REVIEW: The Freeze #1 has a great premise that tests its hero with tough choices

December 05, 2018 by Bo Stewart in Reviews

The Freeze #1 is out 12/5. — **The Freeze #1** is out 12/5.

By Bo Stewart — Do you remember that part in the movie Elf when Peter Dinklage’s character talks about an idea that makes you say YES? The Freeze is one of those ideas: what would happen if everyone in the world suddenly froze in their tracks, and only you could fix it. Like all great premises (check out our Prodigy #1 review for another example), The Freeze offers creators Dan Wickline and Phillip Sevy a near-infinite number of storytelling options. The big overarching mystery of why the world froze in its tracks is interesting, but the real draw of the book is the quieter character moments.

The premise is deceptively simple. When everyone froze, only Ray Adams was left unaffected. Not only was Ray left unfrozen, but with a simple touch, Ray can unfreeze anyone. The easy story route would be for Ray to run around unfreezing people and restoring the status quo. But there’s more to this book than that. The book makes you think about some tough questions, including how do you pick and choose who gets to wake up? How do you weigh such decisions? Do you wake up doctors or scientists? Which doctors, which scientists? What about your own loved ones? What is the cost of weighing all those decisions? Reminiscent of Y: The Last Man and television show The Leftovers, The Freeze throws its hero headfirst into a world that changed in an instant, a world where he must make those tough choices.

The creators use this dynamic to explore some rich thematic territory. Feeling like the world won’t move on unless you, yes you, make it do so...this is fascinating and complex stuff. Every person Ray wakes up literally has a world-changing effect. Ray has to rebuild society from the ground up, and we feel the weight of this realization as it dawns on the characters in the story. Here’s the big question…should Ray bring everyone back? The opening sequence teases Ray in a world of trouble. We know he’s put himself in a tight spot,and finding out how he got there is going to be a fun ride.

The art is impressive throughout this debut issue. Depicting lack of motion in a motionless medium is no small task, but, thankfully, the creative team takes what could have been a stumbling block and turns it into an asset. Artist, Phillip Sevy comes up with several creative visual cues as to who is frozen and who is not. Like all of Sevy’s work, this book is gorgeous, but it’s a credit to his talent that it is also clear and easy to follow.

Overall: I hope The Freeze, a strong and intriguing debut comic, takes the route of The Leftovers as it deals with its central mystery and keeps things ambiguous. When an idea is this rife with character-first storytelling potential, sometimes the mystery is better left unsolved. 9.0/10

The Freeze
Writer: Dan Wickline
Artist: Phillip Sevy
Colorist: Phillip Sevy
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99

Bo grinds for the man by day so he can create comics by night. He is the lesser half of the Stewart Brothers writing team and can be found on Twitter and Instagram @stewart_bros

REVIEW: Martian Manhunter #1 is a twisted reinvention of a great DCU character

December 05, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Reviews

Martian Manhunter #1 is out 12/5. — **Martian Manhunter #1** is out 12/5.

By Zack Quaintance — Martian Manhunter is a character that the writers of superhero comics (especially in recent years) seem conflicted about how best to portray. Is he a former member of the Justice League? A current member? Some kind of willing governmental operative? These are ideas that in recent years have been put into play. What remains unchanging, however, is that The Manhunter is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, of a tier with Wonder Woman and Superman, and, furthermore, ol’ J’onn J’onzz has a compelling backstory in many ways more motivating, tragic, and formative than even Superman’s (although, suffering is relative and so is one’s response). MM is also forever in control of the same powers. Among other things, he is strong, telepathic, regenerative, and capable of shape-shifting, which is perhaps fitting given how pliant his role in the DC Universe has become.

To me this all makes for a unique character, loaded in equal parts with gravitas and narrative potential. His long list of capabilities and specifications is perhaps part of the reason writers spent the New 52 trying him in various roles, looking for a fit. One thing that’s immediately clear in Steve Orlando and Riley Rossmo’s Martian Manhunter #1 (first of a 12-part maxiseries) is this book will alleviate confusion over J’onn’s current backstory, motivations, and problems, showing us his daily life before and after coming to Earth...while also being unafraid to twist what we think we know about the character. It’s that fearlessness I find most compelling.

It’s just such a welcome dual re-invention and elucidation for a great character, and it’s one being told by an eager and capable team. The results here are strong. This first issue certainly doesn’t lack ambition. Rossmo’s art is almost revelatory, as pliant and amorphous as the shapeshifting character himself. It really made me think of MM differently, giving me a better understanding of how it must feel to maintain a constant and unnatural bi-pedal shape, which to my mind serves as a metaphor for J’onn’s entire life on Earth. Rossmo’s linework here is also quite versatile, depicting hardboiled detective scenes as well as blobby martian love-making sessions. It’s nice to see, a break with DC house style used to reflect qualities of the central character and story, much as Mitch Gerads’ recent career work did for Mister Miracle. Indeed, this issue leaves one with the sense that Rossmo and Rossmo alone was meant to draw this story, lest it suffer reductions in power and scope.

Orlando meanwhile has been at the top of his game in recent weeks. His Electric Warriors #1 was one of the top new #1 comics of November. Martian Manhunter #1 is similar, in that it is very much of the DC Universe, just executed in a way that has perhaps not been done within any of the publishers recent titles. The script and plotting for this issue checks all the narrative boxes—we know who our hero is, what our hero wants, and why he has been called to action—while also plunging us into a compelling mystery. I won’t go into too much detail, but the story also enables Orlando to write scenes that play to his regular thematic strengths: swaggering antiheroism, hidden truths, and secrets that put one’s family in jeopardy. I highly recommend this comic for all fans of the Manhunter, plus also DCU readers looking for a powerful story unafraid to delve into spaces that are hauntingly off beat.

Overall: Orlando and Rossmo are the creative team Martian Manhunter has long deserved, and the debut issue of this 12-part maxiseries is a great one. Simply put, this is a book bent on telling readers who J’onn J’onzz is right now and why, and it’s going to take us through one hell of a mystery to get there. 9.5/10

Martian Manhunter #1
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Colorist: Ivan Plascencia
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as BatmansBookcase.

REVIEW: Prodigy #1 'is blockbuster comic making, pure and simple'

December 04, 2018 by Bo Stewart in Reviews

Prodigy #1 is out 12/3. — **Prodigy #1** is out 12/3.

By Bo Stewart — Last month Mark Millar gave us this gem of a tweet, I’m calling it now: the actor who gets the part of Edison Crane in Prodigy will be the biggest star of the next decade. A combo of Sherlock, Bruce Wayne, Indy & Bond, this is THE BIG ONE. A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME role. Now, Millar is probably the biggest self-promoter in comics…but holy s#*%. Pretty brash. Biggest star of the next decade is obviously an impossibly high bar, but after reading Prodigy #1, I can kind of understand why Millar is drawing those comparisons.

With these new Netflix books, Millar has been aiming higher than ever before. If the Magic Order, the first of the titles, is supposed to be the new Harry Potter, Prodigy aims to be the new James Bond. Main protagonist, Edison Crane, takes Sherlock's mind, Bond's street savvy, Indy's sense of adventure and combines them into a single character. This is a book that takes the photographic memory trope and pushes it to an extreme I haven’t seen before. Edison is outrageously good at everything. He’s a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, an Olympic athlete, an accomplished diplomat, a successful business owner, a…you get the picture. And this first issue deftly shows several occasions where he uses his skills. It’s overkill, sure, but that’s kind of the point.

Edison is a guy who can do literally anything…so why does he feel empty? That’s the conflict at the heart of this title. Edison has nothing to prove to anyone, so why does he continually feel the need to prove things to himself? These will be the central questions of the series and really the main focus of the book. Will Edison go on globetrotting adventures? Yes. Will he liaison with the government about possible alien invasions? Of course. But that’s not really what this book is about. Millar is disguising an exploration of the emptiness of the human condition as a high-flying action comic. Frankly, I’m into it.

This first issue is mostly a scene setter. We know what Edison is capable of accomplishing, and we know what keeps him up at night. What we don’t know is the specific direction this series is going to go next. The premise offers an unlimited amount of storytelling opportunities, and while this could cause a lack of focus in many stories, for Prodigy it’s a strength. With a flawed character at its center, Prodigy can take the reader anywhere in the world and keep us invested in Edison’s journey as a person. This is the same reason we come back to characters like Bond and Sherlock over and over again.

The other major draw of these new Millar books is the unparalleled art. Olivier Coipel set the tone with the ridiculously gorgeous Magic Order, and Rafael Albuquerque ensures Prodigy maintains that high quality. This is blockbuster comic making, pure and simple.

Overall: Prodigy is another wildly ambitious book from Mark Millar. While all the action and intrigue are well executed, the book’s main draw of is the emptiness of main character Edison Crane. I can’t wait to see where this goes. 9.0/10

Prodigy #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: Peter Doherty
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99

Bo grinds for the man by day so he can create comics by night. He is the lesser half of the Stewart Brothers writing team and can be found on Twitter and Instagram @stewart_bros

REVIEW: Die #1 is a MAJOR debut Image Comic

December 04, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Reviews

Die #1 is out 12/5. — **Die #1** is out 12/5.

By Zack Quaintance — Many comics—often comics I like—start with explosions or death or some kind of absolutely nuts narrative hook...often before we know anything at all about the characters. I understand wanting to open with excitement, like most films or TV shows, but the thing about a comic is the engagement comes slower. There is room, in my opinion, to be both intriguing and smart.

Readers (obviously) must turn the pages, making time pass as they process what’s happening in a deliberate way, deciding for themselves whether protagonists deserve interest or sympathy. With TV or movies, time passes irrepressibly, automatically engendering interest in whatever character an audience sees most (usually). Anyway, my point is that Die #1 is slow and patient at its start, giving us brief quiet time to meet our characters—and, more importantly—to like our characters before the stakes and action and magic begins. It does this, and does it well, and the effect is very engrossing, a comic that reads like a smart fantasy story for adults interested in thorough self-reflection (more on that later).

