SHAZAM! #2 hits your local comic book store today from DC Comics. The first two issues set the stage for an epic hero’s journey, and I couldn’t be more excited. Mark Waid’s story adds new twists to the mythos, every panel of Dan Mora’s art bursts with a spectrum of emotion, and Alejandro Sánchez keeps the series grounded with his color palette and brush stroke. SHAZAM! is a must-read. Check out my full review below.
About the issue. Shazam versus S-H-A-Z-A-M! Billy Batson was given the powers of the gods by the Wizard Shazam—but Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury never gave the Wizard their permission. Displeased with how Billy is representing them, the disgruntled gods engage in a six-way fight for sole control of the World’s Mightiest Mortal…or, if they get their way, the World’s Mightiest Puppet. May the craftiest god win!
The book is written by Mark Waid, with art by Dan Mora, Alejandro Sánchez drops the colors, and you will read Troy Peteri’s letter work.
Are you desperately in need of a spine-tingling story? Do you wish someone could guide you through the shadowy realms of Norse mythology’s creepiest haunts? Well, you’re in luck, because a new project on Kickstarter called Ratatosk does exactly that!
Writer Grant DeArmitt, artist Armando Zanker, colorist Shan Bennion and letterer Lucas Gattoni have put together a book that’s sure to keep you up at night, and Monkeys Fighting Robots got the chance to ask them all about it.
Ratatosktreads the misty ground between investigative thriller and folk horror. It’s a story for people who know not to go into the woods at night, but can’t help wondering why.
Book One is the first of three chapters; it introduces the main cast, central mystery, and the strange fictional town of Sturridge, Vermont. If you’re a fan of Twin Peaks, Picnic at Hanging Rock, or American Gods, we guarantee it’s a comic you’ll enjoy.
Interview
Monkeys Fighting Robots: What drew you all to Ratatoskin the first place?
Armando Zanker, Artist: I’ve been hopping between genres for a while, but I’ve been riding a horror wave lately and could not be happier. You pretty much just need to say ‘Monster’ to get my attention, and once I’d hear what Grant had in mind, it was a no-brainer.
Shan Bennion, Colorist: I love myths and legends, had been hearing about Ratatosk from God of War 2 funnily enough!! And as a colorist, you gotta appreciate the art you’re going to be playing with, and I love the shadow work!
Lucas Gattoni, Letterer: Half the mythological side of the pitch, and half Grant’s sizzling energy and push to get this one out!
MFR: What is it about the character of Ratatoskr that stuck out to you in all of Norse Mythology?
Grant DeArmitt, Writer: Armando and I wanted to do a story featuring a Krampus-like character – a creature from folklore that had a Green Man, wilderness god feel – that we could turn into a monster. Ratatoskr had that sense about it, and with very little actually written about the character, there was a lot of room to extrapolate, play, and rework, etc. And by the way, that last ‘R’ in the character’s name is left out on purpose. I promise it’s not just a spelling error I’m too proud to correct.
Not this time.
MFR: What would your elevator pitch be to readers? What’s the thing they shouldn’t miss that this book has?
DeArmitt: “Viking-flavored True Detective” is the elevator pitch. As for what’s unmissable about this book, I have to tout its atmosphere. Between Armando’s scene composition, Shan’s mood-setting colors, and Lucas’s eerie-sounding letters, this comic really does have more of a ‘feel’ than most of what you get on the shelves right now.
MFR: What comic book creators did you borrow tools from? Who influenced your work?
Zanker: Chief among all, Kirby– Grant are both big Etrigan the Demon fans, as I hope will be obvious if we can complete Ratatosk, and in the case of this particular comic, I’m always looking at my Eerie, Creepy and House of Mystery collections– that’s the spirit I hope to be channeling.
MFR: What works outside of comics — books, movies, TV — influenced your work?
Bennion: Ohh, hm. Definitely anything by Guillermo Del Toro, the exquisite joy and sadness so intertwined with horror and fantasy, that’s my alley! Terry Pratchett is also incredible, what a story teller! And so much animation right now, She-Ra, The Owl House and Over the Garden Wall are a few favs!
MFR: How did you folks find each other, as a creative team?
DeArmitt: I think Armando responded to a tweet I sent out a while ago, one about possibly making a horror comic. We started brainstorming soon after that and the idea for Ratatoskwas born.
Once the idea turned into something we were both committed to making, I started hunting down the rest of the team. Out of a couple colorist options, Armando suggested Shan for their painterly style, which he knew the book needed. And then Lucas’s online profile is so extraordinary, I reached out expecting him to say no. By some miracle, he didn’t.
MFR: What’s your personal favorite part of this project (that you can share)?
DeArmitt: You mean besides talking to the hotties at Monkeys Fighting Robots?
Zanker: Monster design, absolutely– I really hope we get funded so we can share it with the world!
Bennion: We’ve only gone through a little of it so far, so I can’t go too deep but I love the vibe of it, the southern horror and deep colours I’m allowed to play with!
Gattoni: So far it’s been coming up with the lettering style for a certain group of characters that you can see right away in the preview pages.
MFR: How can we get you to work together a million more times? The pages I’ve seen are incredible, this feels like a creative team that makes pure magic.
Zanker: Oh damn, thank you! And it’s true, Grant has put together an incredible team– I love sending pages and seeing how Shan and Lucas take them to another level with their kung fu. Hopefully, the book is funded and we keep going from there!
Bennion: It always depends on the story! You gotta love what you work on, especially if you’re coloring the characters a hundred times through! And, you know, of course the support, a fella’s gotta eat!
Gattoni: Well, you have to support this Kickstarter, and tell ALL your friends they should tell ALL their friends to do the same, times a million!
The only way this amazing book can be completed is with your support. Check out the Kickstarter here, which is full of amazing tiers, rewards, and incentives. Ratatosk is a delightful treat for fans of mystery, horror, and folklore just waiting to happen!
The premise is simple: read one comic every day for the entire year. It seems like a simple task but there is no way that I read 365 comics last year, even if you count the individual issues in collections. So, this year, I am committing myself to this reading challenge, in the hope that I can broaden my reading habits and fully engage with my favorite hobby again.
It’s my third week of trying to read comics from a specific year. So far, it’s not turned out to be the most successful plan, mostly because I’m easily distracted. However, this week I’m heading back to 2007 when my buying was at a high (in the sense of number of comics), and my excitement for comics was being fueled by Marvel’s Civil War crossover event — one of the few events where I read 99% of the tie-in comics and I have a special box which contains only Civil War banner comics. There is some good stuff in that event. None of which I am reading this week.
Spawn #169 Credit: Image Comics
Comic Number 148: Spawn #169
I was a Spawn fan back in the day. I enjoyed the first extended story arc where Al Simmons had a countdown of demons to work through to reach salvation. After a while, I drifted away from McFarlane’s baby, but returned sometime in 2006 when I discovered different writers and artists working on the title.
Issue #169 is a stand-alone story written by David Hine and illustrated by Brian Haberlin. Yes, it helps to have some knowledge of the characters to really get the most out of the comic, but it can also be read as a single issue. A story with a start, a middle, and an end that doesn’t require additional reading. Hine masterfully creates an uncomfortable world for the characters to move through and the sense of tension and desperation inhabits the script.
Haberlin’s artwork is very dark, with shadows enclosing the characters and seeping out of the panels to infest the gutters. This creates a feeling of immersion as if you, poor reader, are being sucked into the magical world.
Andy Troy’s coloring is instrumental to the creation of this atmosphere. For the most part the colors are dark with faded tones but an occasional contrasting color draws the eye across the page. Constantly teasing the reader to jump ahead a number of panels to see what is happening.
Early Spawn is very much of its time, although some of the later stories are probably more accessible to new readers. The problem is that the continuing story aspect became increasingly complex and very difficult to follow for casual readers. However, there are moments of genius, like this one, that can be picked out of the greater mire of continuity.
Testament #17 and 18 Credit: DC Vertigo
Comic Number 149: Testament #17 and #18
Science fiction and fantasy is a hotbed of religious allegory and sneaky re-working of mythological or religious stories. In Douglas Rushkoff and Liam Sharp’s Vertigo title Testament, there’s nothing subtle about the religious undertones. In fact, the undertones are bubbling up all over the narrative, becoming the upper crust for large segments of the story.
In issues 17 and 18, the central characters are reaching a turning point in their lives and the supernatural beings, the Gods, are making themselves more prominently known. The comic raises questions of free will and the manipulation of characters by other worldly, and human, sources. Situation and society creates the rebels in the narrative but are their actions guided by fate (controlled by gods) or do they create their own mythology to justify their actions?
Rushkoff is a media theorist and the religion/technology comparisons are made at several points throughout Testament, however, in this two-part story, it is human nature that is under the spotlight. These issues are also drawn by Dean Ormston and have a different look to Liam Sharp’s usual interiors. The pages have a more rigid appearance with layouts that repeat from page to page. This helps to make visual links between different stories and characters. Ormston has an illustrative style that focuses on emotional representation. There is a mild expressionistic feel to the visuals but this allows Ormston to bring out the emotions of the characters.
With the color work by Jim Devlin and the lettering by Todd Klein, these two issues of Testament have some excellent visual storytellers working on the script. It almost goes without saying that the two-part Blood Brothers story line is an impressive and intriguing read.
Streets of Glory Credit: Avatar comics
Comic Number 150: Streets of Glory #1-6
I was only going to read one issue of Streets of Glory because I think you can get everything you need to know about the mini-series from a single issue — however, the story pulled me in.
On the one hand, this comic is a typical, well-told western about the dawn of a new age and the retirement of the past. The two central characters represent the different era’s and the uncomfortable transition from one age into the next. Garth Ennis handles this metaphor with aplomb but parts of the narrative are marred by aspects of Ennis’ writing that have become known as his trademarks.
The violence is full on. It leans heavily into gross, over the top, exhibitionist blood thirst. A character doesn’t just get shot, parts of his body are torn apart as the bullets fly through them. The skin is stretched to tearing point and blood splashes across the page. In some cases less is more but that clearly wasn’t the brief for artist Mike Wolfer.
Wolfer definitely has a style that lacks character versatility, but this is made up by clear atmospheric pages and attention to detail. Granted, most of the detail is in the gore and violence but it proves that there is a deft hand at work with the pens and ink.
As you read through the series there are some questionable representations, especially in the blood lust of Red Crow. He is the only Native American in the comic, and is defined by uncontrollable violence but has no other characteristics. The female characters also lack any depth, although in the first couple of issues it does seem that Ennis was setting a number of them up for something. Unfortunately, nothing really comes of them.
Having said all of that, I enjoyed re-reading Streets of Glory. Partially because it was a pure western story, no mixed genre here, but also because Ennis is able to tell a good story. If you overlook the need for excessive violence, the central flow of the narrative is a strong and sturdy metaphor for the notion of changing times.
The Savage Strength of Starstorm #1 Credit: Image Comics
Comic Number 151: The Savage Strength of Starstorm #1
It’s New Comic Book Day, so I thought I’d try an actual new comic. Starstorm #1 (published by Image Comics) is a homage to the early days of the publisher, or so says Drew Craig, the creator, writer and artist for this comic. And in a lot of ways, he’s right. Unfortunately, not in a good way.
