#comics review

[joefool]

Review: Peanuts Every Sunday, Vol. 1 (1951-1955)

Peanuts Every Sunday is a collection of Schulz’s Sunday strips in color. It’s an incredibly pleasant way to read the strips, especially on my new iPad, and I really enjoyed this volume. It’s got some early Peanuts funk, and less charm because I’d already seen many of the strips in the Complete collections, but still!

The Sunday strips are often the most memorable, for obvious reasons. Having more space means having more room for comedic maneuvers, more progression, more pay-off. If I had to list my favorite Peanuts strip so far, they would be almost exclusively Lucy-focused Sundays. Her early years as a spunky young child are comedic gold. “I’m frustrated and inhibited and nobody understands me” is my quote of the year. You simply don’t get this kind of punchline joy in the regular dailies.

You thought this post was about the added value of color for Peanuts Sunday strips, but really it’s about how Lucy Van Pelt is iconic and is the 50s MVP of the strip, even more than Charlie Brown or Snoopy. I’ve tricked you!

[fox-teeth]

Are you still looking to fill your SBCF basket before it closes on the 31st? Here is a post of rapid-fire recommendations of some comics I really liked for you to consider:

Being Useful by @laurark: This is a comic about having your sense of self and agency warped by extreme forces outside of your control. This is also a comic about a hot, horrifying vampire. Absolute banger.

Blade of the Fane by @theoplum: Do you want to read the absolute apotheosis of medieval fantasy comics? This right here is it, in 200+ beautiful pages. If you liked my comic Basilisk, you have to check out this one.

BLEED ANY% by @bluedelliquanti: Blue has an impressive track record of mind-bending sci-fi and near future comics and this is no different. If you love seeing inventive visuals only comics can pull off this is for you.

Bobo Has An Offer For You by Pavina: Do you, in this world of morals and feel-good tales, ache for someone that is terrible and sucks? Then you need Bobo, who will never learn nor improve.

Clair de Lune by @takitakos: This is a comic both about the transcendent beauty of music and the annoying realities of playing a clarinet. Enjoy gorgeous art while listening to the soundtrack. As a former clarinetist I think this is a MUST for all musicians.

IMPASTO by @sjmillerart: I say this with the highest praise: by page 6 I was ready to be sick, and it only got worse from there. A disgusting, beautiful mix of Edwardian splendor and horror.

Lapis Blue by @birbyarts: All the twists, turns, and asking of big existential questions of the best of New Wave science fiction told by a cartooning master of the pre-page-turn gut punch.

Offering by Jocelin Kee: A sweet, wistful slice-of-life story about sharing an office with a god. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into this strange, dream-like magical world.

Aquatic Lives by Pepe Reyes and Pacific Dream by Vincent Lau: I am declaring these two a DOUBLE MARINE BIOLOGY BANGER. I know I have followers here that follow fish-a-day blogs and have had big, weepy feelings at their local aquariums. You have to get both these comics. Trust me.

See also: my recommendations for SBCF for readers that liked my own comic.

[brookebeamsbig]

💭 harley quinn #32-37

it's time to process tini howard and sweeney boo's second story arc. unfortunately, harley is still hammering it out with the multiverse, but this time she is working with lady quark instead of against her. kinda.

now we have a new force to reckon with - the brother eyes.

howard is again enjoying throwing in dc deep cuts with the brother eyes (meaning I once again got to do a google deep dive). I do appreciate this true conceptualizing of harley in a broader, shared universe.

in howard's story, the brother eyes work for lady quark. on a craft level, this is an excellent setup for what howard's trying to do in this arc because so does harley. this creates a parallel within howard's tale that mirrors the overarching parallel howard bases her story reasoning upon.

because why are the brother eyes so interested in harley? in watching her and understanding her and mapping her? because she was once a sidekick who made something of herself. and they want to do that, too.

I like this idea. I like it a lot. it creates a unique story around one of the things that makes harley truly special. but I never said howard had bad ideas.

but before I get into the perils of howard's writing, I want to do a run down on some other important players in this arc.

in harley quinn #32, we get introduced to lux kirby, p.i. lux is a completely new character from this creative team, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of deja vu when they appeared. the "detective" seeking out a multiversal harley murderer felt a lot like something out of stephanie phillip's last arc. just sayin.

however, ultimately, I liked lux and what they brought to harley and this story. they were a fun catalyst and means to much of the action. I always vibe with a character like that. and they were a good friend. harley struggled a lot with her mental health and self-perception in these issues, and lux helped ground her.

speaking of friends, KEVIN'S BACK :DDD. and acting like kevin. god bless.

