Marvel Voices Legacy #1 Featured Columns 

This Month in Comics: February 2021

By | March 2nd, 2021
Posted in Columns | % Comments

As with many a month, February 2021 had its ups and downs, and such a feeling can be seen through the comic releases in that same period. There are one-shots, series debuts, and anthologies, events and continuations, and not all of the parts that are remembered are necessarily for positive reasons. Regardless, let us all look back at this past February, as seen through impressions left by the publications of, in particular, Aftershock Comics, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics.

Best Debut Issue: “Maniac of New York” #1

Cover by Andrea Mutti

Being the “best issue” can come down to a feeling, rather than an intrinsic, quantifiable quality. While others did come close, the best of the month can easily come from a debut, considering that they are, by their very nature, meant to drive people into their world to start. Even among the rest, “Maniac of New York” #1 stands apart for a truly visceral, terrifying reaction it can invoke in the people living around the very areas it discusses.

There is a definite sense of utter horror, merged with the determination of the various characters. The sheer lack of much of anything regarding information about the eponymous maniac helps to sell the premise, along with a wider world, culminating in an utterly terrifying final scene that does not even need to show any violence to have an impact.

Best Holiday Special: “DC Love is a Battlefield” #1

Cover by Kaare Andrews

Of course, it’s not really fair to compare when there are barely any holiday specials this month, but the Valentine’s Day anthology by DC Comics still deserves a shout-out. Looking at elements from across the DC Universe, at characters from all walks of life, from various moralities, there is a wide range of opportunities to examine what “love” is. From comedic to serious, from sad to joyful, there is a lot to look forward to when it comes to this one-shot anthology, from a wide range of creative teams.

Best One-Shot: “The Immortal Hulk: Flatline” #1

Cover by Declan Shalvey

On the whole, ‘Flatline’ might not be particularly special. However, it does everything that a one-shot should do, which is all that we can really ask. There is no overarching event to keep track of. There is no “catch what happened next” cliffhanger. Shalvey tells a single story, from start to finish, that gives a new insight to the life of Bruce Banner and the Hulk. The result is poignant, and can be put into the context of the rest of “Immortal Hulk,” but at the same time, it doesn’t actually need to be addressed in that way at all. Instead, “The Immortal Hulk: Flatline” #1 is a very simple, easy to understand one-and-done day and night in the life of Bruce Banner, showing a bit more of how he interacted with people even before becoming the famous (or infamous) Green Goliath himself. There is plenty of room for both Banner and his alter-ego to talk with the one-shot character within the bounds of the story, and while they are clearly meant to be just for this one plot, there is enough under the surface for readers to feel as though they are completely at home within the Hulk’s overarching mythos.

Most Tiresome Event: ‘King in Black’

Cover by Ryan Stegman

For a time, ‘King in Black’ was, while not the greatest, perhaps moderately acceptable. However, as this past month has gone on, the arc across the story itself and multiple one-shots, tie-in issues, and miniseries, has stopped being remotely fun, stopped being interesting, and stopped being even, on its barest surface, something worth watching. Everything ties back to “Knull is amazing, remember how great Knull is and how everything exists either because of him or in reaction to him” to a degree that overwhelms many past crossover events. Even the ones that had annoying villains in the past had several villains, instead of everything everywhere folding into one like some kind of unholy combination of a malignant tumor and a black hole. At this point, it isn’t even a case of being angry, or upset.

Continued below

No, this event has mutated into something that causes a far worse reaction: apathy. Who cares about what’s happening? Who cares how they are going to win? Who cares about the characters involved? All that matters is that it be over so that people can move on and hopefully, the next time we come around to an event series, it isn’t about Knull or connected to him.

Best Event Tie-In: “King in Black: Return of the Valkyries” #2

Cover by Mattia De Iulis

“King in Black” has been… not the greatest (see above), but while the event itself is tiresome, the one good thing that has come out of it has been a continuation of an Asgardian epic. Jason Aaron may have begun it as writer with “Thor: God of Thunder,” but alongside Torunn Grønbekk in the writer’s chair, Nina Vakueva illustrating, and Tamra Bonvillain’s colors, the result is definitely something to look forward to. Yes, Knull is identified as something of a god, but the series focuses more on its own characters than on how amazing he is, even poking fun at the idea that gods are, by their very nature, somewhat self-centered. Instead of just latching on to an existing threat, the team creates something that grows it beyond its current confines into something that shows an expanded scope of the disasters on Earth without requiring it to make Knull front-and-center. By making him more on the outskirts, the threat level is expanded in a way that the main miniseries seems to lack, showcasing just how perfect this creative team was for this particular part of Marvel’s combined mythos.

Best Anthology: “Marvel Voices: Legacy” #1

Cover by Taurin Clarke with Jesus Aburtov

With this latest take on “Marvel Voices,” the assorted creative teams involved really show what they can do. The overarching emphasis of this collection is not overtly on a holiday, but rather its release in recognition of Black History Month is addressed through a very simple message of acceptance and celebration of what makes us distinct in relation to one another, rather than concentrating on what makes us different from one another. There’s a little bit of something for everyone to appreciate, with the overall feeling being that we should celebrate what makes each of us great, rather than put people down for what they have difficulty doing. Even the most jaded of readers can find something worth praise, with an overwhelming amount of pure, unrestrained fun.


//TAGS | This Month In Comics

Gregory Ellner

Greg Ellner hails from New York City. He can be found on Twitter as @GregoryEllner or over on his Tumblr.

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