PGHHEAD’S 2022 COMIC ODYSSEY, PART 46
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 November 30, 2022 . . . 1100 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 1036 comics documented
Issue #11 is a little bit of both, focusing on Robbie Reyes, Ghost Rider of Earth-616 (our Earth) who has morphed in the All-Rider, a Ghost Rider without limits who can make anything he touches into his flaming hell ride. Reyes is struggling with the many spirits of vengeance that share the Ghost Rider body with him, and decides to go it alone against the Mutiversal Masters of Evil. He faces off against the (Doctor) Doom Above All, which requires him to access the full force of the All-Rider.
Despite the addition of help from Deathlok and Ant Man Tony Stark, interference by Dark Phoenix results in a stalemate and Reyes reverting to a weakened human form as the Masters of Evil head for the last unconquered universe of Earth-616.
Overall the Avengers Forever issues have been kind of hit or miss with me, and this one is right in the middle, a little bit of both. Jim Towe’s art in this particular issue looks rather cartoonish which doesn’t work considering the seriousness of these events.
I was looking forward to just one more issue of this and then moving onto something else, but no . . . . . .. the conclusion requires three more issues: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ALPHA #1, then AVENGERS #63 before wrapping up in AVENGERS FOREVER #12 Sigh. THREE STARS.
Instead the focus is primarily on Ben Reilly and his efforts to regain his sense of self after the Beyond Corporation removed his shared memories with Peter Parker. He’s assumed the identity of Chasm (featured on the cover) and in an effort to reclaim what he’s lost (and perhaps attain revenge) he’s made an alliance with Madeline Pryor. That’s a character I haven’t read about since the X-Men stories of the 1980’s.
Pryor was recently resurrected through the Krokoa revival of mutants, and granted dominion over the realm of Limbo as the Goblin Queen. Wasn’t that the problem that arose out of the Inferno cross-over series from the 1980’s? Why would the ruling council of Krakow do that? (I don’t read that title so I’m not aware of the details on how this happened.)
The story here is told in four separate seasons or vignettes, which works as a departure from the standard single story issue. There’s an interesting third character in Janine (which may not be her real name), the romantic interest for Ben Reilly. She appears to have a troubled and possibly criminal past, and is transformed via the Chasm/Gobin Queen alliance into Hallows Eve. Yeah, she looks like another Goblin variation.
This issues serves as the groundwork for the upcoming Dark Web crossover event. On the letters page, Zeb Wells refers to both the former 1980’s Inferno event as well as Mutant Massacre. I’ve read both of those and was entertained by the latter by disappointed by the former (too long).
The Dark Web epic will encompass 18 issues across seven different titles. I’m going to sit that out and leave it to others to cover the story (if they are interested enough). THREE STARS.
In DEAD MALL, an old indoor shopping mall is now closed, parking lot overgrown, and scheduled for demolition. Some things have been living inside since the 1964 opening, allegedly preying on unsuspecting shoppers “Who would care if a few went missing?” asks the unseen narrator in the text captions. Those things are now starving and hungry, so the break-in by five teens who come to party is most welcome. We get glimpses of their horrific appearance from the shadows as the story moves forward.
During their exploration, the teens become separated and entrapped in certain sections of the mall, seemingly modified in some way to create a sort of maze, with some nice panels detailing M.C. Esher-like settings.
There’s not a lot of character development here just yet, but that’s to be expected in the introductory issue. The only empathetic character so far is Beth, kind of an introvert who was coaxed into going along with the trip.
The art and coloring are interesting but a bit inconsistent, reminding me of the Archie Comics house style. I’m assuming this story is marketed towards young adult readership but it provides enough substance to interest an older reader such as myself. THREE STARS.
Somehow the U.S. Postal Service carries on, but not without mass killings of their ranks. This forces them to adapt to a more aggressive performance of their duties. Despite the thinning of their ranks, they still are dedicated to that long-standing Post Office mission.
Postmaster #32 is tasked to deliver a mysterious letter and encounters highway robbers on his trek across the western states. It looks bad for him until a surprise rescue from a dual sword-wielding female warrior who he may recognize.
An interesting debut, and the dialogue makes some not-so-subtle digs at the pandemic nay-sayers and protesters. The black and white art is interesting and stylish with a manga influence. I believe this is intended as a short two-issue limited series, so I’ll most likely pick up the next issue to see how this ends.
This is presented in the magazine-sized prestige format and benefits from the larger panels. If I had to identify an emerging trend in comics, it could be this, despite the prestige formats pros and cons for comic shops and collectors. Doesn’t bother me, as I’ve already got magazine bags and boards and boxes for storage. Art lovers should appreciate the bigger pages. THREE STARS.
