Discuss new issues of your favourite comics here.
The Continuing New Comics Thread
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If they’re going to do this well, I think it’ll have to be closer to the Batwoman / Department of Truth examples. Never read the Iceman example as I’d bailed on Bendis’ X-Men run before that point.
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Heroes Reborn
No, (NO) I did not get all the issues as this is a major crossover of stories. I read the Wiki fandom instead to get the gist of the issues.
You can take a look here and check out some links:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Heroes_Reborn_(2021)
It is bad. That bad…
There is some potential in doing the concept justice of having the Squadron Supreme be the JLA in the Marvel universe. Having reality changed allows the writer to reimagine the entire universe. It has been done before. This one, however, is horribly rushed and contrived. Some of the side issues have the mutants band together against the SS and they don’t put up much of a fight. Neither does Galactus, Alpha Flight, Phoenix, and other rather formidable teams. The remnants of the Avengers are coming together slowly and I predict (*drumroll*) that version of the Avengers will defeat the SS like no one could and restore reality.
Age of Apocalypse this is not and even Age wasn’t that great in retrospect.
I am sofa king glad that this forum and MW before it influenced me in choosing quality storytelling over fanboy quantity and dodging this.
Never had fanboy “vs.” threads either but I digress…
Anyway, I am glad I dodged buying this.
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Anyway, I am glad I dodged buying this.
Are you reading any good stuff that you want to share with us, Al?
Some stuff I’ve been enjoying lately are DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, CROSSOVER, RECKLESS, DECORUM, THE GOOD ASIAN, TIME BEFORE TIME, HOUSE OF LOST HORIZONS, FEAR CASE, and TWO MOONS. There’s lots of variety of great stories and art that have nothing to do with DC or Marvel.
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Yes @njerry
Actually I found this compilation of Star Trek comics by IDW based on the story The Q Conflict. I got it and I haven’t read it yet but it is said to involve Q, Trelane, and the Organians. All the ST crews/shows are involved too.
It is probably the closest we’ll get to a good ST crossover story. Hope it does the concept justice and is not bad fan fiction.
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Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1
This was a cracking start. Putting Supergirl in the middle of a space-fantasy-western setting as a mysterious hero who steps into someone else’s revenge story is a great way to make the character feel fresh and interesting, and Evely’s art is just beautiful – clean, elegant and stylish linework and really clear storytelling.
Most of all it just feels like a good yarn without King trying too hard to be clever or play games with the reader. Looking forward to #2.
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What? Where’s the angst and brutality? The violence, blood and despair?
Are you sure this was written by Tom King?
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Oh there is a bit of that too, but it’s not a dark brooding book in general.
I read an interview with him recently where he said that this was the first book in a new phase of his career, after the last batch of books (like Rorschach and Strange Adventures) were still informed by a reaction to the last couple of years of politics and world events.
You can feel that freshness in the writing of this book – there’s a lightness of touch here that’s a refreshing change for King.
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I’d like to get back to seeing the King that wrote Vision. That had its darker moments but they were balanced out by other aspects.
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To be honest, the chatter around it suggested that it might be very good, but not for me.
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Fire Power #11 and #12 wrap up the first year of the series. There’s a pretty epic fight scene, followed by a nice character filled epilogue that brings things to a close; whilst skilfully setting up things to come in the future.
I missed the more grounded down to earth character work of the earlier issues, whilst all the epic martial arts stuff was going on. It was good to see a return to that in the closing pages of #12. Now that the big arc that drove the series first year has been resolved I hope we continue to focus on Owen’s family life for a few issues before the craziness returns.
This continues to be a fun, beautifully drawn book.
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Batman: Reptilian #1 was very good but I’m getting strong “wait for the trade” vibes from this first issue.
Ennis writes a great Batman – no nonsense but also darkly funny – and Sharp’s painted art is brilliantly stylised and atmospheric (shades of Arkham Asylum) with a really effective ethereal feel to the whole thing, like a bad dream.
