November Comics Round-Up (2)

Spider-Gwen #2 (Marvel) I'm enjoying the glimpses at parallel universe versions of favourite characters, particularly the backstory sketched in for the female Captain America who faces up against Gwen before becoming a tenuous ally. However, there's only so long this idea can hold the attention for, and this series is starting to feel like it's on autopilot. I'll probably drop this and come back to it later to see if anything new is happening.

Web Warriors #1 (Marvel) The ongoing adventures of multiple Spideys, continuing the fun begun in the Spider-Verse event. There's still some fun to be had with the concept, particularly the use of the 60s cartoon universe as a safe training ground for the Warriors (with appropriate nods to the notorious Spidey memes). It follows on from the Ultimate Spider-Man series' take on Spider-Verse by having multiple versions of the same villain - in this case, Electro. Fun, but I feel like this idea might soon have run its course.

All-New, All-Different Avengers #1 (Marvel) I like the racial politics in this, especially since people are actually making a big deal of the ethnic layout of a fictional team of superheroes in the real world. The romance building up between Ms. Marvel and Nova is pretty cute. Overall, though, this isn't especially grabbing me, which is a shame. Between the New, All-New All-Different and Uncanny, there's probably material for a really decent Avengers team and title.

Ultimates #1 (Marvel) The final "Avengers" group, taking on the mantle of the Ultimate universe team, but doing it completely differently (i.e. not shit). The new Ultimates are the great problem-solving team of the universe, facing cosmic weirdness and analysing it to find solutions. Sure, there's ass-kicking - Ms. America is on the team, after all - but this team focuses on solving issues, not destroying them. Their first case: meet Galactus, solve his hunger. It's an ingenious set-up, and on the strength of the first issue, worth carrying on with. Also notable is the colour of the main cast - Captain Marvel is the only white face so far in a team that includes Spectrum, the Blue Marvel, the Black Panther and Ms. America. Plus, a moment to actually ponder the philosophical repurcussions of Marvel's great multiversal reset. Very good indeed.

The Wicked + The Divine #16 (Image) This issue is the weakest in a long time. It's purely an origin story for the Morrigan, and a pretty cliched, uninteresting one at that. I don't think we really need to see each of the gods get their moment of ascension. I enjoyed the, ah, ketchupomancy though.

Ms. Marvel #1 (Marvel) I'm not sure why I ever dropped this. Money, probably. Anyway, this is just a great as it ever was, although now Kamala is part of the Avengers. It works better here, seeing the effects of this on her life, than it does actually in All New, All Different. There's a fine balance between her superheroics and her personal life, adorable artwork, and the phrase "giant weaponized amphibian." I am somewhat baffled as to why Marvel and her fellow New Jersey citizens remember the world sort-of ending while characters in other titles don't. Or do they? I can't follow everything.

Spider-Woman #1 (Marvel) Giving a female hero a pregnancy sounds, on the one hand, like the most stereotypical bad idea ever, but on the other... well, what's the point in having female-driven comics if you can't use them to explore the stories and issues women face? And, in practice, this, the story of Jessica Drew beginning her maternity leave before settling into life as a single mother, is really very good. Particularly as she's been training up the Porcupine to take over the crime-fighting duties while she's off. Jessica's fiercely independent nature makes her an interesting choice for this unexpected development, with everyone running around trying to help out and take care of her. This comic works. The bets bit is Spider-Man's Spidey-sense going off because Iron Man is about to ask who the father is.

The Mighty Thor #1 (Marvel) Spider-Woman isn't the only hero facing life-changing issues. Giving a character a life-threatening illness can be a cheap shot, but this is handled well. The pain of going through chemotherapy is a real one for many people, and I've seen enough of this in real life to call this comic out if it felt cheap. This is written with respect. While Jane Foster can never benefit from her therapy since each transformation into Thor burns the poisons from her system, the cancer remains, killing her. This is set against a sci-fi/fantasy backdrop of corporate greed and cosmic warfare, with some spectacular imagery. Classic Sandman fans could do worse than trying this.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 (Marvel) Just a lovely start to this new title. Jack Kirby's old characters, Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy, are brought back, alongside the absolutely wonderful new kid, hyperintelligent ten-year-old Lunella Lafayette. She's the most adorable, likeable new character since Kamala Khan (and god, that's a team-up I'd love to see some day). Like Ms. Marvel, it's tied in with the Inhumans/Terrigen mist plotline, but Lunella is deliberately avoiding any chance of being exposed. It's a slow beginning but promises to be a wonderful tale for anyone who's ever felt unappreciated - i.e. everyone. And it has a big red T. rex in it.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 (Marvel) Squirrel Girl in the Sixties. Also, Doctor Doom, her first adversary, returns to cause trouble. I wish I could do more to summarise this comic other than just gush about how joyfully daffy it is.

Saga #31 (Image) Saga returns, and it's a pretty good issue, both continuing from precisely where we left Hazel, her grandmother and abductors and catching up with them in captivity months later. While it's still not at the level that Saga used to play at, this is well told and has important things to say about prisoners of war, immigration control, xenophobia and transmisogyny.

Ghostbusters Annual 2015 (IDW) I haven't had a Ghostbusters annual since, what, 1993? What a joy. OK, so this isn't a kids' annual, but a bumper-sized comics issue, but still, this is good fun. The main strip, featuring the Sandman as the villain, works very nicely, tying into the overall storyline. Following that is a bunch of shorts by various artist/writer combos, some of which work well, others not so much. Overall, though, this is a hit.

Comics Round-up Aug-Sept

The last bits of August, the first releases of September, and a bundle of Comixology bargains that caught me up on some IDW titles I missed. Limited Marvel as Secret Wars rumbles on, before the big relaunch swallows my wallet. Everything I paid to read since the last such post, really.


Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #2 (Marvel)

An issue of Marvel comics that made it into the British news (the first since Captain America was assassinated, I think). The reason, this time, is that the villains have begun quoting David Cameron. That is, in all truth, absolutely brilliant, and show's that Al Ewing was absolutely the right choice for this title. As he cheerfully sends up his own work with 2000AD, he makes something more of the Marvel characters he's been given to play with. I didn't particularly rate his work on Captain America and the Mighty Avengers, and this is clearly why: he needs to be allowed to be British on these things. With any luck, the feedback for this title will persuade Marvel to give him a new Captain Britain series, ideally with Faiza Hussain in the title role. This is the second alt-universe story with her as the Captain, after all - it's time she took the title in the main continuity.

TMNT/Ghostbusters Director's Cut #1 (IDW)

Arguably a pointless purchase, as I already the previous edition of this issue. On the other hand, this glossy reprint is a fun way of exploring a meeting of two favourite franchises. In spite of my childhood love of the Teenage Mutant Ninja/Hero Turtles, (and my recent binge of Turtles cartoons with my best mate), I have never massively involved myself with the universe the same way as I have with Ghostbusters, say. The commentary on this made me appreciate the story all the more, and the artwork looks even better than before.

Ghostbusters: Get Real #3 (IDW)

Four part stories rarely show their strengths in their third parts, and this is no exception. There's nothing wrong with this issue, and there are some lovely moments and references for the big GB fans like me, but it's still very much an exercise in getting from set-up to climax. Meat and potatoes stuff, really.