Die #1 is an all around patient and assured debut, often feeling as if Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans (what a combo, btw!) know just how good their comic is, how well-realized their characters, and how interested readers will be in their story. These creators, of course, do the narrative work necessary for fostering reasons to care, and they do it in a way that completely negates any sort of need for flashy trickery. There’s a pleasant lack of insecurity throughout this comic, a sense of freedom that shows through in the work.

At the start, we’re given just enough info to know who our characters are and what they care about. When action does arrive, we’re in suspense, enthralled by the story’s mystery. There’s also an in-story reason some info is withheld. Basically, we know what that the characters’ know...until the characters don’t want us to (or, more accurately in this case, can no longer reveal certain things). The inherent mystery lends these proceedings a sense of grandiosity, doing wonders for Gillen’s writerly voice, which is generally quite strong (see another favorite of mine, The Wicked + The Divine).

The artwork is also absolutely wonderful. Hans excels at facial expressions, and she uses that gift to convey extra layers of meaning here. It’s one thing to draw a superhero wincing from an impact. Even without a clenched face, we get it—being blown up hurts. Hans uses expressions in Die for subtle inflections and added meaning, showing characters who may be saying one thing while feeling another. The conflict between the dialogue and appearances is both telling and true to life. Really, Hans attention to detail is just all around fantastic, applied to everything from shoes and to backgrounds, adding realism and making this story all the more absorbing.

Die #1 feels like a book its team has been thinking about for some time. It’s a fantasy story to be sure, delving into some familiar tropes (in the preview text, Gillen calls it goth Jumanji, which, perfect), but it’s also literary and smart. It’s not quite a deconstruction (not yet, anyway), yet it still seeks to approach the genre it operates withnin from a more intellectual place than is typical. Die #1 also incorporates RPGs directly into its plot in ways Stranger Things doesn’t. There’s a tendency in 2018 pop culture to fetishize D&D and the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. I haven’t seen another property do so as effectively as Die, though, which I think bodes well for its long-term viability. What also bodes well for this book is the complexity of its themes. A character says at one point: You have no idea how good this will be. This is fantasy for grown-ups. By the end of the issue, that quote sure does ring true.

Overall: One of the best debut Image Comics this year, which is saying a lot. Die #1 sees veteran writer Gillen operating in a story that demands to be told and also plays to the ample strengths of rising star artist Stephanie Hans. This book features nostalgia that fosters engagement without ever becoming a crutch. Read this comic, and enjoy. 9.5/10

Die #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Stephanie Hans
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as BatmansBookcase.

Comic of the Week: Marvel 2-in-One #12

December 03, 2018 by d. emerson eddy in Comic of the Week

Marvel 2-in-One concludes this week, and what a wonderful ride it has been. — **Marvel 2-in-One** concludes this week, and what a wonderful ride it has been.

By d. emerson eddy — All good things come to an end. That's the reason why The Simpsons is currently in season 30 while Futurama was allowed to go into that good night twice. For the past year or so, Chip Zdarsky has been writing one of the best Fantastic Four series not to be called by that title, aided by artists like Jim Cheung, Valerio Schiti, Declan Shalvey, and finally for the latter half of the series' run Ramón Pérez. Marvel 2-In-One represented the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four team as Ben and Johnny travelled the multiverse to find their missing family. In many ways, the heart was broken and the soul was crushed as Johnny found that Ben had been lying to him about the rest of them being alive, and later the broader sense of Reed and Sue lying to them both.

This has been a good year for Chip Zdarsky Marvel tales, with him proving repeatedly on Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man and Marvel 2-In-One that he could deliver highly emotional, introspective character pieces. He could guide us into the heads of some of our favourite heroes and let us know how they tick. He does so here again with this series finale, letting us in on the raging tempest inside Johnny Storm, as he and his sister hash it out. First through retail therapy, then a confrontation with the Mole Man and Rachna Koul tying up a couple loose ends from earlier in the series. It's only been in this title where the larger complications of Reed, Sue, and the kids being off on their adventure have been addressed in any sort of meaningful, mature manner, and it has been magnificently accomplished.

It took me some time to come around to Ramón Pérez's slightly different style on this series than his previous thinner and cleaner lines on titles like Nova, but the style here grew on me. The darker, heavier lines worked well on the beaten-down world run by a villainous Spider-Man, continuing to give weight to the emotional situations between Reed & Ben last issue and Sue & Johnny this issue. With Federico Blee's colours, there's a certain bleak feel to the art that works incredibly well for the frustration and disappointment that feels for what amounts to a betrayal from the rest of his family.

Overall, this has been a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching ride, dealing with what it means to be a member of this fantastical family and what happens when there are impediments in the way for that family to function to its fullest. Chip Zdarsky has handled the hard questions and messy emotions of having your family let you down here, but he reminds us at the end that they're still a family, and that families are at their best when they stick together.

Marvel 2-In-One #12
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Ramón Pérez
Colourist: Federico Blee
Letters: VC's Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99

Check out previous Comic of the Week selections.

d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on twitter @93418.

Top Comics to Buy for December 5, 2018

December 03, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Comics

By Zack Quaintance — This week is brimming with tough choice, so many that we actually ended up including a whopping seven total books in our top comics section, where I don’t think we’ve ever previously exceeded six. Most weeks, in fact, we keep it to five, and that’s plenty. So, what exactly happened this week?

Well, for starters DC Comics had one of its best weeks all year, with a pair of great new series launching, Doomsday Clock making its scope clearer, Deathstroke returning to form, and continued solid performers like Justice League, Batman, The Green Lantern, and Border Town all taking huge leaps forward with their plots. On top of that Marvel was no slouch and Image also launched some great new series. Simply put, this week is an embarrassment of riches, one likely to complicate holiday budgets for many comics fans.

What are we waiting for? Let’s get to the books!

Top Comics to Buy for December 5, 2018

*PICK OF THE WEEK*

Doomsday Clock #8
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Gary Frank
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
The critical and commercial hit series by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank continues following the shocking revelations of last issue. As the truth behind Dr. Manhattan's actions against the DC Universe are revealed, Ozymandias turns to the only being who can stop him: Superman.
Why It’s Cool: Before the first issue of Doomsday Clock hit, writer Geoff Johns made some oblique comments in interviews about the story being inspired by the 2016 presidential election. The unprecedented and chaotic nature of that election, and the sheer volume of societal corners it touched, made it hard to understand what he could possibly mean by that. This issue makes it a bit clearer, while still leaving the full ambitions of this story obscured in an intriguing way. It’s also a compelling comic book with clear and consequential stakes. Recommended.

Deathstroke #38
Writer: Priest
Artist: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Jason Paz
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Deathstroke finally meets his match: Arkham Asylum?! Now an inmate, Slade Wilson must prove his sanity so he can stop an alien invasion (what?). Before he can even attempt a breakout, he's got to face off against angry Arkham inmates out to get him. And what's Two-Face's role in all this mayhem? He keeps showing up in two places at once! Meanwhile, Deathstroke's daughter, Rose Wilson, is kidnapped! Can Jericho save his sister?
Why It’s Cool: For my money, Deathstroke has easily been one of the best shared universe corporate superhero comics in the past two and a half years, telling a story wherein the seeds of seemingly inconsequential moments continue to flower into consequential plot points, essentially using the long-form periodical medium’s unique strengths. The recent Batman crossover now feels like a bit of a detour, but after Deathstroke #38 I’m happy to say this book is back on its excellent track. Artist Fernando Pasarin is also doing career best work here, making this comic worth buying for the art alone.

Die #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Stephanie Hans
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE writer KIERON GILLEN teams up with artist supernova STEPHANIE HANS (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE 1831, Journey Into Mystery) for her first ongoing comic! DIE is a pitch-black fantasy where a group of forty-something adults have to deal with the returning unearthly horror they barely survived as teenage role-players. If Kieron's in a rush, he describes it as "Goth Jumanji." That only captures a sliver of what you'll find in oversized debut issue-where fantasy gets all too real.
Why It’s Cool: I’m tempted to just put Because it’s a Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans ongoing...Nuff said! here, but that’s probably a bit of a disservice and also I’m more verbose than that, although the fantastic creative team is a big part of the reason Die lands here. What’s more is that this title has a really interesting concept: it’s a black fantasy that sees grown-ass adults returning to close the loop on some magical horror they barely survived as teens, a horror they awoke essentially by playing Dungeons and Dragons. Basically, Die is just a great mix of creators, concept, and things fans will be interested in. It could very well be Image Comics next big book.

The Green Lantern #2
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Liam Sharp
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Someone is transporting a mysterious cargo out of the Great Void, and it spells trouble for the universe at large! Hal Jordan interrogates a member of the Spider Guild for answers and uses his pheremones as an interrogation tool, but can he extract the info in time?! Meanwhile, Volgar Ro makes a play for Earth while its emerald protector is off-world!
Why It’s Cool: The Green Lantern #1 had all the trappings of a new landmark run on a long-time character (which Grant Morrison has done in the past, see Batman, specifically), and now The Green Lantern #2 keeps it going. This series is a hard-boiled psychedelic tropey police procedural in space, and so far we absolutely love it.

Immortal Hulk #10
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Joe Bennett
Inker: Ruy Jose
Colorist: Paul Mounts
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Gamma Flight was too late. Shadow Base is infiltrated. Crusher Creel is damned. And the One Below All walks upon Earth. Now, in the place he was born, the Immortal Hulk is the last thing standing between the world of the living...and the GREEN DOOR.
Why It’s Cool: Immortal Hulk is, simply put, the best superhero comic coming out right now. It makes our top comics to buy every time it comes out, and it will continue to do so barring a major and surprising shift in quality. This comic is great. It’s the combination of The Incredible Hulk, Twin Peaks, and old school horror filmmaking we didn’t know we’d been missing, and you should without question be reading it.

