AIN’T NO GRAVE #1 by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona. A supernatural Western tale? You bet! A lady gunfighter is making her way to Cypress to kill death, as it is slowly consuming her. The story is fun, with lots of flashbacks and some killer art. Highly recommended!
ALL THE THINGS WE DIDN’T DO LAST NIGHT #1 by Maria Llovet. I became a big fan of Llovet’s work after diving into CRAVE and so look forward to her VIOLENT FLOWERS in September. A random meeting between our two characters results in a whole series of interconnected moments, a murder and a couple of lies or two. It is mildly fragmented and seriously needs a second read to catch all the bits and pieces. This is not for everyone, as CRAVE was not for everyone, but it’s a nice step away from your typical capes and tights story.
THE AMORY WARS: GOOD APOLLO, I’M BURNING STAR IV, VOL. II #1 by Claudio Sanchez, Chondra Echert, and Guillaume Martinez. At last, the final chapter in THE AMORY WARS saga is here. Claudio Sanchez’ epic science-fictyion opera ends here, picking up from the previous volume. It would take me this entire post to explain everything. Suffice it to say that you will be totally lost if you start here, meaning you have to go back and find the previous run by Sanchez and Rags Morales. If you know the story from the Coheed and Cambria records, you’ll love it and finally figure out what it meant!
ARCHIE COMICS: JUDGMENT DAY #1 by Aubrey Sitterson and Megan Hutchinson. Once again, this is the closest thing we will get to a real Archie Comics relaunch of AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE. It’s another mini-series with a horror theme, with Archie being possessed by a demon and the less than hilarious consequences that follow. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it, even as it takes pieces from previous stories and kind of rehashes them here. It’s okay but not my favorite of the recent tales.
BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT-THE KRYPTONIAN AGE #1 by Andy Diggle and Leanoro Fernandez. The ELSEWORLDS line is officially back and this is the first title, playing in the same universe as the classic GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT. As expected, we get Bat Man, a Selina Catwoman, hints of a Superman appearance and even a version of Talia. It looks great and certainly is not in any Batman continuity. This first entry will soon be followed by a new DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL release, along with a new DC VS. VAMPIRES mini-series, BATMAN THE BARBARIAN, GREEN LANTERN DARK, and BATMAN NIGHTFIRE.
BLOOD HUNT #1 by Jed McKay and Pepe Larraz. Welcome to Marvels’ big summer crossover event. It seems that all Darkforce users are suddenly being affected and becoming portals to the Darkforce Dimension. That results in the sun and the moon being blocked out and now vampires are on a rampage worldwide. Heroes around the world are now at war and the Avengers face off against the Bloodcoven with disastrous results. It’s up to Dr. Strange to figure a way to end all of this by crafting a spell to kill all the vampires. Unfortunately, the Master who is pulling the strings is one of his allies This is the first strike that will cross into lots of Marvel titles for the next few months, not to mention launching many mini-series connected to the saga, It is an okay story with a surprising twist ending that was sort of revealed by the cover of MIDNIGHT SONS #1.
DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL: ALLWINTER #1 by Jay Kristoff, Tom Taylor, Tirso, and Riccardo Federici. I had not read the previous DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL, as I didn’t feel the need to go into that realm, just as I didn’t read the various DC VS VAMPIRES series. But all of these worlds are wrapped into a revived ELSEWORLDS imprint, so I figured I would give this a shot, mostly based on seeing some of the preliminary artwork. And I am thrilled to see that it is not only a great looking book but a fun read too. Deathstroke takes the lead here but we also see many other familiar DC heroes in this barbaric world. Picture Conan meets the DC Universe. The back up involves the first part of a tale starring Jonathan and Martha Kent, along with a surprise appearance by Black Manta. All in all, I look forward to the next installment.
DEATH IN THE FAMILY: ROBIN LIVES #1 by J.M. DeMatteis and Rick Leonardi. DC once again goes into what MIGHT have been if Jason Todd had not been killed by the Joker back in the day. Basically, Jason has been injured at The Joker’s hands and Batman seeks the ultimate revenge, before Superman steps in. When Jason finally is up to it, he battles Scarecrow with disastrous results. I wasn’t thrilled with this and feel it should have been left in the vaults. It certainly didn’t hold the same weight as the previous ROBIN LIVES story.
DESTRO #1 by Dan Watters and Andrei Bressan. The merging of G.I. JOE and TRANSFORMERS into the Energon Universe continues with this title featuring everyone’s favorite bad guy…well, next to Cobra Commander. It ties into all of the Joe series and mini-series, reads like a well-crafted television episode and looks great. Just a fun romp!
DICK TRACY #1 by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, and Geraldo Borges. My all-time favorite comic cop is back! It’s 1947 and the world Tracy lives in is ultraviolent, considering we get three pages in and there’s a wealth of blood. This apparently is an origin story as one of the murdered is the father of Tess Trueheart, who eventually becomes his girlfriend, wife and mother of their children. We get a nice handful of classic Tracy villains too, including Mumbles and Flattop. The story is fun, the art fits the book and, to be honest, it’s so good to have someone I spent my youth reading every single day back in my life.
