ADVANCED REVIEW: Deep Roots #1 by Dan Watters, Val Rodrigues, & Triona Farrell

I think I just got deja vu. It’s early in the week, I’m looking at new books for Wednesday, and a Vault Comics title seems poised to be a major hit, one that will grab a sizable and smart audience. It’s the same feeling I had last week before Wasted Space #1 dropped, and that book went on to garner significant praise from comic critics.

As it turns out, though, I did not in fact just get deja vu. Vault actually does have another killer series loaded and ready for release. This time it’s Deep Roots #1, a book that, like Wasted Space, takes several huge ideas—here it’s eco terrorism, mankind’s abuse of the environment, capitalism, plus a little PTSD—and pairs it with a perfect aesthetic.

“To put it reductively Deep Roots is a genre-bending book with a dual storyline: one about a mythic realm of destiny and vegetation, another about a modern world in which said vegetation seems to be rising against humans that have paved and diminished it.”

And it’s that pairing of plotting and perfect aesthetic that most impressed me when I read Deep Roots. The art team is Val Rodrigues and colorist Triona Farrell, who work together to create a pair of distinctive aesthetics. To put it reductively Deep Roots is a genre-bending book with a dual storyline: one about a mythic realm of destiny and vegetation, another about a modern world in which said vegetation seems to be rising against humans that have paved and diminished it.

For the real world, Rodrigues and Farrell work is realistic, using a detailed style evocative of Frank Quitely, Jon Davis-Hunt, or Geoff Darrow. For the mythic, they create lush, abstract landscapes closer to Christian Ward or Mike del Mundo. The script passes through these two worlds often (and rightly) without giving readers the direct connection, trusting (rightly again) the artists to convey it. Basically, I was impressed throughout at how Deep Roots handled this, making the dual plot threads easy to differentiate yet never so disparate that transitions began to feel like non sequiturs.

So, yeah, the art is great, but what about the aforementioned script by Dan Watters? Well, his narration does an equally effective job of transversing the realms of our story, using a mythic dialect for the abstract bits but spare and direct sentences to ground us when we return to the real world.

A panel from Deep Roots #1 where the real world seeps into the mythical realm of the story.

There are utility sentences, like, “Meet Sal. Sal still has nightmares from the war in which bodies turn to red mist. He would do anything for a quiet life.” And there are poetic sentences where he gets his Cormac McCarthy on, like, “Sometimes he sees figures in the distance, and wonders if they are other walkers of the path—or if they are those he seeks, watching him walk his penance.”

Watters plotting—particularly the way in which it confidently handles the fate of its characters—is also bold, although to say much more would likely be a spoiler, or at least spoiler adjacent. I don’t want to go there. Just trust me when I tell you it works.

Last week, we told you Wasted Space #1 would be a hit, and it was, drawing an impressive buzz for an indie that dropped on the same day as the landmark Action Comics #1000. Wasted Space was a great book filled with killer frenetic dystopian panels and underlaid searingly-relevant ideas. Combine it with a rising publisher like Vault, and it became a hit. We foresee the same happening with Deep Roots.

Overall: Deep Roots #1 lays out a bold vision, one that grows (excuse the plant pun) from both the tight muscularity of its script and the beauty of its artwork. It’s a story of two worlds—man’s world and an ancient vegetative world beneath—and its art depicts each, as well as the places they intersect, with a gorgeous abandon. This is a rare and wonderful debut that gets the basics of pacing, world-building, and cliff-hanging right, while also leaving the reader with a sense of a wondrous plan in place for its continuation. 9.2/10

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

How to Write Comic Books: Tips From the Pros Part 4

Between now and Part 3 of this series, we got off Twitter (briefly) and read actual books about writing scripts for comics, books written by a murderer’s row of influential minds in the medium. As a result, this most recent entry in our compilation series of writing tips from pros features the mighty Brian Michael Bendis (Bendis is coming!!!!!) and Alan “Watchmen” Moore. Plus, also David Lynch, who hasn’t (to my knowledge) written comics but is an amazing film director and my personal artistic spirit animal.

Before we get to it though, I have to confess that my own work is suffering lately due to me failing to invest enough time in it. To that end, I’m going to start Tweeting a weekly tally of what I write, letting you all know how many pages I outlined, scripted, finished, etc., even if it’s all zeroes. I know myself well, and this sort of accountability and shame will without question move me to productivity.

I’ll report back on how it goes in Part 5 (coming soon, after I read more books). In the meantime, I hope you’ve found a productive lifestyle and an accountability system that works well for you!

Now, onward to the advice!

David Lynch: Have a setup.

It’s almost a cliche of writing advice, but it’s important to keep a notebook with you everywhere you go. I’ve heard this in journalism school, at creative writing workshops, and from countless authors of instructional guides. I recently read a book by my favorite director—the aforementioned David Lynch—called Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, and there it was again.

Lynch writes:

“If you don’t have a setup, there are many times when you get the inspiration, the idea, but you have no tools, no place to put it together. And the idea just sits there and festers. Over time, it will go away. You didn’t fulfill it—that’s just heartache.”

To emphasize further, I’ll tell a quick story about Chris Claremont, the all-time great Uncanny X-Men writer I recently met at a comic con in Sacramento. While waiting at his table, I noticed that in the big vest Claremont wore, one pocket brimmed with tattered, oft-used notepads. Here’s a guy with nothing to prove, and he’s still practicing that old kinnard of writing advice. One must assume for a master like him, it’s simply become second nature. Us young’uns would do well to follow suit.

Brian Michael Bendis: Story outlines vs. pitch documents.

This book is not only useful, but it's so useful I couldn't bring myself to outline in it, opting instead to tab good passages with sticky notes.

Bendis’ book Words for Pictures is an extremely practical guide, especially for those who dream of getting to Marvel or DC. It’s brimming with advice about everything from communicating with artists to identifying the best editors for a pitch. But one thing I found particularly helpful at this early stage in my career (one full script written, one series outlined, one 8-page mini comic slowly taking shape) was this about the difference between outlines and pitch documents.

Here’s Bendis:

“A pitch document is a quick one or two paragraph document that describes the story or series the writer is trying to sell. A story outline is a somewhat more involved document that goes into more detail about story beats and character arcs. The difference between the two documents is detail.”

This may seem rote, but when you have an idea that’s so exciting you start to get nervous, it’s incredibly grounding to have it laid out so simply. And, perhaps most usefully, Bendis’ book gives several actual examples of both documents. My own takeaway after reading them all was that I should focus on my outline, which should then later inform my pitch when I’m ready. Maybe you’ll have your own process. Another lesson from Bendis is that creating comics is a multi-faceted endeavor with few hard rules but many available examples from those who have had success and want to be helpful.

Or, as the kids say, you do you...but read up on what the masters tell you first.

Alan Moore: God damn it, you've got to be kind.

Alan Moore and George Saunders are two of my favorite writers, but outwardly they share little in common. Moore is a bearded Englishman responsible for comics like the searing social commentary V for Vendetta and the seminal superhero deconstruction Watchmen, held by many as the best superhero story ever. Saunders, meanwhile, is from Chicago (like me!) and writes hilarious and heartbreaking short stories, inimitable bursts of speculative fiction about a ghost haunting a Civil War recreation, or a male stripper whose aunt rises from the dead to demand he start showing his gear at work for more money, and so on.

Saunders and Moore do, however, have something in common: they both insist a vital part of being a good writer is being a good human (I think this is also probably true of Bendis, who “is coming!!!!!” but is also massively convivial by all indications).

Observe this quote from Moore’s book, Writing for Comics:

“...if you want to be a truly great writer, it is perhaps worth remembering that even in this, it is more important to be a good human being than it is to be a good writer. The artists, writers, painters, musicians whose voices speak loudest to us across the centuries are those that turned out to have the most profound souls…”

This makes all kinds of sense. At the core, most stories aim to show growth, and how can one convincingly depict growth without at least striving to be a good human?

Let’s listen to Saunders advising the same in a 2013 commencement speech at Syracuse:

“Since, according to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving: Hurry up. Speed it along. Start right now. There’s a confusion in each of us, a sickness, really: selfishness. But there’s also a cure. So be a good and proactive and even somewhat desperate patient on your own behalf…”

Or in the words of Kurt Vonnegut, another all-time favorite writer of mine, God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.

And hey, what’s the worst case scenario? If being kind doesn’t improve your writing, you’re still putting net positivity into the world, creating something wonderful, and I don’t know about you but creating something wonderful is what brings me to my keyboard in the first place.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

REVIEW: Action Comics #1000 - The Stories Ranked

Forbidden Planet retailer-exclusive variant by Jock

Action Comics #1000 is a monster book, with a page for each of the 80 years Superman has existed. It features 11 stories and is perhaps best evaluated on the merits of its individual vignettes, rather than as a whole. So, let’s take a quick look at the good and bad, before doing a ranking of the stories that comprise this historic publication.

The Good: Action Comics #1000 is a trip through the past, present, and future of Superman, one that is ultimately a meditation on not just Superman/Clark Kent, but on why fans have read about powerful beings in capes for eight decades plus.

The Bad: Not enough Lois Lane. I didn’t count, but Mr. Mxyzptlk’s wife might have more lines in one vignette than Lois in 80 pages. Lois is a presence, certainly, but a story about the Lois-Clark relationship should be here. (I’ve talked about the importance of Lois before.)

10. The Game by Paul Levitz and Neal Adams

This story is strong and its art stronger (Neal Adams has been doing some great work again lately). That said, it’s one of two stories about Superman and Lex, and it’s the lesser of the two.

9. An Enemy Within by Marv Wolfman and Curt Swan

A decent story that inverts the usual relationship between people and Superman, this one examines how mankind inspires its Kryptonian protector. It’s pretty good, also standing as an homage to the character’s political history, taking aim at the teachers with guns nonsense, police violence, and individuals resisting nefarious manipulation. It’s a fine work, just not one of the more memorable in the book.

8. Actionland! by Paul Dini, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Trish Mulvihill

One of the book’s best-looking stories, this one is expertly handled by Paul Dini and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. But a whole section for Mr. Mxyzptlk? He should be included, as one of Superman’s most interesting and oldest foes, but this is almost a story entirely about Mxyzptlk. The other pieces focused on specific places or characters (Luthor in The Fifth Season, Daily Planet in Five Minutes) still take a backseat to Superman, making this a bit confounding.

The Daily Planet is hardly The Daily Planet without Lois.

7. Five Minutes by Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Dave McCaig

I’m a writer at a trade magazine and my wife is a reporter with the LA Times. I should love this story of Superman being a powerful superhuman AND a heroic journalist. The problem, however, is it's a Daily Planet story without Lois. A Daily Planet story...without Lois. Freaking Bibbo gets in here and Lois does not. I liked it, though, especially this line:

Superheoring. Reporting. They’re not so different if you do them right.

But why not give the reporting heroics to Lois, a human who fearlessly does the job, often putting her life at risk?

6. The Fifth Season by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Dave McCaig

The issue’s most complex story, this is a tale of Superman and Lex Luthor. Admittedly, I didn’t understand it well upon first reading. It’s not low-hanging fruit, but it’s classic Scott Snyder, rewarding those who invest effort to really digest and understand. This story deals with shades of gray, questions of results versus intentions, nurture versus nature, and, ultimately, whose road is harder: the human genius or the powerful alien striving to be altruistic. Basically, it's a perfect encapsulation of the dynamic between Superman and Lex.

5. From the City that has Everything by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund

With quiet and consistent work, Dan Jurgens has over the years established himself as an all-time great Superman writer, and stories like this illustrate why. It expertly blends significant parts of Superman’s past and present—big galactic adventure, being a symbol of inspiration and hope, believing the best of mankind, newfound domesticity—to create a modern incarnation of the character that started superheroics 80 years ago. There’s even a touching panel here with the heroes of the DC universe thanking Supes for his influence. I’m excited for Bendis' run (more later), but I also want to thank Dan Jurgens for his service. His contributions to Superman are appreciated and will be missed.

4. The Car by Geoff Johns/Richard Donner, Olivier Coipel, and Alejandro Sanchez

In this story, Superman follows up his adventure from Action Comics #1 by finding Butch, the tough who drove the green car from the cover. The Coipel art and Sanchez colors are gorgeous, and the panels are laced with callbacks to history (a bird, a plane, a line about the trunks). It’s the best type of Superman story, in that our hero saves a troubled soul, makes the world better, and doesn’t throw a single punch. It’s a clever conceit, but better still, it suggests Superman’s real heroism is his ability to understand and inspire, not his fantastic powers.

3. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet by Brad Meltzer, John Cassaday, and Laura Martin

This story had my favorite panel in the entire book. Just look at this beauty:

Artwork by John Cassaday with colors by Laura Martin.

Its construction is stunning, but, moreover, it shows the enormity of Superman’s task, how even though he can fly and whatever else, he’s still a single man who can only be in one place. He is, by no means, omnipotent. It also has a wonderfully simple setup: an assailant shoots a woman in the head point-blank as Superman rushes to save her; with a powerful outcome: a little bravery by the woman gives Superman the slight help he needs to succeed. A funny joke about Batman, a touching dedication to Christopher Reeve, and we’re out. There’s an odd choice made, however, with the woman’s look, in that she bears a strong resemblance to Lois Lane. We also later find out her name is Lila. Still, this is a nigh-perfect story nonetheless.

2. Of Tomorrow by Tom King, Clay Mann, and Jordie Bellaire

Of Tomorrow was pretty good the first time I read it, but during my third read, I found myself near tears as I fully realized what it was about. Tom King is a master at poignant stories about family and superheroes, and this is one of his best. It’s essentially a man talking to himself after multiple lifetimes, contemplating his childhood, marriage, son, and the cause to which he dedicated his life, as close as a writer has come to capturing the human condition in five pages about a guy in a cape.

1. Never-ending Battle by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, and Alejandro Sanchez

Patrick Gleason's retailer-exclusive Newbury Comics variant.

Vandal Savage imprisons Superman by weaponizing hypertime, trapping him “in a fabric of yesterdays--a loop that never ends,” which sees our hero living out his past lives from the decades in which they were published. He powers down in the 30s, fights World War II in the ‘40s, is consumed with Silver Age goofiness thereafter, and so on. He's even fried and nearly destroyed in what is presumably the ‘80s, with a piece Gleason signs with a nod of the cap to Frank Miller, whose Dark Knight Returns deconstruction was an obvious inspiration here.

Superman fights Savage’s time manipulation onward, reaching the versions of himself that followed Death of Superman all the way through to Alex Ross’ and Mark Waid’s depiction of him aging in Kingdom Come. Not to spoil the exact nature of how Superman saves himself, but in the end we are given a comforting shot of him and his family as seen them Tomasi and Gleason’s now-concluded Superman run.

I loved everything about this section, from the villain (Savage is one of my favorites) to the logical exploration of the character and his past to the hopeful domestic note it ends on. Gleason’s art and Sanchez’s colors make for truly beautiful pages. If I could pull one story from this compilation and turn it into a fully-realized issue it would be this one.

Disqualified: The Truth by Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Lee, and Alex Sinclair.

I’m disqualifying this one because it has the unfair advantage of ending with “TO BE CONTINUED…” while the others are inherently self-contained. I will say, however, I’m more excited for Bendis’ run than ever after reading this. Bendis’ villain concept is fresh enough for an 80-year-old character/mythos, but where he really shines is in depicting average Metropolis folks reacting to Superman. Bendis has said he wants to make the city a realized and vital place, and he’s off to a good start. I can’t wait to see what he does with the Daily Planet.

Overall: I'd been looking forward to this celebration of Superman for months (if not longer) and this book did not disappoint. Today really felt like true observance of Superman and what he has meant to the world over the years. It was an anthology, so some stories were always going to be stronger than others, and I definitely wanted to see way more Lois Lane, but overall I'm glad I not only got to read this book, but be apart of comics fandom during its release. 9.5/10

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

How Thanos Won: A Look at Donny Cates’ Epic Run

Let’s talk about one of Marvel’s best comics in years—Thanos Wins by Donny Cates—and how it was an unlikely success.

The solicit for the first issue, #13, teased a story about what happens when Thanos wins, written by Donny Cates and drawn by Geoff Shaw, a duo that was rising, to be sure, but by no means household names with the Big 2 superhero crowd.

Essentially, Marvel had a somewhat untested creative team (strong indie work aside) taking over a book about a villain that was 12 issues into a run, teasing a plot about a future where everyone’s favorite heroes had been murdered, brutally.

Then the incredible happened.

The first issue sold out. The second issue sold out. Both issues went for second printings. A spinoff series was announced. Online buzz started. Copies started going for more than quadruple the cover price on eBay. Retailers said years from now the trade would be an evergreen seller, with casual fans coming off the street to find it.

Simply put, Thanos won.

And thank the divine comic book forces it did. Marvel needed the emergence of a writer like Cates. It had, after all, lost Brian Michael Bendis—its most influential voice of the past two decades—to rival DC. It needed a bold new voice to push its marquee superhero properties in bold new directions. Cates delivered and as a reward is now getting a summer event (Death of the Inhumans) and a forthcoming run on Venom. Basically, Thanos could mark the rise of Cates at Marvel, the start of a new era.

With this significance in mind, let’s look at some of the elements that propelled Cates, Shaw, colorist Antonio Fabela, and Marvel to such a massive W here.

Cates' Voice

The first thing that tickled my brain (ew) about Thanos was the way Cates writes with such a confident voice. Cates work has more narration than most, but his language is so compelling, one hardly notices.

His sentences are clear and accessible, yet often long, winding, and poetic, leading readers on quick journeys that tend to end with full-on outlandishness. Check out these examples:

“After all, when one is murdering every sentient being in the cosmos by hand...a lapse in perfect record-keeping can be forgiven.”

“The last titans stood over the body of a shattered angel in a church built for their greatest love.”

“And of course, this is how it ends. The last of the titans fighting for the hand of death at the dusk of time.”

“Each Thanos taking a combined eternity of pain and sorrow out on themselves. Dealing not in words or feelings, but in their shared language of blood.”

There’s real voice to Cates writing, and while the two couldn’t be more different, the untethered confidence in that voice actually reminds me of a young Brian Michael Bendis on Powers or Ultimate Spider-Man, like a writer talking directly to you, telling a story he just has to get out because it’s that good.

Each opening line in Thanos is well done, but look at #16’s:

“When he was a younger man, and not yet a cosmic-fueled engine of time-traveling murder, Frank Castle’s wife and children were shot to death before his eyes.”

I Tweeted about liking this line, and Donny Cates responded with, “Haha. Yeah I’m pretty happy with that nonsense.” That gets at another thing working well in Thanos: despite the dark story and violent happenings, you can tell Cates is living a dream and having a blast.

I mean, try to read this panel and not laugh with him. ‘Nuff said!

Death’s Mercurial Facial Expressions

Cates wasn’t the only one having fun, though. Shaw (whose artwork with Fabela really owned the grandiosity of Cates’ script) did an incredible amount of work with a few mercurial facial expressions once Thanos lady love, Death, finally showed up. Observe:

Now seems as good a time as any to point out that part of the reason this plot succeeds is because it focuses on the most compelling and relatable thing about Thanos—his core motivation is that he’s a passionate man who is deeply in love. But more about the story in the next section...

The Story Structure

Really, Thanos Wins sticks to a pretty classic Hero’s Journey, which gives it a stable framework within which to build all of that nonsense.

Take, for example, the first truly great panel, which comes early in the story's first part:

This is just expert comic storytelling, with a caption giving us a casual contrast to the violent domination Thanos has just wrought. But this is also still the exposition phase of our story, the time before the call to adventure where we’re in Thanos’ status quo, and what Cates’ establishes here is that normal life is one in which Thanos just *shrug* obliterates the Chitauri, a race so fearsome it was the villain in the first Avengers movie.

The rest of the book reads like a game of Cates one-upping himself from there. 

Marvel’s Commitment and Support

Thanos Wins is the most significant run at Marvel since Tom King’s 2015 Vision, and I’m drawing that connection to note one way that Marvel did not let history repeat. After Vision, DC swooped in and snapped King up. Marvel must have figured out what it had in Cates, because they signed him months before Thanos' first issue dropped.

And good on them.

Support like that is key to a story as big and seemingly limitless as Thanos Wins. In an endnote for the run's finale, Cates notes he was shocked that Marvel let him do the things in this book. He doesn’t mention this, but Marvel also supported Cates over Jim Starlin, the character’s creator.

See, Starlin was at work on a three-part graphic novel series that he said had a plot close to what Cates did here. No one has gone into detail, so it’s tough to know how much it truly overlapped, but what is known is that Starlin felt Marvel choose Cates’ work over his own, and he quit the publisher because of it.

We don’t know enough to say what Cates’ role (if any) was, and, really, I’m not sure it matters in the context of this conversation. As Oliver Sava noted in an AV Club piece early during Thanos Wins, “it’s all part of a bigger conversation about creator rights as superheroes continue their pop culture dominance.”

I think that’s true, and thus we'll save further examination until we can give the topic the space it deserves.

Thanos Wins

I’ll bring this home by noting Cates' work here is enough for me to buy his future Marvel books without hesitation. I’m also reading his creator-owned series Babyteeth and Redneck, and I'd place him in rarefied air with the aforementioned King and Jeff Lemire, whose work I also buy unconditionally.

What I find maybe the most interesting about Cates is he’s a pretty straight-forward storyteller, rarely toying with form or meta dialogue. He’s kind of a classic writer, in that his stories are driven hardest by character choices, with all plot growing from that. He seems to have an obsession with what drives people to violence that he’s dissecting in his work, and he’s not afraid to use an everyman voice in narration, or go the other way and sound like a poem. Call him the Cormac McCarthy of comics. Too much? Whatever. 

Anyway, I’m glad he landed at Marvel and I hope he stays. Marvel’s risk-friendly editorial team seems better suited for Cates’ sensibilities. I should, however, note he has so far shown himself expert at contained mini series with big endings, and is yet to drive a book long-term like Jason Aaron on Thor, or Bendis on Ultimate Spider-Man. If Cates' Twitter is to be believe (and it's not, he literally said he wasn’t doing Venom a day before it was announced he was doing Venom), plans are for Venom to run for many, many issues. I don’t care much for Venom as a character, but with Cates writing, I’m downright excited to check that book out.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

The Reality of My First C2E2

So last week, once I checked into my hotel room for the Chicago con, I posted about my expectations for my first time attending C2E2 (you can find that here). I look back fondly at that post. I can honestly say that I got so much of that list right. This lets me know that a little preparation goes a long way. So, if you have read that post you’ll know that I can keep this one short, because I don’t have any real complaints about the convention. I only have a few additions to the positive ways to spend your time.

1.) Always be adaptable.

I showed up three and a half hours before the show floor opened on Friday to get a wrist band for the Jim Lee signing at the DC Booth. As you can imagine, that wasn’t early enough. Jim only had one hour to spend at the con, and those wrist bands went quickly for those who ignored their need to sleep. While meeting Jim Lee was priority numero uno on my list of con accomplishments, I wasn’t distraught at the inability to shake his hand and get my two most prized books of his signed. I realized that the show was full of creators with plenty of incredible opportunities still available. After all, the show wasn’t even 20 minutes in and I wasn’t going to be destroyed.

Fortunately, even though I made the trip to Chicago all alone, I made friends in line. When you show up before 7 a.m., and the show doesn’t open until 10, you’ve got plenty of time to get comfortable in line. While waiting I couldn’t help but notice the witty banter of some gentlemen standing next to me. As it turns out, they were super cool (of course) and we soon engaged in a friendly, yet spirited debate, about the merits of the latest Star Wars movie. This debate grew to include not only our immediate threesome and enveloped two others near us. You’re probably wondering why you should care that I am a social butterfly. Well, once the show floor opened, these gentlemen made a straight line to the CGC booth. I myself don’t worry too much about getting my books graded, but these guys made me laugh and a strange bond was formed. Well, I think fate was at work. It turns out that at the CGC booth was a private signing available for Jim Lee. We were the first in line and were able to get the books we brought submitted to have Jim sign them. While we missed out on the chance to shake the DC Comics co-publisher’s hand, we still got to get our books signed and graded (for a fee, of course).  So, the moral of that overlong parable is that when you make friends and your carefully pre-planned schedule goes awry, be open to change. I got to get my books signed and make great friends (more on that later) because I was open to change.

