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 September 30, 2023. . . 900 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 709 comics documented
#686 - #689 BAD LUCK CHUCK #1 - #4 by Lela Gwenn and Matthew Dow Smith (Dark Horse Comics, March-June 2019) “What’s a girl to do when she has bad luck? . . . . . Preternatural bad? . . . . . Laundromat-burns-down-around-your-head bad? . . . . If that girl is me? . . . . Monetize.”
Cursed at birth (never explained why) with extraordinary bad luck that mainly affects bystanders and/or structures, Charlene “Chuck” Manchester provides “Disaster On Demand” when someone else can profit from her gift. A woman hires her to rescue her daughter from an evangelical cult, which she does in a very funny scene. Chuck later learns that she was duped. The mother is a crime boss and had tried to set Chuck up for the murder of her daughter (stands to inherit $6 million from grandpa) which her henchmen were supposed to complete.
As a result of these events, Chuck has the mob boss, the cult leader, and a determined insurance-fraud investigator all coming after her. Throw in a Tibetan abbey of male nuns for good measure, although their connection and familiarity with Chuck is also not explained.
BAD LUCK CHUCK features a strong premise with a great opening issue, fun and twisty. Then it flounders a bit and delivers a less-than-satisfying but still happy ending. A quick, four-issue mini-series - - even that was a bit longer than necessary. This could have been tighter and a more solid read in three issues. There's really no need to bring on the sequel, although the ending leaves an opening for one (albeit in a little different configuration with more characters involved - - on second thought it could be even funnier.) The choice of artist seems off, and suffers for it in scenes that could have had more impact or even humor with the right illustrator. Matthew Dow Smith's basic simple art style is more suited to his work on the late Topps' Comics X-FILES series. THREE STARS.
#690 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #33 by Zeb Wells and Patrick Gleason (Marvel Worldwide Inc, November 2023) What has gone before: A Kraven The Hunter clone teams with Queen Goblin to mystically capture the sins of Norman Osborn and incorporate them into a spear. But Spider-Man (Peter Parker version) gets hit by the spear instead.
Spider-Man puts the black suit back on, and powered by his new rage and fueled by the conflicting former mindset of Osborn he seeks out Kraven for revenge. The entire issue is taken up with Kraven trying to evade SpiderMan’s pursuit, who stalks him from the shadows, etc. What makes this work is some great art and suspenseful image selection from Patrick Gleason. I’ve never read the Kraven’s Last Hunt storyline, but I suspect this is a homage to it with the roles reversed. THREE STARS.
#691 - #695 INVISIBLE KINGDOM #1 - #5 by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Dark Horse Comics, March-July 2019) I originally read this in the individual monthly issues, and then returned now for a complete reading. I'm a bit surprised that this didn't earn a higher average rating on Goodreads despite earning some book industry awards. I consider INVISIBLE KINGDOM one of the best science-fiction series in comics for 2019. However, I don't read as much science-fiction as I used to, and what seems fresh to me may be too-familiar tropes to seasoned genre readers.
In a beautifully imagined future world by Wilson that is equally gorgeous in its depiction by Ward there is dangerous collusion occurring between a cruel mega-corporation and the leaders of a disciplined religious order. Simultaneously, the conspiracy is discovered by a freighter pilot sub-contracting to the corporation and the newest apprentice to the religion. They combine forces in order to survive and expose the culprits.
There is plenty of social commentary by Wilson within the story and it's pretty much on-the-nose as regards retailing mega-corporations, politics, religion, consumerism, and social perceptions. When confronted with a uncomfortable truth, the average citizen is too jaded and apathetic to react and respond correctly. The Lux Corporation is a futuristic Amazon, delivering packages between planets and abusing their workforce. The main characters led by female pilot Grix operate a delivery service and the fact that Lux corporation neglected to repair an onboard system on the spaceship is ironically what leads to the discovery of a dark secret between Lux and the Renunciation monastery. I also love the deft touch by Wilson to describe the students of the religious order as "nones", and not nuns. Equally ironic, is that the Mother Proxima decides new recruit Tessa should be the one who consolidates and organizes the monastery's records with "discretion", which leads to her uncovering the connection between corporation and religious order. She does not handle it discretely.
