Writer Greg Pak and artist Phil Noto take over as the new creative team in STAR WARS #68.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Previously Greg Pak had been doing the Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion one-shots, serving as a nice sampler of what to expect from his take on the Star Wars universe.
Greg Park must’ve written the crawl and then told there needs to be a summary of the never-ending Shu-Torun story first. The first page is written exactly like a Star Wars crawl right after you read the actual crawl. Not a nitpick, just an observation.
Our heroes are split up into small teams in order to carry out specific missions against the Empire. They’re pretty much the same pairings from The Empire Strikes Back. Greg Pak wastes no time diving into the action at hand.
The effectiveness of Chewbacca and C-3PO’s scenes together is telltale sign that Pak is more than comfortable in the Star Wars universe. Their scenes are funny and enjoyable despite one being a pain in the ass protocol droid spewing exposition and the other speaking only in reactionary roars.
The panel of Luke and R2-D2 staring off into a sunset, with Luke’s sarcastic line about spending his life getting off a desert planet inspires one to smile or at least smirk.
Chewie & 3PO’s moral conundrum is no shocker, but still effective when done right. Han and Leia’s smuggler disguises are the worst Star Wars cosplay ever. Leia’s past lover is a great way to flip the Han/Sana scenario from Jason Aaron’s run.
Greg Pak’s first issue on the big ongoing series isn’t as surgical as his one-shots, but it’s a solid start. This isn’t an explosive or bold introduction, however it does serve as a smooth transition into a new creative voice and vision.
Fans who have been reading Marvel’s relaunch of the Star Wars comics from the start can rejoice with the employment of Phil Noto. Gone are the photo-realistic art travesties, in comes a perfect balance of lifelike and comic book.
Noto was a fantastic choice to illustrate Pak’s scripts. Not only are his characters recognizable without being traced, but his ships and environments are worth the exploration of your eyes. Noto’s art is a breath of fresh air into the main Star Wars series.
A successful Star Wars series requires the creative team to take us to new places and old while operating within the cracks and shadows of the films. That being said, Greg Pak and Phil Noto make a great pair to usher us into this new era of Star Wars.
Star Wars #68 is both a breath of fresh air for longtime readers and a great jumping-on point for those who bailed on the awful artwork of previous teams.
In Venom #16, Donny Cates puts a fresh spin on Eddie Brock’s struggle to control the monster within.
Venom continues to haunt Eddie Brock.
Venom #16
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Juan Gedeon
Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: VC”s Clayton Cowles
At first glance, Venom #16 might feel like a typical story featuring Eddie Brock and his famous symbiote. All the usual dynamics are present; Brock struggles to balance his humanity with the monstrosity inside him, he beats up some goons and he even discovers that Carnage is back. (Writer Donny Cates smoothly sets up the upcoming Absolute Carnage event here.) But none of these elements are the hook of the issue; that can be found in the fresh way Cates captures this conflict between man and monster.
Panels like this make it seem like Brock is Venom again but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Brock winds up at a bloody crime scene and, seemingly, he suits up as Venom to protect himself. A number of clues make the transformation seem legitimate. Artist Juan Gedeon draws Venom, rather than Brock, throughout the anti-hero’s time at the scene. Plus, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles uses gray blocks to denote Brock’s speech and black blocks to signal that of his “other.” A number of panels clearly show Venom brutalizing some brainwashed goons. But Cates slowly reveals that Brock might not be wearing the symbiote after all.
This panel, like others, shows the symbiote as a metaphorical devil on Brock’s shoulder.
Frankly, the reader experiences a “eureka moment” when it’s clear that Brock has maintained his human form for the majority of the issue. However, he still battles his inner demons on almost every page. Cates consistently focuses on Brock’s attempts to escape his past and the symbiote acts as a classic example of a character’s demons continuing to haunt them. The symbiote prevents Brock from getting rehired at the Daily Globe and it also interferes in his quest to be a good father to his son Dylan. Though the famous black goo and the consequences of its actions stubbornly cling to Brock, he keeps trying to live in the present. Unfortunately, he discovers that, sometimes, despite one’s best efforts, it’s impossible to leave your demons behind.
