Review: PETROL HEAD #1 – Robots, Start Your Engines

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From writer Rob Williams (Judge Dredd; Suicide Squad) and artist Pye Parr comes a high-octane take on a dystopic used-future story in Petrol Head #1. This simplistic yet effective first issue will catch readers with its absolutely stunning art and keep them wrapped up by the surprising amount of charm its main characters bring to the table. With a lot of heart and phenomenal visuals, Petrol Head rips off of the line with its opening chapter.

“In a climate crisis-ravaged future metropolis, an old, grumpy, obsolete, smoke-belching, cigar-chomping, HOTROD-RACING ROBOT is one 12-year-old girl’s only hope. Together, can they outrace the chasing Robo-Cops with an invention that might just save humanity?”

Writing & Plot

Post-climate disaster stories are a dime a dozen in the comics medium, so it’s fortunate that Rob Williams gives readers one with heart and genuine charm in Petrol Head #1. After the world has become largely unlivable, humanity is forced to live in large domes cities that are governed by extremely powerful robots. Petrol Head, our titular protagonist, is a retired racer from what was once the most popular form of entertainment in the dome – auto racing. After witnessing his friend and mentor destroyed in a race, he proceeds to live out a quiet life on his own. But when a young girl and her father seek refuge in Petrol Head’s garage from the robotic government, his life gets a bit exciting once more. The double-size length of this comic allows Williams to give readers extra time and himself extra space to get the tone and characters down. Petrol Head himself immediately feels like a perfect part of the world he is in – a worn-out being on a used-up planet. His quiet, gruff nature pairs perfectly with his partner, a small robotic bird with a smart-mouth. The pair have a back-and-forth similar to The Goon and Franky, and they’re a ton of fun to read. The young girl and her father – a scientist trying to improve the lives of the people living in the dome – add more to the world itself of course, but really make for an interesting wrinkle for the protagonist. Petrol Head, like most robots, has no reason to care for humans. Bots have only ever been entertainment, so why should he care about what they’re trying to do? This thread going forward will no doubt be fascinating to watch, and it’s great to see how multi-layered of a story Petrol Head is turning out to be.

On a more personal note, Williams posits a conundrum that hits a little close to home for me. As someone who is conscious of the direction our environment is headed, simultaneously being an automotive and motorsports enthusiast is a strange headspace to occupy. In its own way, Petrol Head #1 is a love-letter to the best parts of our reliance on the internal combustion engine, with an old racer trying to make sense of a world that has no want or need of him anymore.

Art Direction

So much of the charm in Petrol Head #1 is created by Pye Parr’s visuals. He does incredible work bringing lifelike emotion to robots that have a limited way of expressing themselves. There is a slightly Transformers-esque approach to how Parr draws his bots, with their facial animations have more range than what is normally seen in robotic faces in comics (see Ramondelli’s The Kill Lock). The rest of this world is incredibly well-detailed, and the action sequences explode off of the page. Parr’s work here has hints of Geoff Darrow, with his ability to emulate the detail of realism but still have the fantastical visual approach a fun comic needs. Much of this stems from his use of thin pencils with very little shading, instead letting his color art do much of the dimensional work. Parr’s sequential direction uses a cinematic storyboard approach to plot events, giving the story an even pacing that picks up right when the action starts. His colors perfectly capture the used, hyper-industrialized metropolis of the done city within the arid wasteland. Parr’s vivid palette is often tinged by the smoggy atmosphere and colored by the red sun poking through the polluted air outside the city. Parr’s lettering is also stellar, with his eye-catching SFX work highlighting the action without overtaking anything in the panel. Overall, Pye Parr has drawn one of the finest-looking Image comics of this year.

Verdict

Petrol Head #1 is a surprisingly charming and visually stunning debut issue. Rob Williams’s double-size script does stellar work in introducing readers to his gruff but lovable titular protagonist and sets up what is sure to be a surprising and fun story. Pye Parr’s artwork is absolutely phenomenal, with great character animations and detailed panels making for a reading experience that explodes off of the panel. Be sure to grab this new #1 when it hits shelves on November 8th!

