CAMPISI: THE DRAGON INCIDENT #4 hits your local comic book store December 1st, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: The dragon $&#% has hit the fan. It’s all but certain that the dragon is going to destroy Green Village, and the people who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave the neighborhood are going to die. Sonny Campisi has one last desperate chance to save his home, but he’s going to need the help from the most unlikely source.
Each issue of CAMPISI: THE DRAGON INCIDENT features 24 pages of story and art with a cardstock cover!
The series is by writer James Patrick and artist Marco Locati, with letters by Rachel Deering, and a cover by Fran Galán.
Check out the CAMPISI: THE DRAGON INCIDENT #4 preview below:
Are you reading CAMPISI: THE DRAGON INCIDENT? Sound off in the comments!
Valiant Comics’ X-O Manowar #8 arrives with a dynamic climax to the series through the titular armor’s mind, Shanhara. Her story of privacy and rights violations is surprisingly compelling for an alien AI.
Background
Aric of Dacia (X-O Manowar) spent the last several issues finally getting a handle on a nanite swarm. Only to turn out his benefactor, Troy Whittaker, has been using him.
X-O Manowar #8: The Story of Shanhara’s Sentence
Dennis Hopeless makes X-O Manowar #8 all about Shanhara. By calling back to a few other issues, readers see how insidious Troy’s deceptions are. Through Shanhara, readers feel the data collection that evokes the real world fears of losing freedom. The fact the reader gets this through an AI is a rather interesting angle. It’s why when Shanhara recounts her tale, it feels like she’s in the process of regaining her autonomy.
City Of The Singularity
The art of X-O Manowar #8 offers a chilly presentation of this series’ threat. Jim Towe shares penciling duties with Emilio Laiso and inking with Raffaele Forte to present how invasive the nanite swarm is, in crystalline form. The green hues by Ruth Redmond make the crystals twice as menacing. The side characters have thick outlines but don’t show their faces, instead their body language shows their fright.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou brings some top-notch lettering to X-O Manowar #8. In addition to some highly expressive and distorting word balloons, a few captions highlight Troy’s presence. Including the captions of Shanhara’s doppelgänger shifting into speech balloons.
Connect to X-O Manowar #8
X-O Manowar #8 sets up a pretty intense stage for the coming conclusion. The villain isn’t just established, Troy Whittaker makes the gravity of his threat apparent. His violation of Shanhara is just the tip of an epic climax. This will leave readers ready and itching for the next issue.
Writer Zac Thompson (Yondu, No One’s Rose) and artists German Garcia and Alvaro Lopez continue their saga of classic adventure mixed with post-colonial dread with Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #3. With colors from Mat Lopes and Mat Milla and letters from Joe Caramagna, this tense and often brutal chapter strikes dead-center at what Thompson & Co’s focus is with this new version of Ka-Zar. With a sharp, sometimes frightening script and stunning visual work, this is a brilliant climactic chapter.
“THE NEW MASTER OF THE SAVAGE LAND IS REVEALED! Matthew Plunder has betrayed his parents-and now the entire continent is headed for landfill. Welcome to Domovoy’s Domain… You won’t enjoy the experience. Zac Thompson and Germán García reshape a corner of the Marvel Universe in another installment of their pulse-pounding, heart-throbbing adventure through forbidden territory!”
Writing & Plot
Zac Thompson pens a script that blends a classic comics feel with the unflinching shock of confronting contemporary issues. Ka-Zar: Lord Of The Savage Land #3 follows up the tragic ending of the prior chapter with, well, more tragedy. The even more determined Plunder family sets out to hunt down Domovoy, the source of this biotechnical blight plaguing the Savage Land. While I would never spoil anything, let’s just say they bite off more than they can chew.
The parallels drawn up between the Plunder family’s attempted colonizing of the Savage Land and what this biotech plague is doing are brilliant and disturbing. The notion of tech perverting nature in a sort of ecosystem-based colonization is a gem of a concept. What I’m looking forward to most as this series continues is this concept being explored more. There are a couple moments that could come across as a bit of preachy veganism. However, if this is the case, I find that in context they make sense.