But on the strength of #1 it feels like this is going to be a single story paced for the collection and split across six issues – so I’m thinking I might just wait for the HC.
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Transformers/Back To The Future #4 was quite a fun end to what has been an uneven series. It’s as silly and light as these kinds of crossover should be, and zips along quickly enough that you don’t really have time to question anything.
Essentially, whether you enjoy this book will depend on whether you like the idea of the Delorean from BTTF turning into a Transformer. And you know deep down that you do.
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Stopped in at my LCS this morning for the first time in a few weeks.
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That Texas Blood #7 was a cracking return after the brief hiatus.
Same great storytelling and characters, but it looks like this new arc is taking us to a different era and a slightly different flavour of story (the new style of backmatter works really well too).
And it has more of the book’s quiet moments and careful pacing, which I think is a big part of what really makes this comic.
Great to have it back.
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Beta Ray Bill #4 was good. In some ways a “calm before the storm” penultimate issue, but it also fleshed out a lot of BRB’s backstory in a way that was helpful for me, and brought a lot out of the character.
Plus there’s some gorgeous art, including two fantastic double splashpages.
Looking forward to the finale.
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Batman #110: I wasn’t sure about Ghostmaker, but now I dig him.
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Marjorie Finnegan: Temporal Criminal #2 is a fun book. It feels very Millar in a lot of ways – a nice easy-to-grasp high concept with well-sketched characters that’s mined for lots of cheeky laughs and enjoyable action. It could almost be a companion piece to Chrononauts.
Looking forward to more of this.
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Department Of Truth #10: I’m not sure how this book is still keeping up the standard after 10 issues, but it’s as great as ever. I got strong X-Files vibes from this one, in a good way. The writing helps you see every character’s perspective perfectly and the art creates a vibe that’s like nothing else on the stands at the moment.
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Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera’s The Goddamned: Virgin Brides has just come out in TPB. It’s the second volume of the seriously erratically shipping book. It took something over a year for all five issues to come out. I saved them all to read together in one sitting.
It’s a dark (really dark) look at the dawn of the age of man, pre- the great flood. It’s a brutal, messed up world, that’s not for the faint of heart.
The first mini series played with its biblical setting, but stayed pretty grounded throughout as a piece of noir. This one, however, gets weird at the half way point and gets weirder as it races to its climax. It also hints at bigger, more epic events to come and has an ending that is a bit of a cliffhanger.
It’s great to see the Scalped creative team putting out new material. Especially as Aaron has played it relatively safe at Marvel for the last few years. But, given that we have no idea when or if we’ll ever see more stories set in this world I would maybe hold off investing in it at this time. As a stand-alone arc the Virgin Brides is fine, but ultimately a little unsatisfying and inconclusive.
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The Department of Truth #10 had a wicked little twist in the end that came right out of 2000AD’s Future Shocks. Excellent issue.
The Nice House on the Lake #2 was quieter than the opening issue. A quicker read, but full of beautiful artwork and some unnerving imagery.
Something is Killing The Children #17 continues Erica’s origin story, and is really opening up the mythology. This series continues to get better as it goes along. If you ever enjoyed Buffy or the B.P.R.D. comics I really think you’d get a lot out of this.
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The new X-Men #1 (fifth? sixth?) by Duggan, Larraz and Gracia was fun. Not as jaw dropping as Planet Size was a couple of weeks ago, but still very entertaining. The artwork is the star of the show, with a few really gorgeous scenes. It’s very slick and reminiscent of Alan Davis’ work. The story works hard to be accessible for newcomers whilst still advancing some of the overarching Krakoan plot lines. I think it strikes the right balance there. It also has the team playing a far more overtly superheroic role than is usual for the X-Men. And, the cast of characters in the team is great. It’s a fun but eclectic mix of characters. I think there’s a lot of potential here. Worth a look.
