ALL-OUT AVENGERS #5 hits your local comic book store on January 25th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: Here at last, because you demanded it, the ultimate battle begins: Spider-Man versus the Avengers! Thrill to the action! Marvel at the wit! Ponder at the possibilities! In a frantic race across Manhattan, someone’s mind is being controlled, someone’s decisions are being directed and someone’s reality is being altered…but whose?
The issue is by writer Derek Landy and penciller Greg Land, with inks by Jay Leisten, colors by Frank D’Armata, and letters by Cory Petit. The main cover is by Land and D’Armata.
Check out the ALL-OUT AVENGERS #5 preview below:
Are you reading ALL-OUT AVENGERS? Sound off in the comments!
BULLS OF BEACON HILL #1 hits your local comic book store January 25th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you.
About the issue: The team behind Justice League of America reunites for some HARD-HITTING REVENGE!
Doctor Christopher Boldt has everything he ever wanted: A successful career as a surgeon, a supportive and loving boyfriend, and an overload of hype on his rumored run for Boston City Council. But there’s one problem – it’s all held up by alie. For years, Chris has been hiding in plain sight, desperate not to be connected to his father, Orin Paige, one of Boston’s most notorious gangsters.
Until now, Chris has been able to live with the secret. And Chris’s father has been just as happy to deny any connection to his queer son, who he sees as a liability in the mob world. Now, Chris’s political aspirations have put father and son on a collision course. A collision course bathed in blood.
From Eisner and GLAAD Award-Nominated writer Steve Orlando (Extreme Carnage, Midnighter, Darkhold, KILL A MAN) and artist Andy MacDonald (Rogue Planet, Loki, MY DATE WITH MONSTERS, I BREATHED A BODY), comesBULLS OF BEACON HILL, a story of family secrets and violent retribution.
The series is by writer Steve Orlando and artist Andy MacDonald, with colors by Lorenzo Scaramella, and letters by Carlos M. Mangual. The main cover is by MacDonald, and the incentive variant is by Pablo Raimondi and José Villarrubia.
Check out our BULLS OF BEACON HILL #1 preview below:
Are you picking up BULLS OF BEACON HILL later this month? Sound off in the comments!
GHOST RIDER #13 is coming to your local comic book store in April, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has the exclusive first look at the cover by BJÖRN BARENDS! The issue is written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Cory Smith. Full details come out on Thursday from Marvel.
About GHOST RIDER #13:
KETCH’S KEEPER! Another Ghost Rider is on the loose, leaving behind a wake of fiery destruction and brutality beyond measure! Is Danny Ketch to blame? Or will the clues lead Johnny Blaze and Talia Warroad to something even more sinister?
The 90’s were a weird time for mainstream comics. In the wake of the darker, more mature stories of the late 1980’s, Marvel and DC scrambled to continue chasing the critical and financial highs of this new era in the industry. The notion of looking back to the Silver and Golden age to continue forward seemed ludicrous at the time. This is just what James Robinson strove to do with the debut of his and artist Tony Harris’s Starman at DC comics in 1994. Also Featuring the artistic talents of Wade Von Grawbadger, Peter Snejbjerg, and others, Starman would tell the tale of reluctant hero Jack Knight taking up his father’s mantle as the Golden Age cosmic crime-fighter of Opal City. Robinson & Co.’s series would go on to be a surprise hit, running for 80 issues and standing tall to this day as one of the greatest comics to come out of DC. Starman’s consistency over such a long run stems not only from Robinson’s tight, clever scripting and the visual team’s unique stylistic approach, but from how thematically rich the comic run is from beginning to end. Above all else, Starman is a story about legacy; whether that be about family names, reputation, or simply what one wants to leave behind.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Starman’s story begins with tragedy. We first meet the new Starman, David Knight, just after taking up the mantle from his father, Ted Knight. Eager to continue the legacy of his Golden Age hero dad, he ascends with the Cosmic Rod of old – only to be shot out of the sky. Davey’s sudden death spurs the younger Knight son, the rebellious Jack, into action. Up until this point, Jack’s treatment of the Starman title ranged from disdain to indifference. The tattoo-clad collector of historic junk held little regard for his father’s super heroics – the very attitude that led to Davey wielding the cosmic rod instead. This guilt leads to Jack’s reluctant assuming of the title after his brother’s murder, albeit with some caveats. Gone is the Golden and Silver Age red and green skin-tight costume, replaced by Jack’s leather jacket and goggles. Guided by his father and the many allies he gains along his path – including the mysterious anti-hero and fan-favorite character The Shade – Jack Knight grows from hesitant avenger to cosmic explorer and even to family man across his 80-issue journey.