I was sososo pissed when howard essentially fucked kevin over at the beginning of her run. but she definitely put in the time here to make it up to us. that sequence where harley had to anticipate kevin's choices in order to locate him in the multiverse was genius.

there's also two groups of characters from the first arc that play an important role in this one - bud and lou and harley's college class.

y'all know I always love the babies. I appreciate that howard wanted to do something big and bold with them. I liked the twist where they were the suspected murderers. BUT a lot of their actions here were just convoluted to create conflict and drama. like... we can't tell harley the brother eyes are out to get her because... why???

and I thought it was fun having harley's class get dragged along in her adventures. but every time, it felt like howard got the concept but fumbled the execution. harley's class ends up on warworld? cool! but it feels too smooth and rushed and weird. harley's students get turned into omacs? oh no! except there was no emotional or consequential impact.

sadly, that's a common occurrence for howard's writing. howard has exciting ideas, but her writing is too surface level with bad transitions and flow. much of the time I feel like I'm reading her bulleted outline, not the final story.

she rushes pivotal moments. we end an issue with the brother eyes about to reveal harley's worst moments, but then we gloss over that at the beginning of the next one. she throws out plot threads and doesn't carry them through. we should be concerned that the warworld royal family has been turned into omacs, powerful weapons to be used against harley, but then we don't see them anything until they're healed.

that's not to say every single line or scene is bad. howard has said that harley's mental health is one of the most compelling parts of harley's character to her. we can see that reflected in the comics - in the storyline and themes but also in the moments that shine.

I thought the multiverse sequence in harley quinn #37 was the strongest part of this arc. (this does not count the framing narrative.) each scene portrayed harley's fears and doubts about her own capabilities and power in a creative way. what if she became the controlling one in her relationship? what if she was good but still so unstable she had to be locked up? what if she pushed everyone who cared about her away?

sweeney boo's art also had some great moments depicting harley's mental state from her spiraling to her negative self-talk.

however, as with everything in this run, the depiction of harley's mental health has its downsides. howard leans too much into sentiments like "oh no, everyone will think I'm bad!" "oh no, everyone's just putting up with me! "oh no, I'm such a screw up!" and "oh no, I'm going to get in trouble! better hide!" it reads too childish and infantilizing for a capable grown woman who has a PhD in psychology and a lifetime of living inside her own mind.

of course, I think harley's going to have worries, doubts, and fears as she navigates being a hero. exploring this is good since this is the story route we're taking. but howard often fails to strike the right balance.

unfortunately, this bleeds over into the depiction of harley and ivy's relationship. there's this idea that ivy has to handle or deal with harley. that harley's too loud and too much. that harley could disappoint ivy at any moment. harley shouldn't be a problem. harley should be a partner.

along those lines, when harley and ivy aren't fighting, ivy isn't doing... anything. she's just there. in a way that feels eerie. like we're still in knight terrors: poison ivy #1. you can see it in the facial expressions.

harley hides her shenanigans from ivy for most of howard's twelve issues because "oh no, ivy's going to be mad at me!" even when harley finally tells her what's going on, ivy sits it out. and it just... really sucks. ivy is harley's PARTNER IN CRIME. always has been. she should be IN ON THE SHENANIGANS.

I do acknowledge that this might be a broader dc editorial problem since ivy has her own ongoing and concurrent story, but STILL.

this second story arc was far from one of my favorite harley quinn tales, but at least now we can move on from this multiversal madness. (please gawd let us move on from this multiversal madness.)

[bigangrytrev]

Transformers IDW 2019 Continuity - a retrospective

The first Transformers continuity created by IDW comics is regarded by many as the best Transformer comics that have ever been made.  Kicking off in 2005, it ran for an impressive 13 years with hundreds of issues and took the G1’esque universe to places it had never been before, culminating in a climatic battle against Unicron himself. In 2019 IDW rebooted the Transformers comic universe and it…

[arthurdrakoni]

Figment is a great all ages comic from the Disney Kingdom line. This is my review.

Disney Kingdoms was a truly unappreciated gem of a comic book series. Each issue was based on a different Disney Theme Park attraction; past, present, and even ones that were never built. There’s a lot of lore and creativity put into Disney Theme Park attractions, so there is certainly very fertile ground for story telling.

So, I’d like to share with all of you a review I did of the comic Figment. Based on the classic EPCOT attraction Journey Into Imagination. Figment takes place in London in the year 1910.  It follows an aspiring inventor named Blarion Mercurial.  He might not look it, but he is destined to become The Dreamfinder.  Blarion works for The Academy Scientifica Lucidus.  He's always been a dreamer and he wants to harness the power of imagination and creativity.  Unfortunately, his boss, Chairman Illocrant, is only interested in creating a device that can during thought into energy.  While working on the device, Blarion brings Figment, his childhood imaginary friend, to life.  He also opens a portal into a realm of pure imagination.  Before long, our heroes embark on a journey into imagination.