Cates, Gedeon, Cowles and color artist Jesus Aburtov all team together to play mind games with the reader. When one flips through Venom #16, they shouldn’t be mad at the creative team for this deception; instead, one should applaud this masterful manipulation. The reader is led to believe that Brock is magically Venom again and the team slowly peels back the curtain to show what’s really going on.
Brock eventually gives into temptation and lets his monster out, which makes the creative team’s deception even more effective.
Of course, the other shoe eventually drops; Brock chooses to give into his base desires to ensure his own survival. He unleashes Venom and the moment showcases Aburtov’s contribution to the issue. The symbiote evolves from a dark purple shade, which is consistent with its appearance in a few nightmare sequences throughout the issue, to its classic black look. This subtle adjustment makes Venom’s jump from Brock’s subconscious to the real world even more impactful. Aburtov also deserves recognition for his portrayal of the War of the Realms; many other artists used bright colors to demonstrate the fantastic nature of the event but Aburtov employed harsh reds and oranges to show the brutal, hellish side of the conflict. With these small choices, Aburtov significantly augmented the quality of this issue’s art, which was already impressive.
What’d you think of Cates’ characterization of Brock’s battle with his inner monster in Venom #16? How do you think it’ll continue to progress?
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25 kicks off year two of Spencer & Ottley’s run with a 60 page extravaganza!
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
These over-sized issues can end up being bloated primer issues setting up the next few story arcs. While it’s definitely a primer issue, there’s no bloat. Nick Spencer intertwines all these future story teases into a cohesive, collective read.
Our story still jumps all over the place, but it doesn’t feel like a glorified solicitation. The second year of this fantastic run will continue the old school comic book craft and heavy use of mystery going forward.
Writer Nick Spencer has shown he knows how and when to challenge Peter Parker. If this issue is any indication, we’re to get no shortage of that in the coming issues. Amazing Spider-Man is back to being one of the top ongoing superhero comic books.
The Syndicate emerging, and recruiting Electro, is promising given the collection of characters. Spencer always thrives with lower-tier villains and giving them new life. A collection of evil ladies for Spidey to face-off against should be entertaining.
MJ’s return to the acting world and her heroics on the way there were truly satisfying. Her journey should firmly supplant her as a co-lead character more than just a girlfriend decoration like we’ve seen a few times in Spidey’s long history.
We get a satisfying conclusion to the Conners family after the events of “HUNTED.” Peter refuses to give up on Curt and his family, it’s a touching epilogue to their story.
We see Peter return to classes where his professor’s monologue about human’s brilliantly violent nature and it’s responsibility when it comes to science was wonderfully executed. This issue had something to say while also achieving supreme comic book crafting.
Getting back to JJJ and Peter’s relationship from Zdarksy’s run and the Die Chromator scene “Team-Up” Spencer finally checks in on JJJ and Spidey’s relationship that Chip Zdarsky set-up in his Spectacular run. The two have been one of the brightest shining spots across all of Spidey’s line of comics in recent years. To finally get Spencer’s take on the bromance looks to be witty and hilarious.
Still no reveal on who Kindred really is, but it keeps getting saucier the more we see. Nick Spencer has been inching towards a truly epic showdown for a year now. Kindred is clearly somebody who was close to Peter as he now promises to make things personal (and maybe even clean up the number of Spider-People swinging around).
Amazing Spider-Man #25 delivers on both fronts. As an issue of the series, it gives closure on specific threads while introducing entirely new ones. Our cast of characters are all heading into interesting territory. Spencer makes this a book about much more than increasing drama for Spider-Man, everyone is involved and getting their proper amount of development.
As far as primer issues go, this is actually a cohesive story on multiple fronts rather than a cut & paste jump around with every page turn. The collection of artists delivering Spencer’s script are seamlessly transitioned between. Each of them is given a fitting chunk to work with.
Ryan Ottley’s art is at the core of this series but the artists that come in to take the wheel for a while in between his issues have all done spectacular work. As the great Humberto Ramos leaves his ASM duties behind, all-star Patrick Gleason comes in. We get to see them both here alongside Ottley.
The sixty-page comic book Amazing Spider-Man #25 is both a successful bridge from one batch of narrative to the next and an accessible jumping-on point for new readers. There’s plenty of comedy, heart, action, and romance.
