Spider-Man Noir #5 (of 5) hits your local comic book store next week, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for our readers.
About the issue: ONCE NOIR INTO THE BREACH! Peter Parker has been killed, resurrected, and battled his way across the multiverse – but this globetrotting treasure hunt may be what finally does him in! Featuring familiar friendly faces and foes alike, this face-melting fifth issue is one you won’t want to miss!
Spider-Man Noir #5 is written by Margaret Stohl, with art by Juan Ferreyra, Travis Lanham’s letter work, and cover by Dave Rapoza.
Enjoy The Preview Below:
Are you reading Spider-Man Noir? Comment below with your thoughts.
LONELY RECEIVER #3 hits your local comic book shop on November, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for our readers. The bright pink narration boxes do so much for this comic as it gives the book depth, both visually and mentally.
The book is written by Zac Thompson, with art and color by Jen Hickman, and you will read Simon Bowland’s letter work. Leila Leiz worked on the incentive cover.
About LONELY RECEIVER: ACatrin Vander, a lonely video producer, buys an Artificial Intelligence partner that’s meant to bond for life. After ten years together, her holographic wife suddenly disconnects without warning. The breakup drives Catrin to the point of near insanity. She’s alone for the first time in years and reeling from a loss she can’t comprehend.
Set in the near future, drenched in pastels and sunshine, LONELY RECEIVER is a horror/breakup story in five parts.
About issue: Finally putting the shards of her life back together, Catrin finds a new reason to live. A new set of eyes occupy her attention, and obsession grows, love blooms. It’s not a rebound if you found the one you were truly made to love.
A month // of long days/
// Finding the one you lost
In her / you chase away
/ tell truth // pay a cost.
Enjoy The Preview Below:
Are you reading LONELY RECEIVER? Comment below with your thoughts.
Romantic comedy Broken Hearts Gallery starring Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education) and produced by Selena Gomez is warming the hearts of viewers worldwide, and plucking those sonic heartstrings is composer Genevieve Vincent.
Broken Hearts Gallery tells Lucy’s (Geraldine Viswanathan) story, a young woman living in New York. Lucy’s dumped, and the art gallery assistant decides to turn pain into art. She creates an exhibit of souvenirs made from those who broke her heart. Director and writer Natalie Krinsky’s film has charm, wit, and great ratings from viewers and critics.
PopAxiom spoke with Genevieve about becoming a musician, making music for the band darkDARK, and creating the Broken Hearts Gallery‘s score.
Starting Out
“I started violin when I was three,” Genevieve says, meaning that music and life are practically the same. “I always loved music and making music.”
Genevieve grew up in Vancouver and “took music lessons for singing and opera. I didn’t last too long on the violin because it wasn’t for me. I wrote songs and was in a couple of bands before going to Berklee College of Music.”
“I never thought what I was doing before Berklee was composing,” Genevieve admits, “even though I was writing songs all the time. I had this idea in my head that composing was Beethoven or Mozart and what I was doing was messing around.”
“At Berklee, I had a teacher named Alla Elana Cohen, who was a fantastic pianist. I would write these pieces that I would want to hear her play. I’d give them to her after class. She was the one who said ‘You have to major in composition.'”
“Film scoring seemed like the perfect fit. My mom worked in animation, so I was always around that. Music to picture just made so much sense. I scored my first short film in college.”
The short, animated film called Yellow Sticky Notes went to the Tribeca Film Festival. “Doing that and going to see it in the theater solidified my choice.”
“I’m so excited every time.” Genevieve says when asked about her life creating music, her sunshine-like energy crosses the cellphone network, “It’s crazy to me. I can’t believe I’m doing this as a job.”
About Broken Hearts Gallery
Genevieve’s gig on the Broken Hearts Gallery came about via a pitch. “I put some music together … that would be in this diverse multi-genre realm.”
“I sent some stuff over, even before I had any representation, and just forgot about it,” Genevieve says. “Later on, a producer contacted me, and she said they liked my music and if I’d be interested in reading a script.”
