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 . . . . . . .
#584 NEMESIS: ROGUES’ GALLERY #2 of 4 by Mark Millar and Valerie Giangiordano (Dark Horse Comics, August 2024) While I enjoyed Issue #1 I wasn’t excited enough that I need it now. I could wait to pick up the eventual trade paperback and read it all at one time (easier on my brain, too). However, I still think I need some reasons to visit my local comic shop every week - - so what the hell, I pre-ordered this issue.
Now that Nemesis has recovered from his injuries following his rescue from a prison hospital last issue, he’s up and about and ready to dish out some more of the ultra-violence that this title is known for. The choice of Giangiordano as artist this go-around is great, as every panel is worth multiple views.
Nemesis rescues a young criminal and makes him his apprentice/sidekick. Meanwhile, the prison guard he blinded last issue joins up with the group who hold a big grudge against Nemesis, and have just acquired a stash of high-tech weaponry from a supervillain armory. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#585 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 (FACSIMILE EDITION) by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky (DC Comics, September 2024) This faithfully reprints JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 from 1960, the team book that clicked for DC (after a popular showcase in THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD).
The big guns are all here: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, J’onn J’onzz, Aquaman and lesser-known but powerless Snapper Carr (who plays a prominent role this issue).
The villain is Despero, a three-eyed evil genius and conqueror from a dimensional world. He tracks two escaped scientists to Earth, where they have enlisted the help of Flash, who summons the Justice League. Flash loses a rigged game where every time he turns over the wrong card another member of the team vanishes to another dimension.
Here the title follows a long-established format where two heroes pair up on these unknown worlds to solve a mystery/challenge and then get back with the team for the final act.
It’s fun. It’s ’60’s comic book fare. Good times. THREE STARS.
#586 - #587 IRON FIST 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL by various creators (Marvel Comics, October 2024) I’ve lost track of how many different volumes of Iron Fist have been published so far, as well as the spin-off series he appeared in (POWERMAN AND IRON FIST, HEROES FOR HIRE, etc).
Just like those titles, the quality of story and art content here is varied and sometimes wildly different.
For me, the absolute best Iron Fist series and the one that everyone should read is the IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker with gorgeous art by David Aja. That one really built on the lore and expanded the role of Danny Rand/Iron Fist. Sadly, those creators are missing from this celebratory collection of short stories and none of these reach the same heights.
There are five stories, with the best two serving as bookends. Opening tale is “Training Day” by Chris Claremont and Lan Medina - where Iron Fist gets sparring partners in Sabretooth and Wolverine and learns a valuable lesson. “Happy Birthday, Danny” revisits a legend that says the Iron Fist perishes in a battle with a demonic foe on his 33rd birthday. It’s by Jason Loo and most notable for the art of Whilce Portacio. It’s Danny’s 34th birthday, and he gets a belated greeting from the demon.
“Heroes for Hire” is a funny, one-joke story that is just one page, period. I would have liked to see more here from Frank Tieri and Ty Templeton.
“Iron Fisticuffs” by Alyssa Wong and Von Randal features the two most recent contenders for the Iron Fist mantle and it just didn’t work for me. Finally, “Emergency Call” by Justina Ireland and Elena Casagrande tried just a little too hard to be cute and funny in a story where Danny Rand recruits Misty Knight and Colleen Wing to bail him out at a community function.
Two out of five, three if I want to include the Tieri joke of a story. Ok then, THREE STARS.
#588 AVENGERS #17 by Jed MacKay and Valerie Schiti (Marvel Comics, October 2024) “Impact, Part One” This is the jumping-on point following the conclusion of the vampire invasion Blood Hunt crossover mini-series as well as the Fall of the X-Men and the destruction of the Krakoa haven by Orchis - - as the Avengers re-assess their triumphs and failures and begin to move on.
The current chair is Captain Marvel who tries to get the others to agree that the Avengers failed despite humanity surviving. She thinks the Avengers should have stopped the Blood Hunt from happening and the discussion takes up almost half of this issue - which is primarily a set-up for the next threat (Hyperion returns) and the invite to Storm to join the group.
It’s well written. The character interactions are good, and the art is interesting. I just sense this is going to be long and drawn-out and I’m not really interested in staying around to find out.
