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. . . .
# GOAL FOR AUGUST 31 . . . 667 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 593 comics documented
Do we get much exposure to the Joker in Issue #1? Only incidentally, as the havoc he wrought (500 deaths) at Arkham Asylum is referred to. This first issue is all about James Gordon, no longer GCPD Commissioner and reflecting on his past life and contemplating his future. The opening flashback Chicago sequence where he gets a piece of advice from a grizzled police veteran before departing for Gotham all those years ago is brilliant piece of foreshadowing.
In the present day Gordon gets an offer from an undisclosed wealthy group with too much money and resources that’s hard to turn down: hunt down the Joker (now in Belize) and KILL HIM. The Joker doesn’t show his face until the final page.
The back-up story featuring Alexis Kaye a.k.a. Punchline was not half as interesting, and actually caused me to lower my rating on this issue. The trial of Punchline is about to begin, and witnesses keep turning up deceased making it difficult for the prosecution. They dispatch an associate to dredge up Kaye’s past. Meanwhile, in lockdown awaiting trial, Punchline runs afoul of the Queen of Spades and tries to muscle her way into prison power. FOUR STARS.
Sometimes I just jump in right in the middle of a storyline, because . . . . . well, that’s another story for some other time. Kindred has assembled the Sinister Six to take down Spider-Man, who battles them for the first four pages and then . . . . The book is taken over by the Osborn family.
There are three versions of Harry running around (one Kindred, one Harry, and one Harry corpse in the morgue). Is this going to be a new spin of the Clone saga? (Oh, please no.) Dad Norman apparently made a deal long ago with someone you should never make a deal with. And, poor Mary Jane is about to learn who it is behind the Kindred mask. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
I’m glad that this first story arc ends after three issues. While I didn’t really appreciate Darick Robertson’s story-telling I did enjoy his art. He’s a master of facial expressions and some of those here are priceless, especially a surprised and fearful Riddler. Some of his depictions of Batman in action are very worthwhile.
The story got a bit better here, although the ending is sort of inconclusive. Seems like Robertson wanted to work in a chance to draw as many classic Batman characters as possible (Joker, Penguin, etc) so with just a quartet of characters here in the final issue of the story arc (Riddler, his new partner/lover Quiz, Scarecrow, and the Russian criminal Gas Mask) things move forward in smoother fashion. Onto the next arc. I’m willing to try one more. THREE STARS.
This begins just after the events in AVENGERS #46-#47 from 2018 when the Winter Guard (Russia’s version of the Avengers) captured Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk and held her in Red Room custody. Captain Marvel is interrogating Yelena Belova (a.k.a. White Widow, a.k.a. new Black Widow) until Russian storm troopers break into the Avengers west coast facility to kill the traitor Yelena, who escapes with the help of Natasha Romanov (a.k.a. familiar Black Widow).
She tells Natasha of a recent incursion by White Widow and the former Red Guardian (Alexi Shostakov) into Russia near the Ukrainian border to obtain some incriminating documents. There they were vastly out-numbered, meeting resistance from the Winter Guard. However, Red Guardian planned ahead and sabotaged a Guard’s armaments. They escape, foiling the Winter Guard who now suspect a member of being a traitor.
It’s a crowded book, but still manages to sneak in a little character development, team dysfunction,and distrust to keep it interesting. There are some members of the Winter Guard I’m not familiar with that seem interesting: Red Widow, Chernobog (Slavic god of blood and darkness), and Perun (Slavic God of Storms), and Vostok (a Vision-like synthezoid). The team is rounded out with Vanguard (newer version of Red Guardian), Crimson Dynamo (Iron Man wannabe) Darkstar and Ursa Major. The art is inconsistent, shining in spots and disappointing in others. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#576 KING SPAWN #1 (Image, August 2021) This was much easier to comprehend compared to SPAWN UNIVERSE. Wisely, creator Todd McFarlane only contributed dialogue to the main story and left the rest to Sean Lewis who does a commendable job. He introduces a little mystery, unravels the details a little at a time, and builds suspense for the knock-out punch/reveal on the last page. Just like Neal Adams, McFarlane can benefit from a skilled co-writer who does the heavy lifting. Just check out the four short stories here (all written by McFarlane alone) for comparison.
(Incidentally, KING SPAWN became the top-selling book ever in the short history of The Maroon Hornet Comics and Collectibles in Oxford, PA. I’ll follow closely to see how Issue #2 does. They brought in more than twice the amount they normally do and were almost sold out after two days. Also, note to Dave - - yeah, I read this one twice as well, just in order to write a fair review.)
However, as much as I liked this compared to UNIVERSE, I was just as disturbed by some events in here as I was by RED ROOM FCBD. The story opens with a teacher of a kindergarten class blowing things up. I’m concerned that there will be more of this in future issues, and that could be a deal-breaker for me. Note to writers: “Leave the kids alone.”
Granted, it’s a key component of the story as an alleged religious cult tries to get the attention of Spawn in order to entrap him for unknown purposes (not really, but no spoilers here). They refer to themselves as Psalms 137; alluding to a Bible passage where the Lord allegedly implores them to “smash the heads of the little ones.” Look for the typo on the page where they are referred to as Pslam 137, maybe intentionally?
The short stories in the back I assume are foreshadowings of upcoming side plots, thankfully separated by title pages. Otherwise, McFarlane might have blended them all together, jump-cutting from one to the other and confusing readers. (Can’t you please draw a little more now and then, Todd?)
“Haunt” especially may confuse, unless readers are familiar with his backstory. “Nightmare” is just another in a long list of creepy demons. “The Hero” features a young boy with a weird protector who utilizes extreme measures. Note to writers: “Don’t hurt that kid!” The most interesting to me is the short preview of “Gunslinger Spawn” who gets his own title in October.