Dialogue
Thompson’s dialogue sensibilities here swing between poetic, almost psychedelic narrations and Silver Age-tinged dialogue. The vision/flashback scenes are colored by the trauma Ka-Zar feels in regards to his past. This comes out as animals reciting their pain in evocative, beautifully penned passaged describing agony. On the other hand, in-story character dialogue is a finely tuned mix of classic and contemporary sensibilities. Especially in the way Matthew talks, there’s a sense of internal narrative to the character’s words. It’s the kind of writing that dominated comics for decades, from the Golden Age adventure books that inspired Ka-Zar to the character’s original appearance by Lee and Kirby. Much of the time though, sentence structure and word choice feel mostly naturalistic and contemporary. There’s a lot to like about this script, and I’m curious to see what Thompson has coming next.
Art Direction
German Garcia and Alvaro Lopez draw the absolute hell out of Ka-Zar: Lord Of The Savage Land #3. The combination of their unique pencils and action-focused panel direction makes for a gorgeous and immersive visual experience. The thin penciling gives the characters softer features. There’s an almost rounded aesthetic to the panels that is rare among mainstream comic books. The animations and detail are greatly drawn, yet in a more subtle manner than what you may be used to. Where many contemporary “Big 2” books utilize thicker lines with more jagged features and intensely detailed backgrounds, this comic sticks out with its smooth character-focused approach. The environments, while gorgeous or threatening depending on where on the Savage Land we are, have a sort of homogenous approach directed to them.
When focused in on the Plunders, the land morphs into a nebulous wall of nature. Details can still be seen, but its as if a neon haze overtakes everything. Whether intended or not, I like this touch as a parallel to how Kevin must see the Savage Land. This perspective shifts when Ka-Zar needs to borrow the abilities of a nearby animal, a la Animal Man. Here, the close-up details of various organisms, from hordes of ants to fish, work together like a mural.
Colors
Much of what makes this aesthetic so striking is the coloring of Mat Lopes (The Dreaming) and Mat Milla. Their work in Ka-Zar uses a less saturated, almost watercolor-like style that focuses on lighter tones of the chosen colors. This isn’t to say that the book is light on color.” though. On the contrary, every panel sings with their work. Most panels veer towards choosing one overall tone (brown/tan in deserts, blue/purple at night). The vision sequences however are where they get especially creative. These panels are flooded with an organic mass of color. This approach works especially well due to the mind-bending visions Kevin is having in his dreams. Every aspect of Ka-Zar’s visual experience is unique excellence.
Verdict
Ka-Zar: Lord Of The Savage Land #3 is a thrilling, gorgeous, and unexpectedly brutal chapter in this mini-series. Zac Thompson’s script doubles down on the harm that has been done to the Savage Land over time, and while it can be a bit preachy, it is wholly compelling. The visuals from German Garcia, Alvaro Lopez, Mat Lopes, and Mat Milla are uniquely stunning in ways not often seen in mainstream comics. This is a truly special series coming out of the Marvel comics lineup, so be sure to grab this issue today!
DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #3 hits your local comic book store November 24th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: MEET THE THREE MOTHERS! With no Sorcerer Supreme, Earth is left entirely defenseless against the mother – MOTHERS – of all mystical threats. Meet the Three Mothers: the Wyrd, an alien mage-priestess; the Crown, a powerful warrior-queen; and the Crawling, a monstress composed of acid-mouthed worms. Will they be the Marvel Universe’s undoing? And were they the ones who killed Stephen Strange?! In the vein of the Black Order, don’t miss the first appearances of the next great Marvel villain team!
The issue is by writer Jed MacKay and artist Lee Garbett, with colors by Antonio Fabela, and letters by Cory Petit. The main cover is by Kaare Andrews.
Check out the DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #3 preview below:
Are you reading DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE? Sound off in the comments!
I read AfterShock Comics’ The Heathens #1about a week ago. Since then, I’ve found myself at a total loss for words about it. It’s not that The Heathens #1 isn’t fantastic. In fact, it’s the kind of comic you feel like you’ve been waiting to see, you just didn’t know it yet. It scratches an itch you didn’t know you had. The problem for me, with The Heathens #1, is it so masterfully immerses you in its world, it’s hard to even talk about the nuts and bolts of it. It doesn’t feel like a comic, like words and pictures. Writers Cullen Bunn and Heath Amodio, artist Sami Kivela, colorist Jason Wordie, and letterer Simon Bowland throw readers into a living, breathing, fully fleshed-out world. You’re guaranteed to get lost in its pages.