The Fly: Outbreak #2-4 (IDW)

To be frank, this is rather tedious. Seifert's script is far, far too talky, comprised mostly of Martin Brundle describing his self-loathing in long, poorly written passages, interspersed with biological technobabbble (biobabble?) A story about people turning into violent fly-monsters should be more exciting than this. Also, the various scenes of cam sex, banging in corridors, descriptions of insect mating habits as they'd apply to humans... it just comes across as tacky. I'll probably grab part five just to see how it plays out, but this is nothing to write home about. Glad I waited till it was discounted.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #1 (IDW)

Chris Ryall's revamp of Douglas Adams's second-greatest creation. It's definitely good value, this first episode packed with progress and dialogue. There's a lot to enjoy here, with Dirk setting up a new holistic detective agency in a mystery theme cafe in California, which mixes things up a little. There's the occasional bit of Adams-y dialogue - the "souler powered" phone stands out - but otherwise, as enjoyable as this is, it doesn't really feel like Dirk Gently.


Bombshells #2 (DC)

Sadly, much weaker than the first issue. That instalment used its short length efficiently but this issue really doesn't manage to get much more than set-up done. It's irresistible to explore a wartime Constantine and Zatanna - especially as Zatanna was pin-up style in the first place  - but we get very little to go on in this very brief episode, half of which is in German. Frankly, I don't ever see the point of songs in comics - it's a mix of art media that simply doesn't work. Also, Ted Naifeh's art is frequently quite ugly here, which is a problem in a series where the sexiness of the art is a major selling point.

Plutona #1 (Image)

Much anticipated, a new, postmodernist superhero teen coming-of-age story. Coming-of-Golden-Age? Lemire and Lennox tell a story largely through imagery, with limited dialogue. Hard to pull off, but they manage it well, and I enjoy the idea of a world where people are well aware of superheroes and kids go "capespotting." It's a little underwhelming with this first episode, but that's probably an effect of the pre-release hype. Worth following for the four parts.

Ungrounded #2 (Pandemic Meme)

My random pick for the month, and what tremendous fun it is. This is from Comixology's open submissions selection, written by Patrick Gerard, with art by Eryck Webb. With superheroes, super-scientists, magical spaces, time travel, possible worlds, malleable physics and doorways into fictional worlds, this is absolutely packed with imaginative ideas. 

Comics Round-Up: August (2)

The Wicked & The Divine #13 (Image)

We finally get to meet Tara, and the results are devastating. A straightforward but powerful
examination of the disgusting culture of male entitlement we live in and the continual verbal abuse online that female celebrities and commentators have to face every daily. The central double-page spread is just a Twitter feed, and it's harrowing. I wouldn't be surprised if half of that shit actually
 came from real people's accounts.

Nonetheless, it still moves the overall plot forward. Things are getting very tense amongst the Pantheon. And Tula Lotay's art really does fit the series. Just stunning.

The Shadow, Vol 2 #1 
The Spirit #2 (Dynamite)

Dynamite kick off their newest run of The Shadow (well, sort of, there was an issue zero as well), while The Spirit continues. Nothing complex here, just some classic-styled pulp era crime fighting. Ebony's search for the Spirit takes leads him to the eloquent but cruel Mr. Carrion, illustrated in a fun, cartoonish style by Dan Schkade. The opening page is classic Spirit. Overall, though, I think I preferred the Shadow's return, heading into dark territory concerning a corrupt circle of magicians. Giovanni Timpano's artwork is spot-on. And issue one is only a dollar, which is nice.

Doctor Who - Four Doctors #1 (Titan)

The first part of a weekly event, running alongside four monthly series (not to mention the Panini and BBC magazines). There's a lot of Doctor Who in the comics world right now. However, this is really excellent. Not only brilliantly written, but it feels like an event. There's a bit of fanfwank in there, with author Paul Cornell rifling through the early days of the series as well as his own back catalogue. but that's par for the course with this sort of thing, and he handles it with wit and creativity. In any case, it's always good to find someone as fond of The Keys of Marinus as I am.

Clara, Alice and Gabby work beautifully together, but the highlight is, of course, the meeting of Ten, Eleven and Twelve, full of narcissistic bickering, just as it should be. Sometimes it seems like multi-Doctor interactions must be easy to write, but making a story work around it is the hard part. This is before The Day of the Doctor for both Ten and Eleven, making them both a long, long time before Twelve, who in their eyes, shouldn't exist at all, since they know they don't have enough regenerations left for him to come to be. Plus, a prelude featuring the John Hurt Doctor in the midst of the Time War. It's a tough call, but I'm going to wait for the trade to come out rather than spend £2.50 every week for this, and this really is something I'd like to own in book form.



The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #8 (Marvel)

Best news all week - Squirrel Girl is coming back after Secret Wars is over. So that's one hell of a
relief, because this makes me laugh every single month. Except last month, when I missed it. So I was a little confused to see the Avengers fighting Doreen under the control of a gigantic Asgardian squirrel god. And on top of that, Nancy in Asgard. Plus, Loki totally flirting with Nancy. Nancy should be in the Avengers with Squirrel Girl.

Also: Cat Thor!

Avengers Universe #16 (Marvel/Panini)

I'm getting one more issue after this, to see out the Young Avengers storyline. This is really getting fun now, with Wiccan, Loki et al getting ready to save poor Teddy from the clutches of the Mother entity. Prodigy's ingenious solution to facing a being that can control any parent and is essentially invisible to other adults is to get on Facebook and Twitter and call on pretty much every teenaged hero in the Marvel universe (and blimey, there're a lot of them) from Spider-Girl to White Tiger to Evan Apocalypse. And it looks simply gorgeous, too. Mighty Avengers, on the other hand, is perfectly enjoyable this month but nothing special; plenty of monsters and scrapping but it's very much a wham-bam instalment rather than anything substantial. Uncanny Avengers is back, balancing barely coherent melodrama with completely incoherent temporal mechanics. I really don't go for Sanford Greene's artwork either. And to think, people are writing in to complain about YA taking up valuable core Avengers space. Some people have no taste.

July Comics Catch-Up

A few bits and pieces picked up over the month o' Julie. EDIT - 18/7 - popped a couple more acquisitions on rather than start a whole new post.

Batgirl #41 (DC)

A good issue, worth picking up, since it represents a pivotal point in Barbara Gordon's life. After all, not only was she bound to discover there was a new Batman in town, but eventually she'd learn that he was her father. I like that they didn't bother keeping this a mystery for her and just had him come right out with it. Now that he's been tasked with bringing in all vigilante heroes, Jim Gordon is pitted against Babs... although I find it hard to believe can't recognise Batgirl is his own daughter. The returning villainess I've never heard of is less interesting.

Superman/Wonder Woman #18 (DC)

The problem with both Marvel and DC is that any time there's a big shake up or plot development, it's necessary to pick up reams of comics to get the full picture. The changes with Batman and Superman require, what, seven titles to fully appreciate? Anyway, this is pretty good stuff. It's an appreciable change in status quo to have Wonder Woman the more powerful of the couple. It's good she's there for Clark, they're really putting him through the ringer in this storyline.

