Shadowman #4 comes to comic stores on July 28 from Valiant Entertainment to finish writer Cullen Bunn’s first story arc. With the art of Jon Davis-Hunt and the colors of Jordie Bellaire, a magical veil engulfs the pages. The lettering by Clayton Cowles displays how close characters are to being overwhelmed by this development.
Shadowman #4: Staying Sober
Continuing from previous issues, Bunn has Shadowman realize he’s fighting a losing battle. For all of the attempts to keep the peace, to fight against a byproduct of human nature like the Deadside won’t work because Shadowman himself is a blight drawn to man’s worst impulses. Fortunately, every prior experience also allows Shadowman insights and strengths to resist depravity. So Shadowman #4 is ultimately about finding a healthy way to live with people’s demons rather than let them overwhelm people.
Look At The Biggest Picture
Throughout Shadowman #4, Davis-Hunt presents a steady layout of panels and art before going into a sudden change. For example, a regular day in London with five wide panels. It gives the reader a sense of normalcy until something comes to disrupt it. In this case, the issue’s antagonist with his bold outline and monstrous appearance complete with no borders surrounding him. It feels so overwhelming that his purple coloring and bright magic symbols he employs through Bellaire almost feel unnecessary. That’s all to say nothing of the two-page spreads of the Deadside visions that overwhelm some characters.
The lettering by Cowles presents how close some characters are to losing themselves to the Deadside. Loa, like Baron Samedi, and the possessed antagonist speak with distorted word balloons. Even then, Samedi’s white word balloons are closer to mortals who are exposed to the Deadside. Unlike the antagonist, whose colored word balloon shows the intoxication of his human host.
Find Balance With Shadowman #4
Shadowman #4 takes readers on an intense ride of horrors, and there’s a much bigger plot at play, but the first story arc wraps up nicely.
Loki is the latest show on Disney+ that continues the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), pushing the multi-reality storytelling platform into bigger and more bizarre places. Natalie Holt created the soundscapes for the time-traveling narrative about a would-be God.
Loki, the God of Mischief, first appeared in Norse mythology a few thousand years ago. But actor Tom Hiddleston first brought the character to the MCU back in 2009 in the first Thor movie. Since then, the sometimes villain, sometimes ally has appeared in many films. For Disney+, the curious case of his situation at the end of Endgame posed an exciting hurdle for the show’s creators. It seems they’ve done a good job according to the glowing public reception.
PopAxiom spoke with composer Natalie Holt about creating the score for a show that pushes beyond the boundaries of space, time, and reality itself.
Extraordinary
“My mum was a music teacher and a cellist. My grandmother was a violinist,” Natalie’s musical origin story begins. “I still play her violin.”
Film music stood out to Natalie from an early age. “I think watching ET and Star Wars when I was five and noticing the music in films.” But, she admits, that like many people, “It didn’t click in my head that being a film composer was a job.”
“So, I was training to be a classical violinist,” she says until she got to visit Abbey Road. “I watched Trevor Jones working on a session for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen … with a full orchestra. I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.'”
Natalie spoke to a lecturer from a film course who “… suggested doing a Master’s at the National Film and Television School. That was specifically for composing for the screen. I collaborated with directors for animations, dramas, and documentaries; editors, and sound. So you get to see how that whole process works in a very hands-on way.”
About Loki
Since watching that session at Abbey Road, Nathalie’s added 42 composing credits to her IMDB. Loki became number 43. “Loki was a general call-out which came through my agent. It was like ‘Marvel project, untitled, requiring spacey, epic score.’ So, I sent in a reel that I thought would work for that.”
“I was super-excited,” Natalie says as the process continued. She received scripts for the first two episodes. “I got down to a bake-off with other composers. We all had to score a scene for episode one, which was when Loki comes down the lift with Mobius and goes into the time theater and sees his life played back to him. That was the kind of pitch sequence.”
All manner of unique sounds fills the Loki score thanks to its time-bending escapades and a unique instrument called a theremin. “The clock ticking stuff came when I started working on the themes later on. What was in the pitch was the theremin because Kate Herron had mentioned that it was something that she loved. She’d play this piece by Clara Rockmore, a theremin player from the 50s; it’s her version of “The Swan” played on a theremin. Kate used that in her pitch document when she was pitching to become the director. So that sound of the theremin was something Kate wanted in the score.”
The theremin’s not a common instrument, and there aren’t a whole lot of people who have one, let alone can adequately play the magical music machine. “I got sent this thing from an amazing guy Charlie Draper who’s a theremin enthusiast. He’s got a 1929 RCA designed by Theremin himself. So, we’ve got the genuine article and a Moog theremin as well. Charlie’s a Marvel fan too, so he’d be recording things on three different instruments to give me options. It was great to have him.”
“Loki’s theme was in the original pitch too,” Natalie notes. “I knocked that out on the piano after I read the script. So, that’s always been in there and it’s pretty cool that it’s been on the journey from the very beginning.”
Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the Loki score are available now!
Natalie was a Marvel fan before the gig and declares, “The Thor films and Guardians are my favorite end of the Marvel Universe. I enjoy the spacey stuff. Ragnarok is a top favorite movie. Loki is a great character, and I love the way Tom plays it as well, the menace and flare that he gives it.”
“Because of COVID,” she explains, “there was a lag in the middle. We had to shut down. Kate wanted to have a composer on board for when she went back. She wanted the music to inform how she was shooting things.”
The shutdown in production provided extra time for the score not typically common for TV. “So, I had a month to do a suite of all the different themes. It was like 12-minutes long with the Loki theme, the Mobius theme, Sylvie, and the Kang/TVA theme. Once I got into scoring picture, when I had a scene between Loki and Mobius, I could say, ‘Okay, I know which themes I’m going to base this on. It was fun to have those themes and develop them in the crazy way that the story develops that lets you do like a Samba version of the Loki theme.”
“Working with Marvel was amazing,” Natalie joyfully says, “They were such supportive and encouraging collaborators. Kate Herron was a dream. She’s so musically literate and had such a strong sense of where things were going.”
Wrapping Up
Who are some of Natalie’s influences? “Oh my goodness, so many different influences. I love going back and listening to Beethoven and reading scores. In this particular project, I came up with the low-end, the kind of hummable part of the Loki theme, but I knew I wanted something over-the-top that had that call-back to symphonic repertoire and grandeur. I was trying out little ornaments from Mozart, and I came across some Wagner and ended up with a little homage to Ride of the Valkyries. It feels like the perfect fit.”
“In episode five,” Natalie continues, “when I saw classic Loki with Richard E. Grant, I thought, ‘Oh, we can dig a bit deeper into Ride of the Valkyries.”
Natalie’s simple tip for finding inspiration: “Classical repertoire; when you go back to the greats and see the way they colored what they used, you can never fail to be inspired.”
Working on a Disney/Marvel show is no doubt one thing checked off the bucket list. So what’s a dream project yet to come? “Oh, I think it’s gotta be a Loki alligator spinoff series,” she laughs, and I almost spit out my drink. “I love doing things that stretch me a bit and are different from the last thing. It’s nice to have variation. I’ve been reading some scripts that are sort of more real, dark, dystopian things, so we’ll see what happens next.”
Loki’s six-episode season is complete and available on Disney+. So, what’s coming next for Natalie? “I’ve got a film coming on Netflix in November. It’s a feature film directed by Claudia Llosa that’s set in Argentina. It’s a timely piece about a strange illness, a mother-daughter connection, and a spiritual journey. Very different from Loki.”
Did you travel time and space with Loki on Disney+?
Thanks to Natalie Holt and Rhapsody PR
for making this interview possible.
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.
I discovered Ryan Tavarez’s work when I was lucky enough to do an early review of the upcoming comic A Game Of Doubles. Being floored by the art, I reached out to him. When he told me about his book Nomads, I knew I had to read it. Nomads is awesome and I just had to talk to Ryan about it. So check out our chat and then make sure you order a copy of Nomads!
Monkeys Fighting Robots: First of Ryan, thanks for taking some time to talk to us. How are you today? Working on anything? Ryan:Hello again! Doing great! Been working on the next chapter of Nomads, and been messing around with block printing!
MFR: Origin time! What’s your comic book fan origin? Where did your love for comics come from? Ryan:My earliest memories of comics come from an older cousin of mine sharing his books with me. We’d spend hours and hours with him showing me X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, Spawn, The Maxx. I would just flip through them and look at the pictures. When I got a little bit older we would ride our bikes up to a card and comics shop. So many memories of just getting random comics and not even knowing what was happening in the overall story but just loving the action in them. Around the same time 90’s cartoons like Spiderman, X-Men, and Batman TAS helped teach me some of the overall mythos and let me kind of piece stuff together. And I think that feeling of this massive unexplored history really kept me interested.
MFR: When did you decide you wanted to create your own comics? And then when did you decide to publish yourself? Ryan:Making comics was always something I did as a kid and continued to do so through high school. My friends Steve, Mike and I would make up characters and stories in class. Some would be funny comics, some would be our own versions of superheroes. When I graduated and went on to college I stopped for a time, focused more on school, but eventually, in 2009, I dropped out. I got a job at a grocery store and was just kind of going through the motions. One night, as I was getting out of work and a storm, was rolling in. I got in my car and I noticed my old friend from school Steven Kuerbitz was getting ready to ride home on a bike in the rain! I offered to give him a ride home so he could stay dry. We ended up stopping at a diner to catch up and get some dinner. While we sat and sipped on coffee, I doodled on a paper placemat, and he asked me: “Do you still make comics?” Next thing I know we’re brainstorming and riffing like we used to. That night was kind of the serious beginning of doing this stuff. We ended up getting back with our friend Mike Butler and we’d meet at this 24-hour diner and would just do work. Writing, discussing, passing books around, studying, and just really trying to teach ourselves how to make comics. It’s weird because now there are youtube videos on so many things. But just back in 2009-2010 it seemed like a mystery. Being able to get stuff like the right-sized paper or a large enough scanner was something that took quite a bit of effort and just trying stuff to figure it out. But the whole thing was always like this idea that we were going to just make the stuff we wanted to make and to figure out how to get something from an idea to a real tangible book. There wasn’t anyone else we knew at the time who made comics. None of us had ever been to a comic convention. Never interacted with any other creators. Only things we had were actual comics and a few books on how to make comics like Scott McCloud’s books, and the DC Comics guide to writing.
