BATMAN #123 hits your local comic book shop on May 3 from DC Comics. The book is written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Howard Porter, Tomeu Morey drops the color, and you will read Clayton Clowes’ letter work.
About BATMAN #123: SHADOW WAR, PART 5 – Batman and Robin are finally reunited! Together they will hunt for the truth behind the death of Ra’s al Ghul! But then who is left to defend the Secret Society against the League of Shadows? Deathstroke’s fight against the Demon’s Shadow ends with a shocking cliffhanger! Plus, what happens when you get Deathstroke infected with Joker toxin? Find out in the epic backup story!
SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 hits your local comic book shop this week from Marvel Comics. The book is written by Steve Orlando, with art by Paul Fry, colors work from Neeraj Menon, and you will read Joe Caramagna’s letter work. Leinil Francis Yu and Sunny Gho created the cover.
About the issue: Miguel O’Hara is back! After fighting battles across the timestream, MIGUEL O’HARA is at last back defending his present and our future! For SPIDER-MAN 2099, the only thing constant about life in Nueva York is change. So when a cataclysmic crash creates a new Garden of Eden in what was once the American Wastelands, Spider-Man knows exactly what the next atrocity will be. Watch as THE CABAL plans to set society ablaze — and you’ll never guess who is leading them!
Read the five page preview of SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 below:
Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz Batman: Odyssey Unused Page Original Art (DC, 2011)
Legendary comic book artist Neal Adams passed away on April 28, at the age of 80. Since his passing comic book creators and fans have reflected on Adams’ influence and inspiration. Bill Sienkiewicz took the time to talk about his conversations with Adams with respect to what it was like to ink Adams’ pencil work. Sienkiewicz posted the below message on Facebook.
On inking Neal.
Neal and I would have countless discussions about his pencils and what he felt inkers did or did not do with his pencils. He was quite candid about who he felt did or did not capture what he was going for. ( and no I’m not naming names.)
He was the first to admit his pencils were deceptive; they looked very tight but were remarkably open to interpretation due to his use of the side of the pencil and of gradations of pressure. His pencils were actually quite painterly, often to the consternation of inkers who were not being hired to do grayscale or washes in their finishes…. Not that printing would accommodate them anyway.
As a result, he felt a some inkers (and in some cases ones that fans absolutely loved) missed the point of his pencils, actually often didn’t quite capture what he was going for. He felt many inkers ( both of his work and of other pencilers whose work had a full value range of blacks, whites and grays) inked the pencil lines themselves and NOT the values of said lines, with the resulting art having areas that Neal felt “punched holes” in areas of transitions, ruining the turning of the forms.
Because we ALSO discussed painting and the importance of tones, values, grays etc. I actually felt I understood what he meant.
I saw Neal’s pencils not strictly in black and white or binary terms, but very much value-dependent in context/ value-driven, and that’s what I personally tried to capture in my inks over him.
I didn’t try to ink the pencil line as a one-to-one ratio, (- i.e., one part graphite = one part India ink) I tried to ink the relative value of it, something admittedly challenging when not using grayed or watered down ink. This often meant inking some lines thinner or thicker to approximate the ‘grayness’ of said line in context. And context is key.
It wasn’t something he asked me to do; it was something I found exciting and challenging and was my own peculiar way of addressing my inking of him.
Turns out he actually liked what I did .which thrilled me. I mean thrilled me no end.
But damn, when I was “off”, he’d would not hesitate to call me and proceed to discuss what I’d done, or failed to do.
“Hey kiddo…. About page 4 panel 3…“
To be honest, I loved these conversations, which almost had the opposite effect of making me want to capture what he was looking for.
They made me give occasional thoughts to “how can I mess this up in just the right way so Neal and I will able to talk for a few hours?”
In fairness, turns out he”d also call if he really liked something I did, so I didn’t have to resort of any nefarious inking screw-ups.
I’d honestly just like to think he actually enjoyed shooting the shit and talking art with a friend.
Gonna miss those talks.