I had no expectations for this comic, and the cover does resemble some of those early Image books that launched the careers of a number of creators. I can see this comic finding an audience and some will rave about the rawness of the images and the straight forwardness of the narrative. The artwork has the appearance of a small press, photocopied amateur comic that has been hand stapled and sold for $1 at a small convention. This, generally, is not a bad thing and lots of fun can be found from this type of comic. However, this does not distract from the problems with this comic.
The characters are stiff and lifeless, with blank expressions and zero emotion. The script at one point mocks the clichés of high school while itself being nothing but layers of clichés from page one. The dialogue is also unwieldy and laughable in places. Is this an homage? A clever insider joke playing on the awkwardness of those early indie comics? Or is it just poor writing? If there had been any contrasting elements that demonstrated that the writer understood the medium and wasn’t just mimicking the superhero genre of yesteryear, then maybe we could give them some leeway. But there is nothing here that hints at a subtly pastiche with deeper meaning.
I don’t often write negative reviews, instead either look for the positive or ignore the work entirely, but somebody is going to pay $3.99 for this and, unless you’re a massive fan of the early, low-quality Image comics, it will be a waste of money. A few dynamic images do not make a good comic.
Planet of the Apes #2 Credit: Marvel Comics
Comic Number 152: Planet of the Apes #2
I’ve drifted away from 2007. How easy is it to distract me? Simple, give me issue 2 of Marvel’s new Planet of the Apes comic.
I found the first issue to be a touch lackluster, with nothing firm to hold on to, and I would say the same with the second issue. The artwork by Dave Wachter is good but the coloring for a lot of the story is quite bland. I understand that they are aiming for a realistic aesthetic, more in keeping with the recent films rather than the bright and boldness of the original apes. However, this creates an atmosphere that drowns the characters in the seriousness of the story making it difficult to engage with.
The backup story starting in this issue, “The Smartest Gorilla in the World,” has a more interesting visual. The short opening is steeped in conflict and is told like a myth, like one of the ancient scrolls from Ape lore. The coloring is more intense and reflects the exaggerated narrative. It is also reminiscent of Conquest for the Planet of the Apes by using a similar color scheme, which essentially boils down to the impression of the old world burning to the ground. This backup story has more going for it and represents the rebellion of the apes in a more engaging way than the lead story.
This Planet of the Apes hasn’t grabbed me yet. None of the characters are particularly memorable or can carry the story. I still believe it was a mistake to set the comic so close to the end of the third reboot movie. Maybe the creators don’t want to step on the toes of the forth movie or have been given a mandate to set all stories in this time period, but it seems a waste not to explore the future of this planet.
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1 Credit: Marvel Comics
Comic Number 153: The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1
For those who don’t know, The Dark Tower is a series of books by Stephen King that weave a very large web around the author’s entire back catalog. Characters from numerous different books turn up in one guise or another and there is a lot of hopping through time and space. Just like any long, self involved series of books, you tend to find people love or hate them. The Gunslinger (Book 1) is one of my favorite Stephen King books.
In 2007, Marvel began producing a series of tie-in and adaptations of The Dark Tower, all under the watchful eye of Robin Furth (King’s personal research assistant, and the author of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance). The comics are painstakingly researched to fit in beautifully with the novels, and as such, they could so easily pamper to the fans. But they don’t. The comics stand on their own and, as long as you start at the beginning, you don’t need to read the books.
The first issue of The Gunslinger Born introduces the hero, Roland Deschain, and tells a story of his early days as a child. The series is a journey into adulthood and sets Roland on his quest for the Man in Black.
It’s a coming of age story buried in a mix of western and fantasy tropes. There is some excessive violence but the visuals are not gore orientated. The way that artists Jae Lee and Richard Isanove portray the injuries is unsettling; you feel the pain that is inflicted. In contrast to the violence in Streets of Glory, there is a realism to the physical trauma which in turns makes it more psychologically disturbing.
Although this is issue one, there is a self contained story within these pages. There is a narrative dilemma and that dilemma is solved by the end of the issue. But at the same time, writer Peter David has filled the pages with a vast array of background and setting.
This comic is outstanding. It sucks you into the narrative and blows you away with the visuals. There is a page with twelve full-width panels, stacked like pancakes on the page and the golden colouring seems to drip down the page like honey. In describing the page it sounds like a bad idea: the panels are too thin, how can you start a confrontational gladiatorial action sequence in such a way? But the finished page is an absolute work of art. It creates a tension building back and forth between two characters and is clearly influenced by the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone.
This is easily the best comic I have read this week.
American Gothic Credit: Rebellion
Comic Number 154: American Gothic
Finishing the week with more 2000AD reprints (see last week). American Gothic by Ian Edginton and Mike Collins fits quite nicely in with some of the other titles I have read this week. The western theme with an element of the supernatural squeezes it beautifully between Streets of Glory and The Dark Tower.
The story follows a group of misfits trying to find a place in the world away from the cruelty of humans. The metaphor is clear, and Edginton handles their blight with empathy. No explanation is given, or needed, about who the travelers are or where they came from. They are simply people who are different in appearance and beliefs. Their persecution at the hands of small minded, greedy people is the driving force of the story and leads to the violence against, and by, them.
The artwork by Collins is wonderful and looks stunning in black and white. Dark shadows fill the panels and the action breaks out to cross the gutters as if the ancient battle between the old world and the new cannot be contained. The theme of old versus new that was the backbone to Streets of Glory is again a significant theme in American Gothic, but there is an emphasis on the idea of stories — of myths and legends. As the new world begins to take hold, the old world is being lost. The stories are being pushed out to be replaced with something derogatory and lacking substance. A comment on popular culture of the time? Surely not.
This week I have read a number of comics, roughly from the same time period, that have dealt with similar themes but in very different ways. There is such a range of art and storytelling techniques in just these five comics (not including Planet of the Apes and Starstorm) that it goes to demonstrate that there are comics for everyone, whatever your taste in story. Three of these five are westerns at heart and each is very different despite being built around the same initial themes.