In addition to Captain Marvel and soon-to-join Storm, the Avengers are Sam Wilson/Captain America, Scarlet Witch, The Vision, Thor, Iron Man and T’Challa/Black Panther. THREE STARS.
#589 THE COWBOY WITH MANY HATS by Christopher Reda and Add Galusha (Critical Entertainment, August 2023) I was curious about this small indie publisher and was happy to find one of their titles on the shelves of a local comic shop. I didn’t mind taking a chance since this was a one-shot, complete story, and in a genre that still doesn’t get as much attention as others - - a western.
While it might seem the ending of this was inconclusive, after reading the back cover I realized the creators were making a general statement about the ups and downs of life. The art is engaging and the script relies on the illustrations to move the story along, with just brief lines of dialogue.
A sheriff in a small western town is accused of murder after being framed by a crooked State Marshall and his gang. He has to leave town, hide out, and seek other forms of employment that seem beneath his abilities. I wasn’t completely satisfied with how this ended, but can accept it easier if I knew this was left open for more story, depending on sales (I assume). THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
#590 MINOR ARCANA #1 Written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire (Boom! Studios, September 2024) “The Fool: Part One.”
The promotional synopsis:
“Theresa, the daughter of a small-town "psychic" fraud, returns home to care for her ailing mother, however begrudgingly.
But when Theresa discovers that there may be more to the magic than she originally believed, she'll find herself caught up in a town that desperately needs her help...
One of the most renowned creators in comics, New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer and artist Jeff Lemire (Descender, Black Hammer) arrives at BOOM! Studios with an extra-length opening chapter of a must-read ongoing series inspired by, and intricately linked to, the tarot and perfect for fans of his creator-owned work as well.”
That was more than enough to prompt me to pick this up. I’m a fan of Lemire’s creator-owned tales. He has a remarkable ability to capture small-town, common people point-of-view in his characters and then place them in unusual, imaginative, and often bizarre situations and conflicts. There is a lot of sadness but a lot of warmth and empathy in his stories. His art is a mirror for the sadness and warmth the characters are experiencing.
If you haven’t read anything (outside of licensed superhero properties) by Lemire before, then this is as good a place as any to start. The dysfunctional but underlying loving relationship between daughter and mother is fascinating. The tarot, and I suspect - - mysterious powers or knowledge - - will come into play before this is over.
The story will unfold over the course of four acts (Book of Wands, Book of Swords, Book of Cups, Book of Pentacles) and be collected in four deluxe hardcovers. Fans of Lemire like myself will probably hold out for those hardcovers. But if this is all new to you, my recommendation is to read several of the monthly issues before you decide to keep going.
FOUR AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
#591 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 by Steve Orlando and Cory Smith (Marvel Comics, November 2024) Do we really need this many Avengers and X-Men titles? (And, WEST COAST AVENGERS is still to come, along with several more X-related books!) As long as the story and art are worthwhile, I guess that’s okay. However, I (and possibly you as well) would be shocked if they were all great.
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE has a lot going for it (so far) and it’s definitely as good as the better team books. Here, Captain America pulls a team together after learning of the threat presented by Sin, Red Skull’s daughter, who just obtained the death mask of Erida, Goddess of Hate. Sin will use it to instill hate into civilian hearts and gain more power with each effort. Cap, Wasp, Photon, and Shang-Chi put her down in a creative and well-visualized battle (but she escapes, for a future return).
While that is going on, the rest of the roster arrives at Avengers Mansion and exchanges pleasantries during a game of cards (under the supervision of Jarvis, glad to see him back). They are: Hawkeye, Living Lightening, She-Hulk, Lightspeed (the youngster from Power Pack), Hercules, Wonder Man, and Night Thrasher.
There’s a subplot involving a reformed Serpent Squad stealing other valuable relics while Cap’s team is preoccupied with battling Sin. They have a new master to serve, with the reveal foreshadowing a future challenge for the Avengers.
What I appreciated most about this is that the story wraps up and is complete in this debut issue, meaning no one has to feel obligated to continue to Issue #2. I’ve been sampling various team books, looking for one to hold my attention. This is decent, but it’s only a 50/50 chance that I’ll pick up Issue #2. This just seems like a lot of past Avengers teams that I’ve read enough of. THREE STARS.
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