Genevieve read the script and “loved it and the way that the characters were written. Natalie’s writing style is so relatable.”
Following reading the script, Genevieve “got on the phone with Natalie and pitched her the idea of a score that’s somewhere between a pop song and a film score.”
“So, the score I pitched Natalie,” Genevieve affirms, “was this combination of drum machines and synths and strings. So it’s very much a hybrid score.”
“Living in the world of Lucy,” Genevieve says, “I put myself in her shoes and the way her world sounds. She’s in the world of indie music, and we need to give the music some gravitas from the New York landscape and use some strings and orchestral sounds. But we also need to pay homage to who Lucy is, and she’s someone who I think would like an 808 or an analog synth.”
Genevieve dives deeper into Lucy. “A character like Lucy is so well-rounded and, in my mind, when I’m exploring her world, I’m trying to bring out the subtleties in her personality. I’m going to put these handmade percussion sounds because she has all these handmade things around her. I’m trying to comment on the different aspects of her personality and what she is into.”
More About Broken Hearts Gallery
Genevieve says she “went to Technicolor to screen the film. It was so cool.” And she began work on a demo. “I wrote a three-and-a-half-minute montage.”
To get the music made, Genevieve made an investment. “I needed a couple of synths that I don’t have. I went and picked up what I needed. They were expensive, and I wasn’t sure if I could keep them,” she laughs.
“I spent the night learning these synths,” Genevieve says, “and I wrote some demos with them.”
Selena Gomez and the other creative minds behind Broken Hearts Gallery were pleased with Genevieve’s work. “The demos were a hit, and I got the gig. The day they told me that I got the gig, I was on cloud nine.”
And the best part? “I got to keep the synths!” Genevieve cheers.
“Anytime that I can, I try to go the extra mile,” Genevieve says in regards to the synths. “Once a movie or demo or anything is out there, it’s permanent. You want to make sure that you’re proud of it. So, if you can, spend a little extra on that piece of gear.”
Solving Problems
One of the first questions Genevieve asks of any project is: “What’s the closest and easiest solution? Once you have that as a backup plan, what’re the other things we can do that could be more interesting?”
“I love problem-solving on big and small scales,” Genevieve says. “So, I have this much time to get the score done. I have this much writing to do. The planning is part of the fun. It’s this Rubik’s Cube. When I’m on a project and dialed in on the tone with the creators, I lock in on everything that I can do within my control. Then I get to be zen and not worry too much because everything is planned out.”
Often, planning brings about learning entirely new things. “I was working on a film called Because We Are Girls. They asked me to use a Dilruba, which is an Indian instrument.”
“It was a little bit like a cello,” Genevieve says about the Dilruba, “in terms of like the tambor of it. It plays a lot of microtones that have a lot of personality. I put out on Facebook, ‘Do I know any Dilruba players?’ I found one guy, and we got on the phone. A lot of traditional players don’t read music, though he did, but it’s difficult to annotate music for a Dilruba.”
Reading music is unnecessary when both people can speak music. “I worked with a violinist. He didn’t read music either, and being a singer has been super-helpful. I can sing what I want to hear, and we sort of talk in music.”
Wrapping Up
Genevieve is a creative force who’s driven to create music early and often. “I do a lot of concert music, I’m in a band, and I generally do a lot of writing outside of scoring.”
“Sometimes you create something that you think is amazing, and someone hears it and doesn’t get it,” Genevieve says, but creating art is a peculiar thing. “Sometimes, you spend five minutes on something, and people love it.”
The question of artists who inspire comes up, and Genevieve has a lot to say. “Phillip Glass. I love Danny Elfman, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Nina Simone, Billy Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. Bill Evans, and the way he combines jazz and classical. Growing up, I listened to a lot of jazz. I’d memorize the songs and the solos. I was a singer, so I memorized everything Ella Fitzgerald did.”
It’s not just the old-school stuff that gets Genevieve excited. “I also love Kendrick Lamar. Pusha-T and The Weekend.”
