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 . . . . . . .
#329 UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON LIVES! #1 by Dan Watters and Ram V with art by Matthew Roberts (Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment, April 2024) If you’re expecting the opening visceral gut-punch of the previous Universal Monsters mini-series DRACULA you might be a bit disappointed by this new entry. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON takes a more cerebral approach, creating mystery and suspense while it drops clues to the underlying premise.
I like them both, and for different reasons. Main character Kate is an investigative journalist troubled by memories and dreams of almost drowning to death. The dreams indicate a troubling incident from her recent past, although not specified. She ingests amphetamines in an effort to stay awake and reduce her sleep time because of this. Despite that, she’s on assignment again in Peru apparently trying to track down a former marine suspected of serial murders involving . . . drowning.
The trail takes her to a city where mini-statues of a mythological creature are sold in vendor street stalls and citizens speak in reverence of a “creature”. A new drowning has everyone’s attention (including theories about the creature’s involvement) and Kate spies on the transport of the body from the morgue to a remote swamp area.
The creature is only glimpsed in shadows until the final pages. I’m enjoying the slow build-up here, want to know more about Maria’s connection to all of this, and trust both Watters and Ram V to tell a good story. The art and coloring really enhance the story-telling. THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.
#330 DICK TRACY #1 by Alex Segura & Michael Moreci with art by Gerald Borges (Mad Cave Studios, April 2024) Dick Tracy is one of the oldest pop culture characters, dating back to creator Chester Gould’s newspaper comic strip in 1931. My first introduction to Dick Tracy occurred in the 1960’s when I read about him in the comics section of the Sunday newspaper. Also, the only comics in the waiting room of the barbershop my dad took me to were Harvey Comics: BABY HUEY, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, HOT STUFF, SAD SACK, JOE PALOOKA, and DICK TRACY. The Sunday newspaper color comics were more current (sort of), featuring Tracy’s two-way wrist radio/tv, the Space Coupe, Moon Maid, and aircars.
When Warren Beatty acted and directed in the DICK TRACY movie in 1990, he stayed closer to the pulp/noir roots of the character. I enjoyed that film (especially an over-acting Al Pacino as a villain) even though it was a box-office bomb. The new comic from Mad Cave also appears to be closer to those roots in a debut issue that is moody, atmospheric and engaging.
The comic is set in 1947. Some criminal (spotlighted on the final page) doesn’t want a city councilman squealing to a reporter so he dispatches a thug with a machine gun to kill them at a breakfast meeting, along with plenty of innocent diner customers. Dick Tracy (in traditional yellow raincoat and hat) picks up the case and gets a companion in the councilman’s daughter (Tess Trueheart, who was a frequent sidekick in the early Tracy stories). Now he is also a marked man. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#331 - #333 THE AVENGERS, VOLUME EIGHT #46, #47, #48 by Jason Aaron and Javier Garron (Marvel, September - November 2021) This covers the first three parts of the W.W.S.H. story arc (World War She Hulk). During the recent battle to determine the Phoenix Force’s new host, Hulk and Namor battled in Moscow’s Red Square. Neither one won, and the inheritor of the Phoenix Force turned out to be Echo, who has an ability to control it and prove a valuable ally to the Avengers.
In Issue #47 the Avengers break into Winter Guard HQ but arrive too late to rescue She-Hullk, who has been brainwashed and transformed into Winter Hulk as she rampages off into the snowy woods on her own as the issue ends.
Gorilla-Man, who initially betrayed the Avengers and allowed Winter Guard access, regrets his decision and finds Winter Hulk - hoping to revive her memories. But Winter Hulk is on a dark mission to Atlantis under the direction of the Red Widow. But, the Atlanteans sense her approach and attack first. Sadly, I didn’t finish this storyline which was fairly entertaining. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#334 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY ONE PIECE / STATUS ROYALE (Viz Media, May 2024) This features an excerpt from ONE PIECE: ACE’S STORY - THE MANGA Volume One. I’ve never read ONE PIECE but I did watch about 10 minutes of the cartoon on Adult Swim tv, enough to know that this is a comic about pirates.
The full volume will contain the origin story of Fire Fist Ace. He’s the main character here, along with Masked Deuce as they discover a Devil Fruit that ends up giving Ace his fire powers. They decide to repair their ship, make it bigger and better and assemble a new group of swashbuckling adventurers. Yo Ho Hum.