I’m not sure where my reading will take me next week but I intend to find a range of different comics to illustrate the breadth of the medium. Comics are often associated with the superhero but we all know there is more on offer. Why don’t you drop some examples below, and maybe I can give them a read in the future?
From writer HS Tak (Redshift; BOY-1) and artist Isabella Mazzanti comes the best samurai comic of the last 10 years with Hitomi. Featuring layouts from Nicoletta Bea, colors by Valentina Napolitano, and lettering by Rob Jones, this 5-issue mini-series about a young girl seeking vengeance on an old ronin far from his homeland is the greatest comic of its kind since Inoue’s Vagabond. With intelligent and poetic scripts and staggering visual work, Hitomi is one of the best comics of the past year and a must-read for fans of the genre.
“In Feudal-era Japan, a drifter with no prospects begins training in secret under Yasuke, a once-famous and now-disgraced warrior, as she struggles to find her place in a society entrenched in discrimination and violence. Combining the historical sweep and elegance of Kurosawa with the visceral action of Tarantino, this saga follows the trials and tribulations of a young female warrior who travels the country-side unendingly working to gain the rank of Samurai, a title no man, monster, or myth can give to her, but one that she will have to take.”
Writing & Plot
HS Tak mixes the classic tropes of a great revenge story with both wisdom and incisive political underpinnings in Hitomi. A young woman whose family was killed when she was young begins a journey to find and kill the samurai responsible for making her an orphan. That samurai? None other than Yasuke, the legendary African samurai of the 16th century. Yasuke has since become a ronin, giving up the blade and now only seeking passage back to his homeland. The girl manages to convince Yasuke to become her teacher (he doesn’t know who she is) with aims to betray him later, and that’s where our main story begins. Tak goes to great lengths to sow the general disregard the samurai have for regular people – and the internal class struggles that come with that. The comic has a slightly episodic structure, with each issue continuing the overall plot but having a distinct scenario that helps paint a larger picture of this setting. From being threatened for execution for stealing a small bottle of sake, to witnessing an entire culture of violent abuse towards women, Tak never takes his foot off the gas to show that the honor-focused way of the samurai is often grossly over-romanticized. Both of our protagonists in Yasuke and the angry young woman are unique, compelling characters with great arcs. Their flaws – the girl’s rash nature and Yasuke’s constant hesitation – make them feel more real. The rest of the cast is made up of memorable faces as well, as a variety of folks help or hinder the pair along their path. Tak’s dialogue is sharp and full of wit, with surprise hits of what feels like period accurate poetry. Tak makes his influences known for this mini-series, but keeps the entire experience feeling fresh. Hitomi has a sense of age and wisdom in the comic, as though it were a tale crafted during Japan’s feudal era – that’s just the magic Tak brings to the table.
Art Direction
Hitomi has the benefit of not only having a smart and timeless-feeling script, but the visual experience to match its story. Penciler Isabella Mazzanti and color artist Valentina Napolitano have created an art style that is as timeless as the book’s storytelling conventions. The pair of artists intentionally aim for a style that reimagines period-correct emakimono scroll paintings that bring the reader right into the setting. Mazzanti’s thin lines and attention to historical detail bring the pages to life with one of the most impressive representations of a realistic setting in recent comics. Her sequencing is also stellar, with the whole issue feeling well-balanced and expertly paced. There are some sequences that break panel structure, with borderless images stacked on top of each other. Every page has a spread or panel that is worthy of being in a gallery – or at least as a desktop background. Napolitano’s flat-style colors bring home the 16th century feel of this comic, with her tones having that scroll-printed appearance that makes this issue like nothing else on shelves today. The lettering from Rob Jones has a classical hand drawn look that matches the comic perfectly. His SFX work has a very distinct approach as well, with a sort of minimalist but noticeable punctuation of sound in each panel where he uses it. Overall, Hitomi is a stunning comic mini-series and an excellent representation of traditional Japanese styled art in a Western comic.
Verdict
Hitomi is a brilliant story of vengeance and political history from the eyes of regular people under the rule of the samurai. HS Tak pens scripts full of poetic wisdom, clever humor, and poignant storytelling to create an entertaining yet thoughtful story set in 16th century Japan. The visuals from Isabella Mazzanti and Valentina Napolitano look as though they were ripped right out of the time period they portray, but with a modern comic book-style creative approach that makes Hitomi one of the most unique comics in recent memory. This is a must-read for fans of samurai stories and revenge tales as a whole.
We are here to tell you what trades and collections you should be looking out for this month from Marvel Comics!
With Across the Spider-Verse hitting theaters this weekend, Marvel is loading fans up on spider-related reading material, as well as some fan-favorite stories!
1. Spider-Man Vol. 1: End of the Spider-Verse
Dan Slott and Mark Bagley’s Spider-Man run gets its first collection this month. As the title suggests, the Spider-Verse is in danger, and Spiders are dropping like flies. It’s a big, sprawling, action-packed story featuring all kinds of spider-people from across the Spider-Verse (honestly didn’t intend the pun there), making this a great book to pick up following the new spider-movie’s release.
Slott’s Spider-Man stories can be divisive amongst fans, but Bagley’s art is always a delight, making this a story worth checking out on its own.
Release date: June 7th, 2023
2. The Hood: The Saga of Parker Robbins
If you’re unfamiliar with The Hood, now is the time to jump in and learn why he is such a fan-favorite character. This new trade paperback collects the original six-issue MAX mini-series, as well as the character’s follow-up Dark Reign series.
Parker Robbins is designed to sort of be the anti-Spider-Man (even his name is a nod to Peter Parker). He’s a down-on-his-luck guy who has great power thrust upon him. But Robbins did not have the upbringing or the support system that Peter had, so he views his new abilities as an opportunity rather than a responsibility. The Hood’s story is a dark, gritty, compelling tale that continues to captivate readers. He’s become a major player in the Marvel Comics gang world, and he’ll be making his live-action debut in next year’s Ironheart show, making this a great time to catch up on his backstory.
