Iron Man 2020 #1
Marvel Comics Writers Dan Scott and Christos Gage, Artist Pete Woods, Letterer Joe Caramagna
Apparently Tony Stark is dead in the comics too now and its a good thing because he would have been board too reading this first issue of the new Iron Man comic as I was. The script is simply basic superhero 101 but without really much happening here. Slott and Gaga give little reason to care about Arno Stark or for that matter anyone else that shows up and there is absolutely no set to a story here just plot points that deliver a disjointed story at best. I really feel bad for Woods here because the artwork on the book is nice and he does his best here with literally nothing to work with but he at least made the painfully dull story at least visually appealing with his layouts that was nice to look at.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? This one is pretty simple don’t buy this comic and spend you’re money on something that is actually worth reading this week.
Hellboy Winter Special 2019 #1
Dark Horse Comics Writers Mike Mignola/Chris Roberson/Scott Allie, Artists Márk László/Leia Del Duca/Andrea Mutti, Colorists Dave Stewart/Michelle Madsen/Lee Loughridge, Letterer Clem Robins
Every year around this time we get the special treat of the Hellboy Winter Special that has three short stories by different creative teams and this years all three were very good. The Mignola and László was probably my favorite because for a short story it has some really nice twist and turns to it and László’s artwork is stunning. Roberson and Del Duca’s story has a nice Twilight Zone feel to it that works well and the artwork is quite nice here. The last one was the weakest of the three but still a solid story by Allie with very nice artwork by Mutti that has a nice twist at the end but I felt that the lead up was kind of drawn out for a short story.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? With three stories you get a good amount of bang for you’re buck here and while the last story was a bit weak overall they all were good reads with really nice artwork. I’m a big fan of short stories and this one is well worth buying this week. RECOMMENDED!
Crisis on Infinite Earths 100 Page Giant #1
DC Comics Writers Marv Wolfman and Marc Guggenheim, Pencillers Tom Derrick/Tom Grummett, Inkers Trevor Scott/Dabbt Miki, Colorists John Kalisz/Chris Sotomayor, Letterer Wes Abbott
There are two new stories in this 100 page giant book bit instead of just coming up with new stories based on the original Crisis on Infinite Earths this special actually ties into the CW five part crossover event and that was a nice little surprise. You want to make sure that you have seen all five of the episodes before you read this because there are many spoilers that it covers. Both story are basically side stories to the events from the shows and adds some nice background story elements that did not fit into the shows. What makes these stories so fun is that the original Crisis comic writer (Wolfman) and the show runner for the television series (Guggenheim) work together here to make sure that it fits in perfectly to the continuity of the crossover. Both stories have a cliffhanger that leads back into the crossover but it would have been nice if it had been noted that they continue in the television event not another comic. The artwork on both of the new stories is good and both Derrick and Grummett do a very good job of capturing the likeness of the actors in the story. The two reprint stories are from Crisis on Infinite Earths issues #1 and #7 that are probably the best two somewhat standalone stories.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? If you have enjoyed the Crisis crossover event series then you might want to check this comic out because it does add some nice side story elements to the series that didn’t fit in and that is a nice treat for regular viewers. For regular comic readers the two reprint stories are not going to be much to see because you not only would have read the original series but probably already have the collection of it. For non comic readers and casual watchers of the CW superhero series this might be a good gateway comic to show that they used the original comic to inspire the crossover. I would not say this is a must buy but for five bucks its a good deal.
Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #1
Marvel Comics Writer Kelly Thompson, Artist Mattia De Iulis, Letterer Cory Petit
I have not had a chance to read the original Bendis run of Jessica Jones nor have I seen the television series based on it, so this is my first time with the characters and I have to say that for a new reader Thompson does a good job of setting things up here for new readers. While the story is pretty basic here it does get the job done well for a first issue and has a sold cliffhanger that was quite a shocker. What I like that Thompson did here was that you got to know Jones in this first issue and that went a long way so that you cared about her and the murder mystery of the story. The artwork by De Iulis is quite nice here and does a good job on capturing the drama of the story with the facial expressions and emotions that help realize Thompson’s script. The only minor complaint about the art is that there were noticeable items where the backgrounds were sparse and that sometimes made for some flat looking panels but overall this is a minor gripe.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? If you are like me this is a good jumping on point to this character and Thompson and De Iulis bring a solid first issue out of the gate that should satisfy both new and old readers. I’m intrigued to see where they take it from here and is worth giving the book a try.