“Bjork and the Cocteau Twins. Enya,” three new answers pop out and more, “as a composer and musician, there are so many artists … Frank Ocean, Lana DelRey, she’s so unique. I love pop music. I’ll listen to the entire Top 40.”
Genevieve exclaims, “Megan, the Stallion, her voice, it reminds me of thick syrup. I love it!”
You expect a composer to spout off a lot of classical musicians. But there’s no end to the kind of music that inspires Genevieve to create. “I think what I love about pop music and hip hop, there’s a lot of humor in it, and people are having fun. They’re putting across good energy. I respond to people who want to make music to make other people happy.”
“I’ll dive into an old Smashing Pumpkins record,” Genevieve continues, “or Nirvana. I love grunge too.”
“I listen to pretty much everything all the time.”
What’s a dream remake that Genevieve would love to score? “Alien. The whole series. I would do them all,” we expand on the fantasy, “Christopher Nolan directs it.”
Genevieve adds, “Apocalypse Now is one of my all-time favorite films. Vertigo.”
Broken Hearts Gallery is making its rounds at drive-ins and will be available digitally soon. So, what’s next for Genevieve? “I am working on a thriller. I cannot say who it’s for. The music is all synth. It’s very much a wild, aggressive, dark, psychedelic score. It’s super-fun. I’ve written about 48 minutes so far, and there’s going to be about 70 minutes of score.”
Is Broken Hearts Gallery on your watch list?
Thanks to Genevieve Vincent and Rhapsody PR
for making this interview possible.
Once & Future #13, which is the beginning of a new story arc, hits your local comic book shop on November 18, but thanks to BOOM! Studios, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for our readers.
Crows and blood create an ominous vibe in the preview below; Edgar Allan Poe would be proud.
About the issue: The arrival of Beowulf and Grendel from the legendary Old English poem was an unexpected one, leaving Team Gran to wonder—if Beowulf can be brought to life, what other heroic figures or deadly creatures might get dredged up from the annals of history to wreak havoc and destruction across the country?!
Meanwhile, in the Otherworld, Merlin is up to his old tricks, and crossing over with another story was just the beginning of his plan . . .
Once & Future #13 is written by Kieron Gillen, with art by Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain drops the color, and you will read Ed Dukeshire’s letter work.
Are you reading Once & Future? Comment below with your thoughts.
Panel Syndicate’s Friday defies definition. Not in that its influences aren’t clear. Writer Ed Brubaker, artist and letterer Marcos Martin, and colorist Muntsa Vicente have been pretty forthcoming about some of the YA mystery novels that led them here. But it’s the many pieces borrowed from multiple genres that shouldn’t fit together as they do. Friday #2ups the occult factor of this coming-of-age story and doesn’t skip a beat in doing so.
Writing
The pages of Friday #2 may be home to ghouls and magic amulets, but all of those things are secondary to Brubaker. They’re the window-dressing – the MacGuffins. What Brubaker is interested in is Friday Fitzhugh’s loss of innocence. Our heart may beat fast when Friday’s being chased through the woods by a ghost, but not half as fast as when she’s fumbling around awkwardly with a boy she likes. Brubaker wants us to fear the ghosts, but not as much as we fear Friday’s looming adulthood. The mysteries she’s solving and the petty criminals she’s chasing are just representative of a simpler time—a time when anything was possible.
This is why all of these strange puzzle pieces fit together so well. Brubaker never loses sight of the true story that’s being told. This isn’t a story about ghosts or ghouls. This is a story about a girl growing too big for her hometown, with some ghoulish cameos. Moments of Friday talking about her sex life transition seamlessly to her fighting off monsters because the human heart of each moment is never lost. It’s not the sex that’s the point; it’s the lump in Friday’s throat. It’s not the monsters that matter; it’s the fact that they make this hugely courageous girl scared enough to run.