I’d been meaning to read this comic for a while, but it got a major boost after I watched Defunctland’s episode on Journey Into Imagination. By the way, if you haven’t check out Defubctland, fix that as soon as possible. One of the best channels on YouTube. Love his attention to quality, and the amount of information he always manages to find on defunct theme park attractions.

Anyway, back on topic, I loved Figment. It is a great all ages comic with a strong message in believing in yourself. The segments set in the land of Imagination were fun and whimsical, but the real world segments were entertaining as well. It also a surprisingly well done origin story for Dreamfinder. It could easily have done very wrong. He’s one of those characters like Willy Wonka or Mrs. Frizzle where you don’t know much about them or their origins, but they’re so awesome you just don’t care. However, giving a definitive origin to such characters can backfire badly. Thankfully, that is not at all the case here.

Also, Figment is as cute and adorable as ever. Just as he should be. I’m not the only one who thinks this comic is great. It is the only member of the Disney Kingdoms line to get a sequel. Even then Disney CEO Bob Igor was blown away by the comic’s success. I know that Disney+ is going to be producing some shows based on Disney Theme Park attractions. So, perhaps Disney Kingdoms will rise again some day.

Have you read Figment? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog is here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2018/09/comic-review-figment.html?m=1

[ahb-writes]

Comics Review: 'The Grand Odalisque' & 'Olympia'

The Grand Odalisque & Olympia by Bastien Vivès, Florent Ruppert, Jérôme Mulot

anthology

burglary

European comics

thief

My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Carole is the experienced thief; she's a skilled planner and knows precisely how to take control of the room. Sam is the muscle; she's practical, rides motorcycles for stunt work, and is good at pretending she isn't nervous. Alex is an irrepressible idiot. Insisting these three women broach some semblance of camaraderie to steal a few massive paintings from Paris' most respected art institutions is a difficult ask.

The Grand Odalisque and Olympia are an impatient gamble. These graphic novels feature art that teases beautiful colors and a remarkable architectural design aesthetic. The book also wields deliberately formless character art with washed-out facial expressions, which leaves readers with a plethora of continuity errors, awkward exchanges, and unintentional comedy. The graphic novels feed a duplicitous cycle of characters consistently bailing one another out of their own messes. Carole, Sam, and Alex comprise a fun but frustrating, exciting but chaotic cocktail of marginally plausible art thievery.

Stealing giant paintings from famous French galleries is all fun and games until your inexhaustibly simpleminded partner forgets her cue. Plundering the wealthy under the guise of party shenanigans is a daring enterprise until the French Special Forces raid the dang place. Plotting a massive, three-part heist of the Petit Palais makes for good exercise until you remember (a) one of your partners is nine months pregnant and (b) a mafia assassin is sleeping on your couch, just in case things go sideways.

The duology makes for a quick, enjoyable read. And although one might readily roll their eyes at the prospect of three bickering women being capable of pulling off such feats, the books' primary delights rest in the artful framing of each heist rather than their sloppy execution.

The books' occasionally spectacular environmental design come very close to convincing readers that each book's character development isn't as terrible as it really is.

The side-room to a flourishing European disco is flush with green lighting and floral ambiance. The glass ceiling of an art museum shatters, scattering thousands of shrapnel over twisted and expressionless marble statues. The background art is delightful. But it's a distraction.

In between detailed, wide-angle shots of grand museum architecture, one finds characters who stumble, repeatedly, and complicate an otherwise feasible narrative. Some characters are solid. Sam is tough but insecure, and despite regularly being labeled the crew's getaway driver, offers plenty of skill and support in the way of strength and flexibility. But on the other end of the spectrum, Alex is a waste of space.

The sad truth is that Alex is profoundly incompetent. Typically, the creative team weds her naïve and spontaneous disposition to the story's blunt humor (e.g., faking attraction to an assassin to get his guard down), but more often than not it sidetracks the narrative in excruciatingly cancerous ways. For example, Alex derails a plan to break into the Louvre by flying to western Mexico to save a gun runner she doesn't know but insists she's in love with, or, in the titles' opening scene, ignoring Carole's call for help because she's busy fighting with a non-boyfriend over a text message.

One finds it hard to trust the character dynamics when one-third of the equation routinely sabotages the remaining two-thirds.

To wit, Carole is the star: She gets the blueprints, she calls the weapons dealers, she negotiates with black-market brokers, and she's adaptable when her partners invariably screw things up. Where Alex privileges recklessness (e.g., alcohol, drugs, astonishing feats of clumsiness), Carole exerts impulse control. And where Sam goes wide-eyed with uncertainty (e.g., fretting over splintering the crew's goal), Carole reminds the women that levelheadedness typically wins the day.

