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 . . . . . . .
#374 - #375 THE ULTIMATES #1 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri (Marvel, August 2024) Synopsis:
THE ULTIMATES RETURN TO GREATNESS! Spinning out of Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli's ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1, rising stars Deniz Camp (CHILDREN OF THE VAULT, 20th Century Men) and Juan Frigeri (INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) assemble an all-new team of ULTIMATES in a series that kicks off the next chapter of the new Ultimate line. Six months ago, Tony Stark sent Peter Parker a radioactive spider to set him back on the course to become Spider-Man. Since then, Iron Lad (Stark), Captain America, Doom, Thor and Sif have begun to do the same for other lost heroes, building a network of super-powered heroes hungry for change... Now they must band together.
With high expectations, I preordered the first three issues of this title. I”ll give it at least that long to convince me to subscribe or not. But, based on what happens so far in Issue #1, I’m already on the fence about THE ULTIMATES. Some things I like; some things I don’t.
Here’s what bothers me the most: When I pick up a debut issue I expect that I’m coming aboard at ground zero and the story will be an introduction to the characters and the premise - and I don’t need to know anything prior to enjoy it. Two out of three should make me happy, but it doesn’t.
I did not read the one-shot ULTIMATE UNIVERSE which preceded this. I did not read the ULTIMATE INVASION mini-series. I did read the ULTIMATES/SPIDER-MAN Free Comic Book Day 2024 title, which included the search for a frozen Captain America (and I assumed would be covered again in Issue #1 of THE ULTIMATES).
There is a five-paragraph text re-cap on Page One. But, as I read on I realized that I missed a bunch of stuff that gets briefly referred to by the characters. C’mon guys, this is Issue #1. A new universe and a new title - - and already you have an absence of continuity. That is sure to make some readers, including me, uncomfortable.
At this point you may wonder what I did like. The art by Juan Frigeri is good, and packs in plenty of detail - even on the nine-panel pages. I like the take on most of these characters, particularly Iron Lad and the mental case that is Henry Pym/Giant-Man.Plus, there is a lot of depth to the story, and Deniz Camp aptly details some dramatic and emotional scenes.
I do want to see where it goes from here, and I’m going to tease those of you who haven’t read this by not summarizing any of what goes on in Issue #1. If you like Marvel, and you like team books, you should check it out. Just be forewarned that THE ULTIMATES is not a true beginning, and you (like me) may have missed some essential details. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#376 - #379 SEVEN YEARS IN DARKNESS: YEAR ONE #1 - #4 of 4 Joseph Schmalke writes, draws and colors (CEX Publishing, March - September 2023) Schmalke does it all here, and pulls it off. The story is fascinating and creepy. The three main characters are weird, but you will end up worrying about them. The art is dark, stylish and effective. The coloring is equally dark, with plenty of reds and earth tones, also very stylish and effective.
The opening pages begin in a simpler time long ago and deal with the final fates of the last seven graduates of The Academy Of Black Magic. Flash forward to modern times and Matthew is the new kid in school, he’s troubled and gets in trouble, with his mother being summoned to the principal’s office. Rather than punish her son, his mother tells him how special he is, and she’s enrolling him in someplace extraordinary, a unique opportunity for him.
Turns out his family is part of a cult that is conscripted to the Academy of Black Magic, a college of dark arts. Seven-two children enroll, but only seven will graduate alive. There are factions within the school that threaten other students, perils and trials every other day.
Somehow Mathew makes it to the end, and has survived enough menaces to be selected as The Weathermaker for his class. He’s had help along the way from two friends who are equally strange, gifted, and not to be trusted as one day they will have to face each other.
I’m excited to continue with Year Two, the next volume, and hoping that I have all the issues. FIVE STARS for ambition and execution.
#380 ANANSI BOYS #1 by Neil Gaiman and Marc Bernardin with art by Shawn Martinbrough (Dark Horse, June 2024) It’s been nearly 20 years since I read the ANANSI BOYS novel, and I don’t remember much except that it featured some African mythology/gods in a contemporary setting. I’m a fan of Gaiman’s fiction, and was a little disappointed in this one. Perhaps it was because I read it right after AMERICAN GODS, and was expecting something similar/epic in narrative. (Gaiman would not come close to that degree of excellence until THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, highly recommended.)