About THE HEATHENS #1 (from AfterShock Comics)
When evil men and women escape from the depths of the eternal abyss, the Pirate Queen Lady Shih is sent to retrieve them. But when one of history’s most notorious killers breaks free, even she needs help. Enter the Heathens: Shih, Lucky Luciano, Bumpy Johnson, Sofia the Golden Hand, and Billy the Kid. From Hell they came to mete out a justice as dark as their own tormented souls.
Writing
The concept of The Heathens is brilliant from the get-go. Bunn and Amodio have created a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen type of cast, except it’s populated by history’s damned souls. Joseph Stalin, the Zodiac Killer, Jack the Ripper and more stalk these pages. But it’s more than just the concept of The Heathens that makes this issue so brilliant. It’s that readers are thrown into a world that’s already been set into motion. Bunn and Amodio do no handholding, they offer no exposition dumps. Readers are greeted by two dead bodies, a couple anachronisms, and a mysterious chat between a hunter and her prey. The sheer intrigue and “What’s going on?” of it all will pull you in and it won’t let you go.
Art
Kivela has a stunning knack for the theatric. On one page, Lady Shih unsheathes her sword and swings it through the air. The whole page is interrupted by a severed hand, flying through the page’s center. Often, panels bleed – quite literally – into one another. Not only does this have a really cinematic effect, but when there’s no gutter between panels Kivela makes these characters seem like they can almost be two places at once. When we get a brief rundown of Lady Shih’s tumultuous history, the page is as rocky and chaotic as her life. Kivela makes each panel look like a wave that washes away the panel before it. Every page layout is brilliantly set up to focus readers in on the most important parts of the scene. Kivela’s tools are order and chaos. He uses both in equal measure, to devastating effect.
Coloring
Wordie uses plenty of red for this issue. And in the first scene, he makes sure we know why. The scene is cast in a subtle blue light. Everything in the panel is affected by the darkness of the nighttime, except for one thing. Two bodies sit in a car, bullet holes through their heads. Their blood stands out in brilliant red. It sets the tone for the issue, but also gives the color red a poignancy. So when we see Lady Shih is dressed fully in red, or the heathens all against a red background, it speaks to us of the blood on their hands. Wordie makes every seen come to life on the page, while also adding that simple but brilliant flare of meaning to each page.
Lettering
Bowland’s lettering gives this issue a clear rhythm. The first letters we see in The Heathens are in a big yellow “BLAM.” Lady Shih dodges the bullet, whispers to herself in small font, and then returns fire with a single “WABOOM.” The W and A are skinny, and the BOOM stretches out in thick, orange bubble letters. You can hear the power behind the shot, you can listen for the echo. As the issue continues, the fonts change constantly. Shih’s prey, ranting anxiously, talks in small font before he dies. The use of bold and the parsing out of the dialogue makes it so that our cast of characters has a patter to what they say. Bowland creates a dynamic between these characters, showing how casually they address one another.
But one of the most impressive feats of lettering comes in the last couple pages. The Heathens breaks from its narrative, interrupted by pages from Stalin’s journal. The pages look stained, with creases and what looks like hand lettered font. At the top of each page is typed “JOURNAL OF JOSEPH VISSARIONOVICH STALIN.” But if you look closely, the alignment for the lettering is off and differs on every page. It’s a fantastic effect, mimicking the look of a page written through an old fashioned typewriter. Even in the smallest details, this issue delivers.
AfterShock’s The Heathens #1 is more than just a story. It’s a world to get lost in. Bunn, Amodio, Kivela, Wordie and Bowland are doing stunning work. Pick up The Heathens #1, already out, at your local comic shop! And check out the preview for The Heathens #2.
King Richard is the heartwarming family sports drama everyone should see this holiday season. With an Oscar-worthy performance from its lead, King Richard delivers an important message about staying focused. This thrilling story about the life of Richard Williams, Venus and Serena Williams’ father, is a captivating experience from start to finish.