DRAWING BLOOD #1 by David Avallone and Ben Bishop. Spiro is an artist who has been involved in creating a famous comic entity known as Ronin Ragdolls. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone well over the years and he finds himself dealing with unsavory characters as he tries to resurrect his career. Co-created by Kevin Eastman, you can definitely see the nods to Eastman’s most famous creation. The story is fun and Bisjhop, who is a show regular in these parts, does a great job with everything. It’s recommended.
FLASH GORDON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY EDITION by Jeremy Adams and Will Conrad. If you grew up like I did, reading classic FLASH GORDON Alex Raymond strips and watching the movie serials on Saturday afternoon television, you get a love for this character. Flash and Dale are on Mongo and, of course, there is Ming the Merciless, so you know it’s gonna be a crazy story. This teaser is certainly all it is, until Mad Cave releases the full book. The story is enticing and the art definitely echoes Raymond’s style. So looking forward to this series.
GATCHAMAN: GALACTOR #1 by Steve Orlando and Kath Lobo. I am a huge GATCHAMAN fan(yes…GATCHAMAN and not BATTLE OF THE PLANETS), so getting this was an easy choice. Berg Katse is the prime villain here(yes…Katse and NOT Zoltar) and his job is to find a mole within the criminal organization that is Galactor. It is a lot of fun and will certainly appeal to us long-time fans, while other folks will say it is not the BATTLE OF THE PLANETS they grew up with. Yes, IT IS NOT! So, jump in but also read the main book as they are connected. And save some money for the upcoming GATCHAMAN: KEN and GATCHAMAN: JUN.
GET FURY #1 by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows. Ennis and Burrows turn in a MAX mini-series set in the days of the Vietnam War. Frank Castle dances to the beat of his own drum and is sent off on a mission to find Nick Fury, who has been captured by the Viet Cong. It is not a rescue mission though; it is a mission to assassinate Fury. This is not a book for kids! Filled with extremely violent images and equally harsh language, this certainly lives up to the MAX imprint. I am a big fan of Ennis’ work and also Burrows and the two work well together. It is truly a wild ride and this is only the first issue.
GROMMETS #1 by Rick Remender, Brian Posehn, and Brett Parson. Here’s a wonderful slice of life coming that is somewhat autobiographical. It’s 1984 and the new kid in a new school needs to make friends. He ends up with a bunch of skateboarders and the tale goes from there. The story is fun and the art firs it in so many ways. It’s filled with a lot of timely references on styles and music and I can’t wait for issue #2.
GUN HONEY: COLLISION COURSE #1 by Charles Adai and Ang Hor Kheng. It’s been a year since Joanna Tan has been seen , as she and Agent Brook Barrow have high-tailed it to Borneo to hide out. Now they’re back and ready for a new mission. If you loved the previous series, you’ll love this one too.
HATE REVISITED #1 by Peter Bagge. Straight out of the 1990s, Buddy Bradley and his friends are back in one of the most outrageous comics this year. Actually, only outrageous if you aren’t familiar with the character and Bagge’s style. Understand, this is not set back in the Nineties. It’s happening in real time now, complete with references to Trump, BLM and many of the topics of the day. I loved HATE and NEAT STUFF and, having met Bagge, love his take on things.
NAMOR #1 by Jason Aaron, Paul Davidson, and Alex Lins. Marvel’s first mutant gets a new mini-series, coming after Namor has been jailed for crimes against humanity. But he has also sworn to never go back in the sea again. Marvel touts this as a series that will change Namor forever…like we have not heard THAT before. The story is okay but is filled with too many childhood flashbacks that are supposed to flesh out who Namor is. Personally, it falls flat for me, at least in the first chapter. But it IS Jason Aaron so there is hope it will get better.
SCARLETT #1 by Kelly Thompson and Marco Ferrarai. Another G.I. JOE mini-series that follows the famed redhead on a secret mission, complete with Ninja action. Nice story with some cool flashback moments to events before she became the kick-ass warrior we know and love. Thompson’s story is a fun one and Ferrari’s art, while a little different from what we are getting in the main JOE book, does the job,
SPACE GHOST #1 by David Pepose and Jonathan Lau. One of my all-time favorite cartoons of my youth, right next to Jonny Quest, gets rebooted by Dynamite and it is a wild one. Jan and Jace, and Blip too, are with their father, who is working on a special project. They get attacked by aliens and then the Galactic Patrol, led by Brak. Luckily for them, Space Ghost arrives, saving them even though their father is now dead. The story is fun, giving us a great back story on how two kids and a monkey end up with our hero. And the art fits too, giving it a less cartoon feel than previous SG stories. I cannot wait to see what the title is like from here.