McFarlane did a bang-up job of selecting key artists for this first issue - - all similar to his stylings but distinctive in their own ways: Javi Fernandez, Stephen Segovia, Marcio Takara, Philip Tan and Brett Booth.
I was a fan of the original SPAWN and followed the title through the first 25 issues or so. I got bored, and quit picking it up. Since then, the storylines when I read a random issue seem to have gotten a bit muddled with not enough distinction between good/evil, heaven/hell, saint/sinner. You can’t tell the character’s motivations without a scorecard. Hopefully, that gets sorted out with some better writers at the helm. FOUR STARS.
#577 -#581 THE FIRST X-MEN #1-5 (Marvel, 2012) A full review of this mini-series appears on this blog for August 26.
#582 - #586 NUCLEAR FAMILY #1-5 (AfterShock, 2021) A full review of this mini-series appears on this blog for August 27.
This is one of the better (for reading purposes) VOICES issues. While I respect and admire the intention behind these anthologies, the stories have been somewhat lacking. What made the difference with IDENTITY is that there are no one or two-page efforts but enough space for creators to set up conflict and resolution and tell an actual story. Only eight stories here, plus some interesting text pieces and an interview with Larry Hama. This issue focuses on Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander characters.
My favorite of the bunch is “What Is Vs. What If” by Gene Luen Yang and Marcus To and featuring Shang-Chi. In order to obtain a mystical coin, the Shang Chi of What Is who defied his father and reformed the family organization must combat the Shang Chi of What If who pledged his loyalty to Zheng Zu and ruled by his side.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Bruce Wayne obtains an ornate antique box of curiosity which contains news accounts from 1910 of a West End Wraith who haunted and caused the death of some prominent elite members of both the Wayne and Cobblepot families. The Penguin wants the box for personal reasons.
Batman investigates the old story and uncovers a trail of servant abuse before giving the ghost some closure.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
The mystery deepens even further this issue. While some members of the group do their best to chill out and enjoy movies, boating, dinners, etc within the confines of the estate - - others can’t stay still or stop thinking about their confined (prison?) situation.
Three issues in, and Tynion is now focusing closely on his characters, opening their heads so we readers can look inside and jot down notes. This issue focuses on Sam (a.k.a. The Reporter) as he explores the perimeter of the estate, discovers the boundaries, strange sculptures, and a big construct that just may be Walter’s spaceship. What does it all mean? Better save your copies for later reference.
FOUR STARS.
Is there any limit to the strange powers of this weird commune who migrated down from the hill country to wreak havoc? Not only is a trap being set for them with an assist from a former member who rebelled against the group, but since some have been spotted at a diner the State Police are out in force and looking for them.
Wow. I think this wraps in another issue or two (unless I am mistaken). I have no idea where Cullen Bunn plans to take this story. Special shout out this issue to the amazing color work of Alex Guimaraes.
FOUR STARS.
Comics vet Ron Marz puts his spin on Civil War horror in this story of a raiding party of black Union soldiers in the Louisiana bayou who bait a Confederate troop and then surprise attack.
The wounded and sore losing Confederates seek the legendary Swamp Witch to summon up a demon for their revenge. This is a set-up issue, introducing the conflict and characters on both sides. Haven’t seen the monster yet, and just met the Witch on the final pages. So far, the story is well-done but really doesn’t stand out enough for me to be excited about it. The Euro-style art is interesting. I’ll be back.
THREE STARS.
I can’t summarize the story very well, as I probably would get it wrong. But, this is a pretty interesting story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with good art by Christian Dulce.
Superman’s in the middle of a conflict between Atlantis and the U.S. government over shipping routes. There seems to be a primary struggle between the two factions over a fragment from Warworld. In fact, some of Mongul’s minions (is he behind Warworld?) have Lois and some Phaelosians hostage at the Fortress of Solitude? (Just my guess). The sole surviving Phaelosian may not be friendly (chokehold on Lois).
Even more confusing to me is the Becky Cloonan/Michael Conrad Midnighter back-up story (“The Passenger, Part Six) featuring Mister Miracle. The art by Michael Avon Oeming reveals that he’s made some changes to his usual style. This is a bit more detailed.
It’s so hard to keep up with comics these days. If there were less choices out there, I might just reserve some of my money for Action Comics. However, there’s so much more out there more interesting to me than this. THREE STARS.
In a future society, robots do all the heavy lifting for the humans. At some point, developers added an empathy chip to the artificial intelligence. These robot servants express all the other emotions as well: envy, jealousy, greed, resentment, hatred … and perhaps love (we’ll see). They even have their own television news network for all things robotic, including a controversial talk show.
Humans are still the ruling council, but “bots are starting to wake up. It’s us or them, one day, we’ll scrape humanity off this planet like a bad case of rust.” The newest endeavor by the robots is to create Mandroids . . . “to give house-bots a more human appearance and feel, in hopes that their assigned humans will be better able to connect with them. To make it easier for their families to love them.”
These are mass-produced without heads, so they can be completely customized. “We only make heads on demand. The bodies we keep in storage until needed.” The human response: “Oh. Like Uber drivers.”
There’s plenty of humor throughout to keep things on the lighter side, although by now you may suspect that there are some subtle messages within all this symbolism. There’s a text piece in the back by Mark Russell that spells out his intentions: to write a future dystopia about robots as a metaphor for toxic masculinity. He does a great job here. I identified with humans and robots after reading this, and could empathize with both. This is brilliant and worthy of multiple readings.
Two robots break off a conversation with this interesting send-off/call and response: “See you later, Terminator!” . . . . . “In a while, Rotary Dial!”
You should be checking out this book. FIVE STARS.
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