2. That big plan you had? Keep it, it will serve you well, but be ready to add to it.

I had the fortunate opportunity to get my books signed by Brian Michael Bendis at a signing time slot that I only found because I was looking for the Mark Millar signing (which I had a ticket to attend). It was perfect, yet it took two hours away from the con plan that I had in my head (and on my printed schedule and C2E2 app). Believe me, it was worth it to meet the guy who has been responsible for almost the last twenty years of Marvel lore. Yet, that experience brings me back to one of the things I warned about in my previous post.

3. Pack light. You don’t need to bring your entire comic collection.

I was in a line for Brian Michael Bendis that did not move for almost 45 minutes. The talent showed up 15 minutes early, and yet the line slugged for what felt like infinity. When the first signee went walking down the line (with a thick stack of books that went from his waist to his head) we line dwellers all realized he was the inconsiderate fan who was only concerned with himself. Look, I won’t shame a fan for wanting to have an incredible moment with one of their favorite creators. I will, however, shame the hell out of a person looking to hawk books on eBay. When you attend a con with a bunch of creators and an exponential amount of fans, think about someone besides yourself. I don’t mean you shouldn’t ask for a selfie moment, but I do mean to avoid getting every single comic you own signed. Don’t overly consume the limited amount of time each creator has available for signing. We all have spent a decent amount of money to attend the con. Just be aware and…

4. Be cool and get ready to make amazing friends.

I can’t even tell you how far being a decent human being goes at a con or just in general. A solid rule of thumb in life is to be a good person. I won’t get specific, but being a nice guy got me into a few different lines that I initially didn’t have access to attend. So, at the end of the day talking to fellow fans, or people working the con, and being genuinely cool will open doors that you wouldn’t have been able to enjoy beforehand. I got signatures and met just the coolest creators by being just a nice dude.

Whether you attend a super helpful panel or make the most of the hours you spend in line, you’re going to meet some incredible like-minded individuals. I cannot express enough how awesome Kyle Higgins, Gene Ha, Jim Zub, or Michael Moreci were. They were all involved in panels and stayed afterwards to offer some of their knowledge and experience. That kind of information is invaluable to an aspiring creator.

5. Don’t just hang out at the big three booths.

I know what it’s like to want to spend your whole con experience at the booths of the companies you know. It’s tough to expand your horizons but look for the smaller publishers with booth space on the con floor. I was very happy to speak with the editors and publishers of smaller companies who were willing (and able) to chat with me. That is a great way to start your journey into the industry. Pleading with DC, Marvel, and Image for a book is silly. You’re not going to pitch your way into a major company at a con. You may, however, be able to network your way into the opportunity to pitch with a smaller publisher. That being said, be cool. You still need to be a decent human being to seal that deal.

6. Remember to be in the moment and enjoy the experience.

I made great friends and enjoyed meeting creators while I was at C2E2. I will be an annual attendee for the foreseeable future, because the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo was good to me. I avoided the Con Crud (thank you Emergen-C), and I managed to make friends and connections whilst satisfying my fandom. What more could you ask of a convention?

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

Bendis is coming!

Top Comics of March 2018

March was heavy on great new series like Gideon Falls, Oblivion Song, Eternity Girl, etc., but it was also a solid month for long-running books, too. Just look at Saga #50. As I’m fond of mentioning, I believe we’re in a new golden age of comics, and Saga is leading the way. Now, Saga is easy to take for granted, having been so good for so long, but it’s a real treasure, one we comic fans can and should use to indoctrinate new readers to our favorite hobby (I recently bought the full set of trades for my wife and she loved it). Anyway, my point is that it’s a good month when a book like Saga finishes #3 on our list, not by any fault of its own but because the competition was that strong.

Onward!

Close Calls

I’ve liked all DC’s Earth One books, but Green Lantern: Earth One by Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman stands out. It stars a flawed Hal Jordan who’s more compelling than his main universe counterpart in a layered sci-fi epic. I’ll just be over here anxiously awaiting part II…

...Donny Cates roll continues. Redneck #11 by him, Lisandro Estherren, & Dee Cunniffee is the latest installment in this masterclass on building sympathetic characters and putting them through a hell of their own design. Over at Marvel, Thanos #17 by Cates, Geoff Shaw, & Antonio Fabela is yet another chapter of pure undistilled grandiosity, dark as it is awesome...

...Speaking of undistilled grandiosity (whatever that means), Dark Nights Metal #6 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, & Jonathan Glapion was a great finale for my favorite Big 2 event in some time. Epic and engaging, Metal broke some (literal) barriers for the DC Universe, paving the way for big books of the future, big books like May’s No Justice...

...As for the other new DC books—the New Age of DC Heroes—I’m liking them. Yeah, the artists bailed after three issues, they don’t have much to do with Metal, some concepts are ripped straight off Marvel, etc., but The Terrifics, Silencer, Sideways, and even Damage are still good comics...

...Right now, family dynamics projected on comic book-y plots is hot as Hansel (thanks Tom King), and one great example of this is Assassinistas by Tini Howard and Gilbert Hernandez on Shelly Bond’s Black Crown imprint at IDW. Also on that imprint is Punks Not Dead by David Barnett & Martin Simmonds, which stars Sid Vicious’ ghost and a dopey high school kid. Where oh where was this when I was in my Bad Religion/blue hair phase at 16?...

...Finally, the toughest book to leave off the top was Descender #28 by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen. Now that the full existential stakes of this story are coming into focus, holy cow is it tickling my brain bulbs (is that a thing? also, gross).

Top Comics of March 2018

5. Secret Weapons: Owens Story #0 by Eric Heisserer, Raul Allen, & Patricia Martin

This is one impressive book from a craft perspective, especially in terms of structure. The titular Owen is a Psiot who manifests seemingly-random objects, and his story here consists of vignettes based on objects he’s selling at a yard sale, objects he manifested, objects with stories telling us more about our characters. The concept is risky, but Heisserer and his collaborators execute it well, creating the type of book that reminds you why having an upstart, third superhero publisher like Valiant benefits the industry.

4. Green Arrow #38 by Benjamin Percy & Juan Ferreyra

What can I say that I haven’t already in my paean for Benjamin Percy, Juan Ferreyra, and Otto Schmidt’s now-ended run on Green Arrow? I think it’s an all-timer. This last issue was a fitting end for it, and it will be dearly, dearly missed.

3. Saga #50 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Saga #50 is yet another nigh-perfect chapter in the best serial narrative happening in any medium. This issue opens with a full-page panel liable to cause death-by-blushing, then pushes forward from there. Saga goes to some wildly imaginable visual places while staying always focused on the heart of its story: a family on the run.

Its concept has evolved little, which is great; it hasn’t needed to. Vaughan just keeps hitting bittersweet, heartbreakingly true character moments with his scripts, while Staples draws the best concept designs of any comic in decades. This book is a sublime pleasure.

2. Mister Miracle #7 by Tom King & Mitch Gerads

And what can I say about this issue that wasn’t already said by Brandon Evans, who wrote an excellent meditation on the family dynamics at play in this issue and the rest of Mister Miracle. This issue saw our main characters having a child, during a birth process steeped in references to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World books that gave us Big Barda and Scott Free, as well as some clues to the dense puzzle the creative team here continues to weave. I suspect there is an unreliable narrator at work here, and I love it. This book seems destined to be a modern classic.

1. Abbott #3 by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivela, & Jason Wordie

The first two issues of Abbott felt special, comparable to Vertigo during its ‘90s heyday. Like many of the books from that line, Abbott takes us to places—both tangible and thematic—that comics are largely yet to go. The protagonist is a woman of color, the setting is Detroit, the time is the 1970s, and all of that is as well-wrought and gritty as one would expect. Writer Saladin Ahmed is a Detroit-area resident, and it shows in how there are brief tidbits about neighborhood and business closures that one could likely only know by being part of the fabric of the community.

So, yes, the first two issues of Abbott established it as a very good book. This third issue, though, absolutely blew me away. The creative team on this book has just gelled so well, with all of their various skill sets forging seamlessly together. Ahmed and artist Sami Kivela’s contributions are obvious via the excellent plot/script and artwork in evidence. Colorist Jason Wordie is also an invaluable part of the team, with his work giving Abbott a 1970s noir aesthetic that feels both new and familiar. Kivela’s aforementioned artwork is sharp, but also frightening and hazy when the supernatural nature of the story calls for it.

I also want to note the story work being done by the page design. I’m always unclear on exactly who does this, but the panel layout here is absolutely stellar. Just look at how the design and layout below function to bring out the drama in our story, even during something as visually pedestrian as a phone call...

I could go on, but the point is that this is a must-read book, one of the best on the stands right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this currently-five-part series ends up turning into an ongoing, should the creators involved be down. I know that sounds like wishful thinking and it is, but Boom! Studios has done it before (see Giant Days and Mech Cadet Yu), so there is precedent. Anyway, here's some more awesome Abbott art to go out on...

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

REVIEW: Justice League of America #28 by Steve Orlando and Hugo Petrus

Justice League of America #28 by Steve Orlando (w) and Hugo Petrus (a).

After the previous issue of Justice League of America setup Chronos as one of the most dastardly villains in the DC Universe, this one went ahead and solidified his terror. What really did the trick for me wasn’t Chronos’ typical villain dialogue, which was well done and included both taunting the heroes and telling henchmen to shut up. It also wasn’t the way Chronos took the fight to the JLA via a literal army of sycophants from throughout history (a classic move used often at Marvel by Kang the Conqueror). What made Chronos so compelling to me was the triviality of his motives. He seemed to embrace and own his status as a straight up bad guy (a fitting motif given our current political climate but that’s another discussion…).

As I noted in my review of issue #27, Steve Orlando is a writer who really lives in the heads of characters he writes, giving his books a more well-rounded feel than most, a sense that even small lines and brief actions matter, even if it’s just to create a more robust picture of what’s happening in this world with these people. There have been signs that Chronos was a petty man from the start, that his motives were entirely vindictive, and that he was messing with the God of superheroes, Ahls, simply to humble the League and take them down a notch for being altruistic, which has been a recurring motif in this run.

By the end of this issue, Chronos all but confirms as much, with Ryan Choi subsequently noting that Chronos had started as a petty thief, a dim man with a chip on his shoulder for being degraded by the superior intellects of first Ray Palmer and now Choi. This is all very much in keeping with behavior we’ve seen from Chronos, and it’s yet another example of what I’ve often said about Orlando’s JLA: it’s a well-wrought and complex run that rewards readers for investing deep levels of focus and attention.

Another thing I’ve really enjoyed about this current arc is that it leans in to being a story of superheroes. Orlando is also a writer with real passion for the tradition of his work, often taking close consideration of continuity when scripting character interactions. This passion shows in the lack of cutesy winking found in JLA. This is a book that takes story very seriously, and, as a reader, it’s hard to not follow suit. Of the talented artists Orlando has worked with throughout this run, Hugo Petrus’ work best embraces this total buyin. There are some truly fantastic superhero panels here, including one of a battle in which Black Canary lunges from the foreground at a foe, giving us a glimpse at an immense and impressive depth of field.

Overall: Justice League of America #28 is the penultimate issue of a book that has been a real treat, and I’m sad that things have to end. Not many of the characters from this team have been teased as part of the League moving forward, with the exceptions being Batman (of course) and Lobo, who is at least involved with No Justice. Still, getting nearly 30 issues with this eclectic and disparate group has been a treat, and issues like this illustrate why. 8.8/10

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

A C2E2 Newbie Plans for the Massive Con

I’m sitting in traffic in Chicago. Apparently, it’s a mistake to be on the highway at this time of day, but my flight was delayed. Nothing like flying two states west when trying to go one state east. The Uber driver tells me we should take side streets. I oblige, he is friendly enough, but I’m eager to get to my hotel room to begin finalizing my attack plans for C2E2. For those who don’t know, C2E2 is the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, an annual event where people from all over flock to the Midwest in a comic book and pop culture-induced frenzy. This is my first time attending, and I’ve been plotting for months how to get the most out of my time.

I’ve been to comic conventions in St. Louis, but this is my first large out-of-town convention. I have a few reasons for attending. Chiefly, I’m a massive comic book fan. So, being able to meet a plethora of creators is irresistible, and the celebrity appearances are pretty neat, too. But, if I’m being honest, the main reason I’m here is to network. My end goal is to find work, as a writer, in the comic book industry. As far as reaching out to make those connections, there is simply no better place to start than a con. So, after my Uber ride I head to the hotel bar and start typing away, plotting my plan of attack for the show. I’ve spent a decent amount of money getting here, as I’m sure other attendees have, and I’m trying to maximize my success. Below I’ve listed the key parts of my plan so far.

