Batman: Long Halloween, New comics

New comics!  I am so far behind on writing.

Human Target 1

It’s weird.  This story feels SO Tom King, it’s like there’s nothing new here at all, even though there’s not much that I can directly point to as evidence.  There’s the mystery, the narration, the jumping around in time.  Maybe it’s the coldly distant tone of the story.  I’m not sure.  The other thing that’s nothing new is that this is darn good.

Dark Knights of Steel 1

Another Tom Taylor Elseworlds special.  Here, Jor-El and Lara take the shuttle to Earth, where they form their own fantasy kingdom and Kal-El is the heir apparent.  Bruce is his bastard half-brother, an inspired twist.  Per usual, Taylor’s sucked me in from the get go.  Excellent art by Yasmine Putri, whom I’ve never heard of before.  (Looks like she’s done a few DC covers that I own.)

Batman vs Bigby 2

This may be written by original Fables writer Bill WIllingham, but it reads like poor fanfiction.  What if Batman and Bigby worked the same mystery!  Blech.  I could barely get myself to read this fresh from the comic book store shelf, I can’t imagine how painful it would be the second time around.  Cutting my losses and dropping this now.

Batman: Long Halloween Special 1

This is a new comic, but I’m reviewing it now because it’s immediately going into the Batman box along with the original limited series.  I like seeing Gilda return, her disappearance at the end of Long Halloween is a loose end that’s a great starting point for the followup.  

Unfortunately, Jeph Loeb doesn’t do much with it from there.  Calendar Man kidnaps her, Two-Face teams up with Batman to save her.  Along the way Batman discovers that Gilda was the original Holiday killer (I think.  It’s a little murky) and Robin goes trick or treating with Barbara Gordon.  

It’s all very nice, but it lacks substance and ultimately feels like a cheap cash grab.  Which I fell for, obviously.  I don’t regret it, but I wouldn’t buy it again.

Absolutely brilliant use of mirrors by Tim Sale.

Just beautifully done.

Though I do wonder what ends up happening to Gilda.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Iron Fist, New comics

New comics!

Runaways 32-38

The last issues of this series.  Rainbow Rowell brings it all to a...somewhat frustrating close.  There are plenty of dangling plot threads as everyone heads off on their own adventures, and the feeling is that of starting a new chapter, rather than the ending of a pretty darn good run.  The journey’s been a really fun one, and I’m glad I picked up the last two trades after giving up on the singles a while back.  

Magic Order 2 1

Mark Millar returns, with Stuart Immonen on art this time around.  Lots of set up, a few fun moments, I’m expecting the second lap to be just as entertaining as the first.  

Immortal Iron Fist 1-6

This is the comic that put Matt Fraction on my radar.  (Last of the Independents came four years earlier, but that was just a one shot effort.)  There’s tons of great action (with superb David Aja art), and this is one of the few hero mantles where giving it a lineage increases the mystique rather than cheapening it.  (See JMS with Spider-Man.)  

I dig how Fraction does these Iron Fist introductions through history.

Travel Foreman does the art on these sweet flashbacks.

I want to read a series starring her.

I remember (and am expecting) lots of fun times ahead with this run.

 

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Marvels, New comics

11/2/21

Some more new comics!

Nightwing 85

It’s so satisfying to see Babs and Dick fighting side by side.  Robbi Rodriguez does the action scenes proud, and then there’s this:

So satisfying.

Woots, thanks Tom Taylor!

Black Widow 12

This would be an excellent title even without it, but it’s the added emotional weight of Natasha’s real-but-not previous life that elevates Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande’s work to something really special.  Heartbreaking and beautiful everytime we (and Widow) are reminded of it.

My heart is torn to shreds.

Marvels 1-4

Still a flat out classic.  Two things stood out to me this time around: I love the smell of these comics.  The scent brings me back to the first time I read these issues.  The second is how downbeat the ending of this series really is - Phil Sheldon is a cranky old man, finally driven to retirement by the death of Gwen Stacy, unable to continue documenting the villains that killed her and the heroes that let her (and him) down.

Still, for all that, it remains a gorgeously painted story, even if early Alex Ross is a little bit stiff with the posing and facial expressions.  And Kurt Busiek gets some really nice moments of everyman introspection down on the page.  Sure, there’s some nostalgia baked into the final rating, but it’s well deserved nonetheless.

It's a day for sad storylines involving children.

Yet another story that hits so much harder now that I'm a father.

I imagine what it'd be like to be the dad for either Maggie or Jenny.