Venus and Serena Williams are recognized as two of the world’s best tennis players. It was only a matter of time before a film came along to dive into their upbringing. However, King Richard isn’t told through the lens of Venus or Serena. Richard Williams carries the weight of this crowd-pleasing affair to highlight his influence on his two daughters. The film follows Williams (Smith), a father determined to turn his two daughters into global icons.
Director Reinaldo Marcus Green helms this inspiring true story that should warm everyone’s heart. Smith is joined by Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Tony Goldwyn, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, and Kevin Dunn. A biopic about the childhood of Serena (Singleton) and Venus Williams (Sidney) told from the perspective of their father works overall, but another project centered on their adulthood should allow for more focus on the two stars. Zach Baylin’s script translates into this endearing film about a father who wants the best for his daughters, but if you came for Serena and Venus, they take a backseat.
Richard Williams is depicted as a man on a mission, he’s been through hardship, and intends to create a better future for his family. With an abusive and less fortunate upbringing, he refuses to let anything stop his two tennis stars from reaching the top. King Richard goes beyond tennis, the sport is an integral part of its story, but this film thrives more in its focus on a family overcoming their setbacks. No one is left behind in Richard’s vision, but his methods don’t always sit well with others. While his intentions are good, Richard can be a bit controlling and stubborn.
Green paces the film tremendously, which allows audiences to become attached to Richard, and there’s this feeling of intimacy in each scene. It assists in making his negative tendencies much more unnerving because you are rooting for this family to succeed. It’s a methodical transition from a supportive father to an overbearing father who only cares about himself. Smith delivers a powerful performance that should be recognized as one of his best. He captures the accent and personality of Richard Williams so well and carries the majority of this film with his commanding performance.
King Richard succeeds at keeping sports biopics fresh by switching up enough of the formula audiences might already be familiar with. Biopics have a habit of portraying the complicated side of success for the athletes or musicians they are centered on. Venus and Serena are children here, so Richard Williams takes on that complicated side, which involves fame and money. This allows the child stars to beautifully capture the innocence of Venus and Serena Williams. They are confident, but nervous about letting their family down, and Sidney and Singleton portray those emotions amazingly.
After building up a strong family dynamic, King Richard takes the emotions to the tennis courts. There are some hard-hitting tennis rounds featured throughout this film, the most important coming at the end. Green captures the tennis matches in a way that allows you to become immersed in the emotions felt by everyone in attendance. The tension is constant and these tennis rounds serve as a reinforcement for the strong family values Richard has instilled in the girls. By the end, being humble is what stands out the most for Venus and Serena Williams.
King Richard is a powerful sports drama that will inspire anyone who watches this holiday season. Smith’s performance is going to garner a lot of well-deserved attention. I’d consider this his best performance in many years, and having a story fitting for the talent he possesses makes his work here that much better. King Richard is a heartwarming film that teaches the importance of staying true to yourself and being focused.
THE HEATHENS #2 hits your local comic book store December 15th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: The Heathens chase the scorpion into its hole and find themselves surrounded by snakes. Can five alphas stay together long enough for the entire pack to make it out alive?
The series is by writers Cullen Bunn & Heath Amodio and artist Sami Kivelä, with colors by Jason Wordie, and letters by Simon Bowland. The cover is by Kivelä and Wordie.
HEATHENS#1 dropped on November 3rd. MFR reviewer Zac Owens gave the first issue a perfect score, saying it “scratches an itch you didn’t know you had” and promises “you’re guaranteed to get lost in its pages.”
Check out the THE HEATHENS #2 preview below:
Did you pick up the first issue of THE HEATHENS? Sound off in the comments!
Image Comics’ Primordial has always been weird. It’s an alternate take on the history of the space program, with a dash of otherworldly influence, all centered around three unsuspecting animals. But up until now, Primordial has been quite simple. The strangeness has been in the margins, while the meat of the story has been about Laika the dog and Baker and Able, two monkeys. Writer Jeff Lemire, artist Andrea Sorrentino, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Steve Wands treat Primordial #3as a shift in gears. While it still has our wonderful animals at the heart of the story, it fully embraces its weird, sci-fi undertones.