1.) Plan…plan like you’re trying to overthrow the world

C2E2 is just massive. I mean truly, for a first-time attendee, the programming has been almost overwhelming to just read, and trying to meld that information into a mental visualization has been, well, let’s just say staggering. So, I’m approaching the situation with the C2E2 app. It has super useful information and it’s constantly updating. I even used it to create an in-app schedule for which creators are signing at what times, which panels occur when and where, and what photo ops are going on. Both the app and website also have printable floor maps. Those have really helped me formulate a good game plan to find artist’s alley, the DC and Marvel booths, and the panels. They also have really useful things like coat check, check-in for badges, and even a quiet room to chill and decompress during a show.

2.) And then plan some more

Most creators are apt to post their signing and appearance schedules on social media. These are really helpful in setting up a timeline for maximizing your fan time at the con. I’ve used Sean Gordon Murphy, Mark Millar, and several others to efficiently plot a course through the show floor map.

3.) Pack light

Of course, this sounds super obvious, but by pack light what I really mean is bring luggage—that’s basically empty—for the swag you purchase at the con. Nothing says “I didn’t really plan for this” more than trying to shove super sweet lithographs and original art into your carry on. Also, and this is truly where I struggled, don’t bring all of your comic collection with you to get signed. I know this is counter intuitive to the core of fandom. I spent an entire week, with stacks of my super sweet comic collection spread out on the floor around me, agonizing which books I could bring with me and which books had to languish behind. I’ve got so many books by Brian Michael Bendis and Tom King, yet I tried to keep in mind that C2E2 had 80,000 attendees last year. Yes, you want to meet your favorite creators. Yes, you want to get your books signed. But you also want to keep the creators and other fans in mind and be considerate. Most lines have a max of items you can get signed. Remember, you are just one of myriad awesome fans that want to have a personal encounter with a writer/artist/celebrity/editor/colorist/letterer/cosplayer/etc. Be mindful of the time and excitement of your fellow fan.

4.) Assume the worst and the prepare for it

I’ve learned from following the social media feeds of various creators that there is this thing called comic con gunk. Basically, if you go to a mass event, you expose yourself to massive possible instances of contamination. Accordingly, I’ve been drinking an Emergn-C daily before each leg of the convention. I’ve got too much to do to come down with a debilitating affliction during or after the convention. So, when you see folks preparing for the zombie apocalypse, don’t shrug them off. Just preemptively medicate.

5.) Have goals

This also seems obvious, but take a moment to think about why you’re attending. You’ve no doubt spent a decent amount of money to be here. Why? Is it to meet the creators or celebrities who bring your favorite characters to life? Are you here to showcase your killer cosplay outfit? Or are you here to network and try to meet people to sell you ideas to? Maybe it’s a bit of all or the above? Just remember, you’ve only got so much time at C2E2. There are a lot of panels focusing on important topics, as well as phenomenal cosplay tips. Know what you’re here for. Don’t get caught up in fandom if your goal is to find editors to pitch ideas. Again, if you’re here to solely get books signed, that’s great. If you’re here to meet potential prospects, that’s also great. Just be careful with your time. If you play your cards right, you can be a fan and a potential creator. Just do it properly.

6.) Have fun

Going to a con can be overwhelming. Just remember, at the end of the day, you’re here to have a good time. Don’t get bogged down with ideas of what you should be doing. Have fun. Go meet other like-minded individuals. Get books signed, get commissions done, and grab a photo with your favorite actor. At the end of the day this whole thing is about enjoying fandom. So, do that. Don’t let some silly list dictate what you’re going to do. Enjoy yourself, plan your con, and make some memories.

I’m posting this, but I will post a pre C2E2 post as well. I just want to share what my expectations were vs. the reality. Have a great weekend. See ya guys on Monday!

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

Best Debut Comics of March 2018

There’s a special feeling at comic shops on Wednesdays when two HUGE books drop, an awareness that not only are we getting great comics, but we’re getting something else we love too: an easy Book A vs. Book B debate. In general, these types of big books are usually event stories starring flagship characters from the Big 2. In general, but not always.

Let’s look at this March, during which we got two major books on one Wednesday that were both creator-owned titles by industry titans: Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible) and Jeff Lemire (insert 20 titles here). I read and loved both Kirkman’s Oblivion Song and Lemire’s Gideon Falls and think that years from now we’ll look at March 7, 2018, awed that two titles like this launched on the very same day.

And you know what? I have no desire whatsoever to pit them against each other. Now, maybe this means I’ve evolved as a fan (unlikely), or (more likely) maybe it means there are so many high quality books lately that asserting an aggressive preference gets too tiresome, too quickly. For I am a simple man and have not come to the Internet to debate.

I have, however, come to tell you about the best debut comics for March 2018. Let’s do it!

Eternity Girl #1 of 6 by Magdalene Visaggio & Sonny Liew

Our first list falls into what I’m starting to think of as DC’s burgeoning prestige sadness category, which as of now contains basically just Eternity Girl and Mister Miracle. Magdalene Visaggio’s Eternity Girl is an eclectic book thematically, one that raises questions about suicide, disassociation from life, post-traumatic stress, malleable identities, and the always-elusive proper role one plays in the world. You can see why I’d draw a comparison to Tom King’s industry-shaking Mister Miracle. In other words, this is indeed an intriguing book. One last thing it shares in common with Mister Miracle is incredible art, this time courtesy of Sonny Liew. Have you seen some of these upcoming covers? So awesome it’s crazy, or it makes me feel a little crazy, hard to parse which is the case.

Gideon Falls #1 by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, & Dave Stewart

In January I got a copy of this for advanced review, so I’ve already heaped mounds of praise on Gideon Falls. With that in mind, I’ll just quickly recap now why I loved the latest collaboration between Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart so much.

As I said in January, this is a book deserving of a large and devoted audience, and given the star power of its creators, it will likely find it. The intrigue of the storytelling will ultimately make Gideon Falls one to follow for the long haul. It’s got influences of David Lynch, filtered through Jeff Lemire’s increasingly sharp sensibilities, and comics don’t get much better than that.

Infinity 8 #1 by Lewis Trondheim, Zep, & Dominique Bertail

Infinity 8 #1

This is such a polished and strong debut, one that offers a clear character with compelling desires from its start, those desires here being a deep longing to reproduce. Dominique Bertail’s art is stylish and imaginative, idealizing the human form and going wild when alien designs or space debris call for it. Overall, Infinity 8 is a story conceptualized to be three arcs of three issues, plotted and directed by French creatives Lewis Trondheim and Olivier Vatine. Based on entertaining I found this one issue, I’m in for the duration.

 

 

Oblivion Song #1 by Robert Kirkman & Lorenzo De Felici

I am admittedly a Robert Kirkman fan. While I don’t watch The Walking Dead television show (and haven’t since back in season 2), I am a fan of The Walking Dead comic. I’m an even bigger fan of the recently concluded independent superhero book Invincible, and a slightly less enthusiastic fan of the ongoing Outcast by Kirkman and Azaceta, which, make no mistake, I also think is quite good.

All of that is a lengthy preamble to saying Oblivion Song is Kirkman’s best debut yet. I recently The Walking Dead #1, and most of the flack Kirkman has gotten for his early simplicity of concept and wonky dialogue isn’t misplaced, not entirely. These are issues. They are, however, not issues in his newest book, which has a layer of complexity his previous works have lacked. Word also has it that the creative team here is two years ahead. All of which seems to indicate that Kirkman is still learning and still very much excited about telling graphic stories. Very cool.

Oblivion Song #1

Shadowman #1 by Andy Diggle, Stephen Segovia, & Ulises Arreola

Valiant Comics is in a state of flux. It was recently bought in full by Chinese investors. Most the senior staff that us comic folks know and love are gone (Dinesh!), and word has it the new directive is increased focused on Valiant films. Blerg.

This is all very concerning for Valiant Comics fans, and while it may be time to worry, books like Shadowman #1 show that it’s not quite time to straight panic. It was so good to see Jack again in this book, and while this may not be entirely accessible to virgin Shadowman readers, I think Andy Diggle’s script does enough to orient while also setting up compelling questions one can only assume the coming issues will answer.

Vampironica #1 by Greg and Megan Smallwood

Veronica Lodge is a vampire, that’s the simple concept here, but what makes this book worthy of a spot among the best debut comics of March 2018 is not the concept but rather the execution. Greg Smallwood is a superstar, and his talents are especially evident when applied to the occult (see his recent Moon Knight run with Jeff Lemire). So, Vampironica is a fast and pretty read, and while I hate to use the word fun to describe a comic—so vague and reductive—that’s exactly what this series looks to be, fun and blood-soaked and cheesy and escapist and...why not?

See last month's best debuts!

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Best Action Comics #1000 Variants (and Why We Love Them)

The first major comic I read as a kid was Superman #75. This isn’t unique to me. Released on November 18th, 1992, that book was the culmination of the Death of Superman, in which Supes and beastly kill machine Doomsday perished at each other’s hands. I was 9 and not exactly an active participant in our economy, so I had to read a copy belonging to a friend’s older brother in the basement of their house. I can still smell must mingling with that glorious new comic aroma.

It was formative. I loved Superman almost as much as I did my parents (again, I was 9). Every page in the book was a single panel; this was something special, something epic and grandiose. There had even been stories on the news—TV and print—about the gravitas of it all. Basically, it felt like we’d never see a comic so huge again, and I’d argue that we haven’t.

You can make a case for other books in the past 25 years being more influential or important, but it’s hard to argue another comic has garnered as much attention upon release as Superman #75—until now. Enter Action Comics #1000.

Landing on April 18, 2018, just shy of 80 years since the landmark Action Comics #1 launched the superhero concept, this book will celebrate all things Superman, and, in many ways, all Superman has given rise to, including superheros, shared universes, accessible science fiction, and so many allegories about hope. To mark the occasion DC has tapped a veritable army (or at least a squad) of the best artists in comics to do variant covers.

A cynical view is that DC is simply milking this achievement for every last dime, and, for sure, these variants are a sure fire way to bank. The more optimistic take, however, and the one more fitting for Superman, is that each of these artists had a moment like I did when I was 9, a moment blending an intense love of the character with a sense that his adventures were meaningful, and that these variants each represent that feeling, that formative bit of our histories put to paper.

Anyway, there’s no denying these covers look great, which is why today we’re taking a look at some of our favorites, and sharing a few thoughts about what makes them special.

Behold! In no particular order our favorite Action Comics #1000 variants:

Newbury Comics Variant by Patrick Gleason

One of the best parts of DC’s Rebirth publishing initiative (which is essentially ending with Action Comics #1000, but that’s a whole other story…) was how it revitalized Superman by putting his wife Lois and son Jon back into his life. Patrick Gleason, the artist responsible for this cover, was vital to that run, which he commemorates beautifully here, depicting Superman, Lois Lane, Jon, Krypto, and the flag of the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Newbury Comics retailer exclusive variant by Patrick Gleason.

1960s Variant by Michael Allred

Of course Michael Allred (one of my favorite artists in comics) did the 1960s variant, of course he did. His kitschy pop art aesthetic is a perfect fit for Silver Age Superman, from the beefy stature, to the colorful details, to the spiderweb of panels showing the most beloved and maligned of 60s Superman tales (Lori Lemaris!). I wasn’t a big fan of the other cartoony Action #1000 variants, largely because of my firm belief that this one is absolutely perfect.

1960s decade variant by Michael Allred.

Kings Comics Sydney Variant by Nicola Scott

One idea permeating Action Comics #1000 is that Superman is character with strong core values, but also one that remains malleable to best fit the present decade. You can really see subtle ways he’s changed from decade to decade here, be it through his hair, logo, facial structure, and, yes, The Trunks. Superman is also a character built on hope, and the Superman in the forefront of Scott’s wonderful piece looks more hopeful than any of his predecessors, as if he has learned from recent mistakes of the past (ahem, no trunks), and is still determined to make tomorrow better. That’s a thought that gives me goosebumps.

Kings Comics Retailer Variant by Nicola Scott

1980s Variant by Joshua Middleton

This cover really lives in the decade it depicts (look at Lois’ blouse, hair, makeup!), with an aesthetic best described as Deathly Sincere 80s Adventure Movie Poster. It also, however, has a timelessness to it. See the facial expressions that perfectly capture the essences of Superman (determined and brave, charging off toward peril), Jimmy (wow!), and Lois (confident and ready, pen poised). Oh, and then there’s Luthor speeding across the frame while a terrifying visage of Braniac looms high above all. Wonderful.

