Gamora has always been heralded as “the deadliest woman in the galaxy.” She’s continuously been a cosmic force of violence and power but Infinity Wars sets out to make her slogan more accurate than ever. Gamora now wields a sword powered by the Power Stone with her sights set on the rest of the stones.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Gamora’s quest for the Infinity Stones sees her plow through her allies, making quite a mess. She meets her goal, freeing the part of her trapped within the Soul Stone. It’s revealed that Thanos is haunting Gamora, appearing to her in visions and such after dying by her hand.
Infinity Wars #2 has a hard time conveying to the reader what exactly the trajectory is. What are we working towards? Is Gamora a straight-up villain now? The minimal effort put into getting the stones separated and off-planet results in the daughter of Thanos collecting them all effortlessly. Other than recovering the missing piece of herself from Soul World, what is her motivation?
Almost none of the vision and charm that we’ve seen grace the cosmic landscape recently is present from writer Gerry Duggan. This issue moves things forward but in a hap-hazard and aimless way.
Thanos’ posthumous role is intriguing, I don’t recall him every being in this position before. His complicated relationship with his daughter is the most compelling thread so far–tapping into the same vein that the Infinity War film did. Outside of that, the only solid character moment is Doctor Strange cutting a deal with Turk for his stone, which is immediately proven pointless.
Artist Mike Deodato has been delivering great work recently for Marvel between Infinity Wars, his recent Old Man Logan run, as well as some wonderful covers. There are a number of problematic face compositions in this issue that are hard to ignore. Star-Lord, Doctor Strange, Loki, Cap, and Drax all have pretty bad close-up panels where they either look extra-doofy or appear unpolished.
One major knock against the art is the blood spatter. Whether it’s Deodato or Martin’s decision to make it look like somebody threw paint at the general vicinity of an injury or spray, it doesn’t really add any style to a pretty solid effort overall. It’s more sloppy looking than stylish.
Here’s a page to remind you that these other heroes are there not doing anything!
Colorist Frank Martin injects the most life into the book, especially with Doctor Strange’s supreme sorcery and the use of the Infinity Stones. Cory Petit does a great job with lettering, especially with sound effects. There’s a panel where Gamora gets struck with Cap’s shield and Thor’s hammer that features three distinctively different sounds, giving the action more impact.
Infinity Wars #2 doesn’t necessarily drum up a ton of excitement for the next issue, or this story in general. This isn’t the finest work by Duggan or Deodato. For the love of God (DOOM), get this story off Earth already!
As previously noted in the DEVILMAN OVA review, in the mid to late 80s, Japan had become a major economic force. They had completed their economic miracle in the late 60s, entered the electronics, and even the automotive field in the U.S. by the late 70s. They were commanding a decent market share. Not surprisingly, Japan found itself with a lot of money to burn.
This leads to film producer Haruki Kadokawa, who after taking over the publisher Kadokawa Shoten in 1975 began making blockbusters. Essentially making him the Japanese Don Simpson, (the producer of Beverly Hills Cop & Top Gun). Not surprisingly, Kadokawa wanted to make anime which was booming due to the glut of money coming in. He had produced Harmageddon in 1983, and The Dagger of Kamui in 1985.
I’ll get to Harmageddon, eventually.
So, it’s 1987, what now? Well, get Studio Madhouse on the phone and get them to adapt Osamu Tezuka’s seminal manga Phoenix. This resulted in the creation of a feature film and two OVAs released between 1986 and 1987. Yet before I go into the plots, I feel the need to explain Phoenix itself.
Phoenix is widely considered Tezuka’s life work, spanning 22 years from 1967 until Tezuka’s death in 1989. The manga doesn’t have a central storyline but instead focuses on the titular Phoenix (based off Stravinsky’s Firebird) and the various stories which occur when character’s lives cross the creature. Structure-wise, it’s more like American Horror Story, because each self-contained story is its own arc, than it is a traditional narrative structure.
The titular Phoenix, (this just looked cool)
So, with all this backdrop, let’s start with the first film: Phoenix: Karma Chapter, the film released in 1986, and directed by Rintaro (of Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis, and Galaxy Express 999 fame).
