I’m catching up, but slowly, still…
Best Comic of My Week:
Life #4 – My favourite DSTLRY series continues to impress with this latest issue. A crew of criminals (and an influencer) have come to a long-abandoned planet in hopes of stealing some diamonds, only to find the place still inhabited by its centuries-old inmates, who were subjected to a strange immortality drug that has left them mutated and addled. Partnerships fracture as things keep getting worse for everyone, and individual ambitions take centre stage. This book is well-written, as I’ve come to expect from Brian Azzarello (co-writing with Stephanie Phillips), and the art, by Danijel Žeželj is as great as anything he’s ever drawn (he has real knack for desperate people in compromising situations). I’m glad that this series still has a couple of issues to go.
Quick Takes:
Batman #157 – Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez pack up and go home after a pretty decent run. This issue closes out their latest story, involving the Riddler, the Court of Owls, and another 80s villain in new clothes. I’ve liked the way Zdarsky has written this series; he’s really leaned on the rest of the DC Universe, much more than other Bat-writers do, and weathered a few crossover complications quite well. Jiménez has made the case that he’s a top-tier artist, and Zdarsky is one of the best writers working in comics today. I’ll definitely be following him wherever he goes next. I will not be following this book anymore, though, as Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee take over starting with the next issue. I’m always happy to pare down my pull-file by a title or two, and I already know that this book is not for me again. It’s all good.
Black Cloak #11 – The second arc of this series ends after a bit of a delay. I took the time to reread the issues leading up to this one (this is why I’m so far behind in my reading), and I do really appreciate the level of world building that Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren put into this series. I have found this arc a little confusing, as there are a lot of similar secondary characters that are hard to tell apart. Still, I think this is one of the most creative books being made these days, and I love Phaedra and Pax. I hope that we’ll see a third arc soon, as this book is great.
The Body Trade #4 – This is a weird series to say that I like, due to how dark its subject matter is, but I am enjoying the way Zac Thompson and Jok have crafted this story. Kim, the distraught father, has attempted to raid the facilities of the company that has taken his son’s dead body for strange purposes, and now finds himself in the hospital, at the mercy of the people he was trying to expose. Jok’s art is perfect for showing a dark future like this one (which is more believable this month than it was when the series started). The final issue of this comic was supposed to be in comic stores this week, but mine didn’t have it. I think it might be the victim of Diamond collapsing, or it might just be late. I’m becoming sensitive to Zac Thompson comics not finishing; he was writing a terrific series at Aftershock when that company folded (The Brother Of All Men? Something like that). I hope I get to read the end of this one.
DC Power: Rise of the Power Company #1 – I never read the original Power Company comics, and am pretty unfamiliar with Josiah Power, but I was mostly drawn to this anthology by the appearance of characters like Bolt and Green Lantern Sojourner Mullein. The framing story by Brandon Thomas makes it clear (as did the latest solicitations) that Power is putting together a team, that appears to be stacked with Black characters, and it has me interested. I liked most of these stories, especially Vita Ayala’s meeting between Signal and the other Batman. It’s good to see Bolt getting used (although I’d rather Priest was writing him), but his story shows how silly this recent de-powering/re-powering/other-powering stuff is; there was no need to take his abilities away just for him to get them back again. Anyway, I pre-ordered the next Power Company book, so I guess this one was successful.
Dust to Dust #2 – JG Jones and Phil Bram are taking their time with this story, teasing a mystery with possible supernatural elements, while really focusing on the people who live in a dustbowl town during the Great Depression. Jones’s art looks so good on the sepia-toned page, and the story has a number of interesting aspects to it. I always appreciate projects like this, which could turn into just about anything.
Green Lantern #19 – Jeremy Adams has Hal off on a new mission, alongside Kyle and Superboy, as well as a new character, as they try to get to the bottom of the fracturing of the emotional spectrum. I’m beyond bored with spectrum-related storylines, but I’ve been enjoying Adams’s recent work on this book, and plan on seeing it through for a while longer. I like Hal’s relationship with Carol for the first time ever.
Long Cold Winter #2 – I like this very strange Mad Cow series. It’s got elements of Lone Wolf and Cub mixed with cyberpunk ethos, and the art by Stefano Cardoselli is the big draw for me. His art reminds me of Kev O’Neill and Mike McMahon (look up The Last American). We learn that Peace Dog, our main character, was a brutal military leader at one point, and that he made a deal with the devil that he is now breaking in trying to help The Kid, a robot, get to some mountains. There’s not a lot of story happening, but there’s enough to hold my interest. I’m a little worried about whether or not the collapse of Diamond is going to keep me from getting the rest of this series, but hopefully things work out, as I want to see this through.