Writer Justin Jordan and artist Rebekah Isaacs open a familiar fantasy story with Reaver #1, the first chapter of their new series from Image Comics.
After disgracing himself on the battle field, Ash Mahan is recruited for a suicide mission. He’s not alone, though; he’s partnered with The Empire’s most loathed and dangerous criminals to carry out the job.
The Writing
Reaver #1 is a solid introduction to the story on Jordan’s part. He lays out an interesting concept for his world; two centuries after settlers’ arrival on this continent, they’re still fighting for dominance. We have The Empire who, in a rare twist, are presented as our protagonists. Against them are various rebel factions, some of whom have access to sinister arcane abilities.
The book certainly embraces the tropes of fantasy. Our party features a disgraced warrior, a wildling rogue, a berserker, a sorcerer…the gang’s all here. It’s a dirty half-dozen of D&D character archetypes. The characters are fun in their respective ways, and the unique story elements, specifically regarding the political balance on the continent and the nature of the magic in the story are engaging. That said, it’s not without flaws.
Embracing genre tropes isn’t a bad thing, so long as a storyteller can use them in a manner that provides a unique twist on the formula. It’s not clear that’s at play in Reaver #1, though. A lot of the plot and characterization feel like warmed-over elements we’ve seen a thousand times before.
In addition, the first quarter of the book is rather unnecessary backstory. We’re told Mahan is under arrest for cowardice, which is really enough. We don’t need to see this to get the character’s motivation; in fact, it may have been better to keep this information to reveal later in the story. For now, it would have been better to just get us right into the narrative. Because we spend so much time on this material in the first pages, we’re left uncertain of the story’s real focal point until about the halfway mark.
The Artwork
Rebekah Isaacs’s artwork in Reaver #1 is richly-detailed. She sticks to the fundamentals, never really adventuring into any groundbreaking visual work. That said, her character designs allow for a considerable degree of expressiveness.
Isaacs tends to frame her illustrations closely around her characters. Her use of setting and background is limited, choosing instead to rely on the strength of her character designs. It’s a gamble to take this approach in a fantasy world, but fortunately, it largely pays off. Her figures are emotive, and consistently hit the story beats and tone. That said, the way she lays out each panel is very dynamic…almost to a fault.
There’s a great deal of contrast of motion going on, to the point that the reader’s eye doesn’t often flow easily across the page. This works in the first quarter of Reaver #1 to sell the chaos of battle, but not as much during the slower, expository segments. There isn’t a lot of clearly-discernable intent motivating the choices in how she lays out the page.
Colorist Alex Guimarães employs a palette reliant on a lot of browns and greens, adhering to a mostly naturalistic look. It’s solid at first glance, and gains even more dimension with a closer look at the textures present in walls and other surfaces.
Final Thoughts
Reaver #1 is a respectable start to the new series. If the idea of Suicide Squad meets Dungeons and Dragons appeals to you, this should scratch the itch. Pick it up at your local comic book shop.
Second Coming #1 is out this Wednesday from Ahoy Comics, and Monkeys Fighting Robots got the chance to speak with writer Mark Russell about his thought process behind the series and what fans should expect.
The series is by Russell and artist Richard Pace, with finishes by Leonard Kirk and colors by Andy Troy on the scenes set on present-day Earth. Rob Steen letters the book. The main cover is by Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts.
As the name suggests, this is a story about the second coming of Jesus Christ, who returns to Earth in the present-day and moves in with the world’s greatest superhero, Sunstar (who strongly resembles a very famous character we’ll call “Blooperman”). Upon returning, the son of God is taken back at how the world has twisted his gospel into something “as un-Christlike as one can possibly imagine.”
Cover A by Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts.
DC Comics was originally slated to release Second Coming under its Vertigo imprint, but dropped the title earlier this year following some controversy. Luckily, Russell and Pace retained the rights to the property, and Ahoy Comics picked it up for publication soon after the cancelation.
Read on for our interview with Russell about Second Coming, the transition to Ahoy, his writing as a whole, and more!
Monkeys Fighting Robots: A lot of people heard the premise for Second Coming and immediately labeled it as “blasphemous.” But after reading it, it actually feels like you’re celebrating Jesus’ message of peace, love, and forgiveness, not mocking it. If anything, I’d say it’s more blasphemous of superhero comics, saying that these characters we idolize have been solving problems the wrong way for their entire existence. Would you agree?