Martian Manhunter #1
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Colorist: Ivan Plascencia
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
No matter what you know about J'onn J'onnz, you're not prepared for this! The acclaimed team of writer Steve Orlando and artist Riley Rossmo (BATMAN/ THE SHADOW, BATMAN: NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN) reteam for a reinvention of the Manhunter from Mars in this twisted, unexpected series. Back on Mars, J'onn was about as corrupt as a law officer can be, and when a reckoning comes for his entire society, he'll get a second chance he doesn't want or deserve! One shocking murder, and an unexpected fragment of the Mars he lost, will change his life-and the course of the Earth-forever!
Why It’s Cool: Steve Orlando doesn’t write bad debut issues, and his newest comic is no exception. He does a great job with the basics here, introducing us to our cast, clueing us in on his protagonist’s deepest desires and most pressing concerns, and laying track for the mystery that will presumably move this book forward through the next 11 chapters. Oh, and Riley Rossmo’s pliant martian artwork is fittingly of another world.

Shazam #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Dale Eaglesham & Mayo “Sen” Naito (backup story)
Colorist: Mike Atiyeh
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham reunite to launch the first all-new SHAZAM! monthly title set in the DC Universe in almost 20 years! (What took you guys so long?!) Teenager turned super-hero Billy Batson struggles to balance school and superheroics! (Guess which one is more fun?) But when Shazam unlocks a shocking secret deep within the Rock of Eternity, it challenges everything he knows about the worlds of magic and his family's future as its champions! Also, witness the bizarre team-up of Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind as they set off to build a society all their own! Don't miss the start of an epic run in the making as "Shazam and the Seven Realms" begins!
Why It’s Cool: This is an absolutely adorable comic that captures the elements of this character and his wider family that make it so special. It’s a great debut in that it seems built to appeal to both long-time fans of the character and those reading a Shazam! comic for the first time. There’s even a fun nod to the characters bygone (and rightful) name.

Others Receiving Votes

Batman #60
Border Town #4
Crowded #5
The Dreaming #4
Her Infernal Descent #5
Justice League #13
Lodger #2
Low Road West #4
Marvel Knights 20th #3
Snotgirl #12
Unnatural #5
Venom #9
The Walking Dead #186
The Wicked + The Divine #40
Wrong Earth #4

See our past top comics to buy here, and check our our reviews archive here.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as BatmansBookcase. He also writes comics and is currently working hard to complete one.

The Saga Re-Read #17: Death of a beloved character

November 30, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Saga Re-Read

By Zack Quaintance — The first time I read Saga, I consumed it rapidly, perhaps even a bit too fast, so greedy was I to get through the story. I was a late-comer to the book, a trade waiter back then who messed up and didn’t get hip to this one until it had progressed well into its 20s. Once I’d gotten the first few volumes though, the issues fell away so fast I maybe missed some key details. The shared structure of each issue of this arc was one of those details. I’m really enjoying the pacing of these issues the second time around, the way they all start with Upsher and Doff, before moving into Marko and Alana, with a splash of The Will and Gwendolyn and Sophie and Lying Cat (do they have one of those t-shirts for Saga? I bet they do…).

It just speaks to something I deeply believe to be true of comics. Talent is one thing. A great idea is one thing. Great creators make great art, though, when they’ve accrued a critical mass of experience. The way these past few issues are structured show off Brian K. Vaughan’s impeccable writing chops, chops that maybe weren’t as sharp while he wrote some of his past efforts (like all of which I love, but just saying…). The bottom line is that during a second a slower read this arc is incredibly tight, with the excitement of each issue owing as much to the telling as it does what happens from panel to panel.

And now? On to the story!

Saga #17

Here’s the official preview text for Saga #17, first released on Dec. 18, 2013, just (obviously) a week shy of Christmas that year, although the issue doesn’t have anything to do with all that:

Prince Robot IV gets everyone into trouble.

Oh, that old storyline again! To borrow a cliche, he sure does—and it wouldn’t be the last time either. We’ll probably talk about this a bit more below, but Prince Robot IV’s role in this story as an interesting one to me. I halfway suspect he was originally planned to be more of a villian than he would later become, but as Vaughan and Staples humanized him, an attachment took hold, ultimately causing the creators to make him into the sort that complicates the plot out of well-intentioned mistakes rather than something like selfishness or greed, but I digress…

The Cover: The cover to Saga #17 combines two of my favorite regular Saga elements: a slight hint of salaciousness and Prince Robot IV. The latter is such a valuable asset for Staples as a cover artist, I think, for a couple of reasons. The first is that he’s a visually-striking character. If newsstand comics were still a thing, I reckon any cover with him on it would sell just a tick better than most of the others. Second, it allows Staples to use his face to broadcast (heh) just a bit more of what’s going on, essentially giving her a cover within a cover from which to convey more plot info, and she uses it well here, as well as in a later Prince Robot IV cover maybe 20 issues or some from now. But more on that in the future.

The First Page: A sweet and understated front page that is basically just Upsher and Doff spooning in bed, with Upsher (I think he’s the reporter, not the photag), pondering the location of the family. The past three issues or so have all opened with Upsher and Doff, pushing their search for the story of our central family along in quick increments before cutting to said family and advancing their action. It’s a sound structure, one that has served this arc well as it works hard to pack in a borderline unwieldy amount of plot, which could be bad but is done so well here it actually helps to make this story all the more compulsively readable.

The Surface: All that plot about to slam together at the end of last issue? Well, in here it does. SPOILER: The biggest twist here is the death of Heist, killed almost inadvertently by Gwendolyn, Marko’s former fiance. He was a great and gone-too-fast character. Here were some other highlights from another packed issue...Great line: Because the only journalists that deserve killing are sports writers. And another: The advice to ‘kill your darlings’ has been attributed to various authors across the galaxies...and Mister Heist hated them all. Also, I love how The Brand shows Upsher and Doff mercy due to their favorite coverage of the Freelancers union during its last strike.

The Subtext: As with all recent issues, there’s some commentary here about the role of reporters in the war and within power structures, but this is again another issue that hems closer to the surface than it does to subtext. That’s not a bad thing. Metaphors have been drawn and meaning bestowed, so Vaughan and Staples are free to wisely let compelling action grow out of all that. We’ll see how subsequent arcs read upon a second time, but I have a hard time imagining any arc other than the most recent will feel as exciting in the moment as this one.

The Art: On week’s like this one where I don’t have much specific to say other than Gee, Staples is such a major talent, wow, I’m just going to start posting a favorite panel from the book. Please see this week’s below:

Foreshadowing: Not much of that (that I picked up on here), although I did think teasing The Will’s death was maybe notable. It felt significant, like a vision of things to come perhaps. His whole arc (especially after Saga #54) continues to intrigue me.

Check out past installments of our Saga Re-Read.

FIRST COMICS: How Amazing Spider-Man #327 created a new comics fan

November 30, 2018 by Theron Couch in Comics

By Theron Couch — One wonders if Peter Parker would be any fun at parties, following guests who don’t have napkins for their drink and insisting, With great power comes great responsibility…to not leave rings on tables. Or perhaps he’d examine each cocktail hors d’oeuvres to see if his spider sense is triggered, With great power comes great responsibility…to prevent food poisoning. Seriously—you never want to get sick off the cocktail shrimp. It sounds funny, but this is the kind of responsibility overdrive that was alive and well in the first Spider-Man comic book that came my way as a younger reader, Amazing Spider-Man #327.

As the story in this book would make clear, it turns out there’s good reason for Peter’s sense of overwhelming caution. Today I want to look at the elements that made this book so impactful for me as a reader, as well as the story and artwork’s strenghts and nuances.

Amazing Spider-Man #327

The Cover: As if Erik Larsen and Al Gordon’s dynamic art didn’t sell the idea that Spider-Man—complete with energy blast powers—is fighting Magneto, a word bubble on the cover also makes that clear. In fact, the word bubble gives away the fight’s ending, which to me reinforces that writer David Michelinie’s real story is about something else.

The First Page: A full page spread with a word balloon of exposition informs the reader that Spider-Man’s powers are expanding in new ways that he doesn’t understand. It’s a solid scene-setter. The image of Spidey looking at the molecular formula of his web fluid—as depicted by webs—is also a bizarre enough one to immediately make readers want to turn the page.

The Story: Spider-Man was a busy fellow at the end of 1989. He was swept up in Marvel’s Acts of Vengeance while also smack dab in the process of getting the power of Captain Universe. Amazing Spider-Man #327 is primarily a rumination of Peter’s sense of responsibility (the one that keeps away those invites to parties), and the ultimate vehicle for that is a fight with Magneto. The fight between Magneto and Spider-Man is never a contest. During the battle, Spider-Man uses the Captain Universe powers to successfully lift a fully-loaded barge, deploy energy blasts, transform a crane to glass just by thinking, form his web fluid into a giant bat to hit a car, and fly. Unfortunately the car Spider-Man dispatches hits a yacht—this is where the flying comes in—and if no one can rescue the passengers, they’ll drown. As Spider-Man handles that crisis, Magneto departs and the fight ends in a weird draw. Back home Peter laments that, as he’d predicted, his powers were too much to handle and others nearly paid the price.

The Heavy Hand of Michelinie: I always forget when I read comic books from the ‘80s and earlier just how much story used to be packed into a single issue. For starters, the books themselves were several pages longer. They also frequently still used third person narration and thought balloons. This is all a way of saying how much easier it was to do what writer David Michelinie did back then. Michelinie wrote this one like a dog that won’t let go of a bone. Having introduced the idea of responsibility in the opening panels, Michelinie turns it into an overt theme within just a couple of pages. Scenes with Flash Thompson and the exploration of Peter’s new powers reinforce this concern in the reader’s head to the point that when the fight with Magneto begins, Peter doesn’t need to say—or think—anything on the topic; every single one of his defensive moves leaves the reader thinking, Damn—who’d he just horrifically injure? The impact to the yacht is the exclamation point everyone was waiting for, poised as they were on the edge of their seats. Peter defeated Magneto using great power, but for a moment he also forgot his responsibility.

Larsen’s Master of Magnetism: Art wise, the standout images from Erik Larsen’s work in the issue are Magneto. Larsen gives Magneto his typical intensity and anger, but he also gives him a cape that seems to have a sycophantic mind of its own; the cape is always drawn in a way that makes it an extension of Magneto, defying gravity to give him a non-stop regal appearance. Magneto is in a relatively short chunk of the issue given his high billing on the cover, but Larsen makes him memorable.