MFR: What was the first comic you created? Ryan:Well the first comic I ever made that I remember was some computer paper stapled together of me and some friends being Power Rangers in elementary school. Hahaha, but the first comics we made as Attack of the Rivals were Mouse Warrior: Written by Steven Kuerbitz and art by me. Then there was Space Samurai: Written by Mike Butler also drawn by me. And we worked on both of these at the same time. With Space Samurai I was doing just paper and ink. For Mouse Warrior, I was working on that all digitally on the computer. Then there was my personal project which was the first comic I ever took to print: Nomads.
MFR: How would you describe Nomads to someone who hasn’t read it? Ryan: Nomads takes place in a world thousands of years after mankind has fallen. This world has reverted back to a primal state where the animals are massive and vicious, the humans that remain live in small tribes, and the entire landscape from what we know has radically changed. Nomads follows a character named Hawk whose entire tribe has vanished overnight leaving him alone with nothing but tracks to follow. Now Hawk must venture out of the secluded confines of the Lush and into the savage lands in search of his missing tribe.
MFR: Did Nomads have any specific influences or inspirations? Ryan: Definitely Nomads takes from some of my favorite movies and a stories. The action of Conan the Barbarian, sci-fi elements from Terminator, a desolate future similar to Mad Max, and its inhabitants and wildlife like in Princess Mononoke. Mankind is on the rebound from near extinction, locked in a constant struggle with nature, cyborgs, and one another.
MFR: What is Nomads publishing history? The edition you sent me says Kickstarter edition. Was Nomads strictly put out this way, or was there some version before? Ryan: So Nomads was the first book I ever printed, in its first iteration it was a 13 page full-color ashcan. I hadn’t quite figured out the scale of the story yet. From there I was printing individual issues, which were the first 3 chapters of the series. But eventually as the story started to develop I came to the conclusion that I wanted to transition the series into a yearly graphic novel. While doing small runs of single issues for local cons was affordable for me to do without crowdfunding, it was easy to see it getting out of hand trying to keep stock of all the issues as the story went on. It also seemed like a better deal to first-time readers to just get a big chunk instead of having to piece together a bunch of single issues from me.
MFR: Kickstarter has definitely become one of the major ways to publish comics in the last year or two. Why do you think so many creators jumped on this publishing platform? And what drew you to Kickstarter? Ryan: Distribution and access to a pool of new comic book readers. I think of Kickstarter as a good way to get your book in front of new eyeballs. For the last 5 years, I have only really sold my stuff locally. Never being able to get much traction fighting the Facebook and IG algorithms. It can be difficult to get people to see your stuff. But Kickstarter is a smaller pool with a focused audience where there are people LOOKING for new books to support. Also, it makes it really easy for people who do read your comics already to preorder your latest book.
MFR: What’s your creative process like? For instance, with Nomads where did you start with it? Ryan: My creative process can be pretty sporadic. Like a jolt of lightning sometimes. I’ll spend days just cranking out scripts or days just pouring out ideas into a sketchbook before I am ready to work on any pages. Nomads came from long drives in the car by myself. At the time, my GF was living out in Chicago, and on Fridays, after work, I would drive out from Michigan to spend the weekend with her. During those 4-5 hour drives Nomads started to form. I’d get scenes in my head that played along to the music I was listening to. Little snippets that I’d write down and try to capture. From there it was figuring out the characters and who they were, what they were doing, and what the world was like that they lived in. I spent a lot of time just sketching the characters and animals that lived in that world before actually putting a cohesive story together.
MFR: Speaking of process, do you have a favorite part of creating? Is there one you would say is your least favorite? Ryan: My favorite part is inking. It’s the turning point for me when the pages finally start to take form from this idea to a real thing. It’s putting the pen to paper. It’s clean and refined and other people can start to look at it and see what I was seeing in my head and actually get it. I don’t think I have a least favorite part of comics as in something I don’t like, but the most difficult part for me is taking it from script to thumbnails. There is a lot of doubt in those early phases. I spend a lot of time second-guessing myself and my compositions and the panel choices. It’s a step of the process that I feel a lot of resistance in progress. But once I start laying the inks down there’s a lot of momentum and excitement pushing me to the finish line.
