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 NOVEMBER 20 . . . 889 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 887 comics documented
As before the stories reveal the rigid moralistic code of the samurai, sometimes at odds with what seems to be the right thing to do. And, of course there are wandering samurai and other renegades who violate the principles. The art is subtle at times, and very blunt at others. Many text-free panels help to shape the atmosphere. I can easily see why so many artists and creators point to these stories as a major influence.
In Issue #27 a vengeful widow battles Lone Wolf while his son Daigoro’s life is in danger on a frigid lake. In #28 a wandering samurai, tormented by his past, seeks a knowledge that has long eluded him and comes finally in his final moments with Lone Wolf and Cub. The young doctor in Issue #30 hiding a truly evil plan behind his cloak of kindness almost pulls the blinders over Lone Wolf. In #34, Daigoro is separated from his father once again, is taken in by a family of fisherman and welcomed until a local priestess pronounces him cursed. In #44 a veteran policeman tries to foil an assassination by Lone Wolf and bring him to justice. Great reading here. FIVE STARS.
#868 MY DATE WITH MONSTERS #1 (AfterShock, release date November 10, 2021)
I just finished reading my Ambassador copy and wanted to give you a quick heads-up to look out for this book.
It’s a witty mix of several genres: horror, fantasy and romance that has just the right amount of humor to make it work. It deserves a better write-up when I have a bit more time. I also need to read it again to take it all in.
I’m really impressed with the writing of Paul Tobin. I love these characters. FIVE STARS.
That latter impulse has resulted in my picking up some premium quality work and an equal share of below-average quality work. CHILLING ADVENTURES IN SORCERY falls right in the middle, not great but just a little bit good. The problem is not with the art. The endings are twisty like the average Twilight-Zone story, but also either too abrupt or actually silly.
“Midnight Snack” featuring Jughead in an eating contest by Amy Chu and Derek Charm is my favorite of the stories here, but it’s also the one with the silly ending that left me disappointed.
Archie plays night watchman at a popular Riverside arcade who suspects eerie nocturnal activity in “Living on, Part Time” by Evan Stanley. It’s an interesting premise, especially when Archie realizes how he’s become entrapped in a game, but it ends too immediately.
Madam Satan is the host here, and her story (“A Walk Through Hell” by Eliot Rahal and Vincenzo Federici) is interspersed throughout the introductions resulting in a choppy mess that doesn’t allow the reader to get engaged before it jumps away to the next story. Archie plays a role in this one as well, already dead and recruited as a fill-in for Charon on a bumpy River Styx journey to Hell. Madam Satan has a goal in mind, achieves it, and then acts surprised when she realizes where she is. Obvious to us, maybe not to her.
The final story is a quick, one-pager from Pat & Tim Kennedy (“Jughead’s Demonic Dipsy Doodle”) that wouldn’t be out of place in the Halloween issue of MAD magazine.
For a less than satisfactory comic, I sure used a lot of words and time up describing it, didn’t I? Yeah, I like horror comics anthologies enough that I always feel inclined to support them in some way. If you’re on the same page, you might as well pick this one up too. TWO AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.
#870 - #875 KING IN BLACK: BLACK KNIGHT one-shot (Marvel, April 2021) and BLACK KNIGHT: CURSE OF THE EBONY BLADE #1 -#5 (Marvel, May-September 2021) The art and coloring really pop, which grabbed my attention and motivated me to pick these up on impulse. Sergio Davila and Arif Prianto make a great art team. I'm intrigued by Simon Spurrier's story but not quite sure about it, due to inconsistency.
While this was an interesting and mostly entertaining update on one of Marvel's under-utilized characters (in my opinion), it wasn't entirely satisfying. Writer Simon Spurrier depicts Black Knight/Dane Whitman as an insecure loser-type with self-esteem issues that he tries to cover by speaking like a medieval knight and bragging obnoxiously. As the story moves forward, Spurrier seems to discard some of those behaviors and focus on the loser aspects of Whitman's personality. Before the series concludes he is upstaged by two strong female characters, Elsa Bloodstone and art student Jacks.
The art kept me engaged throughout as well as the side stories involving the original Black Knight (who once fought Thor, also detailed here) Merlin, the history of the Ebony Blade. What would this be without a wicked villain, here in the presence of Modred. The story advances the Black Knight to the next level, with hints at more involvement in the Marvel Universe to come. It might be difficult for a new writer to pick up all the threads that Spurrier planted and continue. I'm guessing they will probably drop some of the mental aspects of the character. We'll see. THREE STARS.
Yes to all of those, but really it’s because the storyline by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly has me thoroughly engaged and engrossed in a Marvel title for the first time in decades! If all the Marvel books were this good instead of being consistently mundane then I would be reading more Marvel. FIVE STARS.
#877 - #886 UNDER-EARTH graphic novel by Chris Gooch (Top Shelf Productions, November 2020) Don't be intimidated by the size of this thick (580 pages) graphic novel by a promising indie creator from Australia. The art style is simplistic yet inventive, and the story is very fluid with sparse dialogue and never more than six panels per page. It didn't take long to pull me into the story and I finished it across two days. A full review appears on this blog for November 20. FOUR STARS.
This 26-page comic comes at an affordable price ($2.99) and contains one all-new opening story plus four reprints, all with Christmas themes. These are warm, light-hearted funny stories with eye-appealing art and colors.
Archie & friends have to help Santa deliver presents on Christmas Eve when the usual reindeers and North Pole staff eat some cheap candy canes past their expiration date. Archie’s hiding place for the gifts for Riverdale High School’s Christmas party turns out to be a bad choice. A yard decorating contest gets ultra-competitive between neighbors. Archie struggles to find an affordable gift from Veronica’s ever-changing wish list.
Jughead’s dog (Hot Dog) has a way of getting his point across when Betty is stumped for creative Christmas gifts.
A very pleasant break from reality, this holiday side trip to Riverdale. Happy Thanksgiving to all! FOUR STARS.
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