PGHHEAD’S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, PART 15
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 April 10, 2023. . . 333 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 331 comics documented
Book 3 of THE SIXTH GUN takes a step back from the rapid-fire pace of the first two volumes and proceeds at a more leisurely pace to allow Cullen Bunn to continue his marvelous world-building as well as fill in some of the back-story of the primary characters. I didn't rush through this one as much and enjoyed it even more. (This collects Issues #12-17 of the ongoing series).
As Volume 2 ended, Drake Sinclair (treasure hunter with a bleak past, holder of four of the six guns) and Becky Montcrief (who holds the sixth gun, which divines the future) board a train under the protection of The Sword of Abraham. Their destination is the consecrated ground of their castle/fortress, where they are taking the body of the evil General Hume to constrain and prevent from being resurrected by his followers. One of the high points of this volume is the attack on the train by the undead minions of Hume's widow. The art and colors throughout are at another level, and continue to enhance the flavor of this title. During that battle, Drake gets knocked off the train and goes missing.
A new character is introduced (and given the spotlight for one issue) in Asher Cobb, the mysterious giant mummy (part of the train attack) and his backstory is very interesting. Meanwhile, Gord Cantrell travels back to Tennessee to the decrepit plantation house where he once lived, as we learn how his past is bound to the history of the six guns in ghastly ways.
Becky learns how to utilize the sixth gun to communicate with the spirit of her father, who warns her of the perils attached to it. She becomes suspicious of the intentions of the Sword of Abraham, but learns from them of rival order The Knights of Solomon, who may be holding Drake captive. Becky uses her spirit form to visit him, but needs a location (which as a prisoner, he doesn't know) in order to try and form a rescue party. All good stuff here, and the beginnings of a well-defined series. FOUR STARS.
Rightly so, Eisner was a major influence on both writers and artists with some very ground-breaking illustrations, use of shading, and clever, succinct plot lines. Eisner packs so much into seven pages of story and art, as this collection validates. It requires real craftsmanship to tell a good story within those limitations, and Eisner did it over and over.
The package is made even more significant by some revelatory essays by many editors, publishers, and comics industry pros who introduce each story with important insights. FIVE STARS.
The story begins in Scotland, 1982 with a young Thumper Connell obsessed with horror, often home alone and watching videos. Fast forward to 1994 when Thumper bands together with fellow schoolmates to form The Murder Club. They get together at the local video shop to watch cult films in the back room courtesy of a friend who works there. Things take a scary turn when they obtain a copy of a certain “video nasty”, one of the notorious films that the British Moral Decency League was on a campaign to ban and burn.
The secondary storyline here, and the one that interests me even more, is Thumper’s strange relationship with an imaginary friend, Red Ennis. Red Ennis is a hulking figure dressed in black with the appropriate scary mask who shadows Thumper everywhere he goes, and serves as a comfort zone for young Thumper as he grows up lonely and picked on. While Thumper is a more mature socially active teen in 1994, Red Ennis is still with him. Shortly after The Murder Club previews the video nasty (along with Thumper’s imaginary friend) Red Ennis becomes active in the physical world, something that has never happened before. Cue the dread drums.
Credit the art team for keeping the nature of this story a bit lighter, whimsical, and nostalgic through a “young adult style” to their visual. (Is there such a thing, or did I just create it to try and describe the art?)
FOUR STARS.
I purchased this solely for the Disney 100 variant and haven’t been following the Dark Web storyline, so please forgive if I’m omitting any important details. I’m getting a definite Superman/Bizarro vibe from this. And, I like it just about the same. THREE STARS is generous.
To recover and get back to normal Peter Parker takes a break with his romantic interest Felicia Hardy (The Back Cat) and heads to a spa resort in the Catskills. Guess who else is vacationing there. Surprise! It’s ex-wife Mary Jane and her new husband. Awkward moments, soon forgotten when even more trouble arrives to threaten everybody. Parker never gets a break. Part One of Two.
The art of the Dodsons is expressive but less action-oriented than what I’m used to seeing on Spider-Man titles whenever I dabble in them. However, it’s a nice break and almost lends a romance comic feel to the entire proceedings while never forgetting that this is a super-hero book. THREE STARS.
“A year and a half ago, something mysterious happened to Peter Parker. During that mysterious happening and the ensuing six months, Peter burned bridges with his friends, loved ones, and fellow super heroes to the point where Norman Osborn was the only person who would give Peter the time of day. And if that weren’t enough, Mary Jane Watson came out of the experience in a new relationship and as the mother to two children.”
As the story opens, Peter and MJ sort of bond together over the return of someone they both dread. Immediate flashback to one year earlier when the Scribble Man/Tattered Man/Rabin escapes Ryker’s Island prison through a mystic portal and threatens MJ and Peter with a blood sacrifice in order to propel him to the next level as The Emissary of a Mayan god, and sends them to an alternate dimension. This is where the issue ends. THREE STARS.
Before they can use it, Wayep attacks and MJ makes the sacrifice to send Peter back. But nobody believes he’s the Spider-Man they know, and Peter has a confrontation with both the Fantastic Four and Captain America. Will he get the help to free MJ or not? This must be what pissed her off and caused the split? Really? I don’t know. Guess I have to read more. THREE STARS.