The opening story, “All Clear” by Megan Ferrell Burke and Arturo Laurie is my favorite, a futuristic war tale where soldiers wait out a chemical attack and choose one unlucky member to test the air quality to determine if it’s safe for the others to leave the underground bunker. Well told, with a Twilight Zone twist to it.
“Game Over” by Julys Conway and Annapaola Martello is about a soldier tasked with working out strategic war games on a computer array each day, until real life events seem too familiar. This has a more contemporary “Ender’s Game” feel to it.
“Terps” reveals how all too often allies are used in a war effort and then abandoned to their fates after it concludes, this time on a future war on another planet. Disturbing.
The final story, “The Great Man” by Rev. William J. bellamy and Cecilia Lo Valvo is the most personal and most moving of the quartet. It’s a memoir of a soldier’s experience in Vietnam as a photographer (nicknamed F-Stop) and his later assignment for the L.A. Times to photo Nelson Mandela.
All four stories display some serious writing chops with good art. FOUR STARS.
Peach and 32 previously worked together before the U.S. Postal Service was spread so thin in a post-pandemic world. The dialogue between them is both competitive and fun to follow. Turns out the original mission was a false trail but they get back on course. Following many well-depicted battles with monsters and robbers they deliver the message - - and it’s another subtle dig at current perceptions as well as a cure (although the results of the cure are subject to interpretation).
Why do male postal carriers have number designations and female carriers have fruit names? I wish that had been explained.
Stan Yak takes over on art, and while his style also appears to be manga-influenced it is definitely more action-oriented. A fun read, but if you’re on a tight comics budget this is not anything new, unusual or what I would consider essential. THREE STARS.
Flash forward from the Vietnam War in Issue #1 to today, with sole survivor Morrie “Muddy” Davis announcing his retirement. He’s a successful newspaper cartoonist whose “Junkyard Joe” Sunday comics strip has been published since January 1973.
On a cold wintry night he receives an unexpected visitor on his back porch, the missing-since-Vietnam Junkyard Joe robot soldier. Meanwhile The Custodian is hot on his trail, and he’s not a nice person.
Johns knows how to wring the emotions from a minimum of dialogue and trusts the art of Frank to sell it from facial expressions to backgrounds.
I really like the look of this book.
JUNKYARD JOE is just a small piece of the Unnamed Universe that Johns is building with six new titles hinted at in the back material as well as the return of GEIGER. Guess I’m getting in at the right time, I think. Hope my wallet can take it. FOUR STARS.
#1026 A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #2 by Cullen Bunn and Andrea Mutti (Mad Cave, November 2022)
It must be the watercolor art of Mutti that makes a big difference here. He has the ability to make a bloody scene appear even bloodier. This is a gory comic, not for the squeamish.
In Issue #2, Bunn increases the gore, the fear, the dread, the suspense. If you’re a fingernail biter, don’t read this. References to Unit 731 continue to show up, and the meaning continues to elude Dr. Nick Shaw.
Poor Dr. Shaw moved to a foreign country and the small town of Disante to get away from the violence he encountered in the big city. But here, a gruesome serial killer is keeping the emergency room busy, and seems to have a personal interest in Shaw. Nasty stuff, and I love it.
FOUR STARS.
Next . . . Three entertaining and fun monster books, all tackling these themes from different angles . . . . .
What do these two monster hunters have in common? . . . . . Alcohol! Jerri Bartman a.k.a. Count Crowley is a recovering alcohol resisting the temptation while Cal McDonald a.k.a. Criminal Macabre always has a bottle near at hand, the fuel that runs his engine.
Bartman is reluctantly attending a monster mania convention (in costume) trying to “expand the viewership” when a rampaging creature from deep beneath the earth (a Mammutaur, a human/demon/mastodon hybrid) uses the con to escape from the pursuing MacDonald.
They meet, and team up for a funny adventure with some excellent dialogue and chemistry (about to boil) between the two characters.
Bartman tries her best to get MacDonald into an AA meeting to no avail as the end of the monster spells the end of their relationship. Lots of fun. I read it twice. FOUR STARS.
#1028 DAMN THEM ALL #1 by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard (Boom! Studios, October 2022)
A vastly entertaining blend of organized crime and demon summoning presented in an irreverent style that only a Brit could
conceive. When it comes to the comic work of Spurrier it’s either hit or miss for me, and this is a hit. Sadly, I’ve got too many titles on my monthly pulls to add any more. I’ll bookmark this one for a later trade paperback reading.
