SUICIDE SQUAD #50 hits your local comic book store on January 16, but thanks to DC Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you. The final over-sized issue comes out guns blazing with a cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair.
About the issue: The infection in Temho Me4ta prison spreads, and cannot be allowed to reach the surface. The Suicide Squad is all that stands in the way of a global pandemic. It’s line-in-the-sand time: Will the Squad be forced to live up to its name? Don’t miss this extra-sized anniversary issue!
FINAL ISSUE
The book is written by Rob Williams, with art by German Peralta, Brent Schoonover, and Will Conrad. Gabe Eltaeb worked on the colors, and Dave Sharpe lettered the final issue. The variant cover of SUICIDE SQUAD #50 is by Francesco Mattina.
This most recent iteration of Suicide Squad was part of DC’s Rebirth initiative, and drew inspiration from the DC Extended Universe film which banked $746 million worldwide, featuring a lineup of Amanda Waller, Rick Flag, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, and Katana.
Check out the preview below:
Are you reading Suicide Squad? How do you think it will end? Comment below with your thoughts.
The new TARDIS crew find themselves embroiled in the greed and dastardly actions of a privileged, rich, Alien life form whose behavior does not impress The Thirteenth Doctor one bit.
Jodie Whittaker has made the role of The Doctor her own while at the same time drawing inspiration from all of the past incarnations. That ethos is evident in Titan Comics ongoing monthly Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor. The TARDIS and her crew have been faithfully adapted by the creators and flung headlong into an exotic adventure with new friends and new foes. Everything you love from the T.V. show is contained within these pages.
Cover Art for Titan Comic’s Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #3
The Story
After rescuing fellow time traveller Perkins from certain death, the Doctor and her companions are shocked when he threatens to steal the TARDIS. However, The Doctor is not so easily intimated and intends to find out exactly what Perkins has been doing. And more importantly, who he has been doing it for.
This issue of The Thirteenth Doctor spends time engaging with the TARDIS crew and allows the reader to get to know what kind of woman The Doctor really is. It showcases all of the character elements that Jodie Whittaker has brought to the role; cheeky asides, expressive faces, quips, and the compassionate, trusting side that has made the character so charming. The confrontation with Perkins aboard the TARDIS allows writer Jody Houser to explore exactly who The Doctor has become in an entertaining and meaningful way. The whole scene is character driven, but it also moves the plot forward allowing the reader to discover elements of the greater story at the same time.
As the story glides along, the horrors of the back story are played out in short and subtle flashbacks while Perkins slowly realizes that not all hope is gone. Houser breaks up Perkins story so that the overall issue has an upbeat pace building to the suspenseful sequence near the end. This format works well for an issue that contains a lot of standing, or sitting, around in the TARDIS control room. At no point during the story do you feel weighed down by the exposition: the characters’ shine through giving each page a liveliness.
Titan Comic’s Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor interior Art
The Art
Rachael Stott is ideal for this Doctor and this story. She has fine, detailed line work that picks up on the nuances of the characters but she also revels in the over top expressions that the new Doctor loves to pull. Almost each page contains a new, and often comical, facial expression from The Doctor which expresses the cheeky, lively portrayal of the character from the series.
Stott keeps the narrative moving with fresh layouts and changing panel styles. She uses a lot of overlapping panels and characters that cross over the gutter; this gives the comic a fast pace because it feels like everything is happening so quickly, over the top of everything else. The pages where this doesn’t happen stand out and make you slow down, absorbing the dialogue at a much slower speed.
The warm, embracing atmosphere that radiates from this comic is down to the colorist Enrica Eren Angiolini. So much of this issue is awash with the orange glow produced in the TARDIS console room; it seeps out into the other panels and across the pages. With the fine line work by Stott, the color is very powerful and the first thing that you notice on each page. For most of the story, this is used to calm the reader down and create a safe environment. All of this starts to change towards the end of the issue when the threatening elements start to appear, and Angiolini’s colors reflect this change in atmosphere. It will be interesting to see how the color work progresses over the series.
