X-FACTOR #2 is coming to your local comic book store September 18th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has the exclusive first look at the issue!
About the issue: POLARIS VS. X-FACTOR!
There’s a new mutant rebellion, and Polaris is at the forefront of it all! But how do they know so much about X-Factor’s classified missions? Havok must seek out a traitor on the team…but how can he if it’s him?!
The issue is by writer Mark Russell and artist Robert Quinn, with colors by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by Joe Caramagna. The main cover is by Greg Land, Jay Leisten, and Frank D’Armata.
Get your first look at X-FACTOR #2 here:
Did you pick up X-FACTOR #1? Hit us with your thoughts in the comments!
DEADPOOL #5 hits your local comic book store on August 21st, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive three-page preview for you!
About the issue: Deadpool is in Death Grip’s clutches and not in a fun way. This mad mystic martial artist will stop at nothing to find the limits of Deadpool’s healing factor. At what point will the Merc’s mouth stop growing back? And has Deadpool been a good enough father that his daughters will try to save him?
The issue is by writer Cody Ziglar and artist Andrea Di Vito, with colors by GURU-eFX, and letters by Joe Sabino. The main cover is by Taurin Clarke.
From writer Juni Ba (Boy Wonder, Monkey Meat) and artist Fero Pe comes a new vigilante in a world of new mutants with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1. Featuring colors by Luis Antonio Delgado and lettering from Nathan Widick, this debut chapter brings action and heartfelt emotional stakes to a new era for the TMNT. With a fun, poignant script and great visual direction, Nightwatcher is a must for TMNT readers new and old.
“Violence and discrimination against mutants is running wild, and a new vigilante will rise up to combat it… but who is this fearsome armored fighter standing bravely against the criminals who wish to harm mutants?”
Writing & Plot
Juni Ba finally answers the question asked since Free Comic Book day with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1. The answer as to who the Nightwatcher is is pretty obvious, but it doesn’t diminish the effect of the comic at all. Another comic starring a beloved TMNT character is just a bonus, especially when this comic is being written with as much heart as it is. Ba goes to lengths to parallel this world of new mutants to our own world, with people’s reactions to a new city of human-animal hybrids being *exactly* as you’d expect. Ba bounces between the action of Nightwatcher busting a kidnapper and a series of news interviews with people and mutants alike as they comment on the current social landscape. The script firmly plants readers in the conflict of not just this comic, but this new era of the TMNT, and makes this series possibly as prescient as it has ever been. Ba’s dialogue is simplistic but effective, relaying social messages and kick-ass one-liners without skipping a beat. I can’t get into the identity of the narrator for most of the comic (spoiler), but their inclusion makes for yet another simultaneously thematic and fun story beat. Overall, Ba’s script reads like a great TMNT book in all the right ways, layering poignant messaging with great action and beats of humor.
Art Direction
Fero Pe is no stranger to drawing the Turtles, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1 is their biggest project yet – and they’re off to a stellar start. The returning artist crafts a vision of this beloved universe that is unmistakably TMNT, but also retains Pe’s own visual style. Their animations and character designs are charming and full of life. The background settings are rich with detail, with the dirty urban environment bolstered by Pe’s own use of inks and shading. The sequential direction gives each moment the perfect amount of attention, letting the interview moments sit with the reader while the action moves at breakneck pace. Pe’s thin pencils and shading give ever scene a sense of fluidity, and their action work really shines because of this. Luis Antonio Delgado’s color art perfects the atmosphere and tone of the comic, with every panel having that dingy, smog-covered effect that TMNT books have had for years. Delgado’s color palette adds a hint of classic indie newspaper aesthetic to this issue that is very much appreciated. Nathan Widick’s lettering is a great finishing touch to the reading experience, with hand-drawn letters and SFX work that fits in perfectly with the rest of the art direction. Overall, Nightwatcher is yet another stellar TMNT comic with an aesthetic that fits right in with the rest of this universe.
Verdict
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1 is a great opening chapter for this new story in IDW’s relaunch. Juni Ba’s script connects the new mutant struggle with our own reality, all while still writing and fun and kick-ass Ninja Turtles story. The art from Fero Pe and Luis Antonio Delgado is gritty and well-animated, capturing a classic Turtles feel while still maintaining their own sense of style. Be sure to grab this debut issue when it hits shelves on August 14th!
