The New Direction With IRON MAN 2020 Will Not Work

By

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January 15, 2020

The 2020 storyline presented by Dan Slott, Christos Gage, and Marvel Comics exhibits a new and more extreme path moving forward for Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man. Will it be successful? Short answer no. Long answer, definitely not.

Spoilers for Iron Man 2020 #1

Iron Man 2020 #1 reveals Tony Stark now under the alias of Mark 1 as the leader of the Robot Rebellion. This same group left a bomb at a maternity ward of a hospital placed there by former hero turned A.I. activist, Machine Man. So Tony Stark is shown to be okay planing bombs at hospitals for the purpose of A.I. rights. When a hero is willing to kill innocents to get their point across. they are no longer a hero but a villain.

This is not the first time Tony Stark has become a villain or been shown to operate in a more extreme manner to achieve his goals. Unfortunately, none of the previous times it occurred was the result viewed as a successful milestone in the character’s history. There are three polarizing examples to help prove this point: The Crossing, Mark Millar’s Civil War, and Superion Iron Man.

With The Crossing (also known as Avengers: The Crossing), it was revealed Iron Man was secretly being controlled by Kang The Conqueror for a very long time. In the course of his actions, Iron Man killed several supportive characters including Marilla (the Nanny to Crystal and Quicksilver’s child) and Rita Demara (Yellowjacket). The story would result in Tony’s death, a teenage version taking his place (don’t ask), and the entire situation only solved through the course of two major company events (Heroes Reborn and Heroes Return).

During Mark Millar’s Civil War, though not an actual villain, his actions were still not looked on favorably by the comic community. Iron Man took the pro-registration side of the argument siding with the government and even becoming the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a time. His actions often had fans comparing him to Hitler for the way he was willing to lock up a lot of heroes who weren’t willing to follow the government’s new laws. This plot was only saved by Matt Fraction’s run on the character where Tony had to lose his company, become a fugitive, and erase his mind which had downloaded the files of the Hero registration containing their identities so they wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Lastly, there is the Superior Iron Man story where Tony’s personality was flipped thanks to a spell by the Scarlet Witch. Tony, now mentally back to his pre-injury days (when he was just a cocky and egotistic businessman) infects the entire town of San Francisco with a new version of the Extremis, turns them all into perfect physical specimens, and immediately takes it away to charge a daily subscription fee for continued use. It was only with the world resetting storyline Secret Wars (2015) was this situation rectified.

The bottom line, Iron Man being evil doesn’t work. If Tony Stark isn’t secretly shown to be just manipulating things behind the scene to make sure to minimize the situation with the Robot Revolution (which is plausible as no major deaths have occurred yet) then there might be some hope for the story. Still, if it turns out Iron Man is indeed gone off the deep end, one can only wonder if it won’t take a world-shattering event to pick up the pieces and return shell head to his former glory.

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What do you think of the new direction for Iron Man and the 2020 event? Leave a comment below and let us know.

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INTERVIEW: BRIARPATCH Composer Giancarlo Vulcano On Making Music ‘Weirder’

By

Ruben Diaz

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January 15, 2020

Briarpatch is a new anthology series coming in February, which stars Rosario Dawson and produced by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot). 30 Rock alum, composer Giancarlo Vulcano, is the man behind the music of the shifting series.

The series is based on a novel of the same name written by Ross Thomas. The first episode follows Rosario Dawson as she returns to her hometown to find out what happened to her sister, a local police officer. Upon arriving, things are already weird. But as the series plays out, and more of the town is explored, things just get weirder and for Giancarlo, weird was the main course on the sonic menu.

PopAxiom spoke with Giancarlo Vulcano about his work as a composer across comedies, thrillers, and weirdness.

Guitar To Composition

The first topic of conversation was Giancarlo’s name, which is epic. “My mother is Colombian, and my father is Italian-American. I’m really sort of Colombian. I go there a lot. My family is all still there.”

Giancarlo’s musical journey started with a popular instrument. “I’m pretty much the only musician in my family. I was a guitar player in high school.”

From guitar, Giancarlo evolved into a whole new realm when he got to college. “I studied composition and what they call ‘concert music.’ I went to graduate school for that.”

A fan of film compositions all his life, Giancarlo says, “Slowly, my life put me in contact with film and TV people.”