The lettering team of Richard Starkings, Sarah Jacobs and John Roshell have a difficult time of blending the speech balloons into the artwork, especially with the vibrant colors, but they succeed in their craft. The dialogue and speech balloons are evenly placed within the panels and help the directional flow of the narrative. Each aspect of the creative process melds together to produce a smooth reading experience.
Titan Comic’s Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor
Conclusion
Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor is a successful translation of the T.V. show as it captures not only the characteristics of the cast but also the general vibe of the series. The settings and aliens that they encounter are not exactly otherworldly; there is an element of ordinary about them yet through the eyes of the TARDIS crew everything is brand new and exciting. Where Houser and Stott succeed is in allowing the reader to experience everything through the cast and not observe everything as if they are outsides. The wonder is achieved because you feel you are actually there in the TARDIS or on the alien planet.
The characters are engaging, and the story is intriguing and new. The Thirteenth Doctor from Titan Comics soaks up the style and substance of the series and gives the reader more of the same. If you enjoyed the show, you will love this comic and be hooked for months to come. If you didn’t enjoy the series, there is nothing here that will change your mind but, then again, this comic has been produced for fans of the show.
Oliver #1 from Image Comics hits your local comic book store on January 23, but this creator-owned project is much more than a post-apocalyptic version of the Charles Dickens’ classic. The creative team of Gary Whitta and Darick Robertson have had quite an incredible creative journey getting to this point.
Whitta is an accomplished journalist, screenwriter, and video game designer. In 2001, he wrote the script for Oliver, and his writing earned him a foot in the door with Hollywood. In 2010, Whitta impressed nerds around the world with his screenplay for Book of Eli. He then took a throwaway line from A New Hope and wrote the story for Rogue One. But that original script that got him an agent and manager was never picked up. So, 15 years ago Whitta started having conversations with Robertson to turn his screenplay into a comic book. Roberston is most famous for his work on The Boys, Transmetropolitan, and HAPPY!. The artist has also had quality runs with Wolverine and several books under Marvel’s MAX imprint. Due to both creators’ successes, it took time for Oliver to come together and find a home with a publisher.
Monkeys Fighting Robots spoke with Whitta and Robertson about Oliver and the fundamentals of storytelling.
MFR: Gary, Oliver is 15 years in the making, and in a previous interview you called it a passion project. Did you need to publish Oliver, or did you want to publish Oliver?
WHITTA: I think every writer has a story or stories that really feel like they need to be told, and for me Oliver is one of those. That’s why I never gave up on it, even though it’s been a long and sometimes difficult journey. It started as an unmade movie screenplay, and as a screenwriter, I certainly have plenty of those, but Oliver was one that continued to nag away at me long after I had written it. I just knew deep down that it was cool and was never going to be satisfied to have it end its life as an unproduced script that maybe only twenty or so people ever read. So I was determined to find a way to tell the story in one form or another, and in going back over it, it struck me that it might work very well as a comic series. And now here we are! After Darick came aboard I knew we’d have a version of Oliver that looked phenomenal because all of his work is, but it still took a very long time both to find a publisher we were comfortable with and for Darick to find the time in his busy schedule to really give it the attention it deserved. The good news is, it’s all been worth the wait, I couldn’t be happier with the way the comic has turned out.
MFR: With the first issue, as a writer, how do you balance revealing enough to engage the reader and leaving enough mystery that the reader wants issue two immediately?
WHITTA: Figuring out how to keep the reader turning the pages is one of the age-old challenges for any writer, and I’m proud to say that I think Oliver does it better than anything else I’ve written, the whole story is structured to be littered with little mysteries and clues throughout like a trail of breadcrumbs for the reader to follow.
MFR: Darick, Oliver #1 is a beautiful book. One aspect of your art that stands out is how detailed the world around the characters is. Why is that important to you?
ROBERTSON: Thank you! I like to create an environment for the characters to perform within that is as much a character as the people interacting within it, so that the reader feels grounded and enmeshed in the world. I think it makes the story stronger and more relatable. Growing up, Star Wars was always a huge influence on me and in my formative years as an artist. I loved how distinct all those sets were: Hoth, the Death Star, Tatooine, Dagobah, all those places were distinct to the characters and the scenes that happened within them. So I like to bring that sense of place and time as best I can.