Metamorpho: The Element Man #2 – Al Ewing’s writing in this series reads more like Mark Russell, and I mean that as a complement. He’s tapped into the fact that Metamorpho is a character that worked best in the era in which he was created, so he infuses his writing with an Austin Powers-like sensibility that wouldn’t work on many other titles. In this issue, Simon Stagg works to sabotage his own daughter’s career as a pop star, but his plan ultimately gives CYCLOPS another chance to attack Rex and Agent Blackwell. This book is fun, and very well-plotted. Steve Lieber’s art is always a joy, especially when it comes to stories like this. I’m glad I gave this a chance.
Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #4 – Moon Knight and his crew are on the run from the police, after Fairchild, a drug dealer who specializes in a magical street drug, has turned the city against Marc. Trying to figure out what to do, Marc gets counsel from Jake and Steven, whom we don’t see all that often these days, before deciding to confront things head-on. As usual, Jed MacKay does excellent work with these characters, and new regular artist Devmayla Pramanik impresses with his work. I think he’s a good choice for this title.
Psylocke #3 – We now figure out who the villain in this series is, as Kwannon fights to rescue Greycrow from some cyborg animal things, and then they turn to Shinobi Shaw for help. There are a few too many coincidences stacked up here, and I’m not sure why this villain is interested in Kwannon or knows to get at her through Greycrow. Other than that, this is an enjoyable issue. I’d like to see a little more of a deconstruction of Kwannon’s character, as she’s still a bit of a black box to me, but Alyssa Wong is getting better at writing mainstream series.
The Seasons #1 – I’ll always try a new Rick Remender series, but I’m not sure how I feel about this one. This first issue is oversized, but almost the entire issue is given over to Spring Season, perhaps the youngest of four sisters, who is rushing around her charming old world town trying to catch a letter that the wind is taking away from her. There’s a lot of cartoonish slapstick that is charming, but doesn’t do a lot to establish the story. When she finally gets the letter, it’s from her sister, and it warns her of a danger that might already be in their city. Paul Azaceta’s art is not really like anything I’ve seen from him before. His style fits with dark stories, so it’s a little jarring to see him on something so bright, but it really works. I’ll give this a few issues, because the idea behind it is interesting, I think, but this issue didn’t really grab me enough.
Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Last Stand #4 – So in the end, this whole twelve-issue series was a pretty big disappointment. It’s clear that so much of the story has been constrained by Star Wars novels, games, or other media. All of the big character moments involved characters that were introduced in this series, but never adequately developed. I would have thought that Marvel could run the next Star Wars relaunch for some sixty issues in this era, but instead they rushed to connect the dots for the new trilogy, but in such a way that makes the decisive Battle of Jakku feel totally forced. Now it looks like Marvel is switching to a Kylo Ren-focused series, so this wasn’t even setting up the next series. I think it will be a while before we see Luke, Leia, and Han in this time period again, which is too bad. I feel like the space between Return of the Jedi and The Mandalorian is very fertile, and would love to read stories set then.
Superman: Lex Luthor Special #1 – It seems everyone except Lex wants him to get his memories back, especially as that could help Mr. Terrific figure out a way to communicate with the Absolute Universe. But, it’s only Lex that’s left wondering if it’s a good idea for him to return to being his old self. I like Joshua Williamson’s Superman run, but do get annoyed by these little one-shots that keep turning up. I’d rather the whole story take place in Superman’s own book, but I guess I’m old fashioned.
Time Waits #3 – I enjoyed this DSTLRY book a lot. Chip Zdarsky and David Brothers wrote a very tight time travel revenge/family story that has a neat twist in this last act. Marcus To’s art is always very good, although this story didn’t necessarily need the DSTLRY treatment. I could easily see this being a very good movie, and hope that Zdarsky and Brothers work together again.
The Ultimates #9 – Deniz Camp once again surprises with this issue. Luke Cage has been in prison since he was fifteen (he doesn’t know why) and since then has built himself into a student and teacher of his fellow inmates. When Tony’s message came to him, he dedicated himself to prison abolition instead of getting free and joining the Ultimates. I enjoyed this issue, and Chris Allen’s art in it. Once again, Camp taps into relevant issues and makes them important to the Ultimate Universe. This remains one of my favourite titles.