The first story arc ends with a disappointing but not surprising reaction from the public. At least Grix, Tessa and their companions remain free to pursue new adventures, which I'll gladly read. FIVE STARS.
#696 - #697 ETHER #1 - #2 by Matt Kindt and David Rubin (Dark Horse Comics, November-December 2016) The story-telling of Matt Kindt is an acquired taste. Some find his imagination and creativity delicious. Others aren’t won over by the unique flavors and spices and don’t get what others see. I’m somewhere on the fence. Sometimes I’m all in, and sometimes I’m out.
There’s an even greater disparity when it comes to fans of his quirky art style.
I’m kind of on the fence about ETHER. To be fair, I didn’t read the full series. However, I’m very impressed by the art, coloring, and letters of David Rubin. He really brings Kindt’s vision of this weird world to life, and is a talent to watch.
Boone Dias is an inter-dimensional explorer, an Earth scientist who stumbled into the Ether. He acts as if he’s an expert on everything, so the magical creatures that live in the Ether turn to him to solve the tough crimes and problems.
Kindt’s story overlaps several genres: action-adventure, fantasy, science-fiction, magic, fantasy - - and focuses on a murder mystery with a deft touch of humor as icing. If you’re familiar with Kindt then you know that not everything is explained fully but I’m more curious than I am baffled by it. The characters and creatures are weird and fun, and Rubin’s art keeps my eyes glued to the pages. Boone Dias is not a superhuman, and there are limitations to his time in Ether - - he can’t stay indefinitely and has to return to Earth and he can’t eat any food while he’s there so he has to stock up before starting his journey. My favorite character is Glum, a talking simian who punts Boone into the portals and acts as a guide/companion. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#698 FRANKENSTEIN: NEW WORLD #1 written by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden and Thomas Sniegoski with art by Peter Bergting (Dark Horse Comics, August 2022) If you’ve been following my reviews and noticed an abundance of Dark Horse Comics lately - there’s a reason for that. Pure impulse made me go back through the box of Dark Horse Comics in my collection and start pulling out whatever caught my eye. It’s been a fun diversion so far.
This is yet another title with a cover blurb proclaiming “From The World Of Hellboy”. The only connection I see is the name of Mike Mignola. I noticed that several Dark Horse titles carry that designation and Mignola seems to be the only link, with the exception of Abe Sapien, B.P.R.D. and other titles featuring characters from the Hellboy stories. Consumer beware. Perhaps the proper slogan should be “From The Worlds of Mike Mignola” , but I get why the Hellboy reference is more familiar.
This is a sequel to Mignola’s first Frankenstein series, which I didn’t read figuring I could just jump into this one. The only setback is that I didn’t see how Frankenstein’s monster/creation was portrayed in the first series.
In NEW WORLD he’s been sleeping/in hibernation underground and is known as a timeless oracle. After Ragna Rok, humanity survived by living inside the hollow earth. Curious young Lilja is having visions of a dark force developing on the surface. She defies the advice of her elders and wakes up Frankenstein to investigate and explore the new world above.
This is a set-up issue and it’s extremely slow. It failed to garner my interest, which isn’t a bad thing as this was the only issue in the mini-series that I have. Now I don’t have to bother. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#699 - #701 ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW! POINT ONE Facsimile Edition. Writers: Al Ewing, Dan Slott, James Robinson, Nathan Edmondson, G. Willow Wilson, Nick Spencer. Artists: Lee Garbett, Michael Allred, Steve Pugh, Phil Noto, Adrian Alphona, Rags Morales. (Marvel Worldwide Inc, September 2023) When this was originally published in 2014 it was meant as a preview of several upcoming new series. Now, it’s being reprinted, I suspect, because of renewed interest in Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel who was recently killed in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and resurrected five minutes later in an X-MEN title. It’s a mixed bag of decent and ho-hum stories, so I’m going to review them separately . . . . . .