-Bill Sienkiewicz
Below is a great example of Sienkiewicz’s inks over Adams’ pencils.
Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz Batman: Odyssey Unused Page Original Art (DC, 2011)
From writers Steve Orlando and Nyla Rose and artist David Cutler comes the return of a character more famous in death than in life with Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1. Featuring inks from Jose Marzan Jr. and Roberto Poggi, colors by Irma Kniivila, and lettering by Travis Lanham, this one-shot revives and reintroduces us to the first X-Man to die under Xavier’s watch. With a thoughtful, complex, and poignant script and equally thoughtful visual design, this return will undoubtedly stand as one of the most important X-Men comics in recent memory – for more reason than one.
“The world John Proudstar has returned to is completely different from the one he once knew. Looking to find refuge in the familiar, Thunderbird seeks out someone from his past at an Apache reservation…and uncovers a horrifying threat to the Indigenous mutant community. Will Thunderbird be able to save his people? Or will his justified rage lead him astray?”
Writing & Plot
Thunderbird really wasn’t around long enough to be firmly established as a character, so it’s great to see Steve Orlando and Nyla Rose do some thoughtful character building in Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1. Having the long-dead Native American mutant given the Krakoan resurrection treatment requires a careful hand. Fortunately, Native American pro-wrestler Nyla Rose teamed up with Steve Orlando to be just that. Here, Rose and Orlando establish that John Proudstar never quite felt at home with the X-Men back when he was alive. He’s grateful for what Xavier and the X-Men did for him, but for Proudstar being in a superhero team wasn’t that much different from his time in the Marines. The choice to send Thunderbird on a journey back home immediately after his resurrection on Krakoa is a bold and wise choice. I can’t get into spoilers here, but the writing in this one-shot plays around with ideas of identity, legacy, and loyalty in ways that are both direct and buried under clever subtext. This is a very exciting comic not just for the whole “bringing back a dead character” aspect, but because it handles said resurrection with such intelligence. The socio-political ramifications both in the Marvel universe and here in reality of bringing back a Native character in the year 2021, in the wrong hands, could have ended up with some elements that were rather…problematic. Orlando and Rose really impress with their efforts here.
Major thematic and metanarrative concepts aside, this comic also succeeds in just being a good Marvel comic book. The sequence of events that set up the action have the same kind of stakes and tension that old-school X-Men comics do. Orlando and Rose’s dialogue has that classic comic book-y one-liner snark. Even with the more serious tone of some of the book’s subjects, it still knows how to be a hell of a lot of fun.
Art Direction
Relative newcomer to mainstream comics and member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation David Cutler lends his craft to the pages of Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1. He, along with inkers Jose Marzan Jr. and Roberto Poggi, craft a visual experience that is unique to itself while still sharing the house style of the other Krakoa-era X-books. Cutler’s compositions are super-tight, and his actions sequences that make up the entire middle section of the comic are full of energy and a blast to witness. His facial animations and detail work, again with the assistance of Marzan and Poggi, makes even the conversational sequences engaging and endears the reader to each individually designed character. This one-shot’s pacing feels so effortless and natural because of Cutler’s careful composition. Quite a lot happens in this comic, and Cutler cuts it all together with simple yet impressive layouts. Now, the big elephant in the room regarding this comic’s art is Thunderbird’s new costume design. Liking or disliking the new suit is entirely subjective. A superhero costume can only be seen as “bad” if it somehow betrays what that character is supposed to stand for. Thunderbird wasn’t originally around long enough to be able to stand for anything. Here, under the creative thumb of two native creators, that has changed. Cutler has made John Proudstar’s new turquoise costume with the symbolism that is important to his nation and origin. Regardless if you like this costume or not, it’s certainly more meaningful than the original.
Speaking of colors, Irma Kniivila provides the rich tones of Proudstar’s new suit and every other surface in this one-shot. Her work here is vibrant and helps craft the setting of each scene with that fantastic final detail. Sunlight settling over the rocky cliff of the American Southwest has scarcely looked better in a comic. The lettering from Travis Lanham adheres to the same style that the other current X-books have been using, but with some especially great SFX features. The dialogue and narration letters are smooth and unobtrusive, hiding them in the reading experience. His FX work serves as the perfect punctuation to the action sequences, with their presence highlighting all the big impacts in those panels perfectly. Overall, this is a very solid looking comic book that offers a smooth and often gorgeous read.