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Another great issue of this series. This book is a great bridge between the two movies and I love how the plot keeps pushing into interesting new directions and exploring the world of Blade Runner in a thoughtful way.
Plus the art continues to be amazing: this issue opens with an action sequence that’s better than most movies – clear, well-choreographed and dynamic.
You can just see in your mind’s eye how this would play out on the big screen.
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Brilliant. Again. This second issue necessarily slows down a bit from the climax of #1, but it maintains that great tense, unsettling vibe – punctuated by occasional moments of visceral, disturbing horror.
And even more so that the first issue, I closed this book feeling that it could only have been written after the 12-18 months that we’ve all just lived through.
This is a very timely book that does a lot of different things and does them well. Can’t wait to see more.
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Superman And The Authority #1
This was a lot of setup. I was, for some reason, expecting more. Maybe because I’m a Grant Morrison fanboy. I do however, in light of the interview where GM explains how the trope of Evil Superman is tired and lazy, understand that a good deal of this setup is kind of necessary to show the development of this Superman’s perspective, as opposed of him just becoming an autocratic bastard overnight or because something happened, and to give us enough exposition of his goodness to understand where he’s at.
Nonetheless, this felt like the setup for a larger series, not for a 4 issue miniseries. If this is going to work, I think the coming three issues need to be more dense.
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I think the mini-series is basically just a prologue for what’s going to happen in Action Comics going forwards. The October solicits show the start of a brand new world shattering story arc with Superman and his Authority team on the cover.
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I think the mini-series is basically just a prologue for what’s going to happen in Action Comics going forwards. The October solicits show the start of a brand new world shattering story arc with Superman and his Authority team on the cover.
My interest in this story has plummeted.
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This is the cover of the Oct issue. I could be wrong, but that’s not what it looks like to me. It’s possibly a self-contained arc from Morrison, with DC continuing to milk it afterwards.
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It’s DC so they’ll petrify it, then try to get blood out of it.
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It looks like Superman has just strenuously shit out a tiny superhero.
Oh, so they’re bringing back some of his Golden Age superpowers. Cool.
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It’s implied that he’s reaching the end of his life – looking older and graying, with his powers on the wane. Not the first time Morrison has explored the idea with Superman, but it works well here.
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The Joker #4 wrapped up the first arc of this series, with a tense conversation between our two leads. Jim is starting to see that there’s more going on than first appears. Guillem March’s artwork is gorgeous.
The Joker #5, guest illustrated by the brilliant Francesco Francavilla, is a flashback story to an early encounter between Jim and his demon. It’s a nice little side story, providing a bit of new context to some of the newer characters introduced in the present day arc. But, it definitely feels like a fill in.
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Superman: Son of Karl-El #1 was a fine first issue, but it would definitely have benefitted from a double sized issue. It’s barely started by the time it finishes, and leaves you a little unclear on what exactly this series is going to be. The artwork by John Timms is awesome – even slicker and more dynamic than his recent work on Young Justice. Tom Taylor also displays his usual flare for getting to the heart of the character, and tugging on your heartstrings. I enjoyed the book but not totally sold on it yet.
Nightwing #82 presents a pretty blatant retcon that works. But, only just. A lot will depend on where Taylor and Bruno Redondo take it from here. There’s a brilliant opening scene here that will make you smile, unless you’re a soulless monster.
Batman: The Detective #4 was a lot of fun. Andy Kubert’s artwork was epic and bold, aided by the always reliable Brad Anderson’s colours. The story of an older Bruce Wayne getting caught by surprise provides a nice little pause before the inevitable shit hits the fan in the final two issues. Good stuff.
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There’s a brilliant opening scene here that will make you smile
I so loved that scene. It’s always nice seeing them together. and that last scene in the plane is a real “aww” moment.
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Plus the art is gorgeous. Any other good Doc Shaner books that anyone can recommend?