1980s decade variant by Joshua Middleton.

Third Eye Comics Variant by Kaare Andrews

Okay okay, so I said these were in no particular order, but I have to admit this cover is my top choice. Besides from just being straight-up gorgeous, it speaks to one of my favorite things in all of comics: the Superman-Lois Lane relationship. I’ve written about this at length, so I won’t belabor it again, but Superman without Lois Lane is hardly Superman at all. She’s been there from issue one, so having her central was always going to be a must for my favorite cover.  

Third Eye Comics Retailer Variant by Kaare Andrews.

Forbidden Planet Variant by Jock / Bulletproof Comix Variant by Gabriele Dell'Otto

I don’t really have deeper thoughts about either of these, other than “Hoo boy, look at this!”

Forbidden Planet Retailer Variant by Jock.

Bulletproof Comix Retailer Variant by Gabriele Dell'Otto.

1990s Variant by Dan Jurgens and Kevin Nowlan

I'd like this one quite a bit more (heavy Lois presence and all) if not for the Kaare Andrews cover, which I like better.

1990s decade variant by Dan Jurgens and Kevin Nowlan.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

March 2018 Indie Comics Grab Bag: Eclectic Choices

This month we have perhaps our most eclectic selection of indie books yet, drawn from a trio of disparate genres: horror, traditional high fantasy, and cowboy mech. That’s right, cowboy mech. Not a whole lot of common ground there, and when considered thematically this set of books becomes even more diverse. Which I think is super cool!

For two reasons: 1. It furthers an idea I’m vocal about, which is that if you think there aren’t good comics coming out these days, you just aren’t looking hard enough, and 2. As noted in January and February, the point of this feature is to diversify the comics and creators I’m reading this year, hopefully thereby passing more variety of recommendations onto all of you.

With that in mind, I take the disparity between our three books here as a sign we’re doing this whole thing right. Or, as right as we can anyway. This is a site geared toward writers, so I’d wager most of you well know how impossible it is to get any work 100 percent right.

But enough depression! Onward to our picks:

Infidel #1 (of 5) by Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell & Jose Villarrubia

Hoo boy, for a guy who doesn’t often read horror comics, I sure read some scary books in March. First there was Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s excellent Gideon Falls, which starts with eccentricity and slowly segues into sheer horror (a la David Lynch’s Twin Peaks), and then there was Infidel.

This book is a pure horror story, one with a fear-heavy introduction. Once that’s over, things let up enough for us to become familiar with our characters and plot: a Muslim-American young woman is living in a new city (possibly Boston?) with her husband (I think), his young daughter, and his mom. The young woman feels like she is starting to get along with the mom, but her lover is not so sure, insisting Mom can’t be trusted. Oh yeah, and there’s been a bombing in their apartment building, racism is blatant and aggressive, and our hero is stalked by ghosts.

Aaron Campbell and Jose Vilarrubia’s imagery in Infidel is truly horrifying, while Pornsak Pichetshote does a great job putting us in the head of our main character, making us feel her doubts over whether she’s being treated differently or whether sheer tense relationships are just byproducts of everyday life. In a sense, Infidel uses horror tropes to make the audience feel the gaslit nature of racial discrimination for many in modern times.

Overall: Infidel has the foundation and potential to be one powerful (and powerfully scary) book.

The Highest House #1 by Mike Carey, Peter Gross & Fabien Alquier

In a recent conversation on Twitter, a friend mentioned that of the genres undergoing a resurgence in today’s comic industry, fantasy is one of the strongest yet least heralded. I thought of Seven to Eternity, Realm, Rat Queens, God Country, Monstress, Mirror, Autumnlands, Rose, Birthright, and many others I can’t recall. So many; I immediately agreed with my friend.

Add The Highest House to the list. A somewhat traditional high fantasy concept done to near-perfection by creative team Mike Carey, Peter Gross and Fabien Alquier, The Highest House is a little darker, perhaps, than most fantasy. It puts readers into a world where slavery is almost pedestrian and the population participates without protest. Within 10 pages, we see an innkeeper sell his nephew and a woman with a dead stare offer up two of her children (one of which is our protagonist). It becomes clear we are in a world rife with inequity and disparity of wealth.

The art is done well throughout. The earliest scenes are kept to constricting, almost claustrophobic panels that really emphasize the tight circumstances of the poor folks at the inn. Once we get to our wealthier city, we finally get a freeing splash page of our lavish new locale. This is just one example of excellent choices Peter Gross makes with perspective. Gross also does a fantastic job hitting the emotional beats, with the sequence below standing out as particularly heartbreaking (that arm belongs to the slave boy’s mother).

Overall: There’s so much ethos in the layers of this fantasy world. I enjoyed the debut so much that I’ve decided to seek out the creative team’s previous work, The Unwritten.

Literary Cousin: Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. Technically this is genre fiction, but I’d still like to point out the existence of this phenomenal fantasy novel about income inequality, in which wealthy nobles settle even minor squabbles by conscripting the services of disposable swordsmen who fight to the death.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

REVIEW: Justice League of America #27 by Steve Orlando & Hugo Petrus

Justice League of America #27 is an excellent example of why I’ve loved this too-short run (just over a year and change). The team dynamics are once again complex and logical, giving careful readers a reward for their attentions. From the start, this incarnation of the JLA has been rife with incohesion, which is fitting due to it being a wildly disparate group, and writer Steve Orlando has expertly played out the dynamics that would logically develop.

Orlando really lives in his characters heads when writing, capturing subtle bits like—this week—The Ray boasting to Batman he was in control and Batman responding, yeah, good job, or Black Canary going out of her way to show Aztek welcoming kindness. We’ve previously seen The Ray questioning his worth alongside Canary or Batman, and it’s nice to see him act in a way that calls back to that while also demonstrating his growth. That's just one example, though. The book has many.

And it’s actually this idea of varied levels of hero experience I’ve enjoyed most in the JLA’s interactions, the ways younger and newer heroes like The Ray act around the vets. It’s really created not just a sense of past for each character, but for the current DCU, something inherently absent from the team books during New 52.

This idea of past especially shines with this issue’s villain: Chronos, David Clinton, the time-manipulating arch foe of the Ray Palmer Atom. As Ryan Choi tells us, “Chronos spends ages plotting an attack in what seems like seconds to us. He’s a high-tech thief with an old school grudge.” And how do you beat him? “You don’t do it alone.”

This may as well be a thesis statement for this issue, if not the entirety of Orlando’s JLA. Batman brought this squad together while acknowledging they weren’t the Justice League proper, not the A Squad, but were still needed to address a specific incident (see the prior arc!) while the heavy hitters were otherwise occupied. JLA #27—like every other issue in this run—stuck to that theme of teamwork over inexperience, while also incorporating the lessons and history from the team’s recent past. This may not be the easiest book to dive into, but if you invest, it more than rewards you for reading, and I’ve always been a fan of superhero complexity.

As for the art, I loved what Hego Petrus did with his page layouts, using inset panels with facial closeups to convey emotion during key moments. Petrus also did an annoyingly good job of making Chronus stupid face look smug (and punchable). I am far from a violent guy, but I must admit I fantasized about taking a swing at him in the final panel.

Best Line: “I don’t want them to get hurt because of me, but I’m not going to argue with Batman. Does anyone argue with Batman?” -Ryan Choi

Overall: Justice League of America #27 is another issue in a great run driven by the complexity of the relationships between team members with disparate motivations, levels of experiences, and emotional IQs. The villain in the story is a time manipulator, which fits wonderfully with Orlando’s foundational theme of overcoming experience and living up to legacy. Add to it Hego Petrus’ fantastic artwork—especially on detail shots and facial expressions—and you’ve got an issue that makes me sad this run is ending next month. 9.0/10

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

ADVANCE REVIEW: Wasted Space #1 by Michael Moreci and Hayden Sherman

I’ve been a fan of Vault Comics for a while now, continually impressed by how the rising publisher manages to put out some of the best pure science fiction and fantasy stories in the graphic medium. I’ve written about this before, but along with Lion Forge and Aftershock Comics, Vault is slowly remaking perceptions of what indie publishers can be, exercising incredible judgement at the talent and books they promote.

Vault’s latest sci-fi book, Wasted Space—by writer Michael Moreci, artist Hayden Sherman, and colorist Jason Wordie—is yet another in a growing collection of titles that are as entertaining as they are complex. Wasted Space is set in a dystopian future where most facets of life have evolved toward their logical extremes, including technology, religion and—most importantly for our plot—drugs. I was impressed here from the first page, wherein a blip of a human form floats tethered to a ship deep in the cosmos. The narration begins: The galaxy is totally f*%#&@.

I’m an easy mark for stories about futures wherein things have gone massively awry, and I’m also prone to liking protagonists who start their hero’s journey feeling distant and defeated. Wasted Space delivers both those elements, and it delivers it well. This book’s marketing describes it as Preacher + Phillip K. Dick + Star Wars, and, to be sure, there are shades of all those properties, but Space also addresses modern concerns, as most good science fiction tends to do.

The social commentary, however, never becomes too overt, and Moreci’s script here is careful to focus on characterization. The galaxy has gotten bleak, sure, and it’s clearly due to some combination of religious extremism, greed, group think, and charismatic-yet-devious leadership, thereby forcing much of the populous to seek chemical-fueled escape. To me, this world seems more than a little familiar, and I’d wager that’s the point.

It’s also worth noting that Hayden Sherman is fast-becoming indie comics go-to artist for frenetic dystopian futures. I first noted this earlier in the year after reading Cold War #1 from Aftershock. That book, drawn by Sherman as well, is a breakneck story of a world in which cryogenic promises have been broken. Once-frozen citizens awake and are plunged by some shadowy control agent into violence. In Cold War, Sherman accomplishes some incredible world building as well as clear action in his panels.

Sherman’s work in Wasted Space again creates a set of sci-fi cityscapes that enhance the script rather than distract, and while there isn’t as much kinetic energy as there was in Cold War (I struggle to think of any recent book with as much kinetic energy as Cold War) Sherman does a pitch-perfect job of using panel perspectives to convey the tension, desperation, yearnings to escape, and loneliness that drives our characters.

Overall: Wasted Space #1 is a super solid debut issue with an incredible amount of promise. Being a vocal proponent of Vault, I’m often asked for a good title to start with, and for the sci-fi set my answer moving forward will likely be Wasted Space. Basically, Wasted Space is a sci-fi allegory for our tumultuous times, one that raises questions about demagogues, escapism, and the dual businesses of selling religion and drugs. This debut issue does a great job of setting the stage and piquing interest for future installments. Count me in. 8.5/10.

Spare Thoughts: Moreci is a graduate of DC’s New Talent program, and his work first caught my attention in the publisher’s New Talent Showcase, which featured a story of his about the White Lantern at the time. It’s also worth noting that Cold War, which we mention here, was by Christopher Sebela, another graduate of that program. Along with Moreci and Sebela, that class of creators also featured Vita Ayala, who has been co-writing Supergirl with Steve Orlando and also had a recent notable indie book of her own in the form of The Wilds. In other words, how badly would you like to participate in DC’s new talent program? Look at the careers it’s helping to launch!

Wasted Space #1 is available for pre-order now at your local comic shop, and it will be out April 18. 

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

The Legacy of Jane Foster, a Mortal Worthy of Gods

It all started with a whisper, though not a careless one, all the way back in 2014. Jason Aaron stripped Thor Odinson of the mighty Mjolnir with the simple sentence, “Gorr was right.” Three words that came with a hell of a lot of consequences. Not only could the blonde god we all know and love not lift the mystical hammer, but he lost his namesake. According to some, this was an affront to their devoted fandom. Others thought that maybe it was fine. “Things that happen in events don’t last that long,” we told ourselves. How wrong we were. Not only did Odinson lose his name, but he also lost an arm! May the uncalled-for torture of our favorite Asgardian never end? What is it that angered Jason Aaron so much about this character he had been writing?