Mark Russell: Yeah, I think that’s about the gist of it. It’s about rediscovering empathy, not as some sappy ideal or something we reserve for our private lives, but as a necessary ingredient for solving the very real problems of the world. For example, the global refugee crisis is not a problem that can be solved by super-strength or seeing through walls, but only with empathy and genuine concern for people we may not even know. And attempts to address these problems with force only make them worse, as can be seen by the situation on our southern border. The superhero solution of just overpowering the forces of evil (which is also sometimes necessary) only really works for a very limited set of problems. It’s about broadening our understanding of what really constitutes power.
MFR: What’s your history with religion? Were you raised in a religious household/environment, and how did your background influence Second Coming?
Russell: I was raised in what would today be considered a pretty average evangelical church. Which is to say, a church that had demoted Christ from spiritual leader to team mascot. The first comics I ever read were Chick tracts which combined right wing conspiracy theories about Catholics and Freemasons with detailed and often gleeful explanations of why everyone else was going to hell. What little of Christ’s empathy and kindness was left was reserved for other people in the church. I think people often use kindness and good deeds for people like them to buffer themselves from questions of conscience about their inhumanity toward people who aren’t. But ultimately, as Christ points out in the parable of the Good Samaritan, everyone is our neighbor. This is a big theme in Second Coming. How far modern Christianity has drifted from Christ.
Jesus Christ straight chillin’ in Heaven in SECOND COMING.
MFR: What did you learn about comics from a business perspective amidst Second Coming’s shift from DC to Ahoy? What was your positive takeaway from the experience?
Russell: The industry is always in flux. The corporate landscape shifts under our feet in ways we can’t really foresee and the market is always in motion so doing work you believe in is really the only stability you can count on. There’s no point in chasing trends or trying to catch lightning in a bottle because the market will have moved on to something else by the time your project hits the shelves. So just do work that matters to you and that will be relevant to you for years to come so when the rug is pulled out from under you, you can bide your time and eventually find a home with other people who believe in the work the same way you do.
MFR: Has the move to Ahoy allowed you to take the story to new places that you wouldn’t have been able to previously? What kind of changes were made to Second Coming following the transition?
Russell: For one, we were allowed to expand the first issue from twenty-two to thirty pages, which was huge. It allowed us to tell a more complete story and really give people a stronger sense of what this series is all about right off the bat. Which I think was really important given how much the narrative had already been set by pundits and people who hadn’t even read it. Also, it allowed us to bring Leonard Kirk on board as a finishing artist and both Richard and I are very happy with the impact he’s had on the look of the series.
MFR: Can you speak at all about your depiction of God in the story? He had me cracking up from the first page, when he appears as a terrifying, disembodied giant head screaming at Adam and Eve not to be afraid. The idea of God as an angry, spiteful deity isn’t new, but your version of God does feel flawed in a very real, relatable way.
Russell: God is depicted differently in the Bible depending on who’s doing the writing, but the Jahwist depiction of God resonates the most with me. It sees God as being a lot like us, but all-powerful. Which, yes, is a terrifying thought. This is the God who gets angry enough to flood the Earth, but then sort of feels bad about it afterwards, who makes impetuous bets with Satan, that sort of thing. And it’s not that God is spiteful, per se, but that he’s capable of great emotion. This is the God I wanted to use as the backdrop to Christ’s mission. A God that created the human race, but then got so frustrated and heartbroken that he abandoned them. Which is much the way that Jeremiah and other prophets describe what happened. It’s how they explain the Babylonian captivity and, in my story, it’s what opens the way for Christ to come to Earth and try his hand at the family business.
MFR: Why was Richard Pace the right person to tell this story with? His art feels very biblical, especially in the flashback scenes with the muted color palette.
Russell: Richard is really great with both the epic sweep of events dealing with superheroes and gods, but also very adept at capturing the intimate emotions of characters in their facial expressions and body language, the latter being the most important thing I look for in an artist.
Cover B by Richard Pace.
MFR: Your comics are often supercharged with social/political/economic themes, but they always feel naturally woven into the story. How do you approach inserting these ideas into your comics without coming off as “preachy?”