The year is 720 A.D. Japan is in the middle of what is the Nara period, there’s very little money around, most of the money is being spent on the Buddha statue, (which is an actual statue: the Nara Daibutsu [or giant Buddha], inside the Todai-ji temple in Nara), and a woodcarver, Akanemaru was sent to help in its completion. To commemorate the completion of this statue; the emperor commissions two sculptures to best exemplify the Buddha. Thus, the emperor sets up this competition between Akanemaru and a former bandit-turned woodcarver: the one-armed Gaou. Both men have met each other and had their lives defined by tragedy: Akanemaru through a girl sidekick Bushi (voiced by Mami Koyama, or the original Japanese voice of Kycilia Zabi from Mobile Suit Gundam and Launch from the original Dragon Ball), Gaou’s tragedy involves a miscommunication and a wife who was a reincarnated ladybug. (It’s complicated).
Two men intertwined by the past, fighting for their future.
I won’t spoil the rest of the story, because I would recommend this, I really would. I can’t explain why this film works, yet it does. Due to the solid animation, decent writing, and great voice-acting (I already mentioned Miss Koyami, or how about the fact: Akanemaru is voiced by Toshio Furukawa a.k.a. the original voice of Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z).
The second film is Phoenix: Yamato Chapter, and it’s probably the least substantial. The story focuses around Oguna, a land surveyor/spy for the Yamato family between 320-350 AD, who discovers he can use his magic flute to summon the Phoenix. All this, while he’s in love with a rival tribe’s princess, Kajka. This is problematic, because he must kill Kajka’s brother who’s the leader of the rival clan against the Yamatos. The Phoenix saves Oguna from certain death, but Oguna and Kajka still end up buried alive. Oguna’s flute music plays for a while and torments the Yamato family. If the plot sounds all over the place, it is. Perhaps it’s because I don’t have much of an interest in ancient Japanese history, but I just wasn’t drawn in by what was going on. In short, it was a boring slog of an OVA, which is a shame. The director of this OVA, the late Toshio Hirata would later direct something special with Pet Shop of Horrors in 1999.
Cecil B. DeMille, eat your heart out.
The third and final film in this trilogy, Phoenix: Space Chapter is the best of the three. I’ll explain why.
The year is 2577, a crew of four is awoken from cryosleep when a meteor hits the side of their spaceship. They find out the officer on duty, Mikimura has died and with their spaceship in critical condition, the four remaining crew members leave via escape pod. However, an escape pod is following them: Mikimura’s. What follows is a murder-mystery setup about Mikimura, with a twist delivered near flawlessly, so when it occurs about 2/3rds through the OVA, it’s comes off as surprising.
One of the coolest sequences in the Space OVA.
When I watched this, at first, I was not interested in the slightest, but something happened. I became interested. The characterization, the crew’s interactions with Mikimura, it all became intriguing, which I can attribute to writers and the director.
There were two writers for all three episodes. One was Hideo Takayashiki, who would become the head writer of the Kaiji anime adaptation. The second was Tomoko Konparu, who later did the series composition (or Head Writer/Show Runner) of three of the four Uta no Prince Sama series, and the anime adaptation of NANA. The latter writer explains the strong female bent in this pseudo series, which works, because I found the female characters for the most part to be more interesting than the males.
I’ll also get to Wicked City, in short time.
The third film was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the director of Wicked City & Ninja Scroll, and his strong directorial hand to this story, makes it work. I often viewed Kawajiri as the master of the 1980s OVA boom because the quantity and relative high quality of his work, in a ridiculously oversaturated field. In short, Phoenix: Space Chapter’s success is its simple story. I’ve always believed a solid story told right, can triumph over any other problems in the media.
In short, Madhouse’s adaptation of Tezuka’s Phoenix is a remarkable success by telling three stories remarkably well in relatively short periods of time. I’m surprised these weren’t picked up by a US distributor during the U.S. anime boom of the 90s or 2000s. Maybe Discotek can rectify this mistake.
Luke Cage #1 is out now, and it cranks up the heat a la Do The Right Thing, delivering a tense, action-packed story that doesn’t skimp on the smarts.
The series is written by Anthony Del Col and drawn by Jahnoy Lindsay, with colors by Ian Herring and letters by Clayton Cowles. The cover is by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire.
Cage is a Marvel Digital Original, joining the ranks of the new Jessica Jones and Cloak and Dagger series. This first issue is double-sized, and it is a lot of comic. It’s not one of those gimmicky “double-sized” issues; you’re basically getting issues one and two for the price of one.
In Do The Right Thing, Spike Lee created a hot atmosphere to make his characters and his audience uncomfortable, and to generate tension that ultimately explodes. Luke Cage feels like it’s doing the same thing. Lindsay conveys the characters’ discomfort, and Herring’s bold colors double down on the heat. It’s a Luke Cage comic, so obviously yellow is going to be prominent, but that whole side of the color spectrum just feels warm. And if that’s not enough, Del Col’s dialogue and narration is constantly reminding you of the heat. The tone is set for an intense Harlem mystery.
