In 2021 I’d like to cross over the 1,000 comics review barrier, meaning reviews that I (Mike Clarke a.k.a. pghhead) contribute to the blog. That’s what this odyssey is about, beginning January 01, 2021. Wish me luck . . . . .
#175 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE LAST RONIN #2 (IDW, February 2021) The first issue was a bit of a disappointment for me, after all the build-up and hype. However, Issue #2 is a big improvement in both story and art and now I’m excited to read the end of this.
There’s some back-story here that goes toward explaining why there is only one TMNT left but stops short of telling everything. Life has changed for all the characters, not just the turtles. April has suffered several losses, but carries on. The oversized format really helps set the artwork off in the best possible light.
The story reminds me of those old black & white TMNT comics from Mirage Studios that initiated my interest in these characters.THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#176 SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: KING IN BLACK #4 (Marvel, April 2021) I picked up this King In Black spin-off mini-series based on the fine job that Kurt Busiek did on the first SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN mini-series.
This is nothing like that. This flashback story started off well by making a connection between Peter Parker’s black symbiote costume and the first appearance of a Knull emissary, Mr. E, infiltrating Ravencroft and bonding with Alistair Smythe. Mr E. attacked the Black Knight and took his ebony blade, a one-of-a-kind weapon that was dangerous to Knull. Then one after another the guest appearances began until this became nothing more than a WWW cage match.
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Way too many characters in this one. A big mess. How disappointing. TWO STARS.
I remember very little of this re-boot of the original team simply because it wasn’t very memorable - - same with this issue. Silver Surfer finds a world targeted by Galactus, tries to find a spark of humanity worth saving, only to learn that his efforts are futile and destiny is pre-ordained. We’ve all read this Silver Surfer story before.
Jason Latour handles both story and art here, and his style is interesting. So I’m out $25 for these five issues. Lesson learned, Marvel. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
I don’t feel bad about these next two issues, because they were bargain bin purchases. Just trying to find something Marvel to enjoy, and striking out this time. . . . . . .
#178 VENOM #3 (Marvel, March 2017) After an absence the Venom symbiote returns to Earth, gets separated from host Flash Thompson, and then bonds with Army ranger Lee Price. Price has a military-trained ability to dominate the symbiote’s will and wants to dislodge Black Cat in an effort to become New York’s king of crime.
Lee Price has got to be one of the most unsympathetic Marvel characters. There’s nothing about him to like. Who thought it was a good story idea to pair the Venom symbiote up with this creep? TWO STARS.
#179 ABSOLUTE CARNAGE: WEAPON PLUS #1 (Marvel, January 2020) The U.S. military did all sorts of experiments with symbiotes trying to create super-soldiers with drastic results: Weapon H, V, X, Y, Z, etc right up to Weapon Plus.
One of those versions, a reluctant Canadian who gets turned into a Venom-like blend of Hulk and Wolverine battles Carnage in a stand-off. Bring on the next Weapon in Weapon Plus: World War IV #1: a Venom-like version of Man-Thing with the armaments of War Machine. Ho Hum. TWO STARS.
#180-#185 SAMURAI 8, VOLUME ONE: THE TALE OF HACHIMARU (Viz Media, March 2020) I read this as part of Captain Blue Hen’s monthly Book Club for February. If you’re looking for some manga to recommend to a middle-grade or young adult reader, this is a good starting point. It just didn’t work for me, even though I found some things to like about it. A longer review appears on the blog for February 28 . . . .
Based on Philip K. Dick’s short story Breakfast at Twilight, NUCLEAR FAMILY is written by Stephanie Phillips (Butcher of Paris, Heavy Metal, ARTEMIS AND THE ASSASSIN, RED ATLANTIS) and illustrated by Tony Shasteen (Star Trek). It’s Cold War era science fiction at its most timely and terrifying.
A simple enough story, with photo-realistic art. Both are so effective. This paints a neat portrait of family suburban life in the suburbs of 1957 Milwaukee, and then WHAM! - - I don’t think we’re in “Kansas” anymore, Toto. The street scenes with the wood-sided homes looks like a postcard.
The back-up content, “A True American’s Guide To Communism!” is a hoot. FOUR STARS.
After a bar fight, Conan gets arrested and taken to Ryker’s Island prison. I can’t get used to seeing this character in pants, tee shirt and jacket. Deadpool shows up to defend (?) him, and gets thrown in the same cell.
After learning of Deadpool’s regeneration abilities, Conan gets the clever idea of jamming/ramming/squeezing/kicking Deadpool head first between the bars to emerge in a pile/pool on the freedom side where he gets the keys from the surprised guard.
They partner up with another prisoner, Night Flyer, and then run into some of Knull’s dragon symbiotes. To be continued, but not for me. While this had several funny moments and situations I’m still not engaged. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#188 BRZRKR #1 (Boom! Studios, March 2021) This would make a much better film instead of a comic book.
Issue #1 reads like the first ten-minute opening of a B-grade action movie. And then the issue ends. We don’t even learn the name of the main character.
This book is getting incredible press and hype. I posted a longer review plus the opinions of Matt Lowder and Dave Wrighteous on the blog for March 7 . . . . .
I’ve read the main titles of the King In Black saga, including many of the spin-off and cross-overs. The story goes deep and is perhaps one of the best researched and linked epics to prior Marvel events. That makes this handbook a good tool for any reader who really wants to learn all that backstory. Having skimmed through this, I’m not the completist this is designed for.
Wow, does this ever get into detail. For example, did you know that Knull existed before the Big Bang? Yeah, he was pretty much an isolationist all by himself in the void, and was kind of pissed off when the creation-minded Celestials started up the universe. So mad that he created the All-Black sword (the real father of the symbiote race) and beheaded a Celestial. Along with some cool illustrations of each character, the handbook summarizes their abilities and accessories and even gives a ranking for six different attributes, much the way a role-playing fantasy game guide does.
Did I read every entry in here? Nope. That’s for the completists, and not for me. After skimming a few items, my head was already spinning with information overload. If you’re collecting the King In Black story, then you might want to have this handbook.
The last time I went this deep into a Marvel epic was with Secret Invasion. Now, I’m good for another five years or more. I’ll pass on the next big thing. I actually feel guilty about enjoying this and buying so many issues. My comics budget is not unlimited, and a lot of decent indie books I could have been trying out were neglected. I’ll do my best to make up for that. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#190 THE RECOUNT #1 (Scout Comics, second printing February 2021) This may be too on-the-nose for some readers. The corrupt U.S. President Anthony Christensen is impeached, and admits to his guilty crimes. During his resignation speech he is assassinated by a Secret Service agent, leading to a Homeland Security investigation where government agents become suspects.
The Vice President, Meredith McDearmon, is moved to a classified location and attempts to run the government via virtual messaging. During her acceptance speech, the video is interrupted by the perpetrators (in clown masks, etc) who claim the president was nothing more than a puppet, and vow to take down everyone involved in his war crimes: his fellow politicians, his cabinet members, the elites who funded his campaign, and everyone who voted for him.
Holy s**t, I need to find this in trade once it’s published. FOUR STARS.
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