FANTASTIC FOUR #3 hits your local comic book store on January 4, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for our readers. The book is written by Ryan North, with art by Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov drops the color, and you will read Joe Caramagna’s letter work. In addition, Alex Ross created the beautiful cover.
About FANTASTIC FOUR #3: The Human Torch is alone in New York, trying to survive in a city that hates and fears—well, mostly him specifically. There’s just one thing for Johnny to do: Adopt an all-new secret identity and take an all-new job nobody else wants! But when things at work heat up, Johnny discovers that while you can forget the past, that doesn’t mean it’ll stay buried…and he has to decide if there’re certain things that the Human Torch can’t let himself do! Also! In this issue, Johnny Storm fights a tornado!
Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, is one of the MCU’s founding Avengers, and the most grounded member of the superhero project. Last year, he finally received his first solo project and took on a young protégé in the Disney+ series Hawkeye.
Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) is a young woman who became inspired to take up archery after seeing Hawkeye fight in the Battle of New York. When Kate comes back to New York for Christmas, she suspects her mum’s fiancé is up to no good, leading her to an underground auction. Clint also happens to be in New York with his kids for a family trip. Kate’s actions force Clint to confront his past when he had acted as the murderous vigilante Ronin during The Blip.
Hawkeye was the fourth live-action Marvel series made for Disney+, and the most grounded so far. It aimed to be a series that looked at street-level crime instead of multiverse-level threats. Most of the series took place in New York City. This focus on crime, gangsters, and New York made Hawkeye more akin to the Netflix Marvel series like Daredevil or Jessica Jones, but with the MCU treatment. This meant the series had a grittier story yet was filled with jokes. Hawkeye had an excellent opening. It opened with a prologue where Kate and her mother (Vera Farmiga) survived the Battle for New York and Kate saw Hawkeye in action. It felt cinematic; it felt like the opening to Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice where a major event from a previous movie was shown from a different perspective. The animated title sequence showed Kate training in archery, fencing, and marital arts, which quickly showed she was skilled but lacked experience. She made mistakes and got hit when fighting the Tracksuit Mafia.
Clint had the biggest emotional storyline in the series. He was suffering from the impact of The Blip and the events of Avengers: Endgame. During The Blip, Clint lost his family and he became a bloodthirsty vigilante, whilst in Avengers: Endgame he saw Natasha sacrifice herself so The Avengers could acquire the Soul Stone. All these events have taken a toll on the man because he suffered from trauma and guilt. These events also had ramifications for Clint because there were characters who (rightly or wrongly) wanted revenge. The series had some terrific moments, but the third episode, “Echoes”, was arguably the strongest. That episode opened with Maya Lopez’s (Alaqua Cox) backstory. This prologue showed Maya’s loving relationship with her father and how she developed her martial arts skills. It was effective storytelling that showed how dangerous Maya was, whilst also evoking sympathy. The episode had the best action sequence in the series. This was the car chase which was the most inventive because of the way it was shot and the implementation of Hawkeye’s signature trick arrows.
Florence Pugh reprised her role as Yelena Belova for the series. She was a great presence and a scene-stealer like she was in Black Widow. She was hired as an assassin and had a personal grudge against Clint since she believed Clint was responsible for Natasha’s death. Whilst she had a serious mission, she was also hilarious and made the Marvel style of humor work. Hawkeye was generally an entertaining series, but it was not without issue. First and foremost, the story felt overly extended. This was particularly evident during the second episode where the characters took a detour to a LARPing event in Central Park. It felt like the showrunners were trying to justify the six-episode run. The events of the series take place over the course of a few days which made it feel like Hawkeye could have been a film instead
Hawkeye’s action sequences felt the most televisual so far. Most of the fight scenes happened in locations like a hotel wine cellar, a warehouse, and a rooftop. It felt more like an Arrowverse show than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The action was well executed, but it’s a departure from the big set pieces seen in other MCU projects. Hawkeye was bogged down by the tonal shifts. Characters like Clint and Maya had emotional baggage and they were dealing with their trauma, then Kate and Yelena were cracking jokes constantly. The humor was at times cringey and didn’t fit the crime story.