Ghostbusters Get Real #1 (IDW)


A cracking crossover following the popular GB/TMNT, with another cross-dimensional shift between New Yorks. Very much aimed at dedicated fans of The Real Ghostbusters, this takes place within the episode "Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster," with the 'Busters shunted into another reality in an encounter with the god Proteus. Schoening and Delgado work together to make brilliant artwork, which changes subtly between the realities - the quality of the lines and depth of colour improves when the RGB 'Busters arrive in the IDW comic universe. Just lovely.

Saga # 30 (Image)

The Eisner Award-winning series comes to a temporary close, resting for a few months between runs. This is a better issue than we've had for a while, really pushing the narrative forward and leaving the characters in very different places to where they started. It's got to be said, though, there's not a lot of story in this issue in real terms; it's a couple of major events, violently told.

The Spirit #1 (Dynamite)

Dynamite have picked up the rights to Eisner's classic hero, and this is their first issue, which I finally got round to picking up. This is the first Spirit comic for a while, I think. I love the Golden Age revivals, and this is a strong opening, concerning itself with the Spirit's absence, rather than actually having star in his own comic. A brave approach, and one that works. Of particular note is the strong characterisation of Ebony White, a problematic character when handled poorly. Looking forward to issue two next month, plus Dynamite's relaunch of The Shadow.

The Wicked + The Divine #12 (Image)

As with Saga, not much actually happens here, but what does happen feels significant. To be fair, nothing was going to match last month's climax, so this issue was inevitably going to be a bit of a letdown. It's going to be guest artists for six months, and I'm not particularly keen on Kate Brown's work this issue. I don't feel it really suits the comic. But it's only one issue.

Deadpool: All Good Things tp (Marvel)

Collecting issues #41 to #44 and #250, because Marvel numbering makes no sense ever. This is the grand finale for Deadpool, and works well in collected form. I really enjoyed this; bloody, irreverent and strangely touching. Deadpool finally manages to find some peace with himself and even gets to settle down into a strange, but affirming, family or friends. Then the universe ends. Tsk. It's kind of amazing that the only thing that could kill Deadpool is being hit by a planet.

Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1 (Marvel)

Mostly avoiding the Secret Wars stuff but bought this one recommendation... and yeah, it's really quite good. Dr. Faiza Hussain debuted in Paul Cornell's Captain Britain and MI-13, and having her take on the mantle of Captain Britain for Battleworld, itself the conjunction of all the realities that the Captains defend, makes sense. This then segues into Mondo City, a Mega City One pastiche... I don't know how this will progress beyond Judge Dredd vs. Marvel, but this could be quite brilliant.

21st Century Tank Girl #2 (Titan)

Missed issue one, but I watched the movie yesterday and got a hankering for Tank Girl. A tankering. The new adventures of Tank Girl, Jet Girl and Booga have all the subtle wit of their predecessors. There's a seventies theme to this issue. It's all written by Alan Martin so it's the genuine article, and out of the strips, the opening "Nanango '71" works best, partly because the artwork feels like the classic run. Jonathan Edwards's art suits the comedy dreamscape of "Journey to the Centre of the Tank," though (also, the Doctor's in it). Plus, the cover is at least twelve times sexier than cheesecake Starfire or Power-Girl comics.

June Comics mini-round-up

Well, I'm still picking up a few titles. My pull list is now down to just Saga and Wic+Div, but here's the last gasp of Marvel until September's massive reboot, when I will inevitably pick up a bunch of new titles to see where the Marvel universe stands.

SPOILERS within

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1

The one Secret Wars title I've bothered picking up, although some of the others, like Weirdsworld and A-Force look fun. Ultimately though, most of this stuff could probably run just as happily as part of Marvel's pre-existing multiverse, which now lies in tatters. Renew Your Vows takes the opportunity to reverse one of Marvel's most misguided story decisions, and puts Parker back where he'd be if he hadn't retconned away his marriage to MJ in a deal with the Devil.

It actually works brilliantly, with the Parkers - Peter, Mary Jane and young Annie - struggling to juggle the twin responsibilities of family and the greater good. When an elaborately over-the-top threat emerges that begins taking out heroes from throughout the Marvel universe, Spidey is forced to make difficult decisions regarding his lifestyle. With a supervillain prison breakout leading to Venom's return to his life, Spidey makes some tough choices. Dan Slott continues writing the main Spidey series, and seems revitalised after a somewhat lacklustre few months of placeholding. This shows that a married Spidey can really work, and hopefully some of this will carry over into the retooled Marvel universe.

Spider-Woman #8

Not Secret Wars related, presumably running behind the big events, this ties up Drew's current Secret Wars.
storyline regarding minor supervillains and their partners. It's fairly strong material, dealing with very real, potent issues of women's relationships with abusive men and the lengths people go to to escape bad situations. Remains good fun though, and Drew has some great interplay with Ben Urich. Thankfully, Spider-Woman looks set to remain part of the Marvel line-up post

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #6

Remains an item of pure joy in papery form. Ryan North and Erica Henderson show the makings of a classic writer-artist team. Eloise Narrington deserves a shout-out for her Deadpool Guide to Supervillains trading card art. Doreen Green's charmingly baffling world expands to include such notable characters as Chipmunk Hunk, Koi Boi and the misunderstood Hippo the Hippo, but Nancy is by far the standout character; the voice of reason in an absurd world. This had better survive the heave-ho, or I'll be unhappy.

Saga #28

Chapter 29 is out next week, and hopefully will get this comic back to where it needs to be. I hate to give a bad review for this title, because it delivers beautiful artwork and dialogue every month, but the plot has slowed down to a crawl now. I think that maybe this just isn't suited to the monthly approach, and I'm really thinking that, after the current run, dropping it from the list and waiting for the trade in future. Which would be a shame, but this works best as a novel, not a serial. That last page is gold, though.

The Wicked + The Divine #11

Seemingly, we're set for months of flashbacks and suspense raising following this, but damn, this was a stonking issue. The series dipped a bit in the middle while it set things up, but now it's really delivering, with some genuinely shocking developments this issue, a rapid series of gut punches that left me breathless. Inanna's (apparent) death isn't a huge surprise, but as for what happens to Laura... damn. This was well played - Gillen made it look like everything was in place for the endgame. We should have known better. The last few pages of this issue abruptly changed the rules we thought this universe ran by. Persephone had to spend six months a year in the underworld, right? Presumably, when we next meet our core characters, it will not be on this plane. We can only wonder which of the Pantheon were in on this set-up, and for how long, but Laura's role in events makes much more sense now. Stunning.

One Last Round-Up and a Moan

Haven't blogged much lately, due to being extremely busy, and even more exhausted, having recently started a new job which I am finding very difficult to adjust to. After long days with early starts I've mostly been coming home and just crashing out, and am behind on reading, watching, writing and everything. Now I seem to have been hit by some loathsome bug, and probably should not have gone out after work on Saturday to catch up with old friends and colleagues. I didn't last very long, by all accounts. Now I feel deathly and in dire need of some proper rest.