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Review: Angels, Devils, and Dogs in DAMN THEM ALL #9

By

Hank Essman

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Vertigo’s collapse left a hole in the comics landscape — the middle-ground between simpler adventure or superhero comics and more daring, avant-garde entertainment. There have been plenty of comics since that tried to fit that niche, including an imprint by Vertigo’s editor, Karen Berger herself. But Vertigo’s longest running series, Hellblazer, was hit especially hard by the collapse. Attempts to revive the book since have faced all sorts of speedbumps, ranging from DC trying to fit the series into their wider universe to premature cancellations. Boom! Studios’ Damn Them All #9 sees writer Si Spurrier, one of the minds behind a particularly well loved run on Hellblazer, continue in the spirit of that Vertigo classic. Si Spurrier is joined by artist Charlie Adlard, colorists Sofie Dodgson and Daniel Silva De Carvalho, and letterer Jim Campbell for a comic that keeps up that grungy, British look at the occult — while still managing to find its own voice.

**About Damn Them All #9:**

72 devils of the Ars Goetia have been stripped from their unearthly realm and trapped in our reality. Possession of a magic coin is now all it takes for someone to summon one of these powerful demons to do their bidding. Which means plenty of small-time gangsters have jumped on the opportunity to escalate their petty turf wars to a supernatural level. Gang enforcer/shaman/priest Ellie Hawthorne is caught in the middle and unwilling to trust the gang boss she works for with with so much power. Not to mention her suspicions that her magic-dabbling uncle Alfie had a hand in creating the new status quo. So she makes it her personal mission to send all the demons back where they came from.

Issue 9 tests that resolve when an old flame of hers tries to show how a demon could be used to connect people spiritually, resolving conflicts and bringing about a new kind of peace. Though he’s less willing to talk about the costs. Meanwhile, Ellie’s friend, Dora, is trying to cope with the aftereffects of being mentally invaded by angels. That desperation leads her to ask advice from a demon known for being particularly psychotic.

Writing

Damn Them All continues to slowly sketch the contours of its world. This issue in particular delves into the comic’s take on possession and how a demon bound to serve can try and find his own form of freedom. It’s a refreshingly specific take on the occult, the kind only offered by writers deeply familiar with the real-life stories and legends. Damn Them All is a book unafraid to get deep into the weeds. Sometimes it even dedicates entire pages to fictional journal entries by Ellie’s uncle, explaining the supernatural forces at play.

That means a prose-heavy approach that has become a bit less common in genre comics. Which is especially helpful for a book that focuses so heavily on creatures that are foreign to our reality. A demon describes two humans appearing to him through “The hiss of their numbers. Interfering waveforms, resolving to resonance.” Dora “Recalls the agony of the angels’ touch only distantly. Like somebody else’s photos, fading on a sunlit wall.” Show, don’t tell may be a common maxim, but one that can only go so far dealing with big, fantastical ideas. And in this case, there’s a real texture in the telling. Demons are simultaneously cold, near-mathematical concepts — Ellie’s uncle compares them to genes — and childlike outcasts, abandoned by their creator and reality itself. As the comic’s reality has continued to unfold, the core story has only become more rewarding. This is definitely a series that demands to be reread.

Art

Charlie Adlard sticks to a more grounded, understated approach with his character art. Ellie is not a character prone to dramatic poses. The buildings the story takes place in aren’t terribly exciting. A caption even describes the apartment this issue revolves around as “brutalist,” often shown painted with dull, flat colors and sparse, functional furniture, which helps create contrast when the demons from hell show up. The demons themselves are more blurry shapes than physical presences, reality itself fragmenting and shattering around them. This issue in particular gets to show the world from a more demonic perspective, reality itself as a web of connections, covering a magician so he appears like a cross-contour drawing.

Coloring

Sofie Dodgson and Daniel Silva De Carvalho’s coloring work uses flat planes of color with rough brush-stroke edges to help give each page depth. There’s a washed-out, understated quality to the colors chosen during the real-world segments. Which means their work especially shows during the comic’s moments of demonic presence. Unstable psychopath Andras is colored like an off-register print, shades of bright red, blues, and yellow making him almost appear to vibrate off the page. While the connective powers of King Beleth fill the page with calming blues and golds. Its a world of wild contrasts, visible through just the color palette.

