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 SEPTEMBER 30 . . . 750 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 716 comics documented
#696 - #699 PSI-LORDS #1 - 4 of 8 (Valiant Entertainment, June-September 2019)
Sometime ago a comics friend (named Joe) and I were discussing the science-fiction genre in comics, a genre that we are both fans of. Joe lamented that a big majority of today’s offerings of science-fiction comics have themes or elements of horror in them. So, not true science-fiction. More like horror in space.
Those sharing our viewpoint should be happy to learn about PSI-LORDS. I believe this series was originally planned for twelve issues, but perhaps due to low sales it was concluded after eight issues. At least we received the first two story arcs, with a promise of a return (as STAR WATCHERS) that we have yet to see.
Writer Fred Van Lente was tasked with reviving an old short-lived (10 issues) series from Valiant’s early beginnings in the 1990’s. I never saw that series, but I have read the Wikipedia description and it appears that Van Lente took many liberties with the characters and abilities - - all to the better. This is a much more interesting story than the synopsis of the first series.
Van Lente created new characters and put them in a modern setting incorporating them into the current Valiant universe. The original series took place in the 41st century. He also adds a bit of mystery to the proceedings, which held my attention so much that this first story arc is my favorite of the two.
Four astronauts from different countries awaken in an interstellar prison on a huge asteroid designated a vampire star, sucking energies from any life forms unlucky enough to reside there. They do not remember who they are or how they arrived here. (That’s what made this so interesting - we learn who they are at the same time the characters do.) The huge, constantly moving through space, hunk of rock is home to many alien life forms — most of them hostile to the new arrivals and seemingly shipwrecked as well.
A disembodied voice is the source of newfound powers for the astronauts and guides them through an escape, until revealing himself as a former astronaut crashed on the surface many years ago. He’s also super-powerful and calls himself Scion. He refers to cosmic gods called Psi-Lords as imprisoned by the dominant force of the Starwatchers.
Can the quartet trust him? Is he right about their purpose here or is he manipulating them for his own ends? I will not spoil that, except to say by the end of issue four the group finds enough answers to discern why they are here and what they need to do.
Renato Guedes’ art in incredible to view, and really enhances the unique environments and creatures that Van Lente put into the series.
I pre-ordered these issues, and that proved beneficial to my full understanding and appreciation of the story. In a practice that Valiant has since discontinued, they used to reward subscribers to the series with special pre-order editions: same price, but with different covers and extra content. That extra content contained enough info about Van Lente’s vision for the series that I understood things so much better.
In Van Lente’s own words “a lot of the Psi-Lords cosmology involves the Kabbalah, and the idea that reality emanates from varying stages of, literally, God’s consciousness. Each one of our heroes embodies a different aspect of that consciousness.” Or, as the Artisan character refers to it - - “hippie nonsense.” It might be difficult to find these issues now, but there are two trade paperbacks available. VOLUME ONE contains the four-issue first story arc. The PSI-LORDS trade paperback reprints the whole eight-issue series. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#700 - #703 PSI-LORDS #5-8 of 8 (Valiant Entertainment, October 2019-January 2020) In the continuation of the story, the four astronauts (Artifact, Beacon, Hazard and Tank - - who are not the Psi-Lords referred to, or the “astro-friends” as called by the aliens) learn more about their true mission and set out to accomplish it, encountering many obstacles along the way.
There’s an interesting love-hate relationship between Artifact and Beacon developing. Van Lente throws in references to his other Valiant series (Archer & Armstrong) and starts to pull the various threads together.
Without the mystery of the first story arc, I didn’t find this quite as interesting. But the concepts and story are even wilder.
I did not see the turn the story would take in Issue #8. Well done. FOUR STARS.
#704 THE RESISTANCE limited series (AWA/Upshot, April-September 2020) I’ve been re-reading my copies of the RESISTANCE series, slower this time, and have a greater appreciation for what’s being offered than before.
I’m just a jaded super-hero comics reader who’s seen enough over the decades to become indifferent. Of course I still read them, but less than before. It takes a lot to hold my interest.
After again reading the debut series, the one-shots, and the various spin-offs I came upon the root cause of why I love this series. Unlike most super-hero offerings that focus on the trials, tribulations and challenges of a single character or the often abrasive, sometimes amusing dichotomy between superhero team members, THE RESISTANCE takes a different approach.
At its’ heart, this isn’t about one individual or a group and how they respond and react. It’s about the whole world, and how humanity reacts to the presence of super-powered individuals. What does the government do? How does the man in the street feel and react to these changes? How do the “re-borns” feel about the changes in their body? Do they feel renewed, happy, sad, remorseful, guilty, worthy, advantageous, privileged, supportive, destructive? Over the course of the series, I believe I’ve seen everyone of these reactions, and that gives things a real-world flavor. Kudos to writer J. Michael Straczynski.