The story revolves around Luke trying to stop a serial killer that’s targeting the rich and powerful. At the same time, he’s dealt a diagnosis of his own that he struggles to accept. It’s a very smart, very socially relevant story that Luke Cage is perfectly suited for. But they call him Power Man for a reason, so there’s still plenty of superhero action to keep you entertained. Del Col tells a very balanced story, and it reads fast for almost 50 pages.
Lindsay draws Luke as a powerhouse, like he should be. Luke’s tall, and broad, and muscular; he dominates the page. One page sticks out in particular where he literally stacks up against five panel boxes. It establishes the character really well on a visual level and further sets the tone of the book.
And Lindsay’s action sequences are full of energy and motion as well, making for a fun read after some more intense, emotional moments. Again, just like Del Col, he’s able to tell a very balanced story through his art. These two work well together; this comic jells.
LukeCage #1 sets the tone for a smart, bombastic, powerful series. If you haven’t given Marvel’s Digital Originals a chance yet, start here.
Announced at Image Expo, Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel launch BLACKBIRD in October, a modern fantasy series set in the neon shadows of Los Angles. The co-creators have dubbed the series Harry Potter meets Riverdale: a modern, sexy, neon-lit magical drama.
Humphries spoke with Monkeys Fighting Robots to give you an inside look at his writing process, working with your artist, and creating a magical realm out of thin air.
SAM HUMPHRIES INTERVIEW
MFR: With independent comics, the first issue is so important to hook a reader. What are the essential elements that need to be in a first issue?
Humphries:I think first issues are over-fetishized in comics circles. I like studying second issues; they’re so much more difficult for me. Matt Fraction will tell you, “the second issue is the one you want to write, the first one explains why you want to write it.” Until the next giant stylistic leap forward, I think we’re just fine-tuning a lot of charted ground in first issues. Second issues are the undiscovered country.
MFR: With a book like BLACKBIRD, how much world-building is involved?
Humphries:A ton of world-building. But not just the world, the characters, too. Family trees are just as strong in this book as a thousand years of magic and California history. Death and grief too. There’s a lot of beautiful, spectacular magic and powerful wizards in this book, but it’s really all about that strong emotional core.
MFR: The neon colors and the spirit animal in BLACKBIRD made me think of ‘Coco.’ Does the magic in the book have a Latin origin?
Humphries:I love ‘Coco.’ It was my favorite movie of last year. The magic in this book does not have a specific Latin origin, but like innovation in America and in Los Angeles specifically, the discipline of magic in BLACKBIRD was developed by many people from many backgrounds. The source of magic in BLACKBIRD is very important. We catch a glimpse of the door in issue 1 — a place called the Grand Oasis, and an entity called the Beacon.
MFR: Talk about your relationship with Jen Bartel. Are your scripts very detailed, or does Jen have a lot of room to play?
Humphries:They’re both! And sometimes, they’re just the tip of the iceberg of lots of discussion we have together. This book came directly out of conversations Jen, and I started having a couple of years ago — things we wanted to see in comics, the kind of comics we wish we could read. Right off the bat, I asked Jen, what do you wanna draw? She started talking about magic, and mythological creatures, and neon, and Los Angeles, and hot people kissing…I thought, I’d read the hell out of that book. There is no BLACKBIRD without Jen and I talking together about what we love.
MFR: You could have created any main character to fit this story, what is it about Nina Rodriguez that makes her the perfect fit for the story?
Humphries:It’s the other way around — we created the story around Nina. It’s influenced by who she is and what she wants. How she sees herself in the world, and how she sees the world around her. Ever since a magical experience as a child, she’s felt deeply that magic does exist in the world…even if you can’t point to it, or touch it, or grab ahold of it. And every time she talks about it, everyone calls her crazy. As she stops being a victim of circumstance and starts taking charge of her life — that’s really where Blackbird begins!
MFR: BLACKBIRD is an ongoing series, how far do you have the story outlined?
Humphries:We’ve got enough story for at least 30 issues if we want to go that far. Hell, I could write thirty issues about the people who developed magic in Blackbird…thirty issues before we even get to the present day! But Nina is our favorite. She’s first in our heart.
BLACKBIRD hits your local comic book store on October 3, with cover A by Bartel and cover B by Fiona Staples.
About BLACKBIRD: In this neo-noir fantasy, Nina Rodriguez is positive that a secret magic world ruled by ruthless cabals is hiding just beneath the veneer of Los Angeles. The problem: everyone thinks she’s crazy. The bigger problem: she’s not crazy—she’s right. Can she unravel the mystery before the Great Beast catches up with her?