Hawkeye is a breezy watch. It make for a fun festive series to watch around the holidays, and it showed the ground level of the MCU. However, it was overall inconsequential in the canon of the MCU.
The Peacock Original series ‘Til Jail Do Us Part stars Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur), Roselyn Sanchez (Fantasy Island), Jeirmarie Osorio (Jane the Virgin), and Sylvia Saenz (Bambalina) as four wives dealing with the repercussions of their criminal husbands. Juan Carlos Enriquez created the charming, energetic, and versatile soundscapes that permeate the eight-episode first season.
Angela (Kate del Castillo), Sofia (Roselyn Sanchez), Esmeralda (Jeimy Osorio), and Viri (Sylvia Saenz) are all married to four men who handle illicit business in and around Miami, Florida. They’re big-time mobsters serving a criminal organization run by Suazo (Rodrigo Murray). When money goes missing and the husbands are put behind bars, the wives come under assault and must band together to survive. The problem is these women don’t like each other, making for one fun dramedy.
PopAxiom spoke with Juan about his road to becoming a composer and creating the music for ‘Til Jail Do Us Part.
Learned
Juan originates from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, “the land of tequila and mariachis,” he says. “Guadalajara is a very musical city. There are mariachis and street musicians everywhere. It’s also the home of the Jalisco State Philharmonic. So I used to go watch the philharmonic as a kid with my family.”
One of Juan’s great-aunts was a classical pianist and taught him as a child, which served as his introduction to playing music. “I got bored with the exercises and started to wander off on my own, getting into bass and guitar. Doing my own thing with music always grabbed my attention as a kid,” he reflects.
By the time high school came around, Juan was playing in rock bands for fun. “At that time, I learned about this career called film scoring, and there were composers like Hans Zimmer and John Williams. There was a whole world in the US of people making music for a living and working on amazing movies, so that grabbed my attention. Combined with seeing orchestras play classical pop concerts with film scores, that ignited something in me to learn everything I could about the craft.”
Juan attended Berklee College of Music in Boston to study composing for film and television. “I moved to LA and worked for nine years, going from project to project as an assistant composer, additional composer, or additional arranger. It was there that I learned the craft and about the industry.”
About ’Til Jail Do Us Part
“I was recommended to the producers of ‘Til Jail Do Us Part to be considered for another show which I didn’t get,” he laughs, explaining his connection to the Peacock series. “But they were impressed enough with the work that they invited me to demo for ‘Til Jail. So there was a process of demoing, proposing my main title idea, and a few scenes based on the script. Then, thankfully, they chose me.”
Juan had the scripts for the first three episodes to guide him during a short window to create new music. “They gave me a week to work on the demo. I also had meetings with the production designer and sound people to get a general idea of the show’s aesthetic and how they wanted to be different from other shows set in Miami with a Latin story.”
“I tried to distill all that, like a good tequila, into a thirty-second main title and then five scenes imagining what the edits would be,” he continues. “I was happy that they loved it. The main titles never changed; they were just recorded live. A few of the scenes stayed too.”
Productions always need more time. “Once I was brought on, it was like, ‘Here’s the schedule because we’re running and have to deliver by these dates.’ The usual post-production process.”
While explaining the process, he says that he worked on more scenes based on the rough edits. “They sent me scattered scenes, and I’d send stuff back for review. After a few passes, we got the tone of the show. Then, once the final edits were in place, I did a pass to make it all more cohesive.”
Juan explained how he tried to make ‘Til Jail Do Us Part different from other shows set in South Florida by noting, “a lot of times, you see that shot of Ocean Drive, and it’s electronic music. I went differently because of the characters and the aesthetic. It’s slightly more retro, with an a-temporal vibe to make it more unique and colorful. It’s not a drama; it’s a dramedy, so I could be playful with it.”
Play It
Juan Carlos’ process depends on style. ”When you work on a certain instrument, something different comes out of you. It’s not the same composing on a piano as on a guitar. So, each style evokes a different method of approach,” he explains.
