In 2021 I set a goal to post reviews here for 1,000 comics, and finished the year at 1,008 reviews. It was a stretch - - not to read that many comics, because I actually read quite a bit more. The challenge is to find and take the time to write a fair review of what I read - - but I made it. I’m up for a new year, and a new challenge. My goal for 2022 is to read and document 1,200 comics. That’s an average of 100 books per month, easy enough to check and update. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR MARCH 20, 2022 . . . 267 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 263 comics documented
Six would-be heroes uncover a plot to destroy the small coastal town of Stilben in this adventure fantasy based on Critical Role (a podcast where professional voice actors play a Dungeons & Dragons/Pathfinder campaign). The series is written by Matthew Colville with engaging interior art by Olivia Samson (a member of the Critical Role fan community) and coloring and lettering by Chris Northrop.
I did not expect to like this as much as I did. Other stories I've read based on fantasy role-playing games seemed a bit flat. This one features great character development, a large cast, a quest and a mystery, and humor. It's a good blend, and the group of adventurers is diverse and interesting.
FOUR STARS.
#256 - #261 CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS, VOLUME TWO (Dark Horse, June 2020) Trade paperback, collects Volume Two, Issues #1- #6 While still in the town of Stilben following the elimination of the Bog Baby threat, Grog the axe-wielding goliath goes missing in the night. He’s been cut, providing entry for a demon to attempt to possess his body. The rest of the band goes out to find him, and then breaks into two separate groups to seek out the artifacts needed for a mage/wizard to free him from possession before it’s too late.
I did not have high expectations for Volume One, just looking for a quick fun read, and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed Volume Two even more.
Artist Olivia Samson returns and her work here is even better than Volume One. Perhaps she is getting more familiar and comfortable with these characters and how to portray them. New writer Jody Houser expands the characters further and puts them in situations that feel exactly like a fantasy role-playing campaign. Nicely done.
After Volume One, the half-elf/half-human twins Vax'Ildan and Vex'Ahlia were my favorite characters. Now I'm warming up to the goliath Grog as well as most of the original band of adventurers. FOUR STARS.
#262 CLOAKED #4 of 4 by Mike Richardson and Jordi Armengol (Dark Horse, March 2022)
I think some readers are going to be bummed out by the way this mini-series ends; but I kind of suspected this and I’m satisfied.
Private investigator Jake Stevens is wrapping up his investigation into the mysterious disappearance of the masked vigilante hero The Sentinel, and not a minute too soon. Wherever his search has taken him, a trail of dead bodies is left in his wake and Jake is now the police force’s prime suspect. Jake most likely regrets that he’s figured the puzzle out.
This clever little series raises the question: what if not all costumed vigilantes were good servants of the public but had ulterior motives for their behavior? I haven’t seen this type of treatment in too many comics, so this is refreshing to me. I actually chuckled at the twisty ending.
FOUR STARS.
#263 THE MARVELS #9 by Kurt Busiek and Yildiray Cinar (Marvel, May 2022) At the end of Issue #8, the Avengers had escaped the clutches of Lady Lotus and opened a huge, vault-like door unleashing blinding light and something worse - - - the dark source of Lotus’ power, which was not shown as this was the very last panel of the issue. Readers will have to wait another month to find out what’s behind that door, as Busiek breaks the suspense and building momentum to bring us a flashback issue revealing the troubled history of the country of Siancong and the role of Lady Lotus.
Rather than being frustrated, I read this twice in order to appreciate everything that Busiek threw into the mix. While there have been some really uneven and confusing issues in this series, I believe Issue #9 is the best one so far. The whole back-story can be viewed as an allegory on the ravages of war and the devastating effects it can have. As I read this and viewed the evocative images I recalled several global wars/skirmishes of the past including Vietnam and the Gulf Wars.
SIancong is not unlike other smaller countries, where desirable oil or rich minerals are in abundance as bigger nations claim they want to help and advise but really want to control and possess - resulting in huge powers like the U.S.A., Russia and China entering the conflict. One such war occurred in Siancong’s past, ending in Lady Lotus utilizing the full powers of what lies behind the door and resulting in mass destruction and devastation. However, she used another power to make the entire world forget it ever happened. Now, after years of rebuilding she seeks revenge and has brought everything she has into the current fray: a protective shield over the nation,
the resurrection of giant monsters (from early Marvel days), and more.
There’s still a lot that is unclear about this maxi-series, like what is the role of Threadneedle and other new characters in this storyline. But this issue went a long way towards putting things in perspective and it seems like this is heading towards a climax. Busiek has done a fair job of juggling all these various Marvel legacy threads and making some sense of it. FOUR STARS.
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