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 July 10, 2023. . . 633 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 450 comics documented
#429 - #430 THE FLASH #800 written by Jeremy Adams, Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Geoff Johns and Simon Spurrier. Art by Fernando Pasarin & Oclair Albert, Todd Nauck, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Scott Kolins, and Mike Deodato Jr. (DC Comics, August 2023) This oversize issue marks the transition between creative teams as a prelude to the Dawn of DC version of The Flash and yet another new #1 issue. Five short stories that celebrate not just Wally Wood primarily, but also Barry Allen and the Speed Force.
I liked them all for different reasons. There’s not a bad apple in the basket: a rogue’s gallery of villains discussing why it’s not recommended to try and do business in Central City because The Flash is a brilliant enforcer; a fun romp where it’s up to Impulse to save Wally and Max from the Mirror Master’s dimension; a warm and fuzzy remembrance of the Flash family, specifically Wally’s gratitude to Barry and Iris; and a wild story involving Zoom and the Speed Force.
But the most exciting story for me is the last one, a prelude to the new title from Si Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr, who really puts his tiny panels with overlay and overlapping images to great effect. It’s a unique spin on the powers of Mirror Master that really teases the potential of a new direction for the Flash title. It all occurs within a few seconds at restaurant in-between bites. Linda doesn’t notice that Wally is leaving to handle various things and then returning to the table (because he is so fast) until the very end of the story. FOUR STARS.
#431 THE JOKER UNCOVERED #1 by various artists (DC Comics, 2023)
If you’re looking for a new Joker story, buyer beware. Aside from some new introductory pages and corny comments by the Joker (from Dave Wielgosz and Jorge Corona) there is very little to read here. If the title didn’t give it away, this is a collection of variant covers from recent titles THE JOKER and THE JOKER: THE MAN WHO STOPPED LAUGHING.
If you are a collector of variant covers or just someone who has previously purchased a comic solely for the art then you will appreciate this book. Even I haven’t seen all these variant covers before - - and I visit six comic shops each month. For art lovers, there is a wide range of styles and images here from a great assortment of artists, including one of the last covers done by Neal Adams.
My favorite cover illustration just happens to be the cover of this book. I love that crying kid in the Robin costume clutching his Batman doll, not realizing that this is not the Santa he was looking for. FOUR STARS, solely on the basis of the art.
#432 MULLET COP, EPISODE 3: LICENSE TO KRILL story and art by Tom Lintern (Scout Comics, May 2023) Don’t know why I keep buying these silly one-shot things. Maybe it’s the nostalgic memories of classic underground comics that Lintern’s story and art recalls.
This is a short, mini-comic - - maybe because the story can be stretched out this way, one panel per page to make it seem like a longer story for the $3.99 I plunked down for this. Or, as the back cover blurb puts it - - -“presented in a special shrimp-sized 5” x 5” format!”
All of the Mullet Cop stories revolve around a futuristic shopping mall and a food court, both protected by security cop Fred (who loves processed food). In this installment, “seafood restaurant owner/aspiring scientist Bob Duncan decided having a successful business was not enough and attempted to improve his recipes by combining his own DNA with shrimp. When one of his lab experiments goes wrong, he turns into Shrimp Man and causes havoc in one of the food courts. Mullet Cop is taken in to infiltrate the scene with a battle-hardened S.W.A.T. team. But even they are no match for the merciless crustacean.”
As an appetizer, this will suffice. But it’s no chicken devil. THREE STARS.
#433 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #11 (Volume Two) by Christos Gage and Mike Hawthorne (Marvel Worldwide Inc, November 2019) I wanted to meet Mike Hawthorne (guest at Captain Blue Hen 6/28) and I didn’t have any of his work in my collection. I picked this up in order to get an autograph. So, I’m jumping into the story without any background whatsoever, not having read any Superior Spider-Man books.
I did know that Otto Octavius had switched roles and was Spider-Man and was actually attempting to do good deeds. In this issue Norman Osborne from another dimension (and also a Spider-Man) has targeted Otto for torment (for unknown reasons). He holds a young child (known to Octavius) hostage and wants Otto to kill three innocents in exchange.
This causes Otto to go against his current inclinations, and seek out Mephisto for help to restore the old version of himself. Heady stuff, confusing to me, but handled very well. By the way, Hawthorne’s art is really sharp and expressive. THREE STARS.
