Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #18
Written by Alyssa Wong; Art by Minkyu Jung
Published by Marvel Comics
Doctor Aphra’s nature always assumes an Indiana Jones vibe. Never more so this time around with a homage to Indy’s rival Belloq in the form of Kho Phon Farrus who is consistently one step ahead of Aphra and Sana. Aphra’s resolution to this problem perfectly encapsulates why Doctor Aphra works so well as a character and as a series. She’s so charmingly conniving!
Kho Phon Farrus is also a fascinating character and in this issue, she introduces us to a well-crafted ritual chant that adds much depth to the mythology of the extinct Ascendants.
Meanwhile, Just Lucky makes a move to make a deal with the devil, his nemesis Ronen Tagge, in a bid to save his relationship with Aridce Yu. It’s this depth of character development that continues to make the Doctor Aphra series shine. ( – Anthony Sword)
Grade: B+
Nubia and the Amazons #3
Written by Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala
Art by Alitha Martinez and Darryl Banks
Published by DC Comics
Having Black female talent at the helm of this title is both welcome and important as DC continues to reinvest in Nubia and try to do so authentically.
So with that said, I wonder why Alitha Martinez isn’t handling the pencils solo for this issue and the previous one, after she did in the first two issues? However, in this issue I don’t mind it so much because Darryl Banks is in the house.
As co-creator of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Banks is an industry mainstay and one of the first Black creatives I saw as a young reader in the 1990s who drew all the books. Martinez appears to have drawn the main action, while Banks handled the flashback sequence, but either way this issue delivers strong storytelling based around Nubia as a leader beset by doubters but empathetic and decisive at the same time, and confident, dynamic panels from both artists.
Pick this one up and drink it all in. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: A
Wonder Woman #783
Written by Michael W. Conrad & Becky Cloonan; Art by Marcio Takara
Published by DC Comics
Are the Image-Maker and Doctor Psycho connected in their plots against Wonder Woman, or is Diana simply suffering the misfortune of two enemies who just happened to attack simultaneously? Because if it weren’t enough handling these glass-like duplicates of Wonder Woman, Doctor Psycho – apologies, Dr. Edgar Cizko, as he insists – has sent the Shining Knight to send Diana back to the afterlife.
For the feminist, geeky and internet savvy, there are some good “m’lady” jokes in here, plus I love any Wonder Woman story in which she activates her tiara’s offensive capabilities and says the Amazonian exclamation “hola!” I’ve long admired Takara’s simple yet fluid linework, and now it’s got strong use of blacks and shadow as well that gives it a more lived-in, less cartoonish look. It’s like I’m reading the Sunday strips! But why does the Shining Knight have super-strength and invulnerability?
And then we get a time jump to Themyscira that takes the threat of the Image-Maker’s mirror powers all the more pressing. The next installment of the backmatter story by Vita Ayala and Skyler Patridge continues the stellar art and tense atmosphere that seemingly has the several Amazon tribes on a collision course if you’ve been reading Nubia and the Amazons and Wonder Girl.
Ayala’s handle on the dialogue is quite good, especially because this part of the story is mainly an argument in a room between several characters. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: A-
Wonder Woman: Evolution #3
Written by Stephanie Phillips; Art by Mike Hawthorne & Adriano Di Benedetto
Published by DC Comics
“But what is the trial? How does it work?” Diana asks the cosmic judges who are putting the people of Earth on trial with a verdict of survival or extinction at stake. “
What do I do? Hello? How do I prove –?” she asks further before being subjected to another high-octane simulation. This time, Wonder Woman is faced with Silver Swan.
Poor Vanessa Kapatelis’ origin story as the cybernetic villain (it’s changed a few times) always involves Diana’s guilt over being unable to save her from the events that led to the implants that took over her mind. The cosmic judges have picked Wonder Woman because she chooses to defend humanity despite having been raised apart from the world, but we’re left with more questions still as Diana relives this failure. Is this to make Wonder Woman question her faith in humanity because she can never save Silver Swan?