“Before The Truth Has Its Pants On”: Al Ewing tackles Loki, who is collecting five artifacts/keys to create the ancient Sword of Sigurd The First, which he apparently will utilize in LOKI, AGENT OF ASGARD. This serves as the framing device for the entire issue and has some great moments, but suffers a little from being broken up into short segments between the other stories. My favorite was the opening where Loki plays card with some unhappy aliens at the gaming tables of Planet Sin. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
“Girl On Board” by Slott and Allred is my favorite of the entire book. Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer takes his new girlfriend (Dawn Greenwood) for a tour of Planet Nautikos and ends up punching a shark. It’s funny and full of some great imagery from Allred. I regret that I completely passed over this version of SILVER SURFER back in 2014. FOUR STARS.
“To Tame The Very Gods Themselves” is a preview of the All-New Invaders series but doesn’t feature much of the team. It’s more about the Kree and a new mission that will end up involving the Invaders. THREE STARS.
“Predator” has some nice Russia wintry action scenes, and that red (hair, blood) against a white background produces a nice effect. However, as an introduction to a new series it fails to provide a clear idea of what it will be about and what Natasha’s mission will be. TWO STARS.
“Garden State of Mind” serves as the introductory story to Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan. I applaud the effort to spotlight a Pakistani character and her culture but the story just doesn’t engage me. It’s a bit too much teenage-angsty for my blood and obviously is intended for a much younger audience than I. TWO AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
“Short Term Fixes” is the final story and acts as set-up for the AVENGERS WORLD series. Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D. needs Avengers help to keep the agency running and strikes an agreement with Steve Rogers/Captain America. He has dispatched Sunspot and Cannonball on a stealth mission to retrieve the “short-term Hulk” formula that A.I.M. has reverse-engineered from Bruce Banner’s DNA. The story seems to be more about the Hill-Rogers alliance than the mission, which seems inconsequential and even fails to show the final outcome. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
In summary, what’s the takeaway from this collection, which averages out to a 2.88 Star Rating overall. Well, if I was looking through back-issue bargain bins I might pick up some Loki and Silver Surfer issues. Your results may vary.
#702 - #707 THE SIXTH GUN, BOOK 6: GHOST DANCE by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt (Oni Press, February 2014)
Cullen Bunn continues the creative world-building by adding some Native American lore and introducing some intriguing new characters.
This is the most mystical of volumes yet, and really does a bang-up job of showcasing different realities and possibilities all based on the use and/or abuse of the Six Guns, along with a little history of them.
Brian Hurtt's depiction of scenery and atmosphere really enhances the story. The action/battle scenes are gorgeous. Colors pop as always through the great palette choices of Bill Crabtree.
They are a dynamic team and I'm all in for the remaining volumes, especially since things ramp up to a new level based on what happens here. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Our world has not always been this way. And our world may be different yet. Becky Montcrief embarks on a Ghost Dance to witness what the terrifying, reality-shaping power of the Six Guns have wrought... and what they might yet bring about. But she is pursued by a band of fierce Skinwalkers, and in order to survive these supernatural hunters, she must fight side-by-side with the most unexpected of allies - the four horsemen of General Oliander Bedford Hume!
#708 - #709 ETHER: THE COPPER GOLEMS #2, #3 by Matt Kindt and David Rubin (Dark Horse Comics, June-July 2018) More fun weirdness from Kindt and Rubin. These stories are not the kind where every detail is essential, so I was able to jump in without benefit of learning what took place in Issue #1. Main character Boone somehow has a composite map detailing all of the nexus points in Ether from the holes in the Earth. His group of quirky companions head for Latium to locate the portal so they can close it, before the wizard Agrippa can make use of it.
There’s a lot of funny conversations among the various magic practitioners, especially from a fun minotaur ,with Boone in the role of straight man being serious throughout all the mayhem.Rubin’s whimsical style on art is counter-balanced by his imagination and wild panels, especially the staircase scenes that pay tribute to M.C. Escher. Before it’s all over the band of travelers has to combat the copper golems, full of vacuums tubes and manuscripts inside them.
Next stop is an Egyptian themed area where another portal needs closed and they aid a fantasy tribe in Fairyland. Best not to think to much about it and just enjoy the ride. One of the wildest series I”ve enjoyed in spite of the confusion. THREE STARS.
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