There’s a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.
Let’s get this party started.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #9
Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Illustrated by Carmen Carnero
Colored by Nolan Woodard
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna
Reviewed by Alexander Jones
Marvel’s Captain America title with Steve Rogers known as “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” has featured adept plotting over the past couple of issues. When Steve Rogers and a group of friends dubbed The Invaders noticed they lost time thanks to a psychic attack, they try to defend Manhattan from the clutches of A.I.M.. Authors Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly continue to deliver plot twist after plot twist in this issue until the final page reveals just how much danger that Captain America and all his friends are in.
My favorite part about “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” is the wonderful art from Carmen Carnero and Nolan Woodard. I love the tense facial expressions that Carnero imbues into the characters. The final page in particular is captured with so much pleasant animosity from M.O.D.O.C. that his title almost takes on a horror influence. If the art didn’t capture the details in the figures so meticulously I would not be as invested into this story. Carnero’s page structures in this issue have an impressive amount of symmetry. The final page in this issue features a panel that brings “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” closer to horror than it ever has been thanks to Carnero’s nightmarishly beautiful art.
“Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” #9 ties a remarkable amount of plot threads together as well. The issue is paced very quickly, giving the platform for Carnero, Lanzing and Kelly to deconstruct the way an issue is structured. The pages in the beginning feature so many panels and introduce the psychic abilities of M.O.D.O.C. early on in the comic book. If I could levy any criticism to the story, I still don’t believe Lanzing and Kelly have a strong grip on the storyline with Bucky Barnes as it appears that he is acting out of character without a strong story explanation. At the end of the day, the reality manipulating aesthetic of “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” #9 is intoxicating.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” #9 is a clever issue that distorts the reality of Captain America to deliver one of the most fascinating issues of the series to-date!
Breath of Shadows #1
Written by Rich Douek
Illustrated by Alex Cormack
Lettered by Justin Birch
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
The best thing about “Breath of Shadows” #1 is its premise. The idea of following a rock star trying to cure his addiction through some method so out there that the book on it had to be labeled as fiction? Solid. Just watch Lost A supporting cast with a complex web of relationships and a a whole host of ways that they’re trying to use Jimmy? Better. But despite the fundamentals of the issue being strong, the execution is so lacking that it’s hard to care.
For one thing, the dialogue ranges from passing to bad. Most of Jimmy’s sentence are so laden with four-letter words that it starts to feel like parody. There’s no inherent problem with crudeness but when your dialogue starts to sound like your main character s an eighth grader who just started cursing, you’ve crossed the line. When we’re away from Jimmy things improve, but mostly to the extent that exposition is more substantive than comically thin lines. It definitely gets the job done and brings up some interesting thematic questions about pop culture, capitalism, and colonialism, it’s not actually all that interesting in its own right. For another, the characterization of the supporting cast is thin. While filled with fun archetypes like reporting seeking the capital-T Truth, opportunistic record execs, and academic trying to make a difference under less than ideal circumstances, none of these people feel full enough to actually care about.
Continued belowThe artwork is relatively strong, with a distinct sense of style and seamless pivots between horror and standard drama. The hallucinations of centipedes crawling through Jimmy’s body, attacking him in the airport bathroom, and crawling through Inez’s face are clearly the three most visually striking moments of the issue, clearly showing us just how deeply damaged Jimmy is and creating a general sense of dread throughout “Breath of Shadows” #1. The character design is strong, with relatively cartoonish exaggerations of certain facial features balancing out a more generally grounded tone. The costume design is excellent, effectively communicating what kinds of people different characters are without simple choices (Dan, an English professor who dresses like a throwback Doctor is a particular highlight). Cormack also does good work at controlling the tone of the issue, moving with ease from body horror to heavy conversations to upbeat interactions.
On the whole, “Breath of Shadows” #1 isn’t the most promising first issue. While the art is good and the premise is just intriguing enough, it’s not clear that the glaring issues are going to be outgrown at any point.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Strong visuals and an interesting premise just barely buoy a weak script.
Where Monsters Lie #1
Written by Kyle Starks
Illustrated by Piotr Kowalski
Colored by Vladimir Popov
Lettered by Joshua Reed
Reviewed by Ryan Fitzmartin
Serial Killer, Psychopaths, and Slashers all live together in an off-beat community in the new comic “Where Monsters Lie”. Issue #1 sets the tone, opening with some extreme violence and pitch-black humor. Kyle Starks sets up the cast of killers efficiently and brutally, introducing their various gimmicks and idiosyncrasies early on. A bunch of slashers living and working together in a community is an intriguing and frightening premise, and Starks throws a real kicker of a cliffhanger in the last few pages. There’s a great hook right off the bat to what should be an interesting comic.
The various villains are brought to life in vivid detail by Piotr Kowalksi and Valdimir Popov. Each of the slashers looks distinct and unique, which is important considering how many of them there are. Some seem inspired by classic slashers like Michael Myers or Jigsaw, while others have more disturbing real life parallels, like John Wayne Gacy. Kowalski also does a nastily good job with the gore, which is brief but brutal.
In summary, “Where Monsters Lie” #1 is a strong start to a promising new comic. The premise is original and exciting, and the plotting engaging. The last few pages will definitely leave readers wanting more.
Final Verdict: 8.3 – A strong and bloody first issue.