Over the course of this run, Knight & Co. cross paths with numerous heroes of the distant Golden Age past. Alan Scott as Green Lantern, Jay Garrick as The Flash, Wesley Dodds as a now retired Sandman, and others have their own roles in the story, helping indirectly guide Jack down his path as the new Starman. Robinson sets Jack apart as a different kind of character as a whole for the mid-90’s, with his reverence for what came before him. Not necessarily in a superhero sense (though he is a huge fan of Dodds detective work as Sandman), but in a cultural sense. Jack is a historic pop culture fiend, with interests ranging from the Golden Age of Hollywood to 19th century poems. The concept of maintaining a legacy is imprinted in Jack’s personality, even as we learn more about how little he once cared for the Starman title. As he grows as a hero, he becomes a positive influence on the people around him, reminding them to reflect on their own pasts – and how they want to be remembered. He befriends others who have fought under the Starman banner – Mikaal, an alien warrior turned refugee, and Will Payton a.k.a. Prince Gavyn, ruler of a galactic empire – and indirectly helps them find their way back onto their own paths after personal crisis’s.
Aside from Jack’s own arc, the most satisfying character development in the run is that of the mysterious immortal gentleman, The Shade. The 19th century family man turned-demonic spirit controller turned anti-hero mercenary is a fan-favorite of the series. His undeniable charm and unpredictable nature make him a joy to read, but his real complexity comes from witnessing his internal struggle with doing what is right. Shade’s juggling of his renegade tendencies and his growing sense of accountability is one of the most engaging plot points of the run. His development is due in no small part to his tenuous friendship with the Starman family.
As much as Starman is a book about the past, it’s utilized as a way to approach the future of superhero comics. Robinson manages to keep Starman a largely insular comic. There are almost no crossovers, and which ones there are still manage to uphold the theme of the main story (a crossover with The Power of Shazam is a prime example). Starman’s conception almost feels like an intentionally pointed contradiction of what was happening with mainstream comics at the time. Muscle and utility pouch-clad anti-heroes sweeping through Crisis On Infinite Earths-esque crossover events littered comic stands for much of the decade, desperately seeking to capitalize on the works of the 1980’s. Starman remains so effective and consistent because it resigns to only being itself. Through all of Jack Knight’s trials, deeds, and flirtations, he learns and develops both as a hero and just as a person. Jack gains something from every interaction he has in this comic – from his conversations with his father, his brother, The Shade, numerous other classic heroes, even the villains he encounters. He fills the role of Starman admirably, but he never feels like a superhero. He often stumbles into success after taking hints from his father and the allies he comes across.
Starman is a story of learning lessons from those around you and turning that into a legacy. Everyone here is teaching each other something and these lessons – whether directly or indirectly – fuel their individual developments as the series progresses. Jack Knight himself develops and self-actualizes as a superhero, but ends his time in this series with the realization that he doesn’t want that anymore. With his new love and family to think about, Jack meets with all the allies he’s made in Opal to ensure the city is protected, hands off the Starman name to a proper newcomer, and leaves to live his new, calmer life. He isn’t running away from his title, but rather realizing what he needs to do for himself and his family while ensuring the legacy of his father remains intact. David paid the price for trying to be their father – a fate Ted never wanted for either of his sons. Jack’s decision at the end of the run is placed around his new obligations of fatherhood. When I say that Starman’s main thematic component is legacy, that doesn’t necessarily mean just that of super heroics. The legacy and lessons of prior generations given to the current – like father passing to son – are equally as relevant and baked into this comic’s story. James Robinson & Co.’s Starman is an immensely creative and entertaining series for many reasons, but the use of its thematic throughline makes it one of the greatest and most memorable mainstream comics ever released.
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 have committed myself to this reading challenge, in the hope that I can broaden my reading habits and fully engage with my favorite hobby again.
The first week was a mixed bag of old and new comics. Some re-reads and some brand new, never before reads. A format that most weeks will take, I expect. As demonstrated below..
Planet of the Apes Visionaries Credit: Boom Studios!
