Spider-Man & The League of Realms #3 is out June 19th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive preview to share with you.
The book is by Sean Ryan, Nico Leon, and Marco Failla, with colors by Carlos Lopez and Andrew Crossley, and letters by Joe Caramagna. Cully Hamner and Brian Reber did the main cover, while Marco D’Alfonso did the variant.
About the issue: WAR OF THE REALMS TIE-IN! Spidey and the rest of his motley crew are fighting for their lives (and all of existence) against KURSE!!! She was once a member of the League of Realms until Malekith made her into his right hand. Now Kurse can destroy the League, once and for all!
The War of the Realms has shown readers the best side of massive crossover events. The main story has been a treat, and the tie-in books have been equally fulfilling. It’s a grand, epic tale, with jaw-dropping battles, laugh-out-loud character moments, and tons of heart. It’s one of the few events where you actually want to read all of the ancillary material in order to get a more complete story.
This tie-in issue takes place after War of the Realms #4 and War Scrolls #3.
Take your first look at SPIDER-MAN & THE LEAGUE OF REALMS #3:
What’s been your favorite War of the Realms tie-in? Sound off in the comments!
Star Wars #67 is on sale June 19th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview of the issue to share with you.
The comic is by Kieron Gillen and Angel Unzueta, with colors by Guru-eFX, letters by Clayton Cowles, and cover by Gerald Parel.
About the issue:
“THE SCOURGING OF SHU-TORUN” PART 6
• The fate of an entire world is in the hands of the REBELS!
• And even then, can anyone manage to escape the Scourging of SHU-TORUN?
• The cataclysmic end of KIERON GILLEN’s run on STAR WARS.
As stated in the solicit copy, this will be Gillen’s final issue of Star Wars before Greg Pak and Phil Noto take over. Gillen previously launched Marvel’s first Darth Vader series after the publisher regained the license; he then transitioned over to writing the main title following the end of Jason Aaron’s run.
Take your first look at the issue:
Are you reading Marvel’s Star Wars comic? Comment below with your thoughts on the series!
Dark Red #4 is out June 26th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive 7-page preview to share with you.
The series is by Tim Seeley and Corin Howell, with colors by Mark Englert, letters by Marshall Dillon, and a cover by Aaron Campbell.
About Dark Red #4: Chip is faced with two options…run like hell from a town he’s lost to Nazi vampires, or team up with a pair of barely sober hicks who hate him in order to rescue the woman he loves. Tough choice.
Tim Seeley (BRLLIANT TRASH, Hack/Slash, Grayson) and Corin Howell (Ghostbusters, Bat-Mite) bring you a contemporary and horrifying tale of vampirism in the heart of America—one that’ll make you jump right out of your boots.
Reaver hits your local comic book store on July 10, but thanks to Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive interview with Styrian Eddos, one of the main characters from the series created by Justin Jordan and Rebekah Isaacs.
The character in question is the serial killer, Styrian Eddos. Why are we interviewing him? Because he’s trying to save the world!
Here is more information on Eddos’ mission: The continent of Madaras once promised a new start for settlers, but 200 years after its discovery, the war rages on. Deep within this savage and untamed land, a darkness builds that must be stopped at all costs. To do so, the Imperials assemble six of its most despicable prisoners; a turncoat, a skin eater, a sorcerer and his bodyguard, a serial killer, and the Devil’s Son. Hell’s Half-Dozen are the only ones who can stop the end of the new world.
STYRIAN EDDOS—“Serial killer”
MFR: What does one wear on a mission like this? EDDOS:Well, certainly, if I had my druthers, only the finest. Since I don’t have my druthers I’ve been forced to make do.
MFR: What is something we should know about Esk? EDDOS:The Escalene Protectorate is, quite amazingly, home to some of the finest cuisine known to man. Somehow, considering the average Eks can barely be relied on to not eat mud.
MFR: How many have you killed? EDDOS:Do children count as one each or are they fractional? They were certainly fractional after.
Image Comics is calling Reaver a dark, grim fantasy for a post-Game of Thrones world. Isaacs has previously worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while Jordan’s resume includes The Strange Talent of Luther Strode. Reaver is colored by Alex Guimarães, with covers by Becky Cloonan. (The first two covers are below.)
