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This Month in Comics: April 2018

By | May 1st, 2018
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“April is the cruelest month,” reads the overused quote from T.S. Elliot. This year, I tend to agree. With a seemingly endless winter that stubbornly refused to release its spiteful, sub-freezing grip on many parts of the Upper Midwest and Northeastern United States, I feel compelled to allude to the frozen wasteland many of us were forced to endure. Fortunately, as much as the weather sucked, once we were finally able to dig ourselves out and go to the local comic shop, we were richly rewarded with a veritable blizzard of kick-ass content. In the Upper Midwest, on the Eastern Seaboard and in the world of comics, April 2018 was one for the ages. For my take on the best of the best, read on, but beware of inevitable spoilers.

Best Issue: “The Mighty Thor” #706

Remember the initial outcry when it was first revealed The Mighty Thor would be a woman? All these many months and stellar issues later, I sincerely hope that the vast majority of even the most outspoken critics and fiercest detractors have come to understand the sheer genius of writer Jason Aaron’s choice to have Jane Foster wield Mjolnir. Truly, she has thunder in her veins. This wasn’t a mere marketing ploy, much less an acquiescence to the mysterious forces of political correctness, as many upset fans tried to make us believe. It was a purely creative decision. Aaron rightly understood that there is no better protagonist in the vast constellation of Marvel characters than Dr. Jane Foster to tell the story he wanted and needed to tell.

Ironically, in the end, it’s not Foster’s death that we mourn. No, the poignancy we feel is far more complicated than the loss of a mortal woman or even the loss of a goddess. There’s a sharp emptiness we feel, and we know that it can’t quite be filled by simply finding another Thor. Our pain stems from the fact that Jane Foster is a person – a mere human being – so worthy of Thor’s mantle that she could spend eternity drinking mead in the halls of Valhalla but rejects the very notion (much to Odin’s chagrin) because she knows she has more to give.

All the more poignant, then, to accept that Dr. Foster has held Mjolnir aloft for the very last time so that she can give her battle with cancer her “undivided attention.” As she later notes, it’s not the end of the God(dess) of Thunder — “The age of Thor will outlast the stars” — it just won’t be Jane Foster ever again. Her time as Thor is over.

Thankfully, as with any comic book ending, it contains the seeds of a new beginning. More selfless than the gods could ever be, Foster still has much to teach them. It will be interesting to see exactly how that plays out starting with Aaron’s “Thor” #1 this June.

Best Writer: Saladin Ahmed

With the release of “Black Bolt” #12, “Exiles” #1, “Abbot” #4and “Exiles” #2 in the same month, not to mention an Eisner nomination for “Best New Series” for “Black Bolt,” Saladin Ahmed is in the midst of a run that most comic creators can only dream of. Honestly, any one of these books is damn near good enough on its own to catapult his name to the top of this list. Taken in aggregate, it’s a no-brainer. The man knows how to write.

First, he brings his character-defining run of “Black Blot” to a heartfelt and powerful close with a taut yet emotional script that beautifully balances exposition and dialogue. The understated but definitive personality and stately, almost regal tone that Ahmed gives the third person omniscient narrator, in particular, colors the entire series. It’s like the verbal equivalent of an over-the-shoulder camera shot: not Black Bolt’s perspective, exactly, but close enough to his point of view that it creates an unbreakable bond between protagonist and reader.

In direct contrast to his work on “Black Bolt,” Ahmed launches “Exiles” with a decidedly more playful tone, especially as embodied its main protagonist, Blink. Early in the first issue, Blink suddenly finds herself in the midst of conversation with The Unseen after teleporting to the moon. He dramatically explains the gravity of the situation in starkly poetic terms, saying, “For as we speak, realities are being snuffed out one by one like a row of candles. Timelines are being burned away in the white fire of nothingness . . . .” Blink slices right through this overly mournful language to address more practical concerns. “Look, I’m sure you’re a very well-intentioned creepy moon guy, but this sounds . . . out of my league.” Not even one third of the way into the first installment and the series dynamic is well established.

Continued below

Incredibly, Ahmed’s best script of the month is likely that of “Abbot” #4, the brilliant continuation of his character-driven series with Image. Here, we have the whole package: efficient exposition, pitch-perfect dialogue, an energetic plot, a deeply rooted sense of time and place that is 1970s Detroit and an already iconic character in the incomparable Elena Abbot. I have no inside information, but if this isn’t in development as a movie or TV series by the end of the year, I’ll be shocked. For somebody out there, Abbot is the role of a lifetime and this series absolutely deserves a massive audience.

Best Artist: Lee Garbett, “Skyward” #1

In my mind, the “best art” isn’t necessarily the most flashy or attention grabbing. Quite often, in fact, the most effective art doesn’t call attention to itself at all. Instead, the words and pictures work so well together that they feel like one and the same. No matter what, truly exceptional art must be in service to the story. If it’s not, it might as well be a poster or part of an Instagram feed. The thing that stands out to me in Lee Garbett’s art for “Skyward” #1 is the visual worldbuilding. To be frank, this is one of those high concept ideas that, handled incorrectly, could spiral out of control. It needs to be authentic. Lose the authenticity and you will lose the reader. Garbett clearly understands that, giving us a visual treatment that feels simultaneously fantastical, yet tied to reality, with flourishes of drama and humor. Ultimately, this is one of those books where you could basically strip out the words and still understand the story and that’s some damn good art.

Most Sumptuous Colors: Kershl and Msassyk, “Isola” #1

I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in this ethereal, dreamlike debut, but the colors are simply amazing. There’s a monochromatic feel to many of the layouts and panels, but by the end of the book, it feels artists Karl Kershl and Msassyk have used every color there is on the wheel, effectively and with great purpose. There is nothing haphazard here, it’s all intentional and amazing.

Biggest Reveal: “Flash” #45

Barry Allen doesn’t listen to music when he runs, he listens to audio books!

Oh, and Iris finally gets to meet Wally West.

Most Impressive Milestone: “Action Comics” #1000

Were there more engaging, tightly scripted floppies this month? Absolutely. Arguably, however, those floppies may not even exist if it weren’t for “Action Comics” and it’s longest running, most iconic, truly genre-defining, industry-spawning character, Superman. Yes, this collection is a little uneven and far from perfect. In fact, it can be a bit trite and even cheesy in places, but let’s stop for a moment and really think about the impossible task this book was given: summarize 80 years and countless stories of one of the most important and wildly popular characters the world has ever known while highlighting the work of some of DC’s biggest talents and giving them a platform to thank The Man of Steel for his very existence. It’s an anthology, it’s a love letter, it’s a time capsule, it’s a cultural survey, it’s a thank you card and it’s even a teaser for some of the upcoming series that will begin to define the next 80 years of superhero comics. Not to mention, the trunks are back and isn’t that in itself cause for celebration?


//TAGS | This Month In Comics

John Schaidler

EMAIL | ARTICLES


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