During these tough few weeks, there was, of course, the general election, the results of which are so utterly depressing that I'm feeling truly knocked back. There doesn't seem to be much to hope for over the next five years, or indeed for the future, in a country where the wealthy vote to protect their own interests, the young and poor are so worn down by continual attacks on their livelihood that they see little point in voting at all, and those in the middle vote out of fear of alternatives. Where we can go from here, with a government that has a vested interest in vetoing proportional representation, I don't know. I feel strongly for those demonised protesters in London, people who must feel that their vote means nothing and that there's no other way to be heard.

It was Free Comicbook Day two Saturdays ago, but I decided not to venture into town during the beginnings of the Brighton Fringe Festival and fight my way through crowds in order to queue up for a grab-bag. Mostly because I was utterly exhausted after seven days of work at two jobs. I'll probably download a batch once they are made available to do so, but for now I have a handful of issues from my pull list that were just released, a couple of freebies, some UK reprints and the odd extra. That's going to be it for now; I need to save some money and comics are becoming a major expense. Plus both the big publishers are in the midst of their over-the-top, multiversal crossover events, which I can't really be bothered with. So it seems like a good time to take a little break.

So here's the last comics round-up for a while, until the universes settle down. There are a number of projects I've started on, that hopefully I'll make some headway with once I'm settled in. I also really want to head back into fiction; I've let a couple of potential opportunities go lately, due to enormous busy weariness.

FCBD: Doctor Who (Titan)

A nice selection of mini-adventures for Doctors 10, 11 and 12. This is a fine way to do a free comic, giving a little hint of each series' style (no ninth Doctor, sadly, but his series has only just kicked off). The best is George Mann's twelfth Doctor story, "The Body Electric," which is Clara-focused but not syrupy or indulgent. "Give Free or Die," Eleven's story, parodies the concept of Free Comicbook Day, and is really quite funny, while Ten's story, "Laundro-Room of Doom," is amusing, if very slight. There's a sneak peak at what's to come with Paul Cornell's three Doctors event, but given that it's set for five weekly issues, I'll wait for the trade. Although I'm eager to see how Twelve interacts with Eleven.

FCBD: 2000 AD (Rebellion)

Will the Tories still be around in 2137? I can really believe they will. Mega-City One is ultra right wing, after all, even if it is a shithole. "In Through the Out Door" is the lead strip in this free magazine, Judge Dredd at his satirical best. By all accounts, 2000 AD do some of the best free publications out there, producing a bumper issue mixing new material with reprints. This gets by mostly on the appeal of nostalgia, with Dan Dare, Nemesis the Warlock and Dr. Sin all returning (the latter with a new strip). Even this is secondhand nostalgia for me, mostly having met these characters through old handmedown issues. Death Rock is drawn by Ben Willsher, who is an absolute favourite of mine, but the story of Ajax Bloodthirsty is pretty broad even for a parody. There's a cute retro short with 3000 AD, and Slaine rounds it off for those who like blood and muscles.

Essential X-Men #10-11 (Marvel/Panini)

This is what, a year behind the Marvel line? Eighteen months? In any case, it's good fun, a better way of approaching divergent timelines and alter-egos. This is the period after the original teenaged X-men have been brought to the present, an event which has had tumultous repercussions for the timeline. Now the future X-Men/Bortherhood have travelled back to the present, so there are three, or even four, versions of certain characters. It's actually very well done, and there's some intriguing character work, which is so well supported by the comics medium. You have the young, hopeful humanoid Beast, his hubristic, blue-furred current self, and his horned future self, who has lost all hope of mutant integration. Then there's the snowy teen Iceman, his more assured adult self, and his final, sage-like Ice Master form. It works very well, and sets this beyond the basic punch-up it is at the core. Also, evil future Professor X Jr. get his back broken, which is just hilarious.

The Amazing Spider-Man #18 (Marvel)

Perfectly serviceable Spidey from Slott and Gage. I'm actually really enjoying the professional Peter Parker, especially the idea of reformed, or reforming, villains being brought on staff. Having the Living Brain on hand is a lovely touch. There's a different dynamic at play that could be developed into something genuinely interesting. The Black Cat's descent is another source of potential. However, it's too little too late, since this is basically just a holding exercise to get the series from the Spider-Verse crossover to its end to make way for Secret Wars.

Spider-Woman #7, Spider-Gwen #4 (Marvel)

Both very enjoyable titles, but not ones I feel I'm going to be hurt by missing the odd issue. Might end up grabbing some further titles after the dust settles, but for now, this is a good spot to jump off. Spider-Woman is covering some of the same ground as TASM, dealing with villains from their point of view, not a bad follow-up to The Superior Foes series. Working with Ben Urich and often out of her depth, Jess Drew is more akin to the early Spidey than Parker is. Spider-Gwen remains the best retelling of the Spidey origin story I've seen, a genuinely modern take on the storyline rather than a rehash, allowing unique relationships with classic core characters such as May and Ben Parker, Frank Castle and Hobie Brown.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4-5 (Marvel)

I've only just realised that I've been missing a joke with Squirrel Girl. I've missed the point of some rhyming fun, because we don't say squirrel the same way in England. In America, Squirrel Girl rhymes. (I also just won her for my Marvel Puzzle Quest team, so it's not a total waste of a day). Issue four is simply one of the best comics I've read this year, Doreen facing Galactus in her inimitable style. Turns out he's not such a bad guy if you take the time to chat with him. Issue Five isn't as good, simply because after that there's no way to go but down after Squirrel Girl vs. Galactus on the Moon. It's still great fun though, a selection of daffy vignettes that are more fun than whole runs of other superhero titles.

The Wicked + The Divine #10 (Image)

A bit of filler, this one, really only there to bridge the major game change last month with the showdown that's due next. Essential, but inevitably a weak link when reading issue by issue, rather than in the trades. So I might drop this after the current run finishes and read it when the book arrives. Still utterly spellbinding in its design though, so it's never a waste of time.

The Multiversity #2 (DC)

Bought primarily out of a need for completeness, this is in fact the ninth release in the Multiversity crossover but the only one to continue from the original set-up. It's an OTT punch-up, the sort of thing that usually leaves me cold due to its excess of spectacle over story. Morrison manages to create a reasonably coherent event, though, with some fine moments, even if they are rather lost in all the heady spectacle. The infinite mass punch of a phalanx of Flashes, the cartoon physics of Captain Carrot, the Lovecraftian nightmares invading reality... all fantastic elements, but never given room to breathe. The whole is less than the sum of its parts; however, it is tied up in a satisfying manner.

March Comics Round-Up: Other publishers

Really, just take it in.

And on with the non-Marvel titles. No DC this month, excepting Multiversity which isn't due out for a week so won't get picked up till April, most likely. While Marvel is preparing for Secret Wars, DC is about to enter the Convergance, which will have consequences including decent new costumes for Superman and Wonder Woman, and Batman dressing up like a robot bunny rabbit. I have, however, been watching a lot of DC lately. Maybe I just prefer Bats and Supes on the screen to on the page?

Instead I grabbed a bunch of occasional titles and tried some new ones, plus regular subs. A lot of TV and film tie-ins here, which is very much my thing, and consequentially means a lot of IDW. Also, Alan Moore's new Nemo book is out, so I grabbed that too.


