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This Month In Comics: November 2014

By | December 2nd, 2014
Posted in Columns | % Comments

As we desperately try to get the smell of turkey out of our homes, cringe at the first of few bars of Do They Know It’s Christmas? and start gathering our weapons for the next holiday shopping trip, it’s time to take a look back at some of the comic news came out this month.

The last week of November brought us the first glimpse of returning culture force, one that has come back from our Lucasfilm-created childhood to bring us tales of space adventures and shake the foundations of nerd-dom.

I’m referring, of course, to the new “Howard The Duck” series from Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones.

Oh, and we got the first teaser for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

A new lightsaber?! I’m so in.

In other movies news, Games of Thrones and Breaking Bad alumni Michelle MacLaren was announced as the director of the upcoming Wonder Woman film. She’s one of the biggest talents in the new Golden Age of TV, and she’s a great choice for the long gestating film. On the Marvel side, after rumors emerged that the embodiment of male sexuality known as Idris Elba would play Apocalypse in the next X-Men film, Fox announced that sensitive singer-songwriter Llewyn Davis would portray the 5000 year-old mutant instead.

On the small screen, Hellraiser fans and Keanue Reeves haters where dismayed to hear the NBC has halted production on Constantine, the last adaptation of the fan-favorite character. The show’s first season will now only consist of 13 episodes, and the chances for a second don’t seem too high.

Aside from the aforementioned Howard the Duck announcement, DC and Marvel spent most of the month prepping for their big spring events. Marvel released the map of Battleworld for the upcoming “Secret Wars”, while DC announced a slew of tie-ins for the mysterious “Convergence”. And we got a brand new Captain America, as Sam Wilson donned the red, white and blue uniform, while Tony Stark decided it was time for another new suit.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the comics that came out this month.

Or we can just watch the Star Wars trailer for the 192nd time.

Best Issue: “Ody-C” #1

I loved this issue because it took a story that I had heard many, many times and made it seem brand new to me. While pitched as a gender-swapped retelling of The Odyssey, Matt Fraction and Christian Ward clearly have even higher goals for the series. Everything about this issue seemed fresh and new, and even made me rethink the basics of spaceship design. It’s a completely immersive experience, and totally exceeded my expectations.

And I just want to state for the record that I lost actual sleep debating if “Ody-C” or “Pax Americana” would be issue of the month. Suffice to say that they are both amazing works of art, worthy of your attention, and they are both going on my issue-of-the-year list. Get them, read them and then read them again.

Best Writer: Grant Morrison

While the premise of Grant Morrison doing his version of “Watchmen” is exciting enough, what he and Frank Quitely do with the narrative structure of this issue is downright astonishing. There is a two page spread that features 32 panels showing three 3 separate events that took place in the same location at different times. The reserve narrative will very likely make flip the book around and read it back to front immediately. Morrison covers more ground in a single issue than some other books do in six. This is an easy contender for book of the year.

Best Artist: Christian Ward

When you open up “Ody-C”, you are greeted with a multi-page fold-out featuring the bloody aftermath of an enormous battle and a detailed history of the universe of the story, both rendered with equal care and designed to almost overwhelm the reader. Christian Ward takes a big swing, and he nails it. Every image is fascinating, from the characters, to their armour and spaceships that are a beautiful artistic response to every aggressively phallic rocket design. Each page is unique, swirling with bold colors and mind-bending art. I can’t wait to see what Ward is going to do with the Cyclops.

Continued below

Runner Up: Frank Quitely

Best Cover: “Deadpool” #36 by Mark Brooks

Just look at that thing. It’s equal parts beautiful and completely tactless.

Runner Up: Constantine #19 by Juan Ferreyra

Worst Follow-up to a Character Defining Arc: “Wonder Woman” #36

Everybody knew that Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang would be an extremely tough act to follow, but it’s still hard not to be disappointed with “Wonder Woman” #36. While David Finch’s art is always nice to look at, the story stumbles around from scene to scene and never really comes together. The Finches certainly deserve more than one issue to find their footing, but this was not the start that Wonder Woman fans were hoping for.

Best Retro Throwback: “C.O.W.L.” #6

Although “C.O.W.L.: is set in the 1960’s, there is nothing old-timey about Rod Reis’ surrealist art. For the latest issue, however, Reis steps aside for Elsa Charretier, who takes the series in a completely different artistic direction. The story flashes back to the 1940’s, when the Grey Raven was the first superhero to patrol the streets of Chicago. Charretier draws it to look like a lost relic from the Golden Age of Comic Books. The Ditko-esque art fits perfectly into an era that saw the debuts of DC and Marvel’s biggest heroes. For anyone who has passion for classic comics, this issue is a real thrill.


Matt Dodge

Matt Dodge is originally from Ottawa (go Sens!), where he attended University and somehow ended up with a degree in history and political science. He currently resides in Toronto where he is a full-time procrastinator who occasionally takes a break to scribble some pretentious nonsense on a piece of paper. He knows way too much about hockey, Saved By The Bell, and Star Wars. Find him on Twitter @Matt_Dodge.

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