RUN THE COMICS 5K, PART FORTY-FOUR

 

I’ve been numbering my entries, picking up where I left off with the I LOVE COMICS 3000 CHALLENGE as one of the participants on the Captain Blue Hen Facebook page. This started as a challenge from friendly comic shops in Ohio and Texas, originally as the 1,000 Comics Challenge, then the 2021 Comic Book Quarantine Odyssey, and then I Love Comics 3000 - - all goals met by the group of Captain Blue Hen customer participants.  I’m curious to see how long it takes me to read that many comics. My journey began with the 1,000 Comics Challenge on approximately March 15, 2020.

 

#731  BATMAN #104 (DC, Early February 2021) This story arc was so good I read it thrice. Ghost-Maker is a great new character. I look forward to his next appearance.

     Ghost-Maker has subdued Batman, Harley Quinn, and Clown Hunter and has strapped them to gurneys in an old section of Arkham Asylum. He could easily unmask Bruce in front of the others as well as kill him, but he doesn’t. He has a different purpose in mind. 

    Have you ever met a friend during your formative years that seemed to be on the same page as you? But, as you spent more time together you

realized that there were some key principles that you differed on. That were serious enough that you drifted apart. Some of the past history between Bruce and Ghost-Maker is revealed. FOUR STARS.

#732 BATMAN #105 (DC, Late February 2021) “Ghost Stories, Part 4 of 4” More is revealed of the past relationship between Bruce and Ghost Maker and how it fractured apart. 

     The final installment of this arc deals with choices, decisions, responsibility, and doing the right thing. Harley Quinn is experiencing a transitional moment. Clown Hunter’s rage traces to the Joker’s murder of his parents, and all those he holds responsible. 

     What impresses most about this issue is how non-aggressive methods are employed to resolve conflicts. This did not end as I expected, and I find that delightful. FOUR STARS.

#733 DETECTIVE COMICS #1030 (DC, January 2021) “Vigilantes are dangerous, and without transparency the city will burn.” Those are the words of Gotham mayoral candidate Christopher Nakano, who lost an eye during the Joker Wars. He’s obsessed with Batman, who even interrupts his nightmares which reveal a troubled past. 

    Batman has his own troubles. He’s dealing with Robin/Damian ripping the emblem from his uniform and walking away from the Teen Titans, but not before stealing Batman’s Black Casebook. 

    Meanwhile the entire Bats team calls an emergency meeting to discuss the difficulty “patrolling a city that’s targeting us”, with an anti-vigilante crowd determined to trap and unmask its protectors. Despite the cover tease, there is absolutely no appearance by The Mirror this issue. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#734 DETECTIVE COMICS #1031 (DC, January 2021) Nakano gets an offer of campaign help from The Mirror, yet stands his ground on his principles and earns some respect. 

  Damien is investigating early attempts on a younger Bruce Wayne’s life and finds a troubling connection to Tommy Elliot a.k.a. Hush. 

    

The Mirror’s flash mob march runs into some supporters of the Batman family. A fight ensues, the Bats team comes to the rescue - - but is it a trap?

Batman. The Mirror disappears (for now), Batman gets blamed for it and makes an impassioned speech to disburse the crowd. But the Bats team doesn’t get away so smoothly, falling directly into the hands of Hush. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#735 DETECTIVE COMICS #1032 (DC, Early February 2020) “King Harvest has surely come, and this is one family Bruce won’t be able to put back together again.” With those cryptic words, Hush reveals his plans for the captured Bats family. Piece by piece.

    Batman tracks Damien to his current hiding spot and tries for a father-son discussion but Damien just wants to fight. Their battle ends when it becomes apparent the Bats family needs help. Nakano almost gets a new prosthetic eye implant but his pride interferes. A cool set-up issue for the upcoming Hush confrontation. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

I feel like I’m in the eye at the center of a comic book hurricane. Things would be easier if I would read all my comics the same week that I buy them. Some of them I stockpile until mini-series or story arcs complete. Others I just don’t read until later. Blame it on time available, or whatever. 

Maybe I just buy too many comics. 

When it comes to smaller publishers I should read those #1 issues right away. Chances are the next issue may not make it to the new release shelves, due to very necessary and conservative ordering practices that comic shops have to employ in order to survive. 

I need to read it, decide if I like it, and then pre-order the remaining issues. Here’s a review of some of those books I just didn’t get to right away . . . . . . 

#736 NECROMORFUS #1 (Behemoth, October 2020) Mature themes, and black and white art. That won’t appeal to as many comics readers, so I should have noted that when I bought it and made an immediate decision about continuing. I also think I bought the last copy from the Captain Blue Hen shelves. I just utilized their Comic Hub app to order Issues #2, 3, 4 - but it could turn out that the distributor is out of stock. That would be a shame, because this book is really good. 

    Here’s the quick synopsis from www.behemothcomics.us: 

“Douglas can be anyone who has died, but he cannot be himself.”