Are you adding BLACKBIRD to your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts.
The original five X-Men teens have been in our time since Bendis & Immonen’s run in 2012. Extermination is the final chapter of their story.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
A ghost from Rachel Summers’ past rears its ugly head in the form of Ahab. He crashes a date between Bloodstorm and young Cyclops, resulting in the time displaced vampire mutant’s death. Right away, writer Ed Brisson makes the mission statement clear, it’s time to clean up the X-Men landscape.
Across the city, Bobby Drake is ambushed by a mysterious figure–Cable intervenes and ends up paying the ultimate price. In true Cable/X-Men fashion, the person who murders Cable and has their sites set on the other time displaced teens is none other than a young Nathan Summers himself, Cable on Cable homicide. He claims “one down, four to go” to close out this introductory issue.
Extermination #1 is a fast paced thrill ride that wastes no time getting into the thick of things. This is a story that a portion of X-Men fans have been waiting for given that the OG-5 have been hanging around since 2012. Whether you’re in that camp or not, this looks to be a potentially exciting story either way.
Ed Brisson has been adding to his mutant credibility recently with a great run on Old Man Logan. His script sets the dark tone effectively without dipping too deep into the despair that plagued X-Men for years before ResurreXion. It’s going to take a skill and courage to pull this off right, Brisson has proved with his Marvel portfolio that he’s capable and ready to take some bold leaps.
At first glance, the darker tone and dimly lit atmosphere warrants anxiety as it carries a similar look to the post-Messiah Complex X-Books that were too dark for their own good–the opposite of what Marvel promised fans with ResurreXion. However, that quickly dissipates and what we’re delivered is a story that carries weight and has consequences but is still ridiculous and digestible X-Men comic book fun.
Artist Pepe Larraz animates our characters and keeps the tempo high, making this extra-sized issue go quicker than the average monthly read. These are some of the best looking panels of the Original 5 X-Men since Stuart Immonen’s original story. The final page reveal of young Cable is a perfectly illustrated de-aged Nathan Summers. Giving him a similar costume design to the X-Men: Blue team was a crucial detail and a nice touch.
Colorist Marte Gracia keeps this book from feeling too dark, adding life and light into the faces and eyes of our heroes. Every use of red, whether it’s a Grey or just Cyclops’ glasses, is subtly striking in beautiful contrast to the rest of each panel. Letterer Joe Sabino immediately establishes and maintains the tone of this consequential tale throughout the issue.
The biggest takeaway from this book isn’t even the story itself, it’s the implications for the rest of the X-Men line. If the mutant landscape is healthy enough to finally send the kids back to their own time, we’re in a good place. It’s also a great sign that the house of ideas finally came up with a story concept worthy of ending their tenure in the 616.
X-Men comics are in a much better place now than they have been in recent years. Fresh creative talents, like the Extermination creative team, have brought new life to the line. It’s the end of an era and the beginning of the next chapter for a flourishing mutant world–no more sense of constant dread.
Extermination #1 is a bold statement that it’s time to move forward again for our favorite mutant heroes. It’s been long overdue, but it seems like the timing couldn’t be better. Yay X-Men!
This September it’s high school stoners vs. aliens in Image Comics’ Burnouts, a brand new series co-created by writer Dennis Culver and artist Geoffo. Dennis took some time to sit in a quick session with us at Monkeys Fighting Robots and pass around some dense nuggets of info on the upcoming book. Puff, puff, give readers and enjoy!
MFR: For those ‘virgin lungs’ can you pack us up with what Burnouts is about? Dennis: The Burnouts are the worst kids at your school that your parents told you not to hang out with. They’re [the] ones skipping class, smoking in the bathroom and generally causing trouble. What no one knows about them is that they’re the only defense against aliens that only they can see. BUT they can only see them when they smoke weed. When the nerdiest kid in school tries marijuana for the first time, he sees the aliens too and is thrown headlong into the world of the Burnouts. It’s They Live meets Freaks and Geeks.
I’m going to come right out and ask. Did getting/being high have anything to do with coming up with the idea? I certainly partake from time to time but I’m more like our main character Andy than one of the Burnouts. Total lightweight! The idea of a group fighting an enemy only they could see had been bouncing around in my head for a while but it wasn’t clicking until I framed it around some of my own high school experiences.
You don’t have to be high to enjoy Burnouts but it certainly couldn’t hurt.