Art
Martin knows that we won’t feel the pang of loss for Friday’s childhood if we don’t know what we’re losing. And so, this whole issue, Martin finds ways to connect Friday’s childhood to our own. Whether it’s the paperback YA mysteries, strewn across a desk, whose covers give us a highlight reel of Friday and Lancelot’s old cases, or the Archie-esque small-town diner, every page feels familiar. Martin is drawing on real experiences many of us have: Hardy Boys books, The NeverEnding Story, and Archie comics. Even the conveniently placed “Danger: Thin Ice” sign out on the lake feels reminiscent. It’s reminiscent of a time when we read stories that were a little less subtle. Stories where, as kids, we jumped at the hints of what was happening in the next scene, no matter how obvious they might be.
The strange placement of the sign stands out because Martin is such a subtle storyteller. With uncanny precision, he can show the closed eye and eyebrow of someone worried and disappointed in themselves when they should be relaxed and happy. The difference is almost imperceptible, but it’s there. And when Friday gets on a train to go to college, our hearts sink to our stomachs, just like hers has. Brilliantly, Martin has her face away from us. She can’t bear to look at us, or she might cry. Martin’s ability to balance these competing forms of storytelling, childlike simplicity, and adult subtlety makes this a wonderful issue. Because without a celebration of the childlike simplicity, we don’t see how oppressive adulthood can feel.
Coloring
Vicente immediately connects the color yellow to Friday Fitzhugh. When we first see Friday in this issue’s flashback, she’s wearing a bright yellow sweater in an otherwise muted scene. It stands out. And soon, we see that her bright sweater is an extension of who she is. She lobs a puck at a bully, and we see that Friday Fitzhugh is as loud and bright as her choice in clothing. But as the issue progresses, we begin to notice an interesting change. Friday wears her yellow jumpsuit to prom, but the overwhelming pink lights affect how we see it. Later, she’s wearing overalls with a shirt underneath that has only a couple of yellow stripes. And by the end of the issue, we see her back in the brown and cream-colored clothes from the previous issue.
Vicente shows us Friday losing her innocence. She shows us Friday growing up. The bright, loud girl that went mystery-hunting through Kings Hill is a thing of the past. It’s also interesting to note that pink always seems to be around when big things are happening to Friday. In the previous issue, Vicente associated pink with some of the more occult moments. But this issue, we see pink all over the place. At the prom, in the donut shop where she first gets to know Lancelot, or in the woods when she’s running from a ghost. One thing is certain; each of these moments leaves its mark on Friday. It’s like Vicente is highlighting these beats for us. Saying “Pay attention!” in the funniest way possible.
Lettering
Martin works the lettering into the art so well. When Friday slams a puck into some guy’s face, the puck bouncing off him makes the exclamation point in the “Smaak!” And when we’re getting a walkthrough of Friday and Lancelot’s accomplishments as detectives, the lettering shows up as pages on a desk strewn with mystery books. But it’s the coloring of the word balloons, of all things, that stands out. Friday #2‘s word balloons have no border. It fits the art style brilliantly, but there should be problems when characters are having a conversation. Their word balloons would normally blend into one another, and we may lose who’s talking. But in Friday #2, when multiple characters are talking, one of their balloons is a different color. It’s an easy way to help readers distinguish which character is speaking, and it complements each scene’s color schemes.
Panel Syndicate’s Friday #2 is a joy. It’s reminiscent of days when all you had to worry about is if you’d saved up enough for the next Archie comic. But it’ll also break your heart. Writer Ed Brubaker, artist Marcos Martin, and colorist Muntsa Vicente have produced a wonderful addition to the world of comics, and this series is bound to be a classic. Get your copy at Panel Syndicate. Panel Syndicate is a digital platform for comics, straight from the creators, where you can pay what you want to. Please give what you can so we can continue to get more wonderful work like this!
Joker War may be over, but the fight over Gotham is just getting started. DC Comics has released an exclusive preview of BATMAN #103, available on November 17th, where Ghost-Maker faces off against Batman for the right to protect Gotham.
DC has released a few select pages, rendered by artists Carlo Pagulayan, Gullem March and Danny Miki. Says DC about the upcoming issue: “Batman and Ghost-Maker go toe-to-toe to decide which of them will remain Gotham City’s hero”
You can check out the gallery of preview pages and read the full DC press release below.