Final Thoughts: This issue has a fun battle with an enemy Spider-Man doesn’t normally face, and Michelinie absolutely nails Magneto’s arrogance. But the fight with Magneto has never been what this issue is about to me, not even when I read it as a kid. Amazing Spider-Man #327 made me a comic book fan. Beyond that, it made me a Peter Parker fan. I like Spider-Man, but Peter is the character I connect with. To this day I measure my own life against the ideals Peter lives by. This issue illustrates, arguably with a heavy hand, that with great power comes great responsibility motto, and it also explains that being responsible isn’t just about the immediate and close at hand. Being responsible includes forethought. It includes gaining additional information and opinions. It includes choosing to do something in a more difficult way so as to avoid negatively affect others by cutting corners for yourself. The issue is, simply put, a must-read for this period in Spider-Man history.

Theron Couch is a writer, blogger, and comic book reviewer. His first novel, The Loyalty of Pawns, is available on Amazon. You can also follow him on Twitter at @theroncouch.

Best New #1 Comics of November 2018

November 29, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Top 5 Comics

By Zack Quaintance — There are plenty of surprises among our Best New #1 Comics of November 2018, including a type of comic that we don’t usually feature. I’m talking specifically here of licensed books. Their inclusion, however, is a trend carrying over from October. Indeed, once again we liked some new comic interpretations of properties associated with other mediums, including Firefly, James Bond, and Go-Bots. What can we say? Good comics are (obviously) good comics.

In this month’s top five, we also have some usual suspects with a trio of new #1 comics from Image. Perhaps more notably, this month we’re also featuring a duo of books from DC Comics, which has maybe needed some new series for a while. And oh how they got them in November! Both new DC titles are fairly psychedelic in concept and aesthetic, refreshing for a publisher as traditionally straight-laced as DC.

Anyway, on to the comics!

Quick Hits

Ironheart #1 is a solid start for Riri Williams first solo book, with the artwork from the team of Kevin Libranda and Luciana Vecchio standing out for its clean lines and polished aesthetic. Ewing also writes teen chatting between the characters well.

The Sideways Annual #1 was delightfully Grant Morrisoned out. This title is set to end soon, and I’ll miss it.

Writer/artist Tom Scioli’s Go-Bots #1 came out this month, and you can read more about why we liked it in contributing writer d. emerson eddy’s Comic of the Week.

Greg Pak was a busy writer this month, helping to a launch a pair of new #1 licensed comics with Firefly #1 for BOOM! Studios and James Bond 007 #1 for Dynamite.

Bryan Hill and Leandro Fernandez keep the Vertigo rebirth going with American Carnage #1, an uncomfortably real-feeling story in which a disgraced FBI agent goes undercover in a white supremacist movement to investigate the murder of a former colleague. This is going to get a whole lot worse before its end...

The new age of Valiant heroes begins with Bloodshot: Rising Spirit #1. This book was strong, but the real headliner of the new line is next month’s Livewire #1 (advanced review here).

Donny Cates’ Web of Venom: Carnage Born #1 is the second auxiliary one-shot for his sinister Venom run, and it sets up the central character’s long-time foil Carnage to make a terrifying return soon. I dug it.

Speaking of Cates, he also wrote Marvel Knights 20th #1, the amnesiatic start of a six-part series honoring that bygone imprint. This comic was confusing but in the right ways.

As for Uncanny X-Men #1, this weekly book sets a tone for an unbound and intricately odd new era of X-Men, maybe? A lot remains to be seen.

Top 5 Best New #1 Comics of November 2018

Bitter Root #1
Writers: David F. Walker and Chuck Brown
Artist: Sanford Greene
Colorist: Rico Renzi and Sanford Greene
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
I’ve maybe written this two dozen times by now, but I loved David F. Walker and Sanford Greene’s collaboration on Marvel’s Power Man and Iron Fist from back in 2016, which was tragically cancelled before its time. I was pretty bummed out when that news came down. It was, however, tapered shortly thereafter with the announcement of Bitter Root, a monster hunter comic set during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance that aims to take on issues of race. I’ve had high expectations for the book, and, now that it’s here, I’m happy to report the comic meets and exceeds them.

Bitter Root is a sharp and kinetic book, powered in large part by Green’s singular artwork and the attention to detail he lends each character and every panel. As I wrote in my review, there’s been a plethora of new monster comics launched this year but none as confident as Bitter Root. The past collaboration between creators is evident, as this book arrives fully formed, wielding great strength right out of the gate. This is one of those Image Comics built to run for a long while, and you’ll want to make sure you’re there from its start.

Electric Warriors #1
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Travel Foreman
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: DC Comics
Steve Orlando is a favorite writer here, owing to the gravitas and thought he applies to all his superhero work. Orlando also has a keen interest in exploring DC’s vast continuity, and, to our minds, this often makes for comics wherein characters talk and act in compelling ways while moving through stories unique to the shared universe they inhabit. This is all a means of saying that Orlando is perhaps the perfect writer for this comic, which is set in an era following Jack Kirby’s Great Disaster, not all that far (relatively) from the start of the Legion of Superheroes (which we’d also like to eventually see Orlando write, but that’s a story for another day…).

Orlando isn’t the only great fit on this book, though. Artist Travel Foreman is one of superhero comics’ real visionaries, and he’s in full control of his powers here, creating a distant future steeped in psychedelic neon with designs that carve it out as at once separate from the modern DCU yet linked in logical ways. Add on an airtight plot with heavy themes like duty, family roles, and global coherence, and the result is one of the most intriguing and original DC comics in some time.

The Green Lantern #1
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Liam Sharp
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Publisher: DC Comics
I feel like the creative team sort of explains this choice. Grant Morrison is one of our favorite writers at DC, and in recent years, Liam Sharp has established himself as one of the publisher’s best artists, specifically doing so with his work on Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman Rebirth run and the recent miniseries, Brave and the Bold, which starred Batman and Wonder Woman. What the duo is setting out to do here is somehow small scale yet cosmically ambitious.

The Green Lantern #1 seeks to reorient Hal Jordan as less of a military man and more of a beat cop, taking on galactic no-goodniks at an almost micro level before their villainy can flower into a threat with the potential to upend planets. Sharp’s artwork is trippy and complex, as psychedelic and imaginative as the other DC book on this month’s list, Electric Warriors. Oh, and this first issue does something I always like in superhero comics: it ends with a spread filled with snippets of what’s coming in future issues, including most notably for my tastes a renewed team up between Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen.

Middlewest #1
Writers: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Publisher: Image Comics
Skottie Young and Jorge Corona had me at forlorn Midwestern coming-of-age comic that features magic and a talking fox. Okay, so that’s a mouthful, but my point stands. I was intrigued by the construction of this comic from the moment I first became aware of it, moreso because I know Young is from rural Illinois, which is where I went to college and also worked my first professional newspaper jobs and internships (once again, more on that is best saved for another time…).

I knew the veteran creator Young had the chops to deliver on this premise, but what comes as more of a surprise is Jorge Corona’s artwork. Corona was previously unknown to me, yet his work here is simultaneously evocative of Young’s general aesthetic while also distinctly his own. He also captures both the lonely feel of life in a flat state and the sense of magic Young’s script seeks to imbue it with. This, like Bitter Root, is a new Image comic that begs to be collected and followed from its beginning.

Outer Darkness #1
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Afu Chan
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Image Comics
Finally, we end this month’s list with John Layman’s and Afu Chan’s new ghost story in space, Outer Darkness. As I wrote in my review of the first issue, John Layman describes Outer Darkness as the distillation of what I love the most. Science fiction, horror and weird shit. Well, I like those things too, so sign me up to journey into space with this one. The first issue was a fantastic read, and there’s every reason to believe that level of quality will continue.

Check out more of our many monthly lists here.

Thirsty Thursdays: November's Hottest Comics Art

November 29, 2018 by Allison Senecal in Comics

By Allison Senecal — Superhero comic art has evolved at a really impressive rate in recent years...so much so that sometimes it can be a lot to handle. First there’s excitement, obviously, but then that excitement turns into something else...which is why each month we’re running our Thirsty Thursday rankings, a new and different way to look at our favorite comic art. Welcome to a sporadic examination of (as the kids say) the month’s thirstiest comics.

Enjoy!

The Thirstiest Comics of November 2018

Thor #7 – I mean, Odinson obviously, but have you met my new beefy Viking girlfriend, Erika the Red? SHE’S TALLER THAN HE IS. I LOVE(D) HER. The Moore/Rauch team killed it on this. Everyone looked extra…oh no my tablet is autocorrecting “likable” to “lickable”…maybe I’ll just leave it. ANYWAY… 💦💦💦💦💦 out of 5

Rarely is a new character so instantly lickable (I should maybe do something about this autocorrect, I guess).

X-23 #6 – Laura? Undercover as a gym teacher? Marvel, did I ask you for this? Ms. Tamaki, did I ask you for this? Oh, and really all the X-artists (Duarte/O’Halloran here) are really nailing clothing right now. 💦💦💦💦💦 out of 5

Shatterstar #2 – Hot and making me emotional? In this economy? *mouths* Thank you. This series is just so smouldery, from the Yasmine Putri covers to the cheesecakey interiors by Villa, Sandoval, and Lopez. 💦💦💦💦💦 out of 5

The only thing getting shattered in this book is my heart.

Uncanny X-Men #2 – This series has been a lot for me to process. Jean and Ororo on a coffee date. Jean and Betsy holding hands (you don’t need context, just imagine them holding hands). All three of them in the cutest and most comfy-looking casual wear money (or this art team of Silva/Di Benedetto/Rosenberg) can buy. X-Men who? 💦💦💦💦💦 out of 5

Can this scene go on for 457 more pages? Thanks.

Bitter Root #1 – All I ask of indie comics is that they give me badass new comic book girlfriends and OH MY GOODNESS, I am already in love with Blink. Stay tuned for David Mack’s cover featuring her in February because WOWZA. 💦💦💦💦💦 out of 5

I’ll just put it this way: I’m looking forward to more of this character. — I’ll just put it this way: I’m looking forward to *more* of this character.

Justice League #12 – I admittedly didn’t read the Drowned Earth event in its entirety but I heard “Frazer Irving” and “Mera” and came running, which is why I’m so sweaty. I swear! 💦💦💦💦💦 out of 5

All I heard was unlike the rest, strange, and powerful. But please, tell me more… — All I heard was *unlike the rest, strange*, and *powerful*. But please, tell me more…

Daughters of the Dragon #1 – MISTY AND COLLEEN, Y’ALL. My favorite girlfriends, but not girlfriends, are back and oh my god. Oh. My. God. This series has the biggest energy. Misty in a SUIT. Colleen bringing back her tracksuit wardrobe. You’re just gonna have to read it, since there are too many stunning pages from Foreman, Gibson, and Delgado (whose letters really MADE THIS TRULY SEXY). 🐉 💦💦💦💦💦 🐉 out of 5

That’s an actual picture of my face on the bottom right.

If November was Gay Anxiety Month, December is Cosmic Gay Anxiety Month. I already know Angela is going to be in here twice. Of course, there's also the Extermination finale, and hopefully some spicy Namor content in those new Defenders one shots, so maybe the men will be back next month. Anyway, see you then!

Check out The Thirstiest Comics of October.

Allison buys books professionally and comics unprofessionally. You can find her chaotic neutral Twitter feed at @maliciousglee.

REVIEW: Amazing Spider-Man #10 is an emotional conclusion to another solid story arc

November 28, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Reviews

Amazing Spider-Man #10 is out 11/28. — **Amazing Spider-Man #10** is out 11/28.

By Zack Quaintance — I’ve maybe written about this in past Amazing Spider-Man reviews, but I tend to view this title as Marvel’s vanguard book, its flagship, a barometer for how the publisher is doing as a whole (in much the same way Batman indicates what’s up at any given time with DC). This title re-launched in July after nearly a decade under one writer, Dan Slott, and in that decade, the book became a complex one, capable of pulling together months of patient storylines into mostly-satisfying and always-ambitious crescendos. Slott’s Amazing Spider-Man, to me, always felt urgent and dancing on the cusp of lasting change, even if the realities of corporate comics prevented that change from becoming permanent.

This new run, courtesy of writer Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Astonishing Ant-Man), has a different set of strengths, and while it’s still way way too soon to speculate which run will ultimately be better, Amazing Spider-Man #10 is a great example of this. In this issue, Spencer and his new direction do something well that was maybe a bit lacking in the Slott Spidey era. I’m talking specifically here about a small-yet-intensely-emotional character-driven moment that draws from Peter Parker’s long history rather than the events of the most recent issues.

Yes, in Amazing Spider-Man #10, Peter and Black Cat sit together on a rooftop after a wacky and outlandish superhero team up. This is familiar territory for Spencer, who uses the exhausted heroes on a ledge conversation fairly often, generally to great effect. I definitely remember at least one really well done such talk in Ant-Man that saw Darla Deering calling out Scott Lang on his shit. In fact, come to think of it, the rooftop conversation I enjoyed so much in this issue of Amazing Spider-Man was, to an extent, Black Cat calling Spidey on his shit, or at least being emotionally honest in a way that gave him a choice between ignoring her suffering or being a good guy (he picks being a good guy).

I won’t give away the exact nature of the conversation or of Peter’s choice. I will, however, note that it sort of brings back an element that had been missing from the Spider-Man mythos in recent years, his long history with Black Cat and how it’s affected them both. In some ways, through the first 10 issues (nearly a year by traditional comics standards), returning missing elements to the Spider-Man mythos has been the bedrock of this new run, with the biggest of course being Peter’s relationship with Mary Jane. With that noted, it’s perhaps poetic that memory was a theme in Peter’s conversation with Black Cat, because one can only assume it will again come into play as the story more directly unpacks Peter and Mary Jane getting back together. Basically, it seems like some thematic foreshadowing is being done here, and being done well.

Speaking of Mary Jane, the other primary strength of this individual issue was her secondary arc (or maybe it was primary? I think it may have been…) in which she attends a support group for the significant others of super-powered beings and ultimately takes a step toward healthy independence within her relationship. It’s an emotionally nuanced storyline, and, as with the exchange on the rooftop, Spencer’s scripting handles it well. I’ll note one more time that it’s early, but part of this run’s success so far seems to be a death by 1,000 cuts approach to the narration, stacking little humanizing moments upon each other in a way that enables the book to hit big emotional beats (as in this issue) when it needs to. If this is how it feels after 10 issues, I’m curious to see where we’ll be at after 20-plus, or, cynically, whether or not the team can maintain it.

Overall: Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man run continues to find a cruising altitude with this emotionally-satisfying conclusion to a storyline that saw our hero teaming up with Black Cat. Perhaps more promisingly, the book seems bent on enshrining Mary Jane Watson less of a supporting character and more of a co-star right at the heartfelt center of the action. 9.0/10

Amazing Spider-Man #10
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artists: Humberto Ramos and Michele Bandini
Inker: Victor Olazaba and Michele Bandini
Colorists: Edgar Delgado and Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as BatmansBookcase.

REVIEW: These Savage Shores #2 doubles down on the series’ strengths

November 28, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Reviews

These Savage Shores #2 is out 11/28. — **These Savage Shores #2** is out 11/28.

By Zack Quaintance — In These Savage Shores #1, Ram V. used the narration in a way that stuck with me for the month-plus between issues, specifically the sea captain’s prose, in which he wrote of his ship’s destination: They’ve no use for lords or nobles ‘ere. In this place, the days are scorched and long. And the nights are full of teeth.” I don’t often like a book (or any story, really) to so directly state its central conceit, but it was done poetically here (and also in the service of foreshadowing), done so well I couldn’t help but appreciate it. That first issue was also confident in its artistry, dedicating whole pages to tone-setting imagery from Sumit Kumar and Vittorio Astone, panels of suns setting behind ominous trees, beady eyes in crevices, entire colonies of bats taking flight at dusk. Overall, the first issue of this comic was luscious and immersive, and, excuse my inelegance, good.

These Savage Shores #2 builds well upon the foundation lain by its predecessor. Let’s start by talking (briefly) of the plot, which relies heavily once again upon the writing of a letter as a framing device. This time, the writer is a character we met briefly before, a vampire hunter who encountered the now-deceased Alain Pierrefont as he tore into a victim, lighting the monster aflame, ultimately sending him fleeing across the sea to India. That vampire hunter’s name is Zachariah (great name), and he has, apparently followed Pierrefont to these savage shores, finding him dead and setting off in search of the killer, whom he assumes is also a monster.

That’s where we start. It’s a premise that makes for a sophomore issue even more engrossing than its predecessor. By framing These Savage Shores #2 through a character we saw (albeit briefly) last issue, Ram V. and team strongly orient the reader while at once stoking the intensity of the mystery the first installment ended upon. Using the hunter is a wise choice. Like his original prey, he’s a stranger in a strange land, one we can’t help but feel is intruding in this area. If These Savage Shores seeks in any way to be a commentary on imperialism, this is a strong way to go about it.

What’s more though, is that the letter writing motif evokes the idea of a story being told within a story. Not directly, but These Savage Shores seems to aspire to be a deeper commentary on imperialism. What the letter writing obliquely eludes to (at least in my mind, and, granted, I may be making a major leaps) is that this comic is interested in unpacking the continued telling of stories about imperialism, specifically those told through heroes and protagonists intruding in one way or another. To be sure, These Savage Shores #2 has far more interests in that, lighting upon mythology, obsessions, the economics of trade, and class structure, but the subversion of who we thought our central character was in issue one is continued and continued well throughout issue 2, a strong and inspired bit of plotting.

The art, however, is yet again stunning in this comic, especially the depiction of the child prince’s protector when he puts on his mask (which is used thematically by the script, too). The silent closeups of the masked man locking onto strange visitors have at times made me run cold with terror. Like the first issue, These Savage Shores #2 is again a confident visual story, one content to linger within large and sweeping establishing shots, somehow doing so without bogging down the pacing in the slightest. I wrote about this in my review of These Savage Shores #1, but the writer, artist, colorist combo on this title are working in sync, expertly fostering tone and mood that serves the story as well as any comic in recent memory.

Overall: These Savage Shores #2 doubles down on the strengths of the excellent debut that preceded it, simultaneously finding new and interesting ground beyond the misdirective twist that ended its first issue. A delightfully complex comic, this book is one for readers who enjoy nuanced explorations of ideas as well as those who want to revel in dark and chilling visual tones. 9.0/10

These Savage Shores #2
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Sumit Kumar
Colorist: Vittorio Astone
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as BatmansBookcase.

REVIEW: The Warning #1 is slow, hopefully by design

November 27, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Reviews

The Warning #1 is out 11/28. — **The Warning #1** is out 11/28.

By Zack Quaintance — The Warning #1 begins with a heavily-stylized opening, rich with hints of anime or manga storytelling aesthetics. Fans of Sean Gordon Murphy should take note, because the art in The Warning (from this opening onward) is perhaps best described as like Murphy’s stuff if it were thoroughly sharpened and rendered by a team of modern video game designers. Simply put, the art in this book looks good.

As it should. The Warning #1 is the work of writer/artist Edward Laroche, and, indeed, the art is rarely lacking here. The writing is assured, no question, but it’s definitely the weaker of the two. There’s also a military coldness that is perhaps here by design. Still, it makes the characters and the early plot points in this debut issue tough to gloam onto, at least at the beginning. The earliest dialogue in The Warning is a harsh mix of military call numbers and other terminology, some medical jargon, a bunch of profanity. It doesn’t exactly say, hey there, reader...welcome! But this also isn’t that kind of book.

This is a good-looking and massively MASSIVELY decompressed comic. One where very little happens in the first 20 pages aside from a soldier boarding a plane bound on a mission while elsewhere a woman in a luxurious house hears that presumably that same mission has the potential to save the planet. Also, she does a line of coke. To be frank, it doesn’t make for the most riveting debut, playing as it does more like a storyboard for a hard sci-fi movie directed by Quentin Tarantino…before any of the violence starts.