What made you think comics was the medium to tell this story in? Did you get inspired by any other specific comics? I love comics and it’s my preferred medium to tell stories. I’ve been reading them my whole life so the references are everywhere. Everything from New Mutants to The Invisibles.
What’s your scripting approach? I do an outline in a notebook, doodle thumbnails, take walks and sometimes start over from scratch. Once I’m finished I deliver a full complete script for Geoffo to execute.
Artist Geoffo has such a distinct style. What about his style made him the right person to draw Burnouts? Geoffo and I had worked together on a project for Marvel. He does layouts for some of Marvel’s Infinite Comics. He reached out to me because he enjoyed my script and mentioned he’d like to work together. He has some Archie samples in his portfolio that are pretty sharp an once I saw those I knew he was perfect for the book.
I sent him the pitch and he loved it. The book couldn’t exist without him.
You have some great comedic beats and moments that land so well. How do you write that kind of timing and tone with sequential art? I’ve spent a lot of time studying and making comics. I’ve done every job down the line from editing to art to lettering. I love the medium and I’ve worked hard to figure out the best ways to tell a story. That said, Geoffo is the co-author of this work and without his artistic skill the jokes wouldn’t land as well as they do
All the characters seemed to have a genuine voice. How do you go about writing such a crew of misfits and outcasts? Geoffo gets a lot of credit here too as his distinct designs for each of the characters helps define their voice. They help me visualize them talking in my head too plus I pull in a lot of my own observations and experiences with people.
Did you have a favorite character to write? I can tell you Manny was my favorite to read! Manny is a lot of fun. I like Andy’s friend Seth too as he gets to play wet blanket and conscience a lot of times. It’s fun to write the bummer!
Who from your cast do you identify with the most? There’s a little bit of me in all the characters but as I said above probably our main character Andy.
So which character came first? Definitely Andy. I had a vague notion of the Burnouts but Andy was mine and the reader’s way in.
Can you tell/tease us where the story is going? The thing that gives the Burnouts their power to see and fight the aliens is also their greatest weakness. Getting wasted is just the price you pay to save the world.
What do you hope Burnouts provides for readers? A dose of enjoyment that will leave you wanting more.
Can you list off a Burnouts dream soundtrack? The music that I enjoy probably wouldn’t have much overlap with these teenage dirtbags. However, I can promise you a Taylor Swift reference at some point.
What’s next for you? Are you planning on sticking with creator-owned work? I have a couple more creator-owned projects up my sleeve as well as some freelance gigs in the pipeline. More info soon
Do you have a favorite character or series from the ‘Big Two’ you would like to write? I’ve always loved Batman and the X-Men. I got the chance to play with the X-Men characters during the Secret Wars crossover and it was a lot of fun. I’m a big fan of DC in general so I have a lot of ideas there but who wouldn’t want to write Batman? He’s the greatest.
BURNOUTS #1 (Diamond Code JUL180118) hits stores on Wednesday, September 19th. The final order cutoff for retailers is Monday, August 27th.
Green Lanterns begins to shakily soar as we enter all-out war.
The Green Lanterns are being attacked on several fronts. A group known as the Ravagers have appeared to cause widespread destruction to Lanterns’ home planets. Their first target is the aquatic world of Penelo where their Green Lantern, Penelops, is murdered by the Ravagers’ commander, Eon. The Lanterns come to assist, but even they have problems hindering them. Their headquarters, the planet Mogo, has been ravaged by mysterious storms, causing the death of one of the Guardians. There has also been a mysterious force that has been tampering with the rings of the Green Lanterns, going so far as to flat out refuse orders. Will our Lanterns catch a break as their legendary member, Hal Jordan, joins the fray?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
As Simon Baz is being ordered back to Earth, the other Lanterns of sector 2814 lead the charge against the Ravagers. Kyle Rayner teams up with Kilowog to try and contain the blasts hitting Penelo. Hal Jordan and Jessica Cruz work together on the Command Ship to take down the leader, as well as demoralize the rest of the Fleet. Guy Gardner, however, works alone fighting against Eon, but is able to keep him at bay. While the battle goes on, the one who ordered Baz’s return prepares for his next move.
While the past few issues have been shaky in feeling like a Green Lanterns book, this one finally nails it. This issue is about 95% space action, and while it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m glad to see it. The Lanterns books can have mystery or other genres of story, but at its core, it is a space epic. We had big fleets, invasions of planets, but not much in terms of action. With the Earth Lanterns leading the charge against the Ravagers, it feels like the space epic once again.