Eisner-nominated creator Jock’s acclaimed sci-fi mini-series Gone is getting the hardcover treatment, and Monkeys Fighting Robots has some incredible concept art to show off!
See the creative process behind one of the most skilled storytellers in modern comics. This hardcover digs into sketches design work behind Jock’s stellar science fiction series.
“On an impoverished and distant planet, where menial workers scratch out a living resupplying starships, the best place to be is GONE… and that’s exactly where 13-year-old ABI wants to be. Abi stows away on a colossal luxury space-liner for a chance at a better life. When Abi suddenly finds herself branded a saboteur as she desperately struggles to evade the ship’s deadly crew and to stay alive! Beautifully written and drawn by JOCK?Eisner Award winning artist of SNOW ANGELS & BATMAN: ONE DARK KNIGHT?GONE is an action-packed sci-fi adventure where a young heroine confronts betrayal, discovers her true allies, and fights against all odds to discover that nothing is farther away than… home.”
Be sure to Gone in its new collected hardcover edition from your local comic shop or from dstlry.co when it hits shelves on August 14th!
Art Baltazar’s YAHGZ VOLUME 2: THE GWASH WAR is in stores now, but thanks to Papercutz (an imprint of Mad Cave Studios), Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive six-page preview for you!
About the issue: In this second volume of the YAHGZ Series, the evil GWASH MONSTERS are invading Cray City! Their evil leader, The GWASHIE is set upon revenge! And CRAYBI CRAYNOBI may be the only one who can stop her!
Continuing the story events from where YAHGZ: The Craynobi Tales left off; we find our Cray heroes thrown into the GWASH WAR. This action-packed adventure of good versus evil tells us more about the Cray characters and reveals much more of the legendary Cray Lore and the mysteries that surround the Land of YAHGZ! What is The Cray Stick of Joy, and what magical mysteries does it possess– and will the Cray Cousins find it in time to save CRAY CITY?
Baltazar is a beloved cartoonist known for his work on the Eisner Award winning Itty Bitty Hellboy and The New York Times bestselling Tiny Titans.
“Creating YAHGZ is such an epic experience for me! I look forward to it everyday!” said Baltazar. “These are stories I’ve been thinking about for 30 years ever since I began my comic book career. So nostalgic and awesome and I can’t wait to share this wondrous journey with the world! AW YEAH YAHGZ!”
The graphic novel is available in both hardcover and paperback formats.
Check out our YAHGZ VOL 2: THE GWASH WAR preview below:
Are you picking up YAHGZ Volume 2: The Gwash War? Sound off in the comments!
X-MEN #2 hits your local comic book store on August 14th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: INVASION!
The X-Men fly to the rescue of a mutant in crisis in San Francisco. The problem? Alien invaders seem to have a similar idea. Six X-Men vs. an invading alien fleet? Sounds about right.
PLUS: THE CONCLUSION OF DEADPOOL/WOLVERINE: WEAPON X-TRACTION!
The issue is by writer Jed MacKay and artist Ryan Stegman, with inks by JP Mayer, colors by Marte Gracia & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and letters by Clayton Cowles. The main cover is by Stegman, Mayer, and Gracia.
Check out our X-MEN #2 preview below:
What did you think of X-MEN #1? Sound off in the comments!
DC’s event of the Summer continues with Absolute Power #2 from writer Mark Waid, artist Dan Mora, colorist Alejandro Sánchez, and letterer Ariana Maher. It’s a tense issue, with the stakes getting even higher as the heroes meet and try to discuss what their next move should be, and Amanda Waller planning all the while.
The issue starts with Waller looking at a list of all the heroes that she has captured, along with the ones that she hasn’t. Fortunately, she says she has a way to get who she’s missing. It then cuts to the remaining heroes hiding in the Fortress of Solitude. They’re all panicking, trying to think of what to do in retaliation when one hero takes charge and gives a talk to them. They all power up with whatever tech or suits they can find, but that’s when they get attacked by Waller and her Amazos, along with a new threat.
Captured heroes are escorted into a prison
WRITING
Waid has a gift for pacing. Every scene in this issue feels carefully placed, and the story reads incredibly smoothly because of that. Once again, Waid demonstrates his ability to write multidimensional characters. While Waller is absolutely on the hunt for these metahumans, there’s a part in the beginning of the issue where she reaffirms that civilians are not to be hurt by any means. She’s not just this cold blooded strategist, though that’s what she may come off as. Her main goal has always been to protect normal people from those with powers. Interestingly, she does that using her own power in government, while also using metahumans. She needs Dreamer and Green Arrow now, but what will happen when she no longer has uses for them?
