It’s going to be August before I’m caught up on new comics. Here we are at the end of May, and I still haven’t read my FCBD stuff yet.
Best Comic of My Week:
Void Rivals #18 – Now that Darak has been brought into his people’s secrets by his father, he no longer believes that Solila is right about unifying their two people. This gets awkward when Solila, who receives a major power upgrade, comes to his side of the sacred ring. Robert Kirkman’s story continues to provide interesting twists, although I was sad to hear that artist Lorenzo De Felici is departing with this issue. His art and designs are a big part of what’s made me like this book so much.
Quick Takes:
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2025 Annual #1 – The We Are Yesterday crossover continues, as we see how Grodd maneuvered and manipulated a bunch of villains into joining him in his attack on the Justice League in the present. It’s a solid issue, with nice Dan McDaid art, although I’m not sure this event is going to be all that memorable. I still think the roll-out for it was rushed, but I’m wondering if it was all done to boost the sales of World’s Finest. I haven’t paid much attention to this title, but did like the reworking of John Stewart’s origin in the backup story.
Bug Wars #3 – Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar are doing such fine work in this comic that I’m really glad I picked it up. Slade, the young boy who has found himself in a barbarian world of mytes and insects in his backyard discovers that his father was a hero to these beings, and that also puts him in an uncomfortable position, as the mytes are uniting to kill his brother. This is great barbarian comic stuff mixed with an Indian in the Cupboard kind of sensibility, and it really works. I’m glad I took a chance on this book.
Fantastic Four #31 – While Ben has accepted the loss of his powers, we’re reminded that in Chip Zdarsky’s Marvel Two-In-One, it was established that the Fantastic Four serve as a kind of circuit, and they all need to be powered in order for their powers to work (despite the long history that says otherwise). This means that the rest of the team is starting to lose their powers too, spurring them to travel to different times and universes to try to duplicate what gave them their abilities in the first place. As always, Ryan North does some interesting things here, and leaves us with a cliffhanger ending. I like this book, but have to admit that it’s obvious North is spinning his wheels somewhat while putting most of his attention into the One World Under Doom event.
The Flash #20 – Simon Spurrier’s Flash run has been just about the strangest I’ve ever read, and that’s not changing anytime soon. In the first chapter of Bad Moon Rising, the Heliophage (Eclipso’s new form, after merging with a baby Speed Force universe) is at war with an army of Flashes for control of the moon. The war has been waged for a year, relative time, while only a little while has passed on Earth. We are taken into the trenches for this exciting and only mildly confusing issue. Vasco Georgiev’s art has really grown on me, as has this story. I have no idea where Spurrier’s taking this, but I like the Jamie Madrox aspect to this issue.
Green Arrow #23 – Chris Condon continues the story of a group of victims of environmental poisoning as they take on the corporate elite responsible for their plight. At this point, we know who the Freshwater Killers are, as Ollie tries to rescue the detective who they’ve captured. Ultimately, this issue is about Ollie having to fight people who his former friends harmed, and it’s a solid comic. I found it interesting that the story didn’t resolve with this issue, suggesting that a more personal reckoning is coming. I really like how Montos is laying out and drawing this book; it feels unique among the rest of the DC line right now.
Green Lantern #22 – Jeremy Adams’s story is increasingly dependent on Hal working with a ton of other characters, which I like, but at times it can be jarring, such as when he leaves for a mission with the Phantom Stranger and Zauriel, but we don’t see how he got connected with either character for this mission. I’m happy with the way this book is going, as I’m never all that interested in Hal, and like Xermanico’s art. It’s just a little weird that this feels more like a team book than the GLC series does.
Metamorpho The Element Man #5 – This series, by Al Ewing and Steve Lieber is fun, but I did have higher expectations for it. Both Ewing and Lieber have shown themselves to be masterful, and this is just kind of amusing. Granted, I never really cared for Metamorpho before, and perhaps if I knew the character better, I’d be more excited by this. I’m kind of glad there’s just one issue left.
Nights #15 – One of my favourite comics continues to explore the past of some of its characters, with this story about how Gray, the vampire, her then boyfriend, and Tsukumari, who would rise to prominence in CHIMERA, the oddity-hunting organization, first worked together. We travel with them to a mystical portal, and get to pull together more scraps to get an idea of the big picture. Wyatt Kennedy is adding layers to this story that I appreciate, but I do miss Vince and the gang, and hope we get to see them again soon.
Planet Death #0 – It’s nice to see Bad Idea make their books accessible for casual buyers. This is a short preview of their upcoming prestige series, and as such, it really just sets the stage for what is looking like a gigantic battle between armored warriors and lizard people in space. The story, by Robert Venditti and Derek Kolstad seems a little straightforward (Kolstad writes or directs movies), but the art by Tomás Giorello is gorgeous. I like that this was printed on newsprint, as I miss that aesthetic (although self-covered newsprint never holds up well). I might check out the series when its first issue drops.
Weapon X-Men #3 – It’s interesting that, after the new team’s battle with Baron von Strucker, they decide to stick together as a team, given that this book only has two issues left. There’s potential in this book, which is a new take on the X-Force formula, really, but I guess it didn’t catch on. Maybe it’s because Deadpool’s in the book; that’s been a turn-off for me.
In Memoriam
Just before sitting down to compile this week’s column, I learned of the passing of Peter David. There was a time when he was one of the biggest writers in comics, and much of his work has stuck with me. I think I first became aware of him during his run on The Incredible Hulk; at least, that’s where I became a fan of his writing and his ability to humanize characters that are sometimes hard to empathize with. His first X-Factor run (when Havok was team leader) has always stood out to me, specifically because of the way he made Quicksilver work as a character (it was minor, but for some reason has stayed with me more than any other comics of that era). I also really enjoyed his work on Aquaman, who was a character I’d never liked before then. The second X-Factor is a masterpiece of blending genres and a great example of how great David was with character work. There are a lot of books of his that I never read – his Supergirl, Young Justice, Spider-Man (Peter Parker and 2099), Fallen Angel, and Star Trek stuff never really caught my attention, but I’ve been planning on digging into his Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) stuff for a while now. I know that David has been suffering from ongoing health problems and would like to send my condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and fans. He was a very important writer who will be remembered fondly.
The Week in Music:
Femi Kuti – Journey Through Life – Femi Kuti is a very reliable artist, who can always be counted on to provide us with a solid array of afrobeat and high-life music on every album. This one has the usual mix of positivity and political commentary, as Kuti is backed by a large and talented band (but I notice the Positive Force name is missing). Femi continues to make his father proud in carrying his legacy forward.
Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo – On her new album, multi-instrumentalist and singer Emma-Jean Thackray embraces the emotions and perspectives of neuro-diversity, and really swings for the fences. This album is equally playful and raw, experimental and feel-good, as she tackles a number of issues, plays something like fourteen instruments, and sounds terrific. At times, you could convince me that this is a Hiatus Kaiyote album, but with the exception of two guests (Reggie Watts and Kassa Overall), it’s all her. This is a really impressive release.