He’s not exactly prolific, but one I did really like was the two issue Convergence: Shazam mini-series. It featured a rare guest appearance by Mignola’s “Gotham by Gaslight” Batman too.
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Strange Adventures #11: I read this penultimate issue today and really enjoyed it. The series is really picking up as it gets towards the end, and I feel like rereading the whole thing in light of some of the later revelations is going to be an interesting experience.
Good to know. I’d been a bit hesitant as to whether to pick this up when it comes out in trade. And I’ll probably skip Rorschach then…
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I’ve enjoyed Rorschach. It’s an entertaining series on an issue by issue basis; but it’s a bit like trying to put together a jigsaw without having all the pieces or knowing what the final picture looks like. This issue was a bit of a huge info dump, where the creative team finally did some of the heavy lifting. I think the next two issues will decide whether or not it was a storytelling success or misfire.
King says he had the whole series written before Fornes started drawing it so it’s very much a novel in 12 parts.
The artwork has been excellent throughout.
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I did enjoy Darwyn Cooke’s Minutemen too.
It’s works because really it’s just a Darwyn Cooke golden age story which he always did so well. In truth it’s pretty inconsequential as regards the Watchmen mythos.
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American Vampire 1976 #10 wraps up Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque’s Vertigo/ Black Label series in a huge apocalyptic showdown between the forces of good (or less evil at least) and evil.
The series started way back in March 2010, before anyone really knew who Snyder was. I only picked it off the shelf because I’m a sucka for vampire stories and Stephen King was writing the back up story.
It quickly turned into an action packed journey through 20th Century Americana, and one of my favourite books.
Unfortunately, Snyder’s career exploding the way it did, meant this series got pushed aside. It disappeared on hiatus for the best part of 5 years, and I never thought we’d see it conclude.
But, finally, here we are. And, I have mixed feelings. The ending’s fun, no doubt. The creative team succeed in delivering a satisfying finale, that pulls together all the disparate plot threads of the series; leaving very little unresolved. If you have read and enjoyed the series to date, you need to pick this up too.
At the same time, however, it feels rushed and truncated. As if the series had potentially a lot more to give, but the creators had already moved on. Going through the motions to give us a perfunctory ending to finally close the book on this, before leaving it and DC behind.
Enjoyable, but it could have/ should have been so much more.
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The Something Is Killing The Children FCBD issue (Enter The House of Slaughter) is a must read for anyone following the main series. It’s really clever in that it shows you what was happening on the other end of the calls that Erica made back to base during the Archer’s Peak storyline, whilst simultaneously seeding a lot of intrigue for the upcoming spin off mini-series. Nicely done.
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The Something Is Killing The Children FCBD issue (Enter The House of Slaughter) is a must read for anyone following the main series. It’s really clever in that it shows you what was happening on the other end of the calls that Erica made back to base during the Archer’s Peak storyline, whilst simultaneously seeding a lot of intrigue for the upcoming spin off mini-series. Nicely done.
I would’ve missed this if it weren’t for you! Thanks, Vik!
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Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Brad Anderson’s post-apocalyptic creator owned series, Geiger, may not have the most original premise on the market, but it is an example of a well oiled, in sync creative team, producing a well crafted and entertaining story. It’s solid if nothing particularly spectacular.
Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is astonishing though. It’s not at all what I was expecting, and instead is a sci-fi/ fantasy mash-up of a hero’s journey, with a charming narrator and jaw dropping artwork. This may be my favourite thing of King’s that I have read to date.
For old school kicks, I also read X-Men Legends #3 & 4 – a two parter by the Simonsons, with Laura Martin on colours. It was entertaining enough, but you’d be hopelessly lost if you have little or no familiarity with their original X-Factor run.
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I’ve always felt that Scarecrow was one of the weakest members of Batman’s rogue gallery. But, he’s definitely coming into his own with the current run on the book. Batman #111 wraps up “The Cowardly Lot” and segues in to the upcoming “Fear State” event.