The cause of the rings turning on the Green Lanterns might confuse a few people when revealed. Those who know the history of the character, however, might get a smile on their face, as I did. The story does have its flaws, as the story does lack answers on why the Ravagers and Eon are attacking, but I had fun with it.
Art:
Marco Santucci continues to illustrate the story and does a decent job. He’s able to capture the scale of the space battles and makes the action feel much more epic. The only problem is that, despite these grand space battles, some hiccups slip through the cracks. When we first see Hal and Jessica battling the Ravagers, Jess’ face looks crooked. While it doesn’t ruin the issue, it is a little off putting in missing such little details. Hi-Fi impresses with his colors and helps each page pop, as hoped for this story.
Conclusion:
Overall, while it’s not quite there, the arc is finally beginning to shape up. While we don’t learn about Eon and the Ravagers, we get some sweet action and the reveal of the compromised rings. Despite a few hiccups, the art is pretty decent and has enough color to pop off the page. At this point, it’s clear the only way this story is going is up.
A Nidavellir Dwarf, Doctor Strange’s arrogance, and an old friend returns in this week’s DOCTOR STRANGE #4 as Mark Waid continues Stephen and Kanna’s intergalactic journey to the Majesdane, which are a Photon-based race eager to build a planet destroying weapon. Let’s jump into this one!
WRITTEN BY: Mark Waid
ART BY: Jesus Saiz
LETTERS: Joe Sabino
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
DOCTOR STRANGE SPOILERS TOO!
To see what happened in the last issue, click on the writer’s name below.
Summary
Doctor Strange and Kanna get wind of a Nidavellir Dwarf named Eoffren who has been captured to make a world killing weapon for a Photon-based race of people named the Majesdane. So, Stephen and Kanna go to the Majesdane planet and attempt to free Eoffren. Needless to say, things don’t go according to plan.
Doctor Strange’s arrogance shines through again. Even though Kanna, Eoffren, and Stephen had an opportunity to escape, Doctor Strange teleports the heroes back to the fight to take his revenge on the Photon-based race. Seeing no chance for escape, Kanna uses her techno-magic weapon, fires it at Stephen and Eoffren, and teleports them to another planet leaving her on Majesdane as their new prisoner and weapon maker. How will Stephen rescue Kanna and stop the world killing weapon set to destroy Earth?
The Best Part
Mark Waid finally hits on the cause of Doctor Strange’s magical dilemma. The dwarf Eoffren takes the opportunity to point out Stephen’s arrogance but more importantly, he hasn’t been building his spells from the ground up. Throughout Stephen’s entire time as a Sorcerer, he’s borrowed, stolen, or used magic that’s already existed. Furthermore, the good Doctor exhausted all Earthly magic which is the reason none of his spells, artifacts, and incantations worked anymore.
Waid not only opened up the idea of intergalactic and technological magic in just three issues but now he’s emphasizing the point that Doctor Strange has been stealing and borrowing magic from others his entire magical life. Waid has evolved Stephen Strange in four issues and has shown all writers, artists, creative teams, readers, and comic fans why he is a master of his craft and one of the best writers of all time.
In addition, Waid uses the current situation in the MCU with INFINITY WAR to connect dwarves, Asgard, and other magical weapons to draw new and old readers into his story. Eoffren, the dwarf, points out that the magic is just gone because he’s used it up and creates a Forge for Stephen to build and create his own magic, which came across as similar to events in INFINITY WAR and again are even more reasons as to why Waid may very well be the true Sorcerer Supreme.
The Art
Jesus Saiz’ art is out of this world. Saiz’ colors are crisp, bright, stimulating, and have a glossy finish that I adore. The action scenes are dynamic, lively, and appear three dimensional making the reader feel like they are apart of the story. Joe Sabino’s lettering is wonderfully spaced out and guides the reader seamlessly through the narrative. Saiz and Sabino help Waid to elevate Doctor Strange to an all new level.
Should you buy this issue?
Absolutely! Waid puts Doctor Strange back to normal and even sets him up with his old friend, the Cloak of Levitation. Readers see Stephen come into his own while Waid opens the door to a fresh new magical concept that I haven’t seen in comics or pop culture yet. For a wizard or Sorcerer to literally create their own spells and magical artifacts seem so interesting and exciting to me.
Think about it, magicians usually use spells from a book or scroll but who made that spell? Who created the artifact? Now, Doctor Strange will be creating every spell or artifact he needs. I can’t wait to see where the story goes. And if that’s not enough to get you to buy this issue, the art by Saiz is genuinely brilliant. Readers won’t be disappointed with this issue. Plus, we get two incredible cliffhangers.