The Fly: Outbreak #1 (IDW)

IDW is very good at providing platforms for seemingly dead properties to be explored again. I'm slightly bemused by this one, in that I think most people would have taken the chance to ignore the events of the not-terribly-good The Fly II and follow on from Cronenberg's masterpiece. (And it is a masterpiece.) In fact, I'd really love to see a working of Geena Davis's Flies treatment, but hey ho. It's been a long time since The Fly II, but Outbreak seems to either retcon/misconstrue the ending to the film or I'm misremembering it myself. Still, I'm fairly certain that the villainous Bartok was left as a misshapen monster because essential human genes were removed and implanted in Martin's cells, not because he had fly DNA swapped into his body. In any case, I like how this story deals with Martin's guilt with leaving Bartok in this state, and how he has become little better than him with his constant experimentation. Not sure how this is going to develop, but it's reasonably well written and it looks fantastic.

Frankenstein Underground #1 (Dark Horse)

It's been ages since I read any Mignola. I'm not sure why; I love Hellboy and BPRD, it's just a universe I haven't found myself visiting for some time. So an unexpected new series starting seemed like a good opportunity to jump back in. Frankenstein Underground is a Hellboy spin-off, and so takes place in that macabre universe, and it certainly feels part of that aesthetic. It's a shame Mignola doesn't really draw anymore, save for covers and occasional special items, but Ben Stenbeck's art is similar enough to match the world's tone while being distinct enough not to feel slavish. A sympathetic and horrific look at the classic Monster, and one I think I shall follow.

Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor #8 (Titan)

I dropped this for a bit due to not wanting to have to sell a kidney to afford all my comics, so with a little spare cash I thought I'd grab it again. Bit of a shame I missed any of these; Al Ewing is on the top of his writing game, and the Eleventh Doctor series are the best Doctor Who comics around right now. Alice is a companion who really should have been on TV; she's realistic and likeable, but not a pushover, and I doubt she'd have polarised opinions in the way either Amy or Clara have. Jones, on the other hand, is just fun, and is now speaking almost entirely in David Bowie quotes. Because that's who he is, even if he isn't officially young Davey Jones. This is intriguing, well told and often very funny, and I still love Warren Pleece's slab-faced version of Eleven.

Doctor Who Magazine #484 (Panini)

This month's comic strip is a one-off, entitled "Space Invaderz," which is fun parody of Storage Hunters and similar programmes. There only two problems: firstly is that a similar idea was used for a story in the recent anthology Seasons of War, but rather better executed. This happens when there are multiple publishers of one property, but there you go. Secondly, though, is that this is obviously meant to be funny, but just isn't very. Bit of a misstep, but they can't all be classics.

Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return #1 (Boom!)

Another eighties movie follow-up this month, this time from Boom! With talk of a third movie happening in the near future, it seems timely to provide a follow-up to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. This picks up almost immediately after the finish of the second film, and deals with the pressure on the Stallyns to write their second song and continue their destiny. Good fun, with some enjoyable use of time travel. A separate, shorter story concerning the good robot Bill and Ted rounds off the issue. Worth checking out issue two, I feel.

Star Trek #43: Five Year Mission (IDW)

Picked this up to see what was going on in the Abrams-verse. Nothing very gripping, sadly. The Enterprise has gone a bit Star Trek: Voyager and is now adrift in the Delta Quadrant. Somehow, I feel this won't last, considering they've got to be back in the neighbourhood this time next year for the third movie (like that's going to arrive on time). A mysterious local offers assistance. Can she be trusted? What do you think? Nothing special, going to drop this line for good.

Saga #26 (Image)

I'm wondering whether to continue buying this monthly, or to stop and wait for the trades, which do seem to be a better format for the story style. Then again, I really do enjoy my regular dose of Saga, and there are far worse crimes than moving slowly. It's a long wait till the next phase of the story starts as it is. We're in a very different place now to where the series started, and the shifting friendships and alliances are intriguing. It needs to come to a head soon, though. Remains utterly compelling, for all that.

Nemo: River of Ghosts (Top Shelf/Knockabout)

The final installment of Alan Moore's Janni Nemo trilogy, this chapter taking place primarily in 1975, with the now very elderly lady captain falling into obsession with the potential return of her archnemesis, Ayesha. It continues in the vein of the previous volumes, playing the game of dropping in as many references for readers to spot as possible. This manages to cross-pollinate Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, The Lost World, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Incan adventure tales, throwing in a gaggle of Hitler - sorry, I mean Hynkel - clones. Hugo Coghlan, aka Hugo Hercules, is a particularly obscure character to lift from the archives, but he's an important one, often cited as the first superhero. He's good fun though, providing unlimited muscle and a surprisingly sympathetic ear for Nemo. It's also heavily implied that he's the father of Desperate Dan of The Dandy, which, textually speaking, I suppose he is. There's something of a theme of ageing and the loss of faculties, with regards to Nemo herself and the ever-advancing world beyond her sanctuary. Essentially, though, this is a romp, and while that's great fun and all, Moore's work used to be about something.

Comics Round-Up: February part two

A quick rundown of the rest of this month's purchases.

Ms. Marvel #12 (Marvel)

A genuinely lovely Valentine's issue, a one-off, straightforward story in which Loki crashes Kamala's school dance. It's simply very sweet, funny and beautifully, simply told by G. Willow Wilson, perfectly complimented by Elmo Bondoc's mellow art style. With all these gigantic comic events going on, in particular in Marvel, which will shortly reboot so none of it really matters anyway, it's a pleasure to read a self-contained, low stakes and intimate story like this.

Multiversity: Mastermen (DC)

On the subject of big events, this is dragging a little now. While the conceit of a different comic and a different story each month worked well to begin with, last month's Multiversity Guidebook upped the ante, so to drop back to another (mostly) self-contained story seems retrograde. In a series like this, the odd misfire doesn't matter so much, since we'll be off to another reality next time. However, the Nazi-ruled world of Earth-10 just isn't that inspiring a setting. Uncle Sam battling Overman might seem like a great idea, but there's really only so much you can do with it that isn't crashingly obvious. Mastermen starts with a full page image of Hitler taking a strenuous dump, and that's the height of its wit. Ready for the finale.

The Wicked + The Divine #8 (Image)

It's the Dionysus issue, so of course it's going to be fun. A magic-induced rave in full, glorious technicolor, with the art dream team of Wilson and McKelvie creating eye-popping sequences to a panel-by-panel beat. It's probably really evocative to people less boring than me, who actually go to raves and things. Still, this is a filler issue, dropping a couple of hints to the ongoing mystery and moving the story on by just a fraction. Style over substance - but such style.

The Amazing Spider-Man #15/ Spider-Gwen #1 (Marvel)

And so, Spider-Verse comes to an end, sort of. This issue announces that Secret Wars: Spider-Verse is coming, so it is clearly seguing the two big events together. Presumably, the incursions that Spider-UK is so concerned about are related to the reality damaging event that is set to hit the Marvel universe. Even the next issue of Spider-Man is being touted as "Caught in the Web of Spider-Verse," so the fallout from this will be running on for a while. The issue itself is effective enough, but is mostly concerned with providing a final coda to the Superior Spider-Man arc, which needs to be done and dusted now. Spider-Gwen gets off to a promising start, with an
unremarkable but enjoyable first issue that pits our heroine against the Gwenverse version of the Vulture. Gwen only has her own series because the character was such a surprise hit, and wisely this first issue sticks to her strengths. She's fun, sardonic and quippy, but in a totally different way to Peter Parker. With Silk, Spider-Girl and Spider-Woman all continuing their adventures after this, there's no shortage of female Spider-heroes going forward, but Gwen looks to be the most enjoyable right now.