MFR: I love the texture your art has in this book. And the colors are amazing! What tools did you use to create the pages for Nomads? Ryan: Nomads has been a testing ground for me, I’ll use this series to try new techniques and processes and then take what I learn from this into my client work. The first chapter there is no ink. The linework was all pencils with digital colors underneath. The second chapter is all digital linework, and the 3rd and 4th chapters are a hybrid of traditional pencils and inks with digital colors. For the traditional stuff I use; 11 x 17 Strathmore 300 series paper, Pentel brush pens, G nib dip pens, and Speedball super black ink. For the colors and letters, I work in photoshop using dry media brushes to add an additional layer of texture. The idea for Nomads was for the art to reflect the rough natural feeling of the world. The colors are vibrant but with a gritty texture, the brushes are fuzzy, and the sound effects are done in a loose style. Everything comes together to help fill in the aesthetic of the world.
MFR: I also love all the process stuff you share in the book (like the sketchbook, guest pin-ups, etc). Why do you think extra features like this appeal to fans?Ryan: Thanks man, I was so stoked to get some really cool contemporary artists to throw in on some pinups and art. I think this stuff is interesting to people because it allows them to connect to the story on a different level. Letting people participate and contribute art to the book, or see some of the rougher edges in the early sketches. It’s more intimate than just “here’s my story. read it, goodbye!” You get to see where some of this stuff comes from and potentially be a part of it.
MFR: You credit Steven Kuerbitz as editor and giving you writing advice on Nomads. Can you describe this work process? Ryan: Steve is a long-time friend and collaborator. He’s been a ride or die since the beginning, and he is always the first person to take a crack at my first rough drafts. He is a fantastic, brilliant writer, and is a lot like an editor for me. For Nomads, he helped give me direction to make it a more complex and meaningful story. More specifically by focusing on the relationship between Hawk and Boar, and their strengths and weaknesses as characters. It’s just like how we used to do in the diner days, I usually just drop in a DM like: “Hey I got this crazy idea, you wanna read it?” He takes a look, gives me notes. And I go from there. He’ll send scripts my way to read, and I’ll give feedback. And we’ve just kept it going. It helps to have a really close friend who can give a fresh set of eyes to whatever you are working on. And I think through our years of workshopping together we’ve got a dynamic that is hard to come by for collaborators. Sometimes it can be tough to take a critique on something you are just starting, but I trust Steve to give me honest constructive feedback.
MFR: You’ve also collaborated with others before (like with Jonathan Thomspon on A Game of Doubles). What’s it like working for someone else’s script versus working on your own? Ryan: It’s fun man. I think comics are their best when they are a true synthesis of the creators involved. Each person who touches the project leaves a bit of themselves in it, and it becomes something new. And what’s really cool is that each combination with creators will create an entirely different comic. And it’s exciting to see how my style interacts and changes with other styles of scripts and stories.
MFR: So what’s next for Nomads? Because what I read ends in a big cliffhanger! Ryan:I am aiming to have a campaign for NOMADS Volume 2: The Freeze Arc ready for December 2021. Really trying to step this one up in scale and in the world, and take what I learned in 2020 and use that as the foundations for Volume 2.Hawk and Boar despite the odds have found the Shaman: Oramana! And from there are hoping to find clues and guidance on where Hawk’s tribe has disappeared to. It’s a journey to the lands far beyond the Lush and the Badlands. The Nomads will be traveling north to the frozen forests of The Freeze.
MFR: Are you working on anything else aside from Nomads? Ryan: I have a dark fantasy series coming up with the aforementioned Steven Kuerbitz that we’ll hopefully be announcing in the Fall. It’s like Goodfellas, meets Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Meets Dungeons and Dragons. It’s going to be one hell of a reunion for us, as our last collaboration was released in 2017.
MFR: And finally, where can readers find you and your work? Ryan: You can buy a copy of Nomads Volume One at tavarezart.bigcartel.com, you can catch a sample at www.tavarezart.com and see more of my work there. And if you’re on Instagram I post process stuff there @tavarezart. Thanks for taking the time! Hope you enjoy the savage world of NOMADS!
SAVE YOURSELF! #3 hits your local comic book store August 18th, but thanks to BOOM! Studios, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you.
About the issue: Even as Gigi is still reeling from the revelations about the Lovely Trio, she’ll have to pull it together to rescue her brother Shawn! And the only place she can turn to for help is Mia and the Cosmic Federation, who will need Gigi if they ever hope to expose the truth about the Lovely Trio…
SAVE YOURSELF! #3 is by writer Bones Leopard and artists Kelly & Nichole Matthews, with letters by Jim Campbell. The main cover is by the Matthews, with the Magical Girl variant by acclaimed director and artist Stephanie Gonzaga.
“Perfect for fans who grew up loving magical girls and are ready to step up and save the world, no matter who they have to face”
Check out the SAVE YOURSELF! #3 preview below:
Are you reading SAVE YOURSELF!? Sound off in the comments!