Lettering

Jim Campbell’s lettering does a good job of communicating the ebb and flow of conversation. Quieter asides are drawn in grey, smaller letters, which combine with both normal and bolded letters to give characters different volumes they bounce between as they talk. Even the demons, in their scratchy, more chaotic lettering, have a rise and fall to the way they speak. The all-caps lettering also switches to lowercase when handling speech stutters like “ah” or “eh.” It helps the conversation feel more natural, which is especially important in a book that revolves around so much speaking.

VERDICT

Damn Them All #9 continues the slow burn in a series that has only managed to get more interesting over time. It’s worth reading for those interested in the Hellblazer tradition of rat bastards solving occult mysteries. The book’s out now from Boom! Studios so check it out!

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BLACK SIGHT #2: Read the first 5 pages! (Stephanie Phillips & Conor Boyle)

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 26, 2023

BLACK SIGHT #2: Read the first 5 pages! (Stephanie Phillips & Conor Boyle)

BLACK SIGHT #2 drops on Kindle & comiXology on October 31 via Comixology Originals. Thanks to the publisher, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a five-page preview for our readers. The book is written by Stephanie Phillips, with art and colors by Conor Boyle (Artist, Colorist), and you will read Tom Napolitano’s letter work. Dave Johnson created the cover.

About the five-issue mini-series:
While traveling alone across 1960s Europe, a young woman finds herself imprisoned in a secret CIA black site that’s used for psychological experimentation. This terrifying thriller follows her attempts to not only escape, but to separate stark reality from mental manipulation. Can she free herself, and get away with her mind and soul intact?

Check out the preview below.

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Marvel Comics Exclusive Preview: DOCTOR STRANGE #9

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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October 26, 2023

marvel comics exclusive preview doctor strange

DOCTOR STRANGE #9 hits your local comic book store on November 1st, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!

About the issue:
With General Strange’s endgame in sight, Doctor Strange must confront the man he could have been. But everyone has their own agenda… Can the Vishanti be trusted? Is W.A.N.D. capable of changing for the better, or will they return to their black-ops roots? Which Strange will Clea side with? It all comes to a head as the battle for the soul of Stephen Strange begins!

The issue is by writer Jed MacKay and artist Pasqual Ferry, with colors by Heather Moore, and letters by Cory Petit. The main cover is by Alex Ross.

Check out our DOCTOR STRANGE #9 preview below:

Are you reading DOCTOR STRANGE? Sound off in the comments!

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Review: UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: DRACULA #1

By

Darryll Robson

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Dracula Cover — Universal Monsters: Dracula #1 Credit: Image Comics

“A moment ago, I stumbled upon a most amazing phenomena. Something so incredible, I mistrust my own judgement.” (from Dracula, 1931)

Sometimes, the announcement of yet another interpretation of a classic character or narrative can fill you with dread. There are surely only so many times you can tell the same story, right?

However, that kind of statement is lost entirely on a comic audience. Many superhero titles have been rehashing the same story over and over again for decades, spreading out into different media to retell the most successful stories from a hero’s back catalogue.

When Image Comics announced their interpretation of the Universal iteration of Dracula, I quietly waited with bated breath, hoping beyond hope that the outcome would be everything that a classic horror fan could want. Did James Tynion IV, Martin Simmonds, and Russ Wooton deliver the goods?

Spoiler: Hell yeah, they did.

Universal Monsters: Dracula #1
Credit: Image Comics

The first thing to understand about this comic is that it is an adaptation, but it is along the lines of typical movie-to-comic translations. Universal Monsters: Dracula has taken the aesthetic of the 1931 movie and created something new with it. The characters are the same, and the resemblances to the actors is quite uncanny — you know who they are, but the art is not photographic in nature. The character of Dracula, as the easiest example, moves and speaks just like Bela Lugosi. He has that aloof smugness that the 1930s Count had, but there is evil lurking beneath the surface. Lugosi always claimed that Dracula was one of the hardest monsters to play because so much of the acting requires innuendo and subtle gestures. Martin Simmonds brings that nuance of character acting up to date and merges it with some disturbing, even terrifying, imagery,

The opening page with Renfield, simply one of the best supporting characters in the novel, picking at the flies in his cell while talking about the life force that has been promised to him, is a wonderful page of artwork. The nine-panel grid is broken up into two distinct sections that, through perfect coloring, creates a natural cross motif, as if the very narrative form is confining Renfield, trapping him in his own story. This is the high bar the comic sets, and then exceeds without breaking a sweat.