Do you plan on picking up a copy of Reaver in July? Comment with your thoughts below.
SUPERMAN #12 features the anticipated gathering of the living House of El members, which promises to be a fantastic reunion. Supergirl, Superman, Superboy, and Jor-El now find themselves in the midst of an uprising led by General Zod and Rogol Zaar. Zaar, a powerful being who claims to be the sole cause of Krypton’s destruction, wages war against the House of El for unknown reasons, but Superman begins to suspect his dubious father may be involved.
Story
A Disorderly Family Reunion
Brian Michael Bendis sets this story immediately after Superman confronts his father to find out why this trouble has followed them. Without any time to give his son straight answers, Jor-El spends most of the issue coordinating a plan of escape. At the same time, Superman, Superboy, and Krypto the Superdog enjoy a brief reunion with Supergirl as they formulate a plan of attack against the villains.
Seeing Superman’s reaction to his relatives together reminds us just how much family drives him as a character.
Secret of Krypton’s Destruction
The destruction of Krypton has long defined the El family’s struggles throughout their history. The true nature and cause of the catastrophe has largely been shrouded in mystery. But Supergirl reveals she’s uncovered the truth of the planet’s demise—Rogol Zaar was behind it all. What’s more, Jor-El admits he was part of the organization that covered up the event.
Readers may feel this sense of betrayal could be too much for Superman to bear, but our hero shows he still has faith in his family. He will do anything it takes to protect those he loves, even if he has to fight Zaar and Zod all by himself.
Art
The work throughout SUPERMAN #12 is fantastic. Ivan Reis’ penciling, bolstered by Joe Prado and Oclair Albert’s inking, hearkens back to the cosmic illustrations of Ethan Van Sciver’s work in Green Lantern: Rebirth. Alex Sinclair’s coloring gives this issue the ultimate Superman vibe with variations of blue, red, and yellow, even in the villains.
Josh Reed’s lettering is something to be commended as well. His structured layering of word bubbles offers a sense of stability amidst the chaotic fights in the background.
The Covers
Reis, Prado, and Sinclair crafted a stunning main cover for this issue. Featuring Superman rage out against Rogol Zaar with lettering adds incredible context, allowing anyone to jump into the story if they haven’t caught up on previous issues. Adam Hughes’ variant cover depicts Superman in his classic stance, reminding readers of the most famous House of El family member.
Conclusion
SUPERMAN #12 weaves themes of familial disputes in the midst of cosmic chaos. It leaves readers wanting to learn more about the truth of Krypton’s destruction and Jor-El’s knowledge of it.
What did you think of Superman’s confrontation with his father in this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
Augmented test subject, Aleph, has escaped from a secret experimentation lab, is on the run, and is in search of a mythical town full of future technology. And so begins the new Sci-Fi comic from Vault, TEST by Eisner nominated writer Christopher Sebela, artist Jen Hickman, colorist Harry Saxon and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Test #1 Advert Credit: Christopher Sebela
Writing/Story
The first issue of TEST follows Aleph as he journeys haphazardly across the empty states of America. It reads like a stream of consciousness, a modern day On The Road by Jack Kerouac. Sebela has cleverly given Aleph a foil to converse with in the guise of a mobile phone which appears to have its own sentience. This allows Sebela to incorporate the exposition in to the comic in a conversational manner, without the need for voice over style caption boxes.
The back and forth of the two characters gives the reader a better insight into who Aleph is and what he is striving for. Sebela is able to dissected the character via a function of the story while not contaminating the characterisation in any way. The reader learns about Aleph through his own speech but this is mediated by a third party to produce balance.
Although this approach makes it easier for the reader to enter the world of TEST, it does not eliminate all of the mystery or explain everything that is going on. In fact, everything you know about this world you learn via Aleph. This makes his actions somewhat ambiguous and it is not always clear if he is justified in these actions.
The story progresses at an even pace, occasionally sliding into a drug induced blur of ideas that builds character while creating questions. Aleph’s journey is a long one and he has many encounters on the way that Sebela is able to fit into this single issue because of his clever economic storytelling. One part of the journey may take up to several pages but another is limited to one or two panels.