Russell: I think if a writer genuinely cares about the characters they’re writing and the messages come organically out of the characters’ lives and struggles, the fact that there are bigger themes and messages at play doesn’t feel preachy. By having compassion for what these characters are going through in their own albeit fictional world, we allow ourselves to expand our own.
MFR: And what comes first in your process: the story idea, or the message that you hope to get across?
Russell: It varies. Sometimes, I get a story idea and it’s not until I’m almost done writing that I figure out what it is I’m actually trying to say with the story. Other times, there’s something I really want to say and I have to work at coming up with an elegant metaphor for my point and once I have it, elegant or not, the metaphor is what drives the story.
MFR: Why are comics the way you’ve chosen to get your messages out into the world? What speaks to you about them compared to other mediums?
Russell: You can get away with more in comics because the financial stakes are lower. You don’t have a team of executives constantly looking over your shoulder or focus-grouping your work the way you would if you were doing a TV series or movie. And the fact that it’s a monthly medium means that you get to tell a lot of different stories within the same title and if one falls flat, you get a another chance a month later. Comics allows me to simultaneously spend my days performing thought experiments on the biggest problems in the world and my deepest personal fears.
MFR: And finally, can you give readers a taste of what’s to come in Second Coming? The world’s changed a lot since Jesus first tried to spread his message. Between the development of nuclear weapons, the internet, and a couple of thousand years’ worth of other advancements, things have gotten significantly more complicated. Is Jesus going to have to address these hurdles?
Russell: Yes, but the first big hurdle to Jesus is having to fix just how wrong the world has gotten his message. So, of course, this runs him afoul of the mega-churches and institutionalized religions. Sunstar and his girlfriend are trying to adopt, but run into problems because, technically, he isn’t a human being. And we get to see Heaven’s food court.
Thanks again to Mark Russell for taking the time to talk with us!
Last week, the Popcorn Frights Film Festival announced its first wave of indie horror coming this year. Haunt, a new horror film from the writers of A Quiet Place was the highlight of the first announcement. Now comes the second wave of announcements of even more horror movies coming to the festival.
Promoters Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman featured The Gravedigger in this wave of announcements. The film is the world premiere of South Florida-based filmmaker Erynn Dalton’s directorial debut. Other announcements include films from Blumhouse and Keola Racela and the Homegrown series which features the best horror shorts from Florida-based filmmakers.
Set in the late 1700s, in one of Bavaria’s forgotten cemeteries, a lone gravedigger discovers a hideously scarred man hiding in a fresh grave. What the gravedigger doesn’t know is that the man is none other than the monster created by a mad doctor. What the scarred man doesn’t know is the gravedigger’s hand in his creation. And what neither men know is that they are hunted by their shared past.
Popcorn Frights Wave Two Announcements
Infección
Venezuelan writer, director, and producer Flavio Pedota presents a ferocious new nightmare that turns the zombie canon into a broad streak of social satire. A new rabies virus creates an epidemic outbreak and in the midst of chaos, a father tries to save his son from contagion.
Artik
From director Tom Botchii Skowronski comes a comic book obsessed serial killer who teaches his son how to get away with a series of brutal murders until the boy befriends a mysterious man who threatens to expose the family’s horrifying secret.
Itsy Bitsy
Based on the centuries-old poem, a family moves into a secluded mansion where they soon find themselves being targeted by an entity taking the form of a giant spider. Director Micah Gallo, who previously worked on films like Frozen (visual effects) and Hatchet, makes his feature directorial debut here.
Porno
From director Keola Racela (Sugar), comes the story of five teen employees at the local movie theater in a small Christian town who discovers a mysterious old film hidden in its basement that unleashes an alluring succubus that gives them a sex education…written in blood. Read our interview with composer Carla Patullo.
The Unthinkable
From the Swedish film collective, Crazy Pictures (Poetry for Fishes) comes their first feature film known as Den blomstertid nu kommer or The Unthinkable. In the film, Sweden faces a mysterious attack while a young man tries to reunite with his
The Girl On The Third Floor
The feature film stars former wrestler, mixed martial artist, and comic book writer Phillip Jack Brooks otherwise known as CM Punk. The story follows Don Koch, who tries to renovate a rundown mansion with a sordid history for his growing family. But Don soon learns that the house has other plans.