About Briarpatch

Giancarlo worked on 30 Rock and Kimmy Schmidt (among many other things) before the suspense-filled Briarpatch. The mindset for projects, no matter how wildly different, is the same. “You’re always serving the story and what the story is asking for.”

Giancarlo describes Briarpatch as “ … dark, but it has aspects that are surreal and out there. That’s what I love about the show.”

Creating the music for the show was a weird process, to say the least. “Sometimes, Andy Greenwald, the creator of the show, would say ‘This needs to be weird.’ I would say, ‘well, he probably only means like 10 percent weird, so I’d write a 10 percent weirder cue. He’d say ‘No, it needs to be weirder.’”

Giancarlo wrote a lot of music for the show. “… like 30-40 minutes of music. I kind of took a risk and didn’t show it to anyone until it was all done. I was lucky that it was well-received, and it became the backbone of the music for the show.”

Influences

Giancarlo’s creative DNA is full of influences. “I would say Twin Peaks was a huge thing for me. The original one and even the one from last year. Angelo Badalamenti is a huge influence for me. I’ve been fortunate to work with him a few times as an orchestrator. He’s just spectacular. That sort of collaborative thing he has with David Lynch is the model I aspire to.”

Giancarlo lists another vital influence. “I love Nino Rota, who wrote The Godfather. He’s really in my DNA. I’ve done a lot of work arranging music, and I’ve made a lot of arrangements of his music. I really got into it. There’s so much that I’ve learned from him in terms of melody and simplicity without being simplistic. A few elements can say so much.”

Early in his career, Giancarlo worked for Howard Shore during Lord of the Rings. The experience was a great teacher. “You get to watch someone produce and learned so much about technique from him.”

The process of expanding his musical repertoire is never-ending. “I’m always trying to listen to stuff and find things that I really connect to.”

Wrapping Up

In the age of remakes, what project would Giancarlo want to be a part of? “Probably, like, La Doce Vita. Something to do with Italy in the 50s. In general, I’m interested in doing something like that.”

Giancarlo is in the home stretch of finishing up Briarpatch. So, what’s next? “There’s a filmmaker named Marc Levin, I’ve done one documentary for him, and we’re doing another one for HBO. It’s about Michael Tubbs, the youngest mayor in America. I like working with Marc Levin because the films we’ve done are socially aware. We’re aiming to time the release to land closer to the election. I have other things, but I don’t think I’m supposed to talk about them just yet.”

Will you be watching Briarpatch on USA?

Thanks to Giancarlo Vulcano and Rhapsody PR for making this interview possible.

Want to read more interviews like this? CLICK HERE.

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UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #3 – Out Of Time

By

Cody Walker

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More past is revealed in Undiscovered Country #3, out this week from Image Comics.

First Impressions

Scott Snyder and Charles Soule have created a really and truly one of a kind story. Most of my reviews are spent trying to compare stories to something else I’ve seen or read before. I try to find these comparisons so fans of those works might give new stories a chance. Undiscovered Country is something I’ve never seen before. I haven’t seen every single film out there and I haven’t read every story in the world, but this is unique.

Art

Giuseppe Camuncoli and Daniele Orlandini have quite the task of bringing this world to life. As long as it might’ve taken to brainstorm up these characters and environments, it was worth every second. This issue dives into the rolling city ruled by the Destiny Man, and these scenes are something out of Star Wars. All different looking creatures selling all different kinds of goods while sharks hang from the ceiling. It feels like a futuristic world that couldn’t invent technology fast enough to keep up. While certain things look unbelievable to accomplish, they’re also held together by duct tape and rope.

Matt Wilson continues to just knock the colors out of the park. Smooth color fades and perfect use of shadows makes this book feel as real as it can get. You can see the stress in the color of the character’s faces and nothing is overtly bright. This book feels real and lived in and I love it.

Letters

Crank! is a lettering Jedi. I love his work here because it looks like it’s been written with a paintbrush. Nothing is too perfect or gaudy. Handmade signs and repaired goods fill the market inside Destiny Man’s city. Every member of this creative team makes this environment come alive in their own way.

My Two Cents

Every issue we get a little more insight into the past of each adventurer and learn their motivations for being there. So far every character has something different to bring to the table, or some ulterior motive. Undiscovered Country #3 has the biggest reveal so far. This changes everything. There is no going back to how things were, no matter what they do, it’s different now.

This story dips its feet all the way into fantasy. I’m loving this book and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. Thank you Scott Snyder and Charles Soule for another title to be excited for every month.