Test #1 Credit: Vault Comics
Art
The settings throughout the early part of TEST are minimalistic in design with very little definition. Aleph could be anywhere, seemingly lost in a post-apocalyptic environment. The atmosphere in the opening has a lot in common with the original Mad Max movie, creating a sense of vast wastelands for the character to get lost in; which is exactly the point. When the reader is introduced to Aleph, he is lost in the world, looking for something that he that may not even exist.
Nothing is clear, there is much that doesn’t make sense but all of this is seen through Aleph’s eyes so the reader understands exactly what Aleph is feeling. Jen Hickmen’s art reflects the chaotic nature of Aleph’s existence while also filling the panels with a lot of empty space. As the character is lost in his own environment, the reader emphasises with him on a much deeper level.
Hickman uses a thin inked line to define the characters then adds detail depending on the moment or the scene. Some backgrounds are comprehensively rendered while others contain the bare minimum. These later panels relay on the color work by Harry Saxon to define the scene and, more often than not, the atmosphere. As the scenes shift, whether in location or time, it is the coloring that signifies the change allowing the reader to follow the story from place to place, and from morning to night.
The range of lettering techniques and decisions on show in TEST is quite outstanding. The shifting mind of Aleph is depicted by the shifting presentation of his inner monologue; sometimes this is shown in speech balloons, at other times in hand drawn caption boxes. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou also applies a range of different designs for presenting the text to distinguish each individual voice. The varied caption boxes and skilful overlapping speech balloons keep the reader on their toes and help to fully immerse them into the comic.
Test #1 Alternative Cover Credit: Vault Comics
Conclusion
TEST is an exhilarating stream of consciousness embodying a number of science fiction concepts. It is an expertly crafted comic that draws the reader in and then entraps them in the chaotic nature of the narrative and the art. It works by concentrating on the central character, zooming in for close ups then pulling away to reveal the environment he is traveling through.
The comic flows effortlessly from the opening page to the last, leading the reader on a journey that feels uncontrollable but is designed with such a precision that the creators manipulate the reading experience at every turn.
Like a Warren Ellis comic, this is sometimes intense and sometimes charming, with an element of action thrown in. TEST is an immersive narrative and a highly accomplished work of comic book art.
We are in the midst of The Flash: Year One, and it’s been a wild ride so far. After his fated lightning strike at his lab, Barry Allen has begun to experiment with his powers. While trying to hit an all-time high with his speed, the Scarlet Speedster is sent to the future. We learn that Central City has fallen and that a villain known as the Turtle reigns supreme.
Before Barry is captured to feed the King Turtle, an older version of himself saves him. The two Flashes work their way through the ruins to find the cosmic treadmill and send the younger back. When Barry makes it back, however, he soon discovers the Turtle making his debut. Can Flash stop this villain from ruling the future?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
We open up with Barry running in to face Turtle, forgetting what his older counterpart told him. As his speed begins to get drained, Turtle is left puzzled by the Flash and the origin of his powers. Before Barry can be defeated by the speed siphoning meta, he vibrates into a wall and causes it to explode. While it is able to knock out Turtle, it also sends debris flying at bystanders, including Iris. Flash quickly moves and saves them all and Turtle is shortly arrested after that. Time passes, and Barry soon begins making a name for himself as the Flash. It’s not long before he learns of a new criminal, a group of thieves wearing blue masks.
Despite a few stand out transitions, I am honestly concerned about how this story is going to pan out. This story appeared to have its villain, and he’s done by the first half of this story. We had an entire issue that showed the Turtle taking over the city and Flash being the lone defender of the city. Turtle gets taken down as soon as Barry gets back! The usual formula for this story is that the battle with the future threat is at the end of the arc. This story treats it as if the Turtle threat was put down, with a sweet epilogue.
The transitions between periods are probably the best part of the issue. In them, we see Barry grow more and more into the Flash. It’s quick, but even these small moments help flesh out the origin story in the making. From him choosing his symbol to finally learning to look forward to tomorrow, The Flash origin gets more detailed, and it makes me appreciate it a little more.