SPIDER-GWEN: GHOST SPIDER #1 by Stephanie Phillips and Federica Mancin. For those who may have missed what’s going on, our heroine has been all over the multiverse but now finds herself stuck on Earth 616. She’s a Gwen Stacy that should not be here, as our Gwen is long dead and has even been cloned. She’s more than willing to do some crime-fighting here but she also visited by the T.V.A. Oh yeah: she also runs afoul of Karven the Hunter. The story is perfect for this character and the art fits too. If she is your cup of tea, go grab this book.
SPIDER-MAN: REIGN 2 byKaare Andrews. In 2006, Kaare Andrews unveiled a four-issue series called REIGN. Set 30 years in the future on Earth 70237, it featured a retired hero who came back to do battle with the Sinner Six and Venom, while also mourning his deceased wife Mary Jane, who died of terminal cancer after years of being exposed to his radioactive fluids(YUCCH!!!). In this long-awaited sequel. Peter is held captive, the Kingpin is a grossly altered ruler and Peter is finally broken out to work with an elderly Green Goblin. And one of the people pulling Kingpin’s strings? Miles Morales. Go find the original series and jump on this. It looks great and the story is a ton of fun that, at the moment, doesn’t have the dark tone that existed in the original run. Highest recommendation from me!
THE ULTIMATES #1 by Deniz Camp and Juan Figeri. Thanks to Jonathan Hickman, the Ultimate Universe is back and completely different from what you may remember. The Maker, formerly Reed Richards of the old Ultimate Universe, is controlling things and Tony Stark is a wanted and the heroes are considered murderers for something they had no control over but are blamed for,. So, with a Captain America frozen in ice, a team of heroes, considered terrorists, come together to fight against the Maker’s Council. It is a team made of Thor, Sif, Tony Stark(as Iron Lad), and Doom: a broken Reed Richards. Of the new titles, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is still my favorite but this is certainly a close second.
UNCLE SCROOGE AND THE INFINITY DIME #1 by Jason Aaron, Paolo Mottura, Francesco D’Ippolito, Alessandro Pastrovicchio, and Giada Perissinotto. So, we all know about the partnership as it were between Marvel and ‘the Mouse’ and, if you’ve been following, we have had a whole host of Disney inspired variant covers. Well, Aaron, who apparently fell in love with Don Rosa and Carl Barks work has written a tale inspired by one of the legendary Uncle Csrooge stories. It’s a bit of fun and certainly shows his love for the character. And we get no less than a dozen variants! It’s kind of a fun change of pace from superhero books.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON #1 by Dan Watters, Ram V, and Matthew Roberts. Image’s second UNIVERSAL MONSTERS books is here and it is a fresh take on this classic creature. A reporter finds herself in Peru tracking down someone who apparently tried to kill her…that’s the inference. In the process, she learns of a series of murders and instantly believes it is this person, although the locals insist it a certain sea creature. So it becomes a mystery wrapped around a monster tale. This looks amazing and the story is captivating as you try to figure out what the mystery man did to this woman and is it REALLY a creature committing these murders.
WITCHBLADE #1 by Marguerite Bennett and Giuseppe Cafaro. Nearly 30 years ago, Marc Silverstri created a comic sensation that had a multiple of talents working on it over its’ 20 year run, including the late Michael Turner, who was the series co-creator. It even became a television series starring Yancy Butler, a soundtrack album featuring Roger Daltrey and Suicidal Tendencies, an Anime, and a Manga. Almost a decade after the series ended, it’s back with a new #1, which retells the origin of the character based on the groundwork laid down by the old series. It feels like the book did and even has that look that Michael Turner provided. It’s a lot of fun and feels like it did back in 95. Bennet’s writing, as a rule, is usually up and down but this looks to be in her wheelhouse.
THE X-MEN WEDDING SPECIAL #1 by Keiron Gillen, Tini Howard, Tate Brombal, Yoon Ha Lee, Wyatt Kennedy, Rachel Stott, Phillip Sevy, Emilio Pilliu, Stephen Byrne, and Jenn St-Onge. After all of this time, Mystique and Destiny get hitched in what is probably one of the longest courtships in comic’s history. It basically is a nice story that finally ties up loose ends in there story. Basically, the book is a huge Pride special filled with a lot of back-up stories. To be clear, it’s a $10.00 Pride special and that’s okay. Personally, I would like to see a Pride Special and then this as a stand alone tale because, by the time the main event is done, you really don’t care about the backups.
X-MEN # 35(AKA Legacy #700) by Gerry Duggan, Al Ewing, Kieron Gillen, Joshua Cassara, Phil Noto, Lucas Werneck, Leinil Francis Yu, John Romita Jr., Jerome Opena, Luciano Vecchio, Stefano Caselli, and Sara Pichelli. For so many months, the world of the mutants has been turned completely upside down. They have been on the run, betrayed by their mentor and on the run from Orchis and Moira. This is the issue, a very LARGE ISSUE indeed, that wraps up all these storylines. In the end, as so often happens, the team is changed forever…or at least until the new series begin dropping in July., including a new X-MEN title, followed in short order by X-FORCE, PHOENIX, and NYX.
No comments:
Post a Comment