Writing
Lemire tells multiple stories in this one issue. He shows a history of Baker and Able, our space monkeys, and we follow a scientist that is beginning to learn about the mysteries surrounding these animals. But the truly shocking thing in this issue, is how much time we spend in an – as of yet unexplained – otherworldly realm. Lemire leans into the mystery of it all. He doesn’t offer answers, but the rules of this realm begin to slowly unfold. It’s an exciting shift that’s masterfully executed. In the hands of a less experienced writer, this shift in tone could feel forced or cheesy. But Lemire’s script inextricably links the supernatural goings on of this series to the emotional heart of the story – the development of our animal characters. One thread of the story isn’t being interrupted for another. These threads are one and the same.
Art
Sorrentino spends a good ten pages of this issue drawing in a style that’s not familiar to us as readers. Instead of the shadowy images he often presents, Sorrentino shows us pages and pages of a more traditional linework. He proves he’s just as moving in his storytelling in this format as he is in his usual wheelhouse. In fact, there’s a beautiful layer that’s added to these scenes – or rather, stripped away. Sorrentino strips back the filters, the Ben Day dots, and the inky blacks that often obscure the characters’ expressions, which he so often uses to brilliant effect. Without all of those things, the characters almost look naked. They’re simplified and laid bare. It’s downright beautiful. Sorrentino imbues these deeply complex scenes with a layer of poignant simplicity.
Coloring
Stewart also gives these scenes a sense of lightness. While the scenes that take place in the “normal” world are often dark blues, greys and browns, the scenes in the otherworldly realm have a brightness to them. Sure, many of the scenes are almost completely white. But when color does find its way into these scenes, it’s undiluted. The pinks, purples, reds and greens that we see are vibrant. Every other scene that Stewart colors has such a sense of place. You can feel the cold breeze, squint through the night air. And the otherworldly realm is scattered and placeless, in a joyful way. In a sense, Stewart still gives us a sense of place. He shows us that this is a place that feels like no place at all. It’s jarring and beautiful all at once.
Lettering
When we first see Able and Baker, they communicate with “Eee! Eee!” noises. Wands writes these in simple word balloons. The font looks slightly different to actual English words, a little less refined. But when we see Able and Baker in a flashback, the same letters look quite different. Wands shows us large yellow and green “Eee! Eeee!” noises bursting out of the confines of their word balloons. The panic and desperation of the moment is as clear as day. Separately, when Able is piecing together things he’s hearing, we see one line of dialogue split up into two disconnected caption boxes. The lettering for each half is on a simple white caption box and the rest of the panels on the page have little empty white boxes scattered all around. Wands gives us the feeling that Able is being hit with all kinds of information and he’s picking out little, relevant details.
Image Comics’ Primordial is a delight. It’s good to see that it not only does the emotional, grounded storyline of Able, Baker, and Laika right, but it nails its sci-fi elements too. Pick up Primordial #3, out from Image Comics today, at a comic shop near you!
SILVER SURFER REBIRTH #2 (OF 5) hits comic shops in February, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive first-look at the book!
About the issue: A MIGHTY MARVEL TEAM-UP?! NOT LIKELY…
Someone has stolen the Reality Gem and is restructuring the universe to their whims…and it’s NOT Thanos! Now, the Silver Surfer must do the unthinkable and team up with his worst foe to save all of existence. If only they could just stop trying to kill each other…
The issue is by writer Ron Marz and artist Ron Lim.
Get your exclusive first-look at Lim’s cover for SILVER SURFER REBIRTH #2 below:
Are you excited for SILVER SURFER REBIRTH? Sound off in the comments!
Welcome to Self-Published Spotlight, a regular interview column where I will be highlighting self-published comics and the creators and small print publishers who make them.
Funded in under a week and the subject of massive buzz, G.H.O.S.T. Agents has made the scene. Written by Rocko Jerome, the spy-fi action comic is an anthology designed to showcase some killer up-and-coming comic talent, and this is issue one of an ongoing series that includes artists Chris Anderson, Ben Perkins, Sam J. Royale, Barry Tan and will be published by Eli Schwab via COSMICLION Press. I had the chance to chat with this crew, and much like the G.H.O.S.T. Agents, they are all badasses themselves. But time’s almost up! So if you were meaning to get around to getting in, grab it now!