Art:
Howard Porter is just a perfect fit for this series. He is able to create these fantastic designs for the powers, and each panel is his jaw-dropping. Barry’s original Flash costume looks fantastic, being both iconic and straightforward at the same time. The only thing that could make it better is adding the spectacular colorwork of Hi-Fi to the mix. While they don’t wholly save the story, the fantastic artwork does an excellent job of selling this issue.
Conclusion:
This story has tripped up, and it might have trouble getting back on track. What was supposed to be an overarching villain has been passed off as a one-off encounter. While there is a chance he might return, the story is continuing on with a different Flash villain. While the art of Howard Porter might try and sell readers on a good story, this issue just falls flat. The Flash might be getting one of his greatest foes next issue, but will it actually have an impact on the future teased in the second chapter?
Batman’s showdown with the Arkham Knight comes to a climax in Detective Comics #1005. Bruce and Damian race to the Gotham Observatory, hoping to stop Astrid before she pulls the trigger on her plan. But, as we learned in our last issue, her drive to liberate Gotham from what she perceives as Batman’s reign of terror is not just misguided altruism. It’s a personal vendetta, and she won’t be stopped so easily.
The Writing
One of the strongest points in favor of Detective Comics #1005 is the tense and suspenseful writing. Tomasi keeps the reader locked in a minute-by-minute, continuous sequence. We never break away to an aside or secondary plot line, instead remaining engaged with the action throughout. The result is a thoroughly engaging and entertaining showdown.
The issue’s key weakness though, is the reasoning behind Astrid’s plan. Without spoilers, suffice to say that once the entire premise is revealed, it feels undeniably contrived and irrational. She conflates metaphorical meanings of light and darkness with literal light and darkness; metaphorical blindness becomes literal blindness. There’s a lapse in logic between her motivation and her (rather silly) plan. This detracts from what was, until now, a pretty stellar story arc.
Ultimately, there is more within the pages of Detective Comics #1005 that works than that doesn’t. As the issue’s epilogue reveals, the Arkham Knight’s crusade is far from over. So, while this may not have been the best culmination to the character’s grand introduction, it suggests we’ll see Astrid again as a member of the Rogues’ Gallery.
The Artwork
As expected, Bradley Walker does a quality job with the artwork. He never gets too fancy, preferring to keep the viewer grounded in the action. However, there’s nothing wrong with a meat-and-potatoes approach, especially with an action-packed issue like Detective Comics #1005.
The visuals are easy to follow and possess plenty of life and kinetic energy from cover to cover. The final showdown between Batman and the Arkham Knight feels suitably epic to close out a conflict that’s built up over the last several issues.
As always, Nathan Fairbairn’s colors are on-point here, too. You feel a suitable degree of darkness, then see it suddenly give way to a convincingly blinding lightshow.
Final Thoughts
Although details of Astrid’s plan leaves a bit to be desired, the rest of Detective Comics #1005 is a winner. It’s got action and tension propelling the narrative, with excellent artwork bringing it to life. Still worth picking up.
It seems that every other week we are graced with a new headline regarding another Mark Millar title being adapted for a movie or TV show. After creating the Kingsman Universe, Kick-Ass, Wanted, as well as various successes for Marvel, it is clear that the Millar well is a deep one to draw from. And it was no surprise when Netflix acquired the rights to all of Millar’s creations, as they could have a seemingly endless TV show or movie idea-generating machine. Prodigy #6 is the latest in Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque’s newest series, and while it is not his magnum opus, it is a very simple, enjoyable read with a unique art style.
Edison Crane must stop an invasion from a parallel universe… not too difficult for the smartest man ever.
Edison Crane is the hero an 8 year-old came up with in one of their ramblings in the best way possible. Crane is the smartest man in the universe, the best fighter in the universe, adored by all women, envied by all men, etc. And you can tell that Millar had a lot of fun envisioning and creating this “uber-Bond” character. Crane’s dialogue is cheeky and cocky. The villain’s read like Saturday morning cartoon baddies and their scheme for world domination is equally extravagant including an invasion from a parallel universe. There is some overarching plot from the previous chapters, but it really is window dressing. Millar clearly just wanted an excuse to put Crane in extremely dire circumstances only to have him calmly fix them.