#434 - #438 DEADPOOL, WORLD’S GREATEST: MILLIONAIRE WITH A MOUTH graphic novel by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne (Marvel Worldwide Inc, April 2016)
Some Deadpool titles are just too silly and stupid to be enjoyed. This edition has more balance, the humor is less ridiculous, still enjoyable but not ha-ha funny, and Deadpool seems to be just a little kinder and more benevolent as writer Gerry Duggan has sanded off his rough edges.
Deadpool now has money, and he invests it in helping prop up the strapped Avengers. That may be what finally earns him a membership role on the team, although that's not what this book is about.
Deadpool sets ups a team of Deadpool-costumed associates (Solo, Foolkiller, Terror, Slapstick, Madcap,Stingray) as Heroes For Hire. When Luke Cage objects to the use of that name, they become Mercs For Money.
Because of the public exposure, Deadpool's popularity ratings grow until someone starts committing brutal crimes in a Deadpool costume - and the ratings go down. There's a traitor among their team with a grudge.
Along with Duggan's competent storyline, the art style of Mike Hawthorne really gets to shine here. He's great at depicting action scenes (very fluid and fun to view) and a master at indicating moods (disgust, joy, pure silliness) in facial expressions and body language.
Fun to read, but just shy of a four star rating for me - - - 3.5 Stars is perfect.
#439 GREEN ARROW #3 by Joshua Williamson and Sean Izaake (DC Comics, August 2023) This has been the surprise re-boot of the Dawn of DC for me. Issue #3 is the best one so far.
Arsenal and Black Canary learn of an Amanda Waller connection to the disappearance of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and run head first (check it out and you’ll see what I mean) into Peacemaker and new companion Peacewrecker. Last issue ended with Green Arrow and Lian/Chesire being teleported to yet another unknown dimension - - this time to the 30th century and The Legion of Super-Heroes. Ollie’s son Connor Hawke is also there, as they learn that they’ve been implanted with a device inside their necks that emits a displacement energy (guess who’s behind that).
Seems that the reason that forces are at work to keep the Green Arrow family separated in order to prevent a world catastrophe in the future. When the trio decide to defy the implants, a silent notification goes out and Parallax shows up as the issue ends.
There’s some heartfelt reunion scenes between Ollie and Connor that are touching. Izaake’s artwork continues to impress me. Loved the head butt! THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.
#440 CHANGELINGS #1 by Kevin VanHook & Rain Laksamana with art by Rahmat Handoko (Visi8 Entertainment, February 2023) I haven’t seen veteran writer Kevin VanHook’s name on the credits for a long time. Last I remember was the original Bloodshot series for Valiant back in the 1980’s.
The most interesting thing here is the art, and that different-looking kaiju monster, which opens the issue by attacking a harbor in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The military’s air strikes and tank bombardment only seem to subdue it until Arga arrives. He’s a demon from the Hantu spirit plane on the side of good, in human form and levitating. He calms the kaiju through gentle worlds and manages to reduce it’s size so it can swim away to safety. The giant kaiju was sent there by Durjana, a human raised by spirits in a dark alternate world. She may be Arga’s sister (it’s hinted at). Her desire is to plunge the world into chaos.
There are some other supporting godlike characters and lots of text of a mystical or spiritual nature that comes across as a bit pretentious. This is not the kind of fantasy I like to read TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#441 KLIK KLIK BOOM #1 by Doug Wagner and Doug Dabbs (Image, June 2023) This comic may not catch on, simply because its’ a different approach to story-telling, and that would be a shame. (But the reviews have been mostly favorable.) I’m still not sure about it, but Issue #1 was kind of unique for a debut issue. It leaves it up to readers to figure out from the images, actions, and often the absence of dialogue or text what exactly is going on.
What I like most about this is that it features misfits in the prominent roles. I am not using the word “misfit” in a negative sense, just indicating that sometimes a person’s behavior or appearance isolate them from the general populace, the majority of which don’t understand or try to understand why they are the way that they are.
Main character Sprout is an oddly dressed young woman who is mute and takes a plethora of Polaroid photos, using them to communicate with others. She was raised by her grandfather in remote Idaho, and apparently prepped by him for some future doomsday. Apparently, she’s now in New York City trying to investigate her grandfather’s murder and avenge him.