Comic Number 8: Planet of the Apes Visionaries
A Sunday afternoon feels like the perfect time for Planet of the Apes, especially as I grew up watching reruns of the movies and the television series on Sundays. This special hardback publication by BOOM! Studios is an adaptation of Rod Serling’s original scripts for the 1968 movie. The narrative is familiar but with a few differences that make reading this a wonderful experience. Throughout you feel as though you know where it’s going but the expected twists are subverted just enough to still make them work as twists in the story. Dana Gould and Chad Lewis interpret the scripts brilliantly, adapting concepts designed for the cinema into superb comic pages. The vision that Serling had for his adaptation of the original novel was deemed too expensive for Hollywood at the time, but Gould and Lewis don’t have such budgetary constraints so their imagination and visual design holds no bounds.
And the final pages are heartbreaking.
This is an excellent book and a must own for Planet of the Apes fans. And with Marvel bringing out a new Apes series later in the year, I doubt this will be the last Apes comic in this every growing list.
Two-Fisted Tales (re-prints) from EC Comics
Comic Number 9: Two-Fisted Tales #17 (originally published as number #34 in 1953)
“I felt that people should know the truth about war and everything else. As a matter of fact, I finally came to the conclusion that it’s the truth that one should be interested in, that if you aim your thinking toward telling the truth, then you’d be doing something worthwhile.” – Harvey Kurtzman
Reading this (reprinted) issue of Two-Fisted Tales, I can see where Harvey Kurtzman is coming from. The four tales in this comic have an air of honesty about them even with their EC twist endings and compulsion for violence. There is a western drawn by Jack Davis, a medieval comedy from Wally Wood, a tale of macho posturing and dueling by John Severin, and it’s all finished off with a true life World War 2 story drawn by George Evans.
All of the art is wonderful, as is to be expected with the amazing talent that EC kept on their books. The narratives themselves range from excellent to merely entertaining and they are all linked by the concept of honor and how it is interpreted by different people. I thoroughly enjoyed this comic but I also read the next issue that I’ve got (reprinted number 21) and found the stories tiresome and problematic. The narratives are plagued with racism and male posturing. There are some problematic stories in some of ECs other titles, but the Two-Fisted Tales seem to contain more than most. It is disappointing, especially as most of the artwork is excellent.
Predator #6 Credit: Marvel Comics
Comic Number 10: Predator #6
I fancied an easy read and have always had a soft spot for the Predator franchise. I haven’t read any of the new Marvel Predator comics so I was a little out of the loop, narrative wise. However, there’s not a lot you need to know, especially at the end of an action story like this. Ed Brisson has written a fun script. Cheesy, but in a way that fits the comic. The artwork by Kev Walker is exciting and modernist in style, favoring pacing and atmosphere over realism. Which is a perfect fit for Brisson’s script. Expressive coloring by Frank D’Armata and on-point lettering (thanks to the wonderful Clayton Cowles) complete this surprisingly fun read.
Panic #1 published by EC Comics
Comic Number 11: Panic #1
Everyone has heard of MAD, it’s still around after all. But less people have probably heard of Panic, EC’s humor follow up. That will be due to its short 12-issue run that ended in 1955.
Reading the first issue, one of the things that stands out is the brutality of the humor. It’s difficult to call it dark humor, but it does have a cruelty to it. Each of the stories is written by Al Feldstein and there is a one gag per story feel to the first few. There’s no question that the artwork carries each of these narratives. That is doubly true for the controversial The Night Before Christmas story drawn by Bill Elder, which is by far the most entertaining comic in the book. It is a cornucopia of sight gags and in-jokes. It reeks of EC in style and substance and deserves to be remembered, more so than any of the other stories.
The Night Before Christmas makes this comic the stuff of legend and led to the arrest of Shirley Norris, the receptionist at EC. Now, there’s not many comics that can say that.
Superman #80 Credit: DC Comics
Comic Number 12: Superman #80 (1993)
I know what you’re thinking; I read the penultimate issue of the Death of Superman last week, so where’s the finale? Where’s the main event? Unfortunately, I’ve already read it and gone much further. I’m storming my way through the Reign of the Supermen at the moment and just reached this issue, which is a pivotal point of the story.
I love this run of Superman comics despite some of the dodgy dialogue and inconsistent artwork. There is a feeling of commitment by the creators to telling the best, most exciting story they can. In Superman #80 Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding get to reveal the villain of the piece and they do so in one of the most destructive ways possible. The Cyborg Superman relays false information directly to the President of America as he assists in the destruction of Coast City. It is horrific, violent, and excellently executed.