And, when I say “wraps up” what I actually mean is it does nothing of the sort ;) Absolutely nothing is resolved here, so the demarcation between the two arcs is pretty much non-existent. I suspect it’s going to be problematic for trade waiters who only buy one or the other hoping for a complete reading experience.
On the positive side, Tynion and Jiminez continue to produce a dense and exciting book, full of crazy spectacle and big moments. Harley Quinn continues to endear herself, following in Margot Robbie’s footsteps. And, Tynion’s newer characters are coming into their own too. Still the best pure superhero book on the market by far.
Very much looking forward to the accelerated release schedule of Fear State too. 8 parts of the core books, fortnightly between now and early December. Good stuff.
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I read issue 1 of Transformers: Shattered Glass the other day. This is basically your standard mirror universe setup, with Heroic Decepticons fighting Evil Autobots. Originally done as Fan Club thing, with a bunch of stories published between Botcon con books and the Fan Club’s magazine that also crossed over with other themed stories, the stories ran the gamut from playing the concept straight to comedies, but we’re right into the grimdark here.
Despite being an IDW production, this really feels like a Botcon comic. Part of that is the cast – these have been produced as pack-in figures for a line of Shattered Glass toys, and this issue is included with Blurr so he’s the main character, and most of the principal cast are also characters in the toyline. This was Botcon’s thing as well, each year’s comic was themed and the cast was that year’s exclusive toys. But beyond that the production values – the texture of the colours and the lettering feels more like the semi-pro Fan Club/Botcon material I’ve seen as opposed to IDW’s usual standards.
Story-wise, it’s pretty standard solo adventure with a twist – Blurr is a bounty hunter for the Autobots and is trying to hunt down Starscream, one of the few figureheads of the Decepticon resistance still on the run. Stuff happens and then the comic ends, leading into a Megatron-centric issue 2. It’s OK as a comic, but wholly inessential. Especially compared to how good the main comic has gotten since that ropey first year, and even how Beast Wars is doing some interesting things in its retelling of cartoon episodes… This is not standing out.
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I just noticed Harley Queen Annual is being drawn by old FOB David Lafuente. What has he been up to these days? I may pick it up because I remember how well he did on Hellcat for Marvel and maybe this will be similar. If I see a rabbit I may just HAVE to buy it.
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I did not. The story was nothing I was interested in and I had reached the $20 threshold I wanted to spend.
What I did buy was Dark Ages. If you have read Taylor’s Injustice and DCeased, I think you will like this. I believe it is set a few years in the future(or in an other universe). May Parker is maybe 2 or 3 years old. Gabby is back working with her sister Laura, and Moon Girl is a few years older. There is a worldwide catastrophe that causes trauma to precogs (i.e. Spider-Folk) and psychics. Everyone gathers together to defeat the threat.
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Echolands #1: I really wanted to like this but it turned out a bit of a mixed bag.
The art, as always with JHW3, is great and he mixes different styles here (sometimes within the same panel) to good effect.
But the story is lacking. Aside from sketching out a jumbled fantasy world in which all different genres and characters co-exist, and giving us a fairly basic totalitarian state/hero-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-law story, there isn’t much to it.
Also, the landscape format doesn’t feel like much more than a gimmick at this point – JHW3 clearly has trouble at times designing his layouts to make the most of it. For such a big format statement it just doesn’t feel like it really adds anything.
Another minus point is that the main story ends just over halfway through the issue’s page-count; the rest is loads of backmatter, which feels a bit excessive for a #1 (I’m not sure we needed two separate author afterwords and four pages detailing all the music JHW3 listened to while drawing the issue). It all feels a bit self-regarding.
Ultimately I would have rather had an extra-sized first issue to draw us into the story a little bit more.
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Department of Truth #12: I’m still really enjoying this book. A lot of what Tynion talks about in his newsletters about social media and the internet age is coming out here too, but it’s far more engaging as a narrative about misinformation in general, and the political/historical angle is interesting too. And he also plays Devil’s Advocate and shows how it’s actually just a different, accelerated version of something that’s been going on for many decades.