Complementing Simmonds’ art is Russ Wooton’s lettering. The white borderless speech balloons sink into the page to become a part of the art work, instead of simply resting on the surface. The theatrical tones of the speech is brought out of the script by the placing of the text and choice of font. The overall effect is that of creating a classic movie feel while engaging in a modern, comic book way.

Universal Monsters: Dracula #1 interior art
Credit: Image Comics

In this comic, the story doesn’t matter that much — it is the way that it has been told that is engaging and delightful. Elements of the narrative have their genesis in different adaptations of the original novel, with the comic owing as much to Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula than it does the 1931 Universal Pictures version. There are even elements of the costume dramas from the Hammer Horror versions seeping in through the borders. But the count himself is Bela Lugosi through and through.

For such a well known story, the script is fresh, and the subtle changes in narrative are surprising and welcome. The conversations between characters are naturalistic and there aren’t any information drops or unnecessary exposition that serve only to give the readers background story. Everything you need is woven into the speech or reflected in the superb artwork.

Each page bleeds to the edge with gutters disappearing in some instances making it impossible to escape the story as it unfolds. The design makes you a part of it with your fingers brushing against the scenery and slipping into the blood stain background as you turn the page. This is an immersive experience, which is quite tricky to pull off with a standard North American monthly comic.

At one point, just after reading, I doubted my excitement for it. Had I, in a moment of red mist, devoured this comic, allowing my desire to enjoy it overshadow the critic within me? But then I realized, like so many aspects of this comic, it doesn’t matter. It is meant to be experienced head on. You are meant to dive straight in, leaving everything else behind and become immersed by the comic, the story, and the characters just as if it was a movie experience — just as the audience would have been terrified by Lugosi upon the massive screen in 1931. This is horror, pure emotion driven, and visceral.

Image Comic’s Universal Monsters: Dracula is an absolute dream (nightmare?) of a comic and one that will haunt me for weeks. It’s visually stunning and crafted to boost the 1931 film aesthetics to a modern sensibility. If you remember the innovation horror comics of the early 1990s, with titles like Interview with the Vampire and Psycho, then you will have a good idea of what to expect here. It is a love letter to the history of the character and the horror genre in comics.

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Review: GIANT ROBOT HELLBOY #1 Is Exactly What You Want It to Be

By

Zac Owens

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When writer Mike Mignola, artist Duncan Fegredo, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Clem Robins get together, you can bet your ass that magic is about to happen. Giant Robot Hellboy #1 is just more proof of that. It’s exactly what you would want from a robotic Hellboy story — the perfect amount of goofiness, action, and mystery.

Writing

There’s a wonderful simplicity to Mignola’s writing. This isn’t a story that treats its readers like children. Mignola doesn’t lead us by the hand, explaining the whole set up. No, the joy of Giant Robot Hellboy is that it drops you directly into the action. You have no time to pack your bags or gather your thoughts before the shit hits the fan. In the first couple of pages, Hellboy is hit with a tranq dart and thrown into the back of a van. When he wakes up, he doesn’t know where he is or what’s happening to him. And that goes for us too. But there’s so much joy to the mysteries these pages hold. You almost don’t want the answers, because the unabashed stumble into adventure is so thrilling.

In terms of dialogue, Mignola pulls things way back. He only hints at things he’ll most likely come back to in the next two issues, giving us small clues to why Hellboy has gotten wrapped up in all of this. But Mignola keeps the dialogue out of the way of the action of the issue. Some pages have no dialogue at all, and others only have a couple of word balloons. Mignola knows there’s no need to complicate fun, and that is exactly what this issue is.

Art

There is so much detail to Fegredo’s art. The first page has a poster of the 1967 James Bond spoof movie, Casino Royale. (Not to be confused with two other movies of the same name.) The poster itself is covered in stickers and notes that litter the wall. When Hellboy enters a phonebooth, you can see the dirt splattered against its windows. Every scene is full of walls that have chipping paint, spreading mold, or scratched surfaces. Every character has wrinkles, scars, and zits. Fegredo’s world is one that is imperfect and grimy. You can smell the wet, smoky streets of London, and the thick, dusty air of abandoned office buildings.