Release date: June 7th, 2023
3. Star Wars: The High Republic — The Blade
Jump into the High Republic era with Charles Soule and Marco Castiello’s The Blade! Follow brother and sister Jedi Knights Porter Engle and Barash Silvain on an adventure set hundreds of years before the Skywalker Saga. Porter is perhaps the greatest lightsaber of his era — a legend in the making — but he may meet his match.
The Blade is a gritty, thrilling Star Wars adventure. If you’ve been a fan of stuff like Star Wars: Visions, or you’re looking forward to The Acolyte, and you’re looking for more Star Wars content set outside the typical Republic/Empire/Resistance era, pick this up at the end of the month.
Release date: June 28th, 2023
4. Spider-Woman by Dennis Hopeless
This fan-favorite run by writer Dennis Hopeless features Jessica Drew as a member of the Spider-Verse, a private investigator, and an expectant mother. That might seem like a lot of ground to cover, but Hopeless and company balance it all well and provide a captivating Spider-Woman story for fans new or old.
Issa Rae’s Jessica Drew in Across the Spider-Verse seems to borrow heavily from this run, so if you’re looking to read up on Spider-Woman after you leave the theater, head over to your local comic shop and pick this collection up.
Release date: June 7th, 2023
5. Captain America Epic Collection: The Secret Empire
Cover image from CAPTAIN AMERICA #176, one of the iconic issues featured within the new Epic Collection.
This landmark Captain America story by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema finally gets the Epic Collection treatment this month. In addition to classic stories featuring Doctor Faustus and Nick Fury, this collection is headlined by the Secret Empire Saga, a story arc that rattled Steve Rogers’ faith in his country and led him to give up the Captain America mantle for a time.
The arc includes political intrigue, espionage, action, and superhero cameos galore, making this a great Epic Collection to pick up if you’re looking to get into 1970s Captain America.
Release date: June 28th, 2023
6. Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt
J.M. DeMatteis — writer of the seminal Spider-Man story “Kraven’s Last Hunt” — is joined by artist Eder Messias to tell this new story set shortly after 1995’s Spider-Man: The Final Adventure. “The Lost Hunt” promises to reveal secrets and answer mysteries that Spidey fans have been waiting decades for, adding depth and context to one of the wall-crawler’s greatest tales.
And for all of you (very vocal) fans out there longing for the days Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson were married, this story just might scratch the itch you’ve been having!
Release date: June 28th, 2023
What trades and collections are you planning to pick up this month from Marvel Comics? Sound off in the comments, and we’ll see you back here in a month!
VENOM #20 hits your local comic book store on June 7th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: THERE AND BROCK AGAIN!
Eddie Brock has fought and fought and fought some more to get back to the Marvel Universe and fight by his son’s side.
IN THIS ISSUE – HE SUCCEEDS! And the charred skeletal remains of Eddie’s physical body are REANIMATED by the King in Black incarnate! Wielding the very marrow in his broken bones, Eddie makes his presence in the present known in explosive fashion! Not that you’d expect anything less!
The issue is by writer AL Ewing and artist CAFU, with colors by Frank D’Armata, and letters by Clayton Cowles. The main cover is by Bryan Hitch and Alex SInclair.
TENEMENT #1 hits your local comic book shop on June 21 from Image Comics. The book is written by Jeff Lemire, with art by Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart drops the colors. Image Comics describes the series as Dario Argento’s Inferno meets Rosemary’s Baby in a claustrophobic tale of terror, perfect for fans of atmospheric horror. The story follows seven residents in a building and the dark secrets that bind them together…beginning with a death that feels much more sinister than natural.
TENEMENT #1 is a slow burn that’s very unsettling and will have you at the edge of your seat. Sorrentino’s photo-realistic style and clean panel layouts create a bleakness waiting to be corrupted by Lemire’s story. In addition, Stewart’s color palette triggers haunting memories of watching horror films as a kid. The first issue leaves you wanting more which is always a good feeling.
With the upcoming live action release of Secret Invasion on Disney+, it makes sense for Marvel to release a book that highlights the main character of the series, Nick Fury Jr. This one-shot features stories from Nick Fury Sr as well as his son. Al Ewing is writing this love letter to the Super spy and old school mystery genre. Joining him are Scot Eaton, Tom Reilly, Adam Kubert and Roman Rosanas on pencils, Jordie Bellaire on colors and Joe Caramagna on letters.
WRITING
Al Ewing has the difficult task of writing both Nick Fury characters and making them seem different personality-wise. This issue takes place in the present as Nick Fury Jr. tries to figure out what S.C.O.R.P.I.O. is, and in the past that details the origin of the Zodiac key. Stories like this work when the writing is good and the timelines match up well. Ewing does that here. Everything in the past is connected and important to what is happening in present day. Ewing also gives readers continuity as he draws all the way back to the Sgt.Fury And His Howling Commandos days for part of the issue. Original Sin is also used and referenced in this book as well. Ewing’s internal monologue for Nick Fury Jr. is extremely important for this issue as well. Ewing allows us to see how Fury Jr. uses his intellect and skills to get what he needs. Things like asking Cyclops to help him get to the moon or using a multipurpose gun gives readers an insight into why he’s such an amazing character. At the heart of all of this is a story about a father and son though. While the panel time of them together isn’t a large sample, Ewing makes their time count. Fury #1 is a book that should appeal to anyone who loves a good mystery and family reunions.