The experience of reading this remains disorienting as we’re still as in the dark as Diana about what is truly happening. Hawthorne’s panel work stays strong for how sequential it remains – the action flows from panel to panel in clear, concise terms that allows for the reader to experience as Diana experiences. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: B
Search For Hu #5
Written by Jon Tsuei & Steve Orlando; Art by Rubine
Published by AfterShock Comics
Aaron Tse continues to get his John Wick on in this final installment, working his way through a gauntlet of Margolis hitters for the ultimate family discussion.
Rubine raises his action-comics game here with panels that demand attention to the details linking one to the next – a switchblade clicks into view in one panel, on the same eyeline as the stabbing on the next panel. Or a spread that approximates a side-scrolling, beat-’em-up video game of decades past. He’s got the goods! If only the story kept up with the art.
Tsuei and Orlando took some of the storytelling steam out of this comic with a twist for Aaron that had already been revealed to the reader. Well, if not revealed, deeply foreshadowed.
And the thread of Aaron becoming more and more unhinged – the flashback-ridden soldier falling deeper into uncontrollable violence – gets dropped quickly. This was a pretty fun read, a standard action tale draped in the unfamiliar historical connection between Russian Jews and Chinese people. Yet it could have been more than the sum of its parts in the end. That said, be on the lookout for Rubine and his kick-ass art. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: B-
Regarding the Matter of Oswald’s Body #3
Written by Christopher Cantwell; Art by Luca Casalanguida
Published by BOOM! Studios
A comedy of errors is typically housed within middle-class and upper-crust concerns, whether the “whisper kitchen” hijinks of Frasier or the “two dates to the dance” trope in countless sitcoms.
But why not a conspiracy as a great place for comedy of errors? It’s a bunch of people engaged in a single goal, with so many potential points of failure.
Cantwell understands this and keeps on piling up the mishaps amid the backdrop of Lee Harvey Oswald and the Kennedy assassination. The crew of misfits have their Oswald body double.
Problem is, he’s already dead. But that’s OK, as we students of history already know that Oswald won’t live past two days after November 22, 1963.
Casalanguida’s layouts, compositions and figures are his strongest yet in the series, as we see each member of the crew take in Kennedy’s death with a mixture of shock, cynicism, anger and sadness. Oh, and the crew of conspirators, as they talk through conspiracies about why JFK is dead, begins to realize that they’re in the conspiracy – only to be thrown one hell of a twist at issue’s end. Easily one of my favorite books out right now. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: A
A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #4
Written by Rick Remender; Art by André Lima Araújo
Published by Image Comics
Who is the rich man at the orgy house in French Polynesia?
Still no idea, but now he’s talking on the phone with another killer.
That killer is in Sonny Wen’s apartment with a hacker searching Sonny’s computer. Now they know who Sonny is. Meanwhile, Sonny is still on the run with the woman who was contracted for death, along with her young son. This issue is mainly action, as the killer from the first issue is chasing them in tense moments in the car and on foot. Of all the times that a knife beats a gun, it’s now? Who is the woman in connection to the man pulling the strings?
There’s no time to string it together yet – they’re too busy running. Live this action pulse-pounding heartbeat by heartbeat, with sparse dialog heightened by the lettering and how the speech bubbles hang sentence by sentence. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: B
Aquaman: The Becoming #5
Written by Brandon Thomas; Art by Paul Pelletier & Diego Olortegui
Published by DC Comics
Jackson’s homecoming in Xebel so far has been wrapped up in issues of family betrayal and questioning of allegiances amid geopolitics under the waves.
His mother, Lucia, was accused of murder in carrying out her freedom fighter cause against the Xebellian military’s conscriptors for its forever war against Atlantis. But now Jackson is having regrets about turning his back on his mother, while his unknown sister and heretofore enemy Delilah is looking to build a bond between them to be the superheroes defending the people of Xebel.
As terrorist plots arise and more twists are revealed, Jackson is still staring down his destiny and sense of self. Jackson’s a mixture of identities – human, Xebellian, Atlantean, Black, gay. Many of those identities collide in this series, but Thomas’ handle on the character remains firm in Jackson’s overriding certainty that Aquaman is his destiny.
Pick up this enjoyable page-turner with a cornucopia of themes underneath. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: B
Moon Knight #7
Written by Jed MacKay; Art by Federico Sabbatini
Published by Marvel Comics
If you’re not reading the latest Moon Knight book yet, please go get this issue and the previous six, because I do think this one will be held in high esteem for a long time.