But Fegredo also works brilliantly in the big picture, too. His panels have depth and drama. You feel like you’re right in the middle of the action. When Hellboy is led into a trap in the first couple of pages, Fegredo frames the panel with the menacing figure of Hellboy’s mysterious attacker in the foreground. The mystery man’s hip and the gun held by his side leaves just enough room for us to see Hellboy in the background, looking on with panicked eyes. Fegredo continually places powerful and relatable characters in the foreground, giving us a sense of the dynamics at play. We feel like we get to know something about these characters just by Fegredo’s placement of them on the page, before we have any answers about who they really are. It’s visual storytelling at its best.

Coloring

A lot of the colors in this issue feel really cold. We open on a late night in London. The skies are a dark blue. The streets are obscured by light grey clouds of smoke. Even the red phone booth that Hellboy climbs into looks subdued in its colors. It’s only when Hellboy gets hit with a tranq dart that we get a sudden burst of warmth. The panel practically glows with orange energy. Soon after, the night swallows back up the noisy life that broke through for a second. The faded white truck that they pull Hellboy into careens down the road past the pale yellow lights that stream out of the windows of nearby buildings. This comic is as moody as it gets. Stewart pulls back in nearly every area, except when it comes to Hellboy. His brilliant red skin stands out, not only reminding us that he’s not fully of this world, but also helping us to immediately focus in on the man we’re rooting for in every scene.

Lettering

Robins has been lettering Hellboy books for almost as long as they’ve been around. As such, his letters have become synonymous with the series. There’s a wonderful familiarity to his fonts and sound effects. Normally, because Robins’ work is so familiar, you don’t notice a ton of the little choices he makes to enrich each issue. Giant Robot Hellboy is an exception. There’s a no-holds-barred feeling to this issue that you don’t see in other Hellboy comics. Whether it’s the thick outline to Hellboy screaming as he’s electrocuted, the bubble-like “BLAM” of a sci-fi gun going off, or the tumbling “SPLOOSH” of someone falling into water, there are plenty of bold uses of sound effects that bring a ton of vibrancy to this story. Robins and Stewart work perfectly in tandem to create a moody yet action-packed atmosphere.

Verdict

If you’re looking for intrigue, fun, and plenty of robot-powered excitement, look no further than Giant Robot Hellboy. Mignola, Fegredo, Stewart, and Robins’ new series is a delight. Giant Robot Hellboy #1 is coming out from Dark Horse Comics on October 25th at a comic shop near you!

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Project 365: One Comic Every Day, Week 42

By

Darryll Robson

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October 24, 2023

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.

This is going to be easy and straightforward this week as all I have read is Fear Itself (and various tie-ins). Honestly, I thought by now I’d have finished it, having zipped through it at a rate of knots, a handful of comics every night, but thanks to the majestic quality of one title and the frustrating tediousness of another, It has been a slow process.

But, I have some exciting comics lined up for next week and a collection of some fang-tastic horror comics for the week after. So stick around.

Journey Into Mystery #624-625
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 286: Journey Into Mystery #624-625

Kieron Gillen uses the backdrop of the Cross-over story to tell magnificent character driven tales. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, this run of Journey Into Mystery is as close as Marvel gets to telling a Sandman story.

In issue #624, the new child Loki does what Loki is known for doing but with a guile that only a child could get away with. Volstagg would not be so quick to leap to Loki’s defense if the god of mischief was an adult, and Leah would not be as trusting of someone who is physically older than her. All of the tiny puzzle pieces that Loki sets up begin to form a single shape but there are still gaps, still mysteries to be revealed and Loki’s real intentions are still hidden from everyone.

This title takes me so long to read because I know that every part of the narrative is important in some way, nothing can be taken for granted and, as a reader, you are encouraged to savor every caption box, every speech balloon, and contemplate possible meanings.

Plus, the artwork by Doug Braithwaite, with colors by Ulises Arreola, and letters by Clayton Cowles, are phenomenal. The style gives it that magical feel. It has a visual aesthetic you can easily associate with mythology and Dungeons and Dragons. There is a sense of wonder on every page with beautifully painted images seeping from one panel in to the next, creating an ease of storytelling that is often lacking in superhero comics. The panel borders are there but they don’t act as barriers between the images but rather grammatical pauses, allowing the reader a very small breath before the next sentence.