Bloodline
From Blumhouse, Bloodline stars Seann William Scott as Evan, a man who values family above all else, and anyone who gets between him, his wife, or newborn son, learns that the hard way. But when it comes to violent tendencies, it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Z
From director Brandon Christensen who previously presented his film Still/Born at the Popcorn Frights Festival, returns. An eight-year-old’s imaginary friend terrorizes a family.
HOMEGROWN
A Doll For Edgar from director Anthony Dones
Born in the swampy nightmares of Florida, Homegrown is where Popcorn Frights highlights filmmakers based in Florida. This year includes the world premieres of A Doll For Edgar (from my friend Anthony Dones), Always Listening, The Final Girl Returns, and the Road Warrior-inspired The Limits. Making the US premieres is a horror-thriller from Jon Rhoads & Michael Marrero’s (Popcorn Frights 2017 Best Short award-winners), Call For A Good Time. The Miami-based Borscht Corp productions Spirit No. 1 and Valerio’s Day Out, Terror Road, and Fever are also part of the Homegrown screening.
Popcorn Frights begins August 8th and runs through the 16th. Make your way to Ft. Lauderdale to join in the fun.
Are you excited by the films in the second wave of announcements from the Popcorn Fights Film Festival?
Sea of Stars #1 was clearly made by people who are mesmerized and fascinated by Space. Space has always shared an unsettling amount of characteristics with the seas on Earth, especially when used as the setting for science fiction stories. Writers and artists use the vacuous abyss as a stand-in for the now (mostly) discovered and mapped out the ocean. Sea Of Stars #1 definitely fits into this formula and uses this vast unmapped canvas as an obstacle for a Father and his son, Kadyn, to overcome in order to reunite after a giant space whale/shark/eel-thing destroys their ship. Jason Aaron and Dennis Hallum’s script can be speech bubble heavy, but the overall premise is layered with intrigue and mystery. Stephen Green’s art is exceptional in this issue, and Rico Renzi’s colors compliment the art seamlessly. Sea Of Stars could be the next great series to read.
The first scene is an entire piece dedicated solely to explaining how empty space is, which seems to be an integral part of the story. However, to the recently motherless Kadyn, the emptiness isn’t the same beautiful muse that Picard soliloquized over in Star Trek. Space to Kadyn is boring. Space is what is between him and his father ever since his mother died, and the dialogue Aaron and Hallum write for these characters really drive this home.
Some scenes can be too reliant on dialogue, however, especially when Kadyn and his father are talking in the ship. It looks like two whole pages are literally covered with speech bubbles. Perhaps, the layout of these pages could have eased the congestion or even spaced the conversation more, making it longer. But really this is just a minor blip on the radar, and it doesn’t take too much away from the book.
All of this is not even considering the subtleness that Aaron and Hallum use when introducing the main mystery: how is Kadyn breathing in space with a damaged suit and talking to space creatures?
Space… The Final Frontier… How boring
Green’s art and Renzi’s colors really make this issue. Without their abilities in tandem, it is doubtful Aaron, and Hallum’s script would work as neatly. Once again we’ll go back to the opening shot of Kadyn’s “Porkchop Comet” is seemingly floating amongst the few sparkling stars. The bluish-purple hues mingle amongst each other to create this jazz/sunset-like appearance, which would be a perfect time for a newly widowed father and motherless child to bond over. You can almost hear the smooth horns in the background. Once again, it really sells how barren this team is making space, emphasizing the lack of celestial bodies and moody, emotional colors.
The character designs are equally expressive and creative. The look of awe on Kadyn’s father as the space creature destroys their ship is the perfect amount of “Oh S—“ without being overly corny. And the creature itself is horrifying and massive, like a giant blue, tentacle Moby Dick. The amount of detail displayed when Kadyn is walking amongst the artifacts from the museum is commendable as well. Jared. K Fletcher’s letters are stylized ideally for the story and even encroach their way beautifully onto panels. One specific use of hollowed out letter over the space monster chomping the Porkchop Comet was particularly effective. As a whole, this is some of the best overall art in a comic book this year.
Sea of Stars #1 is a great teaser of a series just about to start. Jason Aaron and Dennis Hallum’s script is mysterious and seemingly well thought out, but the real take away is Stephen Green’s art and Rico Renzi’s colors. Sea Of Stars #1 is simply the result of a dynamic creative team being allowed to flex their muscles, creating a thrilling new series that has only just begun.