MFR: The first issue opens with a very cinematic look. As an artist, can you talk about your use of camera angles and do you have a favorite page in the first issue when it comes to camera angles?
ROBERTSON: Being that Gary envisioned this as a film, I wanted to bring a cinematic sense to the storytelling and atmosphere. As we get deeper into it as a comic, I want to move more toward playing with the material as a comic, but in the opening chapters, I wanted to it to feel cinematic. As far as a favorite page goes, I like the scene where Prospero is showing Oliver destroyed London and explaining the past. I used my son, who was 10 at the time, as a model and having all these little portraits of him, brings back fond memories (as he’s taller than I am now!) Capturing the scope of the destruction was a challenge, and I’m pleased with how it all came together.
MFR: Darick has emotionally scarred me several times when it comes to his work on The Boys. How dark do you and Darick take OLIVER?
WHITTA: It starts out pretty dark, and it gets darker as it goes along. As in the Dickens original, Oliver is born into a very hard world that doesn’t really want him or have a place for him; it’s up to him to make that place for himself. Certainly the comic is violent, but hopefully never for violence’s sake, and later in the story, there are what I think are some genuinely shocking moments.
ROBERTSON: You’re welcome! I don’t like to put everything into the same bucket, as much as I try to hew what I do to fit the project I’m currently creating.
It’s dark in a different sense in that Oliver becomes a symbol of hope in an already dark world that he’s born into. It’s not anywhere near The Boys by means of depravity, but The Boys had a great heart at the center of the story. It wasn’t just shenanigans for the sake of filthy shenanigans, there was always a purpose; a point. But Oliver is a very different story. There’s blood and violence. I don’t like to tame stuff when it comes to war scenes, so it’s visceral and full of pain, but where it evolves to is such a good arc. We set out to make a book for Harry Potter and Star Wars fans, like Gary and I are. Something my kids can read, but I think Boys fans will enjoy just as much.
MFR: In previous interviews, you both mentioned how the book has evolved over the past 15 years. What have been some of the biggest influences on that evolution?
WHITTA: So much has changed since I first wrote Oliver. I became a parent — my daughter is now almost seven years old — and on a larger scale we’re seeing my country of birth go down a potentially disastrous road with Brexit. So as I rewrite the story for each issue I think there’s a greater degree of empathy for the characters than was maybe evident in the original script, and it’s possible that the vision of a ruined futuristic England will seem more prescient now.
ROBERTSON: I’ve been dedicated to seeing it through in the style and design we set out to do, and we dodged a few well-meaning publishers along the way that had other ideas for what they would require to put their label on it, but we ultimately wanted to keep the rights as ours and see it through, as what it was always meant to be. So far that is exactly the book we’re making. My influences have always been a love for a Frank Miller/Will Eisner style of storytelling and just wanting to make great comics, and as I mentioned before, a love for Star Wars and fantasy films like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc… Gary and I bonded over this stuff when we met and in the 15 years since we decided to create this together, I co-created The Boys, and HAPPY!, and Gary wrote two hit films, so we’ve only gained in creative strength for our vision as we have put Oliver together as a comic.
MFR: Darick, this past year the wildfires surrounded the San Franciso Bay Area, and you were told to stay inside. During any of those smoke-filled days were you drawing Oliver and if so did the post-apocalypse get a little too close to home for you?
ROBERTSON: Well as harrowing the Paradise Camp Fires were, and especially for the people of Paradise who tragically lost everything, what it was for where I live in Northern California was a reminder of the fires in Napa and Sonoma that forced us to evacuate our home back in 2017. Seeing the smoke-filled sky and that red sun worthy of life on Krypton, was a painful reminder of the genuine fear that we might lose our home. I’m so grateful that we didn’t and deeply sympathetic to those that have. So that fear and vulnerability is something I see in Oliver. He comes from a fragile, precarious world where even food and water aren’t guaranteed and emerges from that a hero.
MFR: Each issue of Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD is the perfect example of the last page cliffhanger and or gotcha moment. As you transitioned your film script to a comic book script, did you think about how to end each issue and how much rewriting was involved?
