September seems to fly by each year. School is back in session, TV is picking up, and the Pumpkin Spice-invasion of our olfactory senses is in full swing. But what happened in comics last month? Our team of site managers and edits – Brian, Matt, Matt, Kate, and Chris – teamed up for this special, Voltron-esque This Month in Comics to give you the skinny on the ninth month of 2018.
Best Issue: “Asgardians of the Galaxy” #1 [Matt Lune]
Gathering a team of misfit Asgardians together would initially seem like a difficult task until you look back over the history of “Thor” comics and realize that there’s been a bunch of random secondary characters in need of a little bit of comic book TLC. That’s what Cullen Bunn and Matteo Lolli are attempting here with “Asgardians of the Galaxy,” and surprisingly it works. Clearly, it’s taking its cues (both conceptually and tonally) from “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but there’s more than its fair share of “Justice League International” thrown in for good measure too, both comparisons that really work in this book’s favor.
It can be easy to fall into the trap set by so many internet trolls and haters and believe that there are no fun books coming out of Marvel these days. Sure, the shadow of “Secret Empire” still looms large in our collective minds, but there’s still a lot to enjoy, “Asgardians of the Galaxy” being among them. It’s fun, energetic, and funny but with a dash of drama and a final page that will make you want to come back for more. That’s pretty much all you need from Big Two comic, making it one of the most enjoyable books of the month.
Best Writer: Brian Michael Bendis – “United States of Murder Inc.” #1, “Cover” #1, “Superman” #3, “Pearl” #2, “Scarlet” #2, “Action Comics” #1003 and “Batman 100-Page Giant” #3 [Christopher Chiu-Tabet]
The Bendis takeover of the DC Universe is well and truly underway, and the veteran writer is proving to be possibly more of a deft hand with their heroes than he was with those of Marvel. With both Superman titles, and already with Batman, he’s imbued enough acerbic wit that the characters feel like smart and sophisticated adult versions of the ones we grew up with, but not to the point they seem like they’ve been replaced with impostors. He’s also soldiering on with both new and old creator-owned titles as he juggles two utterly different Superman narratives, undoubtedly something he can do thanks to his clout, but nevertheless it’s fantastic to see him already hard at work with those books. “Action Comics” #1003 was the best of this month’s lot, possessing nailbiting and hysterical moments in equal measure, although “Cover” #1 was irresistible from beginning to end. Let’s hope Bendis can keep it up.
Best Artist: Zander Cannon- “Kaijumax Season 4” #2 [Matt Garcia]
Zander Cannon knows how to design a page. Every single issue of “Kaijumax” shows a cartoonist in complete control of his craft, guiding the reader through his compelling plots, quirky designs, and numerous characters. You’re never lost reading an issue of “Kaijumax.” He’s a master at delivering stunning reveals, character intricacies, and enormous scale. Some of the best parts of this series come after hanging around with the monsters for so long you get accustomed to them. And then, Cannon pulls back and you’re abruptly reminded of how imposing these creatures are. There are also moments of real beauty throughout this, which can come off just as unsettling as the more gruesome moments in this series. All of this boils down to how well he pull off a page and how easily we can fall into his speed. There may be more time between “Kaijumax” issues than some would prefer, but it’s worth the wait for every single one.
Best Way to Kill Time at the Office: DC Universe Online [Brian Salvatore]
Look, the service is far from perfect: it has a really odd collection of comics, there are already things coming and going from the service (So long, Michael Keaton Batman films!), and there is a weird cropping thing going on with the videos. That said? It is a super fun way to kill a few hours.
Continued belowWant to dig into a series you totally forgot existed? There are dozens of examples. Want to watch some old Superfriends episodes? We got you covered. In these days of changing weather, rain, and chill, warm yourself by the fire of comfort food entertainment, and stretch your lunch break just enough that your boss won’t notice.
Best Euphemisms for Bat-Anatomy: All of Them [Kate Kosturski]
DC’s Black Label imprint debuted in September with “Batman: Damned” #1, and it certainly had everyone talking. Not so much for the script but for its depiction of Batman’s family jewels. In other words, his dick. Not Dick Grayson. That other dick.
The appearance of full frontal male nudity in a comic generated quite the bit of buzz in and out of the comics sphere. There was celebration for DC embracing male nudity after years of exploiting women’s bodies, debate over its meaning and contribution to the larger story, disappointment when it was much less than expected, and anger when it was discovered that digital copies omitted the panels with genitalia completely. With no plans to reprint the issue (a planned reprint minus this very personal exposure has since been canceled), only those lucky few who picked up print copies on day of release or those with cash to spare on eBay will be the ones to own a (literal) bit of Bruce Wayne.
Naturally, the internet also answered with humor as the collective had to come up with a good nickname for Batman’s dick. While I am partial to my own choice of “Lil Wayne,” a very scientific** analysis has come up with the following ways to talk about Bruce Wayne’s Wayne in polite society. Turns out “Batawang/Bata-Wang/Batar-wang” came out on top (pun intended), but there were more than quite a few other creative contenders:
- Bat-Crank
- Batitalia
- Boy Wonder
- Bruce Wang
- Ol’ Chum
- Selina’s Favorite Cat Toy
- Batknobs And Broomsticks
- Commissioner Hard-On
- The Penis Gotham Deserves But Not The One It Needs Right Now
- Alfred’s Pride
- The Real Red Hood
- Catwoman’s Scratching Post
- Gotham’s Real Killing Joke
- The Peenguin
- Utility Beltless
- Commissioner Engorgion
- Alfred the Butler
- Fifty Shades of Grayson
- Bat-on
- Batpole
- Bruce’s Other Richard
- Robin
Oddly enough, “Doomsday Clock” #7 also released this month featured one panel with full frontal male nudity and no one made even the slightest of fuss. I guess we were tired of getting dicked around.
** Very scientific = I asked around on Twitter