Ellie is a young conjurer, a “precocious little shit” who learned all her skills from arcane master Uncle Alfie. Her favorite weapon when she’s not using her summoning powers is a bloody hammer.
In the introductory issue, Ellie’s intervention saves a crime boss from death by demon and she’s recruited to help him fend off a competitor who is utilizing black magic and demons.
FOUR STARS.
In the small towns of West Virginia, a traveling sales team of five goes door to door working for a photography studio. The differences between these characters and their relationships with each other as they go about their business is interesting enough. Add the horror element and it gets stronger.
The sales team picks up hitchhiker Maxine who ends up joining the sales team. The residents of Jenner Hills, West Virginia are suspicious of them as the town has several missing person posters around for young children. During their solicitations, Maxine has a bad feeling about one particular home where their door-knocking wasn’t answered. She decides to return later to investigate and uncovers a monster nest. Seems she has some troubles with monsters in her past. A good beginning. These characters wouldn’t be as cool as they appear without some fine details from the art of Cantirino. FOUR STARS.
Here's what I had to say in my review of DEVILS HIGHWAY, VOLUME 1:
"DEVIL'S HIGHWAY is a perfect grind house movie on the comics page, a fast-paced and riveting blend of horror, crime and detection thriller. . . . . . Some readers may view the character of Sharon as an exaggeration of the heroic but mentally scarred bad-ass heroine, but I loved her. She, as well as Quinn, the disgraced FBI agent still pursuing the case are what made the story memorable for me."
DEVILS HIGHWAY VOLUME 2 is a continuation of that unlikely partnership but escalates the story, the setting, and the threat on a larger scale. Writer Benjamin Percy describes it best in the back matter of the trade paperback: "We wanted to get bigger in every way. Crank up the terror and suspense, speed up the action, elevate the stakes, and broaden the conspiracy. The murder syndicate is now international - and its dark influence has soaked into some of the institutions meant to guard us, including the Border Patrol and the FBI."
As soon as Sharon and Quinn head to the U.S./Canadian border in Minnesota to investigate an abandoned trailer stacked with dead bodies, several of them mutilated and placed outdoors in an odd configuration, they have been marked. While they are pursing the snake cult once again, they become the prey as well.
I love the hard-as-stone character of Sharon even more this time. She reminds me of the Punisher. Some new and intriguing characters are introduced, which is good because this doesn't end well and not everyone we have become familiar with survives. It's an ending of sorts but the story seems to indicate that there may be more. FOUR STARS.
You can tell just by the story titles that Ram V is really building an epic here, and it’s so good. Batman (my favorite of all DC characters) is being restored to his proper place on the plateau of great superhero titles.
This picks up where the Overture (or appetizer) finished. The mysterious and dangerous Orgham family is establishing their foothold in Gotham. The League of Assassins failed to stop them. Batman nearly died and is recovering under the care of old friend Jim Gordon, who now knows a secret (as if he didn’t before. Two-Face is playing a bigger role in the proceedings and his dark side is winning out. The internal dialogue within Harvey/Two Face as well as how Simon Spurrier is portraying him in the back-up story indicates that the struggle for body supremacy may even have a third party involved in the proceedings. An indication/symbol of the id, ego, and superego, perhaps.
If you’ve been missing out on the deeply layered intricate story and incredible art of recent DETECTIVE COMICS then grab the first trade paperback and join us. FIVE STARS.
Some of the best stories from the prolific pen of Stephen King occur with young people coming of age together in small towns, a bit of nostalgia mixed in with the horror (Stand By Me, It, Mr. Harrington’s Phone, etc . .) SPECS reminds me of those King stories in the best way.
Kenny discovers a box of older brother Zack’s comic books, and he and Ted speculate with amusement over an advertisement for “Magic Specs” that grant wishes. Soon after, a package with the gadget arrives at Kenny’s doorstop in the middle of the night.
Sure enough, as long as the wishes are small-scale, they are granted for both friends. They learn how to manage that to their advantage until one day, when a confrontation prompts Kenny to make a regrettable wish in the heat of the moment.
Booher has a knack for writing realistic dialogue and setting up compelling scenes. While the art of Shehan is the kind that I would label “minimalist” it doesn’t detract from the story but helps move it along.
The story is told as a recollection thirty-years later by Kenny who is apparently troubled by it. As Kenny sees it, “three and a half decades is plenty of time to strip the flesh off those memories and grind their bones to dust . . . . . I can tell you this. This story isn’t really about Skunk the bully. It isn’t really about a racist town looking for a scapegoat . . . It isn’t even really about me, and Ted, and a pair of magic wish-granting glasses . . . This story? It’s about wishes. The ones we make. The ones we don’t. FOUR STARS.
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