If either The Grand Odalisque or Olympia narrowed their point of view to focus exclusively on Carole, then the narrative would've gained far more than it would have lost. The graphic novels conjure clever criminal activities beneath a colorful tapestry native to whatever French museum happens to be within the sights of these three ladies. Also, the comic books offer brief but kinetic action, as well as a few cool chase scenes, albeit relegated to each tome's Third Act. In the end, after arduously side-stepping Alex's rife stupidity, which tangles much of the narrative, one finds the books are quite entertaining.

❯ ❯ Comics Reviews

[carlocarrasco]

A Look Back at Wolverine #87 (1994)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised…

[comicsforyall]

Gene Colan Saves Daredevil, Pedal to the Devil #2

The Man Without Fear, or a Consistent Artist Halfway through his introductory run of Daredevil, Stan Lee faced two looming threats, artistic consistency and painful mediocrity. For the entire preceding run of the series, Lee had been unable to nail down long term artists. This resulted in a cycle of the book coming to a screeching halt just as it is picking up speed. The chemistry and collaboration between writer and artist never seemed to truly click, with the slight exception of John Romita Sr. However even Romita’s run would be quite short at the end of the day compared to Lee himself. Despite the rotating bullpen of artists, the book always looked good and the art was never distracting or particularly lacking. Being passable actually highlighted the main issue facing The Man Without Fear, his identity.

As outlined in the previous post for this series, there is a certain amount of crossover between Daredevil and Spider-Man design wise, with their bright red costumes and contraptions to swing across the city. Add on top that Matt Murdock doesn’t have flashy powers, and throw in some truly generic villains, and you have a recipe for the blandest superhero comic around, especially with Spidey on sale at the same time. The saving grace of the first half of Lee’s run is the melodramatic plots and character beats which essentially bookend each issue.

Nearly two years in though, something seems to click and the book makes some big changes. First and foremost, Gene Colan is brought in on pencils for the remainder of Lee’s run, barring the final issue, which is forgivably given to Barry Smith. Colan’s work will elevate the book from an amusing bit of entertainment history into a more digestible modern experience. Next to the artistic jump, the stories will actually revert, almost re playing the hits.

The plots bring back older villains, and puts the characters into positions where their development retreads, but does so with much more intention and room to breathe. It is as though the story takes a step back and realizes that it’s going to be much more long running than the creator’s initially predicted, and as a result attempts to flesh out the ideas that have already been presented. This rehashing may seem tedious to some, but the overall package is so much more enjoyable, it arguably turns the book around for the better.

Karen, Matt, and Foggy

The cast of Daredevil stays relatively consistent as the series extends past year two, despite the character’s frequent assertions and attempts to the contrary. Each of the main trio makes their own bold exit from the central law office, for varying durations and to differing degrees of dramatic success. The messy law office thrives off spontaneous decisions and some deep traumas.

There’s not a lot of personality deviation from their introduction, each keeping a facade of the mild mannered office worker, while sharing more petty and self serving thoughts with the reader. Instead of sweeping changes Lee opts to run back each of the characters and hit their best beats again and more thoroughly. The relationship between Matt and Karen, Foggy and Daredevil, or any of the cast’s career pursuits are mirrors of the previous storylines, but with more vibrant art and extended time.

This approach makes sense if the title and company was gaining lots of readers back on the publication date. There’s a good chance Lee and company had no idea which of Marvel’s characters would last for decades as opposed to months, so they would lead with their best foot forward. It does sap a bit of energy from the story’s momentum once the parallels become clear, but the extra development time elevates the neat aspects of the first portion of the run into genuinely captivating ideas.

The group is flawed and weird and petty and perfect. The three are all far from paragons of virtue, with a hundred things for which each one of them could be criticized. Their worse actions though are always clearly fueled by insecurities and personal woes, in a way that keeps the reader betting on these losing dogs. As the readthrough progresses hopefully there will be some long term shifts in the dynamics of the main group, as there will definitely be tonal changes for the entire book.

Mike Murdock, the True Daredevil

The most enjoyable story beat that Lee hammers home through his run is the third alter ego of Matt Murdock and Daredevil, that of his own twin brother Mike. With a completely flipped, extroverted personality, Mike does and says everything that Matt doesn’t. He zings Foggy and treats Karen with both open admiration and misogyny, which he otherwise would hold back. The interactions with Mike are consistently funny, and become quite distinct when conceptualizing just how broken a man has to be to deceive his two closest friends into thinking he is his own twin brother.