ART
The pencils are split up between several different artists. Each section details a different period in time for Nick Fury Sr. or Nick Fury Jr. Scot Eaton starts off the issue with a current Nick Fury Jr. Eaton’s work, with inks by Cam Smith, feels close and personal. We get a lot of panels with close ups of half of Fury Jr.’s face. Tom Reilly takes over after page 11 and he has a similar style to Eaton. Where Reilly shines is in his flashback sequences. These pages have a dated yet modern feel to them. Reilly will leave some panels with less detail during the flashback, and it works out well because it feels like it fits the time. Adam Kubert takes over after that for another flashback portion. This is the section that feels like you’re reading an old school comic. It looks like newsprint and almost has a texture to the art work. Finally Roman Rosanas wraps things up with his style that is very modern, yet pulp comic. Panels in this section bring detail to the characters, but leave much of the background open. Rosanas accentuates the characters and draws the reader into their actions.
The colors by Jordie Bellaire are amazing here. Bellaire has to use multiple different color pallets for several different artists. Doing colors for this book was no easy task. The section that sticks out the most are the vibrant and pop of the Roman Rosanas section. Bellaire uses a perfect blend of light and dark to bring attention to the characters. The backgrounds are the perfect color to allow a red or green to demand your attention. In the pages she colors for Adam Kubert, the colors need to feel old fashioned. Bellaire uses lots of lighter greens and peach for army uniforms and skin tones. Tom Reilly’s portion of the book has a vintage feel to it as well, but Bellaire uses harder tones than in the Kubert section. She allows backgrounds to be dark until there is some action, then they blow up with a fiery red or an incendiary green. Bellaire did a phenomenal job using different styles of color to match each artist. This is a masterclass in how to color comics.
The letters by Joe Caramagna shine in this issue as well. His placement of narration boxes in the vintage Nick Fury Sr. story are perfect. They appear at the bottom and upper left corner of each panel and are simple to read. When something drastic is said, like “Nick Fury ain’t dead yet!” Caramagna uses red around the words for emphasis. There are a few sound effects that have an impact on the story. Nick Fury Jr. using a multipurpose weapon to blast a villain leaves a “VWEEEEE” on the page. Caramagna also layers the letters so they nearly overlap one another. Good lettering can really help a story out, and Joe Caramagna gave Fury #1 a nice boost.
CONCLUSION
Fury #1 is a good read, but it’s also a touching story about a father and son. Al Ewing always shows up and delivers whenever he’s on a book. The art works wonderfully and the colors blow the top off of this issue. Nick Fury Jr. is in good hands as long as Al Ewing is working his magic on him. Fury #1 is available at a comic shop near you!
There’s scarcely a more convoluted source for an adaptation than Titan Comics’ Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing. This 4-issue mini-series penned by Lucifer and Sword of Azrael writer Dan Watters and drawn by up-and-coming phenom Lamar Mathurin is technically a tie-in to the atrocious and deservedly cancelled Netflix adaptation of Shinichiro Watanabe’s masterpiece anime. Fortunately, what makes this comic work so well is how much its creators understand what truly makes the original source material tick – and how much they decided to ignore the live-action series they were tied to. Both a thorough understanding of what made Watanabe’s masterwork such an influential piece of art and the creative team’s comics-making synergy propel this mini-series into the stratosphere as not just a create comic, but one of the best adaptations ever put to page.
Originally released in 1998, Shinichiro Watanabe and Sunrise Studio’s Cowboy Bebop still stands tall as one of the greatest works in the medium of animation. Watanabe’s influences from Western cinema bleed into this 26-episode cyberpunk tale of a crew of desperate bounty hunters and the strange situations they end up in. The series’ use of music remains one of the best blends of cinema and song in both animation and film. While the show on the whole does have an episodic structure for long stretches, its main story beats are filled with an existential weight that still hangs heavy on viewers years after wrapping its final episode. Bebop is an undeniable peak in anime and the medium of animation as a whole. So how does a creative team follow that influence into the comics medium? Especially when tying said comic to a live-action show that missed the mark completely? There’s been a Bebop comic before, in the form of a decent but forgettable manga. The key to making a great adaptation comes down to having a thorough understanding of the source material, while also being a brilliant creative force in your own medium.
Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing follows the crew of the Bebop – Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, and Ein the genius corgi (Ed hadn’t been introduced in the Netflix series yet) as they go after a mark named Melville. As with every Bebop bounty, there’s a catch: Melville is supposedly wearing a “quantum probability vest,” granting him an unlimited amount of luck and making him impossible to catch. Each issue sees the crew in a different snag, from escaping a laziness-poisoned planet or fighting other bounty hunters in a flying delivery truck. This mini-series feels exactly like a lost episode of the original anime, transcribed into the comics medium. A huge part of this is due to how writer Dan Watters clearly understands every facet of Cowboy Bebop. The very plot itself fits right in as such a distinctive Bebop story. Each crewmember’s distinct personality is nailed down in these pages; Spike’s distant nonchalance with sudden explosions of determination, Faye’s reckless confidence, and Jet’s guarded paternalism are straight out of the original series. What’s more here though is that Watters hits the thematic elements and story arc structure of Bebop on the head. Each issue features the property’s signature style of humor and swinging, noir-esque dialogue punctured that fans know and love and that newcomers will be seduced by. Watters also understands how the small moments are so huge in Bebop – how many of the original’s key moments were just small, deeply meaningful conversations that added into the show’s overall thematic tone. Each one of the crew has a talk with a new character that leaves a noticeable impression on them, and that influences their moves in subsequent scenes. These moments in turn leave an impression on the reader. Dan Watters understands Cowboy Bebop, and has given fans old and new a story that is one-hundred percent a representation of the tone and feel of the original show.