What did you think of Undiscovered Country #3? Let us know in the comments below.

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Review: THE FLASH #86 Sees The Fall of Cold and Barry

By

Jose "Jody" Cardona

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The Flash Finishes Off The Rogues’ Reign

Captain Cold is on the rampage. After taking over Central City with an upgrade from the Legion of Doom, most of the Rogues realize Snart has gone off the deep end. They proceed to release and train Flash and the other speedsters as it’s revealed their powers have been overcharged. After spending time and learning, they really aren’t so different, the team prepares to go after Mirror Master. When they arrive to steal his mirror, Cold is there waiting and proceeds to freeze the heroes. Leaving just Flash unfrozen, Snart takes on his enemy for the fate of the city. Will the Scarlet Speedster save the city?

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

Picking up right where we left off, Flash and Cold begin to go all out on each other. Due to the upgrade from Luthor, Snart is able to freeze the very atmosphere around the battlefield. This ends up helping the Flash regain control of his overcharged powers and ends up freeing the trapped heroes and Rogues. While Barry deals with Cold, the others drag Mirror Master back to his mirror that created this frozen hellscape.

It turns out the only reason he rejoined the Rogues in the first place was to try and win back Golden Glider. Once she makes it clear they could never work again, the rogue gives in and brings the city back to reality.

The end to Rogues Reign wasn’t as grand as I was hoping, but it still did a good job in a few aspects. Along with the action, the personalities of the Rogues continue to shine as more human supervillains than we get nowadays. While Golden Glider is the most prominent, you can tell that the Rogues care for one another and just want to get out of this situation alive. When you see her try and talk down her brother, you can tell they’re family before all else. It would bring a smile on my face even if the ending didn’t turn out positive.

The complaints I do have is for our hero and villain. Both go too far off their usual characters and make them either irredeemable or just plain stupid. While Cold turning on the other members of the Rogues isn’t uncommon, him turning on his sister is flat out unbelievable. As for The Flash, he does something that is completely out of left field and will leave readers scratching their heads.

Art:

Rafa Sandoval delivers a fantastic look for the finale of the story. His style complements the powers of Flash and Cold when they go all out against each other. He also is able to make more emotion-filled faces to carry the weight for the slower moments. The best moment actually comes near the end of the issue where Barry is beating on Snart. The lettering is designed in such a way where we can’t see Glider’s pleas and helps build the overall tension. Add that with Sandoval’s illustration of this beating, and it’s a moment this reader won’t soon forget.

Conclusion:

With the Rogues’ Reign coming to a close, we look to the future, and it appears grim, and I’m excited. Despite our leads acting a bit off, the overall story was an excellent action-packed conclusion with great character moments. The art team brings down the house with epic illustrations and vibrant colors, giving a feast for the eyes. We may have returned to the regular world, but we are given an ending that shakes the status quo of the Flash. We just have to wait and see how long this status will stay and if it’s for the better.

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SKULLDIGGER & SKELETON BOY #2 – It’s Called A Montage

By

Cody Walker

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Meet the man behind the mask in Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #2, out this week from Dark Horse.

First Impressions

Jeff Lemire expands on his Black Hammer universe with another chapter about the adventures of Skulldigger. This issue is the training montage before the $#!@ hits the fan. Lemire uses the other panels to give the reader a reason to care about Skulldigger and the only detective that actually wants to take him down.

Art

Tonci Zonjic nails the tone for this issue. Skulldigger is a very low budget Batman/Punisher. He doesn’t have the money or space for a Batcave so he trains his ward in the basement. The basement appears to be the only room in the house with proper lighting. The training pages are presented in a way that already feels like a montage. Fully red panels alternate with black and white minimalist drawings. A two page spread with long panels shows time passing and improvement, while performing different exercises with Skulldigger.

Skulldigger is channeling Ozymandias as well. He has old tube TVs stacked on each other and set to different news stations throughout the city. Zonjic’s colors create the feeling that Skulldigger has a past that haunts him. He is living in the dark and even eating in the dark. He only steps out of the darkness to train the boy he’s taken under his wing. It looks like the only light he allows comes from the neons of the city outside and his hoard of old TVs.

Letters

Steve Wands handles the letters for Skulldigger & Skeleton Boy and uses a style that would’ve been popular in the era this issue takes place. Easily legible and blocky letters that blend right into the art is something Wands excels at. He always has work and is used by the best writers in the business, and it’s easy to see why.

