Happy New Year! I managed to catch up on new comics! Any bets on how long it lasts?
Best Comic of the Week:
Absolute Superman #3 – This week I corrected the error of not having read Absolute Superman (see below) and now I’m all-in on this book. This issue fills in a lot of the gaps in Kal’s backstory, showing how his parents attempted to warn the ruling class of Krypton of their impending doom, only to be ignored and labeled heretics. We also see the roots of Kal’s interest in becoming a journalist, as Jason Aaron’s complete remaking of the character continues. Rafa Sandoval is doing the work of his career, artistically, and the redesign of Kryptonian culture and the landscape is stunning. I’m really liking this book and am glad I gave it a chance.
Quick Takes:
Avengers #22 – The Avengers get wind of a data store belonging to Kang, and decide that they need to steal it from the auction where it’s going to be sold, at the Grandmaster’s casino. This is a fun little heist comic, and because it’s written by Jed MacKay, the Black Cat has to show up (although I’m wondering if the cover declaring her a new member of the Avengers is perhaps giving away a plot point from an upcoming issue. This was enjoyable.
Batgirl #3 – I’m so glad I decided to check out the first issue of this new series, because Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa are doing some incredible work on it. Cass and her mother, Lady Shiva, are on the run together, pursued by a ninja army. Brombal is doing a lot of work on Shiva, revealing that she has a network of temples where acolytes worship and study her, and see her as a positive force in the world instead of as a ruthless killer. This is hard for Cass to accept, and it’s even harder for her to see who her mother intends to have her work with to save themselves and their followers. Miyazawa’s art is terrific, and the multi-page fight scene that carries through different car trains is brilliant. This book is very impressive, and helps confirm that my recent notion of tracking down Cass’s first series is a good idea (I want to read more Damion Scott art).
Batman #156 – Chip Zdarsky’s time on this title is almost over, and in this issue, we learn the truth of who has been behind Batman’s recent problems, and what pushed James Gordon to kill a man. It’s an exciting issue with art by Tony Daniel, whose does a fine job, but is not as distinct an artist as he was back when he worked with Grant Morrison. I like the revelation of who this new Commander Star is, but I’m wondering how Batman wouldn’t have recognized his voice. Maybe that will be addressed.
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #3 – A big part of the appeal of a Rafael Grampá Batman series would be the way that Grampá draws Batman, so it’s a little disappointing that he’s only in costume for a few pages of this otherwise gorgeous and strange comic. We continue to learn how the children treated at Arkham are connected to the killings happening in Gotham, and meet Grampá’s version of the Joker, which is incredibly disturbing. This is a very strange series; Grampá has a different approach to Batman and his environment than we’re used to seeing, but the story is compelling and the art is memorable. I hope it’s not too long before we see the next issue of this.
Birds of Prey #17 – The current arc ends as the Birds rush to rescue Batgirl and a bunch of Amazons from a wellness company determined to turn them into super soldiers. Sami Basri’s art is perfect for this arc, and Kelly Thompson manages to focus all the mayhem in such a way that it still centres the womens’ relationships with one another. I’m really enjoying this comic, and the rotating nature of its cast; I’m excited to see who joins up for the next adventure.
Daredevil #17 – Matt continues to circle the drain, trying to stave off the lawsuit from Foggy, trying to find and rescue one of the kids in his group home, and having to confront how, once again, everyone’s problems are his fault. This storyline has been going on for a pretty long time now, with no resolution appearing anytime soon. It’s kind of surprising, because it doesn’t really feel like Saladin Ahmed has done all that much with Matt yet; I feel like this is moving too slowly for me. I do like Aaron Kuder’s art though, and am happy to see him back. I don’t know if John Romita Jr. is given any information about what happens in these comics, because once again, his cover has nothing to do with what is happening inside the comic.
JSA #3 – I find it curious that Jeff Lemire launched this latest Justice Society series in the middle of the story, but it’s worked in terms of drawing me in and glossing over the differences from Geoff Johns’s recent, terrible, run. The team is divided, with Hawkman captured by demons, some of the team struggling to hold out in the Tower of Fate, with villains after them, and back in New York, one of the team acting against the others. Lemire is building in some character development, with Sand and Jade exploring a possible romance, and with Wildcat mentoring Dr. Fate. Diego Olortegui’s art is growing on me; it reminds me a lot of Scott Kolins, which is not a pulse for me, but I do like the energy he’s bringing to the book.
