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.

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.

Comics Round-Up (April 1)

Much Who. Some Marvel. Plus other bits. UPDATE: A couple more issues added on rather than start a whole other post.

Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor #10 & Ninth Doctor #1 (Titan)

Doctor Who Magazine #485 (Panini)

Titan are now publishing four Doctor Who lines, one for each of Doctors Nine to Twelve; on top of that there's the UK reprint magazine, plus Panini's Doctor Who Magazine and the BBC's own Doctor Who Adventures. That's a lot of Doctor Who comics every month. DWM is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the modern series, so it's quite appropriate that Titan also mark the occasion with the debut of their Ninth Doctor series. "Weapons of Past Destruction" is by Cavan Scott and Blair Shedd, and is terribly good. Really, quite excellent, beyond the pleasure of seeing the Nine/Rose/Jack team back again after so long. Scott absolutely nails the ninth Doctor, and this story, dealing with the fallout of the Time War, is perfect for him. It's Nine's contradictory personality, that of the wounded veteran meeting the grinning northern thrillseeker. Shedd's artwork is just wonderful, perfectly recreating the actors but never becoming stilted or photo-realist. A very fine start to the run.

Out of the others, only the Eleventh Doctor series has interested me enough to carry on. Much of "The Other Doctor" is taken from elements tried and tested in the series proper - the female companion taking the role of the Doctor, the memory watch, the gigantic TARDIS, the power of stories - but is mixed together in a new and fascinating way. The Doctor has been corrupted, by his own good intentions, becoming a sort of corporate despot - an interesting inversion of what he eventually becomes at the end of this life. Far more convincing than any previous "evil Doctor" shenanigans.

DWM's "Blood and Ice" begins a new ongoing story, with the twelfth Doctor and Clara arriving in Antarctica. There's some interesting future history, as in, genuine extrapolation of historical fact to future consequences, and while this is very much setting the scene for the story, the final image is a doozy. It's a twist that's astonishing has taken this long to happen, and particularly that it's happened in the comics rather than on screen. A good month for Doctor Who comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man #17
Spider-Gwen #3 (Marvel)

Perfectly enjoyable installments in their respective series, but nothing spectacular. Dan Slott is perfectly good at writing Spider-Man, but perhaps it's for the best that there's a shake-up coming. Latour's Spider-Gwen is the better of the two, and I'm really loving Rodriguez's artwork, but this still isn't a stand-out issue; but then, they can't all be.

The Multiversity: Ultra Comics (DC)

The penultimate issue of Morrison's story, and the novelty is wearing out now. This is set on Earth Prime, roughly the real world, defending itself from the multiversal incursion by creating Ultra, a new version of the super hero Ultraa, created from the very stuff of comicbooks themselves. It's kind of fun to see Ultra face off against Ultraa and various other comic beings named Ultra-this and Ultra-that, but frankly the big problem with this comics is that it's nowhere near as clever as Morrison thinks it is. The time-looped narrative, the concept of a living meme - all interesting enough, but this is Morrison himself on the project: "It's the most advanced thing I've ever done. I'm so excited about this... It's a haunted comicbook, actually, it's the most frightening thing anyone will ever read. It's actually haunted - if you read this thing, you'll become possessed." Surely he doesn't actually believe that bollocks? It's also very hard to take the idea of a sentient comicbook seriously when there's an advert every three pages.

The Wicked + The Divine #9 (Image)

This looked like it was going to be a heavy exposition issue, the sort that mythologically complex stories need from time to time just to make sure that everyone's keeping up. Instead, it ends with a sucker punch reveal that I really, really should have seen coming but knocked me for six. The Pantheon is complete and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Spider-Woman #6 (Marvel)

Really loving this title now. Jessica Drew is a wonderfully bolshy, overconfident character, completely out of her depth running alone but determined to make it work. It's the sort of thing you usually expect from younger hero characters, and it's interesting to see a well-established character like Spider-Woman in a period of transition like this. Also, it's just generally a good fun story right now.

Saga #27 (Image)

An excellent issue. This is all character work, focusing on Marko and his conflicting ethics, his background, his romance with Alana and the difficult choices he has to make. however, unlike some issues, this kicks the narrative into a new direction. Both sets of characters - Marko/Prince Robot and Alana/Klara/The Brand - are now set on distinct paths that should, eventually, bring them back together. Explosively. I should wager.

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.