Waid also does a great job handling a large cast of characters. Everyone feels equally as important as one another with newer, lesser known characters also showing up and making a small name for themselves. Everyone feels utilized, and that already makes this feel like this crisis is truly reaching the farthest corners of this universe.
Waller sees who she’s captured and who she hasn’t
ART
Mora kills it here yet again. He really excels at drawing detailed ensembles, which is exactly what this issue is filled with. There’s this page where Waller is looking at a screen with heroes on it, and it’s jaw dropping. There are so many characters displayed and so much detail put in to each portrait. It’s incredibly impressive. Later, when he draws everyone meeting in the Fortress of Solitude, each character is given so much detail and autonomy through damaged suits and facial expressions.
There’s this page showcasing Superman’s solar regeneration suit, and the S is beautifully drawn. The silver S is metallic, and so there is a glare reflecting that and it’s impressively detailed. Later in the issue, many of the main Justice League characters follow Supes in gaining new suits, and they’re all well designed. Each looks as though it fulfills the needs for the powers they lost, like each piece is necessary. It’s as if detail and design was the test for the issue, and Mora passes with flying colors.
Mora’s action is also a sight to behold. He puts so much effort into the fight scenes with large casts and does an amazing job of drawing them battling without their powers. Mora does this thing where the character still moves as though they’re using their powers, even though they’re missing them. Like a phantom limb, it’s almost like they’re still there.
Waller plans her attack
COLORS
Sánchez’s colors are also on another level here. Everything is lit amazingly, with Sánchez using every source of light to his advantage and is able to blend them well on every single character that light hits. It’s very visually pleasing. He also uses the lighting in the Fortress of Solitude to give a sense of hope. It’s never too overwhelming, but when it shines, it shines on a character’s face that highlights their determination. It’s lit with a purpose.
At one point, Superman and Batman stand beside each other, both wearing black, but the black on Superman’s suit looks almost like a completely different texture because of the shading. Not only that, but when one of Waller’s robots attacks, they’re covered in a layer of purple to signify the Brainiac Queen’s control. It’s incredibly well thought out.
LETTERS
Maher’s letters here are interesting, mostly because they change things about certain characters. Where the Queen Brainiac’s textboxes used to be a darker green, they’re lighter here, showing how Waller’s experiment had affected her, making her less mechanical and more human. That, and Jon Kent’s bubbles have changed as well. They’ve changed from the normal ones to these sharp boxes to show the changes in what Waller has done to him.
Not only that, but multiple Amazos are here this time around and they all get chances to speak. While it’s all the same bubbles for each, their bubbles are all robotic, but plain. Unlike Queen Brainiac’s and Failsafe’s, theirs don’t have colors attached to them and so they’re left plain with no autonomy, Waller’s minions. It’s a nice touch.
CONCLUSION
Attention to detail was the name of the game this time around, and the team of Waid, Mora, Sánchez, and Maher excelled at it. They provided a tense story with stellar action that you’re sure to be thinking about for ages. Absolute Power #2 sets the stage for what’s to come, and will leave you wondering who is really on who’s side.
SPIDER-MAN: BLACK SUIT & BLOOD #1 hits your local comic book store on August 7th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive six-page preview for you!
About the issue: “THE RUMORS ARE TRUE!”
An all-star lineup of writers and artists assemble to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Spider-Man’s iconic black costume, “black, white & blood” style! J.M. DeMatteis returns to the pages of “Kraven’s Last Hunt” to tell a never-before-seen tale of Spidey’s past! J. Michael Straczynski rips Peter Parker’s (and the symbiote’s) heart out! And Dustin Nguyen’s stunning take on the wall-crawler will bring Spidey to uncharted heights against the backdrop of Dustin’s groundbreaking visual style!
Like the rest of Marvel’s “Black, White, & Blood” series, the issue is an anthology book featuring four different stories (you can see the creative team breakdowns below).
Check out our SPIDER-MAN: BLACK SUIT & BLOOD #1 preview here:
Are you picking up SPIDER-MAN: BLACK SUIT & BLOOD next week? Sound off in the comments!