Should you add this to your pull list?
Of course! Waid is taking this series in an amazing new direction that opens the door to outrageous trips, tales, and magical adventures. Sure, everyone knows about Doctor Strange’s arrogant nature but to see him create his own magic and sorcery from scratch will not only be fantastic to see but should only up until the good Doctor’s arrogance level about 10 notches too. In Waid’s short time, readers have seen Stephen lose his powers, head into space, captured by an alien race, recreate his magic with technology, find the Time Infinity Stone, and now realize that he can create his own magic and stop borrowing it from everyone else. Keep in mind, everything I said happened in 4 issues! Why wouldn’t you add this to your pull list?
What did you guys think of DOCTOR STRANGE #4? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos, co-creators of breakout character Jessica Jones, join forces again to bring us the first Jinxworld title from DC Comics, Pearl, a crime comic set in the worlds of tattoo shops and Yakuza gang members.
Pearl #1 Written by: Brian Michael Bendis Art by: Michael Gaydos Letters by: Joshua Reed Design by: Curtis King A Jinxworld Title Published by: DC Comics
PEARL is the story of an exceptional tattoo artist and accidental assassin for one of the modern-day San Francisco Yakuza…She was born into one life, but another is calling to her. When Pearl accidentally meets one of her peers, her doppelgänger from another clan, she starts to dream of a better life. But Pearl has a very special ability that keeps pulling her back into the violent world she is desperate to escape.
Writing
Brian Michael Bendis is arguably one of the most important creators in modern comics. Now at DC, he spent almost two decades at Marvel. But he got his start writing gritty crime books like Goldfish, Torso and the book that he named his publishing company after, Jinx. Pearl is exactly that kind of book and it’s great to see him back in this genre. This is an unsafe world populated by dangerous people. A place where violence can just happen at any moment. There is a perilous tension that slowly rises too.
What sets Pearl apart is the added element of the main character also being a tattoo artist on top of being a Yakuza assassin. Bendis has also always been great at immersing readers in worlds and having two to play with here holds a lot of possibilities.
Pearl herself is fleshed out enough to make her likable, interesting and the right guide into this world. She’s humanized first so when her assassin skills are exposed it feels more grounded.
If there is one complaint, it’s the heavy amount of ‘talking’ (especially in the opening). This can fill a page with one two many word balloons, which can cover up art (though letterer Joshua Reed does wonders with his placement). But Bendis is also a good writer of dialogue and the words lessened toward the end, becoming less of an issue.
Art
Michael Gaydos is not just a penciler, he is a bona fide fine artist (just check out the cover!). With Pearl, he is doing the usual excellent work he does, but he seems to be playing with color and tone more; the Yakuza hit in the bar is a perfect example, not to mention the way he illustrates Pearl’s much discussed, strange, and perfectly pale white skin.
Gaydos is also gifted at facial expressions, using subtle movements to portray emotions and personalities; just look at the charming looks Pearl has/gives right before the guns come out in the aforementioned bar scene. It’s fantastic work.
Conclusion
Pearl is a return to classic early era Bendis. That means heavy, but well-written dialog, pop-culture references, strong female leads, dense/twisting plots and the perfect collaborator that produces the perfect art.
Devil Within is a true story of possession coming soon from Black Mask Studios, and we got to talk with writer Stephanie Phillips about the story, her inspirations, her collaboration with artist Maan House, and more.
Issue one hits stores September 26th; you can pre-order it at your local comic shop with code JUL181686. The series is written by Phillips, drawn by House, colored by Dee Cunniffe, and lettered by Troy Peteri.
Stephanie, first off, thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
Your new comic is Devil Within at Black Mask Studios. Can you tell us a little about it?
Devil Within is rooted in classic ghost stories. When Samantha and her fiancé Michelle buy a house in the Philippines, they start to experience strange events around the house. This includes ghosts, misbehaving reflections in mirrors, and even possession. While Devil Within explores Filipino mythology and folklore, it is also a love story wrapped in a very creepy package. As the title might suggest, this is not the happiest of love stories and really asks readers to consider that the monster we fear most is sharing a bed with us.
And I read that this is based on a true story – is that right? What was it about the story that jumped out at you that you had to make it into a comic?
Yes! One of my best friends is from Cebu and told me this story to keep me entertained when I had eye surgery. I could not open my eyes after the surgery and she decided that was a perfect time to tell about “that one time” her girlfriend just so happened to experience a possession. While this is the jumping off point for Devil Within, I really wanted to explore the relationship at the center of the horror story. According to my friend, her girlfriend would “relapse” into possession-mode once in a while. Living day-to-day with someone presumably possessed is a literal nightmare. Best-case scenario, her partner is faking an ongoing possession… either way, there is something horrific about a relationship trying to function in the middle of a horror film.