On ‘Til Jail, he says, “I started on the piano to see if I could get the main theme happening. Then I started orchestrating from there, adding percussion and guitar. The main title was the root of the style because it worked well. I wanted the main title to be a melody throughout the show so that the music appears in different variations when the main characters work together. As the season evolves, it gets more intense too, so I was able to add more instruments.”
“I’m very hands-on and like to play the instruments to see what comes out,” he shares. “You never know; it’s like a stream of consciousness writing. Some composers are effective at programming the music, working the notes directly into the computer. For some styles, it works. For me, it works to play it myself.”
Wrapping Up
As a kid in Mexico, Juan reveals what kind of movies he was exposed to. “You get the blockbusters. I had no idea about the indie world until I went to college. In Mexico, you get Bruce Wills and Keanu Reeves. So, I grew up with Hollywood blockbusters and animations, which I love. They have a special place in my heart.”
“I love the composer Harry Gregson-Williams, an English composer who did the soundtracks for Narnia and Shrek. Also, amazing thriller movies like Spy Game and The Equalizer. I love his style of blending orchestra with electronics.” Like every musician, his influences come from a wide range of sources. “Being Mexican, I was exposed to many composers from Latin America like Jose Pablo Moncayo.” His style, he says, is “a mix of classical Mexican composers and Hollywood blockbusters.”
Juan wants to work on bigger action movies or thrillers. He’s thankful to have worked on projects like Furious 7 and Narcos. “I got my feet wet, and I want more.”
‘Til Jail Do Us Part is available now on Peacock. Juan also scored the Netflix mini-series The Secret of the Greco Family. It’s set in the 80s in Mexico and is based on a true story about a rich Mexican family that starts having financial trouble. To keep up with the Joneses, they start kidnapping their kids’ friends to ask for ransom. It’s based on a true story that happened in Argentina.
There is more to come from Juan Carlos.
Is ‘Til Jail Do Us Part on your watch list?
Thanks to Juan Carlos Enriquez and Impact24 PR
for making this interview possible.
VENOM #14 doesn’t hit your local comic book shop until December 28, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a four-page exclusive preview for our readers. The DARK WEB tie-in is written by Al Ewing, with art by Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie drops the inks, Alex Sinclair sets the color palette, and you will read Clayton Cowles’ letter work.
About VENOM #14: Madeylne Pryor has plans for Eddie Brock and the symbiotes he can control – in this issue, she and her new ally CHASM bring them all to bear! SECRETS REVEALED! Unwittingly turned into a slathering and terrifying monster you might recognize, Eddie Brock’s fears from the last year and Al, Ram and Bryan’s entire saga stand fully realized in this turning point for the series!
2022 was a stellar year for quality comics from every corner of the industry. The ‘Big 2’ saw acclaimed hits in the form of Zdarsky & Co.’s work on Daredevil and Ram V & Raphael Albuquerque’s new run on Detective Comics. The indie comics scene saw dozens of brilliantly unique new books like Will Morris’s Gospel and Andrew Wheeler & Travis Moore’s Sins of the Black Flamingo. From the other side of the globe, manga continued to throw down international mega-hits like Spy x Family and the continuation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s insane masterwork with Chainsaw Man Part 2. With all the great books that landed on my desk in the past 12 months, I decided to take on the challenge of picking my 5 favorites. This is, of course, my personal opinion – see it as more of a list of recommendations rather than a definitive list of what’s the absolute best there is above all others. I couldn’t read everything that came out in 2022, either! Please comment below what some of your favorites were!
Cowboy Bebop by Dan Watters and Lamar Mathurin; Titan Comics
5. Detective Comics #1062 – Present – Ram V & Raphael Albuquerque; DC Comics
The most exciting voice in modern comics joins forces with one of the industry’s most unmistakable artistic talents to create a Batman book. Mastery ensues. Equal parts classic Batman detective tale, existential horror, and supernatural thriller, Ram V and Raphael Albuquerque’s ongoing run on Detective Comics is the best development to come out of DC’s main publishing line in 2022. The first 4-issue arc in Overture is already one of the best Bat-stories of the last decade. If Ram and Albuquerque can keep up their momentum – and they most likely will – readers could be looking at one of the greatest Batman runs of all time.