Monkeys Fighting Robots: So Rocko, where and how did you conceive the concept for G.H.O.S.T. Agents? Rocko Jerome: It’s a way that I can write stories in a genre that I enjoy without having to get someone’s permission or aspire to work for one of the two mammoth corporations that lord over the world of comics. I don’t suppose it’s really difficult for anyone to see what kinds of comics I’m into just by glancing at what we’ve cooked up, here. I was inspired by Michel Fiffe and the ballsiness of Copra, where he’s making the best Suicide Squad comic of this century, but doing it in a total DIY way and sort of daring anyone to stop him.
MFR: And this is also an ongoing series, right? I don’t know if I have seen a lot of Kickstarters for an ongoing. What made you want to make it a series and not a graphic novel or limited series?
Rocko: It is intended to be ongoing, yeah. With one major exception in the works, it will all be made up of short stories by a whole host of artists that all stand alone and, if I get my part right, also lean into a bigger narrative if the reader pays attention. I feel like here in the 21st century, the biggest adversary to overcome for every creator of every kind of art is our collective attention deficit. I feel like it’s not even a “disorder” at this point and more a collective state of being. We’re all busy. We all have literally hundreds if not thousands of things competing for our attention when we go on the internet. So I ask the artists that I collaborate with to commit to illustrating short, punchy stories, and I ask absolutely anyone in the public to spend a quick few minutes to read any of them. Kickstarter, was Chris Anderson’s idea and, although Eli and I were initially reluctant to go that route because we never had before, I’m glad we got over that and tried it. Because it’s gone very well, and I don’t think our more established conventional methods would have gone nearly as well as this has. We were fully funded within just six days, and that sixth day happened to be my birthday. It’s all very exciting. If I have my way and continue to be this lucky, I want to keep making G.H.O.S.T. Agents comics for the rest of my life. These guys all have scripts for future stories, and there are a lot more out there with other artists. I don’t feel like there’s any limit to what can be done with this concept. It’s wide open.
MFR: Alright, so this question goes to the artists. How did each of you get involved with the project?
Chris Anderson: We were just wrapping up Image Grand Design, and I was brainstorming something to do for WIZERD 2. Rocko and I were talking about what a great experience it was working together, and he asked me to do a G.H.O.S.T. Story for the ‘Zerd. That led to asking me to do the story in this issue and so on.
Art by Chris Anderson
Ben Perkins: My story is really short and sweet. Rocko liked my work, he asked me to do a story, and I said yes.
Art by Ben Perkins
Sam J. Royale: On May 2nd, 2021, Rocko said, “Hey bro, would doing a cover featuring a Mod-era Wonder Woman expy on a motorcycle be something exciting for you?” I agreed immediately but then realized how difficult that could be, so I cried and bought more time by insisting on designing the logo first.
Art By Sam J. Royale
Barry Tan: Rocko originally approached me about collaborating on a story for Darkest Image after seeing a Kirby-inspired pin-up I posted. Midway into it, he had the idea to include it in G.H.O.S.T. Agents, and we agreed it would be a good fit with some art and dialogue revisions. And so here I am amongst the company of these exceptional artists.
Art by Barry Tan
MFR: Eli Schwab, you’re publishing this through Cosmiclion Press. How did GHOST Agents end up in your headquarters? Eli Schwab: After Image Gand Design, Rocko and I were looking for another time to do something together. I had such a fun time working with Rocko laying out that book that I was excited to get creative with him again. The cool thing about working with Rocko is that we both have similar strengths, and we also fill in the places where the other may lack. What I mean by that is we’re a great team that picks up where the other isn’t focusing. So like when Rocko is wondering about how to print on newsprint, I can go find out how we can do it and if it’s cost-effective. Also, after a wild project like IGD, you really learn about people and about their work ethic. I would be down to work with almost any of the creators from Image Grand Design/Disaster. There are a lot more great books coming from the crew, too! Some published by me and some not.