WHITTA: One of the areas where I think we got very lucky with Oliver was how the story was originally structured. As I mentioned earlier there were lots of little cliffhanger moments built into the story from the beginning, and as it turned out when the time came to revise the story for a serialized format many of those cliffhangers just happened to fall exactly where they needed to, right on the issue breaks, or close enough to them that I was able to make them land where I needed them to with very little revision. Certainly, the first issue ends on a big mystery moment that is designed to get the reader wondering what happens next, and that’s true of pretty much every issue.
MFR: Independent publishing is a tough business. How will you measure success with Oliver?
ROBERTSON: I will take a great deal of satisfaction if we get our full 12 issue run and people enjoy it. That’s success. It’s been such a long road to get to where we finally are, just seeing it published, at last, will feel like a triumph.
WHITTA: I’ll just be glad to see the story told from beginning to end. We have 12 issues planned, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope that we can retain enough reader interest to stick to that plan.
MFR: You’ve mentioned Oliver is a good old-fashioned revenge story. What is your favorite revenge film and why?
ROBERTSON:Unforgiven is my all-time favorite revenge movie as it shows the futility of it, and at the same time, it’s so satisfying to watch.
WHITTA: One word: GLADIATOR.
What did you think of the interview, are you going to add Oliver to your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts.
Fans of Green Lantern stories from the ’80s love Grant Morrison’s new run. The unique artwork and police crime drama elements bring us a classic Hal Jordan story we haven’t seen in years. What’s more, THE GREEN LANTERN #3 ups the ante by featuring slave traders and a being that looks like the traditional conception of God from the Old Testament.
STORY
Grant Morrison’s THE GREEN LANTERN #3 introduces us to the Slave Lords, a group of slaver traders who have set up an intergalactic auction. But instead of auctioning off individuals, the auctioneer is selling entire planets full of people. The group has teamed up with the Blackstars, a militia group who has agreed to protect the slavers in exchange for funds that will help Controller Mu, their leader, acquire a powerful weapon.
With all this illegal activity going on, the Green Lanterns jump on the case. Hal makes his entrance by tackling the celestial being named “The Shepherd” who recently purchased Earth. The alien bears the resemblance of an elderly man with long, flowing robes akin to Biblical figures. He characterizes himself as God by promising the people of Earth paradise, but Hal will have none of it: His ring detects something unsettling about The Shepherd and attempts to tell the people of Earth before it’s too late.
This fantastic story makes us take a hard look at humanity’s ugliest tendencies. One of the greatest lines of the issue comes when Hal confronts the people of Earth, explaining the future ramifications of selling the planet to a celestial being. He asks them, “You’d seriously sacrifice the lives of your great-grandchildren? For short-term gain?” The allusions to our destructive relationship with our own planet are hard to miss.
ART
Liam Sharp and Steve Oliff do a wonderful job of crafting art that looks like it’s straight out of an 80’s comic. We see a mix of surreal designs and bright colors to give us a cosmic story that honors the past while offering us something new.
Each Green Lantern has a unique design that showcases the true diversity of the Corps. Each member is drawn to embody his, her, or its battle style, and Oliff’s solid coloring allows them to stand out from the ever-changing backgrounds. And these backgrounds aren’t just empty space; they’re filled with a variety of striking planets, asteroids and other celestial bodies.
CONCLUSION
Morrison, Sharp and Oliff have offered us a story with the best of the Green Lantern mythos: action, weirdness and cosmic storytelling. Coupled with the police procedural/drama aspects, THE GREEN LANTERN #3 shows it knows how to connect with fans of Hal Jordan and his Corps.
What did you think of Morrison’s handling of the Green Lantern mythos? Let us know in the comments below!
