I’ve just made it through the two busiest weeks of the year, and aside from spending much of the next month travelling, I should have more time to read and get caught up on this daunting stack of new comics.
Best Comic of My Fortnight:
Grommets #7 – I’m glad to finally get to the end of Grommets, the nostalgia-dripping series where Rick Remender and Brian Posehn imagine that they knew each other as middle schoolers in the 80s. This series follows some predictable tropes, but that doesn’t keep it from being very entertaining and feel-good. Brett Parson’s art captures the era so well, and Remender and Posehn know how to pull on my generation’s longing for better days that were, ostensibly, all sorts of terrible.
Quick Takes:
Absolute Green Lantern #2 – Al Ewing continues to build mystery into this series, as we see more of what happened when the people of Evergreen met Abin Sur (The Abin Sur, I might add), but we also see the aftermath, as Hal deals with his ‘black hand’ and Jo tries to figure out the green energy that now fills her. This is a very different take on the Green Lantern story we’re used to, and it’s definitely interesting. I do think that these different corners of the Absolute universe need to acknowledge one another; these characters seem to live in a world devoid of Lazarus Corporation, for example, and where things don’t look as bleak as they do in other series (at least until the big green lantern symbol fell on a town. I’m intrigued by this book.
Absolute Superman #7 – We get a good look at Brainiac in this issue, and understand that this villain, who appears to be a key part of the Lazarus organization, is very different from the main DCU villain we know. Jason Aaron’s take on the character is pretty odd, and makes him stand out. This was a solid issue, but I am always more interested in seeing this book’s version of Kal-El more.
Farmhand #21 – It’s been a long delay between issues of Rob Guillory’s plant-based body horror series (made even longer by how far behind I am on reading my comics), and it’s so nice to see it return to the shelves. It took me a little while to get back into the swing of things, but I really enjoyed this book. After the death of a major character at the end of the last arc, Andy is left angry and ready to lash out against the person at the centre of the plant zombie thing that is taking over the country. I get the feeling that this whole final arc of the series is going to be non-stop action. Guillory’s a talented writer and artist, and it’s so good to see new work from him again.
Let This One Be A Devil #3 – James Tynion IV continues to weave together local legends with an interesting story about an intellectual in a place that doesn’t appreciate him very well. I like Piotr Kowalski’s art a lot, and enjoy this take on local myth and legend. This is a good series.
Storm #8 – I really want to like this book, but I find it pretty difficult to follow. One moment, Storm is talking to Thor about having to fight storm gods from other pantheons, then we’re peeking into a Silver Surfer fight in the future, and then Ororo is being summoned by the FBI (where agents fly around the building) to talk to a very tall alien about the emissions created by her floating sanctuary city, which at the same time seems to be hosting a huge battle between Maggot and a ton of oversized heroes and villains including Big Bertha and She-Hulk. No one can deny that writer Murewa Ayodele is bringing a ton of ideas to the table, but none of them are given time and space to breathe before we move on to the next concept. This book needs a lot more editing, as it’s hard to follow, and doesn’t seem to be accomplishing what it set out to do. I still don’t understand the Sanctuary, don’t know if Storm has her new powers still or not, or what she’s trying to do here. It’s cool that she might be having to take on the US government over things in her past, but I thought Doom was in control of things. I also don’t see the FBI hiring a lot of aliens. This book needs to slow down and focus on character development as it tells its wild stories. Storm is one of the most interesting characters in Marvel’s stable, and there is space to work on her. I understand wanting to throw wild situations at an artist as capable as Lucas Werneck (and new artist Mario Santoro) but this is starting to read like a 90s book (and I don’t mean that in a nostalgic, warm way).
X-Men #16 – Jed MacKay seems to lean into some 90s nostalgia here, with the introduction of 3K’s X-Men, a group that only needs some pouches to look like they belong in that era. The fight between them and the team is interesting, as is the way Magneto juices himself to be able to take on the giant monster threatening Merle Alaska. MacKay’s run is enjoyable, but also not very deep.
The Fortnight in Music:
Katalyst – Nine Lives – If it weren’t for the Jazz Is Dead series, I might not have ever come across this excellent nine-piece band from Inglewood California. Jonah Levine, who plays trombone, had an excellent album a few years back, but the rest of these artists are new to me. I picked this up when five of the group played my city, and I was blown away by their talent, which is on full display on this, their first album. Katalyst blends jazz and fusion sounds, and are good additions to the current LA jazz scene.
Surprise Chef – Superb – This Australian instrumental band has a unique sound. They play a form of fusion jazz that could also serve as the bed of some great hiphop. Their sound veers towards the gentler music we hear on Gondwana Records, but has more of a bite to it. I never get bored, as I find there are lots of surprises here. I’m looking forward to catching their North American tour next month.