A western-world love letter to great and influential cyberpunk manga, Ghost Cage is one of the cleverest comics of its kind. Silly, poignant, and stuffed with some of incredible action, it’s the best kind of societal satire. Goellner and Dragotta create characters that manage to be endearing because of how they adhere to rules set out by this comic’s forebears – the influence of Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira Toriyama, and other great mangaka is displayed in every panel across this four-issue mini-series. With giant battles between massive manifestations of Earth’s natural resources drawn by the impossible talent of Nick Dragotta all wrapped up in his and Goellner’s wit, Ghost Cage is an underrated gem of a comic series.
3. Aquaman: Andromeda – Ram V & Christian Ward; DC Comics
Ram V makes the list yet again as he teams up with the psychedelic style of Christian Ward to create an Aquaman comic unlike any before – and DC’s best comic of 2022. Ram’s signature approach with highly intelligent horror sets readers on a journey under the ocean’s waves with a science team investigating a seemingly ancient structure. As expected, mysteries and terrors await them, as well as the titular king of the sea as you’ve never seen him before. Christian Ward brings this utterly unique vision to life with a watercolor style and a design approach that focuses on making a reading experience that is as unnerving as it is wondrous. Aquaman: Andromeda is a shining example of what DC Black Label can be, and is quite possibly the best comic to come out of the publishing line.
2. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth –Zoe Thorogood; Image Comics
Possibly the most personal project in recent comics publishing, Zoe Thorogood’s It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth is a powerful and impossibly well-constructed original graphic novel about living with embedded traumas. Thorogood’s art style constantly shifts as her self-visualizations and worldview alters across every page and panel. Centre of the Earth is an emotional fever dream, bitingly sorrowful one moment then wildly hilarious the next. In one fell swoop, Thorogood has firmly planted herself as one of the greatest cartoonists of our generation.
1. 20th Century Men – Deniz Camp & Stipan Morian; Image Comics
My favorite comic of 2022 is also the year’s most cerebral and insightful. Camp and Morian’s 20th Century Men is a brutal and intelligent examination of imperialism and warfare through an alternate history. Equal parts Watchmen, Apocalypse Now, and Barry Windsor Smith’s Monsters, Camp and Morian’s ongoing series is consistently thoughtful and exciting while asking readers to please pay attention. It’s a book that demands your full attention, and it will be remembered all the better for it. With ever-brilliant writing from Camp and rule-shattering visual work from Stipan Morian, 20th Century Men is a masterpiece in the making – and for my money, the greatest comic of 2022.
Babylon is a primarily competent but messy tribute to Hollywood and the Roaring ’20s. It’s a chaotic three-hour extravaganza that never loses its momentum. However, the first 40 minutes or so are untouchable. The film reels you into the lives of these rising stars, and even if the intensity dies down, you’ll have reason to invest in the narrative. Some of the best filmmaking for the year can be found in Babylon’s opening sequence, which sets the stage for this great film.
My only gripe with Babylon is related to its desire to be meaningful, but the messages can seem lost along the way. The film primarily depicts Hollywood’s transition to sound after noticing that’s what the audience is looking for. Aside from that, it’s a rise-and-fall story centered on a group of actors and other industry workers. Directed and written by Damien Chazelle, Babylon stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, and Samara Weaving.
Babylon traces the rise and fall of multiple stars during early Hollywood and their bonds over time. The screenplay is a love letter to those that love cinema more than cinema itself. Despite the film’s intention to be a tribute to filmmaking, anyone that looks to cinema as an escape might appreciate this more than others. Chazelle depicts the struggles of filmmaking in a very comedic fashion. One moment, in particular, features several takes to get a scene right. This is a setback that many projects still face today, but this sequence was a wonderful example of how hilarious Babylon can be.
The shift in tone is handled with ease throughout the runtime, which kept the film engaging for me. Robbie stars as Nellie LaRoy, an aspiring actress who wants to leave behind her troubled youth. Given Robbie’s current star power, the film wisely utilizes her to carry the story. However, I would argue it is Calva’s character who is the main focus of the cast. Calva stars as Manny Torres, a film assistant who wants to become a star like Nellie. Manny is first introduced during a very wild opening party at Jack Conrad’s (Pitt) mansion.