No One Left To Fight #1 attempts to answer the question: what happens when you defeat the big bad? But alas, this is a story, and there is always something to fight or conquer. And No One Left To Fight #1 begins with world hero Vale, returning to his friends with the hopes of some new adventure to go on. Writer Aubrey Sitterson, artist Fico Ossio, and letterer Taylor Esposito construct a bright, vibrant world for this story, and while the plot does not seem that unique quite yet, the characters are genuine and different enough that they may overcome their own trope trappings.
Reading No One Left To Fight immediately brought up the nostalgic feeling of a triumphant overpowered hero returning after a long absence. It reminds one of past Dragon Ball cartoons, which makes sense as it was chiefly inspired by Dragon Ball. It does not help that main protagonist Vale even resembles Dragon Ball hero Goku, with an orange Gi, spiky hair, and a presumably easy-going personality. Most of the side characters also similarities to Dragon Ball characters. But these similarities are really only surface deep, as Sitterson goes in-depth into these characters and what makes them different. Although Vale is pretty laid back, he might be struggling with some PTSD symptoms from his battle with Gor Despo and now is pretty averse to fighting in general. Timór is similarly narcissistic and arrogant as his Dragon Ball counterpart Vegeta, but he is noticeably jealous with his children admiration of Vale and fearful of his wife’s friendship with Vale.
The way these characters diverge from genre tropes gives hope that No One Left To Fight will evolve past these traps into crafting its own unique story. Unfortunately, there really is not much story to go on in this first issue; it is more so an introduction to the central characters. And besides the two previously mentioned, all of them seem to be feasibly interesting. Fargen VI seems to add comic relief, although because he looks different from every other character, perhaps there is some interesting backstory to him, but Krysten really steals the show with her confidant and cool mom attitude.
Krysten is only in this issue for a couple of scenes, but her presence is felt in every frame. She is the reason Vale and Timór fight, and it almost feels like she is the reason Vale came back, as Sitterson and Ossio clearly depict Vale still having feelings for her.
Is now not the time for “Knock Knock” Jokes?
Fico Ossio’s art is vibrant, kinetic, and fits well with Sitterson’s script. The color pallet is a tad overly bright with neon colors flooding every page, and it may turn off some readers. However, Ossio’s fight scenes are beautifully rendered, and the energy blasts dispense look awesomely destructive. Ossio also gets noticeably creative with his panel layouts and use of empty space, especially when the action scenes kick off. There is some confusion as to what may or may not be one of Vale’s hallucinations, but that seems to be the point. If anything it falls more so on the script for there not being more of the interruptions, because the few instances of it happening in this chapter almost feel like accidents.
No One Left To Fight #1 is a fun, energetic deconstruction of the Über powered fighting cartoons and does so lovingly. Sitterson’s characters are thoughtful plays on the tropes they are based off, and Ossio’s art is fast, detailed, and visceral. The one complaint that could be levied against this chapter is the overall lack of substance or drive, but that is to be expected for a first issue. With that being said, No One Left To Fight #1 is definitely worth the first leap.
Wolverine vs Blade Special #1 is out July 10th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive preview for you.
The book is by Marc Guggenheim and Dave Wilkins, with letters by Travis Lanham. Variant covers are by Matteo Scalera & Moreno Dinisio, and Gabriele Dell’Otto.
About the issue: Two of the deadliest hunters ever to have stalked the night face off! Wolverine vs. Blade – ’nuff said!
“This is a book that’s been — not kidding — ten years in the making. I couldn’t possibly be more excited for it to finally see publication. I think it’s worth the wait,” said Guggenheim.
It’s also worth noting that the book is rated MATURE and features a big ol’ Parental Advisory warning on the cover, so fans should be ready for a bloodbath.
Check out the fullWOLVERINE VS BLADE SPECIAL #1 preview:
Are you excited for Wolverine vs Blade? Let us know in the comments!
One of this summer’s most hotly anticipated comics is a Superman title that isn’t about the Man of Steel at all, but his pal Jimmy Olsen.