DAREDEVIL #32 hits your local comic book store July 28th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive 4-page preview for you.
About the issue: “LOCKDOWN” STARTS HERE! The Angel of Death has come to Hell’s Kitchen and New York City. A series of grisly murders tests Elektra’s mettle and commitment to her role as the new DAREDEVIL, as the city spirals in a state of near panic. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock faces tests and challenges of his own, as the inmates he’s serving time alongside aren’t the ones in the prison targeting him…
The issue is by writer Chip Zdarsky, penciller Mike Hawthorne, inker Adriano Di Benedetto, colorist Marcio Menyz, and letterer Clayton Cowles. The cover is by Marco Checchetto and Matthew Wilson.
DAREDEVIL has been one of Marvel’s most critically acclaimed series over the past few years. It’s nominated for three awards at this year’s Eisners: Best Writer for Zdarsky, Best Penciller/Inker for Checchetto, and Best Continuing Series.
Check out the DAREDEVIL #32 preview below:
Are you reading DAREDEVIL? Sound off in the comments!
Old, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, is a mixed bag of his best and worst qualities as a filmmaker. His first film since closing out the Unbreakable trilogy with Glass in 2019 is a thought-provoking story that examines the fear of getting old, but its concept feels held back at times. While it gets messy, Old is one of Shyamalan’s stronger efforts. His skillful direction is on display but dampened by bizarre camerawork more than once, and Old reinforces the argument that someone else should write the films he directs.
The thought of getting old is a fear for many, but some feel indifferent towards the inevitable. Shyamalan capitalizes on these fears by combining them with an environment several people would consider going to for peace, the beach. However, many will plan a getaway to escape their problems at home and that’s what’s going on for the central family in Old. Shyamalan’s screenplay almost serves as a reminder that running from your problems won’t make them better. Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, Old stars Alex Wolff, Thomasin Mckenzie, Gael Garcia Bernal, Eliza Scanlen, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, and Aaron Pierre. The film follows a family on vacation that discovers the beach they are on is causing them all to age faster than normal.
(from left) Maddox (Thomasin McKenzie) and Trent (Alex Wolff) in Old, written for the screen and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
The primary family includes Guy (Bernal), his wife Prisca (Krieps), and their two kids, Maddox (Mckenzie) and Trent (Wolff). Old begins with them arriving at the resort, letting it be known these are the four characters to watch out for. Shyamalan’s screenplay introduces many others along the way, which is fine, but by the end of the film, you haven’t given audiences a reason to care about the core family or their fates. The time spent with Guy and his family does include an argument between him and Prisca to showcase this vacation is an escape from the hurdles they are avoiding. Once the beach horror starts, everyone is one-dimensional at best for the rest of the runtime. Whether intentional or not, characters are defined by their occupations and health issues.
Old spoonfeeds the audience too often when it doesn’t need to since Shyamalan doesn’t hide his signature twist this time around. It’s revealed halfway, but the reasoning comes towards the end, so the over-explaining can grow tired. Shyamalan’s twist this time is an acceptable but lukewarm revelation. The dialogue that Guy, his family, and the other characters share amongst each other is unbearable. Their conversations and behaviors during the intense moments will have many scratching their heads. For instance, someone gets stabbed to death midway through the film, a scream is heard, but seconds after they find the body, this same person acts as if they weren’t just terrified.
(from left) Maddox (Thomasin McKenzie) and Mid-Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre) in Old, written for the screen and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Shyamalan paces this film very well, for the most part, it is sluggish at times, but there’s this feeling of anguish from start to finish. The atmosphere created in this film will keep audiences uncomfortable for many sequences, some that include body horror. It’s an improvement over Glass, which seemed to drag on for a lot of its middle act. Old becomes a heart-racing, beach vacation gone to hell in the blink of an eye. Shyamalan doesn’t let up once it kicks in and utilizes this seemingly tranquil environment to create a stressful scenario for the characters and the audience. Performances here are hit or miss at times, specifically with the line delivery from the characters.
Everyone does a terrific job displaying the panic and confusion felt throughout the film. Wolff and Krieps are the standouts here, Wolff delivers yet another emotionally draining performance as this kid whose losing his youth quicker than he can process. Krieps’s performance as his mother is equally heartwarming and sad to watch because she can’t protect her children, which is what any mother wants to do. The pain and sadness in her eyes are enough to make up for the underdevelopment of this family because audiences will start to care about them. Trevor Gureckis’ score sounds off at all the right moments to amplify the fear and frustration felt by everyone on this beach. Shyamalan’s concept is half-baked, but the technical strengths are undeniable here.
(from left) Prisca (Vicky Krieps), Maddox (Thomasin McKenzie), Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Trent (Luca Faustino Rodriguez) in Old, written for the screen and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Old probably won’t be a Shyamalan film that many will grow to appreciate, this execution is going to spark a divide, but that’s to be expected at this point. Its underlying themes regarding life are the strongest aspects as it relates to the screenplay. While Skillfully directed and well-acted, the script hiccups prevent the film from being considered nothing more than alright. This horrific concept will make you contemplate your life in more ways than one.
Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer Reborn #2is one part morality play, two parts fever dream. Writer Jeff Lemire, artist Caitlin Yarsky, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Nate Piekos show us how the life of a superhero can turn on a dime. The world Jeff Lemire has created with Dean Ormston in Black Hammer is now a sprawling universe. This series gleefully reaps the rewards of their hard work.
Writing
Lemire immediately shows us how Rose Weber is just like her mother, Lucy (AKA Black Hammer II). She’s curious, ambitious, and very, very irresponsible. But the world of Black Hammer is full of surprises, and Rose isn’t ready for all of them. As this issue turns from scenes of teenage rebellion into dreamscapes and twisting realities, Lemire sends us back in time to catch up with a younger Lucy Weber. It’s no accident that this happens. Lemire is not only hinting at where some of the danger, both metaphysical and natural, may be coming from, but he’s also showing us that Lucy, in her heyday, got herself into as much trouble as Rose.
Art
Yarsky’s art in the previous issue sometimes dabbled in the world of melodrama. In my review, I suggested it might be that she was counteracting the mundanity of Lucy’s life with big expressions and flare. Black Hammer Reborn #2 seems to confirm this theory. We see both Rose and a Lucy in scenes where they’re in grave danger. They smirk and smile, only occasionally getting very expressive. Even when scenes twist and flip upside down, Rose doesn’t look too worried. Yarsky brilliantly savors the really expressive moments of her art. She balances big stakes with sly smiles, and familial arguments with wild faces.
Coloring
Stewart continues some of the themes he underlined in the last issue. His colors often look dark or muted. The scenes we see look as though they are occurring at night. But it’s the moments of superhero-level stakes that are colorful and bright. Windows into the Parazone are brilliant green and yellow, just like Lucy’s Black Hammer costume as she fights crime on rooftops. But when we see Skulldigger in this issue, he creates a tone that sits in-between these extremes. As a character, he’s colored in greys, whites and blacks. But behind him, the scene feels both dark and colorful at once. The night air is a soft purple, with rays of pink and orange light radiating from below. It’s as though Skulldigger is neither mundane nor is he super. He’s his own flavor entirely.
Lettering
Peikos truly writes sound effects that you can hear. And their brilliance lies in their subtle differences. As the issue goes on, there are many sounds that repeat themselves. The “choom choom” noise of lasers is uniform. So is the “chak chak” of a weapon, or the “bzzz” of a phone. These are the unchanging noises of machines. But the “SHRAK” of a portal opening is unlike the “SHRACK” of it closing again later on. The fonts look the same, but as it appears it begins with a big S and H. The sound hits us like a wall, then fades away. And as the portal disappears, it’s the A, C and K that are large now. It gives one last earsplitting noise before fading out altogether. Piekos’ letters change in subtle ways, but the sounds they represent are as clear as day.
Dark Horse’s Black Hammer Reborn #2 continues to be a fun return to the Black Hammer universe. It shows us the terrifying realities of what it’s like to be a superhero or a parent in that wild, unpredictable world. Pick up Black Hammer Reborn #2, out from Dark Horse July 21st, at a comic shop near you!
Mawrth Valliis is a unique piece from Image Comics coming to comic stores on July 21. This fast-paced kickstarted narrative by cartoonist EPHK looks like it authentically comes from Mars.
What’s Mawrth Valliis Mean?
Mawrth Valliis makes a dynamic first impression. Aside from specially designed Martian airships, there’s a strong sense of urgency to their encounters. Even without showing the character’s faces or understanding their words, the body language, emotive imagery, and sound effects hold weight. It gives readers a strong reason to invest in the story to reread and look for background details. Like a sign that says pilots/soldiers have to keep their masks on.
With this investment, readers get a better inclination towards understanding the scenario of Mawrth Valliis. Because the plot can be a little confusing on the first read with how surreal the Martian environments become. But once the protagonist’s face is revealed, there comes a strong sense of empathy to try and understand everything with her. If they want to, maybe they can decipher the patterns and language of Mars. That way, they can fully understand the schematics of the airships and other equipment. At the very least, the reader will come to appreciate the time and effort to create an environment that feels truly alien.
Give It A Try!
In a straightforward plot, Mawrth Valliis presents an authentic alien world. Amid the intense action movie pace, there are environments and equipment that feel out of reach at first. But with enough time, effort, and understanding, the reader will find a world and character to hook onto.
Writer Latoya Morgan and artist Walt Barna have put together a phenomenal debut issue with Dark Blood #1. Along with colorist A.H.G. and letters from Andworld Design, this poignant and original comic blends real world socio-political issues into a superhero plot in a way the Big 2 often have trouble doing. With a brilliantly smart script and fantastic visuals, this is easily one of the best #1’s of the year.