On July 24th, 2024, a new horror anthology hit the shops, promising a collection of the darkest stories pulled from the twisted minds of some of today’s greatest comic creators. But this is not the much anticipated relaunch of EC comics by Oni Press. No, this is a different title from BOOM! Studios, Hello Darkness.
Hello Darkness #1 Cover B art by Jenny Frison Credit: BOOM! Studios
It’s probably rare to start a review by analyzing the title of a comic in depth, but this particular title has a surprising strength. From the moment I looked at the cover and saw the title, a Simon & Garfunkel song became firmly entrenched in my head. The tune and lyrics to The Sound of Silence began to play out in the back of my mind even before I turned over the cover and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it out of my head as I read each and every story. Don’t get me wrong, I love The Sound of Silence. In fact, I have a short playlist made up entirely of cover versions (The Chromatics version from 2019 is my favorite), but the music sets a tone, and the poetic Poe-esq lyrics automatically creates expectations for the comic. The Gothic mystery and horror tales that writers such as Edgar Allan Poe created is evoked by the haunting Simon & Garfunkel tune. The title of this comic creates a soundtrack, an audible aesthetic, that you play over while reading. This is an unusual aspect for comics, because it’s not often that soundtracks are attributed to what we are reading unless the creators release a playlist through the paratext of a publication or the promotion of the work (see Kieron Gillen’s work for great examples of this). However, Hello Darkness manages to do this with the title alone.
The other amazing aspect of this comic again lies within the extras to the comic strips, and is an editorial written by Bryce Carlson, VP of Editorial & Creative Strategy for the publisher. In it, Carlson introduces the concept behind the comic’s existence and the need, nay, the WANT from creators and readers for anthology comics. “It’s an incredible format,” Carlson states within the text page, and they’re not wrong. It’s strange to someone from the UK that there aren’t more anthology comics around, considering we’ve grown up on them and 2000AD is one of the most famous anthology comics that is still going after nearly 50 years of publication. So I for one welcome the return of the anthology and, I hope, that the few new titles leading the way are successful, last a long time, and encourage more to be produced.
Hello Darkness #1 Interior art Credit: BOOM! Studios
Hello Darkness is a collection of one-shot stories, with a couple of ongoing tales thrown in. Seven stories in all, each written and illustrated by a collection of some of the best voices working in modern comics. Garth Ennis, Becky Cloonan, Steve Orlando, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, to name but a few. Each brings their unique voice to the mix producing an anthology of various styles and aesthetics. This is one of the main differences to the new EC range coming out from Oni Press: the comic strips in Hello Darkness contrast and compliment each other but could easily be reprinted separately elsewhere. There is no specific theme or ethos running through this comic except that the creators have delved deep into their twisted minds to bring out the stories they can’t tell anywhere else. This is a comic of gruesome and unsettling ideas, and is exactly what readers should want from a horror anthology.
The Siren—a straightforward, creepy tale by Sarah Anderson—will appeal greatly to lovers of myths and Japanese horror aesthetics. Elsewhere, some readers may be indifferent to part one of A Monster Hunter Walks Into A Bar, because it is part of James Tynion IV’s Something is Killing the Children universe and feels like it is lacking a hook in isolation. However, if you’ve followed SIKTC, then this will be a welcome addition. Personally, I feel that Ennis and Cloonan’s The War is a much stronger opening chapter to a serialized work. It has firm introductions to the characters, centering on a long conversation between friends before snaring the reader with a cliffhanger ending.
Hello Darkness #1 Interior art Credit: BOOM! Studios
The placement of Contagious by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici as the first story in the collection is an ingenious move as it lets the reader know exactly what to expect from the comic in their hands. The story has a mystery running through it, peppered with acts of disturbing violence. The psychologically upsetting first page turns into a visually disturbing second page before leading onto the central character, one who wouldn’t be out of place in a modern EC comic. This comic is a relentless string of expertly crafted horror stories that even a bad pun ending can’t derail.
Hello Darkness #1 Cover C art by Peach Momoko Credit: BOOM! Studios
The beauty of this format is that there is room for different voices and different styles to inhabit the same space. Clinical, clean art can follow a one page charcoal drawing of a screaming face without it pulling the reader out of the comic. The expectation is that the page turns can take you anywhere, with a range of visuals to please, or not, as you go. Not every story will be pleasing. but with seven tales on offer, only one or two need to hit the mark to make the comic worthwhile. And Hello Darkness is definitely a must-read comic. It is an exceptional, experimental, anthology of horror stories. The inclusion of two serials is a clever move to make sure readers come back, but not a necessary one because this opening issue has something for everyone. At least, everyone who likes horror. If you’re not a horror fan, perhaps give this one a miss, but you will be missing out on an exciting anthology reading experience.