The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2
DC Black Label Writer Jeff Lemire, Penciller Denys Cowan, Inker Bill Sienkiewicz, Colorist Chris Sotomayor, Letterer Wille Schubert
I was very impressed with the first issue of this new take on The Question and this second issue really blew me away. I had to remember the cliffhanger from the first issue that had Vic passing out and this story take place in 1886 and will throw you off a bit at first and that works well here because you are a bit confused just like Vic is and that plays into the different lives that he has apparently lived. Lemire has a lot of fun here with the old wild west theme and that gives this issues story a great fun aspect that I was not expecting. This also works extremely well for the artwork by Cowan and Sienkiewicz who give this story a great rich visual feel and tone that has been long lost in western comic themes that are rarely done today.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? Lemire has really captured this incarnation of The Question and with this second issue it not only hit the ground running but took the story in a direction that you never expected and did the rare thing in comics and that is it will surprise you and that is not only hard but to pull it off well and when you add in the stunning artwork of Cowan and Sienkiewicz, it doesn’t get much better than this. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
The Red Mother #2
Boom Studios Writer Jeremy Haun, Artist Danny Luckert, Letterer Ed Dukeshire
The first issue of this title was quite unnerving and delivered a creepy story and builds very well in its second outing. Haun does a nice job on the script as Daisy decent into madness continues to stalk her. At a point it did seem that while this was all interesting where was it going to go and the cliffhanger that he comes up with was very cryptic but shows that there is more going on with her than just her surface visions. I liked that he continues to develop Daisy as a character and is giving you very good reason to care about her dilemma and is giving readers a reason to come back. Luckert continues to impress with his artwork on the comic and the level of detail that he gives the drama. There is a lot of subtle moments in the story and Luckert is able to capture them so perfectly with just facial emotions but when you see Daisy’s visions it is truly visually creepy.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? Haun is delivering a great horror comic here without relying on blood and gore that is nice for a change. Its much more subtle and that is what is making it such a solid read. The other thing that the book does well is with its perfect pacing that is giving the story a great flow and that is making for a very good reading experience. This book continues to impress and is VERY RECOMMENDED!
Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #2
Dark Horse Comics Writer Jeff Lemire, Artist Tonci Zonjic, Letterer Steve Wands
Lemire does a really great thing this issue with the story in that there are many things going on with it on different levels and yet he is able to make it all flow together and never makes it feel like you get lost. While the main thrust of the story is the origin of Skeleton Boy there is so much more to the story than just that. On the surface there are very familiar story tropes here but Lemire takes them and makes it feel fresh and new with his writing here. Zonjic’s artwork is spot on here with a simple yet detailed artwork that gives this book great tension and emotion with not only the line art but with his great use of color that adds greatly to the visual tone of the story.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? This is turning out to be a really impressive story that is taking very basic superhero vigilante tropes and gives it room to breath in this second issue. Lemire and Zonjic are delivering a very exciting story that is adding greatly to the already brilliant Black Hammer Universe. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
The Low, Low Woods #2
DC Black Label/Hill House Comics Writer Carmen Maria Machado, Artist Dani, Colorist Tamra Bonvillain, Letterer Steve Wands
There is a lot of strange elements that is going on here and yet Machado is revealing a lot with each element of the story that is unfolding here. By capturing the mundane day to day elements of a small town and then throwing in all of the bizarre events that are happening is making for a very intriguing story. It’s kind of like a Nancy Drew story but with a much more crazy mystery than just a typical one. The fact that the town is so used to the horror and has become a way of life is a great twist on the genre and Machado is playing that up very well here in this second issue. What she does wisely here is ground the story with Octavia and El that you are able to go with on this strange journey. Dani’s artwork is really giving this book a great edge with her sketchy look that adds a nice subtle mood to the story. What she does here so well is capture the smaller elements in Machado’s story and really makes them come to life so well here.
Is this comic worth you’re time and money? I liked the first issue of this book but this second one really hits the ground running and builds the tension and the strangeness of it all so very well here. There is a lot to take in with the story here and Machado and Dani are able to keep it from spinning out of control and keep it so well on track. This is another great addition to the Hill House line.
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