My Two Cents

Skulldigger’s home reminded me of Unbreakable, especially the scene when Bruce Willis is lifting the bar with the paint cans tied to it. He keeps telling his son to move further and further back until he’s sitting up the stairs while Mr. Unbreakable tests his newly discovered strength. Most vigilante’s without superpowers were born wealthy or have become wealthy through some other means, but not Skulldigger. While Skulldigger’s closest comparison is obviously Batman or The Punisher, the story and the actual lives of the characters are more akin to M. Night Shyamalan’s “superhero” universe.

Black Hammer has dealt with some world ending and cosmic events up until now, but this story is about as street level as it gets. I think these characters have great potential to become their own version of DC. Valiant is working on their own shared universe of heroes. Lemire might have given Dark Horse their own Watchmen to potentially rival the big 2.

What did you think of Skulldigger & Skeleton Boy #2? What else do you think the Black Hammerverse needs to potentially compete with Marvel and DC? Let us know in the comments below.

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Review: SPIDER-MAN: THE BLACK CAT STRIKES #1 Charms Readers

By

David DeCorte

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Writers gave Peter Parker several romantic interests over the years. While Mary Jane and Gwen Stacey are the most iconic, his connection to Felicia Hardy (a.k.a. Black Cat) remains a recurring component of the books. That history is the focal point of Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1, out this week from Marvel Comics.

The book opens against the backdrop of an organized crime power vacuum in New York. We see Spider-Man interrupt Hammerhead’s crew carrying out a heist at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Everything goes as planned, but Black Cat shows up to retrieve a mysterious object hidden within one of the works, which sets in motion an intriguing story.

The Writing

Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1 delivers snappy writing, for the most part. Writer Dennis Hallum injects a ton of personality into the characters, making them feel simultaneously charming, yet believable.

An extended flashback detailing Peter and Felicia’s first meeting occupies a large chunk of the book. Slipping into a flashback before clearly establishing the main story isn’t typically advisable. However, Hallum manages to make it work here, using sharply-written dialogue to craft chemistry between Spidey and Cat. Some of Spider-Man’s dialogue is a bit awkward at points, but by and large, it’s a great showing.

While it’s nice to see these characters interact, it would be a pretty dull book without something to ground the narrative beyond the extended flashback. Fortunately, Hallum provides just enough of a hook behind Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1 to draw readers in. The storytelling is compelling throughout, with the book closing on a cliffhanger reveal.

The book doesn’t feel exceptionally dense or substantive from a thematic standpoint, nor does it feel like the opening chapter of a grand epic narrative. That’s not what Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1 is going for, though.

The writer’s strength here is the use of (mostly) excellent dialogue to sell the book’s charm. It feels like a smaller story, but it’s one that’s worth reading.

The Artwork

The illustrations by Luca Maresca do a solid job of bringing the action to life in Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1.

The artist tends to forego extensive detail. While some of the book’s backgrounds are finished, Maresca often opts for minimal or blank backgrounds accented by motion lines. This can cause a bit of confusion from time to time, as the reader doesn’t really have a frame of reference for the lay of the setting. The character designs are strong enough to compensate for the lack of though mise-en-scène, though.

Maresca’s characters feel very natural, possessing a lively, kinetic sense. They’re smoothly-stylized; with a very modern look to the designs. This dynamism carries over into the compositions as well, with panels constantly shifting perspective from one to the next. While there’s not as much of a continuum of motion from one panel to another, the lively action keeps things cohesive and engaging. The action on the page brings the characters to life and holds the reader’s attention. It’s a strong showing overall throughout Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1.

The colors by Rachelle Rosenberg contribute to the book’s stylized presentation. The artist employs an expansive palette, so there’s no especially dominant tone throughout. However, the softer look of the colors and the use of warm gradients give it a cohesive feel.

Final Thoughts

Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes #1 is a charming little story. The compelling characterization keeps the reader engaged, while the artwork is easy on the eye. I’d recommend it.

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Panel Breakdown: IRON MAN 2020 #1 By Dan Slott, Christos Gage, And Pete Woods

By

Matthew Sardo

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January 15, 2020

Panel Breakdown: IRON MAN 2020 #1 By Dan Slott, Christos Gage, And Pete Woods

Welcome to PANEL BREAKDOWN, a weekly series where we take a look at our favorite panels of a comic book. This week we are talking about the new Marvel Comics series Iron Man 2020 #1 (of 6) written by Dan Slott & Christos Gage, with art by Pete Woods, and you are reading Joe Caramagna’s letters.

