PGHHEAD’S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, PART 1
This marks the third consecutive year that I will attempt to document my comics reading by writing at least a mini-review. The goal is 1200 books read and reviewed in 2023, although I missed the mark in 2022 by 88 books. Still, I like that number as it’s easy enough to track - - - 100 books per month on average. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR January 10, 2023. . . 33 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 19 comics documented
Hollywood actor Paul Dano explores the background and beginnings of The Riddler character that he portrayed so well in THE BATMAN film and displays a remarkable talent for cinematic story-telling. I can’t tell for sure if its’ his knowledge of screenwriting and/or storyboarding a film that makes the art flow so well or if the very talented Stevan Subic is taking his cues solely from Dano’s notes. Either way, you need to view this. Subic’s art and colors are incredible. There is so much detail in the small panels that I read this with my nose in the book in order to take it all in.
The Riddler as featured in the film was quite unlikeable, a disturbing and devious conspiracy-driven psychopath. In YEAR ONE, Dano peels back the layers and shows how he came to be that person and in doing so exposes some of his better qualities and giving readers some small reason to understand and even empathize with him.
The story is told through the eyeglasses of Edward Nashton, including his own twisted perception of Gotham. There are some incredible images here that I won’t spoil.
Edward Nashton has yet to become the E. Nigma of the film, and his descent into desperation and feelings of helplessness occurred when he actually had good intentions. It’s the dark, grimy aspects of Gotham that infest even the small accounting firm where he works that shaped his view of reality. This is dynamic stuff. FIVE STARS.
There’s an axiom I heard some years back that comics are your most expensive form of entertainment/leisure time, as you pay $4 or more for something that you read and finish in about 15 minutes. I don’t care because I adore this original American art form. DAMN THEM ALL gives you more bang for your buck, as you simply cannot finish an issue off in fifteen minutes. Spurrier really packs in the finer details, with some incredible world-building and inventive demons that require time to absorb along with all the exposition. Yet, thanks to the neat work of Charlie Adlard this never seems like an info dump. The pacing is perfect. This book cooks, and you should read it. FIVE STARS.
Batman finds an unlikely ally in Mr. Freeze, who thaws out Batman after a dangerous encounter with a demonic Azmer. It’s Mr. Freeze who finds the commonality between them: “But now . . . Nora’s gone. She doesn’t need me. She says she never did. And here I stand, toiling each night, building statures to the memory of a woman still frozen somewhere inside of me.
I see you now. I understand. The Dark Knight who battles each night to preserve his innocent vision of this broken city. Gotham is your Nora . . . isn’t she?”
Meanwhile the Orgham family’s protector who is part werewolf tries to coerce the identity of Batman from Two-Face to no avail. If you can’t be attracted by the storyline, the art in this book is amazing . .. some of the best I’ve seen from Ivan Reis.
In the back-up Two Face feature both sides of his personality have a conversation inside his head, hoping that the unwelcome presence of a mysterious third party doesn’t overhear. The art and colors here are very psychedelic and wild. My only gripe is that some of the dialogue is very faint and difficult to read. FOUR STARS, down from my usual FIVE STAR rave.
What catches your attention right off the bat are the minimalist but so expressive and poster-worthy covers by Bruno Redondo. Tom Taylor has done a remarkable job of reviving interest in Dick Grayson/Nightwing and this storyline is the lead-in to the landmark 100th issue. A lot has happened.
The flirtation between Nightwing and Batgirl takes another step forward. With Blockbuster dispatched by Heartless, crime lord Maroni is forced into providing evidence to police and mass arrests take place. Tony Zucco gets out of jail for good behavior and tries to partner with his alleged daughter Mayor Zucco. She finally renounces him and changes her name to reflect her true heritage and relationship to Dick Grayson.
Nightwing and Batgirl trace Tony Zucco to The Hold, a hidden secret bank with nautical themes that retains valuables for criminals in its safe deposit boxes. There’s a great panoramic two-page fight scene between Nightwing and the Double Dare bodyguards that is very well done. As a neighboring borough to Gotham, Bludhaven has its’ own set of problems.
A nice prelude to Issue #100. FOUR STARS.