She meets another misfit, an overweight insecure journalist/blogger who becomes aware of Sprout and wants to partner with her. There’s more here, including a dirty corporation linked to both of them. I don’t want to spoil it, and think I’ve provided enough info for anyone curious enough to check this out.
If I wasn’t already over-loaded I would pick up the single issues of this, but I’ll have to wait for it to conclude so I can read the trade paperback. FOUR STARS.
#442 THE R.I.G.H.T. PROJECT one-shot by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz (American Mythology / Apex Comics Group, June 2023) Super-hero Mr. R.I.G.H.T. (Reality Integrated Gravitic Hologram Technology) is the product of new tech pioneered by Dr. Dex Click that makes it possible for computer constructs to assume physical form. Mr. R.I.G.H.T. instantly bonds with youngster Jeffrey “Player One” Lopez and becomes a compassionate hero reflecting the beliefs of the young man who brings him into the physical world when needed.
This is “old-school” classic superhero fare, notable for containing three short stories, all stand-alone and not continued in a future issue. Older readers nostalgic for this style of storytelling will appreciate this return to form courtesy of veteran team Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz (Spider-Girl, Thunderstrike, A-Next). If you haven’t read any comics prior to the Marvel Knights era in the late 1990’s then this type of superhero story may be brand-new to you. It’s basic. It’s simple. Characters talk to each other during fights. DeFalco makes fun of this (and his own style) as well as the “big misunderstanding bout when super-heroes meet for the first time”, repetitive exposition, “CW style dialogue”, and other standard super-hero cliches.
I was amused but not overly enthusiastic about this title. It seems like it was written for a middle-grade audience (perhaps that is the intention). I guess I like my comics to be more complex and layered. THREE STARS.
#443 TITANS #2 by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott (DC Comics, August 2023) I wasn’t going to pick this up, but I’ve been in a generous (but not frugal) mood recently. I gave TITANS a second chance, and it became more interesting and better than the debut issue. I may just hang out for a bit.
Incidentally, so far in my try-out of Dawn of DC books I’m batting over 50%. I like GREEN ARROW, VIGIL, TITANS - - and not very interested in GREEN LANTERN and CYBORG.
Last issue, the Titans returned to HQ to find the dead body of Flash. Turns out that was his future self, racing back in time to warn of the death. Nightwing takes up the case with Wally West, and forbids him to engage in any activity as a preventative measure. Donna Troy gets to lead the team on a rescue effort in Borneo, where wildfires are traced to Starfire’s native land. Meanwhile, there’s a new Brother Blood growing his religion, now going by The Church of Eternity. Please refer to him as Brother Eternity, as does his newest superhero recruit: Tempest (who recently turned down membership in the Titans). THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#444 - #445 WONDER WOMAN #800 Written by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Tom King. Art by Joelle Jones, Todd Nauck, Daniel Sampere and others (DC Comics, August 2023) “Whatever Happened To THe Warrior Of Truth?, Part 2” Diana Prince/Wonder Woman is trapped within dreams with her life at risk. Fellow Amazons inside the Cave of Everywhen on the Isle of Healing struggle to awaken/revive her.
It’s a tribute to everything that Wonder Woman stands for, and the farewell to the creative team of Cloonan and Conrad. Every version is represented, Wonder Girl, Donna Troy, etc. Each vignette reflects on something that is vital to the makeup of the character. There’s even a chapter featuring the Trinity (Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman).
What didn’t make this work for me was the short scenes (1-3 pages) and the abrupt transitions to different locales with different artists. It should have been seamless, but it wasn’t - - and resulted in pulling me out of the story several times.
The backstory, “Trinity” was more cohesive and serves as a prelude to the King/Sampere run on the title. Apparently they are going to focus more on Lizzie/Trinity (Elizabeth Marston Prince, daughter of Diana/WW) who meets the other members (Batman,Superman) and the trio enters a trial (why, I’m not certain) of pain, skill, and honor. Trinity becomes the first to hold the three lassos of fate. It’s all a bit symbolic and confusing to readers like myself who aren’t familiar enough with recent developments with these characters. Nothing here really makes me want to continue. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#446 WILD’S END #1 of 6 by Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard (Boom! Studios, June 2023) I did not read the original WILD’S END mini-series in 2014 or it’s sequel. This new version is a return to the original premise (I know because I looked it up) with new characters. Good story-telling and good characterization is what makes this fantasy featuring walking-and-talking animals work.