Iron Man 2020 #1 is Slott and Gage’s setup for the Iron Man event of 2020 (aka read the title). Woods does a solid job with the interior artwork but also creates a breathtaking cover. There are two pages that have excellent panel layouts and we talk about them in the video below.

About Iron Man 2020 #1:

The future is now! Artificial Intelligences presents a clear and present danger to humanity and must be brought to heel! The Robot Rebellion battles for the establishment of robot rights! And Arno Stark IS Iron Man!

Do you have Iron Man 2020 on your pull-list, let me know what you think after you read it.

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HELLBOY: A Series on the Powers of Evil and Redemption

By

Zac Owens

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January 15, 2020

With Hellboy Winter Special 2019 hitting shelves this week, readers get the chance to delve back into the Mignolaverse. We see a miserly ghost given a second chance in the afterlife. Then we meet a twisted older man whose greed takes over him in a bloody climax. And we see men of God on a mission to stop an evil that may be more innocent than they expect. This particular winter special focuses on one of the things that make Hellboy such a moving series: the idea of redemption.

From its very premise, Hellboy and its titular character represent redemption. Hellboy is a demon from hell, summoned by Nazis to win the war. Yet Hellboy is our hero. The fact that he is a demon or Nazi-spawned, doesn’t stop Hellboy creator Mike Mignola from pushing us to believe in his humanity. By presenting us with the most maligned characters who feel deeply and love purely, and hiding evil in the most normal places, Mignola dares us to read books beyond their covers.

Ghosts, demons, monsters, and witches often find themselves in difficult circumstances in Mignola’s series. Circumstances of their own design. But even beyond damnation and consequences, their humanity outweighs their sins. Mignola supposes that perhaps the most human thing of all is to have a conscience. We may be tempted, even subdued, but it’s in the quiet moments when no one expects us to bounce back from our wicked ways, that our small acts of goodness send the monsters screaming.

HELLBOY IN HELL #4 by Mignola. Even in Hell, Sir Edward Grey begins the journey of his redemption and finds kindness and humanity among the creatures there.

Much of what Hellboy also deals with is the normalcy of evil. There is many an issue where it seems that it is Hellboy against the evil hordes of the world. And as I’ve mentioned, much of the evil is represented through ghouls and goblins. But the most sinister evils are always found in the most commonplace spots: Gentlemen’s clubs and board room meetings. The big baddies of this series and the companion series BPRD are, after all, a little girl and a monk.

BPRD: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW #1, written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, with art by Laurence Campbell. When it’s monsters and demons you can rest easy. But when it’s a little girl like Varvara, trouble is brewing.

So while Hellboy acts as an inspiration, it also acts as a parable to avoid evil. It warns us that evil most often creeps in through our wallets or our bitterness, rather than through witches and warlocks. But while we may commit evil acts, and surely we will, we are never beyond redemption. Mignola depicts the vilest creatures as having flutters of contrition. And if you still have a conscience, there’s always hope.

Pick up Hellboy Winter Special 2019 at your local comic book shop Wednesday, January 15th 2020.

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Review: IRON MAN 2020 #1 Feels Like The Start Of A Very Polarizing Event

By

Anthony Wendel

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The 2020 event starts here in Iron Man 2020 #1 thanks to Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Pete Woods, and VC’s Joe Caramagna. Will the new storyline be one for the ages, or is it heading down a dark road towards destruction?

Summary

The future is now! Artificial Intelligences presents a clear and present danger to humanity and must be brought to heel! The Robot Rebellion battles for the establishment of robot rights! And Arno Stark IS Iron Man!

Writing

You can say this much about Iron Man 2020 #1, it does make an impact. The issue makes it a point to show how Arno is different than Tony in many ways. From how he acts in his professional life, how he treats his parents, and how he performs as Iron Man. Arno is definitely not Tony. From there, it spells out how the Robot Uprising, which was building in the previous Iron Man series, has now reached its boiling point, and a lot of characters in the Marvel Universe will be affected. Iron Man 2020 #1 is a polarizing issue for sure.