Here’s the highlights of my initial 2020 review of . . .
THE RESISTANCE #1 (AWA/Upshot, April 2020)
The opening of this is so prophetic of our current situation (a global virus threatens to wipe out all but 5% of the population) - - thankfully things haven’t gotten to the extremes depicted here, as well as some of the extreme solutions. All science-deniers and skeptics should read this one - - no, everybody should read this. It’s so damn good.
The double page center spread is especially dramatic, as are it’s words: “We have learned our lesson and we will do better. We will cease our vanity and embrace our brothers and sisters in all their forms and features and love war no more. Just spare us . . . in this our darkest hour, spare us. Merciful God, save us. Solemn science, save us. Someone. Anyone. Save us.” Then, the virus takes a pause. Is it done, or just dormant? A portion of the survivors were charged by the process, and have new abilities as revealed in the final pages. Wow.
There is so much power in this issue, before Straczynski drops the bomb and adds this new layer. I’d much rather he stayed with the former but I’m still interested to see what kind of super-heroes, etc. emerge here. Also, a third political party emerges and it’s candidate becomes the next POTUS, looking like a dead ringer for actor Ed Harris. He immediately diverts federal money to create new domestic military forces. Uh oh.
FIVE STARS.
#705 Here’s the review I wrote in 2020 for
THE RESISTANCE #2 (AWA/Upshot, June 2020) with some new added comments . . . . .
What I like most about this particular superhero book (yes, I said the dirty word) called THE RESISTANCE is the lack of code names and costumes. I sure hope it stays that way. The new individual abilities introduced here seem familiar yet with a different spin: super-hearing (youngster in Oregon); odor identification and enhanced strength (Sandy Ramirez, Virginia); invulnerability and super-strength (Feyodor Antonovich, Moscow); telepathic communication and foresight (Marguerita, Washington D.C.) Three of these four will form the Resistance. Meanwhile the governments of the world are aware of the changed five percent and seek both humane (United Nations) and inhumane (Trevor Lane, U.S. president - and a real nasty creep).
Lane is already meeting with his cabinet and looking for avenues that will allow his government to maneuver the re-borns into breaking some laws so that they can be arrested. . . . . “We can go through the lists FEMA and CDC compiled of infected cases to rule out those we know didn’t survive, which gives us a master list of those who did . . .” “We could use current regulations about interstate travel for infectious disease control to force them to submit to physical examinations.”
The only objector to this is Jeff Hasburg, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, who immediately resigns following the meeting. Lane then has him abducted by masked agents. He’s later rescued by Sandy and Feyodor of the Resistance, and will play a prominent role in their future rebellion.
Some of the virus survivors will never develop special abilities; some will try to hide away while some will be all-too visible; and others will have latent powers that once awakened will shorten their life-span to six months - “we call them moths”, followed by a short announcement for MOTHS #1 (aha!).
This book is really well done, enhanced by Mike Deodato Jr.’s realistic artwork— and I hope it stays as grounded as it appears to be so far. FOUR STARS.
#706 THE RESISTANCE #3 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, July 2020)
This was the issue where I became a bit discouraged with the series, fearing it was about to morph into a standard super-hero saga.
This issue introduces the Swan Kirby Chase Agency (nice tribute in that name) who will resurface later in the RESISTANCE UPRISING series. Their mission is to help re-borns market themselves, complete with costumes, name, image, training, lawyer services in case of liability, etc. I have to wonder if their hidden purpose is to uncover and identify powered re-borns for the U.S. government. We’ll see.
Not every re-born is enamored with the Swan Kirby Chase Agency, and a quintet of re-borns from the hard hit African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Puerto Rican neighborhoods walk away from the offer. They also will resurface in the UPRISING series as Block Party. Others don’t want to sign Mannie Swan’s contract either, and strike off independently on their own. One such character, James Struck, finds a tailor to develop a costume (like a Punisher/Ninjak blend) and becomes a vigilante hero using the name . . . . James Struck. That’s refreshing. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#707 THE RESISTANCE #4 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, August 2020) A stand-up comedian gets the virus two days before it stops spreading, and becomes the first suicide of note. Months before that a group of four opportunists discover a fallen meteor in New Mexico and chip off some chunks to place for sale on eBay, burying the biggest portion of the rock and intending to return for it later. They never do. Initial direction infections: four. Is this the event that triggered the virus?