His character is the easiest to connect to and it inflates the value of characters like Nellie and Jack. His work as an assistant isn’t the appeal, but his desire to be part of the lives of the bigger stars is. That desire is something members of the general public can start to feel as they watch their fan favorites live their dreams. Manny decides to help the talent during their downfalls, which can speak to portions of fandoms that put their idols before themselves. His journey to reach that opportunity in the spotlight is the heart of the story.
Chazelle provides depth to all the characters, but Manny just stands out as the most relatable. His concern and interest in Nellie and Jack help their arcs become more rewarding as the film progresses. Babylon also examines the mental anguish that celebrities go through, as their stardom begins to fade. Jack’s arc is the most compelling example, but Pitt’s shifts from overly confident to worrisome create an extra layer for Jack’s downfall. Every performance is captivating, but Robbie and Pitt are firing on all cylinders.
The immaculate set designs, stellar cinematography, and Justin Hurwitz’s vibrant score make Babylon a film that should be experienced in theaters. Pacing is another strong suit, as each scene accomplishes what it intends and moves forward without carrying on for too long. Babylon wants to be meaningful, and it is to an extent, but overall it’s just a technically strong film with messy narrative bits.
Whatnot Publishing is relaunching HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE in February with Vol. 2 #1, and thanks to the publisher, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview of CYBERARCHY for our readers. Kim Jung Gi passed away on October 3, and the cover below is his final contribution to HEAVY METAL.
CYBERARCHY is written by Matt Hardy, with art by Clark Bint, and letter work by Rob Jones.
About CYBERARCHY: The series is a galaxy-spanning saga that asks the question, “what would happen to an advanced society utterly dependent on Artificial intelligence if those AIs just…stopped?”
Societal chaos and collapse ensue, all under the watchful gaze of two mysterious robots, Rust and Ash. Is this the result of a breakdown of unquestioned reliance on technology or have events been orchestrated by an outside force? What is the promise of Cyberarchy, the nature of the truth about machine life that has resulted in the abandonment of their organic masters?
Each chapter of CYBERARCHY looks at the final days of a different technologically advanced world, all envisioned in the detailed monochrome art of Clark Bint (Killtopia). Clark’s designs for CYBERARCHY were “inspired by 1930s TV serials mixed with vintage robot toy designs, for a throwback atompunk style.”
Enjoy the preview below.
Are you going to pick up HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE Vol. 2 #!?
With Dark Web in full swing (lame pun alert), readers are treated to a mini crossover between Marvel’s merry mutants and it’s most popular spider. Gerry Duggan and Zeb Wells are writing this little event. The X-Men side will be handled by Duggan, while Wells does the Spider-Man issues. Joining Duggan on this journey is artist/colorist Rod Reis. and letterer Cory Petit. With all that said, let’s hope the mutants are able to stop the threat from Limbo and survive the holidays in Dark Web X-Men #1.
WRITING
It really feels like Gerry Duggan has found a good groove with his characters and his X-Men run. Dark Web X-Men #1 offers good voices for the cast and an entertaining story. Everything in New York is coming alive, from your post office drop box to the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. Duggan’s humor is on point for this issue. There’s something funny about two jackhammers coming to life, attacking civilians, and then professing their love for one another. Duggan also seems to have the mannerisms of his cast down too. As the battle begins, Cyclops, ever the professional, takes off his visor to put his skull cap on. These little moments speak to readers and reiterate that Duggan has a firm grasp on who the characters really are. Duggan also throws us some nostalgia in this issue as there is a team up with Spider-Man, Iceman and Firestar. This is a throwback to the decades old Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends show that introduced tons of little kids to Firestar and Iceman. Duggan sets us up for an exciting mini while playing on the hearts of Havok and Cyclops fans. It’s hard not to have a soft spot for Madelyn Pryor, she’s been through a lot in her existence. Duggan will look to divide fans on which side they take by making Maddie a sympathetic villain. Either way, I’m here for it.