After reading the issue, you are left with the feeling a lot is going to unfold but also saw a lot of extreme moments play out. The most straightforward comparison would be Mark Millar’s Civil War. During Civil War, Iron Man had to take the pro-registration side of the debate, lock up his vigilante comrades, and a lot of people looked negatively on him for his actions. Similarly, 2020 makes an extreme twist for a character and will result in fans of said character having to defend all the crazy actions which follow. It will be a divisive read for fans of Iron Man as they will either love or hate the idea.

Artwork

The artwork comes out fantastically, thanks to Pete Woods taking on pencils, inks, and coloring. There is a phenomenal two-page panel featuring as many robotic characters of Marvel Comics as possible. Quasimodo and H.E.R.B.I.E. are hanging out at a party together. Be on the lookout for Easter Eggs of forgotten characters present in the room. There are a lot of intense moments, and by contributing all the effort themselves, it feels like Woods accomplished a great deal.

The lettering by Joe Caramagna offers a significant auditory aspect to the issue. Once the leader of the Robot Rebellion is revealed, the chanting at the end of the issue is strong evidence of this. There are also some very imaginative ways the more extreme dialogue was censored.

Conclusion

The 2020 event seems like it is taking some big risk, and it doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence from the start. Iron Man 2020 #1 has set the stakes and shown some very intense players on both sides of the board. Sadly, if it doesn’t unfold just the right way, many may feel cheated about defending the path characters are taking.

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The Cost of Being A Superhero in RUNAWAYS #29

By

Cat Wyatt

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RUNAWAYS #29, out this Wednesday from Marvel comics continues the ‘Canon Fodder’ plot, bringing it to all-new heights. Fans of Doc Justice better think twice, as he’s quickly showing us the negative side of being a hero.

Gib looks slightly confused about the idea of Molly lifting him so easily…

***SPOILER WARNING***

A quick refresher before we dive on in; our struggling crew of adolescent heroes have found themselves taken in by a new hero. This ‘hero’ is known as Doc Justice, and you’re totally justified in questioning his motives. And his methods.

If the last few issues have shown us anything, it’s that Doc Justice has an ulterior motive for wanting to help out the Runaways. You’d think that a group that has been so consistently burned by adults would be more cautious in trusting one as smarmy as this guy. But we all make mistakes, right?

It’s becoming harder and harder to like this Doc Justice.

The Plot

Runaways #29 is a dramatic issue, full of revelations and building concern. Rainbow Rowell’s sense of foreshadowing is unparalleled, as we all sit and wait for the inevitable implosion surrounding this Doc Justice.

Perhaps that’s a bit unfair of us; but seriously, that dude is completely two-faced, and it will be satisfying to see him taken down. Especially if Molly is the one to do it – a good solid punch to his gut sounds nice, don’t you think?

This is an issue that has more conversation than action, but there’s still so much that happens here. There’s something major brewing, and it all has to do with this new ally of theirs. Seeing the Runaways split on opinions is slightly painful, but it also kind of fits with their M.O. – and they have been separated for quite some time.

There’s some unexpected conflict coming from other corners in this plot arc, and let’s not forget that whole Gib subplot. Though admittedly most of the Runaways seem to keep forgetting that part themselves. That probably isn’t going to end too well, is it?

One thing is certain – Rowell has done almost too good of a job making Doc Justice easy to hate. While we can understand why the crew is being conned by him, it’s still hard to watch. And yet we will read on (and look forward to seeing him get what he deserves).

The Runways..erm…J Team? are kicking butt!

The Art

Runaways #29 is an issue full of creative and interesting artwork. On the one hand, we have a huge variety of characters being shown, and in a most unique way. It isn’t every issue you get to see paper clippings, but it worked well as a storytelling method here.

Then there are the expressions on each and every character. Doc Justice looks perfect and slimy, Gert exasperated and concerned, and everyone else somewhere in the middle. Their emotions are right on their sleeves, and that works nicely for this team.

Andres Genolet (pencils/inks), Dee Cunniffe (colors), and VC’s Joe Caramagna (letterer) worked really well here, and with any luck, they’ll continue working on this project for quite some time. Or at least until this plot arc is resolved!

Meanwhile Gert is growing more concerned about the situation.

In Conclusion

Runaways #29 is a perfect build-up issue. Thanks to this issue, tensions are high, and we’re very eager to see how it all plays out. Knowing the Runaways, it’s going to end in some hurt feelings and a whole lot of danger.

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