To be fair, asking these questions is missing the point of the story. This story isn’t about the Odinson. It’s about a simple mortal. A strong woman named Jane Foster, the former love interest of the Asgardian god whose namesake she took, was deemed worthy by Mjolnir and she wielded the hammer as an uncannily adept goddess of thunder. The hammer soared for Jane in ways it had never done before, and even Odinson was in awe. It did so because Jane formed a different type of relationship with the hammer. In the past, Thor had simply used the hammer as a weapon or a tool. He undoubtedly had respect for it, but Jane viewed Mjolnir as much more.  Maybe that’s because it called to her when Odinson was no longer worthy. She heard Mjolnir’s voice in her head and was compelled to lift it and be transformed into the Mighty Thor.

The question that we should be asking though is why Mjolnir called out to Jane. Why of all the other Asgardians, or characters who’ve proven their worthiness in the past, was a woman in the midst of her own battle with cancer chosen to wield all that power?

That question is the strength of this entire run on The Mighty Thor. Issue after issue Jane proved why she deserved to be Thor. In reality, Mjolnir decided to call to Jane because Jason Aaron thought it was a unique idea. Then he gave that idea life, and boom we got one of the best runs on a Thor book we ever could have asked for. We should be grateful, and yet parts of the internet are still sour to the idea. If you feel that this shifting in the balance of Thor stories only happened because of an editorial push for diversity in comics, I won’t flat out disagree with you. It is probably a germ of where this idea came from. It certainly isn’t the reason this story happened, but it probably helped it come to publication. The point of the entire Mighty Thor storyline isn’t that Thor became a woman. The point is that Thor became a mortal who didn’t aspire to be a god.

Let that sink in for a moment and digest it. The new Goddess of Thunder didn’t want to be a god. Jane didn’t even let the gods use their magical healing abilities to defeat her own battle with cancer.  That alone is a testament to how strongly rooted in her own humanity Jane is. I’m not sure anyone facing a life-ending illness would pass up a chance to live the rest of their normal lifespan – let alone taste immortality and walk away. And yet, Jane did, leaving behind an actual sense of loss in her fellow characters and the readers who’ve been following her adventures. Although, this moment of her passing is not an unexpected one – Jane debuted as Thor already on the tough end of her battle with a terminal disease – because the last arc of her adventures has been titled The Death of Jane Foster for months now. We’ve been preparing ourselves for this, but it still hurts.

So, let’s get back to why Jane is undeniably worthy of the title she assumed. Due to his nasty little machinations, Malekith unleashed a war that literally consumed all of the realms. All the while as the realms were caught in this inescapable carnage, Odin turned his one good eye away from the whole situation. The leader of the gods refused to come off his throne and help those who would call out for his help the most. Jane saw this and plunged herself into fighting for those who couldn’t, even as each transformation advanced her aggressive cancer’s damage to her mortal body. Jane literally gave herself to save complete strangers when the gods couldn’t be bothered to help. Well most of the gods, Volstagg did his best to help and we got the incredible War Thor out of the process. His story was both heart wrenching and exhilarating to read. I’m only sad it ended so quickly when Volstagg fell to the indomitable Mangog.

The seemingly unstoppable creature with the strength of a billion billion beings – and a design that borders on ludicrous – was awakened by the war of the realms. Mangog is apparently the universe’s answer to the gods. He is their reckoning and judgement made into a single powerful being.  So, as he set about on his quest to reach Asgardia and purge the universe of all of Odin’s ilk, he destroyed the ultimate version of Mjolnir, crumbled the Bifrost bridge, laid waste to the Asgardians, and sent Asgardia itself on a collision course with the sun. Then he engaged both Odinson and Odin in a brutal confrontation.

Jane, having given up wielding Mjolnir to focus on her own health, had promised to leave all things Thor aside – it was determined that if she transformed into Thor one more time her mortal body would perish – realized that Thor was needed and lifted Mjolnir one last time. She knowingly gave her all to come to the rescue of Odin even when his unwillingness to act set about the events he was currently suffering. Jane then of course found a way to defeat Mangog, at the cost of her own life and apparently even that of Mjolnir’s. Thus, giving up any chance she had at continuing to live.

It is important to note that as Jane fought the self-proclaimed judgement of the gods, she gave the ultimate judgement to Odinson. In the midst of her mortal battle she proclaimed, “We need gods we can believe in! Tell them that! Tell all of Asgard! Tell them it’s time to earn the gift they’ve been given!” Effectively, in her last few moments, Jane laid the ground work for Odinson to believe in not only himself, but the rest of his fellow gods, again. Odinson may have to lift a new hammer, but he will be able to do so as Thor with a fresh realization on what it means to be a god. A final gift given to him by a mighty mortal.

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

Why Lois Lane is My Favorite Character in Comics

For a few years, I've been under the impression that Superman was my favorite character in comics, ever since I went from feeling like an unlucky underdog (a la Spider-man) to an adult who wanted to use his position in the world to make a difference. Upon closer examination of these feelings, however, I recently realized it wasn't Superman I was relating to, no, it was actually Lois Lane.

In retrospect, I now believe Lois has been my favorite for some time; it just took a jarring threat for me to realize it.

This threat came in DC’s June solicitations. Soon, Brian Michael Bendis will take over the Superman line. Bendis has been (arguably) Marvel’s defining writer for two decades, and so him writing Superman is a huge deal and a source of much speculation. Recent Superman books have had Clark settled down with a family, with his wife Lois and son Jon, and a prevailing fear among many fans is that Bendis will undo all of the domestic happiness.

And the solicitations played right into that. Just look:

THE MAN OF STEEL #1

• Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • Art by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
• A new era begins for Superman as a threat from his earliest origins reemerges to destroy the Last Son of Krypton. As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son, he must also face a new threat that’s determined to burn down Metropolis!

Read that again: As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son…

Awful. Now, smart money says nobody would tip such a major plot point in a preview, and this is simply a means of playing with our anxieties (for better or worse), but I was still shook, so shook I began to deeply contemplate what Lois Lane means to me. And the answer is an awful lot.

The reason why comes down to three main points...

Lois Lane is Human

Superman’s appeal is that of the idealized man, a pinnacle of “the American way,” but that’s not quite right. Superman is alien, and try as we might, we’ll never have his power. Lois, however, is one of us, and her best characterizations embrace this without making her meek or powerless. In fact, Lois done well is one of the most talented figures in comics, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who does as much good with her pen as others do with freak abilities.

Lois’ power comes from hard work, fearlessness, and deep desire to make a difference. Who would I like to emulate? Superman, sure, but that’s impossible. The better answer is Lois. She isn't perfect—she’s a bit reckless at times, her dad is a cog in the military industrial machine, for years she was blind to Clark’s identity (I blame the writers), and she’s always falling off buildings (ditto)—but Lois still contributes to society in meaningful ways, both through writing and, more recently, through pushing Clark to be a better guy.

Lois is what we can be at our best, more than Superman, by virtue of her humanity.

Lois has a Rich History Rooted in Reality

Lois Lane has been around from the start, appearing in 1938’s Action Comics #1, but even before that the character was accruing a rich and compelling history. See, Lois Lane is based on a real reporter named Nellie Bly (RIP).

And Bly’s story is amazing. Like Lois Lane, Bly was a fearless reporter, and she worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, racking up some incredible journalistic accomplishments, including:

• Earning her job by writing an impassioned response to a newspaper column suggesting women were only good for having kids and keeping house.
• As a foreign correspondent in Mexico, writing about a dictator imprisoning protesters so effectively that he forced her to flee the country. She was 21.
• Going undercover to investigate brutality and neglect in the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, later writing a book that sparked outrage and forced reform.
• Traveling alone around the world in 72 days, beating a fictional record set by Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg (she also stopped in France to meet Verne en route).
• Eventually becoming a powerful industrialist who patented a stackable garbage can.

It's a credit to Superman's creators that way back in 1938 they had the good sense to form a character that was his equal, and, given the archaic social mores of the time, to also make this character a woman. The invention of Superman and Batman are impressive, of course, given their originality and lasting legacies, and Superman in particular was a response to societal ills, but creating Lois Lane was downright bold, and her having an actual historical basis in a figure as important as Nellie Bly endears Lois to me even further.

My Wife is a Reporter

Speaking of ways Lois endears herself to me, I should note my wife is a reporter for one of the biggest newspapers in the country, The Los Angeles Times, and that like Lois, she’s been fearless with her work from a young age. In high school, my wife reported on the disappearances of local women in the dangerous Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. You can’t see my face right now (obviously) but I’m beaming.

Anyway, indulge me as I draw similarities between my marriage and Lois and Clark's.

• Lois is a fearless and successful reporter; while Clark is a sometimes above average writer who could be better if not for his life as a comic book hero.
• My wife is a fearless and successful reporter; while I am a sometimes above average writer (I said indulge me!) who could be better if not for my life reading about comic book heroes.

Joking aside, we have a connection, one that makes stories about Superman's family life deeply meaningful to me.

And now Lois and Clark's marriage in the Superman books seems to be at risk. I’ve loved recent Superman, in which Lois and Clark work together to handle all the challenges that come at them, be they cosmic or domestic. All of us who have grown up and coupled can surely relate, and robust sales numbers suggest I’m far from alone here.

This recent version of Lois has had agency, participating in action sequences in extreme locales like Apokolips all while continuing to work at the Daily Planet. She’s as human and hardworking and determined to improve the world as ever.

In closing, I should note that I know this piece is a bit solipsistic and many readers have personal connections to Lois, especially young girls who didn’t have the luxury of viscerally identifying with Superman. I’m also aware many of my impressions of Lois come from the best-written versions of her, and that her depiction has at times oscillated wildly between empowered and distressed.

I get that, but I’d still like to close on an optimistic note. Bendis’ recent work at Marvel has largely been respectful in its treatment of female characters. Just look at Invincible Iron Man. Bendis has shifted the focus of that book to characters like Mary Jane Watson, Tony’s long-lost biological mother, and a young Chicago super genius named Riri Williams. Here’s hoping he writes Lois Lane the same way, the way she deserves.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Cover of Superman #45 by Patrick Gleason

Top Comics of February 2018

Better late than never, right? It may be closer to April than February, but here we are with our list of favorite comics from that month. Hey, we haven’t missed one since we launched way back in September, and we’re not about to start now!

Okay then, on to the comics…

Shout Outs

Let’s start with the books that didn’t quite make the Top 5 but sure got close...Black Panther #170 was another excellent installment in Ta-Nehisi Coates run, made especially noteworthy by a transcript in the back of a conversation between Coates and Ryan Coogler, director of the Black Panther film...the Doom Patrol/JLA crossover books were an imaginative highlight of February, with Mother Panic/Batman standing out. This one featured Batman as a preacher holding forth for a congregation of pint-sized Robins armed with shotguns...Eternal was so good I gave it to my wife to read and she loved it as much (if not more) than I did...Joshua Williamson’s Flash has been fantastic throughout, but Grodd being portrayed as one of the most terrifying and powerful villains in the DCU (which he is) really impressed me. I suspect Flash will make a leap to the Top 5 proper soon, with how the current story seems to involve the vast range of the Flash mythos...finally, let's talk about Saga #49’s cover. Fiona Staples’ covers are always impressive, but this one was just so timely and topical. I mean, look!

This cover makes sense within Saga, of course, but even if it didn’t, it’d still be compelling, conveying that we (society) are falling deeper into a media that just reflects everything back at us while “We’re All Completely Fuc—” crawls across a ticker on bottom. Brilliant.  

Top 5 Comics of February 2018

5. Black Monday Murders #8: This issue was not a dense read, as the rest of the book has been, but rather an action-packed one, surprisingly so. It hums along with developments and revelations, playing with power structures and systemic control, as this series has done from the start, while also refusing to sacrifice any of the power of its ideas in favor of accessibility. In other words, it’s definitely written by Jonathan Hickman.

Most importantly, though, Black Monday Murders #8 features a surprise, one that shows us our hard-boiled every man protagonist is just as flawed as the seemingly villainous elite he investigates. Within all of Hickman’s intricate world-building, this simple human fallibility turns out to be the most compelling quality within an excellent comic. Be forewarned, though, Black Monday Murders #9 is yet to be solicited, and given Jonathan Hickman’s working pace, it could be some time before it drops.

4. Thanos #16: This comic would be higher if we hadn’t given three Donny Cates books our top spot last month. As we’ve discussed in the past, these lists aim to support some of the best ongoing and sustained work, the stuff truly worthy of being kept on pull lists or purchased later in trade. So then, why are we praising Thanos again instead of giving some play to another deserving book? Simply put, this issue deserved it. It’s that good.

Thanos #16 is mainstream Big 2 adventure at its best. Cates is writing lately like a lifelong comic fan who dreamed of being a major Marvel voice as a kid, worked his fingers off at the keyboard to become one, and—guess what?—achieved it. There’s pure and undistilled joy in his work, nowhere more so than in Thanos. I mean, the first line in this issue is “When he was a younger man, and not yet a cosmic-fueled engine of time-traveling murder, Frank Castle’s wife and children were shot to death before his eyes.” Cates only ups the full-throttle comic book nonsensery from there.   

3. New Super Man and the Justice League of China #20: While DC Rebirth on the whole took a back-to-basics approach, it was not without a few glorious steps into new territory, chief among them Gene Luen Yang’s excellent New Super Man. There’s a lot to like about that book, including the main character’s demonstrable growth, the humor (Bats and Robinbot, LOL), the re-imagined mythos, and the geo-political/cultural backdrop of modern China.

None of those qualities would matter, however, if Yang wasn’t such a compelling writer. This is reductive maybe, but New Super Man is straight up good comics. It’s also highly believable, as believable as a story about super powers can be, anyway, and none of the ways our heroes have come to mirror American counterparts feels gimmicky or forced. This series might wrap up in May, which is of course a bummer, but I feel lucky to have gotten as many issues as we did. Here’s hoping we see Kong Kenan and the crew in other books moving forward!

2. Jessica Jones #17: Brian Michael Bendis’ final scripts are publishing at Marvel as he prepares his first work for DC, and as they do, one of the ironies about Marvel losing its biggest gun (and arguably its signature voice) is that these books have quietly been some of Bendis’ best recent work for the publisher. He’s turned in fantastic runs on Jessica Jones, Spider-Man, Invincible Iron Man, Infamous Iron Man, and Defenders. It’s really been quite impressive.

Jessica Jones #17, however, is the best of Bendis’ farewell tour so far. Defenders was an action-heavy streetlevel romp, and without question an enjoyable read, but given the relatively simplicity of that story, I had the sense a few other writers could have pulled it off just as well. Jessica Jones #17, on the other hand, could only have been written by Bendis. It combined two of his defining strengths—dialogue and philosophy—for an enthralling end to the Purple Man redux story, creating a resolution that spoke to the core of both characters. This story also wouldn't have been the same (or anywhere close to it) without the artwork of longtime Bendis' collaborater Michael Gaydos, whose page layouts were also crucial, as was the pitch-perfect noir color work, too.

1. Detective Comics #975: Detective Comics has been a fixture for me since I was a kid riding my bike to the local comic shop (the now-shuddered Graham Crackers’ comics in Glendale Heights, Illinois—RIP). Basically, I’ve been reading this book for years and can confidently say James Tynion’s Rebirth run is among the best of this book in my lifetime.

This number one spot for #975 is also a nod to the installments that made the plot within possible. If you’ve been reading, you know Tynion has carefully built a story that visits complex corners of Batman’s mythos, including Bruce Wayne’s lingering familial concerns, villain rehabilitation (or the impossibility thereof), legacy, the net good of Batman for Gotham, child soldiers, and the natural extension of Batman’s war on crime, pushed to extreme efficiency here by Tim Drake.

This story—The Trial of Batwoman—is an epilogue for much of this run. I don’t want to give anything away, but this “trial” is rich with various character ticks of the Bat Family, some of which are surprising without straining credibility or defying logic. I loved it, and I can’t wait to see what major story beats Tynion has left to play out as his run draws to a close.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

The Miracle of Life: A Look at the Ties that Bind in Mister Miracle

It’s difficult to explain what you think is going on in Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ Mister Miracle. You might disagree, but think about it. First, you’d have to be able to convince yourself what exactly you think is going on. Try doing that, and then go back and try again. I bet you’ll create enough doubt, or straight confusion, that you won’t be able to put it together well enough to explain the overall story of the series. 

Now, of course, that isn’t to say that you couldn’t just go back and lay out the plot points as they occurred and then tell somebody what happened page by page. I mean yes, in that regard, you could tell somebody what occurred page by page. But, what is that weird thing that happens in some of the panels where they distort visually? You know, like when an old VCR had trouble with a video cassette – it kills me that some of you won’t get that reference – or when the Blu-Ray skips. Wouldn’t you call that a distortion in the reality of the series? So, go ahead and tell me what you think is happening again. 

Regardless of what is going on in the story – I’m sure we will be able to begin to piece it together soon as the series just hit its halfway mark – there is one theme that is persistent and undeniable. Whatever is going on with Scott Free, family is surely one of the most important aspects of it. You might say that yes, that’s pretty obvious, but let’s look closer at his relationships in this series. 

WARNING: Spoilers are below, so read the issues first!

1.) Highfather: Scott Free’s own biological father is notably absent in this series. He is mentioned in the first issue before being reported dead by Orion – the work of Darkseid, apparently – and sparking the final war with Apokolips, that Scott and Barda find themselves in. Nothing like daddy issues to really get a character moving, am I right?

2.) Darkseid: Scott’s adoptive father, I guess, and ruler of Apokolips. His presence can be felt throughout the entire series. Even though he is only shown in one panel – so far – Darkseid’s reach is far and strong. He is apparently the murderer of Orion, but if you ask him what he’s done he will tell you that Darkseid doesn’t do. Darkseid is. I doubt you’ll forget that powerful moment in the series. 

3.) Granny Goodness: I’m going to say this flat out, Granny is a mind f@*k in this series, so far. When she meets with Scott and Barda, she treats them with a kind and nurturing demeanor that you would expect from a good granny, but it isn’t long before she mentions her past tortures of the pair while simultaneously starving one of their comrades to death; this is all while they eat like a family. She alludes to Scott that he is actually her son and maybe, just maybe, Highfather wasn’t his real father after all. She mentions some prophecy to Scott that also insinuates that Darkseid is his real father just before Barda viciously beats her to death. Too bad she couldn’t spill any more secrets with some of her innards. Scott’s only maternal figure is taken away from him, by his wife. Which seems to fit the natural order of things for the New Gods. 

5.) Orion: Scott’s brother, although not biologically. He is the pinnacle of a dickhead. I mean, he sentences Mister Miracle to execution. He is exactly the type of character that you expect your older step-brother to be. He is harsh, demanding, and abusive. He clearly wants to lead, and briefly does but at dear costs to New Genesis’ war efforts against Apokolips – just ask Forager. He is the force that Scott must answer to for much of the story so far, and yet Scott tolerates and even defends him. His brotherly love and respect for Orion is apparent from issue 1, and his death obviously affects Scott. So much so that when he dies at the end of issue 6, we instantly get a new life in issue 7. Thus, filling the void that Orion has left. 

4.) Big Barda: Scott’s loving wife. Barda knows exactly what Scott needs when he doesn’t himself. She is soft and caring, yet stern and demanding when the time is necessary. She may not know why Scott tried to kill himself, but she certainly doesn’t seem too concerned about getting to the bottom of it either. All Barda seems to be interested in is enjoying every moment she can with Scott, whether that’s as warriors or lovers. If Scott is escaping Death in this series, I think the argument could be made that Barda is his ideal source of Life. 

5.) Jacob: The son of Mister Miracle and Big Barda. He is born at the end of issue 7 and he is just perfect. Well probably, there are some ominous things that are surrounding the new little guy. If you look closely on a heart monitor the omega symbol is present in one of the panels. This monitor was specifically monitoring Jacob’s heart before he was born. Also, Scott had to cut the cord from around Jacob’s neck with The Fahren-Knife – forged from the hide of Darkseid by Desaad – which supposedly burns you from the inside out. At the end of the issue he doesn’t seem to have any ill effects, though he does begin to cry as the chapter comes to a close. Foreshadowing much?

6.) The Female Furies: Oddly, we don’t really get to see the Furies until this point in the series. It’s incredible that they are Darkseid’s honor guard that are sworn to kill his enemies, and yet they show up to support the birth of one of their former member’s child. Their disgraced and treasonous former leader to be exact. While they don’t have a close relationship with Scott, who seems uninterested in their arrival, they do represent a lot for Barda. They are where she came from, who she used to be. The Furies operate as a great foil for her while also conveyingthe strength of the bond of family. 

The theme of Family and its importance in this story can’t be denied. In fact, every time Scott is faced with a problem, he turns to Barda. They even start a family in the middle of a New God war. It’s interesting that it’s as a family man, that Mister Miracle starts to become miraculous again and not just be the same old same old character we’ve seen for years. 

As I wrap up, I’ve noticed a few things to continue to look out for in the series:

• Barda’s eyes keep changing color from brown to blue. Scott even mentions it in issue one and he is right, they do keep changing color at interesting moments.

• The “Darkseid is.” panels seem to show up whenever Scott is making a decision. The most recent and prime example is when he decides to use the Fahren-Knife to cut the cord on Jacob and save his life.

• The Face of God that Scott isn’t supposed to see – or maybe is – keeps popping up. It’s foremost in issue one and is the last thing he sees in issue six.

• A small detail, but Scott is referred to as High Father for the first time in the same issue that his son is born. That’s either important or a very nice touch by Tom King.

Hopefully, these will begin to reveal some more about the story soon. Either way, it’s been a great ride so far, and I look forward to how it continues. 

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

Top 5 Debut Comics of February 2018

Our slate of top-tier debut issues was brimming this month, so let’s go ahead and bypass our usual introduction, just stopping briefly to note that 1. YES! it was another great month for comics, and 2. We are indeed within a new modern golden age for the medium, sales figures be damned (since when is profit a measure of artistic quality anyway?). Onward!

New Beginnings

Brave and the Bold #1 by Liam Sharp: I knew going into this book that Sharp’s artwork would blow my eyes out (it’s sooooo good), but I was not prepared for the poetic turns of phrase in his script, nor was I ready for the excellent Wonder Woman characterization. Overall: Kudos to DC for trusting Sharp to pull double duty. It may have seemed like a risk, but this debut suggests it’s one that will pay off quite well.

Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1 by Jeff Lemire & Max Fiumara: Speaking of incredible comic book-ing I was wholly unprepared for, let’s talk Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1. Regular readers know my Best of the Month rankings (which I’ll be posting later this week) take whole runs into account, so debut issues almost never make the jump from this list to that one, but I was extremely tempted by this book. Overall: This book is part of Lemire’s burgeoning Black Hammer mythos (which keeps getting richer with perfect choice after perfect choice), a forlorn and mysterious take on superhero tropes. What’s most remarkable to me about this book is that it’s also an incredible stand-alone read, one with a clear and rewarding arc for its protagonist, filled with growth, hubris, a fall, and an inkling at its end that our hero will become a better person. Bravo!

Sideways #1 by Dan DiDio / Justin Jordan & Kenneth Rocafort; The Terrifics #1 by Jeff Lemire & Ivan Reis: I think it’s fair to describe fandom's attitude toward the New Age of DC Heroes as largely curious and slightly ambivalent (I fall more toward curious), but the publishing initiative justified itself and then some this month with Sideways and The Terrifics. Sideways is an exquisitely drawn (Kenneth Rocafort is an all-time great in the making), and it’s also a modern take on the classic teen superhero origin. I’ve seen comparisons that call this DC’s Spider-Man, but I’d argue Ms. Marvel might be more apt, given how well the writing captures today’s teens. Either way, great stuff, and The Terrifics description basically tells you all you need to know about its quality: it’s a DC take on the Fantastic Four written by Jeff Lemire, you know, the guy putting on a masterclass in alternate superhero mythologies over at Dark Horse with Black Hammer. Overall: Launching as many new books driven by new or obscure characters as this initiative aims to do is risky, but so far the comics have justified it.

X-Men Red #1 by Tom Taylor & Mahmud Asrar: If I had written a proper intro this month, I’d probably have tied it to a theme of surprise!, since so many of these books subverted or exceeded my expectations. Surprise, however, wouldn’t cover my reaction to X-Men: Red, which is far closer to downright freaking shocked. Look, I was the perfect age (third grade) when X-Men: The Animated Series hit, and in many ways that show and the X-characters are responsible for drawing me into comics. I, however, have been less than thrilled with the quality of their books lately, which have sagged as Marvel and Fox have battled over their movie rights. I was an X-cynic, to put it mildly, and now after this book I’m an X-believer, or a Current-believer. This is getting confusing, anyway...Overall: Simply put, the best X-book I’ve read in many years. Tom Taylor is clearly establishing himself as a writer with a baseline of quality that is far higher than the mean, regardless of how flawed a project seems from the outside.