“Have you ever thought of transforming into any person who has died?  NECROMORFUS tells us the story of Douglas, a teenager who can take on the form and have the memories of any deceased person, by simply touching any of their mortal remains. But everything has its price . . . After gaining this gift, he can only feel pleasure or emotion by being someone else. And to make matters worse, he is forever trapped in his 16 year old body unable to grow old.”

So, what do you think a 16 year old with this ability will do? You’re right: he’s going to have lots of sex. However, he’s also capable of humanitarian deeds and is troubled by his inability to feel anything: “I felt soul-less . . . exactly how I feel when I am myself. I don’t use my own face because I feel absolutely nothing if I do. No type of feeling or emotion. I’m just an empty shell.  Since I acquired this curse, I haven’t aged a day. I’ll be 16 forever. Never again will I be able to see the people I love”.

There’s an interesting and mysterious character in Dr. Krehl, the German psychiatrist whom he seeks advice from: “I always warned you that someone with powers like yours would one day draw the attention of powerful people. In the circles Im involved in, I am known as the psychiatrist of the absurd, and I know dozens of people who would do anything to get their hands on you.”

There are two prime examples of the hazards of Douglas’ powers in Issue #1, and he’s already drawn the attention of those with mysterious motives. This is great stuff. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#737-738 JUSTICE LEAGUE #53, #54 (DC, late November, early December 2020)

I’ve only read a smattering of the Dark Nights/Death Metal epic, although it wasn’t hard to follow the story here. I picked this up on a whim because of the great art inside by Xermanico. 

The story isn’t bad, although I’ve read more than my share of alternate versions of familiar characters trapped in alternate worlds. I especially like the versions of Nightwing and Cyborg. 

There’s some great world-building here, especially the images of various landscapes. The desert the characters have to cross that is saturated with robotic versions of Starro is impressive. 

These issues comprise the first two parts of a five-part arc. I don’t feel compelled to read the rest, so in this case it didn’t hurt because I didn’t read these books right away.  THREE STARS.

#739-740  I BREATHED A BODY #1-2 (Aftershock, January 2021) 

Weird horror. Death as spectacle. 

Per writer Zac Thompson - - “Think Clive Barker’s HELLRAISER meets David Fincher’s SOCIAL NETWORK.”

I’ve read review copies of Issues #1 and #2, and I encourage everyone who loves high quality horror comics with a dash of social relevance for good measure to pre-order your copy by Monday, December 28.

If nothing is famous for longer than five minutes, does anything matter anymore? . . . .

A longer, more in-depth review appeared on this blog for December 26, 2020  . . . . .

#741-745 STAR WARS: CHEWBACA Volume One trade paperback (Marvel, 2016) by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto. Collects Issues #1-5. 

This was a quick read, and pretty much disposable. 

It's an old formula adapted for Star Wars characters and themes - - the big but soft-hearted tough guy (Chewbacca) befriends a young girl and agrees to help her out of trouble and ends up freeing a whole community from slave labor / servitude a la The Magnificent Seven. Some of the plot devices and strategy borrow from very familiar sources as well. For example, the Trojan Horse, befriending the enemy with false info, etc. 

While the back cover copy doesn't indicate as much, I believe this is aimed at a younger readership. 

It's silly in spots, with art that is simplistic but effective. Sometimes the sound effect text in overly large letters obscure too much of the art, which I found annoying. THREE STARS.

THE THIRD DAY Official Trailer 2 (2020) Jude Law, Thriller Movie

Stay-At-Home Theater: THE THIRD DAY on HBO. Jude Law does a remarkable

job here. A few twists and turns to the story along the way. Creepy and unsettling. 

Reminds me of The Wicker Man.  FOUR STARS.

JUST MERCY Trailer (2019) Brie Larson, Michael B. Jordan Drama Movie

Stay-At-Home Theater: JUST MERCY on HBO. Very powerful film with

great acting. FIVE STARS.

Our Pre-Order Pick: I BREATHED A BODY

OUR PRE-ORDER PICK:  I BREATHED A BODY 

I BREATHED A BODY (Aftershock Comics, January 2021 release) Writer: Zac Thompson. Artist: Andy MacDonald.  Colors: Triona Farrell. Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Pre-order Issue #1 by December 28, 2020.

Weird horror. Death as spectacle. Per writer Zac Thompson - - “Think Clive Barker’s HELLRAISER meets David Fincher’s SOCIAL NETWORK.”

POP CULTURE PODIUM EDITOR MIKE CLARKE’S NOTE: I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of the first two issues of I BREATHED A BODY, courtesy of writer Zac Thompson. I’m a regular reader and viewer of horror in literature, comics and film so I’m not exactly easy to scare. However, the images and storyline of this comic brought inklings of agitation and dread back to the frontlines.

      I wasn’t sure how to write about this and do it justice. In fact, some of the earlier adverts in the Previews catalog and other sources didn’t give a clear picture of what the story was about. That strikes me as ironic, that a comic about the harmful influence of social media might fail to find its’ proper audience. 