I do have two small issues with the cover, however. Firstly, the rendering of the Last Son of Krypton is dreadful. He looks like an old man who has misplaced his false teeth. And secondly, it gives the game away. It tells you too much about the story inside and reveals the villain before you’ve read the comic. There is the opposite problem with monthly comics at the moment where the covers give the reader no indication of what the comic is about and often feature incidents or characters that don’t even feature on the pages inside. Superman #80, however, is a front page spoiler.
Blame! volume 1 published by Tokyopop
Comic Number 13: Blame Book 1
This week I read an article about adaptations of Dorian Gray in The Wildean (No 46, 2016). In it Darcy Sullivan writes ‘Generally speaking, comic books don’t deal in atmosphere.’ Although he has a lot of interesting things to say about Dorian Gray, on this one point, he is very much mistaken. Visual and emotional atmospheres are at the heart of good comics, as is perfectly illustrated by today’s read Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei.
Beginning in 1997, Blame! ran monthly until 2003. Tokyopop began printing translated volumes in 2000 and this first volume is nothing but atmosphere. The characters and narrative grows across the entire run of the series but in these first few chapters the environment is the star. Everything you need to know about the comic comes from the contrasting spaces and the imposing and beautifully rendered architecture. The atmosphere changes from overbearing, disturbing, nurturing, and narrative as you move from page to page. Not only is the artwork visually striking but it creates its own audio track in your head. You can’t help but hear the creaking metal and the echoes of voices in the dark.
Blame! is nothing but atmosphere and Tsutomu Nihei’s brilliance proves that comics don’t need anything else to be captivating.
Alternative cover for issue 1 of Above Snakes Credit: Image Comics
Comic Number 14: Above Snakes (issues 1-5)
If I had made a list of the Best Comics of 2022, Above Snakes would easily have made it on there. This superb western, with a mild supernatural bent, by Sean Lewis, Hayden Sherman, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is outstanding in every aspect. Re-reading it in one sitting just highlights how wonderfully everything from the twisting narrative to the intricate, yet free flowing, artwork is. It’s so difficult to pick a favorite part of this comic because everything is so well designed and executed. Otsmane-Elhaou’s amazing lettering leads you through the panels effortlessly and each page is a joy to read.
If you missed out on the single issues of Above Snakes, the collected edition is due out next week from Image. It is worth every cent they’ll be charging for it.
Week 2 done and another 7 comics read (well, technically there’s 10 comics and 2 books, not including all of the Superman comics that came between where I was last week to where I am this week).
Join me next week for another selection of comics and in the meantime, why not comment below to let me know what you’re reading.
In 1988, Grant Morrison’s Animal Man changed comics forever. It broke all the rules, with Morrison writing themselves in as a character, with the protagonist looking off the page at the reader in horror, and with panels slowly collapsing to crush villains inside them. Morrison wanted us to look at superhero comics and question everything about them. They wanted us to never see superheroes the same way again. Writer Tom King, artist Elsa Charretier, colorist Matt Hollingsworth, and letterer Clayton Cowles are doing that for romance comics, in Love Everlasting. Some spoilers ahead for the first issue.
Love Everlasting, originally released digitally by this creative team’s Substack (Everlasting Productions), is now also being released in print by Image Comics. The first volume, collecting the first 5 issue arc “Trapped by Love,” comes out in stores on February 8th. It’s an exploration of the tropes of romance comics. It asks us why we take all the usual story beats for granted. It makes us look at “everlasting love” and shudder, rather than smile. It doesn’t try to ignore the artifice of love stories and comic book building blocks – it puts that artifice in the spotlight.
“Everything was just perfect.”
The first issue of Love Everlasting introduces us to Joan Peterson. She’s a lonely woman who has just moved to the Big Apple. She doesn’t know if she’s going to make it there. After all, she’s just a small town Indiana girl. But then, to make things worse, she falls in love with her best friend/roommate’s boyfriend – George. It’s not long before Joan’s roommate gets her a job working as George’s secretary. And so, she sits at her desk each day, her heart quietly breaking as she longs for a man that she can’t have. Then, everything just kind of works out. Quite simply, in fact. We’re left with the image of Joan and George embracing, finally giving into the love for each other that has been growing for so long. Everything is hunky dory.
The first issue of Love Everlasting introduces us to Joan Peterson. She’s a restless girl from Crescent Creek who sneaks out of her house at night to go to the nightclubs full of “hoodlums” that her father is always warning her about. She doesn’t know if – Hold on.