Matt, who is secretly Mike, who is secretly Daredevil, who is secretly blind, who secretly is also… Thor? The idea of a secret identity is explored rigorously by this series, and in many ways finds the limits of the concept. The book sees just about every combination of fake outs and surprise reveals between alter egos and costume swaps. Unfortunately superhero comics will fail to recognize tired tropes in perpetuity, making the entire concept feel a little like something that’s been seen before. However nothing out stays its welcome in regards to Mike, and the sheer absurdity of making an alternate personality such a prominent aspect of the story is an effective hook.

Beauty in Simplicity

For this run of Daredevil there is a distinct setup of a status quo vs unexpected interruption dynamic. Essentially the issue to issue plot revolves around the three person law office, vigilante and all, facing a threat that will upset their established everyday routine. Whether it’s a maniacal villain trying to murder Daredevil or a job opportunity for Karen, the obstacles facing the characters tend to be surprises that put the protagonist on the back foot. There is no overarching goal to the series or the hero, and they are both placed in positions where they are reacting as opposed to pursuing a specific end.

The organization of the story saps a lot of the narrative drama, as it is clear that most things will return to normal quite quickly, if there is even substantive change to begin with. However what it does establish is a reusable base, one that the creative team can use to create a consistent and long running comic. The tone and main cast become relatable and thorough as they are continually explored.

Each arc lasts only a few issues and generally starts with the simple premise of a vigilante and his law office. Quickly the convulsions of the series are added, with the heroes being as messy as the villains, and then all is right and finished with a bow at the end, and the good guy winning. The repetition makes binge reading a bit of a slog, but would have worked well for continually drawing in new readers or as a weekly pick up. The interactions are witty, the plots are bonkers, and the main drag for the series is it does not feel fresh.

Get Your Words Outta My Comic

The nearly twenty five issues of idling story are almost entirely saved by the work of the series' new artist Gene Colan. The step up in consistency and quality are an equal testament to improved comic making and maintaining a primary artist, as well as to the talent of Colan. When the plot is less than engaging, the propelling force of the book really falls to the art. In the case of Colan’s run he rises to the occasion, and brings Lee up with him. The longtime writer may be at the peak of his dialogue powers in this run, writing smart wit and snark more than obtuse unnecessary descriptions.

The fact may be that Colan’s vibrant and clear illustrations simply did not necessitate any of the extraneous bubbles explaining what the art is meant to be. Equally true could be that the quality of the work was lessened when crammed with too many words and white spaces. Either way an improvement in art direction and a more focused writing style proved to be a recipe to fix the more prevalent drawbacks of the earlier issues.

The best example from this batch of stories is when Daredevil faces the Jester. Much like the other recent arcs, the formula is a weird and specifically themed villain has shown up to fight Daredevil and be defeated over three or four issues. The Jester is actually one of the longer arcs and the story is a pure slog when revisited today when clown villains are among the most played out tropes in the medium.

The Jester saga is completely worth reading for the art alone. Colan decides to play with the panels in ways that are unique for the relatively tame title, and heavily utilizes full pages of art. The dynamism from the integration of these techniques infuse the series with a little more heart, and sparks a bit of interest. Together with the panel to panel quality and the longevity of the artist on the series, this becomes a clear leader in the title’s early runs. Issue forty nine is the last for Colan but only for a bit, as he will return to collaborate with new staple writer Roy Thomas in just a few issues.

Closing Arguments

With the well established creators Stan Lee and Gene Colan both firing on all cylinders, Daredevil becomes a comic that can stand against the test of time. The stories are dated, and by modern standards even the art may be considered simple. The dialogue and early forms of dynamism make all the difference, and present a package that is a lot of fun even from a contemporary view. It’s not necessarily a great binge, and substantively isn’t the deepest comic around, but with a little patience the book becomes simple, pure hijinks and melodrama.

Enjoyable at the peak and forgettable at the lowest points, issue fifty of Daredevil sees Lee’s run come to a close. Unceremoniously departing in the middle of an arc, Lee will transition into an editor role and hand the writing duties over to Roy Thomas. As iconic as his style has proven to be, it feels like the right time for a change in creative direction. Seemingly Lee had drained himself of any more Daredevil stories, but had laid the groundwork that would facilitate the ideas and work of other writers for decades.

Citation Station

The Cover Original Article

Daredevil, Issues 25-50

25-50 written by Stan Lee

25-49 art by Gene Colan

50 art by Barry Smith

Daredevil #33, Art By Gene Colan

[morose-magnetrix]

Immortal X-Men #14 by Gillen, Werneck, and Curiel

I haven't been posting my thoughts about weekly issues in a while, mostly because grad school / life has gotten hectic. I really loved X-Terminators and the new Scarlet Witch ongoing, if you're looking for some sick comics to read, but I want to talk about Immortal X-Men for a minute.