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen hits comic shops July 17th, from storytellers Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber, colorist Nathan Fairbairn, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Over the course of 12 issues, the Daily Planet photographer will tour the “bizarre underbelly of the DC Universe” in a series that DC promises will end in Jimmy’s death.
The hype for this book is high; the comics community has been itching to get their hands on it since its original announcement. And after the Superman: Leviathan Rising Special gave readers a taste of what to expect from Jimmy’s story, the hype has only increased. But why? Why is a strange, campy maxi-series about one of Superman’s supporting characters poised to become the breakout book of the summer?
Well first, let’s look at the team behind the book, specifically Fraction and Lieber. Both men are seasoned veterans when it comes to humor books, and humor books surrounding superheroes in particular. Fraction’s Hawkeye (with artist David Aja) became an instant classic when it launched in 2012, and Lieber’s Superior Foes of Spider-Man (with writer Nick Spencer) similarly gained cult status when it came out the following year. Both series drew attention for their atypical portrayal of superhero (and supervillain) life. They poked fun at what it was like being “lower” level characters in a world with literal gods. Jimmy Olsen looks like it’s going for a very similar vibe.
Outside of their superhero work, Fraction’s Sex Criminals (co-created with Chip Zdarsky) is one of the funniest comics of this millennium. What other comic takes time away from telling its story to make fun of its own creators? SexCrims is blunt, absurd, and oh so wonderfully meta (all of which bodes well for Jimmy Olsen, as we’ll get to in a little bit). Meanwhile, Lieber’s The Fix (co-created with Nick Spencer) has killer visual comedy, showing off the artist’s hilarious timing, transitions, facial expressions, and more. Both of these guys have regularly used the medium in new and interesting ways, tapping into the full potential of comic books. With these two at the helm, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen is sure to be an uproariously good time.
This page is a perfect representation of Lieber’s abilities. Just look at how perfectly he captures a tone and makes you laugh in just six textless panels.
Putting aside the creative team, readers seem to love superhero comics that poke fun at the absurdity of the genre. As great as these stories are, they’re built on tropes and cliches, and they force you to suspend your disbelief to an unparalleled degree. That’s what makes it so refreshing when a series comes along that addresses and embraces the silliness. It’s like the creators are saying, “Look, we’re in on the joke too. We know this stuff gets cheesy, but that’s part of why we love it so much!”
Jimmy Olsen looks to have its tongue planted firmly in its cheek. And because it’s tied so closely to Superman – the OG superhero, whose comics have been the gold standard for corny, predictable moments – it is in the best position to take shots at the genre. Just look at this moment that Lieber shared on his social media:
This is a DC comic, a SUPERMAN comic, that’s calling out the Man of Steel for his goofy history. It’s not mean-spirited; it’s as much a celebration of these kinds of moments as it is playful ribbing. Other artwork out there in the ether shows gorillas in wedding attire chasing after Jimmy (a lot of the available artwork is of Jimmy being chased by various people and creatures, actually). You can see another page below where Jimmy turns into a giant turtle creature. This is clearly a series that’s looking to tackle the ridiculousness of comics head-on, and with lots of love.
Jimmy Olsen is the perfect character to do this kind of exploration with. Like Hawkeye and Superior Foes showed us, these stories work best from a lower level character, because it’s closer to where we (the readers) are. It’s closer to our point-of-view, making it a more immersive experience. It doesn’t get much “lower level” than Jimmy. Jimmy is just a newspaper photographer. He’s an everyman, and not in the same way that Spider-Man is an everyman. Jimmy has no powers. He’s just a regular guy living in a world of gods and monsters. What happens to Jimmy is what would happen to any of us readers if we lived in the DC Universe. That’s what makes him the ideal window into this world.
Giant. Turtle. Creature.
“I think there’s a lot of storytelling power in the juxtaposition of the ordinary and the extraordinary, and Jimmy is all about that,” said Lieber in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. It’s “a chance to be funny in the world full of much larger than life characters.”
So why should you be excited for Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen? Take two of the smartest, funniest, most creative dudes in comics, give them a character with no powers that they can put through the ringer, and let them go nuts stretching the absurdity of superhero comics to its limit. You tell me: what’s not to be excited about?
Tell us in the comments why YOU’RE excited for Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen!
And keep reading for some bonus preview images from the series!