From the creative team behind Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt comes a complex and brilliant new take on the politics of rogue Superbeings with The Power Fantasy #1. Written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Caspar Wijngaard, with design work by Rian Hughes and lettering from Clayton Cowles , this first smart and intense first chapter is possibly the most promising spin on the superhero genre in the last several years. With a deeply compelling script and stunningly directed visuals, this is one of the strongest debut comics of 2024.
“Superpowered.” You have certain preconceptions. They’re incorrect. Here, that word has a specific technical definition. Namely, “any individual with the destructive capacity of the nuclear arsenal of the USA.”
There are six such people on Earth. The planet’s survival relies on them never coming into conflict.”
Writing & Plot
Writer Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Eternals) is no stranger to writing being with unimaginable power. From Marvel’s most famous to reimagining the gods of myth, Gillen has always had a knack for portraying for portraying superbeings with incisive introspection. His work here in The Power Fantasy #1 is taking this entire concept to new heights. Equal parts Watchmen, The Authority, and the work of Jonathan Hickman, Power Fantasy presents us with a world that is run entirely on the whim of 6 sentient nuclear warheads – you know, superheroes. Most of this comic is run on Gillen’s gripping conversational dialogue. He pens exposition that introduces this reader to this world while declaring the weight of what is currently happening in said world, all while making it not feel like exposition at all. Characters talk a *lot* here, but every word is important. You’ll find no snarky one-liners here, everything is as serious as a declaration of war – which it may as well be. Every interaction has tremendous weight, which makes sense when we’re watching walking nuclear arsenals negotiate. Action is rare in Power Fantasy. However, when it does happen, it happens carefully and with frightening implications. There’s only one action scene in this issue, and the entire final third of the comic is spent watching the painstaking work it takes to keep events from spiraling into apocalypse. This is a fascinating comic, and is easily some of Kieron Gillen’s most impressive work in a storied career.
Art Direction
Caspar Wijngaard’s stunning animations, vibrant colors, and tightly plotted sequential direction make Power Fantasy #1 a reading experience that is as perfectly paced as it is stunning. His character designs are wonderfully unique, with each of the Six superbeings offering wildly different aesthetics – from Lux’s impeccable modern fits to the Destiny-inspired android design of Magus. Wijngaard’s eye for facial animation keeps the many conversations as engaging to watch as they are to actually read, maintaining a sense of humanity in these beyond-human characters. His panel structure is wildly diverse, with completely different arrangements on every page based on the flow of conversation. Wijngaard makes it a point to illustrate every subtle change in expression to gauge the tone of a conversation, then breaks that conversation up with his sequential direction. Once more, action in this comic is seldom, but when it hits it absolutely pierces the reading experience. Wijngaard saves his splash pages for the absolutely biggest moments, making them explode off the page and remain memorable after you’re finished reading. Wijngaard’s color art is as equally stunning as his pencils, offering an experience that could only be captured in the comics medium. His pastel-style art washes every page in warm, colorful hues and creates an almost liquid across every panel. His work makes every panel feel almost like they’re spilling over into another, despite the fact that they are all separated by pretty conventional blocking. There’s a distinct effect Caspar deploys contrasting the Superpowered and the normal passersby – the main cast receives a complex, defined color palette, while the extras are all in washed-out monotone. It’s rare that color art helps define a comic’s theme, but Power Fantasy is proving itself to be an exceptional comic. Case and point is Clayton Cowles’ lettering. I’m not sure when the last time was that I saw a comic use lower-case lettering in dialogue balloons. Here, it makes the wordy reading experience feel more like prose – without ever letting go of being a visually-engaging comic. The Power Fantasy is a striking tour de force of visual storytelling.
Verdict
The Power Fantasy #1 is a brilliant opening issue that brings a desperately needed new approach to a well-worn comics genre trope. Kieron Gillen’s script is complex, intelligent, and deeply compelling, offering the smartest take on superpowered beings in years. The visuals from Caspar Wijngaard are stunningly detailed, finely directed, and wildly colorful, all combining to make possibly the best debut comic of the year so far. Be sure to grab The Power Fantasy #1 when it hits shelves on August 7th!