Plus Simmonds’ art is fantastic, with a cool stylistic shift early in the issue that works well. And the overarching story takes an interesting new turn here. Really good stuff.
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Maw #1: This is an interesting if not entirely successful book. It deals with a lot of fairly weighty ideas around feminism, female empowerment and sexual assault, and does it fairly well – with a degree of humour and irony in places without ever undercutting the seriousness of what it’s describing, and with the sexual crimes against one of the book’s lead characters being shown in a way that makes it crystal clear what’s going on without ever veering into the realm of being exploitative or gratuitous.
But as a first issue it fails by not quite ever really conveying what the book’s hook is. It hints at sinister goings-on at a feminist cult sect, and it hints at supernatural elements at play, but never gives you the big ‘wow’ moment that makes you want to read further.
The issue ends with literally no clue that it’s the last page – I flipped through the back pages wondering if it continued, or if my book had a misprint.
So despite the decent art and fairly solid writing it feels like there isn’t a huge motivation to read further.
Writing a good #1 issue – a Remender or Millar style opener that succinctly sets up the characters, the concept, the stakes and the story – can sometimes feel like a bit of a lost art these days.
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Rorschach #12: I could be more long-winded, but it’s enough to say that I fully regret the time and money that I have spent to read this series.
The one good thing about this issue is that it means it’s now finished.
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Rorschach #12: I could be more long-winded, but it’s enough to say that I fully regret the time and money that I have spent to read this series.
I keep telling people King gonna disappoint but they still give him $.
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Rorschach #12: I could be more long-winded, but it’s enough to say that I fully regret the time and money that I have spent to read this series.
I keep telling people King gonna disappoint but they still give him $.
In fairness it’s not a wider problem with King for me: I really like his Supergirl book at the moment, and Strange Adventures seems to be settling in for a decent final run after a few wobbles halfway through (mainly just due to it being overlong I think).
Great artists on both books helps a lot.
But then Rorschach had very good art too – it just felt like a book that was reaching to say a lot, but ultimately felt like it had very little to say.
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I read Rorschach #12 too, over the weekend. And, I’m in much the same frame of mind as Dave. It had 8 or 9 quite entertaining individual chapters, but then spent the last 3 issues putting the jigsaw pieces together in the most pedestrian way possible. It became a “who did it” without being a “why did it”. Disappointing.
I did enjoy the elements of the finale, including some of the political commentary that resonated with me quite strongly. And, I adored Fornes’ artwork. So it’s not all bad.
Edit: I suppose this supports Rocket’s argument too. Although I’m not so familiar with King’s work as others. A lot of writers have problems with sticking the landing these days. That’s not just King’s problem.
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Jeff Lemire, you talented fucker.
Mazebook #1 was excellent: one of those books that really transports you and alters your mood even. A little reminiscent of Underwater Welder in some respects.
It’s a difficult and sad read in places, but it’s also intriguing and creative in the way that it’s presented, and the ending was a real goosebumps moment that has me looking forward to #2.
And then the very next week he releases Primordial #1, another fantastic #1 issue that I maybe enjoyed even more than Mazebook.
The story alone is a great alternate-history sci-fi thriller that unfolds nicely over the course of this first issue, with some real meat to the plot that goes beyond the kinds of hints and innuendo that you might expect for an initial chapter.
But the way it’s brought to life visually by Sorrentino turns the whole thing up to 11, with some dazzling pop-art double-page spreads and some intricate and inventive page layouts that play with comics as a 2D/3D space beautifully.
Combined with the animals at the center of the story there’s a very clear We3 influence here (some sections are pretty clear homages) but the book does its own thing too.
It’s probably been as long ago as Department of Truth #1 that I’ve eagerly awaited a #2 issue as much as this.