Young Justice has always been a strange concept for me. They are a team of teenage heroes, even though the Teen Titans are still a thing. Both have casts of characters that were either sidekicks, trained by dark forces or sometimes both. What is the need for it? Then their animated series brought them into the spotlight. With the opinion of the team being so high, DC has decided to put out a new iteration, written by Brian Michael Bendis. How will this new version of the team pan out?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
It’s a dull day in Metropolis as a new hero rolls into town. Jinny Hex, descendant of legendary cowboy Jonah Hex, has come to Superman’s city for help. Before we can learn with what, however, invaders from Gemworld show up. As they begin to cause destruction, other young heroes show up to face them. The first comes in the form of Tim Drake(Robin) who meets up with Cassie Sandsmark, former Wonder Girl. The invading forces give the pair a chance to get back in the fight together after a long break. While they face off against some of the soldiers, Impulse speeds in alongside a new Lantern calling themselves the Teen Lantern to help as well.
This book, much like our young speedster, goes by way too fast. The pacing in this book is insane, and it’s hard to follow. We meet Jinny, invasion starts, flashback 4 minutes ago to a deep conversation between Tim and Cassie. This happens so quickly I can barely connect with these characters! Readers need the balance of fast and slow so we can enjoy it.
That being said, I did have fun with its action and humor. I found myself laughing at Impulse’s attitude and Jinny’s encounter with the cops. It’s moments like this that show the series can be a great one. If Bendis can work out the pacing, I think this will be a fantastic Young Justice run.
Art:
Gleason has been a mixed bag for me in the past, and this issue is an excellent example of why. His designs for the Young Justice team are good, but some of the faces look a bit strange. While Bart looks as cartoonishly energetic as always, Conner’s mouth appears to be entirely on one side of his face. There are more positives than negatives, but the flaws stand out.
Conclusion:
This opening is rushed and a little messy, but it’s fun. The pacing and art might cause some readers to be taken aback. However, if you’re just looking for some cool comic action and humor, this comic gives you plenty. If the rest of the series is like this, while fixing the problems it has, we might have a great Young Justice series.
After the segue provided in the previous issue, Batman #62 delves back into the broader narrative of King’s story.
Coming off the conclusion of their fantastic run on Mister Miracle last November, Tom King and Mitch Gerads reunite to provide a surreal, dark, and bloody entry. Here, Batman finds himself captured by Professor Pyg. Unable to understand how he got there, Bruce attempts to fight back delirium and crack the mystery. Bruce is not prepared, though, to learn who’s really behind the mask.
The Writing
Batman #62 has almost no dialogue. Instead, the issue works almost entirely through Bruce’s inner monologue. Like King’s work on Mister Miracle, the issue reflects the deconstructive approach employed in that series.
King is giving us insight into Bruce’s deteriorating mental state. He’s not certain of what’s going on and how it relates to Bane’s takeover, and the fact that he doesn’t know is gnawing away at him, testing his grip on reality. This points to clear danger for Batman, and the threat that he may be pushed over the edge.
The lack of dialogue means Batman #62 tends to rely heavily on mood. There is palpable anxiety and dread throughout the book, with Bruce seamlessly moving back and forth between talking his way through the confrontation, while trying to crack the mystery behind it.
The storytelling is abstract and dreamlike, leaving much of it up to subjective interpretation. Where we’re headed, though, seems like pretty foreboding territory.
The Artwork
I don’t want to keep harping on the Mister Miracle connection. However, if you loved Gerads’ work on that series, you’ll find plenty to like in Batman #62 as well. The work possesses that same disorienting, psychedelic style. Like Bruce, the visuals make you question what is real, or whether you’re trapped in some kind of washed-out nightmare, which is a perfect aesthetic for a Professor Pyg story.
Of course, the colors play a role nearly as important as the line work. The washes of sickeningly-bright colors amid the splotches and visual glitches really help drive home the vision.
Despite Batman #62 being loose on narrative and almost devoid of dialogue, Gerads does a great job of laying out the sequence of the action. Nearly every page is divided neatly into three evenly-spaced, horizontal panels. The effect reflects the methodical, step-by-step mental process Bruce walks himself through, while also establishing an uneasy sense of symmetry amid the chaos in each panel.
Even the lettering by Clayton Cowles contributes to the spidery, creeping visuals.
Final Thoughts
Batman #62 is as unsettling as it is disorienting…in a good way. Even if you’re not picking up this biweekly series, this issue is one to grab (especially with that Frank Miller variant cover).