Fear Itself Book 4
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 287: Fear Itself book 4

Thor has returned to Earth and the Serpent’s avatars are spreading mass destruction across the globe. Matt Fraction manages to make you care about some of the characters but, unfortunately, each element of the narrative is merely a set up for the spin off comics. So, you get a few interesting pages of Tony Stark sinking into a drunken stupor but for the reasons and consequences you’ll have to go elsewhere.

Unlike Civil War, that had a strong central story — albeit lacking in depth of character — Fear Itself reads more like a highlight reel. It shows you the various stories happening elsewhere in the Marvel universe and gives you the choice picks. But there is a lack of coherency between these story threads. I know the meaning of Stark’s outburst because I have read Invincible Iron Man, but I have no idea what is going on with the fish people in British Columbia or what the rioting in Illinois signifies. I don’t even know if these stories are picked up in other comics because nowhere in this sprawling Crossover comic does it give you a list of tie-ins. Again, with Civil War there was a handy month by month guide to the other comics you needed to pick up. In this, there is a page recommending three of the other comics but that is all.

Having said all that, Fear Itself is enjoyable, with good superhero artwork. You just need to switch off your brain and not think about it: the complete opposite from Journey into Mystery.

Uncanny X-Men #540-543
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 288: Uncanny X-Men #540-543

I’ve lumped these together although they are spread throughout the Fear Itself reading order.

This is a nice little X-Men story written well by Kieron Gillen with some clear links and set ups for his greater X-Men story. The artist is Greg Land which instantly turns me off. The reasons for that are a much larger conversation which I may return to in the future but for now, lets just accept that he drew this comic and it’s okay. The story is better than the art.

Journey Into Mystery #626
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 289: Journey Into Mystery #626

I’m not going to dwell on this issue because it’s much the same as I have written above. Loki being Loki, almost coming unstuck… or does he?

The characters that Gillen brings into the story are amazing, becoming bigger and more outrageous as the series moves forward. J. Michael Straczynski successfully reintroduced Thor and the Asgardians into the Marvel universe a few years before this, but Journey Into Mystery makes the greater Asgardian world interesting for the first time in decades.

Journey Into Mystery #627
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 290: Journey Into Mystery #627

The devil walks into a bar…

This issue of Journey Into Mystery is a stunning comic book that at first seems so out of place with the comics around it. But it’s also the perfect companion to the entire Fear Itself series.

Kieron Gillen tells the story of Mephisto visiting a bar after a hard day’s work. The Marvel demon in turn tells the barman of his devious cunning in stirring up trouble in other worlds. Mephisto is Loki elevated, setting schemes in motion and using a few choice words to make people do exactly what he wants while they believe their decisions are their own. This issue is 100% devilishly cunning: from the narrative, to the writing, to the artwork. I think if it wasn’t for this comic I would have given up on Fear Itself back in the day.

Fear Itself book 5
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 291: Fear Itself Book 5

This chapter is entitled Brawl.

Pretty much ‘Nuff Said. The heroes fight the enhanced avatars of the Serpent and cause utter destruction. And because there are still two issues left, it looks like the heroes are going to lose. Cliché driven superheroes at its finest.

Invincible Iron Man #506-508
Credit: Marvel Comics

Comic Number 292: Invincible Iron Man #506 – 508

Tony Stark gets drunk, goes to an Asgardian weapon forge, and faces his demons. I enjoy Matt Fraction’s work on Iron Man more than the Fear Itself comic. There is a sense of character development for Tony Stark and his journey into the world of ‘magic’ is fascinating. Molding the two aspects, magic and science, of the Marvel universe is a difficult task and has failed on numerous occasions but Fraction succeeds by focusing on Stark. Although all of the rune swearing gets a little annoying and the joke quickly wears thin.

Elsewhere Pepper Potts is embroiled in fisticuffs with overpowered super villains and henchmen in mech suits. Basically, she’s filling the Iron Man role while Iron Man is busy. Pepper hasn’t got the same resonance on the page as Stark, not yet, but I know that Fraction improves her character over time.

Personally, I am not a big fan of Salvador Larroca’s artwork. I find it can often be quite static. Although, when he focuses on a character he can create some very emotional moments. His work on Invincible Iron Man at this point is a lot more compelling than some of his later work, so it won’t stop me reading.

