The art of reviewing a comic book is hard work, and most reviewers are not professionally trained. However, with the invention of the blog and social media — everyone can be a critic, which is amazing and god awful. Over the past seven years of running Monkeys Fighting Robots, the Editor in Chief and I have developed a five-star system for reviewing books.
5.0 = A near-perfect comic; one of the year’s best. You’ll remember this issue for a long time.
4.0–4.9 = An excellent book that’s well worth your money. It has memorable moments, stunning art, and a fundamental understanding of how comics work.
3.0–3.9 = A pretty good, middle-of-the-road comic. Maybe not worth your money unless you’re a big fan of the series/character.
2.0–2.9 = Meh, it’s okay. Below average. Not terrible, but ultimately forgettable.
1.0–1.9 = It’s bad. Maybe it has one or two redeeming qualities, but the bad outweighs the good. It’s not worth your time, let alone your money.
0.0–0.9 = A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad comic. Not worth your time, let alone your money. You probably shouldn’t bother reviewing the book if this is your score.
I would add one caveat that the rating or grade you give a review should be consistent with your previous reviews. A five-star review should mean something and not be given out at the drop of a hat. Create a list of five comics you believe are perfect, and then judge all other comics against them. But, again, reviewing comics books is an art form, so everything is fluid.
So now that you’ve established a baseline for reviewing a book make sure to review every aspect of the comic, and definitely DO NOT RECAP THE STORY. Talk about the writing and how it made you feel. Make sure to question and break down the pacing of the story. Your review is about a comic book, so the bulk of your review should be about the artwork, panel layout, colors, and letter work. The cover is an essential aspect of a comic too. Did the cover make you want to pick it up off the shelf?
Talk about your favorite page or panel to take your review to the next level. It should be easy to write about, and your reader will notice and feel your passion. Talking about your favorite page will help you focus on panel layout, colors, and how your eye led throughout the page. It should all lead to the question, what does this mean? That question will then lead you back to the book’s writing, and hopefully, you will expand on that section of your review.
A comic book is a fantastic piece of artwork that invokes an emotional response, talk about how the book made you feel! In future installments, I will talk about how to critique the specific elements of a comic book.
Writer James Tynion IV (Something Is Killing The Children, Batman Detective Comics) returns to DC and brings along artist Lisandro Estherren for a new window into an old world with The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1. With guest art from Yanick Paquette, colors from Patricio Delpeche, and letters by Simon Bowland, this opening chapter is a wonderfully macabre start to this new story in the Sandman mythos. With a smart, tense, and darkly humorous script and unique standout visuals, this comic is a must for both old Sandman fans and newcomers alike.
“Sometimes, nightmares walk the Earth. Every night when you sleep, the Lord of Dreams chooses the path you’ll follow…into a sylvan Elysium, or down the hallways of your darkest fears. And sometimes, if it is Dream’s will, those nightmares escape those halls, and go out into the world. But it is not a choice he makes lightly. Today the Corinthian walks the Earth again. The most feared of all Dream’s nightmares, his ravenous mouths have made him a legend among serial killers. Letting the Corinthian out among mortals is the most dangerous thing Dream could possibly do. But he has no choice-because there is another nightmare walking the Earth, one that must be hunted…and this monster is one that Dream, lord of all nightmares, did not make.”
Writing & Plot
It’s safe to say that James Tynion IV has a signature style of horror writing. He brings that style to bear and mixes it with some old Vertigo ingredients for his script in Nightmare Country #1. His work here mixes his foreboding horror sensibilities and signature dark humor with poignant reflections on living in this timeline as a millennial – another detail he’s very good at. He then sprinkles in bits of poeticism that even Neil Gaiman himself would be proud of. This comic nails the goal of feeling like a Sandman book while also being something totally new and exciting. The way Tynion hints at coming terrors and conflicts while still always keeping the tension in the present is constantly compelling. There is an unceasing dreamlike quality to the whole comic. Every character conversation and small moment that we *know* isn’t part of a dream/nightmare still very well feels like it could be. Again, this is that Sandman quality making itself known throughout the book. Despite this the comic never feels unclear. Everything feels pointed and purposeful – and I’m sure we’ll find out why in the coming chapters. Like Si Spurrier and G. Willow Wilson in their Dreaming runs, Tynion adds his voice to Gaiman’s mythology with a comic that is totally loyal to the concept and thematic core of that original universe – but still feels wholly unique unto itself.