“What if you were given the power to change the course of history? Alabama, 1955. Avery Aldridge is an ordinary young Black man. A decorated World War II veteran, Avery provides for his wife and daughter. But wounds of the past have a way of coming back, and Avery Aldridge will soon discover he is anything but ordinary… After a run-in awakens strange new abilities, Avery’s about to become more powerful than he could have ever dared to dream… in a country and society that never wanted him to have any power.”
Writing & Plot
Latoya Morgan pens a script that blends a harrowing reality with a House of Ideas style origin story in Dark Blood #1. Avery Aldridge’s life after returning home is a discomforting reminder of a harsh truth – as it well should be. Morgan utilizes the medium to dart between flashbacks of Aldridge as a WWII pilot and his life back home as a black man in the Jim Crow South. Dark Blood is a gripping comic, with cutting dialogue and intense pacing. Morgan understands how to use the comics medium well to tell this story. There isn’t that much dialogue. Morgan writes the script to allow it to be told with sharp panel direction. Morgan’s experience as a screenwriter no doubt comes into play here.
A worry I had coming in was that the superhero comic-ish element of this book would stick out like a sore thumb and not fit into the book. Fortunately, Morgan sticks the landing here as well. The moment where we witness Aldridge’s powers manifest for the first time is a damned satisfying thrill. The buildup and unexpected unleashing of this power given the context of the scene here made my hair stand on end. This is a textbook lesson in how to write a great opening comic, with a tight and exciting script that makes me endlessly excited for what comes next.
Art Direction
Walt Barna elevates an already astounding script to immense heights in Dark Blood #1. His pencils and inks provide a that makes the reader get lost in this comic’s pages. Barna’s thin lines are filled by sharp, shadowy inks. This pays in dividends with the comic’s dark, imposing “current” setting as well as its thematic subject. His Character animations are outstandingly detailed, giving us insight to Aldridge’s mentality and making it very easy to empathize with him. Action sequences are full of weight and momentum, making them pack an exhilarating punch when events stop being quiet. Panel direction here is expertly crafted as well. Barna excels at the sequential progression of tension, building to the intense payoffs with a careful hand.
The colors from A.H.G. are top notch as well. Every page is brought to life with a thick, vivid palette. This work intensifies the atmosphere of the book, capping off the outstanding visual work. The lettering here is intuitive and modern, with sensible font changes and great special effects work. This is an outstanding looking comic, befitting the excellence of the story being told.
Verdict
Dark Blood #1 is a phenomenal opening issue for this mini-series. Latoya Morgan’s script is poignant and calculated, and crafts a unique script packed with narrative power. Walt Barna and A.H.G.’s visuals are stunning and atmospheric, packed with detail and great direction. This is a prime example of a great #1, so be sure to grab it when it hits shelves on 7/21!
Alright, that’s quite a headline for you. Probably sounds a little ridiculous when you read it, right? But no, DC Comics’ Superman and the Authority #1really is something to behold. It’s the best version of what it could be, with plenty of hints at incredible things to come. Writer Grant Morrison brings us the trippy, edgy, whimsical writing that they’re known for. Artist Mikel Janin, with colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Steve Wands, turn Superman and the Authority #1 into the start of a new mythology.
Writing
Morrison’s writing oozes with a love of the medium. Even when they’re breaking the rules of writing, they’re doing it in a way that is drenched in enthusiasm. We bounce around time in this issue. Morrison shows us scenes of Superman chatting with JFK before bringing us back to the modern day, where we catch up with Manchester Black. It’s a brilliant juxtaposition. We see what’s often considered a golden age in history, written in all its glory. Morrison’s Kennedy is a man who is full to the brim with ideals and driven by an excitement for the future. He’s the Kennedy people dream of: the spirit of a nation struggling to be better. He’s Superman, if Superman were president in 1963.
When Morrison introduces us to Manchester Black, he’s the very opposite. Black is disgusting. He is disingenuous, disengaged and disillusioned. He wants nothing to do with anyone and would be happy getting pissed drunk on his own in a grungy apartment. But quickly, that becomes impossible. Black is forced out of his hovel, and he is picked up by Superman and taken away. When we see Superman, he’s still got that belief in him, the belief that JFK put there. He believes in the things he promised to Jack Kennedy. But those beliefs are buried under years of disappointment. He lists them off: “After that day, it all came down like dominoes–Bobby Kennedy–Martin Luther King–The Space Race–Intergang–Darkseid–Doomsday.”
With this list, Morrison seamlessly blends real history with the history of the DC Universe. It’s so simple, yet so effective. And as the issue goes on, the stakes grow to what can only be described as “Morrison-esque” proportions. Zonedroids, Thought-beasts, and clandestine meetings give us a taste of Silver Age style comic book shenanigans. Superman explains the stakes in wordy exposition dumps and Manchester Black announces his powers before using them. It would all fall flat if it weren’t written by the giddy pen of Grant Morrison. Their love of this medium turns each of these moments into a joyful callback to the comics of old. Morrison channels their best Jack Kirby impersonation and pulls it off with flying colors.