Life of Captain Marvel is a beautiful, personal story about family, that also shows how to properly retcon a character’s origin.
When Carol Danvers starts having panic attacks brought on my memories of her childhood, she goes home to Maine to face her demons head on.
The story is written by Margaret Stohl, with pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Rafael Fonteriz, colors by Marcio Menyz (with Federico Blee), and letters by Clayton Cowles. Flasback art is by Marguerite Sauvage (issues #1-3 & #5), and Erica D’Urso & Marcio Menyz (issue #4).
This is an incredible, intimate story. Captan Marvel is one of Marvel’s heaviest hitters; writers can use her to tell grand, epic action stories on a cosmic scale. The fact that Stohl uses Carol to tell a deep, complex story about family dysfunction is a testament to both the writer and the character.
Family is messy, and Life of Captain Marvel explores that in depth. It’s a story about feeling like you’re an outsider in your own home. It’s also about overcoming that, and realizing that your parents are just people – flawed, confused people just trying to get through life, same as you. Not everything is black and white, and things aren’t always how they seem on the surface. This is a comic exploring the grey areas of life.
The artwork really reflects these ideas, too, especially the flashback work by D’Urso and Menyz in issue four. D’Urso makes Carol’s parents look so young and bright-eyed. Even when they’re trying to raise a family, the artwork makes you think, “oh, they’re just kids themselves, figuring it out as they go along.”
And there’s also a big, action-packed alien fight. But the family drama is what drives this story, and why you should pick it up.
Life of Captain Marvel also retcons Carol’s origin in a MAJOR way, but it’s done in a very satisfying way. There will be spoilers from here on, so step away and come back after you’ve read the story if you want to be surprised.
It’s revealed that Carol’s mother was a Kree warrior all along. Carol (who’s name is actually Car-Ell, Kree for “champion”) never inherited her powers from the original Captain Marvel; the incident with Mar-Vell only activated her natural, dormant Kree powers.
Now, admittedly, at first this reveal might make you say “ugh, seriously?” It seems like an unnecessary change that relies too heavily on coincidence. However, that hesitation fades away after a few words from Carol’s mother:
“They’re not anyone’s [powers] but yours. They never have been. … Light and power and speed and strength, because it’s who you are.”
And suddenly everything clicks into place. The change to her origin makes Carol a stronger, more independent superhero. She doesn’t owe her powers to anyone else; they come from her.
Not only that, but this finally gives her the connection to her mother that she’s been craving. She doesn’t feel so alone anymore. Her mother was a warrior, just like she is, only she never knew it. Again, this goes with the themes mentioned earlier: parents are just people. They lived whole lives before having children, and they went through the same struggles that we go through. We just have a hard time thinking of them like that.
So that’s why this retcon works as well as it does. It not only makes for a stronger story, but it also develops Carol’s character. It’s not a retcon just for the sake of shaking things up or generating sales.
If you like deep, fulfilling superhero stories that put heart and soul before action, don’t sleep on Life of Captain Marvel. It’s not your normal Marvel comic; it’s a Marvel comic with indie comic vibes.
The Life of Captain Marvel trade paperback is out Wednesday, January 16th.
Carol Danvers is back in Captain Marvel #1, the double-sized debut issue of her new solo title. Returning from her year-long sabbatical outlined in last year’s excellent Life of Captain Marvel limited series, Danvers is ready to jump back into the action.
The issue opens mid-battle, with Danvers and Spider-Woman taking down a kraken-like beast attacking Manhattan. From there, we diverge into a few different open-ended story threads.
The Writing
Captain Marvel #1 is dialogue-driven. But, unlike the meditative style of Life of Captain Marvel, the writing here tends toward a light, snappy tone. Kelly Thompson leaves little negative space, filling each scene with quick banter between characters.
The book’s first half, focusing on Carol and Jessica Drew taking on a monster, is strong. You get a feel for the warmth and camaraderie between the two through their interaction.
That said, they’re trying to pack a lot into this single issue. We go from a battle against an unexplained monster, to Carol taking on a mentorship gig, to an awkward reunion, into a battle against one of Marvel’s most oafish villains. Captain Marvel #1 is throwing everything at the wall, and not all of it sticks.