This is the volume where Becky Montcrief shows how tough she is, and not to be dismissed as a stereotypical damsel in distress dropped into a bad situation. She single-handedly rescues Drake Sinclair from his imprisonment in an underground lair of the Knights of Solomon (who were also hoping to forcibly recruit Sinclair). Within the lair is an ancient lake where the sinister seal linked to the six guns sits at the bottom and contaminates the water. It’s the same water consumed by the residents of Penance which transforms them into Lovecrafian-style mutants.
The single issue that details Becky’s rescue of Drake is entirely wordless and gives Hurtt a showcase for some inventive illustrations that need no captions to indicate what is happening. Tyler Crook illustrates Issue #23 and while his art is exciting it lacks the Hurtt magic, revealing how important are his contributions to this title. Add a huge OK-Corral style gunfight, some snake men and the return of deceptive gunslinger Kirby Hale and all that makes for another great volume. FIVE STARS.
This title remains consistently good. Some of Silvestri’s best work is on display in this issue. He keeps topping himself. The villain is creepy, frightening, and ultra-powerful. Batman has his hands full. The Joker is working alongside him, but also seems to have made some side deals. Silvestri gets these characters, and his writing is strong. Batman is a real bad-ass. Joker is actually funny, with Harley Quinn serving up the punchline to many of his quips. I look forward to the final issue. I’m equally sorry that this is ending already. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Freedom fighter Bowen has lost everything in the war against The Infinite. His only hope is to travel back in time to prevent their world domination before it starts! Bowen can't do this alone, he must turn to the only ally he knows he can trust: HIMSELF. Now a man in his 40s, damaged by the horrors of war, must team up with his younger, reckless and optimistic 20-year-old self in order to SAVE THE WORLD!
This issue is Part Three of the Extreme Prejudice storyline, a giant crossover with the Supreme, Team Youngblood and Brigade titles. Consequently there are so many characters here that it takes a scorecard to keep track. I won’t bore you with the detailed descriptions of each. More overblown art from Liefeld. A highly convoluted storyline that becomes bogged down in details, resulting in reader boredom.
Now that I think about it, maybe the glut of superhero team titles during the beginnings of Image Comics are more responsible for my disenchantment with the genre - - - nope. I kept reading Marvel and DC during the 1990’s. But after trying out way too many debut issues from Image back then, I learned to steer clear. What a difference several decades can make. The Image of today is so much better, and offers more diverse content. TWO STARS.
The first two issues, published by Image Comics are notable for the involvement of many of Image’s founders in providing inks and colors for the submitted work. In a deluxe Issue #2 of 56 pages, there are 22 separate artists providing inks for one or more pages each. The list includes Erik Larsen, Keith Giffen, Jerry Ordway, Steve Rude, and others.
The Phantom Force super-team included Kung-Fu fighter Gin Seng, a cosmic-powered swordsman named Apocalypse (no relation) and a mystical woman named Probe. Primary villain Darkfire is part of a group of evil aliens stranded on Earth and hiding in human disguises. Darkfire tricks Phantom Force into helping him and then uses his powers to transfer their powers to his alien partners.
The story is nothing special, and quite long (with many battles) and some wooden dialogue. Kirby was an idea man first, who came up with some amazing world-building - - his greatest strength that drove his amazing art. Decent plots, sometimes difficult to script with that awkward dialogue. But, his art here is fantastic, a testament to his skill and creativity.This is a fun book to view. THREE STARS.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS occurs in a modern cutthroat corporate world where the executive assistant needs to be an efficient secretary, bodyguard and assassin. SOULFIRE: NEW WORLD ORDER takes place in 2211 with a war between magic and technology taking place. MICHAEL TURNER’S FATHOM is the anchor book of Aspen, the company named after Aspen Matthews, the main character who acts as a bridge between humanity on the surface and an ancient blue-skinned race of warriors living beneath the seas. SOULFIRE takes place in the same world of 2211 but focuses on winged heroine Grace and her friends.
All of these titles feature decent story-telling and expressive art. I’ve sampled many over the years, but never read very deep into any of the Aspen books. None of them have ever clicked with me. THREE STARS.
The front story is from the BADROCK AND COMPANY world, with a captive Bedrock (kind of like the Thing, but grey and not as craggy) escaping captivity in a Washington DC facility where his scientist dad is studying his anatomy and functions. He makes his way to the underground sewer system and encounters a huge, vicious monster. To be continued.
The back-up feature is from the world of BRIGADE, and features an untold tale of Combat’s past, narrated by him. Combat looks like an Asgardian and is a member of the Katellan race. He navigates a maze of traps to find his way to a powerful orb, only to discover that an un-named Acuran female (apparently foes of Katellans) has gotten there first. Combat’s narrative is kind of wordy and pompous, my impression of this character. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
The story is mostly irreverent in a fond way, and the black and white art shines in several places. I passed on this title back in the day, and now I have a chance to see what the fuss was about. I’ll pick up Issue #2 for sure, and take it from there.
The story takes place in the year 2998. Roachmill is a scraggy-bearded man in a Punisher-like black costume and is employed as an exterminator, perhaps due to the mutation that grants him two extra insect-like arms. In the 30th Century, Pest Control has expanded to include not just rats, roaches and other vermin but also annoying grandmothers or other undesirable humans.
The character reminds me a bit of Lobo (but with ailments and complaints) and the world is similar to 2000 A.D. THREE STARS.
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