ART
The pencils and colors are handled by Rod Reis. His style and pencils work well for an issue like this. Reis needed this issue to be creepy to some extent since inanimate objects are coming to life and attacking people; he’s successful. Seeing mannequins with grotesque faces or jackhammers with sharp teeth is actually unsettling. pages in Limbo have a sense of humor to them as well. As Cyclops and company arrive to stop the Goblin Queen, they are greeted by Sleep Demons. The Sleep Demons have pillows attached to their heads as they fight. Reis capitalizes on the mood of moments, whether it’s humor or fear, and always delivers the appropriate panel.
The colors are also done by Reis, so there is some continuity between pencils and colors. Reis gives us gorgeous color splash backgrounds to highlight the action sequences. As Spider-Man, Iceman and Firestar help stop the madness in New York, Reis lays down a vibrant yellow background to allow the heroes to leap off the page at the reader. The vibe in Limbo is a little bit different. In Limbo we get warmer reds mixed with some darker blacks. As Cyclops and Firestar use their powers, Reis makes sure to highlight the energy with bright reds or glowing yellows. Reis captures the tone and mood of this issue perfectly. Colors that pop in New York for the heroes succeeding and Darker colors in Limbo where our characters are in danger. Since Reis is on double duty of pencils and colors, the art work flows together in harmony. Another solid issue from the immensely talented Rod Reis.
The letters by Cory Petit are effective to an extent, but more sound would have enhanced the issue. As the Sleep Demons attack the X-Men, Petit does use a long trail “ZZZZZZZ” that extend to the next page. This is a great use of effects that also has great placement. Speaking of placement, Petit does a great job of where he puts his word balloons. As our heroes arrive in Limbo, Petit places a balloon next to Cyclops, Jean and Magik. The beauty of this panel is that each character has room to breathe and the page doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the dialogue. Petit is a pro with his placement. This issue is another example of his exemplary work.
CONCLUSION
Dark Web X-Men #1 is a book that is off to a promising start. If you’re a fan of Inferno, this feels like a sequel to it. Gerry Duggan has found his groove with many of these characters and writes them well. The art is a fitting style for a story line like this. If you’re looking for a book that captures one of the most memorable stories from the 80’s, Dark Web X-Men#1 is a book for you.
GOLD GOBLIN #2 hits your local comic book store on December 21st, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: Being A Hero Isn’t For Everyone…Norman Osborn faced Chasm in DARK WEB #1 and has to face another terrifying opponent in this issue! Norman’s only been a super hero for a few days…but his tenure might be quite short!
The issue is by writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Lan Medina, with colors by Antonio Fabela, and letters by Joe Sabino. The main cover is by Taurin Clarke.
Check out the GOLD GOBLIN #2 preview below:
Are you reading Marvel’s DARK WEB? Sound off in the comments!
Danger Street, a new series for DC Comics from writer Tom King, artist Jorge Fornes, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Clayton Cowles, has no right being this good. You’d think a story like this would feel stretched thin. It has fantasy characters, gritty noir detectives, sci-fi aliens, and superheroes, among others. But as these characters and genres war for your attention, they create a dazzling spectacle in their wake that just works.
About Danger Street:
This is not the first time all of the characters in Danger Street have seen print. In fact, all of them appeared in a series from 1975, called DC’s 1st Issue Special. The 13 issue series was experimental, strange, but somehow it was also incredibly charming. Each issue was its own story and none of the stories were connected. All the characters existed in their own little worlds. So, when King, Fornes, Stewart, and Cowles signed up for a series that would bring all these characters back, it wasn’t as simple as “updating” an old book. This creative team had to figure out how a banished alien general could be connected to a group of child millionaires (yes, you read that right.)
Writing
King takes this challenge of combining stories and does you one better. Every page, almost every panel, combines storytelling styles. The narration, in bright yellow caption boxes, sounds like something out of an old-timey children’s fantasy book, overlaid onto scenes of intense action. But, it’s not so much the combination of genres that interests King, as it is the combination of these characters. In an interview with Monkeys Fighting Robots, King explained that the inspiration for Danger Street came from FX’s Fargo series, along with the movies of the Coen Brothers (which, themselves, inspired Fargo.)