Moon Knight is about to blow up in the MCU, but this stylish series may be all I need despite the Oscar Isaac of it all. After his devastating battle with Zodiac and that left him nearly dead and the Midnight Mission in bombed-out ruins, Moon Knight is on the hunt for Zodiac and whatever he might do next.
MacKay turns this issue in a detective story of sorts as Moon Knight talks about superheroes and supervillains as special fraternities with their own wild continuums and knowledge of each other. Hunting down snitches in dives and alleys with his buddy Tigra, Moon Knight is trying to find Zodiac before he begins the next deadly game. The question, however, is whether Zodiac will find him first, and whether other traps might be closing on our hero?
Sabbatini ably takes over the art duties here, but Alessandro Cappuccio’s sleek, moody style is definitely missed. However, this remains a strong series and a joy to read. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: A
Hulk #3
Written by Donny Cates; Art by Ryan Ottley
Published by Marvel Comics
What’s the deadly event that happened in El Paso?
We saw the Avengers mention it in previous issues, but so far I don’t care enough about the mystery. But we get a dream from Banner that’s also partly a memory, with images of a bar, a bunch of dead bikers, and a monologue from Banner about the confusion and rage he feels any time he wakes from a Hulk episode.
He might wake to screaming and death, or cheers because Hulk did some good that time. But just as the dream-Hulk smashes dream-Banner’s head to pulp – drawn in grisly fashion by our man Ottley – Banner wakes to an alternate-universe version of himself and a disaster world in which his gamma bomb worked all too well and unleashed a world of horrors in which the Hulk might be a salvation.
Kudos to colorists Frank Martin and Federico Blee for how much they bring out the details in Ottley’s work and lend thematic power to the storytelling. Earth-616’s Banner is bathed in red, while this other-Banner stays in the Hulk’s gamma green. It’s red light versus green light in a tale about going too far, and Cates’ story feels like it’s starting to come together in a fun way. ( – Marvin Pittman)
Grade: B-
She-Hulk #1
Written by Rainbow Rowell; Art by Rogê Antônio
Published by Marvel Comics
She-Hulk has returned to a new solo series. If you enjoyed her previous exploits as a member of the Avengers or Fantastic Four, this chapter is throwback in tone to her days as a solo hero. If you are looking for a litigator, you could not do any worse than the legal prowess of Jennifer Walter. This issue starts with a bang (really a Hulk Smash!) as She-Hulk crosses paths with a former longtime adversary.
Now while this issue is just an intro to a larger mystery that will unfold, Rainbow Rowell’s writing strikes the right tone. Rogê Antônio’s artwork elevates the drama as well. It is a perfect compliment. Hopefully they can maintain this pace throughout the series. She-Hulk is off to a strong start. ( – Eugene Johnson)
Grade: B+
Silver Surfer Rebirth #1
Written by Ron Marz; Art by Ron Lim
Published by Marvel Comics
Nobody rides the universe like the Silver Surfer, and if you want to spin a tale about the power cosmic you cannot have a better team than Marz and Lim. My only complaint with this book is that it will be a limited series. Five issues just is not enough.
The action begins not with our shiny silver sentinel but with Genis-Vell, son of Captain Mar-Vell. While Genis-Vell and the Silver Surfer eliminate the threat against the Kree soldiers rather easily.
The end of chapter 1 introduces a Marvel team up unlike any other I would have imagined for the Silver Surfer. The artwork is gorgeous, too. ( – Eugene Johnson)
Grade: A
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #7
Written by Tom King; Art by Bilquis Evely
Published by DC Comics
Has Supergirl, a character that has appeared for decades, ever gotten her own grand epic? Arguably, the biggest story she’s been a part of is the original Crisis, and she died. Well here, she is getting her long overdue epic treatment. No playing second banana. Her cousin gets nary a mention.
Tom King’s script juggles Supergirl’s space battle while revealing a tortured Ruthye. The way it whips back and forth between the two characters, one in grand battle while the other faces down her father’s murderer, proves revealing to both characters.