Specifically, the renaissance of Exodus, Bennet du Paris, who might be... one of my favorite mutants??? I was raised protestant, ended up going to about a million different kinds of protestant churches (it's a long story), and became an atheist in high school. I didn't expect to like the pink crusader character. When it comes to religious-adjacent characters, I tend to be more interested in the demons rather than the angels, and certainly not the holy warriors...

But Exodus fucking slaps.

The way I got CHILLS reading this page, as Hope, Destiny, Exodus, and 250k other mutants find themselves stranded in a desert, seemingly outside of time and space (?). Things are bleak. It's the Fall of X. It's the most grimdark we've ever gotten from the Krakoan era (but certainly not X-Men comics in general). Hope has lost hope. Destiny has given up. The mutants with them, we're told explicitly they don't have useful powers. There's no food, water, or shelter.

But Exodus, man, Exodus has faith. His faith - while full of Christian allusions and allegories - centers on mutants. The chosen people. They carry the cross in their blood - the X. And Exodus, the person whose chosen name means a mass departure of people, he's the one who has faith when mutantkind finds itself in exile. He's the one who can inspire the others that not all is lost, that there is a promised land waiting for them, that they can keep the faith and survive.

I could read a million issues about Exodus. There's this sort of awe and chill and intensity to him that I usually feel when reading about Magneto. This man was no one before Krakoa. No one cared about Exodus really. What Gillen and the others have done... it's miraculous.

I can't fucking wait to see more.

[wonderlesscomics]

Batman: Curse of the White Knight (Sean Murphy)

Issues #1-8

Read December 2023

Story: 8/10

Sean continues his rifling success and dives even deeper into his universe choosing to put Batman through a gauntlet of gut punching reveals and pushing him to the limits, going places no author has gone before for Batman. Azreal is gruesome, ferocious and so fresh. Joker while forced to ride shotgun to Azreal continues to backseat drive throughout and steers the story to his own devious ends. I love the framing of this old historic Gotham founding story having such massive ripples in the current timeline. Sean was not afraid to rip characters away from us and turn the brutality up. While I thought some things moved a little fast and I wish Azreal got slightly more of a driving force, how can I be upset with Azreal leading a Batman story in 2023. The highlight of this book is this budding relationship whether romantic or amicable between Harley and Batman. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen more chemistry in my life in comics. Turned me on and made me want to kiss my wife!

Art: 10/10

Not much to say here, Sean continues his triumphant art work and character design. The new Azreal armor and his armored Batman design are just improvements over the source material and I have even purchased the McFarlane figures based on these designs!

Special Notes:

- Love the Jokers death not being such a massive moment but just its own thing

- The relationship between Harley and Batman is gorgeous

- Gordon is handled extremely well

- Shoutout to Jason fucking Blood!

- Jason Todd at the end?!

Overall Rating: 8/10

While I think the book isn’t necessarily as good as the first series, it’s an impossible task to accomplish. The fresh and exciting discoveries of the original will always allow it to shine over anything else in the verse. But the ability to prove that it’s not just a fluke while continuing to deepen the mythos is a testament to his ability to write and world build. He delivers on the end of a Batman story and delivers the best interpretation of a forgotten character. I can’t be more excited to read what’s next!

[galacticrambler]

When it comes to Star Trek, I’m pretty sure that Deep Space Nine is my favorite series. I quickly love Benjamin Sisko, and that translated to the rest of the series. Being able to enjoy Star Trek, Vol. 1: Godshock was a treat.

The non-Q god-like beings in the world of Star Trek aren’t my favorite, so I was a little bummed at the end of Deep Space Nine, when Sisko disappeared into “nothing” with the Bajoran gods at the wormhole. This story picks up three years later, and Sisko finally reappears, albeit with a message and a mission from those gods.

Sisko takes a Starfleet experimental ship, the Theseus, alongide a crew of some familiar faces to investigate a mysterious message from those gods.

Joining Sisko on the trio are Montgomery Scott from Star Trek; Data, Worf, and Beverly Crusher from The Next Generation; Jake Sisko from Deep Space Nine; and Tom Paris from Voyager. There are also several other familiar faces who make an appearance.

There were occasions early on when reading this book that I did a few double takes on the art of established characters. However, I was able to adjust pretty quickly and had a good time.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I enjoyed The Dog Of War, but… I like Star Trek, so it was still a fun read.

[ch4tk4t]

Comics Fangirl n°1 - Into the fangirlverse:

Today's review is about "What if? Dark: Spider-Gwen"/2023

Plot by Gerry Conway & Jody Houser

Art by Ramon F Bachs and Dee Cunniffe

Welcome to this first "Comics Fangirl", where i use my fangirl super powers I got by being bit by a radioactive super-fan for good, as with great power, MUST also come great responsibility.

Get ready for a true superhero action thriller, packed to the brim with thrills and chills, twists and turns, more super-vilains than you can shake a web at, and of course, non-stop web-slinging ACTION !