What it seems to do well, however, is promise that when the action does arrive, it will have been worth the wait. Essentially, The Warning #1 is a first issue clearly written for trade, a patient and perhaps slow-moving-to-a-fault debut that looks great as it shuffles a whole lot of pieces into place. There’s a bit of poetic reincarnation dialogue that just didn’t click for me. I do imagine, however, that some will find it incredibly meaningful. For my part, however, I’ll be waiting to pass final judgement on this title until we get to see its pretty artwork conveying real action.

Overall: A good-looking debut, to be certain, but nothing much really happens in The Warning #1 other than vague setup for a potential alien invasion. This could very well be by design; the book feels pretty confident in its pacing. Really though, this seems like a comic clearly written for trade. As such, the strength of this first issue will be determined almost entirely by what comes next. 7.0/10

The Warning #1
Writer/Artist: Edward Laroche
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Jaymes Reed
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as BatmansBookcase.

ADVANCED REVIEW: Livewire #1 is a great start for Valiant’s newest series

November 27, 2018 by Toren Chenault in Reviews

Livewire #1 is out 12/19 — **Livewire #1** is out 12/19

By Toren Chenault — So far, 2018 has been a phenomenal year for comics. And it doesn’t seem to matter what you’re into. DC, Marvel, Image, AfterShock, BOOM! Studios...name a publisher, and they’ve had a hit this year. Valiant Comics is no different. Valiant Beyond is the new direction for the company, and as part of that direction comes a solo series for one of their most powerful characters.

Amanda McKee, aka Livewire, is an insanely powerful technopath who, just recently, shook up the Valiant Universe during the Harbinger Wars 2 summer event. Most characters now consider Livewire a villain, with very few still calling her a hero. As such, this is a series that comes at a crucial time for the character, and writer Vita Ayala and artists Raul Allen and Patricia Martin handle Livewire #1 with class, creating an emotional and introspective with a hook that makes you eager to learn more about Livewire.

This is Livewire’s first ongoing series. She’s a character who’s been featured in Valiant since its relaunch in 2011 and has subsequently gone through one of the best character arcs in all of comics, not just Valiant. She started off as a loyal student to billionaire and powerful Harbinger, Toyo Harada. Then, she became a superhero and team leader of a group called Unity. And recently, she became a resistance leader with her Secret Weapons team. But that came with a cost. Livewire, using her powers, turned off the power grid of the entire United States. And not everyone came out okay. This new series now serves as great jumping on point for readers as they learn about who Amanda is, while for existing fans, this book is about the the long-awaited fallout from Livewire’s actions in Harbinger Wars 2.

The highlight of Livewire #1 comes from Amanda’s characterization. She’s a weird person. She grew up isolated from the world and was indoctrinated by Toyo Harada. Over the years, she grew past that, but she still never had much of a social life or many friends. Livewire #1 dives into her weird personality and balances it with her love of her team, The Secret Weapons, who are essentially three kids that Livewire helped and trained to become better psiots. The relationship between Amanda and her team is a special one, and one that Ayala does a good job of showing.

But like all relationships, they have their bad times, too, and the emotional core of this issue comes from Amanda confronting her team for the first time since leading her resistance in Harbinger Wars 2. Amanda had good reasons for starting another Harbinger War, but sometimes ends don’t justify the means. To me, this is where the issue truly shines, because Ayala constructs the dialogue in a way that makes readers sincerely care about characters in the moment. There’s also just enough background so that new readers won’t be confused, but rather eager to learn more about Amanda’s past.

The art duo on this comic is the rising star team of Raul Allen and Patricia Martin. Allen and Martin both worked on Secret Weapons with Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer, so they’re not new to Valiant. Their comfort with the characters shows in the art. Bold, detailed pencils and bright colors are some of the ways their art shines. Secret Weapons to me, was structured like a movie. The panels were arranged in a way that made the comic feel extremely fluid. Livewire #1 boast those same qualities.

Every page in the comic seems to have a transparent blue sheet over it as Martin’s colors provide a calming effect. I could write for hours on the quality of this art and just how well done it is, but the last thing that I’ll say is how beautiful they make Livewire look each time we see her. She has a presence, and every time she appears on the page you feel as if something big is about to happen. It’s this awesome combination of Allen’s detailed panel work, well-defined pencils, and Martin’s soft blends of blue, pink, and purple, that make this comic work so well .

Overall: I expected this comic to be a hit for me. It has a lot going on for it. What separates this from most superhero comics, though, is that Livewire is such an interesting character, one who hasn’t been explored too much yet. There’s a moment at the end of the issue that made me tear up because of the depth with which Ayala writes Amanda. And I was not expecting that. Given how this first issue ends, we’re in for a long ride with Livewire. And I can’t wait to take it. 9.5/10

Livewire #1
Writer: Vita Ayala
Artist: Raul Allen
Colorist: Patricia Martin
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

Toren Chenault, a native of the Cincinnati area, currently lives in Michigan with his girlfriend. A graduate of Michigan State University, he is a long-time superhero fan who counts Captain Atom, Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Divinity, Nightwing, and XO Manowar among his favorite heroes. Mystic Man is his first book. Buy it now here.

Comic of the Week: Go-Bots #1 is a great example of nostalgia done well

November 26, 2018 by d. emerson eddy in Comic of the Week

Go-Bots #1 is the Comic of the Week for 11/21. — **Go-Bots #1** is the Comic of the Week for 11/21.

By d. emerson eddy — Nostalgia sells. Memories of your youth, precious moments from your childhood. Especially among geeks. It's one of the reasons why you see so many reboots and remakes of favorite childhood properties like Transformers, She-Ra, and Ghostbusters. It's also often a cynical move on the part of intellectual property holders in order to play a safe bet, but that's a different argument for a different time. Right now, it's about nostalgia.

This week, IDW's Transformers mainline continuity came to an end with Optimus Prime #25. While it grew out of a nostalgia for Marvel Comics' Transformers title, especially with Simon Furman writing, it soared off on its own path, creating a brave new continuity. Although Optimus Prime was an end, IDW also launched a new beginning featuring other robots in disguise, this week’s Go-Bots #1.

The Go-Bots were like the Transformers, technically predating them, featuring robots that transformed into vehicles the same way, along with some that became rocks. Yes, robots that turned into rocks. I had a few of both the regular Go-Bots when I was a kid, as well as a couple Rock Lords, so you could kind of say that this new comics series is aimed at people like me and my feelings of nostalgia.

In more recent years, the Go-Bots became part of the Transformers franchise in various forms. Most in a type of mini-car vehicles utilizing the names but not their original designs, this series from writer/artist Tom Scioli takes us back to the originals.

Scioli is probably best known for his Kirby-esque art on Godland with Joe Casey, but he’s also garnered attention for the ‘80s cartoon inspired Transformers vs. GI Joe for IDW that featured a style similar to this. He gives this series an incredible attention to detail, making this feel like a dated product, from the art style to color reproduction, the faded yellows and browns making the pages feel old, and the little bits and pieces of ‘80s pop culture references that might not even be noticed if you weren't already familiar with them. It's a fun trip down memory lane.

Yet, beyond that, Scioli still makes this a highly entertaining story. If it were just nostalgia, it would likely be fairly empty, but there's a depth to the storytelling that works independently. He introduces us to the major players like Leader-1 working for the military, Turbo and Cy-Kill in the racing and illegal robot combat arena scenes, and every day bots like Scooter who are just fulfilling their function for their doting human companions. Scioli presents a dense tale of a world made better by the Go-Bots, and, in this first issue, a hint of what might happen should their morality chips malfunction.

Overall, this is a fun comic with great art that revels in some of the ridiculousness of the source material (the clever names like Cy-Kill or the new character T. Coriander Banks) while still being enjoyable and comprehensible for new readers.

Go-Bots #1
Writer, Artist, & Letterer: Tom Scioli
Publisher: IDW
Price: $3.99

Top Comics to Buy for November 28, 2018

November 26, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Top 5 Comics

By Zack Quaintance — Ohhhh, my stomach, I ate too much turkey and can’t write a proper intro for this Top Comics to Buy for November 28, 2018 piece. Just kidding. I’m actually writing this the night before Thanksgiving because I’ll be traveling tomorrow through Sunday, and likely won’t have any other time to complete it. Anyway, shifting gears...wake yourselves up from all that overeating, because there is (as always) another new wave of comics to discuss!

This week sees the conclusion of some story arcs we’ve really enjoyed in 2018, from Black Panther to Come Into Me, both of which have so expertly built to these finales, that we can’t wait to see what happens. We heap just a bit more praise on the Bendis Superman run, which is one of our favorite things happening right now at DC, and we also get to talk yet again about some of our favorite indie gems. All in all, this post-holiday week stands to be a good one!

Now, let’s get to those comics!

Top Comics to Buy for November 28, 2018

*PICK OF THE WEEK*
Black Panther #6
Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Artist: Jen Bartel
Colorist: Triona Farrell
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
T'Challa and the Maroons renew their war against the Empire. But N'Jadaka is watching - and he knows exactly how dangerous the Black Panther can be. Witness at last the rise of Emperor N'Jadaka and the Exalted Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda!
Why It’s Cool: There’s a lot happening at Marvel right now, and as a result, Black Panther has flown a bit under the radar...even though it’s written by the winner of a National Book Award and carrying the same name as one of the highest-grossing superhero movies ever. This issue marks the conclusion of the relaunched comics’ best arc yet, at least under Ta-Nehisi Coates’ stewardship. Coates was a newcomer to comics when he started this run in early 2016, but he’s caught on fast. Simply put, this comic keeps getting better and better, and the scope of ideas in this first arc is nearly unmatched within mainstream superhero comics. Don’t miss it!

Action Comics #1005
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Ryan Sook
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Josh Reed
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
The murderous mystery of the Red Cloud uncovered! Clark Kent draws closer to revealing a secret crime family that has operated for years in Metropolis, but the family's enforcer-the mysterious Red Cloud-proves she's a match for even the Man of Steel with an attack that leaves Superman breathless. Don't miss the last-page shocker as we reveal the true face of the Red Cloud!
Why It’s Cool: We’ve been loving Bendis’ run on Superman, which has been grandiose and cosmic in the pages of Superman and more grounded in Metropolis in this title. This issue also features Ryan Sook, one of our favorites, and so we are absolutely there for it, especially after what he did in Action Comics #1004.

