The classic saying of “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” does not always seem true once applied to comics. (Or, if you live in the Northeastern United States like I do, the weather.) It is true that March brought us both beginnings and endings of beloved series, much like the month (ideally) heralds the end of winter and the start of spring. It is with those ideas in minds – – of Fresh Starts and Fond Farewells – – that I look back on the leonine month that was in comics that was March 2018. As always, spoilers within.
Best Issue (tie): “Jessica Jones” #18 and “Iceman” #11
One series is taking a hiatus to welcome in a new creative team. The other has completed. What these both have in common that made them my best issue for the month (and truly why I couldn’t pick one above the other) was the shared theme of character agency.
In Brian Michael Bendis’ final run on the whiskey loving, leather jacket wearing PI, Jessica gets what appears to be her perfect day: one single case of a missing mutant. On first glance, it appears to be a throwaway case – – one that normally would be a side plot in both comic and the TV show. This time, that “throwaway case” is the star of the story, as we see Jessica work what appears to be a cut-and-dry missing mutant case, and show a little bit of her own humanity as she tries to convince the Armadillo that his love Daisy truly does care for him and wants him home – – but in her own way, which doesn’t hide her own anger (the building block of her personality) but lets little glimmers of her humanity shine through. Armadillo returns home to his Daisy, and Jessica returns home to her baby girl and a phone conversation with Luke – – all in all, her best day ever. Jessica gets to be her best self for that one day: no Purple Man, no LMDs, no Carol Danvers, no big secrets to torture her soul. It’s a fitting farewell for Mr. Bendis as he gets to close the door seeing the character he co-created, one he may never have the chance to write for again, at the peak of her game.
Similar in tone is Sina Grace’s final “Iceman” book. Overarching plots have been resolved (Judah and Bobby have split up, Bobby decides to stay put on the East Coast), and we have another cut-and-dry self-contained story; this one with a few more ties closer to home for Bobby: his parents’ next door neighbor. With “Iceman” though, we get more backstory: flashbacks to Bobby’s childhood, the fun of using mutant powers to prank teachers to the fear of acceptance of those powers – – and his sexuality – – by family and society. It’s a door to a past that I wish could have been explored more if this series continued, but enough to give Iceman the context to reach out and get his neighbor help. Here he is just like Jessica: not sacrificing one’s true self to be altruistic, but letting compassion shine through in its own unique way (though clearly more overtly so than our PI). Here, we also have some closure in the form of an olive branch extended by his father to continue the dialogue of understanding his son as a gay man, and Iceman taking time to think and reflect, being okay with being alone.
There is no fitting end to a series than seeing the protagonist reach self-actualization without losing what it is that made them unique. It shows growth, but leaves the door open for more. I commend Mr. Bendis and Mr. Grace for taking their characters out on their own terms, and finding their own version of happiness.
Best Writer: Sina Grace
The aspect of “Iceman” that has kept me coming back again and again to it was Sina Grace’s script, that careful balance of superhero fun with a coming-out story that is messy as hell. Too often, coming out stories have veered towards black and white: from condemnation and isolation to unconditional acceptance and love. What is left out is the middle, the grey, where people muddle through, make missteps, question decisions, and change minds. That’s the reality Grace presented throughout Iceman, and from conversations with friends and colleagues who have come out of the closet, it’s the most realistic for many of them. I pray that society moves more and more towards that white spectrum in my lifetime, and I have faith we will get there. But, to quote the late television writer Irna Phillips, “People are people. We’re all greys.” Finding that middle ground and making it believable, real, and understandable is a gift.
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Best Artist: Aaron Campbell, “Infidel”
This man can tell a story just with eyes. The innocence and fear of Aisha as she wakes from a nightmare, and confronts the beast in her apartment building. The benevolence that tries to mask something sinster in the eyes of her mother-in-law, Leslie. The skepticism of Aisha’s friend that Leslie is more woke than before thanks to the presence of her grandchild.