Comics Round-Up (February)

Look at me cutting down on my expensive habit! Not sure how long I'll keep these reviews going, we'll see if I've got enough to cover. For now, it's a deeply Marvelly month, which is apt, seeing as Marvel are all over the geek news right now. Spider-Man is coming back to Marvel on the big screen! Or, at least, Sony and Marvel have finally agreed to share the property, so that they can both make a fat load of cash out of it. Hopefully, we'll get the best of both worlds, with Spidey showing up in Captain America: Civil War before appearing in his own movie with Marvel input. Plus, apparently the Sinister Six movie is still a-go. Unfortunately, the two best things about the Amazing films, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield aren't going to be involved, because one has been killed off and the other has quit the franchise. So we'll see how it all develops from here. I'm pleased to hear that they're planning to cast younger, rather than get another guy who's pushing thirty to pretend to be a teenager. I'd love it if they took the opportunity to make Miles Morales the screen Spider-Man, but that's not going to happen in a thousand years. Nonetheless, there's no reason that Peter Parker has to be white. I doubt it will happen, but I'd love to see a non-white actor in the role. Whomever they cast, they need to hurry up about it.

The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (Marvel)

Well, I fully expected the finale of the Spider-Verse arc to be a bit of a let-down. Actually, as these things go, this was reasonably well done, although there were certain elements I feel would have been better if I'd caught all the peripheral material. Spider-Ham is amazing in this issue though. Also looks like the events here will have consequences for reality, which I suspect will tie into this big reboot event that Marvel are building up to. There's still the epilogue to come, so I'll at least be grabbing that.

Thor #5 (Marvel)

The mystery of the new Thor's identity drags on. This is a good issue for gender politics, existing mostly to show how much of a misogynist prick Odin is and how much more dangerous he makes Asgard. They need to wrap up the mystery soon though, although I love ex-Thor's gradual crossing off of his list of potential answers.

Ms. Marvel #11 (Marvel)

The last issues of serials are rarely the best, and this serves mainly to wrap up the "Generation Why" tale while setting a couple of things up for the future. Not a great issue, but perfectly enjoyable all the same.

Saga #25 (Image)

I can't see the point of buying a Star Wars comic when Saga is back. The latest phase hits the ground running, bringing any new readers rapidly up to speed with the background and characters before hitting us with a new faction. This is getting interesting. Plus, giant salamander dragons. The letters page remains the best in the business. Really, it's more entertaining than a lot of actual comics. And unofficially officially, Saga is part of the Watchmen universe!

Wild's End #6 (Boom!)

Dan Abnett's treatise on the horrors of war comes to a close as Slipaway and his unlikely comrades defeat their foe. Is the invasion over? For all its simplicity, this is a fine story. A better climax than Spider-Verse at any rate.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #2 (Marvel)

Two words: Iron Squirrel. God, this comic is a joy to read. Even the footnotes. Especially the footnotes.

Comics Round-Up (January the Last)

Still trying to pair down the series. Reluctantly dropping Batgirl for the time being. Star Trek is getting a rest after this story is finished. Going to keep going through Spider-Verse and its associated titles, then I think I'll stick to Spider-Gwen, so long as it's as good as expected. Wild's End must be seen through to the end, The Wicked + The Divine has become a must-read. Ms. Marvel is a must on those months it comes out, as is The Multiversity. Other titles here and there. Squirrel Girl and Thor I want to stick with for a while at least, although I'm not sure about Marvel's new Secret Wars plans. They seem to be gearing up for a DC-New 52-style event. Not sure I can be bothered with all that.

Spider-Verse #2 (Marvel)

I am enjoying these anthology titles, I have to say. None of them are actually necessary to read to follow the overall plot of the Spider-Verse event, which is refreshing, but they do add something to the characters and are a good read in their own right.

Spider-Verse #2 is a mixed bag of actual short stories, such as "Anansi: A Spider in Sheep's Clothing," which has an unexpected meeting of Anansi the Spider God and Spider-UK; and brief vignettes, such as the opening "It's Showtime," which is just one page of the Capcom video game Spider-Man. The highlight is "With Great Power, Comes No Future," an origin piece for "The Anarchic Spider-Man," aka Spider-Punk. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get his own title after all this is over. The final vignette, "It's the Little Things," is also cute; it's just a series of nods to the various Spideys that can't be included for various reasons, such as the Electric Company version and the Broadway musical star. So, even though we can't have a panel with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield facing off, we at least know they're there, along with all the others. Except LEGO Spider-Man and the evil misogynist Turkish Spider-Man from 3 Dev Adam, who have yet to show up.

The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (Marvel)

The penultimate installment of the Spider-Verse storyline visits a universe where it was Uncle Ben who was bitten by the spider. I can't recall this being tried in a "What if?" story before, though, even though it really is the most obvious idea you can think of. It's also very difficult to tell the various Spiders apart in some panels. There's a nice moment where Spider-UK and Spider-Man India reflect on their nature as shadows of Peter Parker, the Man-Spider appears and rips the villains to shreds, and Silk continues to screw everything up, but essentially this exists to set up the big shebang finale.

Star Trek #40 (IDW)
So, "The Q Gambit" comes to its conclusion, in quite a perfunctory way. I mean, it makes sense in light of the facts of the story so far, but it is a bit of a squib. I do like the idea that the Pah-Wraiths are potentially powerful enough to threaten the Q (and that the Q cannot see anything of their own future on their plane). The best part is Picard's final line on the last page.

Star Wars #1 (Marvel)

Well, I had to pick this one up, just like everyone else. It's fine, reasonably good fun, and it certainly feels sufficiently Star Wars-y. Can't say it really convinced me to follow the series though, and I don't really care that it's officially canon. This is Marvel, where every bit of nonsense is canon (except 3 Dev Adam). I'll probably give Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader series a look, though.

The Wicked + The Divine #6-7 (Image)

Speaking of Gillon, I've got myself both issues of the second volume of the superlative W+D. Laura has become more cynical in her view, giving this a distinctly aggravated, downbeat tone. Issue 6 sets up some direction for the second volume, but it's issue 7 that's the better read. This is such a gorgeous book, and the convention scenes are incredible, with the thousands of convention goers rendered as nothing more than faceless shades. It's callous, jealous, Daft Punk-inspired Woden who is the most fascinating thing in this story right now, though.

Avengers Universe #9 (Marvel/Panini)

Still on Gillon and McKelvie, their Young Avengers run is by the best thing about this compendium, even if this (issue 5) isn't best installment of the story. The Apocalypse Twins storyline for The Uncanny Avengers (issue 14) is throwing major events at us but it's starting to feel like overkill, although I am intrigued by the unravelling timelines. The Black Widow/Hawkeye/Spider-Woman story from Avengers Assemble #13 is frankly dull (and the cover provided for the issue as a whole is hideous). I'll probably see the current storylines through to one more issue and then rest it if it fails to reignite.