What did you think of Joker War? Are you excited for more Ghost-Maker? Let us know what you think in the Comments section, and please share this post on social media using the links below.
DC PREVIEW – BATMAN #103, on sale Tuesday, November 17!
If you thought that the end of “The Joker War” meant that Batman would be able to take it easy, guess again! DC has your first look at stunning artwork from Carlo Pagulayan and Danny Miki from Batman #103, on sale Tuesday, November 17, 2020.
Batman and Ghost-Maker go toe-to-toe to decide which of them will remain Gotham City’s hero. The city is changing faster than ever in the aftermath of “The Joker War,” and with this change comes increasing dangers as Gotham’s citizens demand that Punchline be released from prison! Plus, Harley Quinn faces certain death at the hands of Clownhunter!
BATMAN #103
Written by JAMES TYNION IV
Art by CARLO PAGULAYAN, GUILLEM MARCH and DANNY MIKI
The Witches is a flawed reimagining that will make everyone appreciate the original that much more. It is hard to not compare this film to Nicholas Roeg’s because every flaw draws you back to that magic from thirty years ago. While this telling of The Witches is closer to the source material, it strays into absurdity more than once. It is anchored by the solid performances and magical spectacles, but the horrendous effects and lackluster narrative harm this adaptation.
The thought of remaking The Witches was probably the first mistake, but that’s every failed remake’s mistake these days, the thought alone is a sin. It is a shame when you have talented actresses involved, but the material they are given is just rubbish. Directed and co-written by Robert Zemeckis, The Witches stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Jahzir Bruno, and Chris Rock. Roeg’s original took place in England, but this new take venture to 1960s Alabama. After his parents are killed in an accident, Charlie Hansen (Bruno) is sent to live with his grandmother, Agatha (Spencer). While staying at a hotel, Charlie is transformed into a rodent after encountering a group of witches.
Anne Hathaway as Lilith in The Witches
Rock’s narration is completely unnecessary, not because it’s awful, but because of how it takes you out of the film. It gets to the point where you may think you are watching something else. He voices an older Charlie and he provides the opening exposition but overstays his welcome. One immediate standout is how the subplots in this film don’t amount to anything. For instance, Agatha is very knowledgeable on witches and educates Charlie throughout the film due to her experience with one. This experience is revisited many times, but when it is connected to the film’s conflict, it’s barely made to feel important. On a better note, The Witches does make a few changes to ensure it’s not a shot for shot remake. Still, it is unfortunate that Zemekis’ previous wizardry isn’t fully displayed in this film.
Zemeckis co-wrote the script alongside Kenya Barris and Guillermo del Toro. They offer enough details about Agatha and Chris’s past for them to be sympathetic characters but Hathaway’s character feels overlooked in many ways. She stars as Lilith and ties into a major subplot, but it goes nowhere. The Witches holds itself up with great performances, and while some are more over the top than others, it never gets out of hand. Spencer is the standout, she shines like she always does. She makes it easy for audiences to identify Agatha as a woman who is stuck in her ways but has a big heart. Hathaway is doing what she can as Lilith, The Grand High Witch. Her only downfall comes when she dives into the over the top portions of her act. Bruno is believable as Charlie, he pulls at your heartstrings by portraying this orphaned kid who is initially depressed but finds a new meaning to life by the end.
Jahzir Bruno as Charlie in The Witches
Zemeckis has helmed many beloved films in the past, so it’s almost unbelievable that he directed this because it just isn’t that great. Luckily, some of the films redeeming aspects come from its vibrant score by Alan Silvestri and it’s gorgeous cinematography that highlights all of the extravagant costumes worn throughout. However, another issue with this film is its poor effects. The practical effects featured in Roeg’s adaptation will certainly be missed. The moments when characters transition to rodents comes off like the CGI wasn’t even completed. Hathaway’s character has these eerie smiles that stretch and it is just a horrendous visual.
