to town. Bengal’s work in this book is stunning on some pages.
Nightwing #120 – An evil corporation is playing the city’s gangs against each other as a way to embed its own high-tech police in the Blüdhaven PD, and while Dick knows it, he doesn’t have proof yet. Dan Watters is giving a little more of a straight-forward story than I expected, but it is holding my interest. This is the best Dexter Soy’s art has ever looked, although the muddiness that usually comes is still present at times.
NYX #6 – I’ve never actually read the original NYX series, so the sudden appearance of a character from it meant nothing to me in this issue. It looks like writers Lanzing and Kelly are going to continue to use Mojo as the main villain in this book, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’ve pretty much hated Mojo since his earliest appearances. I’m still surprised by how conventionally unconventional many of these new X-books are. This book is loosely about a group of friends who hang out together, but their friendship still seems kind of tenuous and unclear. There are a few scenes or conversations, especially as the group entered the Dazzler concert, that felt out of context to me. Is it an editing issue?
Snotgirl #16 – I hadn’t really ever expected to see another issue of Snotgirl, the unique series by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung. What’s interesting is how much this book has aged in the years since it was last published. This book has always been about internet influencers, but it feels like the world has moved beyond it (or maybe I’m just more out of touch). Still, it’s nice to see Lottie again, as she strengthens her relationship with Caroline (which means that they spend a lot of the issue in bed together), and ends up having to come out to her mother. I don’t really remember all of the subplots in this series, and could have used a more detailed recap, but I’m glad to see this series back on the stands.
Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #2 – Adelhard continues to consolidate his power, taking out potential members of the New Republic while working to distract Luke Skywalker, while at the same time, other remnants of the Empire prepare the titular Battle of Jakku, following the Emperor’s last wishes (I have no idea who they’re meant to be battling, or why that planet is significant). My earlier criticisms of this book stand; I haven’t had time to care about many of the characters, and I feel that things are moving too quickly to really latch on to any aspects of the story. I did like seeing Doctor Aphra though…
Superman #20 – I don’t know how Dan Mora can draw so many books a month, and not take even the slightest hit in terms of the quality of his art. This issue has Superman (and Superwoman) facing off against Doomsday, after Superman gets some advice from the Time Trapper. It’s an action-packed issue that appears to kill off a character I really like, and that sets up a whole bunch of other things that Superman is going to have to face. I like the way Joshua Williamson is writing this book, and look forward to this new longer storyline.
Ultimates #7 – I like that this issue takes the time to check in on the various members of the team in the wake of Tony’s death. Deniz Camp gives us a little more insight into these characters, and helps build towards the series’s future. I really like this book, but have needed to get to know the characters better.
Uncanny X-Men #6 – I find the way that Gail Simone plotted this issue to be a little strange. I think she and artist Javier Garrón were trying to make it clear that three or four things were all happening at the same time, but the constant jumping around made some scenes hard to follow. Garrón took a pretty cartoonish approach to drawing this issue, with the result being something that doesn’t really feel like an X-Men comic. The kids that Rogue, Gambit, and the others have taken in start school, and run into some problems, while some familiar faces attack Jubilee in a grocery store. This issue sets up the ‘Raid on Graymalkin’ crossover, and I’m hoping that might bring some clarity to the series, which I feel is struggling to establish its own voice and purpose.
Void Rivals #14 – I think we’ve gotten to the point, in this series, where there are so many sub-plots running, that there’s little space left for a lot to happen in each issue. I think I was happier when the two main characters were together, so more of the comic could focus on them. Still, I know to trust Robert Kirkman, and I like Lorenzo De Felici’s art, so I’m happy with this; it will read really well in trade.
West Coast Avengers #1 – There was a time when the West Coast Avengers were my favourite team and title at Marvel. Granted, that was a long time ago, but I still got excited to see the team making its return, and seeing Tony Stark in the Silver Centurion armor from that era did give me a little pang of nostalgia. Gerry Duggan has Stark and Jim Rhodes restoring the team as a vehicle to help former villains reform. They’ve got Ultron on the team, which is odd, and Blue Bolt, who I am unfamiliar with (but he’s write a lot like how Duggan wrote Pyro in Marauders). They also have Spider-Woman, and Tony recruits Firestar in this issue. Duggan isn’t taking this book too seriously, but it looks like he intends to do some real work on some of these characters. I’m not sure how Tony can balance this with the main Avengers book and his solo title, but these things don’t seem too important in this day and age. I like Danny Kim’s art, and the reveal in the last pages has me curious to see where things are going to go. This is off to a good start.
What’s The Furthest Place From Here? #20 – This book continues to provide unexpected moments, as the gang continues to make their way through the mountains, coming across a creepy possible cannibal, before finding their way into a weird, potentially post-nuclear landscape. Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss have maintained a remarkable amount of weirdness over the course of this title, while still making it feel understandable. I love this book, but am starting to wonder what the purpose of the story is, now that we’ve found and left the City.
X-Force #6 – We finally learn who is behind all the ‘fractures’ Forge’s team has been rushing to fix since this series began, as we meet a new villain based on an old one whose costume I’ve always loved. Writer Geoffrey Thorne takes some time to try to dig into Forge and Sage’s working relationship amidst the action, as this starts to feel like a less-random team book. I think it’s funny that regular series artist Marcus To has been replaced (hopefully just for this issue) by someone with a homophonic last name, Jim Towe.
X-Men #8 – This is probably my favourite issue of this run so far, as Jed MacKay crosses his book with Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men. Beast has been taken by Dr. Ellis, the warden of the Graymalkin mutant prison, and Cyclops wants him back. The Alaskan X-Men launch an assault, but before that, we see just how sadistic the facility is. Truthfully, it feels a little more extreme than what we’ve seen so far, and I wish one of the X-Writers had done more to explain why this place exists. Still, it’s nice to see the X-Men fighting back, and I like how every character is used in this story. Ryan Stegman’s art is growing on me, too.
The Week in Music:
Floating Points – Cascade – It’s taken me a little while to come around to this new Floating Points album. After the brilliance of Promises, his album with Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra, I expected something in a similar vein, meaning something more gentle and contemplative. Instead, he returns to his dance roots, giving us an album of propulsive beats. One thing that Sam Shephard (Floating Points) is known for is his mastery of tension and release, and while the first track makes me feel anxious and jittery, the rest of the album uses this as a way of keeping you fully absorbed in his music. I don’t see myself ever playing this as much as I do Promises, but I do like it and how it takes me back to a simpler age and time.
Ragz Originale – Sweet Nothings – I got to see Ragz Originale perform a few weeks ago, and that gave me a new perspective on his music. He makes very smooth r&b with a UK sensibility, and is a great performer. I might like his first album better than this one, but it keeps growing on me with each new spin.
Ceschi – Bring Us The Head of Francisco False Part 1 – It really saddens me that Ceschi is hanging up his rap persona, and ending touring this year. He’s been a steady source of inspiration and wonder over his incredible twenty year career in the weeds of independent rap. This album is brilliant, like all of his albums; a distillation of loss, aging, and still trying to find his way in the world. He’s never been very married to rap as a genre, so there’s a lot of different types of music on this album, but all of it is intensely heartfelt, lyrically stunning, and pretty infectious. I look forward to his work as part of Codefendants, but I’m really going to miss solo albums like this one, especially given how talented the people who provide him beats are.