Justice League: The Atom Project #1 – One of my favourite things about the new approach DC is taking to the Justice League is the way it now has space for just about every hero, including both Atoms. They are at the centre of this series, as they try to help people who have acquired new powers after Amanda Waller’s plans backfired. They are also working to try to help Nathaniel Adam, aka Captain Atom, although it doesn’t appear that he’s cooperating anymore. John Ridley is co-writing this with Ryan Parrott, who I don’t think I’ve read before, and the art is by the exceptional Mike Perkins. I’m not sure how long this series is set to run, but I’m interested, even if I don’t like the new designs for either Atom’s suit. It’s really good to see Ryan Choi get some screen time again; this has me wanting to revisit his early adventures.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #28 – Black Panther has taken Miles to Wakanda, hoping that an audience with Bast might cure him of his vampirism, but he never took into account that another god might have claim on Miles, Anansi. I like how African mythology is being incorporated into the Marvel Universe here, and enjoyed Daniele Di Nicuolo’s art. The best part of this issue was the scene with Ganke and Shift though, as Shift continues to try to cover for Miles by assuming his form, back in the city.
The Ultimates #8 – Once again, we’re delivered an excellent comic with the new issue of the Ultimates. Doom has detected that some sort of chronal event is about to happen, so the team goes to investigate, and ends up meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy of the 62nd Century. They’re there to retrieve America, who is one of them, but she has no memory of this other life they claim for her. We get a good look at the future of the Ultimate Universe, and a whole lot of foreshadowing as to where this series is going, but it’s impossible to know what is real and what is open to change. Deniz Camp continues to impress with each issue of this series, and his vision for this alternate Marvel universe. It’s really cool to see familiar characters played with this way.
X-Factor #6 – This issue is a bit of a taking stock comic, as we see some of the team members react to the events of the past few months. Havok stands up to the puppet masters who really run X-Factor, insisting that his team has time to process their various losses, but he’s not able to keep Frenzy around after she is fired. This book is amusing, and has some potential, but I keep getting stuck on how off all the characters feel from their earlier appearances. Cecilia Reyes and Frenzy are two complex characters that are treated as one-dimensionally as Pyro, and I’d love to see Havok restored to something more like who he was in the Peter David X-Factor days (or even the Howard Mackie Mutant X days).
X-Force #7 – This issue goes a long way towards clearing up how Rachel’s powers have changed since the end of the Krakoan era (which had Professor X kill her), and the role that Betsy plays in supporting her. The two telepaths are attacked by La Diabla, who is being set up as the main villain in this series (a role I think she’s a little too silly for). I like this book, but it shouldn’t have taken this long to start showcasing the members of the team. We still know nothing about Tank, but he’s also not an interesting character yet.
Bargain Comics:
Absolute Superman #1&2 – I was planning on skipping this series, but then picked up this first issue and am a bit annoyed to realize that I made a mistake in not getting it all along. I immediately went out and copped the second issue as well. Jason Aaron’s Absolute version of Superman comes from a very class-conscious Krypton, and is working on Earth to help improve the lives of laborers, especially mine laborers. This puts him in conflict with the Lazarus Corporation, who are heavily militarized, and has him meet Agent Lane, who experiences first hand both his power and his earnestness. There’s a lot that hasn’t been explained yet, but I like how Aaron has Kal-El so focused on a worthy mission. I also like the way Rafa Sandoval draws Kal, and makes use of the Peacemaker design to craft some cool-looking opponents for Superman to fight. The helitanks they fly are incredible. I think I might have to add this to my pull file list, and I’m glad I realized early enough in the run that I need to be buying this.
The Week in Music:
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few – The Almighty – I got myself caught up on the world of Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few, his quartet. They had two releases in 2024, starting with this lush and large spiritual jazz album. Collier wrote some lengthy pieces (the Duality Suite is 23 minutes long) that take me back to some of the spiritual classics of the 60s and 70s. This is a lovely, almost orchestral-sounding album (The Celestials, a group of eleven more musicians contribute to the title track, which closes the album). If you like that kind of thing, you should check this out.
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few – The World Is On Fire – This album is different from the one above, in that it’s more overtly current and concerned with issues in the world. It makes specific reference to injustices (the killing of Ahmad Arbury, for one) and sounds more focused, and perhaps a little smaller, but no less brilliant. Collier is an interesting artist and one that people should be keeping an eye on, I think.