Before readers get a chance to center themselves in any one scene, we’re off on a totally different tangent. The story feels choppy and rushed as a result. It would have been a better idea to slow things down and develop one or two of these story threads first, as the pacing and half-fleshed story elements leave it feeling unwieldy and incomplete.
The Artwork
Artist Carmen Carnero embraces a highly-dynamic style in Captain Marvel #1. Each panel offers a different angle and perspective, with kinetic figures adding to the lively sensibility.
From an artistic standpoint, the book’s strength lies in the realistic take on the characters and background details. While I’m not the biggest of Tony Stark’s look, the character designs are very strong overall.
The inks in Captain Marvel #1 work well alongside the colors provided by Tamra Bonvillain. She employs a wide palette, yet the colors have a soft, muted look that complements Carnero’s art style. This gives the final product a somewhat painted, refined look.
Final Verdict
Captain Marvel #1 is a decent start for the new series. The artwork is strong, though the pacing presents an obstacle to really forming a bond with Carol or any of the other cast in this first issue. Hopefully later issues will resolve that.
Criminal, by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips, goes monthly with an excellent, moody, violent and dark double-sized debut issue from Image Comics.
Criminal #1 Written by: Ed Brubaker Art by: Sean Phillips Colors by: Jacob Phillips
Teeg Lawless is back in town. But he finds himself in more trouble than ever, thanks to his delinquent teenage son—and this time, fists and bullets may not be enough to solve his problems.
Writing
The world of Criminal has always been where Ed Brubaker excels the most. And having it monthly is just about the best fucking news any comics fan could hear going into 2019. Criminal is without a doubt Brubaker’s seminal work and now the scribe is going to be able to dive right in twelve times a year and drag us by the neck into that wonderful and twisted, noir world.
This issue stars Teeg Lawless, one of many reappearing characters in Brubaker’s tapestry. Teeg’s son Ricky (who has also popped up before) seems to have ripped off the wrong item from the wrong guy and now Teeg has to come up with some cash fast or else. This leads Teeg back to some old places and acquaintances (most familiar to fans); and of course, one big score. It’s a classic set up that could be a cliche but Brubaker’s too good of a writer and just elevates the whole thing. The narration, omniscient, hard-boiled, and delivered matter of factly makes just about everything read so fucking tough and hard it feels like granite.
And yet despite all the grime and grit, there is still an air of soulfulness and an element of tragedy that haunts these characters and makes you connect and care for them. Hell, you even start to root for them.
Brubaker’s love for the medium as a storytelling tool is evident also as he sneaks in little details that only four color fiends will really notice (like an occasional old school thought balloon).
It’s also great to see Brubaker continuing his use of heavy editorial and supplemental pieces at the end of his comics. Here we have a nice summary of all the Criminal graphic novels for those new to this world and a fantastic essay on the film Blood Simple by regular contributor Kim Morgan. It’s a complete package of a reading experience that works because it’s a monthly.
Art
No one draws a comic like Sean Phillips, and when it’s a crime/noir comic you are going to get comic book art perfection. Phillip draws faces that look haggard and real. His layouts and panel structure are neat, but the feel of the line work is what gives them that handcrafted and grimy look.
Throw in Jacob Phillips’ moody colors and you have the perfect pair to pull off this job. Jacob’s palette also adds a layer of freshness and experimentation that at times gives certain pages and panels a subtle, surreal vibe. It’s beautiful.
Conclusion
It’s simple, don’t sleep on this book. A new Criminal book has always been well worth the wait, and now we are getting one monthly. Just pull the fucking trigger and buy this book.
Continuing on from IDW’s monthly series The Spider King, this new one-shot follows the central band of misfits as they journey on to new adventures. Packed with humour, excitement and character, The Spider King: Frostbite is a wonderful blend of Sci-Fi and Fantasy that will appeal to a large section of comic book fans.
The Spider King: Frostbite Alternative Cover
The Story
It’s an age-old story: a group of survivors head for a sanctuary only to discover an evil force has inhabited the land.
