Feature: B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #146: Cometh the Hour - Part 4 Columns 

This Month in Comics: October 2016

By | November 1st, 2016
Posted in Columns | % Comments

After a few months of hiatus, we are back with This Month in Comics! Keep reading for what was the best from the month of the World Series, Halloween, and Shin Godzilla!

Best Issue: “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth” #146

Every time “TMIC” falls to me, I always have to resist the urge to just make it a love fest to “B.P.R.D.,” because the series is just that damn good. But, with the “Hell on Earth” epic wrapping up in November, I felt like #146 really deserved the top spot on this list.

It isn’t that the issue was action packed, or all that ‘important’ to the overall scheme of things. In fact, it was just the opposite. It was a meditation on life and loss that was heartbreaking and utterly devoid of anything resembling hope. This comic was the antithesis of what you get from the penultimate issue of most series, and that is part of what makes it so special. Laurence Campbell’s gorgeous art is always surprising, and the realization that we are only getting one more issue under the pen of John Arcudi is almost as sad as watching Liz realize how she’s, essentially, lost everyone who matters to her.

Runners up: “The Vision” #12, “Nightwing” #7

Best Writer: John Arcudi

Between his work on “Rumble” and “B.P.R.D.,” Arcudi has revealed himself to be one of the most consistent and creative writers in comics. He is an absolute master of dialogue, and his books are paced in such a way that nothing ever feels rushed or drawn out. He is a naturalist above all else – even when the books have crazy shit happening, people react naturally. To say that his work on the last arc of “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth” has been stark is incredibly limiting to what exactly he does in those pages. And while “Rumble” has been a totally different comic than I expected it to be, that doesn’t dampen how much I enjoy the gonzo world that he and James Harren are creating.

Runners up: Peter Tomasi, Brian K. Vaughn, Christopher Priest

Best Artist: Michael Avon Oeming

I would never say that I’m not a fan of Michael Avon Oeming’s – I enjoy his work so much that I pegged him to be the first artist of our ’40 Days of Supergirl’ event – but let’s say that I’ve always known what to expect from him.

And then I read “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye.”

Oeming’s work reached new heights in “CCHACE,” doing some of the most subtle, emotional work of his career while also drawing shit like the Metal Men and Wild Dog’s ass. It felt like the most well-rounded I’d ever seen him, and every page revealed a new wrinkle to a book that, frankly, could have easily passed by without much notice if the wrong artist was on it.

Runners up: Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Laurence Campbell

Best New Series: “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye”

You probably could have guessed this based on what I just said about Oeming’s work, but “CCHACE” was a revelation in what has already been an incredibly strong debut season for ‘Young Animal.’ The story is certainly the most DCU heavy of the titles thus far (which also makes it the logical home for Tom Scioli’s “Super Powers” strip in the back), and it was that sense of blurred lines between continuity and seclusion that were so exciting to me. I never expected Wild Dog or the Metal Men to show up, so when they did, I got giddy. But, beyond all of that, the book works because Cave’s story is a sad one with a real heart at the core of it. He’s a relatable character, even with his enhanced ocular.

Runner up: “Shade, the Changing Girl.”

Best Conclusion: King and Walta’s “The Vision”

Ken wrote about this earlier, and I couldn’t have said it better myself. This story breaks your heart, makes you think, and gives one of the most important characters in the Marvel Universe a story worthy of his pedigree.

Continued below

If only King could write “Batman” more like he wrote “The Vision.”

Most Consistently Surprising Series: “Deathstroke”

I did not expect to love “Deathstroke” – who could have? The character’s series, especially since the New 52 began, seemed to muddle the idea of the character, and rendered him nearly unrecognizable in the process. But Christopher Priest gets Slade – he’s a bastard, plain and simple. No use in saying anything different. And so, Priest writes him as a bastard.

The book is also sneakily funny, and manages to find new stories to tell for a character that, often, feels incredibly tired and overwrought.

Most Disappointing Issue: “Trinity” #2

“Trinity” #1 was a masterpiece, a shot across the bow saying “we are not the New 52!”

“Trinity” #2 was a poor man’s “For the Man Who Has Everything,” and set up the next two issues to be exactly the same.

Ugh.

I will say this, though, and I said this on the DC3cast as well: remember when Krypton used to be the place that Superman always went back to in his mind? The place he wanted to explore and learn about and the idealized society he strove towards? Well, that’s now Smallville. And I sort of love that.

Best OGN: “Tetris: The Games People Play”

As I said in my review of the book, I would never have imagined that such a simple game would have such a fraught history. Box Brown is an absolute master storyteller, and the book sings in a way that only projects that combine creator and subject perfectly can. This is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long, long time.

Best Return: “Great Lakes Avengers”

Marvel has been spinning off seemingly every minor character they can find into a new series lately, and “Great Lakes Avengers” is one of the revamps that has worked the best. The team has always walked the line between total joke and relatively competent superhero team, and the new series doesn’t mess with that. While I seriously doubt any of Marvel’s new series (“Foolkiller,” “Solo,” etc) will have long term success, “Great Lakes Avengers” probably has the best shot at it.

Best Genre Mash-Up: “Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” #1

DC has been debuting a bunch of miniseries that don’t exactly line up with their ‘Rebirth’ initiative, instead telling specific stories outside of that back to basics approach. “Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” is a great example of that working well. It is part romance story, part horror, part superhero, and part gothic noir. The prestige format really works as well, giving the book a literal and figurative weight that adds to the tone. In some ways, it reminds me of a Hammer Horror film, which is about the highest complement I can give something.

Best Collection: “Head Lopper: The Island or a Plague of Beasts”

If you didn’t read “Head Lopper” in single issues, that’s a shame, but you can pick up the collection of its Image run, which includes a new epilogue. While the $20 price tag is a little higher than what Image usually charges, for 280 pages of Andrew MacLean’s incredible art, it is still a steal. For those unfamiliar with MacLean, he is an artist in the Mike Mignola model of economy of line mixed with explosive and expansive action. He is a creator that has been on the rise for a few years now, and will be a bonafide superstar sooner than later – pick this up now and say you were in on him early.

Best Joke: “Nightwing” #7

Early in “Nightwing” #7, we see Raptor singing a theme song about himself. It’s a funny moment that passes by pretty quickly. Then, a few pages later, we see Dick attack Raptor, and he knocks over…well, just look:

Tim Seeley, keep doing you.


//TAGS | This Month In Comics

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

EMAIL | ARTICLES


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