Back in present time a secret meeting of the United Nations Security Council ponders the meaning of the sudden halt in infections: “If the virus has a purpose, did it shut down because it achieved that purpose? Or to evaluate its progress toward that unknown goal?” Here’s an example of Straczynski planting story threads that he’ll pull on later. I feel rewarded for reading this again.
Conspiracy theories abound as President Lane convenes his cabinet for another round of discussion/plotting. Reasons for the virus being turned off keep turning back to an intentional scheme by unknowns: “My colleagues and I believer that this may be been done in order to create an army of fifth columnists whose genetics have been altered to make them more conducive to doing . . .”
“Because of this programming, they could believe they’re doing something positive without even realizing that they’re doing something destructive. For all we know, they could’ve been created to start a war between us and the survivors because the race who sent the virus here wants to see what happens . . .”
“The worst part is, these people wouldn’t know that their powers have strings attached . . . or who’s holding the other end of those strings, controlling them and using them for unknown purposes.”
The Resistance discover a valuable use for code name Lisa, who communicates with members, supporters and recruits telepathically a la Professor X. Her mental chat with new recruit Jeff Hasburg (former admin kidnapped by federal agents and rescued by the Resistance) is very revealing as to the mission and purpose of the Resistance: “Through all of human history, every time a force for progress, for good, for positive change arises those who support the status quo move into action to stop them . . . .”
“They struck us down because we were few and they were many. Because they were strong and ruthless and we were not. Because they had the power and we did not. . . But there are more than ten million of us, Mr. Hasburg. And this time, we have the power.”
So, are the Resistance being manipulated uknowingly or are they just re-born and woke? I favor the latter, but who knows what JMS has in mind. This has become excellent once again. I’m back on board. FIVE STARS.
#708 THE RESISTANCE #5 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, September 2020) JMS gives readers the global overview in this issue. A fiery reborn in North Korea becomes the protector of his small village from government oppression. A duo in Guatemala put a halt to the abduction of young innocents by sex traffickers. Meanwhile the Resistance use Hasburg’s knowledge of strategic and tactical information to stop the subjugation in Belarus.
After a demonstration of the changes that the Resistance can produce, Hasburg signs up for the cause: “I left the administration because I saw Lane trying to move the country toward Fascism. Total control and total power. Nobody on the inside has the stomach to confront him . . .
This resistance of yours may be our only shot at holding on to anything resembling democracy.” FOUR STARS.
#709 THE RESISTANCE #6 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, September 2020)
The top of the power hierarchy come to some more conspiratorial conclusions: “Are these people the source of the problem, or are they the only thing standing between us and the death of the rest of the human race? If we get rid of them, does the virus get rid of us, like a kind of dead man’s switch? . . . To find out, we’ve isolated a single dormant cell of the virus and placed it in a nutrient-rich environment. If it should begin to multiply, we won’t know for certain that the virus is coming back, but at least it will be a warning to tell us something’s wrong.” The scientists working on this project are thanked for their efforts and then quickly and efficiently dismissed.
Meanwhile, government agents find a shady reborn to recruit and plant inside the Resistance organization in order to get near leader Lisa and put her down. The first series ends on a cliffhanger. But there still is hope. FOUR STARS.
#710 THE RESISTANCE: REBORNS one-shot (AWA/Upshot, January 2021) I was really looking forward to seeing the story continue and felt a little disappointed the first time I read this. I too quickly dismissed it as non-essential to the overall story. Don’t get fooled like me. Everything in this issue will come back to play a role in future events, and there’s already evidence of that in both MOTHS and THE RESISTANCE:UPRISING mini-series.
I love the text piece by JMS at the end of the story that reveals the origins of this one-shot. There is a montage panel in Issue #2 of THE RESISTANCE with multiple characters. JMS was asked to write a story for each of them. Five vignettes, all here. Forty-six pages of story and art for $3.99, in a format that DC and Marvel would have charged $4.99 or $5.99 for.
Five chapters: The Mad. The Dangerous. The Hidden. The Lost. The Transcendent. Stories that are uplifting, depressing, happy, sad, frightening, weird. Several foreshadow future events as some of these characters return in RESISTANCE: UPRISING. If you’re following this highly recommended series, this one-shot is essential. FOUR STARS.
#711 THE RESISTANCE: UPRISING #1 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, April 2021) This series lost a little of its magic for me with the departure of artist Mike Deodato Jr. Not that the artistic style of C.P. Smith isn’t dynamic enough in its own right. It’s just not the photo-realistic style of Deodato that helped make this book seem more true-to-life for me.