Haven’t we done this before?
Sure enough, we have. King, Charretier, Hollingsworth, and Cowles reset their story, putting Joan in a new context with new stakes at play. And we’re not the only ones to notice this. She notices it too. As she slowly falls in love with her new beau Kit, she finds herself mixing his name up with the name “George.” But who’s George? She’s never known a George before. Or has she?
And again, right when Joan finds her happily ever after with Kit, she’s back at square one a page later. A new life, a new man, a new home. We love the chase, don’t we? That’s what this creative team seems to be saying. The moment a happy ending comes, you can almost hear the roar of hungry readers ready for more. And that’s what this team does. They give us more.
“Follow the pattern.”
But Joan is tired. She’s always chasing, never enjoying the fruits of her labors. So, she starts running. The first three issues of this fantastic run follow Joan on her flight from love. There are even moments where she is running across a page, and we see Cowles’ caption boxes right on her heels, gaining on her panel by panel. She’s quite literally running from the story. But a cowboy – like some narrative force of nature that keeps these stories within the comfortable bounds of their cliché arcs – hunts Joan down for not playing her role the way she should. “Love is everlasting,” he says before his bullets send her flying into the next story.
When the cracks begin to show in the narrative, Charretier’s style changes. She starts drawing in a way that emphasizes the cracks. Most of the time, her style is somewhat like the kind of thing you’d see in Saturday morning cartoons. Her linework is crisp, clean, and her character designs are incredibly iconic. But when the story becomes self-aware, Charretier’s style changes. The lines become scratchy. The blacks are no longer solid, and Hollingsworth casts the whole thing in a reddish tint. You can practically see the alarm bells going off.
“I don’t fucking understand what this is!“
And as the story progresses, this creative team keeps reminding us that this is a comic book. They use techniques that point us to the form in addition to telling the story. In sections, instead of using caption boxes, Cowles uses whole panels for narration. It interrupts the rhythm of reading. Elsewhere, characters have thought bubbles coming from their heads. King is deliberately using a Silver Age convention of storytelling – spelling out what characters are thinking. On a few pages, Charretier has the same character show up multiple times in one panel. Because panels exist as a unit of time, seeing two versions of the same character in one unit of time takes us out of the story for a brief second, just like Charretier intends. And then there are the “covers” for each story or chapter within these issues. They have flashy images, which Hollingsworth often portrays with their own unique color schemes, that work to hook a reader’s attention, but then have little to do with the story itself. The narrative beats that they depict never actually happen within the chapters they’re marking.
Joan breaks the fourth wall, too. Or at least, she almost does. King and Charretier have her looking off the page in shock. Is she looking at us? You can’t help but picture Buddy Baker’s peyote trip in Morrison’s Animal Man. And King also has his own version of Morrison’s continuity aliens – a relationship counselor and a relentless cowboy. But there’s one thing that separates Joan from Buddy. The moment Buddy Baker figures out he’s in some kind of story, he spends every second trying to find a way out. Joan Peterson is different.
“The sun comes and you’re warm, the rain comes and you’re wet.”
Right when we think we’ve nailed down the point of this series, this creative team throws us for a loop. Joan stops running, she stops fighting, at least for a second. Issue #4 of Love Everlasting is an unadulterated, beautiful love story. It’s all the more sweet because of the added layer that it’s not quite real. But for 25 pages, just these 25, Joan doesn’t care. Charretier abandons her clear cut panel borders and creates an immersive atmosphere of a French bar in World War 1. Every panel is on the backdrop of another bigger panel in the background. She invites you to get lost in this story for once, instead of thinking about how it is a story.
Love Everlasting is confusing, beautiful, and riveting. At some points, it feels like a psychological horror comic, where the idea of “everlasting love” has been twisted into some cruel form of torture. At other times, it feels like a deconstruction of comics themselves, and a dissection of oversimplified romances. But then, right when you think you have it figured, it shows it can sometimes just be a beautiful love story. Love Everlasting is a classic in the making. It’s the next Animal Man, just with a lot more kissing. King, Charretier, Hollingsworth, and Cowles are rewriting the game in a way that you have no choice but to fall in love with.