So if you're not aware yet, Gwen Stacy is theorized to be a trans wowan in the latest spider-movie, "Across the Spider-verse". Needless to say, most of the "fan base" is up in arms AGAINST the idea. That, in my humble opinion, is because most of the "spider-fan base" is a bunch of racist incels. I, as a TRUE spider-fan hold the only true true. This is f*cking comics, you f*cking nerds. Cry some more, #Gwenistrans. Now that THAT'S sorted out, moving on to my review.

First off, my eyes bleed every time I have to witness Greg Land's... "art". Motherf*cker can't even find something new to trace over, I feel I've seen this "o-face" a BILLION times already (I'm not being funny here, Greg is KNOWN for tracing over porn 😑)

Spoilers for this comics from here on out, you have been warned. Also, minor spoilers for Ghost-Spider's backstory.

It's one of comics most well known event, but in case you didn't know, the main universe Gwen Stacy died years ago, during a fight between Spider-Man and the green goblin. Only this time, it's Peter that dies, hitting his head as he jumps to save Gwen.

I love this alternate universe, because usually the "What ifs" involve someone acting out of character or something ludicrous happening to set the events into motion. Only this time it's Peter not thinking of his personal safety as he saves the woman of his life (MJ and him start dating after Gwen's death), which is 100% in character.

Gwen discovers Peter's secret identity as she drags his lifeless body from the water. Instinctively, she gets rid of his costume. I love the way she INSTANTLY knows what Peter would've wanted, as I'm sure he wouldn't want any of his ennemies knowing who he was, especially now that he can't protect his loved ones.

Instead of just grieving though, our girl Gwen starts scheming. She's going to take revenge on the green goblin. Only problem, she has no super-powers, and no training. That won't stop her, as she enlists Harry Osborn's help to spring a trap for the gliding menace. What she doesn't tell Harry is that she plans on killing the goblin, using her late father's gun.

She baits Osborn senior by acting like Spider-Man survived their last encounter. When the Goblin falls into her trap, she points the gun at him, ready to shoot.

At the last minute though, she changes her mind, proving once more the love and understanding she has for Parker. Peter wasn't a killer, and she won't become one in his name. So this is the part where my eyes started leaking for some odd reason.

Sadly, Harry, overtaken by grief (and probably overcompensating for missing Pete's funeral) shoots the Goblin in the chest, not aware of his true identity. When Norman dies in front of his son, Harry snaps, telling Gwen he holds her responsible for his father's death, exacerbating her already existing guilt.

This is the start of this Gwen's journey as a spider-person. As far as spider-folks go, that's pretty f*cking metal.

So I want to touch on the fact this is now the second "Spider-Gwen" who fights crime WITHOUT SUPER POWERS. First of all, #SlayQueenYaaas. Secondly, I can't help but read this as a metaphor for Gwen being trans.

In case you didn't know (we can't all be virgins, I understand) Ghost-Spider, mostly know as "Spider-Gwen", also doesn't have super-powers at the moment (at least when the writers actually REMEMBER THAT). She lost them during a story where she compensated using a version of the venom symbiote, which she tames in about one issue, one-upping Peter like no one's business.

I may be over thinking this, but I view that fact as a parallel to her transness. Much like the fact she doesn't have the same "powers" as cis people, she doesn't have the powers most spider-people have, and she has to work twice as hard to achieve the same results as them. Also, Ghost-Spider has no secret identity in her universe, and I couldn't help but see that as a trans thing. You KNOW people IRL would out her the first chance they got. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know.

So in case that wasn't clear, I loved this comic. The plot was good, and I loved the art. If you plan on picking it up (I just spoiled most of the plot, but you do you) consider pirating it, in case you don't know Disney funds war criminals.

I give this comic nuff'said/10

Talk to you later, true believers.

Fangirl out.

[fox-teeth]

I got a question about what other ShortBox Comics Fair comics I'd recommend for readers who liked mine so I thought I write a post!

If you want to read about the inner lives of artists: Dr. Worm by Serena Cirillo. Zainab already rightfully pointed this comparison out on some of the SBCF accounts. A darkly funny and relatable comic for anyone that's struggled with creative block with a zany, energetic art style.

If you are a worldbuilding aficionado: Home by the Rotting Sea by Otava Heikkilä. If you want to immerse yourself in fantasy worlds and cultures that feel rich and alive you can't go wrong with this brilliant, gorgeous comic. The last scene will give you chills.

If you are interested in death and its rituals: Those Who Leave by @cowlickmeadow. An engaging, informative, and very personal look at Chinese death and burial rituals, told through charming brushwork cartoon animals.