Verdict
Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 is a bold and thoughtful return for a long-dead character. With insight and intelligence, Steve Orlando and Nyla Rose’s script engages with John Proudstar’s legacy as both the first mutant to die for Xavier, and as a Native American superhero. The visuals from David Cutler, Jose Marzan Jr., Roberto Poggi, and Irma Kniivila are well composed and rich, and perfectly pace every plot point this comic covers. Be sure to grab this major moment in mutant history when it hits shelves on May 4th!
SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 hits your local comic book shop this week from Marvel Comics. The book is written by Steve Orlando, with art by Paul Fry, colors work from Neeraj Menon, and you will read Joe Caramagna’s letter work. Leinil Francis Yu and Sunny Gho created the cover. The creative team compliments each other for an action-packed adventure.
Have you ever tried writing a non-spoiler review, and all you want to talk about is the last page?! It’s not easy, but we are going to do our best.
About the issue: Miguel O’Hara is back! After fighting battles across the timestream, MIGUEL O’HARA is at last back defending his present and our future! For SPIDER-MAN 2099, the only thing constant about life in Nueva York is change. So when a cataclysmic crash creates a new Garden of Eden in what was once the American Wastelands, Spider-Man knows exactly what the next atrocity will be. Watch as THE CABAL plans to set society ablaze — and you’ll never guess who is leading them!
Orlando throws Miguel O’Hara (aka Spider-Man 2099) right into the action, and the train doesn’t stop until the last page with a massive reveal. The pacing is what makes this issue a wild ride. You can break the book up into six parts; every five pages, the book goes in a new direction. As a reader, you never get a chance to catch your breath. Then the setup and punchline Orlando puts together is pure comic book magic. It’s a solid “Oh shit!” moment. I read the issue and immediately wanted to talk with someone about it. I want validation of my reaction, and if we are talking about how a comic book made you feel, then SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 has something special.
Fry brings excellent visuals to a Spider-Man book. I felt the physical height of Miguel swinging through Nueva York. The perspective of the buildings was extreme, and Spider-Man 2099 always felt fluid; the action never seemed close to the ground. Miguel also flies differently through the air than Peter Parker, and you always knew it was Miguel under the mask. Fry brought all the little details that make a comic book exciting.
Did I mention that this book is action-packed and reads at a wicked fast pace? Menon had a significant hand in creating this intense pace. Every five or so pages, the color tone of the book changes. The color changes are jarring, going from light blue to dark black red. Then the Ghost Rider is in your face with the bright yellow. Menon’s color palette for the issue keeps you on your toes and highlights the action and plot points.
Caramagna’s letter work is stellar in this issue. The volume control was perfect; I was yelling or whispering dialogue in my head. The book is pure chaos with action, and Caramagna makes a full Ghost Rider page look beautiful with a giant BOOM and then follows it up on the next page with a rollercoaster ride of a KATHOOM. Caramagna also balances the conversations between Miguel and Lyla very well. The word balloon placement acts as a cushion and allows the art to flow from panel to panel.
My favorite panel of the SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 is a one-page spread of Ghost Rider going berserk (he has a chainsaw!). Fry goes off with an extreme perspective, Menon guides the eye with colors, and Caramagna drops the BOOM. You can feel the vengeance of Ghost Rider; the page is perfect.
Again, SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 hits your local comic book shop on May 4th; grab your copy and let me know what you think.
Read the first five pages of SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS ALPHA #1 below:
GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: THUNDERBIRD (2022) #1 hits your local comic book shop next week (May 4th), but Monkeys Fighting Robots has a four-page preview for our readers, thanks to Marvel Comics. The one-shot is written by Steve Orlando and Nyla Rose, with pencils by David Cutler, José Marzan Jr. and Roberto Poggi inked part of the book, Irma Kniivila drops the color, you will read Travis Lanham’s letter work. Ken Lashley and Juan Fernandez brought the cover to life.
About GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: THUNDERBIRD #1: All Elite Wrestling superstar Nyla Rose slams into Krakoa with a back-breaking one-shot featuring the first X-Man to die in action! In this mega-sized one-shot, she teams up with comics star Steve Orlando and First Nations artist David Cutler to grapple with the ramifications of Thunderbird’s recent resurrection! The world John Proudstar has returned to is completely different from the one he once knew. Looking to find refuge in the familiar, Thunderbird seeks out someone from his past at an Apache reservation…and uncovers a horrifying threat to the Indigenous mutant community. Will Thunderbird be able to save his people? Or will his justified rage lead him astray?
IRON MAN #19 hits your local comic book shop next week (May 4th), but Monkeys Fighting Robots has a four-page preview for our readers, thanks to Marvel Comics. The Conclusion of the BOOKS OF KORVAC is written by Christopher Cantwell, with art by Cafu, Frank D’Armata drops the color, you will read Joe Caramagna’s letter work, and Alex Ross brought the cover to life.
About IRON MAN #19: THE LAST MIDNIGHT
AT LAST, THE STUNNING CONCLUSION OF THE BOOKS OF KORVAC! Tony Stark must face Michael Korvac once again, and once and for all. No cosmic powers, no allies or henchmen, and no…armor? This is the very end of a very long and very rocky journey; Tony’s going to have to get by on his own blood, sweat, and tears. For the first time in his life, he’s all out of ideas.
In Step By Bloody Step #3, we follow our protagonists into a city. Until now, this series has seen our characters through a harsh wilderness, as they trek onward to some unknown goal. This chapter shows a stark contrast, not only to the issues that came before, but to life outside the city walls. Writer Si Spurrier, artist Matias Bergara, and colorist Matheus Lopes lure us into a haven that’s surrounded by a battlefield.
Story
Spurrier has been setting up the themes that are at play in this issue for a while. All through the series, whenever the young girl wants to stop and enjoy herself, the armored giant insists they keep going. Step By Bloody Step #3 sees the girl finally win out in this argument. She ignores her giant companion’s silent warnings and enters a party in the city. Spurrier quickly makes it clear that there’s something off about this celebration. Whenever we’re not seeing the lavishly dressed guests talking over their glasses of fine liquor, we’re seeing the poor, war-torn landscape outside. Spurrier clues us in that this city is one that has been built through conquest. And its residents have deliberately insulated themselves from the joyless realities of life beyond their wealth.
Art
Bergara and Lopes work beautifully in tandem to bring this contrast to life. But they also play with some of the similarities between the evil “city people” and the little girl’s life thus far. Right before they’re met by an ambassador for the city, the girl and her armored giant protector get into a fight. The giant seems to lose its temper, stomping on the ground and creating large clouds of dust behind it. The next page shows the ambassador flying into the scene on the back of a large bird. Bergara and Lopes present these moments as mirror images of each other. The giant’s tantrum and the bird take up the same space and placement on each page, and the pages are both colored in greys, whites and muted blues. The little girl looks at her protector with an unconvinced eye from then on. It’s as though she’s saying “You’re trying to shield me from these people, but what makes you better than them?”
When the girl meets the city leader, the page bursts with color. In the center of the page, Bergara places a platter covered in delicious foods, colored vibrantly by Lopes. The food is in the foreground and we see the girl in the background looking at it. She looks small and pale compared to it. The temptation is just too big for her. From then on, we see scenes that take place in the city or just outside of it. The most effective moments occur when we see a little of both at the same time. The little girl walks through a luxurious garden, painted in stunning greens, set against the backdrop of violent skirmishes outside that show up in deep browns and twisting greys. Bergara and Lopes will not only show you the differences between the city dwellers and the poor who fight outside, but they’ll make you understand why someone could get lost in the vibrant riches of the city and forget that anything else ever existed.