Issue #1 Cover A: Maan House (A), Dee Cunniffe (C)
How did you come to work with Maan House on this book?
Maan and I met through a mutual friend. We talked a little about the project, and after seeing more of Maan’s work I knew it would be a perfect fit. His style is made for creating horror stories.
What’s your collaboration process like with Maan? Are your scripts very detailed or is there a lot of room for his interpretation?
The script is very much a collaboration. Maan is a great storyteller, so I always leave room for him to interpret a page how he wants. I would say each book is a good balance between my descriptions and Maan’s interpretations. But, I suppose, that’s what a good partnership should be like.
In terms of writing the script, I like to think of it more like writing a letter to the artist. Maan is trying to bring to life what I see in my brain, so I do my best to give him all the information he needs in the script.
In the first issue, I noticed that there are a lot of moments where characters are completely cast in shadow. Whose idea was this, and what was the thought process behind it?
This is a combination of both of us. Sometimes the scariest thing is the thing you can’t see, or can’t see clearly. We wanted to leave some things to the reader’s imagination, so the book has an overall dark, shadowy tone to it. Let your mind start filling in some of those horrific shadows. No one really likes the dark. There’s a reason I still sleep with my Batman nightlight on…
Issue #1 Cover B: Meghan Hetrick
Horror comics can’t rely on the same tactics that other mediums use to scare people, like music. How do you generate horror and tension on the page?
Since we can’t rely on the kind of jump scare of other mediums, we are attempting to leave more of a lasting impression on the imagination. Like I was discussing with the purpose of the shadows, we want to leave just enough room for creative interpretation on the part of the reader. I don’t want to give too much away, but during a particularly gory scene there is a page that just turns black. Instead of watching all of the killing unfold in painstaking detail, we give the reader just enough to let their minds wander.
I also think Maan does an amazing job of building tension leading up to an action or reveal. Again, I don’t want to give anything away, but before the reader sees anything truly horrific, Maan does a really nice job of building the anticipation with smaller panels that show facial expressions and body language in minute detail. It’s almost like he is stretching a very intense moment to show how nervous or scared characters are. Then, you flip the page and there is… okay, read the book for that part.
What are some of the horror stories – from any medium – that you looked to for inspiration while writing Devil Within?
I reread Carey and Perkins’ Rowan’s Ruin from Boom! before diving into this project. Devil Within is a very character-driven story that focuses primarily on just two characters. I really admire how well Carey and Perkins built an engaging world that also focuses almost entirely on one character.
I also look to anything Joe Hill when I take a stab at the darker side of storytelling. Locke & Key is a favorite, but I love anything he has written.
Currently, I am reading Gideon Falls from Lemire and Sorrentino, and Infidel from Pichetshot and Campbell.
Issue #2 Cover: Maan House (A), Dee Cunniffe (C)
My mom saw The Exorcist in theaters when she was 12 and it scarred her for life (they tricked her friend’s mom into bringing them by telling her it was a “religious” movie). What’s your favorite possession story, and why do you think possession horror affects people so much more than say zombie horror or slasher stories?
I really love the look and feel of The Witch: A New-England Folktale. It may be one of the most recent possession movies I have watched, but I really like how the creative team made every aspect of this movie feel unnatural and haunting.
I love a good slasher movie, but I think possession stories have to rely on that unseen element that I was discussing earlier. What’s a zombie film without some finger-lickin’ brain eating? With possessions, on the other hand, you don’t typically see the force that possesses someone. The possessed person is just your neighbor Susan, except she’s saying weird things and maybe crawling backwards down a dark hallway. There is something very deceptive and psychologically manipulative about a possession story. Just think about the religious component associated with possession: demons are trying to trick God by possessing the bodies of worshippers. These forces seek to corrupt the good, and they are difficult to detect when they consume the shape of the familiar, like your neighbor Susan. Poor, possessed Susan…
What do you hope people take away from Devil Within other than nightmares?
At the root of this story is a messy relationship. Perhaps it’s hyperbolic to call your loved one possessed, but I want to explore the concept of living in fear of the person sleeping next to you. The reader can question the validity of the haunting in this story, but it is undeniable that there is something doomed between Sam and Michelle.
And finally, when readers think of Devil Within, what’s the one word you hope jumps to their head?