      It was not until recently that the Aftershock Comics website revealed more about this upcoming book, due to hit comic shop shelves on January 20, 2021. Now that I’ve absorbed that and read the first two issues, I strongly recommend this book and urge you to pre-order your copy before the final cut-off date of Monday, December 28 for Issue #1.

    Do you enjoy comics that dabble in weird horror and explore the full potential of this graphic medium to tell a compelling and frightening story? Do you prefer a dash of relevance and social commentary in that mix?  

     Then, you should be reading the work of Zac Thompson. First, with LONELY RECEIVER relating a love affair with a holographic smartphone app, and now with I BREATHED A BODY and its’ mix of social media with supernatural horror - - Thompson has his finger on a throbbing pulse.

     As the author reveals,“before coming to comics, I worked with YouTube influencers for years. I was a video producer creating content and attempting to leverage the labyrinthine algorithms that keep viewers engaged.” 

    

      “Since then, the landscape of social media has changed for the worse,” Thompson explained. “This series will explore the ramifications of our collective moral outrage, its role in society, how/if it can affect change, and what it means to worship content above all else. If nothing is famous for longer than five minutes, does anything matter anymore?”

     I BREATHED A BODY is, according to the writer, “a supernatural horror book set in Silicon Valley about the voyeurism of violence. Thanks to social media, we’ve become prepared to see death and despair at any moment. Modern social networks are a relentless barrage of provocative content designed to keep us outraged, engaged, and fearful. This book is an indictment of the Big Tech companies who engender and profit from this vitriolic environment.”

 This is a complex story. By that, I don’t mean that it’s hard to understand - - on the contrary. However, multiple readings reveal more layers. There is more going on than what appears on the surface, things that are hinted at in subtle ways, from weird fungal images to curious choices of words in the dialogue. Sometimes it seems as if the narrator in the text boxes is not the same person as shown in the panels. I’ve read the preview issues several times and each time I return something new catches my attention. It’s going to be really interesting to see where Thompson leads us. 

  The story revolves around the sprawling business empire of entrepreneur Bramwell Caliban. As his biotechnology firms bring changes to the landscape, he also endeavors to redesign the internet and remake social media. The MyCena network out-faces Facebook for views and generates massive amounts of revenue for Caliban. 

  His son, Mylo Caliban, is a MyCee sensation amassing tons of followers hanging onto his every word and posts. Mylo is a bit of a megalomaniac, with a reputation for outrageous stunts on his live feed. He once threw a dummy off a bridge, faking his viewers into believing it real. It caused a tragic accident. “400 million subscribers gaslit into believing anything.”

  During a company dinner, Mylo has a dispute with his father over his deceased mother and leaves in a rage. He vents to his viewers on a live feed, and thinking himself a god, he makes a huge error. Naturally, his actions drive his fans ecstatic and this gains him even more views and followers. 

  

  How to manage this calamity is left to the two most empathetic characters of I BREATHED A BODY, at least for now: Anne and Dalton. I realize it’s possible I could end up disliking them before this is over. I already know I can’t relate to either Bramwell or Mylo, despite how well their characters are defined here.

Anne is the social media manager for Bramwell, charged with controlling the impulsive urges of Mylo and capitalizing on them via MyCee for monetary returns. Dalton manages the video production, website and media feeds. Anne is disguising her true name and nature, running from her past while trying her hardest to gain more “equity” within the Caliban empire.  Dalton’s huge physical appearance seems odd for a video tech, and there could be more to his role than revealed so far. 

   The art by Andy MacDonald is expressive, graphic and disturbing. Just as his work on ROGUE PLANET (Oni Press) helped to illuminate the fear and strangeness of Cullen Bunn's story, it serves the same purpose here, enhancing the proceedings and ramping up the uneasiness.

   In Issue #2, Anne is given the challenge of monetizing Mylo’s accident for even more views and more media power for Bramwell.  The live posts become even more grotesque and graphic, and the subsequent views become astronomical. 

   Poor Mylo’s insides are turned out for all to see. He’s become nothing more than an ornament, a decoration. Everything about him becomes live-streamed.  Anne prepares the marketing campaign for vials of his blood (“only $119.99”). Bramwell suggests something even more disgusting for the next livestream, sure to drive up views and revenues. 

    As if that wasn’t enough, there are secondary plots developing that will most likely sprout during succeeding issues, such as:

• The strange events immediately following Mylo’s birth, and why he has worn an odd necklace ever since.

• Why is there a giant mushroom appearing in the cityscape, nestled beside the Caliban skyscraper?

• What is being grown in Bramwell’s basement kitchen to foster his weird dietary habits. Why does he insist on carving, cooking and serving his meaty delicacies to staff and shareholders during business meetings?

I am thoroughly spooked by the possibilities here. I can’t look away; and I can’t stop following this. 

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