I can’t believe that I still have some Fear Itself comics to read. As an event, it is such a mixed bag of comics. Part of me wants to read all of the other tie-ins to see if the whole can outweigh the sum of its parts but there is nothing in this event that is compelling enough to make me spend money on it. Except Journey Into Mystery. This was one of my favorite comics at the time and I would highly recommend this run to anyone. Kieron Gillen knocks it out of the park, scores a hat trick, breaks the world record, and various other sporting metaphors that mean it’s good.

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ALAN SCOTT: GREEN LANTERN #1 – Beautifully Complicated!

By

Matthew Sardo

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ALAN SCOTT: GREEN LANTERN #1 - Beautifully Complicated!

ALAN SCOTT: GREEN LANTERN #1 hits your local comic book shop today from DC Comics; it is an emotional comic that will hit you in the gut. The six-issue mini-series is written by Tim Sheridan, with art by Cian Tormey, Matt Herms drops the colors, and you will read Lucas Gattoni’s letter work. Check out my review and a six-page preview below.

About the series:
A POWERFUL TALE OF ALAN SCOTT’S EARLY DAYS AS GREEN LANTERN! Alan Scott’s early days as the Green Lantern are seen in a new light! The Green Lantern is the most powerful member of the JSA, beloved by all of America, but his personal life is a well-kept secret. This is a story about love, about fear, and most of all, about the courage to stand up to that fear. Alan Scott’s past is the key to his future when the Red Lantern appears, ready to strike down the mighty Green Lantern!

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Robert Kirkman’s Epic Speech On Optimus Prime (NYCC Energon Universe)

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 20, 2023

Robert Kirkman's Epic Speech On Optimus Prime (NYCC Energon Universe) — Transformers (2023) #1 Credit: Image Comics

Robert Kirkman spoke to the media after the Energon Universe panel at New York Comic Con Saturday afternoon. I asked him what the core elements that make up Duke and Optimus Prime are; both answers are very good and have me excited for the franchise moving forward. Check out the full video clip below.

“I think the key to Optimus Prime and Daniel (Warren Johnson) could probably talk about this more is his heart, his gentleness, his compassion. He’s this very heroic character that is extremely capable in battle and does all kinds of cool stuff, but the fact that he cares and the fact that he cares about humanity and the fact that this big giant robot made out of steel has this heart to him. He’s a big softy and I think that that’s something that Peter Cullen really brought to the character with his voice work and it’s something that I’m actually in awe of how well Daniel is able to embrace that core aspect of his character I mean it’s on display in almost every scene that Optimus Prime is in and it’s really just showing the the strength of this character,” said Kirkman.

“Just wait till issue two,” Daniel Warren Johnson chimes in at the end.

Are you excited for the shared Energon Universe?

Transformers & G.I. Joe: Welcome To The Energon Universe

10:45-11:45 a.m. ET, Room 405, Javits Center

THE ENERGON UNIVERSE IS HERE! The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE are back at Skybound, joined by the mega-hit Void Rivals! Superstars Robert Kirkman (Void Rivals), Lorenzo De Felici (Void Rivals), Daniel Warren Johnson (TRANSFORMERS), Joshua Williamson (Duke, Cobra Commander), Tom Reilly (Duke), and Sean Mackiewicz (SVP/Publisher, Skybound) reveal the secrets behind the biggest new comics of 2023. Moderated by Arris Quinones (Host/Co-Creator, Variant Comics). Attendees will receive a copy of the Duke #1 Aschan (while supplies last).

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Marvel Comics Exclusive Preview: CAPTAIN AMERICA #2 — Team-Up With Spider-Man!

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

October 19, 2023

marvel comics exclusive preview captain america spider-man

CAPTAIN AMERICA #2 hits your local comic book store on October 25th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!

About the issue:
When Spider-Man interrupts date night to ask for help taking down the Sinister Six’s latest plot, Captain America begrudgingly obliges. Meanwhile, more and more of Steve’s former enemies are being recruited by a mysterious new threat – one seemingly connected to an enemy Steve faced long before he picked up the shield…

The issue is by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Jesús Saiz, with colors by Matt Hollingsworth, and letters by Joe Caramagna. The main cover is by Saiz.

Check out our CAPTAIN AMERICA #2 preview below:

Did you pick up the first issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA? Sound off in the comments!

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