Due to the nature of the story and Edison Crane, the main antagonists who have orchestrated the last couple of chapters feel a tad toothless in this issue. They devise a devious plan to fool Crane, but of course, they don’t because Crane is the smartest man ever. Obviously, their plan was never going to work so it brings to mind, why even bother having one.
This series has the feel of a great “monster-of-the-week” story and it could be really successful in doing so. By creating this constantly rotating series of baddies, they could become increasingly more wacky and outlandish, which would better fit the power fantasy tone of the story.
Rafael Albuquerque’s art plays really well into the more cartoonish elements of the story. The main antagonists’ features are sharp and pointed, with slender frames and comically expressive faces and the invading army looks like something out of a Saturday morning special. The scenery can be a bit dull and the panel layout is pretty vanilla but that’s really not why any one is reading this book. Albuquerque’s explosions and set pieces are awesome.
Marcelo Maiolo’s colors are sublime however. He drapes a majority of the early scenes in heavy shadow, making them feel heavier. And when the action picks up, bright-stylized vibrant colors flood the page. And once again the explosions look awesome.
Prodigy #6 is a fine issue. The plot could be improved by scrapping all of the bells and whistles and focusing on one circumstance per issue. Rafael Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo’s art is nothing exceptionally experimental, but combined it’s more than serviceable. Prodigy #6 is not going to convert the nonbelievers and it is not Mark Millar’s grand opus, but it is damn fun.
Tom Taylor’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #7 begins a new arc. “Feast Or Famine” puts Aunt May in a sticky situation.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
It’s a really great time for Spider-Man fans right now. There’s a couple of really strong Spidey titles coming out in addition to what we’re getting on the big screen. Tom Taylor’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man acts as the perfect contrast to Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man.
Spencer’s book is a return to classic Spidey comic booking, it’s all the chaos and explosive drama that you would want from your main series. Tom Taylor Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a quieter, more focused effort. ASM is pushing the major continuity forward while FNSM reminds you with every issue why you love Spider-Man in the first place.
Tom Taylor has none of the pressure that comes with the Amazing title, he doesn’t have to worry about huge arcs and epics with high profile villains. He gets to focus on everyday life Peter Parker/Spider-Man, which he most certainly excels at.
This book explores drama that could happen to anyone reading it. Aunt May’s recent health concerns, and now her lack of health coverage for them, have been a major thread thus far. It’s been a while since May was a worth being concerned about in a Spider-Man title. Taylor makes her matter again, rather than be a convenient liability for Spidey when closing out a story arc.
Taylor manages to craft a scene that perfectly encapsulates everything that Spidey is in just a few pages. The opening moment with Parkers (both past and present) helping out homeless people is so effective that it’s impossible not to at least come away with a smirk on your face.
The ongoing joke about how sometimes it looks like Spidey is robbing someone works both times. Boomerang’s effectiveness as comedic relief carries over from Nick Spencer’s work. Tom Taylor keeps things consistent, these characters don’t sound different under another writer.
We don’t get to the Prowler until the final few pages but Spidey asks the same question readers will–is this Hobie Brown? The longtime ally of Spider-Man was last seen in Clone Conspiracy and was very much dead. We’ll see what kind of explanation we get, but at least Taylor isn’t shy about addressing continuity elephants in the room.
The red and blue colored “Woooo” for the police siren was a nice touch in addition to a solid effort by both colorist Nolan Woodard and letterer Travis Lanham. Woodard does a lot of mood-lighting in the background of these panels, simple and effective.
Between Amazing Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, it’s not that one is clearly better than the other. They’re two sides of the same fantastic web-covered coin. Tom Taylor is a writer on the rise, and very deservedly so.
This series continuously takes it’s time to show it’s heart and bring an emotion out of the reader. It does so without cheap tricks or cliches, it’s simply reminding us why we actually love Spider-Man outside of the punching and costume.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #7 introduces a mystery for Spidey to solve that perfectly incorporates the wonderful supporting cast. Whether it’s a multi-issue arc or a single-issue story, Tom Taylor delivers the goods every time.
