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This Month in Comics: March 2015

By | April 1st, 2015
Posted in Comics | % Comments

We’re already a third of the way through 2015, which means that, although Nike have announced a release date for those self-lacing shoes we’ve all been pining for, it looks as though we’re going to have to wait a while longer for mass-produced hover-boards and a new addition to the Jaws franchise. Still, crushing technological disappointments aside, there were some seriously great books released over these past four Wednesdays so, without further ado, let’s get into:

Best Issue: ‘Southern Cross’ #1:

Immediate, electric, and confusing as all hell, ‘Southern Cross’ #1 launches out of port and into the top spot this month. I loved the futuristic grime and throwback vision of the future it proposes and every character feels laden with the burden of their own agenda. A lot of books ignore the fun of the journey in favour of rushing to their conclusion but Cloonan and Belanger’s claustrophobic sci-fi mystery manages to make every page feel full of importance, without ever once taking their foot off the gas.

Best Writer: Grant Morrison – ‘Nameless’ #2

This was a tricky one, and I decided to go with a comic that might not be for everyone, but one that I’m definitely fully engrossed in. There’s so much going on in this series – doomsday death cults, conspiracy theories, apocalyptic sigils, dreamwalking, and more besides – that it just shouldn’t work. But, completely barmy as it is, under Morrison’s seasoned hand it all ties together with the kind of frantic, oneiric, energy that makes for compelling reading. If you’re into weird science and plots with more twists and turns than Daedalus could dream up then jump on down this rabbit hole and see how far it goes.

Best Artist and Colorist: Langdon Foss and Jordie Bellaire  – ‘The Surface’ #1

From the first, obscure-yet-seductive panel of this book I knew I was going to enjoy the art. Foss plays with perspective on every page, flipping from sweeping, all-encompassing cityscapes to panels so close-up they break faces down into their constituent parts. An issue that, at times feels so packed it won’t even let the margins go to waste, and yet, pages later, harnesses negative space to perfectly display the diminutive position its characters occupy in the world at large. While the first issue may suffer from some teething problems in terms of narrative, there’s no doubt it’s a beautiful book.

Best Cover: ‘Jem and the Holograms’ #1

This goes to IDW for making the re-release of Jerrica and her bandmates feel like a super-sized event. As if Campbell and Robado’s bubble-gum coloured, attitude-packed cover featuring the whole band wasn’t enough, IDW put out another nine brilliant variants by different artists, including individual band member covers (each of which is holographic, of course!) What’s more, for the completionists out there, they packed them all in a limited edition release so you can bag them all without having to scour the depths of the internet.

Best New Series: ‘All-New Hawkeye’ #1

It was always going to be tricky following the phenomenal success of Fraction’s run with Clint and Co, but Lemire and Perez have managed to capture much of what made their predecessor a break-out star without feeling like they’re re-treading old ground. Over the past few years Clint Barton has gone from being the least impressive member of cinema’s most box-office-smashing team to a likeable idiot, to a (reasonably) respectable super-spy, and this latest incarnation of the character now offers readers a chance to delve into his past in glorious, watercolour detail. Seamlessly merged with Clint’s modern exploits, and still twinned with next-generation archer extraordinaire Kate Bishop, Lemire has managed to inject new life into this series without losing any of the flare that garnered it such a big following in the first place.

Best Series You Should Be Reading: ‘The Wicked and the Divine’ #9

I know there’s a lot of buzz around WicDiv pretty much every time a new issue is released but, if my demographic of comic reading friends is anything to go by, a lot of people are still a little hesitant about the series or just simply haven’t gotten round to checking it out yet. While I’ve been a fan of this series since before the first issue (Gillen and McKelvie have had me on lock since their run on ‘Young Avengers’) this latest issue reminded me of just why I love it so much. An epic deconstruction of fans and fanaticism, a commentary on the cult of celebrity, and a sprawling pantheon of thoroughly charismatic Gods: it’s a comic that is more relevant in 2015 than perhaps any other. Gillen is writing up a storm and McKelvie and Wilson’s pairing could easily be one of the most natural in comic art history. Jump on this before it really blows up.


//TAGS | This Month In Comics

Stephenson Ardern-Sodje

Stephenson splits his time pretty evenly between reading, watching TV, and sleeping. He has got a degree in English and Creative Writing, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have to take anything he says seriously. In his spare time he's working on making the transition from comic-book reader to writer. Failing that he's planning on winning the lottery, he's just got to work out the right numbers first... You can follow his often incoherent thoughts over at @slate_grey.

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