Come Into Me #4
Writers: Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler
Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Colorist: Niko Guardia
Letterer: Ryan Ferrier
Publisher: Black Mask Studios
Price: $3.99
Part 4 of 4. The body degenerates, memories blur, and the flesh overloads.
Why It’s Cool: Writers Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler have rapidly established themselves as two of the foremost purveyors of body horror in all of comics in the past 18 months, and although they’ve done great work all around, Come Into Me stands out as one of their best titles. This week’s issues sees the duo concluding this story.

House Amok #3
Writer: Christopher Sebela
Artist: Shawn McManus
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: IDW - Black Crown
Price: $3.99
Dylan and her family have all fallen down the rabbit hole of madness together, aiming their campaign to save the world at a brand new target and collecting more bodies and hidden microchips along the way. But as Dylan is plagued with the flu and the family's first grand move leads them down a nightmare road full of the dreaded ReArrangers, the Sandifers will stare conspiracy right in the face and hope it blinks before they do.
Why It’s Cool: This is a comic about a family plunging into shared madness together, which is a great (and surprisingly new) concept. It’s also being executed to perfection by rising writer Christopher Sebela and veteran artist Shawn McManus.

These Savage Shores #2
Writer: Ram V
Artist: Sumit Kumar
Colorist: Vittorio Astone
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
The untimely demise of a nobleman gives the East India a new angle in negotiations to build their trade route. A vampire hunter finds bigger prey than he had bargained for, deep within the royal reserve. Along These Savage Shores, where the hunt is eternal, and hunter and hunted move in shadow.
Why It’s Cool: After one hell of a debut issue with These Savage Shores #1, we’ve been dying to continue this story for over a month now. Finally, the second issue is set to arrive. This is a story that deals in heady themes and sinister tones. After an expert bit of misdirection in the first issue, we can’t wait to see where this one takes us next.

Others Receiving Votes

Amazing Spider-Man #10
Archie 1941 #3
Aquaman Justice League Drowned Earth #1
Catalyst Prime: Kino #11
DC Nuclear Winter Special #1
Die! Die! DIe! #5
Fantastic Four #4
Heroes in Crisis #3
High Heaven #3
Justice League Odyssey #3
Man-Eaters #3
Redneck #17
Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #40
Uncanny X-Men #3
Wonder Woman #59

See our past top comics to buy here, and check our our reviews archive here.

The Saga Re-Read #16: Journalism!

November 21, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Saga Re-Read

By Zack Quaintance — I’m a journalist by trade...technically. I don’t have shadowy conversations with anonymous sources like you see in the movie, and I’ve certainly not been put at wartime risk (although I did cover the Mexican drug war from Texas just a tiny bit in the late ‘00s). Anyway, this is all a means of pointing out that by being a staff writer for a fairly dry trade publication, I have much room in my heart set aside for romanticizing the work done by some of the world’s most daring reporters, including those appearing in stories.

Saga #16 is an issue brimming with romanticize journalism, conveyed right from its cover by this story’s journalistic pair, Upsher and Doff. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I ended up liking it quite a bit. In addition to my proclivity to appreciate journalists in fiction, I’ve just been appreciating the larger function these two are having with Saga, serving as a neutral pair and the first significant set of independent characters to not immediately want our little family to be caught, thereby facing instant annihilation (Heist aside).

So there’s my preamble. Now, let’s get to the issue, the art, and the story!

Saga #16

Here’s the official preview text for Saga #16, first released on Nov. 27, 2013, which was (maybe obviously?) the Wednesday after Thanksgiving that year:

Two war correspondents stumble onto the biggest story in the universe.

Technically, our friends Upsher and Doff don’t really learn much more about the biggest story in the universe than they already knew when this issue started. We do, however, learn that their sexuality makes them endangered on their home planet, should it ever come to light...which as re-readers may remember is a chip played against them later in the plot.

The Cover: Our (relatively) new friends Upsher and Doff make their first cover appearance. It’s also a rare appearance for them, because unlike more visually-intriguing side characters like Prince Robot IV, cover status is a pretty rare thing for these two. There’s a certain irony in that, if you ask me, seeing as they surely are the characters in our story most driven by appearing on page one. Anyway, this cover is a fine one, showing them doing their jobs in a firefight as their obvious status as journalists does little to nothing to protect them, something that will factor into not only this issue but their continued safeties as we move forward.

The First Page: An intriguing and well-done image, to be sure, if not one of the more outlandish first pages in Saga. To be fair, though, that bar has been set pretty high for this book by first pages of the past. This one simply lets us know we’re in wings territory (as is made obvious by what looks like workaday commuters filling the sky). We also know from this familiar sneering face and the no comment that the character in this panel is talking to our cover duo, Upsher and Doff. So it does it’s job that way by jump-starting this issue’s story.

The Surface: This yet another issue of Saga packed with plot, moving forward four separate storylines, three of them to the point of intersection where this arc first started. It’s all well-done too, never feeling like Vaughan and Staples are just moving their people into positions where they need them in order to keep facilitating all that plot. This is, essentially, an organic story that feels real, and that’s largely due in my opinion to the quality of the dialogue, the character motivations giving rise to that dialogue, and the distinct voices each of them have. The family banter within Heist’s home was especially a treat, including basically all of the exchanges that involved Marko’s mom.

The Subtext: As I mentioned in my intro, this reread is really helping me see the value of Upsher and Doff within the larger narrative. They are, essentially, a neutral party, an embodiment of the fourth estate. What’s more, is that Vaughan portrays them in a way that doesn’t play into tired ideas about the media being vultures or seedy or detrimental the world. They’re simply conduits for information, working stiffs who believe heartily in the value of knowledge and truth for society. They’re without question self interested, motivated by their own glory, which for my money is where most journalists go wrong, driven as they are in almost equal parts by societal validation and societal impact.

Foreshadowing: This is a weird issue to discuss foreshadowing in, largely because it ends at a place that a previous issue has already shown us, albeit with a little more context than we had before. It does, however, promise that what’s to follow what we already know is going to be action-packed. So that’s certainly not nothing.

Check out past installments of our Saga Re-Read.

Essential Espionage: The Best Spy Comics

November 21, 2018 by Taylor Pechter in Comics

By Taylor Pechter — In comics about espionage and spying, the stories usually don’t focus on the political or personal ramifications of the craft, instead dealing in flashier things like action, intrigue, and sex. On rare occasions, however, those more realistic aspects do shine through, creating a grounded look at the world of espionage. The best spy comics find glory in the monotony of the work, using a stronger focus on the real people involved as well as how their escapades affect their lives.

While these books might be rare, they are out there, and today I’d like to look at some of the best spy comics of all time. Now let’s get into the books...

The Best Spy Comics

Queen & Country

Writer Greg Rucka, a 25-plus years veteran of the industry, wrote Queen & Country from 2001 to 2007 for Oni Press. Queen & Country follows SIS agent Tara Chace, designate Minder Two. and the book is broken into sections that follow separate operations undertaken by the organization. For example, the first story Operation: Broken Ground has Tara in Kosovo on an assassination mission trying to take down a former Russian General turned mob enforcer. She gets the job done, but in response, the Russian mob puts a bounty on her head. However, more important than the operations is Tara herself, and it’s this focus on character that makes Queen & Country so special.

Tara is a headstrong and sarcastic (if a bit in-over-her-head) agent. After the assassination, she is put into therapy. It is here Rucka plays with the psychological aspects of the profession. In therapy, Tara is jittery and untrustworthy of the doctor. As she opens up, however, you really see how important her job is to her, even though it wreaks havoc on her personal life. Another aspect Rucka focuses on is the political ramifications of the craft, whether it’s dealing with the home office (MI5) after a rocket attack or capturing a politician selling secrets to the Russians. Politics take center stage in most of the stories.

This creates intrigue, and Tara and her team of Minders (special agents) have to be sanctioned by C, the head of the service, to go on missions. On these missions there is action, but action scenes are few and far between. What readers see is the real monotony of spy work: tailing, gathering information, and reporting it back to superiors. Within this monotony is where characters shine through their interactions. All of these aspects make Rucka’s creation what I consider to be the quintessential espionage comic.

Sleeper

What happens when you are an agent left in the cold, no one to help you, and you work for a madman trying to take over the world? This is the story of Holden Carver, the lead character of the WildStorm series Sleeper, which is one of the earliest collaborations between the superstar creative team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Sleeper is a tale focused on morality. Holden Carver is an agent for International Operations, the most prominent intelligence agency in the WildStorm Universe. Carver’s mission is to infiltrate a corporation run by former Wildcat-gone-bad TAO (Tactically Augmented Organism). To complicate things, however, John Lynch, former director of IO and Carver’s handler, is stuck in a coma after an assassination attempt and having his file burned. With an expunged record and no help, Carver must find a way to make sure TAO and his men don’t discover his secret while also proving to the agency that he is actually on their side.

It’s through this dichotomy that Brubaker crafts a story of a man who has done despicable things for both sides searching for purpose. Will he be corrupted by sex and violence, or will his humanity shine through? It’s a stark contrast from TAO, who is devoid of morality. In his final confrontation with Holden, TAO exclaims, You want to know the main difference between you and me Holden? You’re like the rest of humanity, you have two people inside. One is the person we see. The other is the person you think you are. It’s a powerful idea and it brings Holden’s arc full circle. This, along with the raw and unrefined art of Sean Phillips, grounds the series in a dark and twisted, yet fantastic world. Sleeper is often overshadowed by Brubaker and Phillips’ later works, but it is one of the definitive superhero noir comics.

Checkmate

Another series penned by Rucka, Checkmate follows the exploits of the eponymous UN sanctioned organization in the wake of Infinite Crisis and the death of its former leader, Maxwell Lord. Checkmate in this story has been restructured via the Rule of Two, which states that for every powered member of the team, there must a non-powered member. Checkmate’s mission is monitoring metahuman activity and defending against metahuman threats.