The Witches won’t sit right with fans of Roeg’s adaptation, but this modern reimagining of Roald Dahl’s novel will still be a hit with children. It’s a subpar remake that won’t offer the same lasting impact. Perhaps if Zemeckis worked on the screenplay alone, it would have been written better. The Witches is effective enough, but Roald would certainly hate this film just as he did the original.
Boom! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Ranger series has been a delight for fans for 54 issues, and the fifty-fifth issue is no different. Out this week, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #55 serves as the series finale.
Well, it is actually a season finale as we know Boom! is relaunching its Power Ranger line next month with two titles, Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers. The creative team clearly understands how to wrap up a Power Ranger’s story and do it with style. This final chapter is one large Zord battle. The comic has been able to improve on from the show since it is not tied down with budget and technology issues, giving the readers amazing giant robot fighting action. This issue stands out in this regard. Each Zord gets a moment to shine as the Rangers take on Lord Zedd’s Dark Rangers. The battle is well-paced and leads up to the eventual combination of Zords to form the Megazord. The formula is cliche at this point, but it is a formula, Ranger-heads love. This comic does a masterful job of capturing the feeling the Zord battles gave you as a kid.
Writing
Ryan Parrot continues to show he knows how to write Power Rangers for a modern and older audience. As noted, this is the final issue of this story arc, so this is the payoff to close out the series. It is nearly non-stop action, and at this point, that has been earned. In the midst of the action, Parrot can slip in great character moments. We can see that even though Zedd’s Dark Rangers are a powerful menace, they are still rooted in the bumbling villains from the TV show. Parrot also does a great job of showing how the Power Rangers are growing together as a team. This story is set after the original red, black, and yellow rangers have left the team, and Rocky, Adam, and Aeisha struggle to take their place. While the TV show made the transition appear seamless, Parrot has shown that the team has struggled with the change. Even though this issue is filled with a gigantic explosive fight scene, we still get little moments to see these team members struggling to be a cohesive team, which greatly enhances the story.
The issue does miss a beat in terms of pacing at the end. The end of the battle feels rushed. The connection to Promethea corporation feels a little tacked on and an afterthought to the well-executed Zord battle. Promethea is used to introduce the mysterious new Green Ranger. This new figure’s identity, clad in familiar garments, is the end of season mystery compelling us to move on to the next issue. They are given a brief time to shine, and it comes at the cost of the battle’s finale. This issue could have benefited from a few more pages to flesh out this portion of the story.
ART
Moisés Hidalgo’s art does a great job of conveying the mood and tone of this issue. The art at times looks like it is jumping off a sketch pad. It creates a sense of chaos and almost feels like the action was happening in a way that the artist could barely keep up with it. It really helps the reader have a sense that at any point, the Power Rangers could be destroyed and erased from existence in this battle. The Thunder Zords are well executed on the page. They invoke our memories from watching the show, and they are conveyed with fluid action. These sequences are more likely to connect with the sense of awe and wonder one had to watch the show as a child than actually rewatching the show with modern eyes would. The Terror Zords are a great idea – giant monsters fighting alongside the Dark Rangers. However, it is sometimes hard to understand their relationship with the evil set of Rangers themselves. Are they being controlled, are they fighting alongside, or are they just agents of chaos employed by the Dark Rangers? The Terror Megazord’s design and presentation are fine, but it is not in the book long enough for the art to convey its power. Once again, the book would have benefited from a few more pages. The Dark Rangers’ design is a breath of fresh air into a concept that the show failed to deliver on. The original concept for the Dark Rangers was presented in the second season of the Power Rangers. The original versions looked like a Dollar Store Lucha Libre Halloween costumes. Here the Terror Rangers are given new identities, and while the outfits are reminiscent of the old design, the comic is able to make them look menacing. Each outfit does a great job of connecting with the villain underneath the mask and displaying what they would look like with a Power Ranger makeover. The page layout also does a great job communicating fast-paced action. Igor Monti chooses a more muted pallet than what we are accustomed to for Power Rangers, and it helps give the issue a sense that something could go very wrong in this final issue. The art is stellar in this series sendoff.