All of the praise over Watters’ scripts would be meaningless if the visual team didn’t capture Cowboy Bebop’s original atmosphere. Lamar Mathurin and the incredible work of color artists Roman Titov and Emilio Lecce succeed at crafting an experience in Supernova Swing that looks and feels like Watanabe & Co.’s original work, but is also entirely distinct. Due to the comic’s ties to the Netflix series, Mathurin does stick to that show’s cast as visual reference to the crew in this book. However, this is almost unnoticeable for the most part, save for the difference in Faye’s outfit. This mini-series abides by the visual language of the anime with the loose postures and characters designs, focus on character interactions, and the overall used-future look of the setting. The urban environments are full of debris and people just trying to get by, while the remote settlement of Cyllene feels like a place society forgot. Mathurin and the rest of the art team do a wonderful job of reminding readers what Bebop has always in some form been about – the people you meet who leave an impression on you. Every interaction in this comic has a depth that stays in the reader’s mind throughout the whole issue. The action and movement are exhilarating and in line with the loose, jazzy feel of the series as well. Mathurin nails the animation behind Spike’s Jeet Kune Do martial arts, to the point where you can almost hear the music in the background while the fists and feel fly. The absurdity of some situations – like a delivery van full of spicy noodles being towed by a spaceship while a fight breaks out on board – is both inescapably comics and anime. Even the lettering, crafted beautifully by Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt, becomes a part of the overall storytelling environment in a way that somehow just *feels* Bebop. The outstanding hand-lettered look of the dialogue is impressive on its own, but it’s joined by artistically brilliant SFX lettering that looks like it naturally belongs in the space alongside the action. Supernova Swing has visuals that understand the source material as well as the script, perfecting this stellar adaptation.
Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing is a masterful adaptation because it seamlessly turns the iconic anime’s style into a comic book. From the overall plot to the minutiae of its quieter moments, Dan Watters shows that he understands the fundamental aspects of what makes Bebop tick and delivers what could easily be a lost script from Watanabe & Co.’s original work. The artistic vision made by Lamar Mathurin’s pencils with Roman Titov and Emilio Lecce’s colors is reminiscent of the source material while still crafting a sleekness and swagger all its own. Despite its attachment to a messy, failed live-action adaptation, this four-issue mini-series is an absolute must-read for Bebop fans and readers of stylish comics alike.
The premise is simple: read one comic every day for the entire year. It seems like a simple task but there is no way that I read 365 comics last year, even if you count the individual issues in collections. So, this year, I am committing myself to this reading challenge, in the hope that I can broaden my reading habits and fully engage with my favorite hobby again.
I started the week off in 1994. At that point in my comics reading life, I was very much entrenched in the world of Vertigo Comics, an imprint that had been founded a year earlier. It was also the year that I moved to somewhere that had an actual, specialized, comic shop. Previously, most of my comics had come from mail order or the occasional visit to a city. For the first time, in 1994, I had an LCS (local comic shop).
I was also a student. So, it was lucky for me that the average comic cost around a pound (£). The speculation boom in this period was just starting to build and it would only be a few years until the entire industry crashed. But, until then, there were many great comics to be found.
Zero Hour #0 The First Black Variant? Credit: DC Comics
Comic Number 141: Zero Hour #4 -0
Small confession time: I have never read any of DC Comics big event stories, except for the weekly 52 comic and the five issue Zero Hour. I missed out on Crisis on Infinite Earths, Final Crisis, and Flashpoint. I guess by reading 52 I experienced some of Infinite Crisis but I didn’t have a grounding for a lot of the narrative. And that’s my problem with DC events: I don’t really read DC (superhero) comics. I have some Batman, a few Superman, more Supergirl. The only Green Lantern I own ties in with the Supergirl comics and I think I only have a single issue of the Flash.
Therefore, the complex event stories that DC produces are completely lost on me.
I couldn’t tell you why I own Zero Hour. Perhaps it was the cheap cover price (70p per issue). Or maybe the gimmicky reverse numbering of the series, starting at number 4 and going back to 0. Somewhere, I have some Batman and Superman issue 0’s that tie in with this event but I didn’t feel the need to dig them out.
Some people might say that the creators, Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway, are a big sell but I find the script a bit cliched and the artwork very DC standard. It looks like a 1990’s superhero comic. There is nothing outstanding or inventive inside the covers. The occasional use of white space, an element of the story itself, makes for a striking page but generally, this series looks exactly as you might expect for a comic from this period.
The narrative is continuity heavy, as you might expect, and even now, after years of reading more DC comics, I still don’t know who a lot of the characters are. Even the main hero and villains of the story are a bit of a mystery to me. I have no biographical knowledge for them and haven’t read a comic that included them outside of this series (that I’m aware of). If you look at it from that point of view, Zero Hour must work on some level because, nearly 30 years later, I still own and occasionally read this series. Many comics have come and, literally, gone from my collection in that time but Zero Hour hangs in there. I couldn’t tell you why.
Shade The Changing Man #46 Credit: DC Vertigo
Comic Number 142 and 143: Shade the Changing Man #46 and The Sandman #59
I have lumped these two together because they have a lot in common. Not only are they published under the Vertigo banner but they are both early parts of a bigger story, poetically written by superb writers, and illustrated with expressive art that even today seems bold and fresh.
Peter Milligan (Shade) and Neil Gaiman (Sandman) both concentrate on the characters in their narratives but manage to do this by incorporating the environment around them and threading the plot through them. The characters are the story, not just facilitators of it. And one aspect that these two comics share is the large cast. Despite their titles referring to a specific character, both comics have a wide lens, taking in all of the supporting cast and treating them as central characters. Milligan and Gaiman write very different stories but both of them create worlds for the readers to explore.
However, it is the artwork in these two comics that is the real star. You have Marc Hemple and D’israeli providing strong, bold artwork for The Sandman. Shapes and color form the world the narrative sits in, holding it firmly in place like a ridgid framework. The structure of the comic page is mirrored within the panels where the images have very defined forms. But this is then subverted by the expressionistic coloring and poetic script that seems contrary to the art style. Together, it creates a fantastical world where anything, and everything, is possible.