Wild's End #5 (Boom!)

Not much to say on this beyond it's still a solidly exciting and well told treatise on the horrors of war and its toll on civilian populations. The lantern-headed invaders are a monstrous force, and the animal characters are more well-rounded and believable than the stars of half the comics on the shelves.

SHIELD #2 (Marvel)

More of an extra issue of Ms. Marvel than an Agents of SHIELD instalment, but that's no bad thing in my book. Jemma Simmons gets some decent focus this time round, although it's still Coulson everyone's here for. Good fun, nothing special. I enjoyed the artwork, particularly Delgado's unparalleled colouring, but Humberto Ramos's pencils do make the characters look extremely dopey on occasion.

Guardians of the Galaxy #23 (Marvel)

Finally, the Planet of the Symbiotes arc arrives at the Planet of the Symbiotes. There's some wonderfully weird imagery on offer, but the exploration of the planet feels cut short. It's an mportant part of Flash/Venom's development though, and the diagnosis of the Venom symbiote as being disturbed and damaged is perfectly obvious.

Thor #4 (Marvel)

The inevitable man-Thor vs. woman-Thor issue arrives, and plays our predictably but entertainingly. I'm tempted to keep following this series; I find the new Thor a genuinely enjoyable character to read, and the ongoing mystery of her actual identity is intriguing. A fiver says she's Jane Foster.

Powers #1 (Marvel/Icon)

With a Powers TV series on the way, it's unsurprising that Marvel have launched another new volume of the comic, bringing Walker and Pilgrim back to Homicide. And, you know, it's fine. There are some striking images, as you'd expect from Oeming, but it's not the exciting title it once was.



Multiversity Guidebook (DC)

Oversized and overpriced, but an essential purchase to those following Morrison's latest opus. The actual guidebook segments are the part that can be done without. Fun and fascinating as the reality descriptions are, it's hard to care too much when we know they'll just be rebooted again a few years down the line (as the history of the various "Crises" makes clear). No, it's the actual storyline in which it is embedded that is the important part, building on events in the previous installments and setting up major conflicts to come. At the same time, the tales of the futuristic Justice League coming into contact with the innocent Chibi Little Leaguers is joyfully acerbic, pitting the two extremes of DC's story styles against each other with genuine consequences for the overall story. While the fallout will have to wait, this remains an excellent series.

REVIEW: The Wicked + The Divine: The Faust Act

Gods as pop stars. In less talented hands this could be a tragically naff concept, but Kieron Gillen makes it work perfectly. The risk is that it's simply too obvious; celebrity is the modern divinity, the movie stars, singers and frontmen the god-kings of 20^th and 21^st century society. To make this work in a way that seem fresh, cutting and surprising is no mean feat. Gillen is most known for his lauded series Phonogram, which is now going straight on my reading list, but I know him through Young Avengers, on which he works with artist Jamie McKelvie, who joins him again here. Gillen has a knack for witty yet believable dialogue and realistically portrayed teenage characters, something which is notoriously difficult to manage. Most writers end up with nonsense or idiocy, even the ones who are the age of the characters they're portraying. The only slight oddity is that the characters here, in spite of inhabiting London, all have a certain Americanism to their dialogue, unless that's just how kids talk now and I'm even more out of touch than I thought.


Every ninety years, twelve gods return to Earth, for two years. Or rather, twelve young people are chosen, becoming the physical embodiments of the Pantheon. They are granted incredible powers, far too dangerous to use on any mortal, and are adored, hated and feared in equal measure. In two years, they die. By the end of this volume, we have learned the identities of ten or eleven of the Pantheon, (depending on whether Ananke counts as one of them or something else entirely), cherry-picked from various faiths and mythologies and each reflecting some facet of our culture. Our window into this world is Laura, a London teenager, obsessed with the gods that dominate celebrity culture. She becomes part of the gods' circle through Luci, the most engaging, original and attractive Devil I've ever seen. Luci, with her immaculate appearance and sexually predatory persona protecting someone who is still fundamentally a young woman, is the most fascinating version of Lucifer since the eponymous protagonist of Vertigo's series.



Indeed, there's a definite feel of the works of Gaiman and Carey, in the melding of contemporary culture with ancient myth. The Wicked + The Divine feels altogether sharper and more powerfully modern than Lucifer ever did, and has more of a claim to being today's Sandman that Gaiman's prequel series has. This is mythology as it always truly was; dirty, violent, beautiful and terrifying. So here's another title for the pull list.

Comics Round-Up: November (1)

Jeebus, Marvel are determined to bankrupt me with all the Spidey stuff coming out. Spider-Verse has kicked off for real now, with the first two tie-in titles this week and two more next week. Good grief. Great news though, Spider-Gwen from Edge of the Spider-Verse #2 was so popular that she's getting her own series. Marvel have announced about a dozen big event projects that I have little to no interest in, any more than the DC equivalents, so I'll not be spending all my income on Axis or Future's End crossovers.

The Amazing Spider-Man #9; Spider-Verse Team-Up #1 (Marvel)


Some quite dark stuff in the first part of the Amazing line's Spider-Verse story. Lots more alternative worlds being preyed upon by the genuinely unsettling Morlun and his sinister siblings. Our Spidey is finally picked up by the new Spider-army, featuring various faces (well, masks) we've met over the last few months. Plus, we learn most of their official reality numbers, which is great if you're a weirdo completist nerd like me. Our Spidey is supposed to be the greatest of them all, but I'm wondering if they still think he's the “Superior Spider-Man” with Doc Ock's great intellect hitching a ride. Really, though, this is very good Spider-Man. Spider-Verse Team-Up is good fun, two little vignettes featuring alternative Spideys searching the worlds for more like them. The army of alternative Vultures are creepy. Best news is, both titles feature Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham!


Saga #24 (Image)

The Will's sister, The Brand, arrives looking for her brother. Gwendolyn and Sophie have really come into their own as characters, and having these two strands dominate the issue is no bad thing. We don't need to see Alana and Marko, the fallout from their lives is sufficient. There are some very nasty characters in this issue, reinforcing that this is a dangerous, war-torn universe, something that was perhaps beginning to slide a little in the last few issues. And god, Lying Cat is awesone. This is the end of Saga for now, with a painful hiatus to endure for the next few months.


Roche Limit #2 (Image)


Interesting developments as some kind of extraterrestrial power comes into play behind the scenes on Dispater. Some of the truth behind Alex's past is becoming clear, but there are surely more revelations to come. There's a wonderful juxtaposition between the noir story style backed up by grey-brown dingy environs, critical scenes enlivened by bold colours across stark panels, and the stark graphic design of the pages given over to sci-fi background information. It never feels like we're having exposition forced upon us, which is impressive, given the amount of information put across on some of these pages, in contrast to the tight-lipped characters on the strip pages.


Avengers Universe #6 (Marvel/Panini)


Nice fat issue this month. The first half of the book is given over to Young Avengers. It's encouraging to see a teen-oriented comic that's comfortable addressing sex and relationship issues honestly, albeit with spacemen and extradimensional parasites thrown in. The relationship between Teddy (the Hulkling) and Billy (Kaplan) is by far the highlight. If only all comics were able to portray homosexual relationships so positively. Kid Loki is a joy, too. Mighty Avengers begins its “Inhumanity” storyline, which is a good set-up for where Marvel's current releases are now. These reprint editions can be helpful. Uncanny Avengers continues “The Apocalypse Twins.” It's full to burst with spectacle and action but is very much part five of a longer story.