If you like your cute with a side of introspection: Hibernation Guide for Rabbits and Hares by @lauren-adassovsky. Enter a beautiful story-book world of anthromorphic animals with a melancholy undercurrent. Reading this comic is like a warm blanket on a cold fall day.

Find more previews of even more comics on @shortboxcomicsfair !

[brookebeamsbig]

💭 poison ivy #10-12

I reread poison ivy #10-12 before sharing my thoughts because I wanted a fresh perspective and a clear head. And here 🎶we don't talk about janet🎶. (okay, maybe just a little.) we talk about the story as a whole!

so what's going on in this arc? what are we doing here? ivy and janet have made a pit stop on their way back to gotham to scope out a "consciously capitalistic" wellness retreat. here ivy discovers her dangerous lamia strain has mutated in the wild.

thus, what initially appears to be another episodic environmental exploit becomes a deep dive into the consequences of ivy's actions in #1-6 and a test of ivy's recent growth.

at first, I felt a bit icky about ivy using the infected women as human shields against their will. it seemed so out of touch with her recent journey about control and bodily autonomy. but then I realized that's the point.

ivy has a history of puppeteering people with her pheromones to achieve her own agenda. this is a reflection of that. the horror that ivy displays at the near outcome along with janet's reaction show the reader that she has truly moved past that stage.

the following issue reaffirms this with the woman who chooses not to take ivy's antidote. this scene also helps to show that the effects of ivy's actions will continue to be felt beyond these issues.

I said we'd talk about janet a little bit, okay? everyone has their opinions about this. well, here's mine.

as far as #10-12 go, I don't mind janet's behavior here. all of these women have essentially been drugged and sexually assaulted by the woman who runs the retreat. (potentially straight) women who barely knew each other engaged in sexual activities under the influence. we can't blame janet for giving in to her feelings in this out-of-her-control situation.

and it is to be expected that drama will ensue now that that can of worms has been opened. how it's handled is still to be determined.

[arthurdrakoni]

The Eagles of Rome by Enrico Marini is an example of the great historical fiction comics the European comic scene has to offer. This is my review.

One of the things I love about European comics is the number of great historical fiction titles available. So, I thought I share a review I did of one of my favorites: The Eagles of Rome. 

The Eagles of Rome, by Enrico Marini, is set in the The Roman Empire in the first century AD, during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Rome is seeking to expand its boarders into Germania. Towards this end, a young Germanian prince has been sent to Rome to be fostered as part of a peace agreement with the Cherusci tribe. To his people he is Ermanamer, but the Romans have given him a new name: Arminius. Arminius has been sent to live with Titus Valerius Falco and his son Marcus. The comic follows Arminius and Marcus as the grow into men and join the legion. As they grow, Arminius finds himself increasingly drawn to the land of his birth. Marcus and Arminius are going to find themselves on opposite sides of a great conflict. In time it will be known as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. 

The Eagles of Rome isn’t finished yet, as Marini writes and draws the comic all one his own. There’s usually a few years wait between volumes, but it is totally worth it. Marini takes his time to ensure a quality comic. The comic is illustrated in gorgeous watercolor paintings, and you can tell Marini puts lots of love and care into his artwork. 

The historical accuracy is rock solid as well. A few events are shifted around to make for better story flow, but otherwise it is all perfectly accurate to the historical record. The biggest bit of artistic license is that Marcus and his family are totally fictional. They’re mostly there to give the Roman perspective on things. Funnily enough, DC did this thing a few years back where they hired European comic writers to make comics based on iconic DC heroes. Marini wrote a Batman comic, and he drew Bruce Wayne almost exactly like Marcus. 

There’s also little details that add to the historical accuracy. Statues and buildings are covered in vibrant colored paint, just as they were in Roman times. We also get to see the seedier parts of Rome and how, if you were poor, living in Rome was like living in a third world country. 

I don’t know when the next issue is coming out, but I can’t wait to see what happens next. Have you read The Eagles of Rome? If so, what did you think? 

Link to the full review on my blog is here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2019/07/comic-review-eagles-of-rome-vol-1-5-by.html?m=1

[libertyreads]

Book Review #57 of 2023--

Heart and Brain by Nick Seluk. Rating: 4 stars.

Read on May 12th.

Let’s keep this one short since it’s a comic collection. Who doesn’t love reading these comics? Even better, I got it from the library so it wasn’t even at an insane cost to me. Which I appreciated. Especially since reading 50 pages chunks at a time made my anxiety skyrocket. I think we spent so much time with Brain that it eventually started getting to me. That’s the only reason this one got a 4 and no higher. I have multiple anxiety conditions so I should probably have read this one over the course of a few days and not within a few hours. But Heart and still so sweet. And it makes valid points too. A cute comic that I would read more of. Just not as much at once.