Art Direction
Tynion tends to get his horror scripts visually told by wonderfully unique artists, and Nightmare Country #1 is no exception. Much like Werther Dell’Edera in Something Is Killing The Children, Lisandro Estherren’s art in this comic gives this story a singular style that perfectly captures its uncanny tone. Estherren utilizes his wavering, sort of rough-hewn penciling to great effect. His characters always seem like they’re caught in a dreamy haze (which they kind of are). His visual interpretations of nightmare creatures are striking and unnerving, and are sure to stick in the reader’s mind long after they’ve closed the book. His visual approach is one that feels like it belongs among some of that old Sandman work. He fits in to a modern day camp of artists who bring the same sort of uncanny style to comics that Kelley Jones and P. Craig Russell did to classic Sandman, but here in a new light. Estherren’s direction and blocking add more to both the tense nightmarish sequences and the dreamy, uncertain pacing of the comic as a whole. Yanick Paquette’s portion as guest artist is as stunning as you’d imagine, but it also sticks out a bit much. Still, it does nothing to stop the overall stellar visual flow of the comic.
Patricio Delpeche’s colors make up much of that hazy, dreamlike-feel of this issue. His murky watercolors give off an unnerving feeling and cast the book in a dim pallor that really completes the comic’s tone. Simon Bowland returns to The Sandman Universe on letters, and unsurprisingly he’s as brilliant as ever. He utilizes numerous fonts for different characters, replicating the work of Todd Klein in the original Sandman while keeping his own style intact and fresh. Visually, this comic is a great atmospheric treat that crafts a timeless Vertigo-esque quality for the reading experience.
Verdict
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1 is a creepy and stylish new chapter in the legacy of this beloved world. James Tynion IV returns to DC to craft new nightmares in his signature brand of poignant, eerie, and darkly funny horror and he absolutely nails it. The visuals from Lisandro Estherren and Patricio Delpeche are rife with memorable visual terrors in a style that feels like it picks up where the more gruesome classic Sandman issues left off. This is a must-read for both Sandman fans and complete newcomers. Be sure to grab this comic when it hits shelves on April 12th!
DC Comics’ Batman/Catwoman has been a complex series. The creative team — writer Tom King, artist Clay Mann, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles — have generally had an incredible knack for making the story (which happens over three distinct timelines) clear. WhileBatman/Catwoman #11 still manages to be clear in its storytelling, despite introducing another timeline (or two?) to the narrative, its intricacies make it hard for any of the emotional beats to land.
Writing
There’s nothing wrong with writing a complex series. King tends to be a master when it comes to making you feel for characters, even when you don’t fully understand what’s happening to them. And part of what complicates things for Batman/Catwoman has occurred outside of its own story. The series has been plagued by scheduling delays. A guest artist, the incomparable Liam Sharp, was brought in to fill in on some issues. Sharp’s visual language is quite different to Mann’s. As stunning as Sharp’s work is, it was a departure from the status quo from the series, which made some of the narrative a little harder to follow at times. Mann’s return to the story, interestingly enough, had a similar effect.
So, maybe King’s script would flow brilliantly if not for these creative speedbumps and delays. But as it stands, Batman/Catwoman #11 feels a little dry. Nearly every scene is a fight scene or a chase. These blend together and ultimately have little effect. We jump around in time so often that the reader is spending more time trying to keep track of where they are now. It’s hard to actually take in and experience any given scene. Batman/Catwoman #11, however, is a climax of sorts. All of the shit that’s gathered over the series thus far is flung at the proverbial fan. And so, maybe the chaos and confusion of the issue is deliberate. Maybe we’re supposed to be left scratching our heads when we turn the final page. As is often the case with penultimate issues, only the finale will really tell us if this issue was effective in what it was setting up. Perhaps this series will read better as a collection, where the reader can more easily keep track of each avenue this story goes down.
Art
Mann certainly knows how to set a scene. And in the chaos of this issue, he manages to make certain moments stand out as more action-packed than others. Panels teeter, looking like they’re barely holding in place. Characters fall into the gutters of the page, punched or kicked over by an adversary. Much of Mann’s work has a 3D effect in that sense. You feel like characters are about to fall into your lap, like you could reach out and catch them before they hit the ground. Some moments feel like they’re fully focused on the theatrics of the scene, rather than the emotion surrounding what’s happening. There are many pages throughout this issue that feel like they pull away from the characters. Several moments obscure characters’ faces in shadow, or show them at such a distance that it’s hard to see their expressions. When Mann focuses us in on someone’s face, he speaks volumes through subtle looks and gestures, counteracting the drama of every other scene. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like there’s enough of these moments to create a good balance in this issue.
Coloring
Morey’s coloring choices continue to tie the threads of this story together, color coding each timeline to give us a sense of when events are happening. There is one moment, however, that is quite distracting. The Riddler hides in a dumpster as Catwoman pulls the lid over his head. In the dumpster, as Catwoman closes it, we see Riddler’s hat standing out in brilliant green and purple. It feels like his hat should at least look a little duller due to the shadows, if not be completely invisible. Despite this moment, Morey brings plenty of cohesion to Batman/Catwoman, while also telling us something about each scene. In a Christmas themed showdown between Batman and Joker, the scene becomes gradually more and more violent. As the violence increases, so does the red glow that’s cast over events. Another rooftop scene is shown in a mix of pinks and greens. The warm pinks are slowly overpowered by the cold greens, as hope drains from one of the characters. Morey’s work isn’t just eye-catching. It also helps guide this issue through its many thematic arcs.
Lettering
The one big upside to the near constant action of Batman/Catwoman #11 shows up in Cowles’ lettering. The “BZZZPP” of a futuristic taser, Joker’s laugh trailing off far outside of its word balloon in uneven letters, the “BLAM,” “POW,” “BAM” sounds of battle… all of these moments stand out in colorful glory. The fight scenes feel fun and vibrant thanks to Cowles’ work. And then, as the issue comes to a close, he shifts his tone. A “SLLLLKKKKTTTTT” sound effect, accompanying an action that ends out this issue, is shown in scratchy red letters. Cowles doesn’t want this moment to feel lighthearted or run-of-the-mill. He makes it look desperate and brutal.
Verdict
There is a lot about Batman/Catwoman #11 that feels like it should be high stakes. But the convoluted nature of this chapter, and the art’s tendency to pull away from character faces during action sequences (which make up most of this issue) means that most of the emotional beats fall flat. Batman/Catwoman has gone through changes in its creative team and delays in its release dates, disrupting the flow of the story at times. So it’s hard to know how much of Batman/Catwoman #11 is deliberately delving into chaos and confusion, and how much of this effect is accidental. Pick up Batman/Catwoman #11, out from DC Comics April 12th, at a comic shop near you!
The Super Bowl is the second-biggest sporting event of the year behind the World Cup, and Carvana introduced that captive audience to the Oversharing Mom who loves everything about her car a little too much. Director Paul Trillo figured out the puzzle to create this popular advertisement.
It’s entirely possible that the Super Bowl is the only event where millions of people watch the commercials. In fact, studies suggest that nearly 50 percent of viewers watch solely for that reason. In the Oversharing Mom, viewers are treated to a hilarious performance from Michelle Simms, some precision editing, and slick direction. The piece comes from ArtClass, a next-gen production and post-production company founded by award-winning director Vincent Peone and veteran producer Geno Imbriale.
PopAxiom spoke with director Paul Trillo about making the shortest short films, known as commercials, and making the Oversharing Mom.
Problem Solving
Paul’s love of film began early on, when he received a video camera in middle school and began making stop-motion Star Wars toy videos. Things only progressed from there. “In high school, we’d do weird skits and Tom Green-esque kind of things. Our school had a green screen and some cameras.” By the end of high school, he was learning Premiere and After Effects.
Paul went to art school for painting, but gave that up because he kept wanting to pick up the camera. His time in film school wasn’t conventional. “It was very much an experimental, conceptual-based school. So I resisted that a little.”
“I wanted to do comedy stuff,” he explains, “while everyone else was doing their art films.” That teaching started to trickle into Paul’s work after college, despite the clash. He began doing experimental and technique-based short films and music videos.
His brand of filmmaking garnered attention on Vimeo a little over ten years ago. Eventually, after a lot of technical work around camera moves, VFX, and blocking, he started on commercial work. “The problem-solving aspect is very engaging. It gets stale after a while to have only technical work.”
About The Oversharing Mom
Things freshened up immensely when ArtClass and Carvana came calling. “I was excited about the Carvana spot. It was part of four ads, but this one was more comedy-based.”
“All four spots are so different,” he explains. “The other ones have some sort of technique or production design element. For one, we built a goldmine on a stage. Another is told in an Edgar Wright sort of style. Another is VFX heavy. They all had these different ingredients. So, they were looking for a director who could adapt and have a lot of different things that they’ve explored in their work.”
That director was Paul. “It was a competitive pitch, but I gravitated toward the Oversharing Mom. They gave me a template about a mom badgering different people with her spiel. So I found different ways to have fun with that.”
“We probably had about three weeks of pre-production and eight shooting days,” he shares. “That’s for all four. One spot was on a stage; another was in multiple locations; we had interiors, exteriors, and night exteriors. So it was a huge puzzle trying to figure out how to shoot all these ads in just a few days.”
The answer to the puzzle was planning. “We shot one vignette with the mom one day. Another day we shot on the set. So we could spread it out and shoot multiple things per day.” Filming ended in November, then there was about six weeks for post-production. “It’s been a long process, but the spot landed in the Super Bowl.”
Working With Arne
“It was bizarre and surreal,” Paul says about the Oversharing Mom ending in the Super Bowl. “I found out just at the beginning of February.” Paul spent several months with the spot close and on his screen, so he had to watch the Super Bowl at someone else’s house “to make sure it was real.”
What’s an essential part of Paul’s process? “Working with storyboard artists. Some people are comfortable without storyboards. But a lot of the stuff I do is precisely timed or has some sort of shot design to it. So nailing the storyboards and animatics is vital to make sure each shot fits. You can figure out a lot of stuff later, but you have to have the bones of it ready.”
“For this particular campaign,” he continues, “there was a lot of production design. So, working with our production designer Arne Knudsen is also super-important to get things right. The tones, paint color, where we’re putting the cameras in our 3D set design. So, it’s only little surprises when you walk on set.”
The Right Mom
“We were so lucky Michelle Simms came through,” Paul says of the star who made the whip-camera moves and to-the-second editing all the better with her performance as ‘Mom.’ “This was a non-SAG shoot, so our talent pool was reduced. The whole thing lives and dies on the mom’s performance. It made me nervous.”
Paul admits that the auditions weren’t bringing in anyone who had the right mix. “But, Michelle brought so much character to it, and she was the clear winner for all of us.”
“Michelle Simms’ strength,” he adds, “shows how she stands out against these other ads with superstars. I hope they extend her contract and do more with her. She could carry more of these ads.” Why not an ‘Oversharing Mom’ sitcom?
Wrapping Up
Paul’s a cinephile who can rattle off a long list of influences. But he narrows it down for us. “I love the Coen Brothers. Everything they do always has such a strong tone. They’re masters of tone and a huge influence on me. Early on with music videos, Michel Gondry and Spike Jones were able to do these conceptual-based music videos. I loved how what they do is very simple and very complicated. On paper, it’s simple, but to execute it is where they show their strengths.”
For the Oversharing Mom, Paul pulled creative energy from a particular place. “For this spot, I loved the work of Swedish director Roy Andersson (A Swedish Love Story, About Endlessness). He does these pathetic comedies with sad people in long takes. But it’s sad and funny and poetic.”
“I’m developing projects and taking a little break from the ad work. Last year [2021] was crazy,” he admits. “It felt like two years packed into one after the near-stoppage of production in 2020.”
One of those projects is a sci-fi documentary about a blind man who gets his vision back with the help of a device that’s providing visual information.
What did you think of the Oversharing Mom?
Thanks to Paul Trillo and Impact24 PR
for making this interview possible.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a tremendous reminder of just how wonderful The Wizarding World can be. Arriving a few years after its predecessor, the film manages to push the narrative forward in exciting ways while exploring the character of Dumbledore. The last entry sparked doubts about the series retaining its appeal for three more entries. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore provides enough heart, humor, and spellbinding duels to satisfy many fans of this world.
There’s no denying that J.K. Rowling dropped the ball with Fantastic Beats: The Crimes of Grindelwald. While the visuals remained strong, its narrative was riddled with one too many subplots. Steve Kloves returns to co-write The Secrets of Dumbledore, and those “problems” from before have been fixed. Allowing itself to focus on its larger conflict helped Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore convey a compelling and action-packed adventure.
Grindelwald’s (Mikkelsen) rise to power across the community has caused Dumbledore (Law) to request the assistance of Newt Scamander (Redmayne) and his allies. As tensions rise, Dumbledore questions how much longer he can stand on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Grindelwald and his army continue to chase their goal of terrorizing the muggles. Directed by David Yates, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore stars Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen, Ezra Miller, Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Callum Turner, and Alison Sudol.
Newt Scamander’s progression here was a remarkable aspect of this new film. Previously, I have felt that the films were trying to force audiences into caring about him. Knowing that Fantastic Beasts is building toward the highly famous battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, made it questionable as to why these films weren’t centered on Dumbledore. Scamander’s importance to this pending battle is highlighted better thanks to his scenes with Dumbledore.
Newt’s attitude towards these creatures and his desire to do what’s right without reward seems to be why Dumbledore has so much faith in him. Newt has always been a likable character, but it just seemed that the wrong character was being focused on. While Dumbledore and Newt continue to share a healthy bond, Grindelwald and Credence (Miller) have the complete opposite. The Secrets of Dumbledore lives up to its title by further addressing shocking revelations.
While The Crimes of Grindelwald left many fans frustrated and confused, most of the confusion should be cleared up here. Some would argue that Credence’s history came out of nowhere, but there are many moments of foreshadowing that took place. Admittedly, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore builds more intrigue with its foreshadowing. Since the narrative is focused and not held back by multiple subplots, audiences might have a better time connecting with this new revelation.
Perhaps the film has too many characters involved, but they are all likable and Jacob Kowalski’s development here is terrific. Fogler has always been great in the role, so it was nice to see everyone’s favorite no-maj (muggle) get involved in Dumbledore’s affairs. Speaking of Dumbledore, the film’s subtitle isn’t there to simply draw in Harry Potter fans. There are several advancements in Dumbledore’s story that make him a more complex character. Sure, some additions weren’t always planned from the start, but longtime fans will enjoy the new details surrounding Dumbledore’s sister, Ariana.
The chemistry between Mikkelsen and Law makes their interactions emotional, intense, and highly entertaining. The relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is the heart of this Franchise, and it’s unpacked quite well here. Both share differences on muggles, have a troubled history, and their inability to battle emphasizes the tension between them. Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Grindelwald is captivating, it demands your attention, and I can take him more seriously in this role. Every performance is stellar, but Fogler and Mikkelsen were my favorites.
Kloves’s return to the writer’s room certainly made a difference as far as I can tell. Yates remains one of the best directors for this universe and the energy that was missing from the last installment is present throughout. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore takes you on an emotional rollercoaster while delivering several crowd-pleasing moments. One, in particular, the crab walk sequence, should have audiences laughing uncontrollably.
Yates’ passion for this universe is always evident through his visual style, and James Newton Howard’s score is the ultimate source of nostalgia this time around. If one were to argue that this series relies on the Harry Potter legacy too often, they wouldn’t be wrong. However, Howard incorporated certain aspects to his score that I would say are needed in a Wizarding film. Some visual aspects are disappointing, such as the Hogwarts featured in the film, which isn’t a practical effect.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore doesn’t erase every issue with this series, but it did a fine job restoring my investment in what’s to come. A more focused narrative that provides a coherent beginning, middle, and end while never growing dull. There’s better pacing, iconic duels, and Newt’s beasts are an integral piece of this story. Harry Potter might be the superior franchise, but this series still has signs of greatness coming soon.
Ethan Reckless is out of town on a case. His assistant, Anna – a pink haired, bespectacled punk rocker – is more than capable of holding down the fort. Trouble is, she’s got her boss’s knack for attracting mountains of trouble. Image Comics’ The Ghost in You, the fourth book in the Reckless series, is a fresh, satisfying new chapter in this already brilliant run. Writer Ed Brubaker, artist Sean Phillips – the creative team behind classics like Fatale, Kill or Be Killed, Criminal, and Pulp – and colorist Jacob Phillips, take us through haunted houses and family trauma in their new Reckless book.
Writing
Though the stories in this series are narrated by Ethan Reckless – our grizzled private eye with a name that matches his lifestyle – Reckless doesn’t show up much in The Ghost in You. Instead, his assistant Anna runs the show. It changes everything about this comic. Even Ethan’s tone in his narrations has a lighter, funnier feel to it. Anna is a breath of fresh air, so naturally the book where she’s pulling the strings would feel the same way. This book is easygoing and fun. But Anna is also more complicated than that, and so is Brubaker’s script. She’s the kind of character who isn’t sure if she believes in ghosts, but knows she no longer believes in people. She’s quick to smile but quicker to scowl. The Ghost in You, like Anna, looks like a mosaic at first. It’s full of scenes, themes, and storylines that feel disconnected. But when you back up, you see it’s all part of the same complex picture. Brubaker will make you laugh, wince, and cry all within a single page, for vastly different reasons. He’ll make you feel scattered and confused by the emotional rollercoaster he has you on. But in the end, you’ll be brought back to the beating heart at the center of his story, and it will suddenly all seem simple again.
Art
One thing that sets Anna and Ethan apart is their relationship to the rest of the world. Ethan has a huge presence. He’s often pictured looking down at the people he’s getting information from. Anna looks up at people. You could chock it up to a difference in height, but there are a few telling moments in The Ghost in You where Sean Phillips shows there’s more going on. For one thing, Anna’s placement in each scene communicates an uneasiness in the job. She’s not as confident as Ethan is with other people. But when she’s doing research, something that she loves and feels good at, she’s always looking down at her work with a collected and self-assured look on her face. Even when she calls an old boyfriend for some help, she gets lost in some blueprints and is shown eye-to-eye with him, on his level. The same is true when Ethan’s old handler, Frank, hands Anna some findings on someone he looked into for her. She stands above him, engrossed by the papers he’s handed her, while he sits in a chair nearby. She comes alive with factfinding and analysis. You see it in how she holds herself in each panel where she’s doing research. But put her in a room full of people and her wry smile becomes a determined grimace. She shrinks under the presences of other people. She’ll do the work, but she sure as hell won’t enjoy it.
Coloring
Jacob Phillips’ coloring is succinct, yet full of texture and stylistic flare. He gives you a keen sense of the lighting in each scene, while ensuring that everything still has a painted look to it. Streams of light pour over buildings and streets, flowing in beautiful, uneven brushstrokes across each setting. Trees and backgrounds are shown in dappled colors, sometimes looking like paint that’s been flung at a canvas. At one point, Anna is walking through a dark house, guided by the light of a flashlight. The glare of the flashlight is reflected in her glasses, shown in yellow and orange blocks that collide together in front of her eyes. The best way to describe Phillips’ coloring work is that it almost looks like an Impressionistic painter brought these pages to life. Phillips clearly has a thorough understanding of light and shadow. The placement of his colors is precise, but the colors themselves almost seem to be in a brilliant war with one another. They jostle together, mixing and overlapping to create stunning effects.
Lettering
Sean Phillips gets quite experimental with his lettering in this issue. We get a couple of things that we’ve seen before: small lettering in a bigger word balloon to show a character saying something under their breath, or the straight edges to a word balloon of someone who’s panicking. These effects make these moments stand out. You can hear the quietness of one moment and the panic of another. But there are several effects that are new to this series. Anna plays some old punk rock music on vinyl at her apartment. The lyrics are shown in jagged balloons that have a thick, scratchy black outline to them. The words are barely contained by the balloons, some letters getting lost in its borders. It’s the sound, the feeling these words are creating that’s important, not what they’re actually saying. At another point, Anna gets into a fight with someone. In the aftermath, someone asks “Hey, are you okay?” The font is blurred, like it’s coming through a fog. If you listen, you can almost hear the ringing in Anna’s ears that’s drowning out all the noise.
Verdict
It’s no surprise that Reckless continues to be a great series. It would be a surprise if this creative team ever came out with anything less than excellent. But a Reckless book that focuses almost exclusively on Ethan’s assistant, Anna? It’s a great premise with a flawless execution. This book is funny, sad, and altogether riveting. You don’t want to miss the latest installment in the Reckless series, The Ghost in You, out from Image Comics April 13th at a comic shop near you!
CAPTAIN CARTER #2 hits your local comic book store on April 13th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: “WOMAN OUT OF TIME” CONTINUES!
Captain Carter is back, and now the whole world knows it! Reeling from her new celebrity status, Peggy teams up with S.T.R.I.K.E. to investigate the sudden resurgence of Hydra, but something doesn’t feel quite right. Can Peggy trust what she’s being told, or is someone trying to use her as a high-profile pawn in a game she doesn’t yet understand?
The issue is by writer Jamie McKelvie and artist Marika Cresta, with colors by Erick Arciniega, and letters by Clayton Cowles. The main cover is by McKelvie.
The character of Captain Carter first appeared recently in What If…? on Disney+ before making the jump to comics. There is hope and speculation that she will make her live-action debut in the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Check out the CAPTAIN CARTER #2 preview below:
Did you read the first issue of CAPTAIN CARTER? Sound off in the comments!
LAND OF THE LIVING GODS #3 hits your local comic book store April 20th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: After selling Naledi to Shandu’s witch for ritual sacrifice, Kaelo grows tormented by memories of her past and the betrayals that she herself suffered as a child. Meanwhile, Naledi has a chance encounter with someone that harbors a seemingly impossible secret – a secret that could unravel the very foundations on which the stronghold of Serepa is built.
The series is by writer Isaac Mogajane and artist Santtos, and letters by Carlos M. Mangual. The cover is by Santtos.
Check out the LAND OF THE LIVING GODS #3 preview below:
Are you reading LAND OF THE LIVING GODS? Sound off in the comments!
From modern comics icon Jeff Lemire (Gideon Falls, Black Hammer) and artist Dustin Nguyen (Descender, Robin &Batman) comes the stellar second chapter of their tiny vampire survival series in Little Monsters #2. Featuring lettering from Steve Wands, this issue delves into the past of certain cast members and reveals more about the children’s situation – and what has been kept from them. With a perfectly paced script and functionally perfect art work, this comic will be an absolute joy for fans of vampire fiction needing something new.
“When a man stumbles into their camp, the long-forgotten taste of human blood is quickly remembered.”
Writing & Plot
Jeff Lemire continues his streak of near-impeccable writing projects with his script for Little Monsters #2. Where the first issue worked as an introduction to this concept and the cast of characters, the 2nd chapter is a perfect launch point for the coming conflicts. Here, we get to see into one character’s past and an inkling of how they may feel about their vampiric life – and what that life sometimes means. We also get the exact opposite view of this lot in life, and some more hints as to the nature of the being who made all these children into little creatures of the night. The pacing of this chapter’s plot development is absolutely perfect. Lemire switches from a tense flashback sequence to the present view of multiple characters and it all feels so seamless. Being a cartoonist, with writer/artist credits on acclaimed titles like Sweet Tooth, Underwater Welder, and most recently Mazebook, he’s well aware of how to pace a comic to take advantage of the visual medium. Lemire leaves many panels and pages without dialogue, allowing for Nguyen to carefully craft a tense reading experience that will surely enrapture readers. We will need to have a conversation soon about how Jeff Lemire may very well be the most consistently great comics writer currently working.
Art Direction
As stated previously, Dustin Nguyen really gets to flex his creative muscles in Little Monsters #2. His stunning use of black & white in conjunction with his detailed and unique penciling will leave an indelible mark on a reader’s mind. If you’ve read the prior issue, or his work with Lemire on Descender or Ascender, none of his raw artistic skill will surprise you. However, his rendition of the story’s methodical pacing is true comics-exclusive magic. The way Nguyen takes Lemire’s narrative and so carefully blocks and directs it with his drawings is truly fantastic work. Scenes in this comic will stay with me for some time just because of how Nguyen places them, and how perfectly paced out the whole issue feels. The lettering from Steve Wands is subtle, and sort of blends into the reading experience. I mean this in a positive manner. Even his SFX lettering is subtle, coming in at the perfect moment in small doses to add the perfect punctuation to a tension-filled scene. Visually, this comic is an absolute feat, featuring the kind of storytelling only possible in this medium.
Verdict
Little Monsters #2 is a stellar 2nd chapter for this unique post-apocalyptic vampire tale. Jeff Lemire’s script is perfectly paced and steps in a compelling direction for the next stages of this plot. The visuals from Dustin Nguyen are starkly drawn and carefully directed, making for one of the most striking comics of the year. Be sure to grab this issue when it hits shelves on April 6th!
One of the most intriguing things about this new era of X-Men has been the Quiet Council. While they’ve always played a role in every book, as readers we’ve never been able to see everything that they are up to. With Immortal X-Men #1 Kieron Gillen makes his triumphant return to the world of X-Men. Joined by Lucas Werneck on pencils, David Curiel on colors and Clayton Cowles on letters, we get an explosive first issue that won’t be forgotten.
WRITING
Kieron Gillen uses Mr. Sinister as our narrator for this first issue. Gillen has written Mr. Sinister before during his stint on Uncanny X-Men. Gillen’s voice for Sinister has not changed in Immortal X-Men. He’s cocky, hilarious, dangerous and untrustworthy. Gillen sows the seeds of discord throughout the council as they disagree on which new member to add to fill a vacancy. As a reader, we get to see all the backstabbing going on in the political world of mutants. One of the most fun parts of the issue is when potential candidates apply for the council seat. Gillen shows us why they feel they would be a good fit, and we also get the council members discussing why they wouldn’t. As far as first issues go, Gillen knocked this one out of the ballpark.
ART
Lucas Werneck’s pencils look great this issue. The beginning of the issue takes place in 1919. Werneck draws Paris gorgeously as Sinister sits next to a blue fountain. Werneck also draws Sinister cocky as he listens to the council argue over who gets the remaining spot. Werneck has him slumped in his chair with a crooked smile on his face. The background of Krakoa also looks beautiful as trees have sunlight shining in through them. Werneck’s pencils make it easy to go from panel to panel as the transitions are smooth. Pages where the council vote, Werneck goes through each member. Your eyes flow from mutant to mutant as you see them and it works really well on the page.
The colors by David Curiel are fantastic as well. During the council meeting, Curiel uses a light blue for the water in the background and some nice shading on the trees. This allows our eyes to focus on the mutants applying to be on the council. As the five bring a mutant back to life in Arbor Magna, Curiel uses a dark blue behind the characters. He offsets this with a vibrant orange and red as the mutant is reborn. These contrasting colors are gorgeous to look at and work perfectly together.
The letters by Clayton Cowles have a couple of stand out panels. Mr. Sinister, using fake outrage, yells “WHAT?!?!” during a council meeting. The text is large and goes the full length of his panel to show his outrage. This is a funny panel for readers and Cowles making the text large adds to the comedy. During a fight scene near the end of the issue, Cowles gives us a “BAMF” from Nightcrawler. The letters in the “BAMF” are staggered, which makes you feel the dynamism of the action.
CONCLUSION
Immortal X-Men #1 is an exhilarating read. Kieron Gillen writes the cast flawlessly as he reunites with his favorite mutants. The art team delivers a great performance that will be sure to please fans. Immortal X-Men #1 is available from Marvel Comics at a comic shop near you.