Rocket Raccoon #5 (Marvel)


I actually got this one as a freebie from a kindly benefactor. I'm glad I didn't pay for it. It's cute and reasonably amusing, but having a story narrated by Groot is one joke stretched to a whole strip, and essentially means you're paying three quid for a comic with virtually zero dialogue. Not recommended.


Gotham Academy #2 (DC)


Not as excited by this as I was with the first issue, but it's still enjoyable, well-told and very beautifully illustrated. There's a nice sense of foreboding building up as the seemingly supernatural events in the Academy are foregrounded. Maps and Olive are both really growing on me. Not sure how much can be done with this premise, but I'll stick with it for the time being.


Terrible Lizard #1 (Oni Press)



Stick a dinosaur on the cover, get me to buy. This is written by Cullen Bunn with art by Drew Moss, although Ryan Hill's fantastic colour work needs singling out for praise. It's the standard lonely teen dragged to the middle of nowhere by her father's work, but as his work involves opening transtemporal rifts from an isolated scientific compound there's a lot of fun to be had. The first such experiment goes awry and brings a Tyrannosaurus rex through, who young Jess immediately bonds with. So presumably Wrex is going to be her guard dog against the sundry other monsters that appear to have slipped through. There's also some clichéd science-vs-military stuff in here, but it's Jess and Wrex that are the main attraction. Not bad at all.

REVIEW: SAGA Vol. 2 - Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

With Saga, Vaughan and Staples have created what is perhaps the weirdest, dirtiest, most exhilarating fantasy comic series of the decade. After trying the first issue for free via the Comixology app, which spurred me to immediately ordering the trade paperback collecting the first six issues, I was completely hooked and placed an order for volume two. While I’m tempted to buy the third volume as the issues are released, Saga’s narrative flow gives it a genuine claim to being a graphic novel (rather than simply a collection of comic episodes), so the collected format suits it well.

After the sheer mind-blowing strangeness of the first volume, with its robot sex, phantom children and arachnoid assassins, volume two was going to have a hard time making quite the same impact, and it’s true that the shock of the new is now over. That said, Vaughan’s storytelling, combined with Staples’s utterly spellbinding artwork pulled me into the story once more, and I am more eager than ever to see how this tale develops.

A quick summary for the uninitiated: Saga is a science-fantasy story set in a universe where magic and technology exist side-by-side. Vaughan has spoken about Star Wars being his inspiration, but has agreed that his creation might be best described as Star Wars for perverts. Where it goes further than Star Wars is in embracing its magical angle, with an ingenious magical law that requires each spell to be paid for with a secret. It’s a great way of forcing characters to reveal certain facts about themselves that then spur the story on in new directions.

The story takes place in some unknown galaxy, and although there are recognisably human characters, there is no mention of Earth. This galaxy has been subsumed by war, as numerous worlds are conscripted or coerced into fighting on the side of either Landfall, the largest inhabited planet in the galaxy, or its solitary moon Wreath. With the destruction of this planetary system imminent, the technically sophisticated winged inhabitants of Landfall fight the magically inclined, satyr-like people of Wreath on worlds throughout the galaxy. On one such planet, Cleave, our heroes met: Landfallian gaoler Alana and her Wreathean prisoner Marko. From there illicit union came the only hybrid baby in the universe, Hazel, who narrates the series from a future vantagepoint.

The story is driven by Alana and Marko’s desire to live a quiet life together, and their need to protect their daughter from two civilisations that despise her existence. With Hazel narrating, one might think the jeopardy would be lessened, seeing that she must logically survive the events of the narrative. However, in a universe where ghosts haunt woods made from organic spacecraft and a leyak-like ghost child can be considered a reliable babysitter, such a conclusion is not so definite.

Volume one ended with the unexpected arrival of Marko’s parents, summoned by the destruction of his family’s sacred magical sword. It’s this tortured family dynamic that drives the second volume, while the plot itself is driven by their pursual by the Will, the galaxy’s finest assassin. While Alana and Marko, in spite of their alien appearance, come across as genuine, normal people in an extraordinary and dangerous situation, the human Will is a more perversely complex character, with a skewed morality that gives him a twisted nobility. His primary goal is not the capture of Alana and Marko - although this is his official task – but vengeance for the death of his lover, the Stalk, on her murderer, Prince Robot IV.

Ah yes, the Robot Kingdom. If there’s one image that could stand for the strangeness of Saga, it’s the television-headed Robot people, anatomically human but for this one strange accoutrement and their literally blue blood. Yes, Robot people shit and shag, just like everyone else, and are, for reasons as yet unclear, fighting on the side of Landfall against the Wreatheans. No doubt the politics will become clearer as we go on, but for now, it’s the sheer oddness of the imagery that is compelling. Fiona Staples is the real star of this series, for without her perfectly suited artwork, Vaughan’s universe would remain unrealised. She displays an uncanny knack for creating relatable yet physically gorgeous characters, while also creating some of the most perversely bizarre monsters ever seen in comics. While the seahorse guy is a favourite, I’d be surprised if Staples can ever top the monstrous beauty of the Stalk, the spider-woman assassin.

Saga has courted controversy because of its sexual content, and it’s true that this is an ever present element to this story. It’s missing the point to complain about this, however. The core of this series is real people in an unreal universe, and real people have sex. Couples who are perfectly mild-mannered and respectable in public go home and lick each other’s asses, and Saga embraces sex in all its beauty and dirtiness. This is not a children’s book, and it isn’t pretending to be. This is a Star Wars where Luke and Leia would have banged, even after they found out they were brother and sister.

That’s not to say there’s no gratuitous elements. The major controversy in this series occurred when Comixology refused to publish issue twelve for iOS, citing the use of oral sex imagery that breached Apple’s rules. The immediate objection to this was that many sex scenes had passed by this point without protest, but since this particularly pair of images depicted gay sex, they were reason enough to pull the issue. The issue was later made available with an apology, and quite right too, although the scenes in question were entirely gratuitous and, I suspect, were included primarily to bate the censors. Then again, if Vaughan and Staples want to show a gay bukkake scene on a robotic man’s television screen face, in the middle of a horrific battle scene, who am I to refuse them?

What makes Saga so well is the juxtaposition of the mundane and fairytale, the beautiful and monstrous, the noble and obscene. This is a war story, but refuses to glory in it, and as such does not shy away from the horrors that war creates, up to and including collateral damage, prisoner abuse and child prostitution. The world is a terrible place, and so is the galaxy of Saga. But more than that, at its heart, Saga is a story of parenthood, as Alana and Marko make tough decisions in order to protect their daughter. Vaughan draws on his own experiences of parenthood and embeds them in a fantastical universe, expressing the love parents have for their children, while not being ashamed to admit that they got their through carnal acts. It’s this honesty of storytelling, combined with fine characterisation, unpredictable plotting and stunning artwork that makes Saga such a trimph.