Alex Ross channels so much John Romita Sr.

It never gets any easier.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

Marvels 0, Epilogue

Busiek and Ross reunite for some really short stories.  Nice, but unnecessary in the final analysis.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Seven Secrets, New comics

Working my way through my new comics pile.

Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem 5

It was a tarp.  Some key players get killed, this is the Empire Strikes Back part of the story.  I gotta say, I’m impressed by Mark Millar’s willingness to kill off major characters with no ceremony or fanfare.  These things happen in single, tiny panels and are then immediately dismissed.

Seven Secrets 1-12 

Breaking the usual review order because I’m considering taking this off my subscription.  I haven’t been enjoying the issues on a month to month basis, but had the strong suspicion that it read better all at once.  I couldn’t believe that a Tom Taylor story with such gorgeous art by Daniele Di Nicuolo was actually boring, and found it entirely possible that my inability to remember the plot and characters was the real culprit.

How happy I am to have my hypothesis confirmed.  This is a fun, action packed, touching comic.  Definitely keeping this on my pull list.  

*Sniff*

Look at these colors by Walter Baiamonte. Stunning.

This comic is filled with inspired, eye-catching character designs.  Even the grunts looks spiffy.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Marvel Action: Chillers, New comics

Tons of new comics, I hadn’t been to the shop in like a month.

Batman/Catwoman 8

I’m really not digging the Liam Sharp art.  It’s just not the same as Clay Mann.  Storywise, this has felt like filler for a couple of issues now.  But with four issues to go, I can’t really quit at this point.  Sigh.  

Death of Doctor Strange 2

Nothing spectacular.  It may be that Jed MacKay isn’t worth following from title to title the way Tom King and Tom Taylor are.  But this is still good enough that I’ll stick around, especially with Lee Garbett on art.  

Strange Adventures 12

As with all Tom King stories, this definitely requires a re-read.  I wonder if this will lose its mystique now that the twists have been revealed.  Certainly the craft and art are great.  I’m just not so sure about the story itself.

Moon Knight 4

Is there any comic character who has a larger discrepancy between how cool they look and how interesting their stories are?  I love Moon Knight’s look, but I’ve never been able stick around for any of his runs.  (Warren Ellis only went six issues with him.)  The fact that this is volume 9 suggests that the rest of the general public feels the same.  Anyway, this is my last issue for this comic.  Thanks for trying, Jed MacKay.

He looks so good!

Alessandro Cappuccio is spectacular

Superman: Son of Kal-El 4

I was skeptical after last issue, this one cemented it for me.  This title doesn’t have the spark, the fun, the crazy ideas of Tom Taylor’s better work.  Which is sad, because I’m a fan of Jon’s impending coming out in the next issue.  (Loving how it’s pissing off all the right people online.)  But this was almost a full issue of Jon saving his grandparents from an explosion in slow motion, then standing around a crater and talking about it.  I can totally see a world where that can be done well, but it isn’t here.  Combined with my lack of enthusiasm for the previous two issues, that means the end of line for me.

Captain Marvel 33

It’s just a string of mediocre comics for me this month.  Kelly Thompson’s newest Captain Marvel arc falls flat, but the strength of the rest of the title means I’ll push through this and at least try out the next one. 

Dark Ages 2

Phew, Tom Taylor hasn’t completely lost it.  He can at least still bring it on his alternate reality comics.  Iban Coello’s art is a little too sloppy for this to be top tier, though.  There’s a Mark Bagley vibe to it, and not in the good way.  (Bagley can be great, but only on the right projects.)

Marvel Action Chillers 1-4

Yeah, this is way more for kids than Jeremy Whitley’s work on Wasp.  Not that I don’t enjoy a good comic for the young ‘uns, but this isn’t anything special even taking that into account.  I’d cut it, but I’d still read this with my daughter someday.

Heh.  That's probably true.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Fine

Ironheart

Ironheart 7-12

My previous reviews already have the moments that caught my attention this time around.  Same thoughts as yesterday - some really nice moments for Riri and her friends, but missing the spark that would elevate it beyond Nice.  I reiterate my immediate need for a Young Women Scientists of the Marvel Universe title.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Ironheart

Ironheart 1-6

I gave most of the post-Bendis titles a shot.  Eve L. Ewing, Kevin Libranda, and Luciano Vecchio put together a decent followup.  They don’t blow the roof off the joint, and they certainly don’t match the magic of Bendis’ run, but they still do Riri Williams proud.  Looking at reviews of my original readthrough, I seem to have enjoyed it more the first time around.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice