Weekly Comics Review - 24th April 2024

 

I take a look at a selection of this weeks comic releases. This week I read and review Green Arrow, Avengers, Wolverine, Batman: Dark Ages, Ultimate Spider-Man, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Black, White & Red, and more!

Geen Arrorw #11 

DC Comics, Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artists: Phil Hester, Eric 

Gapstur, Sean Izaake, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Troy Peteri

The latest issue of Green Arrow sees Oliver and the newly reunited Roy Harper teaming up to take on hard light hologram versions of the the classic Justice League, a defence mechanism created by the Sanctuary mask that they've been tasked with collecting for Amanda Waller. Luckily, most of the rest of the Arrow-family are around to help, and whilst they don't beat the fake League they are able to get the mask and escape. This leads Ollie to teleport out, thanks to Waller, and go after his real target, Malcolm Merlyn. Unfortunately, the elderly archer has had a very long time to plan for Ollie's eventual arrival in the distant future.

This has been a very enjoyable series since it came back, and it's doing a great job at reintroducing a lot of the Green Arrow extended cast of heroes, villains, and allies. The last issue brought in a lot of the female members of the family, even bringing along Arowette who'd never really been a part of things. This issue gives Merlyn a similar treatment, as we get a couple of pages that go over the characters history. This is something that's very helpful thanks to the ever shifting nature of backstories and continuity that can happen in comics, and is a useful for those who may have never encountered the character in comic form before. The art this issue is also superb, with a splash page towards the end showing off multiple versions of some characters, featuring costumes from across the decades that's a joy to behold. 

It's easy to forget that this series is going on as Green Arrow has never really been a high profile character on the comic book shelf, but this is a series that's definitely shaping up to be a must read.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rise of the Powers of X #4

Marvel Comics, Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: R.B. Silva, Colourist:

David Curiel, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

The mutants and their allies are fighting back against the forces of Orchis, and the AI that have been helping them but pose the true threat. Whilst most X books at the moment are dealing with the physical fight, Rise of the Powers of X is taking a different approach, and is showing readers the secret war that's going on behind the scenes, focusing on the machinations of Professor Xavier. This issue shows us how far Xavier is willing to fall to save his people, killing Rachel and Rasputin IV, and going to work for the Sentinels in order to get them to agree to leave mutants alone when they kill off the humans.

However, this issue hints at a larger plan, one that could win the day. It seems that everything Xavier is doing is to help mutants win, and that he's not prepared to trust the AI to hold up their ends. Whilst he's working with them he seems to have put the pieces in place for the others to win the day. Because of this, this is definitely the slowest X book at the moment, and there are a lot of spinning plates that readers have to keep track of. And whilst it might not be the case that Charles has gone full villain and is only putting on an act if he is doing all this to save his people will this be a machination too far for him to be forgiven? The book is posing some big questions.

The art on the title is superb, and the way in which R.B. Silva shows every moment of anguish on Xaviers face as he uses his powers to betray humanity really helps to sell just what the character is going through. Despite how good this title is, I also can't help but think that it will read better in a collected graphic novel alongside its counterpart. ⭐⭐⭐

Predator: The Last Hunt #3

Marvel Comics, Writer: Ed Brisson, Artist: Francesco Manna,

Colourist: Erick Arciniega, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

One of the problems reading an Alien or Predator book month to month rather than when it's done is that sometimes the pacing can feel off. When collected together it doesn't matter if a large part of the story deals with things going to shit, as that's an expected part of these franchises. However, when an entire issue is action, with people dying on every page, gunfire, explosions, and people getting thrown around, it can leave that months issue feeling a little underwhelming. This is how I came out of this months issue of Predator: The Last Hunt feeling.

The previous issue ended with Theta and her newly assembled team, featuring John Schaefer from the classic Dark Horse stories, being ambushed by this story's big bad Predator. This issue sees said Predator tearing through the group like they're nothing. People are blown apart by plasma casters, cut with knives, attacked by Predator dogs, and generally have a bad time whilst Theta herself has a momentary breakdown, trying to get her head back in the game. I'm sure as part of the whole this issue will read fine, but as this months check in on the story it didn't feel like a whole lot of stuff really happened. As such, it was kind of never really more than just fine.

The art team do a decent job this issue, and there's lots of exciting stuff for them to draw and colour as opposed to the initial two chapters. If blood and guts and violence are your thing then this issue delivers in spades. ⭐⭐⭐

X-Men Forever #2

Marvel Comics, Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: Luca Maresca,

Colourist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

X-Men Forever very much feels like a companion piece to Rise of the Powers of X this week, and if you're going to read the two of them (and you really need to this time I think) you're going to want to be doing this one second. The questions at the end of Rise, of whether Xavier has a second secret plan and is just going along with the AI is very much answered here, as we see him helping out the surviving mutants in the White Hot Room, and readying the stage for the return of the Phoenix. We see our troops assembling, including some characters who fell in other books, such as Archangel, and spend a quiet moment with them as they prepare for their assault on Earth.

One of the biggest problems that I can see with this book is that it requires a lot of knowledge for a lot of other titles from the Krakoa Era. It references several books and events that are fine if, like myself, you've read everything, but I also appreciate that I'm an outlier, and that not everyone will have done that. As such, it's quite possible you can get a bit lost at points in this issue. However, it very much feels like a last stop to talk, plan, and bring up complex backstory, before the final fight, and I expect that these issues will feel somewhat lessened as we head into the grand finale.

The artwork on this issue is gorgeous, and everyone looks fantastic. I love that Exodus is still in his Gala outfit, and want him to stay in it going forwards as he just looks so damn fine. And the scene in which the Mother Righteous duplicate melts to nothing is fascinating and revolting in equal measure, and a real stand out. For those who've been eagerly awaiting the return of the Phoenix, and have been watching the events in the White Hot Room closely this is one issue that you're not going to want to miss. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wolverine #48

Marvel Comics, Writers: Benjamin Percy & Victor LaValle, Artist:

Cory Smith, Colourist: Alex Sinclair, Letterer: Cory Petit

Sabretooth War has been a rocky road for our heroes. It opened with a gut punch of an issue, seeing Quentin dead and his head being used as a weapon, whilst Sabretooth tore apart Logan's son. From there we've had Laura be kidnapped and tortured, and Logan has lost his powers. This is where we pick up on part eight of the ten part epic, as Laura tries to escape Sabretooth's floating ship above Krakoa, as his son, Graydon Creed returrns as a cyborg ready to kill his father. On the ground, Logan manages to heal up enough from his injuries to head to one of his weapon stashes that he and Forge prepared to grab some gear, emerging wearing adamantium armour and carrying a Murumasa blade; but meanwhile, Sabretooth emerges from his cocoon, possibly changed forever.

Things are both moving at a very quick pace, and also feel kind of slow in this issue as we see a lot of pieces moved into their positions for the final two issues of the story. As with a lot of the stuff in the Krakoan era, you're going to have had to read a lot of titles to fully get everything here, and that's part of the reason why the book now includes Victor LaValle alongside Benjamin Percy, both of whom have been laying the seeds for this story across different books. I'm excited to see what happens in the final two issues, and it feels like things are going to be big, but it also feels like the story is in a little bit of a slump. Perhaps ten issues was a bit long, and maybe things would feel better if it was a few issues left and had to be a bit tighter. But still, this is a decent issue of Wolverine. ⭐⭐⭐

Power Girl #8

DC Comics, Writer: Leah Williams, Penciler: Eduardo Pansica, Inker:

Júlio Ferreira, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Becca Carey

I love Power Gril, she's one of my favourite DC characters and I've read a lot of her stuff. She's a great example of a feminist super hero. She's strong both physically and mentally, she's a leader, she's a businesswoman, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. She's been in both the Justice League and Justice Society, and even led the latter. And whilst some dismiss her because of her costume she's a fantastic role model for women. I don't know where she is anymore though, because the woman in the pages of Power Girl just isn't her. I dropped this title after the first issue, having read the stuff leading up to it and not enjoying any of that either. This isn't Power Girl, her entire personality has changed, she has a different name, and doesn't act like the character I fell in love with. This entire book feels more like a Supergirl pitch where they did a replace on the names and costume and decided it'd work fine.

I picked this issue up to see how it ties into the Brainiac story that's been going on, and withing the first couple of pages was reminded why I dropped this title. Power Girl is learning to roller skate, and it's pretty bad. She's nervous, shy, and very un-Power Girl. And more time gets given over to her roller skating and talking about her love life than does the Brainiac attack. The rest of this event has been fun and exciting, and this issue fails on every regards. This is definitely a title that folks can skip when reading through this particular Superman event.

The art on the issue is decent, and when the action does happen it's very quick and to the point. Most of the issue is given over to talking though, so don't expect much super heroics to fill the pages, which feels like a shame as this team seem to deliver it well when given the chance. I don't want to say that this series is a character assassination, as I've really like Leah Williams' X-books, but boy is this a bad time to be a Power Girl fan. ⭐

Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! #1

Image Comics, Writers: Dan Watters, Ram V., Artist: Matthew Roberts,

Colourist: Dave Stewart, Letterer: D. C. Hopkins

Out of the Universal Monsters my favourite has been the Creature from the Black Lagoon. From his design, to what I found to be the much tighter, more interesting story, that film was the one that really spoke to me the most, and I've got a soft spot in my heart for both him and stories that try to imitate it. This is the first Universal Monsters book that I've picked up, but it's quickly become one of my favourite comics of the week. The story follows journalist Kate Marsden as she hunts a serial killer who has escaped to the Amazon jungle to avoid authorities. Having almost become one of his victims, nearly drowned by him, Kate has a lot of trauma surrounding the man, but is determined to find him. What she stumbles across, however, is a strange conspiracy to steal a drowning victim, and a creature she thought only able to exist in myths.

I've only really caught a few bits of Dan Watters work here and there before, as part of anthologies or event stories, but am familiar with and enjoy Ram V's work, so was excited to see what this writing team could bring to the table. The result is an opening issue that very quickly draws you in and gets you invested. You almost even forget that there's supposed to be a monster involved as you get drawn into this story of a woman hunting the man who traumatised her. Things play out at a great pace, and when the final page comes I ended up annoyed that the issue was over, and that I didn't have the next one already.

The art on the book is really very good, and the presentation of the story is a big part of why the comic is a great read. Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart do a fantastic job at binging things to life, and their styles compliment each other really well. they make Kate look tired and drawn out, selling you on her trauma and desperation, and the environments all look perfect and sell the atmosphere of the story. But it's the Creature where things excel. He looks amazing, and I loved the pages where we actually got to see him. I'm excited to see what comes next, and can't wait to see more of the Creature. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Avengers #13

Marvel Comics, Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Francesco Mortarino,

Colorist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Cory Petit

When Orchis essentially ushered in an era of global hate for mutants one of the things that I didn't like was that the other heroes didn't seem to be doing anything about it. This furthered the feeling that the X titles often feel like they're in a world separate to the rest of Marvel. However, the slow reveal that most heroes and teams were waiting for the signal to go to town on the fascists was great, and the Avengers have spent the last couple issues smashing Sentinels, saving mutants from concentration camps, and bringing Orchis down. This issue continues this, with the Impossible City under siege from dozens of the new Sentinels. As the powerhouses fight the machines in orbit, Captain America and Black Panther take the fight to the heart of Orchis.

I really like the way that the Avengers have been utilised for this story, and their willingness to go to bat for the mutants. Whilst they're not quite as dedicated as the X-Men (I don't think the Avengers are really killing) they're still doing a lot to help the cause. And the reveal this issue that they've been doing so for a long time with a sleeper agent within Orchis was a great addition to the story. Whilst the issue does do a little time skip at the end that shows a post-Orchis world and things seem fine, I guess revealing the X-Men beat the Dominions (we know they will anyway right?) it also jumps straight into the next event with the final page setting the stage for Bloodhunt.

Whilst things move fairly quickly this issue, and wrap up very fast with little to no time to decompress or examine what the Avengers have been through, this is a pretty decent and action-packed issue. The art reflects this, with pages that are absolutely jampacked with combat, explosions, and the Avengers being absolute tanks. The space fights are great, and there are some fantastic scenes which showcase just why this team is one of the best the Marvel universe has. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Darth Maul: Black, White, & Red #1

Marvel Comics, Writer: Benjamin Percy, Artist: Stefano Raffaele,

Colorist: Raúl Angulo, Letterer: Joe Caramagna

We're on our way to the anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and an anthology series exploring different untold tales from the life of that films break out villain, Darth Maul, seems like a perfect thing to celebrate. Each issue of the series will feature a different creative team, and the first issue falls to writer Benjamin Percy, who's spent the last few years working on Wolverine and X-Force. With these more violent titles under his belt, and with Maul being a vicious combatant, you might expect this opening issue to be filled with action and death. However, it subverts those expectations somewhat.

The story sees Maul being sent to a prison transport ship that has gone adrift in space. The ship contains the members of bizarre group called the Final Occulation, three individuals with skills and powers that Maul's master, Darth Sidious, wants. When Maul arrives on the ship he finds carnage and death waiting for him, and must deal with the escaped prisoners one by one. The story is a strange mix of the physical violence of the Maul of this era, and the almost crazy mind of the later Maul. His head gets messed with a lot here, and it's almost like watching him walk through a waking nightmare. The result is a story whose tone I wasn't quite sure of, and whose story never really amounted to anything more than just interesting.

The art on this issue is provided by Stefano Raffaele with colours by Raúl Angulo, and the look suits the tone of the story well. There are moments in the book that feel like half formed nightmares, images you might see in your dreams, and it definitely enhances the feel that Percy seems to be going for. With upcoming issues promising different things each time, this is a decent start to what would be a great series. ⭐⭐⭐

Blade #10

Marvel Comics, Writer: Bryan Hill, Artist: Elena Casagrande,

Colourist: Kike J. Díaz, Letterer: Cory Petit

The latest series of Blade comes to an end with it's tenth issue, bringing the story of Blade's fight against the ancient evil force of the Adana to a final, bloody close. I've enjoyed this series, and have liked the long fight to correct the mistake that Blade made in the first issue of helping to free an ancient evil. Along the way Blade has made some new friends and allies, and has learned to embrace more of his vampiric nature, gaining some new abilities from Dracula. There was a moment in this issue where I thought that despite this growth and development that our hero was going to shun his allies and try to win the day on his own. However, the fact that he brought others along to help with the fight feels earned, and feels like the natural next step in his development across the series.

The final issue manages to mix these character moments in with the action well, and we get a decent fight towards the end of the issue that shows off some of Blade's new abilities. When I first finished the issue I did feel somewhat disappointed by the ending, by how Adana gets beaten. However, thinking over it more, I've changed my mind on that and instead find the conclusion very fitting. Blade might not get the killing blow, acting more like the distraction than the lead, but it both works for his character growth, and feels right that the character that gets the killing blow is the one to do so. It's the kind of storytelling that doesn't do the expected, and might get some criticism for that, but ultimately chooses the more narratively satisfying way.

The art team on this title work well together, and have delivered some great issues across the series. They've created a very satisfying visual tone, and the action always looks great. This marks the end of this volume of Blade, and it's disappointing that it has only lasted for the ten issues. However, with Blood Hunt on the very near horizon it feels like Blade has to be heavily involved in that, and so won't be gone for long. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Batman: Dark Age #2

DC Comics, Writer: Mark Russell, Artist: Michael Allred,

Colourist: Laura Allred, Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Mark Russell began the first issue of Batman: Dark Age with an old Bruce Wayne, living in a retirement home. It's a different depiction of the older Bruce than fans have come to love, having fallen in love with the version given to us in Batman Beyond. However, when we jump into the flashbacks it became very clear that this is a Bruce Wayne that we do not know, one whose life followed a very different path to what we're used to. With a lot of alternate takes on the dark knight being very different, opting to go big and weird, Batman: Dark Age offers instead a version of the character that could very much have existed within the comics, a Bruce Wayne who is only separated from the one we know thanks to a few slight changes.

Having been sent to prison at the end of the last issue, Bruce is facing ten years behind bars, but knows that he'll be lucky to make it past his eighteenth birthday. The night of his birthday he manages to repel an attempt on his life, and is then released to the army, having been offered to have his sentence commuted if he fights in Vietnam. It's in the jungles of Vietnam that Bruce is trained as a commando by legendary solider Ra's al Ghul, fighting with unconventional means and weapons alongside other soldiers, such as Oliver Queen. Upon being released from the army, for refusing to kill a prisoner, Bruce returns home to find a Gotham changed since he left, a city in desperate need to help. With the assistance of Lucius Fox, Bruce adopts a new identity to help save his home.

Batman: Dark Age was a title I wasn't completely sold on when I picked up the first issue. It took me several pages to really get into it, but it quickly became a fascinating read. This issue carries that feeling on, and whilst the book may be extra size in length it felt like I reached the end in no time, having become so absorbed into the narrative. Michael Allred's art is also a big draw to the book for me. Everything is crisp and clean, but the designs have their own unique flavour to them that doesn't feel like any other Batman title on the shelf. The book is one of those comics where once you're done reading it you will likely spend a great deal of time just looking back through the pages, marvelling at the art. I'm loving this version of Batman, and can't wait to see what comes next. I'm also sad that this title only has four issues, and that I'm already half way through it as I could see myself reading this series for a long time to come. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ultimate Spider-Man #4

Marvel Comics, Writer: Jonathan Hickman, Artist: David Messina,

Colourist: Matt Wilson, Letterer: Cory Petit

The new Ultimate Spider-Man started particularly strongly, and the new twist on the formula for Peter Parker has been a big draw to this series for me. I've liked seeing a more mature Peter, one who's not had to worry about powers and heroics and has had the time to build his family. His relationship with his daughter has been a definite highlight, especially last issue. However, the fourth issue has been the first that really feels like it's highlighting some of the flaws from the series as it's getting going. The main one of these, for me, is MJ. She and Peter had very big conversation in the first issue, the kind of conversation that mirrors a lot of people's coming out talks with spouses when they reveal their queerness or that they're trans (that talk definitely resonated with people in the trans community). It was the type of talk that rocks marriages, yet it seems nothing has come up since then,

Peter told his wife he needs a big change, that there's a part of his life missing, and then they've not really brought it up since. I had assumed that MJ knew about his spider powers, but that was quickly shot down. This issue further highlights how ridiculous it is that she doesn't know as she, Peter, Harry Osborn, and his wife (no spoilers) go out for dinner and MJ is the only one there who doesn't know. There's a lot of talk about her not knowing between Peter and Harry. There's a lot of talk in general this issue as the vast majority is a dinner chat. Expect heavy use of the nine panel page, and lots of tell rather than show as the characters talk about their world and lives. It's a decent issue, though there's not much in this one that excites or grabs, and is likely to be very quickly forgotten when thinking about the other stuff this series has done. Because of the normality of the issue it does feel a little like the art team are being underutilised here. Everything looks great, but there's nothing that stands out and I'm left remembering the general vibe of the book rather than any particular moments. Hopefully this is a moment of calm before the series gets into full swing again next issue. ⭐⭐⭐

Daredevil #8

Marvel Comics, Writers: Saladin Ahmed, Erica Schultz, Elsa Sjunneson,

Ann Nocenti, D. G. Chichester, Ty Templeton, Artists: Aaron Kuder,

Jan Bazaldua, Eric Koda, Stefano Raffaele, Ken Lashley, Tommaso

Bianchi, Ty Templeton, Colourists: Jesus Aburtov, Ceci de la Cruz,

Dee Cunniffe, Juan Fernandez, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Whilst the latest issue of Daredevil might be the eight of the new run it's also something a little bit special, as it's a celebration of 60 years of the character. Rather than making an issue that's all about that, this months release combines the ongoing story with several other tales from across the history of the character to give readers something a little bit special. The first story in the collection is the one that is set during the present and carries on the ongoing story, seeing our two Dardevil's, Matt and Elektra, teaming up together properly for the first time since Matt came back. The story ends with a nice little reveal of a new big bad for the vigilantes to have to deal with that I think fans are going to be more than happy with.

Alongside this are stories that long time and new readers alike will enjoy. There's a story focused on Elektra and Alice that is pathing the way for Daredevil: Woman Without Fear coming later in the year that has piqued my interest for that series. There's a story that sees Matt being a guest speaker at a school for deaf and blind kids that ends up with him helping to save a young girl. Plus we get a story during the black armour period that features the Punisher for those edgy 90's nostalgia fans out there. The stand out of the entire comic might be the King of the Hill style strip featuring the Kingpin; the only downside of which is that I now want an entire series of this.

The book features several writing and artistic teams, each with their own look and feel. The styles suit their stories well, and the book is great to look at and showcases some really wonderful talent. Whether you've been reading Daredevil for a while, or just jumped on board with this run, I think this is an issue that folks are going to like. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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