Honorable Mentions: Last (and I guess sort of least, within this group anyway) I’d like to mention some of the comics that came closest to qualifying, including Cold War #1 by Christopher Sebela & Hayden Sherman from Aftershock Comics; Cult Classic: Return to Whisper #1 by Eliot Rahal & Felipe Cunha from Vault Comics; Incognegro Renaissance #1 by Mat Johnson & Warren Pleece from Dark Horse Comics' Berger Books; and The Wilds #1 by Vita Ayala & Emily Pearson from Black Mask Comics.

That’s it for this month’s newbies! Make sure to come back later this week for our Top 5 Favorite Comics of February 2018, and, if you’re so inclined, feel free to check out last month’s Top Comics of January 2018. Cheers!

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Comic Book Shops in Austin, Texas

Everyone loves Austin, Texas. It’s one of the few cities in the Lone Star state that has hilly terrain, water running through it, and (somewhat) ample trees. There’s also barbecue and beer and the Alamo Draft House Movie Theater. Austin is, for better or worse, “the cool part of Texas.” And most importantly for our purposes, Austin is home to several great comic shops, too.

I lived in Austin from 2011 to 2016, and frequented many of the shops in the city, as I am wont to do wherever I’m living. I’m glad to be out of Austin now—it’s grown so fast and traffic is a mess and in a lot of ways the growth is totally out of control—but I do miss the comic shops there.   

Recently, I was back in town for a wedding, and I took a stroll down comic book memory lane, in part to refresh my memory enough to write this guide. I was pleasantly surprised to find that in the 2 years I've been away, the shops are mostly still there and just as fantastic as I remember. Let's take a look!

Austin Books & Comics

This place is the Disneyland of comics. It has everything, from variants to entire sections of obscure indies to rare books on the wall to a veritable army of friendly staffers. In the same little strip mall, it has separate affiliated stores for back issues and games, too. ABC (as hip folks call it) also hosts art shows on some weekends. When I lived in Austin, this was where I took non comics friends to show off the hobby, and it was also where I ended up when my regular shop sold out of titles.

Pros: The fact that a shop as large, cool, and comprehensive as ABC exists in a tourist-heavy town like Austin is great for the industry. I’m certain I wasn’t the only Austinite who brought out-of-towners to browse between barbecue and beers. Like I said, this is comics Disneyland, and only a jaded soul would argue there isn’t at least a little fun to be had at Disney. Oh, and it’s part of the increasingly hard-to-find fabric of the Austin community, having been around since 1977.

Cons: It's tough to pick a downside here, but parking on the weekend is its own circle of hell. Also, it’s a high traffic store, sometimes crowded, and occasionally not an ideal spot to linger.

Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy

Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy is the cleanest and best-lit comic shop I’ve ever seen. There’s a cat that walks around inside, and the whole place smells fantastic. Their selection rivals ABC. The two shops also compete for big name signings. While ABC generally attracts creators who live in town (Donny Cates, Becky Cloonan, etc.), Dragon’s Lair shells out cash to pull big name creators from elsewhere. I remember them having Marjorie Liu a week after she dropped Monstress and Brian Bendis the week of Civil War II, not too shabby.

Pros: At Dragon’s Lair you’ll find tons of books in a clean environment, as well as a ton of games and sizable area within which to play them. Their employees wear uniform shirts and headsets, and they have an entire team of staffers in back doing something on computers.

Cons: I could just copy and paste the pros section. Dragon’s Lair almost feels too polished, and what are all those people in the back doing on computers? It’s similar to ABC in that it has deep roots in the city but feels less personal these days than it probably used to.

Tribe Comics and Games

Tribe, from what I understand, was started years ago by some guys who used to work at Dragon’s Lair, or maybe it was ABC. Whatever the case, they wanted to do their own thing, so they opened Tribe. Although this has since changed, when I lived in Austin Tribe was the only comic shop south of the river (which is technically a lake—Austin is, quite famously, a weird city). There’s a real sense of community at Tribe, in that the staff is small and regulars often linger at the shop, eager to make conversation about their favorite books and the industry. Tribe, however, doesn’t seem to move anywhere close to as many comics as the other outfits in town.  

Pros: More intimate feel than ABC or Dragon’s Lair, and the staff is ready and eager to pontificate at length about comics. It’s also located to some of the more touristy parts of town along Lamar and South Congress, and it’s almost right next door to a Torchy’s Tacos, so you can stop in real quick on an afternoon out or while grabbing a bag of munchies.

Cons: The selection isn’t as extensive as the other shops in town, and they often sold out of the most popular books the day of release, early in the day at that.

Kings Cache Comics

This is a sad section for me to write, because Kings Cache grew from the demise of Capstone Comics, which was my favorite shop in Austin. Capstone was entirely focused on selling comics, rather than games, and it had an active community of buyers and sellers. They kept high value books in a glass case at the register, and it wasn’t uncommon to see first appearances of major Marvel characters, old DC event books, and even newer stuff like the first issue of Saga.

After a dispute with a landlord who wanted to capitalize on Austin’s growth (Austin, it should be noted, is brimming with schemers and cash grabbers these days), Capstone closed its doors (the space where it was located is still vacant, btw), but some regulars got together to open Kings Cache, which is located a bit further up north inside Kings Hobby. It’s starting small, but it's already a chill place where you can linger for however long you like, talking comics.

Pros: All comics and super chill. Plus, King’s Cache offers a discount to regulars who subscribe to a certain number of books, which is something you don’t find at Austin's larger outfits. It also has the old Capstone glass case filled with rare books.

Cons: It’s super tiny, for now. So small, in fact, it took me a few moments once I went into Kings Hobby to figure out where the comics were.

Others

There are also some newer entries in the Austin comic scene, as well as some that have been around a while but are a bit far from the city center. Titan Moon Comics is a great option for those who live in the far far north of town in Cedar Park, while Juniors Comics and Cards is down in the far far south. While out in Round Rock they have Rogues Gallery Comics & Games, although that’s not technically within Austin.

Finally, one of the newer entries to the Austin comics scene is Hops and Heroes Comics, which is actually a non-profit with an emphasis on literacy programs driven by graphic storytelling, a cause near and dear to my own heart. Also, because it’s Austin, I guess the place also sells beer? Or rather, its website says it plans to one day. It's located on Cesar Chavez in a rapidly-changing area surrounded by all manner of hip drinking locales, so that makes sense. There is also beer basically everywhere in Austin, like, seriously. Basically, if you were Austin’s friends you’d be whispering behind Austin’s back about it having a problem. No wonder everyone wants to live there, right?

February 2018 Indie Comics Grab Bag: Beware the Violence

Welcome to our monthly indie comics roundup, wherein I read and discuss books from creators I’ve never read before. In February, I was again surprised by the high quality of the stories I found, much like last month. In fact, I even took to Twitter to fawn over the amount of good work available in the industry today!

Seriously though, there is just so much worth reading. Maybe too much, judging by my massive unread pile and shrinking comics budget. I’ve had this conversation a lot, but there are basically awesome books in all genres. There are even emerging genres within genres, specifically within superhero books, where you can now find straight-up comedy, satire, slice-of-life stories, hard sci-fi, horror, and the list goes on.

I’ve said this before, but if you think modern comics are lagging, just head to your LCS and find a handful of unfamiliar books. Chances are good you’ll find a gem, I know I did with these.

Common Theme

I choose these books essentially at random, with no deliberate effort into finding a connection. So it came as a surprise when a common theme emerged here. All three books were concerned with violence, raising questions like how necessary is violence, what price do we pay for violence, is violence passed down, is violence a necessary threat if we are to enjoy peace?

Like my favorite fiction, these books don’t offer answers to all (or any) of those questions. They simply illustrate them in ways that force readers to consider violence from new perspectives. What readers take away is entirely on them.

Eternal by Ryan Lindsay and Eric Zawadzki

I could say this was the most beautiful book I read this week (month? year?) and that would be true, but it would also be reductive. Eternal is a story that writer Ryan Lindsay intended to be shorter. Yet, it grew into a graphic novel fueled by the artistic muse of Eric Zawadzki. That one or both creators was seized here by a powerful vision is evident from Eternal’s start, as the final product is one as poetic as it is grandiose.

A close-quarters viking battle opens the story and also serves as a framing device. I won’t go into plot (no spoilers) but plot is somewhat immaterial in Eternal. What the book does is create a prevailing aesthetic of wistful tragedy and uses it to inform every gorgeously-rendered panel, be it filled with intricate detail or a wide and forlorn establishing shot.

Eternal plays with the relationship between safety and violence, asking about the necessity of becoming proficient enough with killing that the threat of yourself guarantees safety for those you love, and then asking if this must come at a high price.

Zawadzki’s art operates at an incredible level, making a number of visual choices that result in stunning sequences. I was specifically taken with a page wherein our protagonist decapitates a foe. Four horizontal panels show her approach, while a fifth shows her enemy’s severed head on a pike. We don’t see the separation; our minds show us that. We simply see her intent, slow and deliberate, and then its gruesome result. Powerful choices like this are made throughout, as co-writer Ryan Lindsay backs off, contributing pitch-perfect turns of phrase when needed.

Overall: Few books in February haunted me like Eternal. In an included essay, Lindsay writes, “...I am settling into the happiness of knowing that I’ll never be a part of a better Viking tale than what we have here with our shieldmaidens.” I feel the same way as a reader.

Literary Cousin: If you are taken by poetic viking tales, I urge you to seek out an excellent short story by the prose writer Wells Tower, “Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned.” Its setting is nearly identical to Eternal’s, its violence just as grotesque, and its questions similar. Tower, however, uses a matter-of-fact tone to make life around his vikings rote and mundane. It’s an interesting juxtaposition to the epic severity of Eternal.

Cold War by Christopher Sebela and Hayden Sherman

Phew, this book is intense, from its art to its central plot conceit, which kicks in at page three and then comes apart and goes in another direction at the end. This first issue is also predicated on suspense and a twist, one that is probably not what you think.

I know that’s vague, but it’s hard to get into specifics when so much of Cold War is a bait and switch, both for readers and for most characters on the page. It’s the type of first issue that will be heavily dependent on what comes next for exposition. Think Kill Bill Vol. 1 versus Kill Bill Vol. 2. Similarly, Cold War is an intriguing read that moves fast and leaves readers wanting more.

It’s an interesting companion piece to Eternal, and I was grateful to read them back to back, because the theme here is the nature and necessity of violence as well. However, where Eternal took a mournful and distant approach rooted more in imagery than plot, Cold War goes the other way. Its aesthetic is jagged, futuristic, ill-defined; its plot is one that asks how tough are you and what would you do in this situation?

Overall: So much remains unanswered after one issue. I enjoyed every crazy second of this wicked trip, but afterward I wondered a bit if it wasn’t glorifying parts of humanity that ought to be condemned. My inclination is no, it’s just using action to foster intense engagement, but it’s difficult to say for sure. Either way, I’m on board for the next issue.

White Ash by Charlie Stickney and Conor Hughes

Writer Charlie Stickney reached out via Twitter, pitching his book for review as Lord of the Rings meets Romeo and Juliet, but set in modern day rural Pennsylvania. That’s a lot of narrative heft atop an area of the country that went from compartmentalized to consequential during the 2016 presidential election—I was intrigued. And I really enjoyed the first two issues Charlie sent my way.

The concept is engaging enough, borrowing tropes from the aforementioned properties without ever feeling familiar or tired, and the setting does some real heavy lifting here, both in terms of Stickney’s script and Hughes’ artwork. A blue collar gothic aesthetic takes hold under a prevailing umbrella of fantasy, creating fertile grounds for White Ash to play with ideas around socio economic divides.

Of the three books I read this week, White Ash is perhaps least concerned with violence, which is fine, because it’s not that type of book. This is an adventure story, pure and simple, one where anachronistic dialogue bits like “bees knees” or “killer diller” float into scenes unnoticed because why not?  

Overall: Stickney does what any unheralded creator must, quickly showing himself capable of creating an engaging story structure and an interesting plot. He’s got a concept here that can be easily bundled into a summary line to grab new readers, and he delivers twists and turns within that concept that keep the proceedings moving. I’d like to see a deeper exploration of some of our characters moving forward, and if White Ash has a chance to continue, I’m sure we’ll get it.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.