Evely’s art is just brilliant. If cosmic super hero battles are meant to give readers awe, then Evely delivers and them some.
Let’s not forget Comet. To think there was a time when stories with Comet were shunned.
You can never go wrong with Super Pets. ( – Alex Vaello)
Grade: A
Blue and Gold #5
Written by Dan Jurgens: Art by Ryan Sook
Published by DC Comics
I was recently having a conversation regarding the TV Sitcom. Maybe it’s just me but it feels like 2022 is opening with a resurgence of sitcoms. (Special shout outs to Abbott Elementary and Grand Crew)
Which brings me to Blue and Gold.
In a world where everything is grim and heroes grit their teeth, Blue and Gold goes against the grain.
This issue finds our heroes with a grand opening of their new offices. While this brings a wide variety of folks asking for help, it also marks the return of a foe from a previous issue. All this and an appearance from Rip Hunter.
Dan Jurgens has such a level of familiarity with these two heroes, yet his tale also shows a level of respect for them. Accompanied by Ryan Sook’s fun and detailed work, this book is a blast. ( – Alex Vaello)
Grade:B+
Icon and Rocket Season One #5
Written by Reginald Hudlin and Leon Chills; Art by Doug Braithwaite
Published by DC Comics
This fifth issue starts off tense, takes a breath, then takes an action packed turn to a wild cliffhanger. In lesser hands, it could fall apart. But with this creative team it works.
Reginald Hudlin and Leon Chills collaborate to write a script full of action, but that action is driven by characters that are believable. Icon himself is shown to be warmer and funnier than he lets on. However, this issue has a clever allusion to the DC Universe that I hope is there to be fun and not lead in a crossover. Not yet anyway.
This book, and the character Icon, insists that the idea of being a superhero has consequences. This issue, and this arc, seem to be serious about looking at the blow back that Icon and Rocket cause. ( – Alex Vaello)
Grade:B+
Primordial #5
Written by Jeff Lemire; Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Published by Image Comics
This fifth issue takes a sharp turn into a near future in which the Soviet Union exists and has expanded.
What Jeff Lemire does best is take a grand concept and drills down to what would make this concept strike a nerve. What is the story that would resonate from the idea?
Here we have animals that were experimented on and sent to space and the one human who remembers and wants to bring them home safely. Jeff Lenore’s script doesn’t get bogged down in details, but focuses on character and emotion. Sorrentino’s art just adds a haunting layer to the whole thing.
It’s emotional. It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see where the story takes us. ( – Alex Vaello)
Grade: A+
Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1
Written by J.M. DeMatteis; Art by David Baldeon
Published by Marvel Comics
Ben Reilly:Spider-Man aims to give you an updated take on Ben Reilly during the infamous Clone Era. Everything that is old is new again.
The first issue solidifies the idea of Ben Reilly as having the same heart as Peter Parker, but just damaged and unsure. J.M. DeMatteis gets the character right. But this first issues villain and conflict just feel lackluster.
David Baldeon’s art is fine. But it seems as if there isn’t a single page where the art is allowed to tell the story. In the effort to catch the reader up, the book strains with dialogue and Ben’s inner monologue. ( – Alex Vaello)
Grade: B-
X Lives of Wolverine #1
Written by Benjamin Percy; Art by Joshua Cassara
Published by Marvel Comics
This book opens with a contemplative Wolverine. It then plunges us hip deep into a time travel tale.
I have to say, one constant of the X Books of recent years is that there is no new reader friendly jumping on point. I had to do some googling to get an idea of what’s going on, and truth is I’m still not quite sure.
You get some moments where Wolverine reflects on time, and he’s time traveling and saving a baby that apparently is Charles Xavier.
Does it work?
There are moments when it does, but when it was over I’m left with no clue what’s going on. I don’t mind reading stories that require some intuition and work from the reader. But at some point it feels hostile to the average reader. ( – Alex Vaello)
Grade: C
Nightwing #88
Written by Tom Taylor; Art by Bruce Redondo
Published by DC Comics
This comic book really has one of the best creator teams in the marketplace right now. Writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruce Redondo are really pushing this book as much as they can. This issue introduces a reinvention of the classic Nightwing costume and I love what they came up with. The issue is pretty nifty too.