In the original series Aliens invaded a small English town following the end of World War I. The anthropomorphic animals who live there fought back the invasion. This time, a fishing vessel prepares for another trip at sea. The captain gives his wayward, awkward grandson a job and this causes dissent in the ranks as he learns by mistake. The veteran crew members fear that when the captain retires he will turn over the ship to his grandson instead of one of them.
Lots of interactive scenes to explore and develop all these characters in a whimsical, easy-going debut issue. Abnett wisely holds off until the end to introduce the conflict, once we have started to become attached to some of these characters. Seems that while they were out at sea, something occurred that resulted in the disappearance of all town residents. Culbard’s detailed and expressive art adds to the atmosphere. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#447 - #449 KNIGHTS OF THE 5TH DIMENSION #1 - #3 by Casey Van Heel and Walter Flanagan (Blue Juice Comics, July - August 2022) This is clever and fun - - two interconnected stories, two different art styles, fantasy vs. reality (maybe).
There’s a dark dimension where a diabolical authoritarian figure (like Darkseid) named Vanta Black is itching to cross over into our reality. The only thing keeping him at bay is a comic book series featuring the Psychedelic Knights of the 5th Dimension. As long as the comic is being published and even a small percentage of the populace is aware of Black and the Knights - - that will be enough to keep him from succeeding.
The comic book is the sole creation (or just a factual journal) of William “The Wizard” Gardener, a reclusive Jack Kirby-like writer/artist. As he gets older and weary, the comic books series is only found at flea markets and comic shop bargain bins. At one time, Gardener had an assistant in up-and-coming writer/artist Kurt “The Great One” Gideon to keep telling
With the apparent disappearance, perhaps death, of Gardner, Gideon picks up the pieces and begins to put it all together. But it may be too late as Black begins to manifest in our reality and confronts him.
The Knights are interesting, an amalgam of classic superhero types: Jon 3:26 (Bible-quoting robot priest/destroyer), Kree-Gahi Bundle (jungle king cross between Tarzan, Ka-Zar and Kamandi), Professor Odious Amorphous (a ghost-like defender with science powers), and The Damned Yankee (made a deal with the devil to save the 13 colonies during the American Revolutionary War, now a star-spangled warrior). They were assembled by Merlin (yep, King Arthur’s wizard) who brings in new recruit in a disabled youngster who he transforms into The Spiral Architect. Together, they have to keep the Unmaker material secure from the clutches of Vanta Black.
Vanta Black puts together his own super-team (Agents of the Primordial Dark) to counter the Knights, and they are equally fun and interesting: Dark Cosmonaut (Russian astronaut lost his humanity in a Black Hole), Plague Lord (warlord of the Great Rot), Gore-Gilla (the Satanic Simian), and The Kaiser (field marshall, had to have a Nazi on the team).
Walt Flanagan (Batman: Widening Gyre, also comic shop manager on AMC’s Comic Book Men) pays homage to Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Jim Steranko in his scenes with the Knights. When the story shifts back to reality (maybe) he changes to more of a photo-realistic style that looks computer-assisted. There are tons of amusing Easter eggs throughout the issues, and tributes to ’60’s comic book advertisements, spinner racks, and old comics covers (including Justice League of America). FOUR STARS.
#450 BONE ORCHARD: TENEMENT #1 by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image Comics, June 2013) Jeff Lemire is incredibly creative (most of the time) and I can tell from this debut issue that he’s building something ominous here by giving us a glimpse into the everyday lives of the seven characters (all living in a high rise apartment building) who are going to be affected by whatever is being foreshadowed. The first issue ends with one of the tenants being taken out of the building in a body bag. That leaves a young boy with a mystery to solve, and an envelope with a clue.
Andrea Sorrentino illustrates some incredible, detailed panels here and he experiments with panel placement and panel size to great effect. His images, expressions, and movements all tell part of the story without the need for words. Dave Stewart does some nice work with shading and the color palette is either dark or muted in keeping with the tone of the story. Even Steve Wands on letters gets to play around with font size and text boxes.
My perception is that this is either cosmic horror or psychological horror. It a part of Lemire’s and Sorrentino’s Bone Orchard mythos, but I haven’t read any of that yet. My problem is that the story here is such a slow burn in spite of how effective it is. I’m more inclined to wait this one out, but I’m not committed to picking this up. FOUR STARS.
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