Lettering
Ed Dukeshire’s lettering does not take away from the story, but it does not take the issue to the next level. The use of black word balloons with white letters for the Dark Rangers does a good job of conveying their relationship to the original team, but the fast-paced action of the issue makes it easy to overlook. Alpha 5 and Zordon receive unique fonts for their voices, but once again, the moments are so brief it is easy to miss what Dukeshire is doing. It is curious who does not get unique lettering – Lord Zedd. Those who enjoy Lord Zedd from the show remember the unique voice Robert Axelrod provided. Why does that not merit special characters?
Conclusion
This is how a Power Rangers story arc and series should end. The Rangers fight evil in an epic battle in their Zords. While the end mechanism feels a little forced, it does not take away from the issue’s stars. This is giant robots fighting monsters to decide the fate of the universe. It is executed so well that readers will gladly hold onto their seats and follow the series into the relaunch.
Dark Horse’s Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #5, written by Jeff Lemire, with art by Tonci Zonjic, and letters by Steve Wands, brings a brilliant dose of chaos to this series. All of the characters, their plans down the drain, are scrambling to get what they want at any cost. Be warned of major spoilers ahead!
Writing
Lemire has brilliantly set up this issue to feel completely unpredictable. Even the characters don’t know what they’ll do next. As Detective Reyes drives away from the butcher shop with Skeleton Boy in tow, she’s trying to convince herself that she knows what she’s doing. It’s through her own self-assurance that Lemire shows us her fear. She’s consoling herself and trying to be strong all at once. As Skeleton Boy struggles against his chains, we begin to wonder, what on earth does he even want to get away from her for? Neither of them know what future they have. They’re both just pretty sure it isn’t looking bright for them.
In some ways, Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #5 reads like a script that got away from itself. We no longer have the clear cause-and-effect of tidy storytelling. That’s a thing of the past, now. Instead, Lemire opts to tell a story that feels real. He allows the repercussions of past issues to land, and lets them take the script wherever it wants to go. The chaos of this issue brilliantly sets us up for a finale that’s going to be just as messy.
Art
Zonjic reminds us of the moral ambiguity of this series. When someone finally catches up with Reyes and Skeleton Boy, we see Skulldigger’s mace hit the windshield. Zonjic deliberately omits any sign of who’s holding the chain, and in that moment we realize we’re worried no matter who it is. If Skulldigger has caught up with them, he may be as much a problem as GrimJim. After the windshield shatters, Zonjic makes the following pages look like shattered glass. The panels, like glass shards flying through the air, communicate the chaos of the scene by making the page as chaotic as the issue’s events.
Zonjic also brilliantly pushes against the emotion of each scene. Instead of filling Reyes’ and Skeleton Boy’s faces with dread and worry, he fills their faces with anger. But when Reyes steps out of the car to call her partner and explain what’s happening, we see her let her guard down suddenly. She looks worried and tired, for a brief moment while she thinks she isn’t being watched. Zonjic’s restraint, only giving us this moment of worry in the lead up, allows the emotion of the scene to stay bubbling beneath the surface.
Coloring
Zonjic immediately hearkens back to Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #4 with his use of red. As Reyes and Skeleton Boy drive away from the butcher shop, each panel is drenched in red. It’s the red of Skulldigger and Tex’s bloody lifestyle, the red that GrimJim brings with him everywhere he goes, and Reyes and Skeleton Boy have bought their way into this life of violence. But later, as Skulldigger gets up off the butcher shop floor, something is different. We see his red blood, smeared against the white tile, but when he goes into his basement, the coloring has changed. What once had a red glow is now blue and grey. It’s as though Tex and GrimJim’s influence on Skulldigger was bled out of him. He comes back from the brink of death as a new man, free of his past.
Lettering
There seem to be a few typos in this script. “I can’t not yet,” Reyes says over the phone, instead of “I can’t. Not yet.” It’s unclear if this was deliberate on Wands’ part, but regardless, there’s something about it that actually works. Reyes and Skeleton Boy are frantic. The lack of punctuation makes it feel as though their sentences are running into each other, like they’re breathlessly trying to keep up.