After last issue, Nightwing starts to learn that there are way more hits out there on Dick Grayson than he ever thought possible. That is when he decides to take matters into his own hands and try to track down those responsible. Things do get a bit out of hand. It is a decent story that has some great artwork. I enjoyed this very much. ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: A-
Superman: Son of Kal-El #7
Written by Tom Taylor; Art by John Timms
Published by DC Comics
This title really does have a strong identity. Writer Tom Taylor is making Jon Kent’s life really into something interesting. He has gone to some new places with this book and I have to say that I am quite impressed. The stories feel new and there is a perspective in them that we don’t get to see in comic books all too much.
Jon has recovered from the attack that happened to him the last couple of issues. He has regrouped and it is time to track down the people responsible. Jon and Jay get ready to take these bad guys head on. But it may be a bigger organization than they thought. The story is good and the artwork by John Timms is awesome.
I am excited to see where this book goes from here. ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: A
Robins #3
Written by Tim Seeley; Art by Baldemar Rivas
Published by DC Comics
This book is really just a blast from start to finish. I really do enjoy the story in this and I am really enjoying the way the characters interact. Having all of the Robins come together as a team has been a lot of fun and really interesting. The dynamics really work and it is very enjoyable.
The Robins come across a group of copycat villains in this issue. They are all using high tech gear and they are a general pain. The Robins come up against them and have some real interesting confrontations. They start to learn that going their separate ways may be the only viable option the have at the end of the day. This is a decent story with some good art. ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: B+
Catwoman #39
Written by Tini Howard; Art by Nico Leon
Published by DC Comics
This is the start of a new era for Catwoman. It is also the start of a new creative team as well. I have to say that I was interested in where this might go direction wise. I am interested to say the least as Tini Howard is a decent writer and this issue definitely shows some potential! I enjoyed it for the most part.
Catwoman has grown tired of Allentown and has decided to go back to Gotham City. She also decides that it is time to go back to being a thief. We get to see Selina return to her own ways and she immediately gets herself into a bunch of trouble. The story is pretty good and I think the art is an excellent fit. Let’s see where this goes! ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: B+
Batman: The Knight #1
Written by Chip Zdarsky; Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico
Published by DC Comics
Chip Zdarsky really does write some of the more interesting comic books out there. When I found out that he was going to have his own Batman comic book coming out I was very excited. I mean, how could I not be? When I saw what it was about and who he was working with as an artist I got even more excited. Now that I got to read it, I have to say the book is pretty darn fantastic.
This book takes place before Year One and it shows Bruce Wayne in his travels in becoming the Batman. We get to see him traveling the globe looking for new training. We also see him having to spare off against a new threat. This is truly exciting. The story is great and the artwork is spectacular.
This is an awesome start to a new series. ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: A
Arrowsmith: Behind Enemy Lines #1
Written by Kurt Busiek; Art by Carlos Pacheco
Published by Image Comics
Any book by these two creators is always a cause for celebration. I love Kurt Busiek’s writing and he writes a good script here for sure. Carlos Pacheco is a fantastic artist as well and the artwork that he does here is him at at top of his game. This is some really great stuff and even a little unexpected.
This book features Arrowsmith coming back after his previous series. I
t picks up where the last one left off, with Fletcher Arrowsmith going back finding himself in the heat of the battle. Things get crazy and Fletcher finds himself in over his head. The writing and artwork are both very good this is a good start indeed. ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: B+
Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Death #4
Written by Ricky Geary and Bryce Ingman
Art by Rick Geary and Ryan Kelly
Published by Ahoy Comics
This is a cool anthology series that has it’s ups and downs. Luckily, there are more ups in this issue than anything else as this is a ton of fun. The stories here in this particular issue have to do with slogans and the effects that they have one the world. They seemingly have a lot going on with them that is relevant to modern day society.
My favorite of the slogans was “A Tale of the Great Plague!”
It is relevant to everything going on in the world presently and it is a lot of fun. It has a bigger message that really works. The stories here are pretty good but I think the artwork is lacking for the most part.
Overall, it is a pretty good issue, however. ( – Lenny Schwartz)
Grade: A