To be fair, this may seem fresh and appeal to regular readers and fans of the Superman family. I’ve just never been able to get into it. Same with Green Lantern. Sometimes I follow the Flash, but I usually get tired. Batman is my buzz. Love him.
Ka-El is finally back on Earth after some cosmic battles. What’s different here is the cool spin put on the latest scheme by Lex Luthor. Apparently, sometime in the last several years it was revealed to the public that Clark Kent was Superman. Luthor takes that away by using some pseudo-science worldwide telepathic attack that erases that memory from all but a few associates. His intention is to block anything that might lead the public to think that Superman is just like regular humans.
Luthor also has yet another armored super-suit so he can slug it out with Superman, and he’s also revived Metallo. There’s also some short scenes in the back that preview what will be happening in some of the newer titles.
The art is good but really uneven with three different styles on display.
There wasn’t anything here to excite me, but Superman followers should check it out. THREE STARS.
While the artwork is a bit garish the storyline straddles that comedic fine line between funny and stupid and manages to stay on course. I enjoyed this, although I believe I’ll appreciate this more in smaller bites rather than scrambling to pick up the trade paperbacks from Volume One.
Gertie, the somewhat abrasive and imminent alcoholic (and no longer a young child from Volume One) is trying to make her way back in the real world and struggling to hold down a job because of her tendencies. William Woggins, a rich inventor who appreciates her skill set, wants to hire her to locate his missing son. The catch is that he’s not lost in the
known universe, but in Fairyland. Gertie’s reaction: “Fluff my life.” THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#09 STUFF OF NIGHTMARES #2 by R. L. Stine and A. L. Kaplan (Boom! Studios, November 2022)
This was another title that I passed up as I categorize Stine as a key writer of horror for young adults - - and I am not a member of that target audience. Still, picking up this book for that same comics friend provided me another reading opportunity.
There’s some cool minimalist art here with some interesting color choices. A trio of mad scientists trying to create humans (a la Victor Frankenstein) burn down their initial project with the monsters they created trapped inside. Of course they escape and start munching on firefighters, etc. The scientists did retrieve a baby monster (dubbed Frankie) and set up anew in the Outer Banks of Carolina in an abandoned rickety mansion.
It doesn’t take them long to steal bodies from the mortuary and start again. However, a spat between two scientists takes a murderous turn and opens up a grim opportunity.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#10 X-FORCE #33 by Benjamin Percy and Robert Gill (Marvel, December 2022)
Just one more pick up for that comics friend, and a chance for me to read a current X-book. An all-out action issue like this requires an artist up to the challenge, and Robert Gill is a great choice. The visuals are a pleasure to behold.
The Eternals view mutants as well as the resurrection abilities of Krakoa as excess deviation they have to stop and put that into action. As a result the Shadow Room goes haywire and the Savage Land simulation becomes all too real. Kraven the Hunter gains access to Krakoa, turning it into his own personal hunting ground. He captures the Beast in the Shadow Room, using him as bait to lure Wolverine in. Plenty of fights, dinosaurs, and blood and also featuring a vegetative Deadpool, Sage, and Omega Red.
This was fun, but that overlaying plot/storyline is a bit overwhelming and reminds me of why I stay away from X-books.
THREE STARS.
#11 - #12 KROMA #2 written, illustrated and colored by Lorenzo de Felici (Image, December 2022)
If I had taken the time to read those early issues of OBLIVION SONG that I stockpiled for later I might have recognized the name of Lorenzo de Felici. Now I have another place to view his art.
Art drives this book. It’s about color. Color is seen as dangerous in the fantasy world of KROMA. The images are simply stunning.
Prisoned and condemned as a witch, the young Kroma inadvertently escapes from the paleness of the walled city into a jungle bursting with colors. It’s also dominated by gigantic beasts. Fortunately, there is an older man with a mysterious past, a fellow outcast of the city, who helps Kroma avoid being eaten and provides her with needed shelter and information to her past. This one also ends on a cliffhanger.
FOUR STARS.
#13 - #15 THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN, 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL by various creators (DC, 2022) While I wouldn’t consider this essential reading, it is a fun and memorable return to that 1992 epic event in the Superman legacy. Plus, the return of a solid cast of veteran writers and artists from that notable year makes this special for everyone who’s been reading comics for 30 years or more. The four stories here are all brand-new.
Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding kick things off with a new villain reminiscent of Doomsday - - - DOOMBREAKER. Roger Stern and Butch Guice present the epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardian’s point of view. Then Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove show how the death of Superman looked to John Henry Irons (Steel).
Finally, Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett detail the reactions of Ma and Pa Kent watching the Doomsday fight live on television.
The over-sized issue is rounded out by a gallery of posters from prominent artists, including Walter Simonson, Bill Sienkiewicz and others. FOUR STARS.
The story jumps all over the place as far as what year it is and when it occurs. The initial scene in each setting is identified, but from there you’ll need to note the transition between artists to realize that the story has jumped in time. Johns also puts in some clever seques to help those paying attention. For example, back in 1940 with the original Justice Society, Dr Fate’s prophetic helmet is causing severe headaches when a member suggests checking his eyes. Next page, we’re in 1976 and Hourman is giving Dr. Fate an eye examination.
If you’re planning to follow the upcoming re-boot of The Justice Society of America (also by Johns) this one-shot is essential reading. What it boils down to is a preview of various storylines to come (many of which are too cool to spoil too much, like the future Batman family). What I can say is that perhaps this is overly ambitious based on how many side plots and guest characters (past, present and future) that Johns throws in. If he works all this into the new title, then he’s outlined more than a few years of issues.
What I can share is that the JSA never disbands and stays intact way into the future (think Legion of Super-Heroes era), comprised of various members that are descendants of or related to the original team. There’s a dark and powerful human presence referred to as The Stranger who’s been observing the JSA since Day One and makes his presence known by either stalking or killing future characters. The various incarnations of Dr. Fate presented here all share one vision courtesy of the helmet - - the demise of Dr. Fate and the JSA. FOUR STARS.
This version of the Huntress (26 years from now) is the daughter of a dynamic heroic couple and reforms the Justice Society of America with some old and familiar faces and some new (descendants of former members, etc). She seems to be the focal point of the story (at least this issue) and I’m good with that. She was the most interesting of the new characters introduced so far. Although I’m not sure the team will be very consistent considering what happens after that time-traveling Stranger who’s been shadowing the Justice Society since forever shows up and wipes out many of them.
Intense. I like what I’ve seen so far, but not sure I’m going to hang with it. I was interested in reading more of those old classic characters and I have a feeling this won’t be doing that. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the Volume 3 run (2007+) with Johns/Robinson/Guggenheim on scripts. FOUR STARS.
#18 AVENGERS #64 by Jason Aaron and Javier Garron (Marvel, March 2023) “Avengers Assemble, Part Four: The War For The Dawn”
Ho hum. If you are reading this storyline for the action, you’ll get what you want here. For me, this was pretty underwhelming. All these big battles foreshadowed and then the big letdown. I’ve got too much time and money invested in this epic, and I’m going to see it through - - but I really can’t wait for it to end. Money better spent elsewhere, for me.
The Good Guys seem to be winning so handily here it makes me wonder what all the Mulitversal Masters of Evil fuss was all about. One punch takes out King Killmonger, for example. The only fight of interest is Iron Man version an evil version of his father, Howard Stark.
Doom Supreme sits this out without assisting and lets his team get pounded. Must have some other master plan. If you’re following this, you’ll need to pick up AVENGERS FOREVER #13 for Part Five and then AVENGERS #65 FOR Part Six. Sigh.
TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#19 SECRET INVASION #3 by Ryan North and Francesco Mobili (Marvel, March 2023)
I’m calling this the Mellow Invasion when comparing to the original, mega-epic first Secret Invasion. Things are definitely scaled down here compared to that, so much so that sometimes I wonder: Marvel, why bother?
We haven’t seen Nick Fury since he was exposed as a Skrull and jailed. This is definitely Maria Hill’s show, and she’s a tough character as portrayed here. She leaves the S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carrier to visit Tony Stark at his New York residence at his request. He has something he wants to show her and something to confess as it relates to the Skrulls. It’s a real game-changer and another twist in this storyline. To tell anymore would be to spoil it. The reason I’m hanging on with this short (five issues) mini-series are the interesting twists that North put into the story.
Still, after that twisty cliff-hanger scene that ended Issue #2 I’m not sure that I can completely trust what happens this issue to be honest or just another ruse.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
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