Chip Zdarsky is a writer and artist that you can’t put in a box. He’s co-created projects like Sex Criminals, which was hilarious and strangely sweet at times. He has written Howard the Duck, The All-Nighter, and Public Domain (which he also draws), all of which are gloriously campy. His writing often has a tongue-in-cheek quality to it. His art is sometimes full of dick jokes and porn parodies. But then, he goes and writes something like his guest issue of Crossover. Crossover #7 is a beautiful, soul-bearing work about how the person you fear most is often yourself. Then there’s Newburn, Zdarsky’s gritty noir series about a private eye that works for the mob. Zdarsky is a creator who is incredibly hard to pin down.
Enter Batman.
Zdarsky isn’t the first person you’d think to hire for Batman, but thank God DC did. His work on the series so far has already shown his incredible creative range. And there’s a brilliance to how his works pulling in so many directions — a brilliance that he imbues his Batman run with. As this run opens in issue #125, we see a Batman who feels incredibly introspective. Bruce is suffering from nightmares which seem connected to past traumas, and he spends most of his time wrestling with doubts about his mission. He also feels quite fallible. Over the course of the run to date, we see him get to the scene of a crime once it’s too late. We see him dragged behind his Batmobile, concussed and desperate. But the moment we’re tempted to label Zdarsky’s Batman as vulnerable, we see him fall from outer space and walk it off like nothing even happened. Is Batman a man or is he a god? This Batman is paradoxical and contradictory. He’s impossible to define or place limitations on, just like Zdarsky himself.
And series artist Jorge Jimenez is perfectly paired with Zdarsky for the job. Jimenez can make Batman look like a gargoyle, looking down at Gotham City with all the immortality of a twisted statue. But Jimenez also makes Batman look so human. Jimenez shows the fear in Bruce’s eyes as he fights. He shows Bruce’s quiet sadness when he loses. We get just as many times in the pages of Batman where Bruce looks as small and powerless as he does big and untouchable.
Batman is Complicated.
Comics are complicated. The whole cast of characters in Batman walk a tightrope of indestructability and temporality. Zdarsky and Jimenez often seem to be bucking up against the bounds of comics in this way. They can maim Robin, put Batman in a coma for a while, but we’re constantly reminded in these pages that these people don’t die. Even when Bruce thinks back on the traumatic events of Death in the Family, he’s remembering the death of a character who’s currently walking around Gotham City, instead of being six feet under. So when Bruce is zapped into dust, Tim Drake doesn’t skip a beat. Issue #131’s backup story, “The Toy Box” — drawn by Miguel Mendonça — shows Tim saying with conviction: “He’s not dead.” And we know that’s true. Batman doesn’t die.
There’s a creative wall that superhero comics have set up over the years. Superheroes don’t die. And if they do, they always find a way back. But you can almost feel Zdarsky and Jimenez walking up to that creative wall and feeling it for weak spots. “Okay,” they seem to say. “We can’t kill them… but what can we do?”
Thematically Balanced.
With all of these themes at work, Zdarsky’s run feels both versatile and balanced. For every moment of pulpy action, you have a scene of thoughtful contemplation, the best example of which is the beautiful back up story “I Am A Gun” with art by Leonardo Romero. It does for the psyche of Bruce Wayne what “The Anatomy Lesson” did for the Swamp Thing. Zdarsky’s Batman offers everything. It’s charming, action-packed, and introspective. It asks a very simple question: “Who is Batman?”
The answer is just as elusive as you want it to be.
MANIAC OF NEW YORK: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK #1 hits your local comic book store January 18th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: Maniac Harry, the seemingly unstoppable killer, has finally been stopped. The city celebrates, the Mayor takes the credit, and Maniac Task Force Director Gina Greene — last seen slicing the Maniac’s head open — has disappeared to parts unknown. Now NYPD Detective Zelda Pettibone must pick up the pieces of a life that’s suddenly so empty she almost wishes the Maniac was back. And unfortunately, sometimes wishes are granted.
THAT’S RIGHT, THERE’S A NEW MANIAC, BUT NOT THE ONE YOU’RE EXPECTING! Stay out of Central Park and stay away from cable news, ‘cause something terrifying is on the loose!
Writer Elliott Kalan and artist Andrea Mutti return to the acclaimed horror-satire series for a tale of horrifying gore and even more horrifying cultural relevance!
The series is by writer Elliott Kalan and artist Andrea Mutti, with letters by Taylor Esposito. The main cover is by Mutti, and the incentive variant is by Jonathan Luna.