Verdict
Step By Bloody Step is a gorgeous series. It patiently teases out themes and ideas over the course of several issues at a time. It’s drenched in subtlety yet it’s also full of action and dynamism. Pick up Step By Bloody Step #3, out from Image Comics now, at a comic shop near you!
For many comic book readers or fans of X-Men the Animated Series, Sabertooth has never been the type of mutant to devise a plan. Instead, he’s primarily used as a vicious killer or a thorn in Wolverine’s side. On occasion, like Uncanny Avengers, he was a good guy, but mostly he is the villain. So how do you write a book where we root for the villain?
WRITING
Victor LaValle has done an excellent job of fleshing this book out. Adding other characters to the pit allows Sabertooth to have allies to play around with. Where LaValle shines on this issue is in his character interactions. The conversation between Nekra and Oya is incredibly well written and honest. LaValle allows us to see that both characters are self-aware and know they can’t trust Sabertooth. Nekra brings up the point that after being thrown in the pit, can she even feel comfortable on Krakoa anymore. This line runs more profound than many comic book lines and speaks volumes. There is also a conversation that happens between Madison Jeffries and Skin. LaValle uses this to show that mutants who appear normal may not be as comfortable as we believe. LaValle takes a book about a killer and makes it a heartfelt and sympathetic story. Sabertooth is in this story, but the story is about so much more.
ART
The pencils by Leonard Kirk work wonderfully here. Kirk will use a close-up panel of Sabertooth’s face to emphasize his point as he tells a story. Kirk also gives us a nice-looking silhouette of our characters as they drift down the river at night. Kirk’s work is strongest when it’s simple. He allows the reader to glide from panel to panel without getting too bogged down in detail. The characters are the essential element in this issue, and Kirk puts a lot of emphasis on that. His work is intimate and allows us to get into the face of the characters we’re reading about.
The colors by Rain Beredo match up nicely with Kirk’s pencils. Beredo’s backgrounds use striking teals and pinks as our characters travel the landscape. These colors allow the characters to pop out on the page. Beredo uses excellent contrast in the light backgrounds and the tone of the heroes. The shading in this issue is effectively used as well. As Mole enters a room to visit Third Eye, his face is shaded, and his glasses are visible. This is an interesting panel that will absolutely catch your eye.
Cory Petit handles the lettering for this issue. This is essentially a pretty standard-issue as far as letters go. There are a few instances where a character screams, and Petit enlarges the font to show pain. Petit also uses a distorted word balloon as a character begs. Word balloon placement works. One panel is never overloaded with too much dialogue. As far as lettering goes, Petit continues to work his magic.
CONCLUSION
Sabertooth #3 is another interesting entry in the series. It’s nice to see Creed in a different role instead of just a vicious killer. LaValle does a remarkable job of humanizing one of comics greatest psychopaths. The artwork brings the story to life in a realistic and intriguing way. Sabertooth #3 is out now, and available at a comic shop near you.
Star Wars #23
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Ramon Rosanas
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Release Date: May 4, 2022
STAR WARS #23 hits your local comic book shop next week (May 4th), but Monkeys Fighting Robots has a four-page preview for our readers, thanks to Marvel Comics. THE DAWN ALLIANCE, PART 2 OF 3 is written by Charles Soule, with art by Ramon Rosanas, Rachelle Rosenberg drops the color, you will read Clayton Cowles’ letter work, and Phil Noto brought the cover to life.
About STAR WARS #23: THE DAWN ALLIANCE, PART 2 OF 3
The fate of THE REBEL ALLIANCE FLEET is at stake as its last remaining divisions face off in battle against the brutal tactics of COMMANDER ELLIAN ZAHRA and her crew on the TARKIN’S WILL. For Zahra, this fight is personal; her revenge will not be complete until every life lost on THE DEATH STAR is avenged. Epic space warfare in the true STAR WARS manner!
Enjoy the preview below, and May the fourth be with you!
Star Wars #23
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Ramon Rosanas
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Release Date: May 4, 2022