Vampirella #673 – The schedule on this book is starting to slip, as is my own schedule for keeping up on new comics, and then my store didn’t get it in for a while, so I was a little lost when reading this. Draculina is still lost in a mindscape where she is trying to kill herself, which explains why Vampirella is there with her. She’s desperate to figure out why she feels drawn to a certain male police officer, and finally sorts it all out. I’m certain that this storyline was originally intended to be another Draculina miniseries, given how little of Vampirella we actually get to see, and I feel like the book is suffering a little for that. I love a good, complex Priest story, but I feel like the momentum is slipping while he’s doing this.
Vampirella #674 – Wrapping up this story, we get a little more insight into Draculina’s character, and that of her imagined middle school friend, but still no Vampirella. I still feel like Priest originally intended this arc to be a stand-alone miniseries, but that Vampy’s name probably sells more books.
West Coast Avengers #3 – I’m enjoying the lighthearted way that Gerry Duggan is writing this series, as the team comes across another Ultron, who has built a cult around itself, luring in vulnerable people and giving them Ultron bodies. The confrontation between “The One” and the team doesn’t go too far, but helps reveal some interesting dynamics among the Avengers. I see some real potential in this title.
X-Men #10 – Cyclops and his crew return to Alaska from their fight at Graymalkin, only to discover that the US Government is waiting to arrest him. He calls for Agent Lundqvist to come talk to him, and what follows makes me realize that Jed MacKay is writing the first comic of the second Trump administration. Scott engages in wild brinkmanship, sending the new Hellions to do his bidding. What’s really wild is that this team is made up of mutants I barely remember (and Fantomex and Boom Boom, who I was happy to see). MacKay has Scott acting a little crazy, and I’m definitely invested in seeing where this all leads. It’s a solid issue, and I’m finding that more and more, this is the X-book I like the most at the moment.
The Week in Music:
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – I’m always going to be a fan of Abel, and immensely proud of him for what he’s accomplished (I knew him briefly when he was a kid), but it’s been a long time since his music has really spoken to me. This new album, or at least the version of it that I have (more on that soon), is a lot of powerful synthy pop songs, and each one sounds like it would be great on a movie soundtrack, but altogether, this album doesn’t do much for me. It sounds like his last two or three albums. I have a huge bias towards Trilogy and Kissland-era Abel, and miss the more experimental and darker stuff he did before he completely blew up. If you love The Weeknd, I’m sure there’s a lot here that you’ll enjoy. It’s definitely very safe, but that’s what turned me off. I was planning on skipping his next album, but then they went and made a Frank Miller variant, and my inner comics fan couldn’t resist ordering a copy. Apparently this is not the full album, and since it doesn’t come with a tracklist, I don’t know how much of the full album is here, or if this is just a bunch of other tracks. The music industry has gotten too confusing with this stuff, and I don’t really have time for it. But, I guess these games work, because they got me to cop a copy still.
Mac Miller – Balloonerism – I missed out on Mac Miller while he still walked the Earth. I’d always dismissed him as the jokey novelty rapper he started out as, and didn’t know that he’d evolved into a one-of-a-kind artist. In 2015 (my god, it’s been ten years?) I went to New York to see Kamasi Washington perform The Epic at the Blue Note, and he pointed out that the guy sitting on the edge of the stage, nodding his head and grinning, was Mac Miller. It was just before Mac passed away that I started to listen to his music, mainly because he was such good friends with Thundercat. This posthumous release of music that Mac recorded in a two-week span (with Thundercat co-producing most tracks with him) is the first album of his I’ve owned, and I’m very intrigued by it. His discussions of drugs and mortality take on extra meaning knowing how he died, but even without that meta-narrative, this stands out as a notable collection of music. The production is very nice, and Mac sounds great. Thundercat’s brothers make appearances (Ronald on drums, and Jameel on keys), as does SZA. We really lost a talent when he died, but it’s nice to have relics like this making their way to the people.
Uyama Hiroto – A Son of the Sun – At the end of the summer, I went to see a British band, OMA, perform with the Japanese American rapper Shing02. They played Shing02’s Luv (Sic) Hexalogy, a suite of songs that he made with legendary Japanese producer Nujabes. I was familiar with all of this, but didn’t know that after Nujabes’s passing, it was Uyama Hiroto that helped finish the last songs. Hiroto was new to me, but I came home and started digging into his music. I think that A Son of the Sun is his first solo release, from 2008, and it’s glorious. This music blends instrumental hip hop with jazz in a way that has become more common than it was when this would have been released. It’s a very lovely album, with two tracks featuring rappers (Golden Boy and Pase Rock) rapping in English. You can tell that there are big Eastern influences at play on this album, but it also feels very North American. I’m glad I’ve discovered Hiroto’s music, and have pretty much secured his collection thanks to finding a couple sites that don’t charge all that much for shipping from Japan.