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The Department of Truth #13 wraps up the second arc of the book with huge twists and turns. Nothing is what it seems. Or is it?
The next few issues are “Times Past” stories before Simmonds returns with #17 or #18, IIRC.
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The Department of Truth #13 wraps up the second arc of the book with huge twists and turns. Nothing is what it seems. Or is it?
It’s just the most incredible book out there atm. Love it.
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Fire Power by Kirkman and Samnee continues to be a lot of fun. I read #13-15 over the last couple of days (#16 comes out next week). After the insanity of the last arc these issues have been quieter, more character focused. Which is a good thing. I think the family drama in this book is when it is at its best vs the still slightly confusing Kung fu mythology that takes over from time to time.
Samnee’s artwork is gorgeous throughout, aided nicely by Matt Wilson’s colour palette.
Worth checking in with this book again, if you dismissed it for being too formulaic after the OGN (vol 1). It’s definitely turned into something more than that over the year since its debut last summer.
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I will echo Dave’s earlier comments regarding Primordial #1 – this is a really good debut issue, immediately captivating in ways that only work by the very best creative teams can be.
It’s a period piece, set in the early 1960’s, and shares common ground with both Hickman’s Manhattan Projects and the “For All Mankind” TV show.
The artwork is amazing, with Dave Stewart’s colours adding a lot to the overall effect.
It’s only the first issue in a 6 issue mini-series, but I think this could easily be one of my favourite books of the year.
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Adventureman #5 is a fun read and a triumphant return for the book, but it nevertheless had me a bit puzzled. After a fairly long hiatus since #4 and a big fancy OHC collection of those first four issues (which was great but felt slightly incomplete), this issue effectively caps off that arc and ties up everything quite nicely, with a new arc due to start in issue #6.
So why didn’t they release #5 earlier before the hiatus and include it in the collection? It’s a bit baffling and makes the HC feel even more incomplete.
That said, there is an explanation of sorts given in the backmatter – as well as a publishing schedule set out for the next couple of batches of issues and their collections – and when a book is as breezily fun and beautifully illustrated as this, it’s hard to complain too much.
Already looking forward to reading this in HC form with oversized art.
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Inferno #1 is a double sized issue, that kicks off the last X-Men story of the Hickman era. I approached it with some trepidation, knowing that it was not the ending that he had originally planned. Would this feel like a rush job, full of truncated possibilities? The answer, at least on the back of the debut issue, is a resounding “no”.
It quickly returns to the fertile ground of House of/ Powers of X, re-introducing Moira and her mission to save mutantkind.
I’m not going to spoil anything because it’s a great read, full of intrigue, twists and turns, best experienced for yourselves. With a great final scene.
It is, however, quite hard to know where this story is going to go from here. And, that’s exciting. Looking forward to the next issue.
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After being slightly underwhelmed by the first issue of Echolands, I still went ahead and bought both #2 and the Raw Cut edition of #1 (with the uncoloured original art) this week.
I’m not sure if I was just in the wrong mood for the book the first time I read it but I enjoyed #2 a lot more – I feel like I got into the characters and the world a lot more, and felt sucked into the story to the extent I was disappointed when I hit the last page.
And the art is amazing – the clarity/size reproduction glitches of #1 weren’t present here (maybe a case of getting used to the format and tailoring the art to it better?) and the layouts in #2 make really good use of the horizontal format – often quite sprawling and maze-like in a way that slows you down and makes you focus that little bit more.
Plus the original art in the Raw Cut verison of #1 was just stunning and really makes you appreciate JHW3’s skill and chameleonic ability to switch and combine styles. I may well end up getting both versions in future.
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I was very glad to see the return of Moira. Can’t wait for Moira v Mystique. I loved the scenes with the Captains and how they ended.
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The first of Scott Snyder’s creator owned ComiXology titles dropped today. Free to read for Amazon Prime members on Kindle.
We Have Demons #1 is a double sized debut issue, with art by Capullo and Glapion. It looks absolutely fantastic, as you may expect.