Wands works his sound effects seamlessly into the art. The smash of the windshield is almost hard to see it fits in so naturally. It looks like a glare on the glass, with cracks through it from Skulldigger’s mace. And as Reyes careens off the road in her car, the screeching sound of her tires mimics the tumble of her car. Wands uses a simple style, white or black lettering (with the exception of GrimJim’s purple), but incorporates it into the page in such stylish ways it always seems fun.
Dark Horse’s Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #5 is stylish, chaotic and emotional. It brings this series to a boiling point, setting it up for a brilliant final issue. Lemire, Zonjic, and Wands continue to deliver and this series continues to be a must-read. Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #5 is out October 21st from Dark Horse. Pick it up at a comic book shop near you!
Dark Horse’s Tales from the Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death #2 — written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon, with art and colors by I.N.J. Culbard, and letters by Blambot’s Nate Piekos — balances its weirdness with a shot of normal life. For every vampire-chimpanzee-crime lord, there’s a baby crying on a plane. This series makes time for the little moments, in the midst of unadulterated strangeness.
Writing
Way and Simon create a charming rhythm in this series. They seamlessly blend small moments with big, strange ones. As the Shivers follows Klaus to Los Angeles, we don’t skip to the big comic booky moment of their confrontation. Instead, we see Shivers being fitted for a suit. You Look Like Death #2 is interested in the stuff that usually gets glossed over. So while some of this issue is about vampires, hard drug use and ghosts, we also get to see people take their blood pressure medication and talk about the books they’re working on. It creates an exciting unpredictability. Are we going to see Klaus fight a giant robot, or is he just going to order another cup of coffee? Either way, Way and Simon know how to keep you glued to the page.
Art
Culbard shows us the world as Klaus sees it. As Klaus hovers above a party, we see the faces of all of the guests looking up at him and smiling. For the most part, they look almost identical. They’re smiling, that’s what matters. Klaus doesn’t care who these people are, he just cares that he’s entertaining them. And later, as Klaus is trying to put traumatic memories out of his mind, Culbard makes it so that his flashbacks interrupt the rest of the page. These flashback panels are superimposed over other panels so that they actually get in the way of some of the art. Culbard makes it so these memories are literally getting in the way of Klaus living in the moment. The only way he can escape them is by escaping reality altogether.
Coloring
So much of You Look Like Death #2 is shown in vibrant colors. We get the bright green ghosts, an almost neon shade of pink for Viv’s wallpaper, and the haunting blues of Klaus’s past. Sometimes it feels so bright you almost have to shield your eyes. But that’s Klaus’s life — a kaleidoscope of colors. So when he enters “the void,” Culbard’s palette feels comforting and toned down. Nothing but light blues, warm oranges and dark browns. It feels like walking into a dim room after straining your eyes at the sun. And just as it feels like a welcome change of color palette, Klaus feels like he too can finally put his feet up.
Lettering
Piekos tells us some subtle things about these characters with his lettering. At one point, the vampire crime lord named Sage is yelling at the Shivers for coming in and trying to take his territory. One of Sage’s men yells at him and slaps Sage across the face. Piekos writes this as him yelling “Snap out of it, man!” connected to another balloon that’s more calmly saying “The hell is wrong with you!?!” The first moment is yelled, and the second is spoken, with the “WAP” noise of Sage being slapped in the middle. This shows us how Sage’s men keep him in line. They yell some sense into him and then make sure their words got through.
Piekos also shows us an interesting relationship between Klaus and his channeling of ghosts. The tail of each balloon when he’s channeling someone is curved and wavy. It, in and of itself, kind of looks like a ghost. But when Klaus is injecting himself with drugs, his dialogue looks the same. It makes us wonder, does Klaus get some kind of high channeling the dead? And if he does, does that begin to explain some of his complicated relationship with his powers?
Dark Horse’s Tales from the Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death #2 is charming and odd. Way, Simon, Culbard and Piekos blend quirky scenarios and strange characters with little moments of realism. Pick up You Look Like Death #2, out from Dark Horse October 21st, from your local comic book shop!