And so begins this one-off story featuring all of your favourite characters from the monthly run of The Spider King. But don’t worry if this is your first issue of the sci-fi/fantasy adventure comic because Josh Vann has written a story that contains everything you need to know about the world of The Spider King thus making it easily accessible.
The cast of Viking warriors and Alien friends travel through the snowy landscape, heading to a nearby settlement so that they can rest and relax. Unfortunately for them, but luckily for the reader, there are dark forces at work in the forest and an unprovoked attack by a possessed wolf is just the start of the adventure.
Vann includes enough creepy elements into the story to keep the atmosphere tense without it becoming a full-on horror comic. Instead, what Vann has written is an adventure story for all ages. It contains humour, action, suspense, and a collection of wonderful characters. The nature of The Spider King story means that there is an identifiable character for everybody and in this one shot they all get time in the spotlight.
But the real stars of this issue are the villains. A collection of alien-possessed animals who brainlessly attack the band of heroes. Vann makes the first attack scary and then ups the ante, introducing more and more creatures. Ultimately this leads to a threat that seems insurmountable for our heroes. Not everything is as it seems but the truth may turn out to be worse.
The Spider King: Frostbite published by IDW Publishing
The Art
The artwork is the one thing that stops The Spider King: Frostbite from becoming a straight up horror comic, which it so easily could be; after all, the story shares similarities with some of the best horror computer games and movies. This comic definitely draws some inspiration from the Resident Evil franchise and John Carpenter’s movie The Thing. However, Simone D’Armini’s pencil work and Adrian Bloch’s colors reign it in and lean more towards the comedy element.
This is not a bad thing; The Spider King is a fun romp with large appeal, so playing down the horrific side does it justice in the long run. And it’s not to say there aren’t a few unnerving or scary elements in the comic. Contained in these pages is the scariest snowman I’ve seen since Doctor Who’s The Snowmen in 2012.
D’Armini’s inks are sharp and definite. Each firm, black line forms a defined shape within the panels which represents the warrior nature of the cast. The panels themselves have thick black boarders making each panel a statement in itself but D’Armini likes to play around with the layout. He shifts panels slightly out of sync or occasionally bleeds an image to the page edge giving certain images more narrative weight.
Across the top of this are Bloch’s colors which are a beautiful blend of pastel purples and pinks contrasted with the electric blue of the creatures. This initially gives the enemy a ghostly presence but there is also the feeling of technology written into the narrative. The color scheme reminds the reader that The Spider King combines both a fantasy world and a Sci-Fi world. There is also the sense of eternal twilight which doesn’t let up throughout the entire story. Bloch keeps it cold and dark without resorting to black shadows thereby keeping the images on the lighter side without diminishing the narrative.
Above all else, it seems that the creators of Frostbite want it to be a fun read. The lettering by Chas! Pangburn definitely reinforces this assumption. From Frodi’s weird hieroglyphics on a green background to the dialogue that breaks the confines of the speech bubbles; Pangburn enjoys breaking conventions to add humour to a page. The panel with the scary snowman, for example, contains the dialogue written so large it even breaks the additional frame that Pangburn places around it. The speech is given such emphasis that the uncomfortable moment is punctuated with a laugh out loud joke.
The Spider King: Frostbite page Art
Additional Story
This issue also contains a back-up story. Called The Errand, it is again written by Vann and lettered by Pangburn but is illustrated by Daniel Irizarri. It is a quaint little tale with a cheeky demon-esq creature and an over tired Sigrid. Mimicking the main story, The Errand mixes mythology with science fiction to create a charming tale which finishes too soon. The build-up is great but the payoff is too easy and doesn’t really explain anything. However, the artwork is fitting and there is a more thoughtful tone given to this moment of Sigrid’s character development.
Overall The Spider King: Frostbite is an exciting romp packed with humour and entertainment. The heroes are suitably heroic and the villainous creatures are solid fantasy fare. This has a lot going for it and is easy to read and enjoy. Also, if you are new to this world, I would recommend picking up The Spider King volume 1 for more of the same Middle Ages adventures.