This new comics series seemed an easy way for me to re-visit the story, especially as it precedes the forthcoming series on Amazon Prime. The debut issue is really good, and wipes out that unsatisfactory memory. If you like Gaiman you will appreciate the adaptation by Bernardin. The art is equal to the task, whimsical and light-hearted when it needs to be and expressive at the appropriate moments, especially the facial expressions.
Whatever you do, don’t read the synopsis as it will spoil the two surprising twists in the story. As the story progressed, my memory of the novel improved but I did not remember the twists - so it was just as effective as if I went into this unaware, which I recommend you do.
Charles Nancy is a well-dressed, successful man living in London and preparing to get married. There’s a dinner conversation with his fiancee about whether to invite his father, whom Charles has bad memories of. He was always pulling pranks on his young son and dubbed him “Fat Charlie”, a bothersome nickname that stuck.
Charles remembers being at his mother’s deathbed and wondering if his father would ever show up. Regrets influence his decision and he gets a surprise right after he makes it. There’s another surprise at the very end of the issue that will drive the story forward.
Well-done, engaging, heart-warming and somewhat sad - - the same kind of emotions that reading Gaiman often wrings out of me. Not ready to slap a Five-Star rating on this yet, but FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS is more than fair and a little bit cautionary. I was also persuaded to subscribe to this series.
#381 - #388 SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW trade paperback by Tom King and Bilquis Evely (DC Comics, 2022)
The Goodreads synopsis:
Kara Zor-El has seen some epic adventures over the years, but she now finds her life without meaning or purpose. Here she is, a young woman who saw her planet destroyed and was sent to Earth to protect a baby cousin who ended up not needing her. What was it all for? Wherever she goes, people only see her through the lens of Superman’s fame.
Just when Supergirl thinks she’s had enough, everything changes. An alien girl seeks her out for a vicious mission. Her world has been destroyed, and the bad guys responsible are still out there. She wants revenge, and if Supergirl doesn’t help her, she’ll do it herself, whatever the cost. Now a Kryptonian, a dog, and an angry, heartbroken child head out into space on a journey that will shake them to their very core.
In other hands, this could have been an unnecessarily long mini-series, especially when the narration by the main character is so over-extended and verbose. However, King tells an eight-issue morality play with some mini-morality plays inserted within. Also, the incredible art by Evely makes the journey bearable and worthwhile. There are some fantastic images here, recalling an older era of science-fiction illustration. If you are fan of the art style of P. Craig Russell, you will appreciate what is done here.
It's an engaging, warm and sometimes amusing tale of personal growth and character development of both Supergirl and alien girl Ruthye, who I consider to be the real main character here. This is more about her growth and the changes she goes through during their journey together. The final page may confuse some readers and also seem inconsistent, but I thought it was satisfactory. King leaves it a little vague so readers can choose the resolution they prefer. FOUR STARS.
#389 THE PRINCIPLES OF NECROMANCY #3 by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly with art by Eamon Winkle (Magma Comix, June 2024) With new titles, I can normally tell within one or two issues if I want to continue. Then, I usually keep buying and stockpile the issues until the mini-series or story arc ends so that I can read it complete at one time.
However, with some series I keep going - - sometimes because I just felt like it, and sometimes because I want to know what happens next and don’t want to wait. That’s the case with dark fantasy/horror blend PRINCIPLES OF NECROMANCY. Every issue provides a new revelation and more creative world-building. This is also my first introduction to the intricate detailed art of Eamon Winkle, the highlight of every issue.
In Issue #3, Jacob Eyes is the final doctor to make a presentation at the 36th Annual Conference Of Doctors, a wild meeting with some even wilder demonstrations (even bloody) by various doctors. The only commonality is the curious credo each presenter ends with: “what is dead stays dead.”
That is until Dr. Eyes takes the stage to reveal the results of his experimentation: The Undying Man. Is this breakthrough heralded by his peers? Does revoking a medical license, beatings, and confinement indicate approval?
This title continues to surprise me, and I’m on the verge of rating this Five Stars, except for something that seems inconsistent. It appears that this issue’s events occur after the events of Issues #1 and #2. Some things from both are even referred to. But, the moderator for the 37th Conference of Doctors, which opens the issue, seems to be telling what happened one year prior, when Eyes made that objectionable demo. So are we now reading this in real time? Or is Eyes still in prison? That should have been made more clear. FOUR AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