Art
Janin’s art is stunning, through and through. But, above all else, it is constantly adapting in this issue. The Superman of the first few pages is deeply different from the Superman that shows up later on. When this issue begins, everything is picturesque and beautiful. JFK and Superman stand in panels symmetrically. Nearly every panel looks as though it could be a magazine cover. But then it all ends. Janin interrupts the page with footage reels. We see the assassination of JFK, placed around images of man walking on the moon. Superman looks on at the astronauts, applauding and smiling. As the footage of JFK’s death ends, we zoom in on Superman’s smiling face again. No words are needed, the subtext is clear. “It was a simpler time,” it tells us. Janin is depicting the death of Superman’s innocence. He’s showing the turning point of the world.
The next page confirms as much. We get a close up of Manchester Black’s eyes rolling open from an alcohol induced-coma. His shitty apartment and the violence of his altercation with the military would be enough to tell us times have changed. But it’s not that that seals the deal. It’s Superman’s arrival. He appears like a black ghost. Janin depicts him almost like a disembodied spirit. His anger at history’s decline is as clear as his red eyes burning through the night. But with all this doom and gloom, Janin balances it with idealism. Superman’s Fortress feels like it houses the building blocks of utopia. It’s in here that we see the angry idealism of Superman clash with the apathetic disillusionment of Manchester Black.
Coloring
The image Morrison and Janin give us of the 1960’s may be idealized and beautiful, but Bellaire also creates a distance to it. The colors are muted. All except for Superman, who stands out in brilliant red and blue. But overall, the scene feels almost as though it has paled with time. It’s a vision of the past that is firmly aware that it’s set in the past. But it also lends Superman an immortal quality. Even as he and JFK walk down the hall, they pass a photograph of the JSA. The image is brown with age, discolored by time. But Superman is young and bright.
While the modern scenes have more of a brightness to them, vibrant color often shows up in disturbing situations. Bellaire colors the nightmarish visions Manchester Black gives the military in a bright red. And when Black is shot full of holes, the background panels are blue and red. They almost form a twisted, violent Union Jack, like the one on Black’s chest. And as the issue goes forward, the colors become more and more deep. Whether it’s the red glow that Superman’s heat vision bathes the room in, or the green lights that herald an oncoming danger, it’s all incredibly colorful. Bellaire’s coloring is moving and fantastic!
Lettering
There are so many fun moments in Wands’ lettering. And surprisingly few of those moments are sound effects, though the “Plenk,” and “Kkk-kzzrk” of Manchester Black being electrocuted is both funny and cathartic. No, Wands shines most in the details. The captions or datelines on each page are written like they were done on a typewriter. Wands makes this whole issue feel like it came out of some government file. And as Superman is fighting off Zonedroids, with Manchester Black walking out into the snow, Black’s word balloons are incredible. At first, he talks. We see the scribbled interior of the balloon, showing us his words are unintelligible. Then, he speaks briefly again. “*” is all that’s written. Finally, he shouts, but the word balloon is empty.
And just like that, Wands turns a small scene into something memorable and hilarious. But it’s throughout the whole issue that he’s constantly adapting. Fonts grow and shrink. Words fade out into grey. Wands is using everything in his toolbox to create rhythm, style and even humor. And he’s nailing it.
DC Comics’ Superman and the Authority #1 is just perfect. It’s all the bombastic, thought-provoking scripting you want from Morrison. It has all the gorgeous visuals and dynamic style you’d want from Janin. Bellaire imbues every scene with meaning and flare. And Wands’ specialty is found in the details, making it all work together flawlessly. Superman and the Authority already promises to be an amazing series. It’s a comic about people aiming for lofty goals. Funny, because it surpasses all goals I’d set up for it in my head. Pick up Superman and the Authority #1, out from DC Comics July 20th, at a comic shop near you!
Continuing from previous issues, Bunn has Shadowman realize he’s fighting a losing battle. For all of the attempts to keep the peace, to fight against a byproduct of human nature like the Deadside won’t work because Shadowman himself is a blight drawn to man’s worst impulses. Fortunately, every prior experience also allows Shadowman insights and strengths to resist depravity. So Shadowman #4 is ultimately about finding a healthy way to live with people’s demons rather than let them overwhelm people.
Throughout Shadowman #4, Davis-Hunt presents a steady layout of panels and art before going into a sudden change. For example, a regular day in London with five wide panels. It gives the reader a sense of normalcy until something comes to disrupt it. In this case, the issue’s antagonist with his bold outline and monstrous appearance complete with no borders surrounding him. It feels so overwhelming that his purple coloring and bright magic symbols he employs through Bellaire almost feel unnecessary. That’s all to say nothing of the two-page spreads of the Deadside visions that overwhelm some characters.