Like Queen & Country before it, this book focuses heavily on political ramifications, especially when it comes to conflict between Sasha Bordeaux (the Black Queen), and Amanda Waller (the White Queen). Through this, Rucka explores themes of duty versus morality, the price of deception, and new beginnings. At the series’ start, Sasha is more carefree with her actions. During a raid on a Kobra outpost in the Gulf of Aden, she instructs Beatriz Da Costa, also known as Fire (Black King’s Knight) to set the compound ablaze, killing upwards of 50 cult members. Sasha’s own Knight, Jonah McCarthy, dies in the crossfire.

This disregard for human life contrasts with the views of Alan Scott, the White King at the time, who believes they should value human life over mission objectives. This, along with Sasha’s relationship with Mister Terrific (Alan’s Bishop) also gives Waller ammunition to drive her out of the agency. Speaking of Waller, this is her at her most deceptive, which is saying a lot. Throughout the first half of the series she conspires with her Bishop, King Faraday, to throw out the other Royals for violating Checkmate’s charter on the Rule of Two. Amanda’s deception is called out by Sasha and Terrific, and she is later dismissed. It’s all dramatic and well done.

Lastly, there is the hope for new beginnings. At the start of the series characters try to get out from under the shadow of Lord. At the halfway point, following Amana’s dismissal, they become more welcoming of outside help. At the end, after a raid on a Kobra stronghold, much like the beginning they realize the cult is engineering infants into weapons. As Batman confronts Sasha about what happened, Sasha monologues, How do you fight a bad religion? You give it a fresh start. You play the long game. But we can do that. We have time, Checkmate isn’t going anywhere.

Overall, Checkmate was one of DC’s first major modern espionage comics. Sasha Bordeaux was later reintroduced in current continuity by Rucka in his second critically-acclaimed run on Wonder Woman. Here’s to hoping we get a reunion sooner rather than later.

Velvet

Imagine your entire life was taken away by the people you trusted the most. This is the story of Velvet Templeton, secretary and former agent for ARC-7, a top-secret intelligence service. Written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Steve Epting, and colored by Elizabeth Breitwieser, Velvet crafts a story that deals with the burden of secrets, spy life versus regular life, and the bitterness of betrayal.

The story starts with the murder of an operative by the name of Jefferson Keller, designated X-14. This sets off a search for the answers Velvet craves, which ultimately ends in her going rogue to find them. With her on the run, the agency has to deal with her and the ongoing investigation of the murder of Keller, plus a possible mole. With this comes the burden of secrets, which is hidden beneath every layer as Velvet uncovers more. Each answer leads to more questions. Not only that, Velvet also has to accept that being a spy has forever changed her life—a life of sulking in the shadows and not trusting anyone, even the ones closest to her.

Last, she has to deal with her entire life being a lie and her closest allies in the agency setting that lie up. Whether it be the death of her husband, a supposed double agent, or the death of Keller, etc. Brubaker’s writing is sharp and at times darkly comical. Epting’s art is gorgeous in its dynamic brutality. Heavy shadows accentuate the lush colors of Breitweiser. Velvet is a brutal and realistic take on espionage that, like Sleeper, is often overlooked in Brubaker’s catalogue.

Grayson

Dick Grayson has been many things: acrobat, boy wonder, caped crusader, team leader, and now, secret agent. This exploration of identity is a key aspect of the 2014 series Grayson. Spinning out of the events of Forever Evil, Grayson is written by Tom King and Tim Seeley with art mainly by Mikel Janín with help from Stephen Mooney, plus colors by Jeromy Cox.

The story focuses on Dick after his supposed death at the hands of Lex Luthor. He is inserted as a double agent into spy organization Spyral as Agent 37. Under Batman’s orders, he is to uncover the organization’s secrets and ultimately dismantle it. Within Spyral, he is partnered with Helena Bettinelli, or Matron, who is the head of the boarding school that is Spyral’s cover. As Dick goes on missions, he discovers Spyral is stockpiling information on the secret identities of League. The heart of the series really shows through in issue 14, wherein Dick returns to Gotham. This story demonstrates how important Dick was to the Bat-family, in all of his interactions. Whether it is conversations with Alfred about Bruce, speeches to Barbara about the love they shared, or reminiscing with Damian about their Batman and Robin days, there’s a focus on the Dick’s core experiences, showing us how he became the character he is today.

Janín and Mooney’s artistic styles contrast, but they are brought together by the expert coloring of Jeromy Cox. Janín’s lines are cleaner, adding a Brosnan Bond-esque tone with high action, while Mooney has more lines and darker shadows. These art styles, along with clever writing, combine to make a fun, exciting, and introspective series that redefined Dick Grayson.

Ultimately, the spy genre is one of the most fertile in comics. Spy books are uniquely able to focus on many different aspects that readers don’t find in normal superhero comics. From the psychological aspects of Queen & Country, the moral ambiguity of Sleeper, the politics of Checkmate, the brutality of Velvet, to the journey of Grayson, these comics craft compelling stories with relatable characters. That is what makes them essential espionage material.

Taylor Pechter is a passionate comic book fan and nerd. Find him on Twitter @TheInspecter.

REVIEW: Long Lost Part 2 #4 a story of longing becomes a story of suspense

November 21, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Comics, Reviews

Long Lost Part 2 #4 is out 11/21. — **Long Lost Part 2 #4** is out 11/21.

By Zack Quaintance — Since Matthew Erman and Lisa Sterle began their comic Long Lost, this story has felt like one of longing for the two principal characters, sisters Frances and Piper. When we first met them, Frances lived an almost hermetic lifestyle in a relatively clean and spare apartment, seeming to have little in her life other than her dog. Her sister Piper was more outgoing yet also more reckless, often to her detriment. They were both, perhaps, equally bothered to be estranged from their mother, their aunts, and, most importantly, from each other, even if they showed it in different ways.

There were also hints all along that the two characters were being herded by some sort of supernatural force, not quite a ghost and not quite a monster, a being (or beings, plural) that was not of any origin we could understand, putting forth machinations that made both the characters on the page and us, the real life readers of the book, wonder about the nature of this story’s reality, wonder what was true and what was paranormal. For the past two issues, though, the earlier slow-burning character drama has been dispensed with as the plot heads toward its conclusion and starts to tell us (or more accurately, starts to suggest) what has been happening all along.

The action has intensified in this comic, as have the dangers faced by the two protagonists, while the clarity has remained obscured. In fact, at one point in Long Lost Part 2 #4, one of the sisters blurts out a plot point, noting that her understanding of it could be wrong. It’s leading to a story rich with suspense and tension. I’ve experienced Long Lost as a mystery from the start, and for it to turn proscriptive now would be a disservice to all the issues that came before it. Instead, the creators here are making the wise choice to give us as readers almost exactly as much information as their protagonists have about what’s happening and why.

The result is a decidedly character-driven horror-tinged suspense story, one in which tone is used well to make readers feel fear and confusion, the level of emotional investment in each other’s fates too, that is being felt by the characters on the page. This has been a great year for comics that deal in such intense feelings, and, with its understated approach, Long Lost continues to be among the best.

Will we get answers before this is all through? Well, it certainly seems to depend on what ultimately happens to the lead characters. We know more than we did at the start. We know whom to trust and whom to approach with a level of caution. We know more about the state of the family, the reasons they’ve been driven apart. Most importantly, however, we know that the longing these sisters felt at the start of the story has been altered, that they are now both acutely aware of how much they’ve always meant to each other, and it’s that relationship that remains this book’s beating heart.

Overall: Long Lost continues to be a character-driven horror-tinged mystery with one of the most compelling and realistic emotional cores in all of comics. The action is rapidly intensifying, but the creators have wisely avoided changing the tone of the story to be too explanatory. The mystery remains as compelling as ever as Long Lost approaches its conclusion. 9.0/10

Long Lost Part 2 #4
Writer: Matthew Erman
Artist: Lisa Sterle
Publisher: Scout Comics
Price: $3.99

For more comic book reviews, check out our review archives.

REVIEW: Middlewest #1 uses lonely Midwest magic to cast a captivating debut

November 20, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Reviews

Middlewest #1 is out 11/21. — **Middlewest #1** is out 11/21.

By Zack Quaintance — I’m from Chicago, but I spent a few years in rural Illinois, working as a reporter for small town newspapers in places like Carterville, Carbondale, and Peoria. Now, you probably don’t know where any of those towns are. Heck, I left Southern/Central Illinois 11 years ago, and I barely remember them. Writer Skottie Young and artist Jorge Corona’s Middlewest #1, however, brought me back. More than that, it made me see those rural Midwestern places I one knew well in a different sort of light.

Middlewest #1 is one of those comics that deals heavily in tone, doing so by burrowing deep into forlorn isolation that’s inherent to towns like Carterville, Illinois, towns that most folks only ever find themselves driving through if they take a wrong turn while coming off the highway for gas (and then another wrong turn, and then probably another one). What it finds when it does that burrowing is magic. Magic born from loneliness, from wind that never ceases, from the feeling that washes over you when you look alone to the horizon and see fields, infinite and vast and flatter than you ever thought possible.

What takes this comic from an interesting experiment in tone (one that resonates well with me personally) to a book I plan to follow through at least its first arc is the plot that the creators pair with the lonely Midwestern aesthetic. I don’t want to go into too many details, but Middlewest #1 is a story about a young boy with a callous and demanding father, all too ready to tip into cruelty when the opportunity presents itself. This in itself isn’t a particularly novel plot and it doesn’t have to be. Tropes become tropes because they work, because they’re such solid bricks to build a full house upon, and the house that Young and Corona build with their magic forged through introspection is an impressive one indeed. Also, there’s a talking fox that will probably continue to absolutely steal scenes (if not entire issues).

I heartily recommend this comic to all and any who have spent time in the rural Midwest, who have lived there or had family there, or really have ever just looked listlessly out the window as they drove through, wondering what life was like for the real people born into all that space. This comic might just have the answer.

Overall: Middlewest #1 is a story steeped in a lonely sort of magic born from writer Skottie Young’s deep familiarity with the rural Midwest. Artist Jorge Corona renders it with vast imagination, capturing a unique sort of forlorn tone that I never before realized was always present in those areas. 8.5/10

Middlewest #1
Writers: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99

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