Campbell has also taken lessons from Michael Gaydos’ work on “Jessica Jones” and painted his city in dark, broad crayon. There’s color coming through, but it’s the muted pastel style often seen in other Image books (“Gasolina,” for example) that hints of macabre beneath the surface, that layer of optimism and peace that gives false sense of security. I’m intrigued to see how Campbell, with José Villarrubia on colors, combines the literal horror of the macabre and the figurative horror of the monster of prejudice.
Best Storyline That Finally Finished: “Ms. Marvel,” ‘Teenage Wasteland’
I’m accepting of the teenage angst that comes with being, well, a teenager, but ‘Teenage Wasteland’ went on way too long. This was better served as a one shot or annual issue instead of a four issue arc. Or, if it was to remain an arc, it would have been more effective had it not been positioned right on the heels of the introduction of the Red Dagger. Red Dagger, aka Kareem, has the vibe of someone playing a pretty significant role, think on the level of Bruno, in Kamala’s life. I would have liked a little time to get to know him first. So this could really go either way – – story arc that just came in at the wrong time or overwrought teen drama that really only appeals to teens. (And while we’re at it: the solicit for issue #29 is setting up a Bruno-Kamala-Kareem love triangle. I get that happy couples are boring, but see previous comments about not really getting to know Kareem that much. Or maybe I’m just too old for the kids these days.)
Most Appropriately Nuts Issue That Still Makes Perfect Sense: “Dark Nights: Metal” #6
You can’t not talk about March in comics without talking about the end of Scott Snyder’s miniseries that sets the pieces for the next generation of the Justice League. It was 50+ pages of absolute insanity that one of my colleagues referred to as a “fever dream” – and he was right. Epic battle royale with Barbatos where every punch has the weight of the world attached to it. Plastic Man as a dinosaur-bulldozer-shark. Humor in the depths of despair. Confrontations that leap right off of the page. Darkness at its deepest moments. And on the apex of the abyss, light to pull you to the surface. It all seems discombobulated upon first reading, but in some later reflection, the pieces work together. Visually, the art is something I want desperately to see on the screen but knowing the track record of DC films of late (save for Wonder Woman), I am fearful of the result. And then we have the final pages, the epilogue that sets up the next wave of the story, culminating in a set of blueprints that, had you read the recap of the DC “Meet the Publishers” panel at WonderCon 2018, probably make the most sense out of anything in the last 50 or so pages.
It’s often said that there is a method to the madness. No doubt there was madness throughout this entire miniseries, but the method to get there worked succinctly. We have closed the door on one era of the Justice League and opened up another. No small feat in six issues.
Comic I Am Most Likely To Give to My 10-Year-Old Niece (If She Read Comics) (tie): “Lucy Dreaming” and “Rugrats”
Aunt Kate is desperately trying to get her little preteen lovebug to enjoy comics. The fun of BOOM! Studio’s “Lucy Dreaming,” of being a kid and living out your actual dreams, is pretty much the life any child wants to lead. The final page of this debut issue lends itself to something just a touch more sinister, but with BOOM!’s track record of all ages comics, I don’t think we’re going to get anything past Halloween on the Disney Channel level scary. Kids need to see in their entertainment that it’s okay to still be a kid, especially in our digital era that makes children grow up way too fast sometimes.
Continued belowAs for “Rugrats,” that’s mainly to show her that her mommy and Aunt Kate liked silly cartoons too – – and that they’re still fun today, when done right with modern touches that update the story for the digital generation without taking away the early 90s charm of the original source.
Best Use of Paneling: VC’s Cory Petit on “Jessica Jones”
I have to give praise here to the lettering and paneling work of VC’s Cory Petit throughout the entire series. Petit manages to capture the organic flow of conversation and thought throughout the series within a very linear art style. His layouts read like the jumbled mess our thoughts and ideas can often be. Throughout all 18 issues of this series, he makes dialogue flow naturally, and that is no easy feat. I do hope that he remains with the new creative team on this book; that work has been part of what made it such a joy to read.
Least Accurate Depiction of New York City, According to a Native: Pho Gett About It restaurant, “Iceman” #11
With a name like that, I’m only accepting this as a legitimate New York City restaurant if it is in Times Square.