The second feature is new title STATUS ROYALE, which appears to be an e-sports game featuring costumed combat. That’s as much as I can decipher from the sound-effects heavy art. Jen is an amateur player encouraged by a good friend, who ends up stealing her “crown” and making her mad enough to put her own team together. Not really very interesting. Maybe if I was in elementary school and more familiar with this type of manga. TWO STARS OVERALL.
#335 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY - THE VALIANTS (Alien Books/Valiant Entertainment, May 2024) From as much as I can tell from these short excerpts, both of these titles appear to be more interesting than anything I have previously read of the current Valiant resurgence.
A giant sinkhole opens up just outside the capital building in Washington, D.C. in THE VALIANTS preview. This presents a problem for the head of G.A.T.E., brigadier general Jamie Capshaw. She can’t rely on her usual repetoire of heroes who are all K.I.A., M.I.A. or unavailable. She recruits Ninjak and his aide Myna, who have just infiltrated the abandoned HQ of Dr. Silk and reprogrammed his butler robot. This becomes the temporary HQ for G.A.T.E.
In the second story, Neville Alcott (director of Daybreak) sends Ninjak on a mission to travel to Greece and locate Marybeth, a young girl who can stream all electronic data on the planet due to cybernetic implants. The complication is that she is guarded by Roku, an enhanced warrior who has negative history with Ninjak. He finds her, and the fight begins.
I can’t really tell if the NIJAK VS. ROKU mini-series will be worthwhile. But I’m remembering how good the previous ROKU mini-series was (from Cullen Bunn) and hoping for the best. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS overall.
#336 THE WITCHER: CORVO BIANCO #1 of 5 by Bartosz Sztybor and Corrado Mastantuono (Dark Horse Comics, May 2024) This marks the U.S. debut of famed Italian comics artist Corrado Mastantuono, who has a very fluid and appealing style whether it’s depicting action/fights, interaction between characters, or just some beautiful scenery.
There’s a neat trick on Page One that appears to be something nasty but turns out differently. In this particular story, Geralt the Witcher appears to have retired. The Corvo Bianco of the title happens to be a vineyard that Geralt happily operates. Aside from helping a neighbor dispatch some monstrous grape thieves he seems to have settled down to the quiet life.
Geralt even gets a visit from Yennifer, his old flame. Except the next band of visitors is not friendly at all, and plan to take his lands away in the name of “their rightful owner” Lord Bolus - either peacefully or by force. The fight is on. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#337 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2024 GANNIBAL by Masaaki Ninomiya (Ablaze Publishing May 2024) I read a short preview of this previously in a manga/anime magazine and wrote about it here. This is a bit longer, with the entire issue devoted just to GANNIBAL. Now that I can read the first chapter in full, and not just a clipped excerpt of one scene, I am intrigued. This has potential to be a good horror comic, and I could be tempted to order Volume One.
There’s a new law officer assigned to a remote country town in Japan where the residents act friendly but also guarded. He gets in trouble with a group of belligerent residents when he’s just doing his investigative job and asking questions. Soon, he’s invited to drink with them and that gets even more disturbing, as if they are sizing him up for a meal.
The art doesn’t wow me. It’s standard manga style but does have some good moments and visually exciting panels. But the story may be more than enough to propel this. THREE AND ONE HALF-STARS.
“GARTH ENNIS RETURNS TO MARVEL - WITH NICK FURY AND FRANK CASTLE AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN!
It's 1971, there is a war raging in Vietnam, and Nick Fury has been captured by the Viet Cong. At this moment, they don't quite understand that they have in their possession a man who knows enough secrets to damage the United States beyond comprehension. The C.I.A., however, DOES realize this and they can't risk their enemy getting those secrets, so they dispatch the most deadly man in the U.S. Army - LT. FRANK CASTLE. Explicite Content.”
The story here is book-ended by narration from Letrong Gap, a former Vietnamese general who witnessed the events. Issue #1 is a good set-up issue, with some revealing dialogue and engaging scenes. It doesn’t get gory and bloody in Ennis/Burrows fashion until the final pages, where a member of Fury’s party is mutilated by the Viet Cong.
I’ve enjoyed Ennis’ previous Frank Castle Vietnam stories as well as the last Punisher mini-series he did for Marvel, so I’m all in for this. Anticipating a higher rating as it gains momentum in future issues. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
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