For the last three years I have embarked on a Comics Odyssey, reading and writing reviews of comics towards an ambitious goal which I only attained on one of three attempts. This year, I still want to read more comics and write reviews, but I’m not setting a specific goal. I’ll just document them and number them. We’ll see how far I can go . . . . . . .
#194 - #199 NIGHT CLUB #1 - #6 by Mark Millar and Juanan Ramirez (Image Comics, December 2022 - July 2023)
Vampires as super-heroes? Also, as one character mentions in the final issue - - a vampire story with a happy ending. Is that enough to set this apart from standard genre fare? Like a guilty pleasure, this is entertaining but not memorable.
When it comes to new works from prolific Mark Millar, the bar has been set pretty high. This is not up to his usual high standards and fell below my expectations. Still, at $1.99 per issue this is a bargain.
How is it different from other Millar fare? He has a reputation for gratuitous violence in his series, and it's toned down quite a bit here. This also features a trio of teen protagonists, but this is no KICK-ASS. The story feels like it's aimed at a young adult audience, as well as a template for a Netflix series (who bought all the rights to Millar's works).
One thing in common with most of his work, the villains here (a motorcycle gang of vampires led by a Civil War veteran) are despicable. Also a nice touch was to pay a nod to the Bloody Mary urban mythology, and make her a scary vampire dangerous enough to be locked in a basement. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#200 - #205 I AM BATMAN #0 - #5 written by John Ridley with art by Travel Foreman - #0, Olivier Coipel - #1, Stephen Segovia - #2, Stephen Segovia & Christian Duce - #3, #4, Christian Duce, Juan Ferreyra & Laura Braga (DC Comics, October 2021 - March 2022)
I realized that I should have read THE NEXT BATMAN: SECOND SON mini-series and the FUTURE STATE and FEAR STATE storylines before this because the story moves forward from there apparently assuming that readers are familiar with those events. Despite that, I kept reading because even though this new storyline is quite complex with multiple (but linked) subplots I see a lot of promise in Jace Fox's character and want to keep reading. (Note: this series lasted 18 issues before DC cancelled it.)
Suffice to say that Batman (Bruce Wayne) is apparently dead and the Magistrate is enforcing a type of martial law through Peacekeepers (wearing enhanced Wayne tech armament) and "masks" are no longer welcome in Gotham. There's also a Hidden Agenda being followed by an anti-government force whose motives are not fully disclosed (they utilize criminals and set up fall guys to make it look like protestors are anti-cop, etc). It gets even more confusing when you add in the individual players in the whole thing.
The takeaway for me is this is an interesting alternative to Batman. Jace is the misunderstood son of Lucius Fox (the WayneTech mastermind) and utilizes first the Batman armor (until it’s destroyed in Issue #0) and then a brand-new high-tech suit designed by Vos (his artificial-intelligence assistant a.k.a. Alfred). This Batman is doing what he can to avert innocent protestors from being punished as well as expose the corruption/manipulation in law enforcement (the latest T.A.L.O.S., more SWAT gear based on WayneTech). Jace doesn't really fix all these problems in the first story arc. He just basically manages to survive and make a statement through his actions.
I like that this Batman doesn't really go up against any gimmicky super-villains, doesn't have an armament of high-tech gadgets or utility belts, no advanced vehicle (he rides a motorcycle) and represents the little folks/common people as priority number one.
I'm going to read more, especially hoping for more character development/background as well as a good consistent artist. The multiple cast of artists on the first story arc also contributed to some of the flaws in this series. THREE STARS.
#206 - #211 MAGIC ORDER 2 #1 - #6 by Mark Millar and Stuart Immonen (Image Comics, October 2021-March 2022) I remembered very little about Volume One of MAGIC ORDER except that I enjoyed it, especially the wow-worthy art of Olivier Coipel. Mark Millar always seems to pair up with great artists, and this time Stuart Immonen illustrates his dark fantasy and does a great job. Not remembering Volume One helped me to appreciate Volume Two since it seemed like more of the same but appeared fresh.
The storyline isn’t that different. But that’s signature Millar - - he’s adept at taking familiar themes and putting his personal stamp on them. There are just a bunch of new characters and a new setting for the action.
In Volume One, a secret order (several generations of select families) protect Earth from various threats through the use of magical abilities and spells. Their lifelong mission is to keep dangerous spell books and artifacts from getting into the wrong hands and potentially causing the end of the world.
This time, the London chapter led by returning character Cordelia (the escapist, and my favorite) leads the charge against the threat posed by an Eastern European family of magicians/warlocks/wizards who are descendants from a powerful ancient wizard, have been suppressed for centuries, and want their time to shine again as they steal artifacts from the Magic Order and use them to resurrect a Lovecraftian behemoth. There are several side stories that help flesh out the new characters, the most interesting being Francis, a drug addict who is battling his own inner demons.
The action scenes are high-powered and feature plenty of that gratuitous violence that marks so many of Millar’s stories.
Despite the familiarity, this is fast-paced entertainment that I thoroughly enjoyed and will come back again. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#212 THE INFERNALS #2 written by Noah Gardner and Ryan Parrott with art by John J. Pearson and Lola Bonato (Image Comics, April 2024) One reviewer described this series as Succession in Hell, and that’s a very apt description. In Issue #1 we learned that Abraham “Abe” Morgenstern, the son of Satan, has one month to live and must decide which of his three troubled children will inherit the evil empire. Children Nero, Jackal and Bee are all conflicted and vying for the #1 spot.
There’s a lot of entertainment in following a dysfunctional family and their challenges, and these characters are quirky and interesting. The three must work together to convince a tech developer not to share his invention which has world-saving potential. I won’t give away the results but the interactions reveal just how not to be a team player. Add the introduction of ex-wife Lilith to muddle things further, as well as the shadow maneuvers of all the demons and it’s an intoxicating mix. This is dark humor in a thrilling direction. I have no idea where this is heading, but I’m glad to follow. FOUR STARS.
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