I’ve been numbering my entries, picking up where I left off with the I LOVE COMICS 3000 CHALLENGE as one of the participants on the Captain Blue Hen Facebook page. This started as a challenge from friendly comic shops in Ohio and Texas, originally as the 1,000 Comics Challenge, then the 2021 Comic Book Quarantine Odyssey, and then I Love Comics 3000 - - all goals met by the group of Captain Blue Hen customer participants. I’m curious to see how long it takes me to read that many comics. My journey began with the 1,000 Comics Challenge on approximately March 15, 2020.
#586 - #590 SHADOWLAND hardcover (Marvel Comics, 2011) Reprints Shadowland #1-5 written by Andy Diggle with art by Billy Tan.
Now I realize my error. I should have read this hardcover before the SHADOWLAND: DAREDEVIL hardcover. Marvel could have helped readers avoid that confusion by simply labeling these books SHADOWLAND, VOLUME ONE and SHADOWLAND, VOLUME TWO. They both earned THREE STARS and I have now posted longer reviews of both volumes on the blog. Look in the September archives for them.
Of the three collections I have read of Andy Diggle's short-lived and unmemorable run on the Daredevil series, this is by far the best. It reminds me a bit of the good work he did with DC's The Losers. Without a plethora of superheroes, villains, and massive amounts of ninjas to deal with (the Shadowland storyline in Daredevil) Diggle gets some space to give singular focus to the hero and get into his make-up more. A longer review can be found on my blog popculturepodium on blogspot. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#595 DOCTOR DOOM #7 (Marvel Comics, June 2020) When we last saw the Doctor (before pandemic) he had defeated Kang and was still struggling to return to Latveria and become ruler again. This issue introduces the Doom loyalists, seven Latverians of varying ages and expertise. The story flips between northern Latveria where Doom (still in hiding) asks each loyalist individually to swear an oath of fealty to him, and scenes near the Antlion moon base where the Blue Marvel attempts to repair the damage. Doom heads to central Latveria and gives the reigning ruler a flying lesson, Blue Marvel meets an unusual stranger (from the future?) at the edge of the event horizon. A set-up issue for what comes next. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#596 IRON MAN #1 (Marvel Comics, November 2020) This is the month of set-up issues (at least in the books that Christopher Cantwell is writing for Marvel). What would you expect in yet another re-boot of Iron Man? That new streamlined armor design (by Alex Ross) is kind of cool. Tony Stark has divested himself of his corporation to uncomplicate his life. He just wants to be a carefree billionaire super-hero. Most of this issue is Cantwell trying to make that point by beating us over the head with repeated examples of same resulting in $4.99 of boredom. By the time the upcoming conflict is introduced at the very end of the issue, I no longer care. Sorry, Shellhead. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#597 MAESTRO #2 (Marvel Comics, November 2020) The Hulk wakes up in an apocalyptic future where an aging M.O.D.O.K. keeps super-beings in confinement. Hulk leaves Las Vegas to explore a devastated America. In D.C., he chases a young lad with respirator down a rabbit hole and meets a reconstructed Machine Man, where he learns that New York has become “Dystopia” (irony) overseen by Maestro. Hulk visits there and is escorted by the Minister to meet Maestro, who is not who you think it may be. This issue begins “Relics”, a three-part backup feature that I suspect will connect to the main story. Young Janice and male companion pore over debris in a bombed out area in search of valuables. They find a discarded shield and another item that Janice proves worthy of wielding. FOUR STARS.
#598 THE IMMORTAL SHE-HULK #1 (Marvel Comics, November 2020) There is so much more here than we’ve come to expect from one-shot specials. Readers of IMMORTAL HULK need to pick this up as there are key plot points in the current Leader saga revealed in “The Three Deaths Of Jennifer Walters”. Writer Al Ewing ties the three known deaths of She-Hulk into the current Hulk storyline, including the limbo area, the One Who Lives Below, the Leader’s role, and the purpose of the Green Door. Great yarn, with great art by Jon Davis-Hunt. If Bennett leaves IMMORTAL HULK, he gets my nod to replace him. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#599 VENOM #28 (Marvel Comics, November 2020) “Venom Beyond, Part 3”.
Eddie Brock and son Dylan were pulled into a portal that transported them to a twisted version of New York, where all super-heroes share their costume space with symbiotes. The ruler is Codex, who wants Eddie brought in. Dr. Octopus takes the captured Virus and transforms him into the subservient Scorpion. Eddie meets this world’s version of his ex-wife, who lets him know what he did to cause everybody to sport a symbiote. Even more surprises when who Codex really is gets revealed. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#600 WE ONLY FIND THEM WHEN THEY’RE DEAD #1 (Boom! Studios, September 2020) It’s hard to tell from this first issue if the story is going to stress the science-fiction, horror, or fantasy elements at play within the story. Nice to see Al Ewing write some creator-owned material. In a far future it seems that the space mining/space salvage business is running out of raw materials. Good thing the gods are dying and providing new goods to mine, specifically for medical/technology purposes and also (gulp) sustenance. That’s why they call the salvage vessels “autopsy ships.” Just like in the old gold-mining days, these huge dead gods resting in space (odd place to bury them) are hot commodities and ships have to stake their claims to various sections of the corpse. There’s a lot of vibrant color here of the eye-straining variety. Seems to be popular lately. Have to say, I’m not a fan of anything that requires me to wear sunglasses to read. THREE STARS.
#601-603 OWLY, VOLUME TWO: JUST A LITTLE BLUE (Scholastic/Graphix, September 2020)
How to count this? 122 little pages. Maybe three issues to add?
A complete departure from my usual reading choices. If you are looking for something comic-related for the very young, you just can't go wrong with the Owly books. I posted a review on the blog for September 26 . . . . .
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