Check out our MANIAC OF NEW YORK: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK #1 preview below:
Have you been reading MANIAC OF NEW YORK? Sound off in the comments!
DEADLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #4 (OF 5) hits your local comic book store on January 18, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive preview for our readers. The book is written by Taboo & B. Earl, with art by Juan Ferreyra, and you will read Travis Lanham’s letter work.
Ferreyra’s art is crazy good; enjoy the preview below.
About DEADLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #4 (OF 5): SAY IT AIN’T SO, SPIDEY! Spending some time in L.A., Spider-Man has discovered a mysterious and powerful relic that has awakened something that threatens to consume him! With his subconscious at a crossroads, will Spidey have what it takes to resist or will he be lost to a waking nightmare forever?
From writer LJ Duey and artist Paulo Mel comes a comic following a delightfully deviant sorceress-turned contract killer in We Wicked Ones #1. Featuring colors by Ander Zarate and lettering from Crank!, this debut issue from Scout Comics offers a unique take on magic in the world of superheroes and a distinct look at morality through the eyes of the protagonist. With a darkly clever script and outstanding visual work, this new series is a stellar way to start reading comics in the new year.
“After being orphaned in a mass witch burning orchestrated by the US government, Celia Jordan grew up to be Washington DC’s darkest secret-she’s now wreaks havoc as the city’s resident witch… and its most sought-after contract killer. When a politician hires her to kill a beloved and powerful superhero, Celia hesitates, but not for long. No one has been able to catch her yet – why would they now?”
Writing & Plot
LJ Duey introduces readers to one of the most easily likable new protagonists of 2023 so far with Celia Jordan in We Wicked Ones #1. One of the few survivors of a government-mandated witch hunt, Celia now works as an amoral spellcasting assassin for-hire. Her new life – making herself an invaluable asset to the very people who would otherwise see her dead – seems to be working out for her. The wrinkles start to arise when she’s asked to kill one of the only public beings who stood up for her kind before they were massacred. With this twist of inner turmoil, the story truly begins. Celia’s unceasing snark makes her a joy to read, and that attitude bleeds into the comic’s overhead narrative. This makes it all the more striking when that attitude breaks. Getting into Celia’s head, learning about her past, and seeing what attachments she currently has adds a surprise amount of weight to the story, and makes readers genuinely concerned for Celia and the life she has chosen. What starts out as a magic and snide comment-filled classy assassin story quickly turns into a deeply human quiz on morality. Duey’s script bounces along at an even pace, flitting between Celia’s endlessly entertaining dialogue and her attitude-inflected inner monologue while keeping up with the many happenings in the chapter itself. A lot happens in this opening chapter, what with Celia’s marks and meeting with clients while also getting her backstory and meeting with some of those closest to her. Duey’s script handles all of this in stride, making for a smooth and constantly entertaining reading experience.
Art Direction
Duey is joined by the artistic talent of Paulo Mel to bring visual life to We Wicked Ones #1, and the results are stunning. Mel’s striking character animations and detailed backgrounds pull the reader in with effortless ease. Each character looks distinct, and their range of facial expressions are completely unique from one another. Mel’s sequential direction nails the pacing, with panel sequencing that holds its focuses perfectly and moves the story along at a natural pace. The conversational sequences get just the right amount of attention without ever bogging down the story, and the action is appropriately breakneck. Mel’s sharp, thin linework is given life by Ander Zarate’s vivid colors, The color art seals the comic’s tone with deep, “magical” feeling hues that give of a very distinct vibe. Every page here has that RGB-esque purple and pink glow about it – what the kids call “bisexual lighting.” Zarate’s warm and stunning use of color keeps readers wrapped up in every page. The lettering from Crank! rounds out the experience with dynamic font changes that nail the tone in every interaction. The SFX lettering is a real gem here, with tiny lettering moments adding the perfect punctuation to Celia casting a spell – all for it to flip over into a booming piece when the action picks up. The letters never steal thew show, but work to sell the noise and tone of every page. Overall, We Wicked Ones is off to a gorgeous start with a fantastic visual team.
Verdict
We Wicked Ones #1 is an outstanding start to this new series from Scout Comics. LJ Duey’s script is clever and full of attitude, with a protagonist that is as fun as she is morally compelling. The visual work from Paulo Mel and Ander Zarate is gorgeous and full of detail, bringing this world of magical assassinations and superheroes to life with unique effect. Be sure to grab this newest release when it hits shelves on March 8th!