The story is of a similar sensibility to Nocterra. It’s notionally a horror book, but very much a PG-13 action horror; not the creepy spine tingling horror of something like Wytches.
Had a lot of fun reading this and would recommend it.
I also read Snow Angels Season 2 #4 (or #8 of 10 in reality). It’s by Jeff Lemire and Jock, but it actually feels a lot like the aforementioned Wytches. It’s a quick read, where each issue transports you to a stark, desolate and cold future where two young sisters try to escape a mysterious and unstoppable force chasing them. Very atmospheric storytelling.
Not sure how it’s all going to wrap up in the two remaining issues. There are many questions with very few answers.
This is also free for Amazon Prime members in Kindle.
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As most of this week’s delivery ended up in Chester again, I decided to give Amazing Spider-man #75 a go as I didn’t want to come home empty handed.
It is the start of the post- Nick Spencer era, with Zeb Wells show running a team of writers on a 3 times a month series (a la Brand New Day). Oh, and the other big change, is the series stars Ben Reilly back in the lead role.
After reading it, I’m tentatively on board for more. It is very reminiscent of Superior Spider-man, in that Ben’s a bit of a douchebag but he’s using technology to supplement his natural abilities for a superior (sorry!) performance. Behind the scenes are shady corporate machinations and callbacks to the original clone saga.
Artistically, Pat Gleason’s artwork is fantastic- very fluid and dynamic, as befits the character. And, Art Adams’ covers are beautiful (as always!).
The editorial in the book talks about this being the start of a 19 issue story. That’s a very specific number. Not sure what’s going to happen afterwards. So, I’ll give it a few issues and see what happens.
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The editorial in the book talks about this being the start of a 19 issue story. That’s a very specific number. Not sure what’s going to happen afterwards.
Presumably with this being issue #75, a 19-issue story leaves them at a place where they can then run a six-issue arc leading up to a big anniversary #100 issue?
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If you like crime dramas, pick up the first issue of Rick Remender’s new Image series A RIGHTEOUS THIRST FOR VENGEANCE. The storytelling is very linear and seen only from the POV of the main character, so we only know as much as he knows about what’s going on. I love the pacing, and the understated art (by Andre Araujo) strongly compliments the narrative. I can’t wait to read the next issue to learn more about this story.
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Thanks, Jerry. Wasn’t going to get it, but picked it up on your recommendation. It’s very good.
Flicking through it in the shop I was slightly wary of the absence of text. It’s a very light on speech balloons. It’s mostly silent all the way through, but if you slow down and admire the artwork it’s still a pretty dense read.
It’s very cinematic storytelling. You could easily see this as a movie or TV series.
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Sounds good, but Remender has taught me to wait for the deluxe OHC.
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Clear #1, by Scott Snyder and Francis Manapul came out today. Of all the announced ComiXology books this was the one I was least enthused about. Never really been a fan of Manapul’s art beforehand and the concept didn’t really grab me either – a future where people can choose how to see the world around them, using veils (1940’s America, a bright cartoon, a D&D landscape, etc.).
Having read the first issue though, I have to admit it was a really great read. It’s a more mature book than we’ve seen from Snyder in a while. It’s a sci fi noir, that’s more in line with the sort of thing that he used to do when he broke in before he became the DCU’s lead writer.
Manapul’s artwork was pretty astonishing too. Ranging from bright & shiny to grim & gritty, and all points in between (based on the user’s veil of choice). There are some angles chosen for certain scenes that wouldn’t look out of place in something like Blade Runner.
Really enjoyed this. Definitely recommended.
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I’m surprised you didn’t like Manapul’s art before.
He got into rifts with Jim Shooter at DC for ignoring his Legion scripts and his Nu52 Flash which he co-wrote was iffy in the character and plot departments but he has a real command of visual comics storytelling, some of that Flash stuff visually was pretty stunning.
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