The Coens have a knack for taking wild characters with crazy quirks and just putting them in the same place to see what will happen. That’s exactly what Danger Street #1 feels like. King immediately gives you a sense of who each character is, and then lets their interactions lead to widespread chaos. The experimental attitude of “let’s throw things together and see what happens” seems to have carried over from DC’s 1st Issue Special. You’ll be on the edge of your seat by the final page, because you’ll have the distinct feeling that anything could happen next.
Art
Fornes’ art is beautiful, but it’s also profoundly interesting. For one thing, we see a real deliberate use of the levels of each character’s gaze. When Starman talks with Warlord, he looks down a little, even though they’re sitting at the same height. When Manhunter bows before his master, we see Manhunter looking up in a way that almost feels feeble. And when Jack Ryder washes his face in the mirror, he actually is looking up a little at his own reflection. Fornes tells us something about the dynamics between all of these characters. We see how the characters feel about one another – estimate each other – by where they’re looking. We even see how much Jack Ryder looks up to himself.
Another brilliant moment is when we see Warlord, Starman, and Metamorpho driving down the road in a car together. Fornes gives us one image of the car that’s been split into two panels by a gutter running through the middle. Warlord sits on one side of the gutter, Metamorpho on the other, and while Starman sits mostly to one side, the gutter actually cuts through him. Starman feels like a character who is caught in the middle of a lot of things, and Fornes uses this visual cue to tell us that subtly.
Coloring
Stewart absolutely highlights the uniqueness of each world that these characters inhabit. The Dingbats of Danger Street, Lady Cop, and even our trio of Starman, Warlord, and Metamorpho, all look quite normal on the page. Metamorpho sports skin of purple and orange, and Starman is blue, but besides that they all live in worlds that are your typical hues of grey, brown, and green. When we see Manhunter, things are different. The panels Manhunter sits in are panels of gaudy, bright colors. The page after Manhunter’s introduction shows other characters driving through the desert against a white background. It’s nearly colorless in comparison. Stewart is really showing what diverse people we’re dealing with.
Stewart even shows how some characters are divided against themselves. We essentially see three versions of Jack Ryder. One version is the brightly clad Creeper, jumping through the darkness of a back alley, looking like a firefly in the night in his yellow costume. But as he lays into a thug, the colors fade until there’s nothing left but black, white, and the vibrant red of blood. The next page shows Jack clearing the blood off of his face in the mirror. The whole page is incredibly muted in its tones, you almost forget the Creeper and Jack Ryder are the same person. Stewart is doing so much with these simple choices. We get a window into the hearts and minds of these characters.
Lettering
There are so many brilliant choices from Cowles in these pages. Even small things, like a cop car’s sound effects being shown in alternating letters of red and blue. Or, when we see the laughter of the Creeper, looking like it’s been painted in blood against the page. Cowles writes the “VROOOM” of a dune buggy driving down a hill with the letters getting smaller the further the buggy gets away from us. But it’s in the smaller details that the magic really happens.
As shit really begins to hit the fan, we see Cowles’ letters begin to vary more. The “AAAAAA!” of someone getting grabbed by the throat is staggered, like the noise out of their mouth comes out unevenly. Another character looks on and simply says “What?” in small lettering on a large word balloon, which is echoed in format by another character’s ominous line of “No” only a page later. It’s stuff like this that just make this comic sing.
Verdict
Danger Street #1 is an incredible start to what’s going to be an amazing series. Danger Street is simply fearless. It brings together a wild cast of characters, and a superstar team of creators, and lets beautiful chaos reign. You do not want to miss this fantastic issue, which is out now at a comic shop near you!
The series had some terrific moments, but the third episode, “Echoes”, was arguably the strongest. That episode opened with Maya Lopez’s (Alaqua Cox) backstory. This prologue showed Maya’s loving relationship with her father and how she developed her martial arts skills. It was effective storytelling that showed how dangerous Maya was, whilst also evoking sympathy. The episode had the best action sequence in the series. This was the car chase which was the most inventive because of the way it was shot and the implementation of Hawkeye’s signature trick arrows.