This begins where THE RESISTANCE left off, with some more last words telepathically communicated by Lisa to the rest of the troops.
The remaining members in leadership decide to use those reborn with flying abilities to reach out to others and communicate information around the world, without detection by governments.
Meanwhile, those dormant cells from the virus being watched closely in a secret lab have reactivated and undergoing quantum mitosis. And, those reborns working in academia are finding there positions eliminated as the federal government threatens to shut down funding. A dying Lisa reaches out to reborn James to transfer all the info she has on all the known reborns. He immediately suffers from information overload and crashes to earth after flying above the atmosphere for their consultation.
Meanwhile, Jeff Hasburg gets info from a sympathetic insider within the Lake administration after a discussion about how to keep reborns anonymous. It’s a cool reference to a neat gladiatorial Kirk Douglas movie. A nice return for this series with plenty of new plot threads introduced. I deliberately left some out. I want others to read this series, and I don’t want to spoil it. FOUR STARS.
#712 THE RESISTANCE: UPRISING #2 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, May 2021) The fallen reborn from last issue crashes into the field of a Kansas farmer, who helps him recover and an odd friendship with “Tex” initiates. The invulnerable reborn trashes the threshing machine he falls underneath.
One year before, a picked-on high school nerd in Allegheny County, PA (my birthplace!) gets his Superman-like powers from the virus, and imitates Carrie at the prom. He’s a prime candidate for luring into the federal government and manipulating as one of their own reborn recruits. Meanwhile Hasburg gets some good results from his Spartan ideas. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#713 THE RESISTANCE: UPRISING #3 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, June 2021) The Lake administration decides to test their new recruit’s powers and loyalty (they bought him off) in Guatemala. Meanwhile Tex’s new housemate in Kansas, James Struck (yep, same guy from the first series) is found by Resistance supporters (and Tex gets paid off).
Block Party (from the first series) returns. The nerd government recruit (William Wyler) goes up against some Reborn resistance in Guatemala.
Meanwhile the manipulative President Lake calls on his favorite tv network to break the news that the pandemic was never a human virus, it came from a meteor as part of an alien effort to wipe out the human race. FOUR STARS.
#714 THE RESISTANCE: UPRISING #4 of 6 (AWA/Upshot, July 2021) I’m really digging this series, and cannot seem to “resist” the compulsion to keep writing about it.
The manipulative President Lane takes full advantage of the breaking news and goes public with announcements about reactivating a security act that authorizes the arrest and detention of “those found to be acting on the behalf of a foreign power” and then urges all who have been contaminated by the virus to surrender peacefully “so that they can be evaluated by the proper authorities.”
Jeff Hasburg again has some prophetic words that remind me of all the crap that been going down in the real world for too many years:
“At times like this, people get scared, and they agree to make what used to be a crime into something legal . . . Enhanced interrogation, rendition, facial recognition systems, detaining legal immigrants, 24/7 surveillance . . . Once upon a time all of that was illegal.”
“Now we’ve just gotten used to it. Once you accept any of it, you end accepting all of it. Drip. By. Drip.”
Meanwhile Manny Swan of the Swan Kirby Chase Powers Placement Agency reveals to his clients that when they signed on his agency filed all the paperwork with the appropriate federal agencies - - so they have all been identified and known. He offers them a new deal - - go to work for the federal government to help bring in other reborns.
More teachers with post-virus powers are being dismissed from their jobs. The federal government has brought back the funding withdrawal threat for all learning institutions. A recently turned reborn tries to extricate teacher Sandy and gets his ass handed back to him. So satisfying.
President Lane adopts a new name for his reborn recruits - - The Home Team. Wonder who’s going to throw out the first pitch for baseball season this year? In addition to Willam Wyler (the high school nerd) the team is comprised of convicts (Ripper), some disgruntled moths who agree to a deal (Jolt) new guy Seer, and Field.
Jolt and Field were last seen in the RESISTANCE: REBORNS one-shot. William Wyler wants his own code name, but “Superm…” is copyrighted. So, he insists on God. OMG. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#715 - #716 AGE OF CONAN: VALERIA #1-2 (Marvel, 2019)
Two more issues I rescued from comic shop bargain bins.
Child of War, Warrior of Aquilonia - - this mini-series by Meredith Finch with Aneke on art covers the early days of Valeria.
Her backstory is told in brief flashbacks, while the main plot centers around her efforts to locate the owner of the Mitran sword that killed her brother.
Good action, and plenty of interludes to allow readers to get to know Valeria and empathize with her. Sadly, I’ll never know if she finished her quest, although I have my suspicions.
THREE STARS.