The Sandman #59 Credit: DC Vertigo
This is exactly the same impression you get from Glyn Dillon’s work in Shade. He takes the script from Milligan and transforms it into a disconcerting visual world where everything is slightly off kilter. The reader’s point of view is barely direct, with so many panels viewed from unconventional angles. The scenery, especially the backgrounds in the hotel scenes, is often skewiff creating an uncomfortable setting for the story. This is not a place where you want to be, and it represents the breakdown in the characters’ relationships.
Both of these comics are visually impressive and have narratives that are engaging. Yes, they are both chapters in larger stories but you can still enjoy them as individual issues. Over the years I bought The Sandman on a regular basis, only missing a few issues now and then but Shade was a lot more hit and miss. However, I can still read Shade, even with the jumps between issues and gaps in the story. The artwork is reason enough to open the cover.
Witch Craft #1 Credit: DC Vertigo
Comic Number 144: Witch Craft #1
The Sandman was a massive hit and in 1994 it was heading towards a spectacular finale. Therefore it’s not surprising that there were spin off comics around. Witch Craft took the Kindly Ones, the three witches that caused so much grief in The Sandman, and gave them another story of revenge.
Witch Craft includes some disturbing elements and the abuse of a central female character is the foundation of the narrative. The rape and murder of a priestess catches the attention of the three witches and, spurred by an urge for vengeance, they start to conceive a plan that stretches across decades and involves future generations of the original characters.
James Robinson writes an involved script, heavy on the description and conversation. Some pages contain a lot of text and there are some pages that are almost swallowed up in the speech. At these moments, it reads more like a stage play than a comic but there are other pages that counter this, pages that visually capture the reader. The more upsetting elements of the narrative are dealt with via text, with visuals that are not explicit or exploitative. The two artists, Peter Snejbjerg and Teddy Kristiansen, handle the script perfectly and combine the 1990’s Vertigo style with a dark, horror-esq imagery.
This comic looks like a Shakespearean tragedy. And I’m sure that’s not by accident.
Anderson PSI Division: The Dead Run Credit: Rebellion
Comic Number 145: Anderson PSI Division: The Dead Run
My 1994 adventure was derailed halfway through this week. Long story short: I happened upon a stack of 2000AD comics that a neighbor was selling. While my son got a few of them to read (he has not read any Judge Dredd but was interested so I couldn’t say no) I have ended up with a number of Judge Anderson and Rogue Trooper comics. These comics are collections of stories originally printed in various issues of 2000AD and the collections were given away free with the Judge Dredd Megazine.
In The Dead Run, there are three stories, with The Dead Run being the main feature. However, it is the opening story, Death’s Dark Angels, that’s the most interesting. It features a cult who worship Judge Death and try to trap and sacrifice Judge Anderson in an attempt to resurrect the Dark Judges. It is a short, black and white reprint but includes every aspect you would expect from a Judge Dredd story: violence, crime, sarcasm, and brutality. The cult is portrayed as losers: lost souls who have nothing else in their life except to idolize something that is detrimental to their own health. And the Judges stand above them, bewildered by the depths that some people sink to.
Judge Anderson is lured into the cultists’ den and is then rescued by Judge Dredd in a seemingly sexist trope but there is something about the way Alan Grant has written the characters that dull that cliche. You don’t get the feeling that Anderson is a damsel in distress, instead she is calm and cool under pressure. Her attitude is one of disappointment in the criminals rather than a fear for her life. When Dredd turns up, she quips about his tardiness highlighting the relationship the two Judges have; there are very few characters who would speak to Dredd with such sarcasm, friend or foe.
The other two stories in this collection are entertaining but it is Death’s Dark Angels that has the classic 2000AD feel to it. You can see from this short story why the characters have endured as long as they have.
Rogue Trooper: The Machine War volume 1 Credit: Rebellion
Comic Number 146: Rogue Trooper: The War Machine volume 1
Another comic from my find this week and another story new to me. Out of all of 2000AD‘s on ongoing characters, Rogue Trooper is the one I probably have read the most, however, this is the first time I have read Dave Gibbons’ reboot of the character from 1989. The War Machine introduces a genetically enhanced soldier who discovers an unsettling truth behind the war he has been sent to fight. The comic is violent and pessimistic. The Trooper, in this series called Friday, internalizes his own mission and purpose which creates an element of hope. Hope for the character at least, but not the reader. At each step the audience knows that the answers Friday seeks are not ones he wants to hear.
The artwork by Will Simpson epitomizes late 1980’s British comics. The painted images arranged in often misshapen panels demonstrate the experimentation and excitement for the medium. There is an expressionist approach to the visuals that lends itself to the narrative and the disconnection that the central character has to the world around him. The violence of the war and the helplessness of the soldiers is expressed through the often abstract images and odd shaped panels. Even the lettering by Bambos captures how small the Trooper is in the grand scheme of things. Small, rounded text is fit snugly into caption boxes barely big enough for all of the monologuing.
This first part of The War Machine is a tour de force of storytelling. Superb artwork by all involved and an engaging script that makes it difficult to imagine reading it in small segments in the original 2000AD issues. If only I had the second volume..
Rogue Trooper: The War Machine volume 2 Credit: Rebellion
Comic Number 147: Rogue Trooper: The War Machine Volume 2.
This continuation of the Rogue Trooper story as re-invented by Dave Gibbons is as good as the first part. There’s not a lot that I can add although there are some other extras in this volume. The additional stories in the volume are also great reads (even the Mark Millar one) but do suffer in comparison to the title piece.
That seems like a bit of a cop out for the end of the week. But it’s been a busy one. Again my plan to focus on a particular year has gone astray. Hopefully I can manage to stick to my guns next week when I pick a third, specific year of publications.
