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.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Faith #1
Written by Jeremy Lambert
Illustrated by Eleonora Carlini
Colored by Mattia Iacono
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Reviewed by Alexander Jones
Of all the characters in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” I would argue that Faith is one of the most memorable cast members. Faith’s motivations are more extreme than the average Slayer. She straddles the line between hero and villain depending on what her situation calls for. In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, this is a really complicated story and protagonist for writer Jeremy Lambert and artist Eleonora Carlini to tackle. Make no mistake, this title is for seasoned fans of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” who are looking to contrast some of the differences between the comics and television series. The expanded page count allows readers to get a sense of Faith’s personality and lays the groundwork for the supporting cast.
Eleonora Carlini really captures Faith’s aggressive emotions really well. Carlini’s figures do not have an incredibly well-defined sense of anatomy. Thankfully Carlini is able to render movement and emotion adeptly. Carlini’s art wisely does not romanticize Faith. In her opening sequence, we see Faith shoving popcorn into her mouth aggressively. The art humanizes her as a character. I would like to see more detail from Carlini’s art on certain points. Also, it would be great to see Carlini focus on breaking up the page layouts in her artwork more. There are lots of big panels that look a bit similar especially in the context of this extended issue. Carlini’s art is not perfect in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Faith” #1 but this issue establishes an interesting identity for the Faith series visually.
Lambert’s story structure in this title is really impressive. He finds an interesting entry point into Faith’s character. Lambert continually disorients readers to capture their attention. You can never be sure if Faith’s interactions are real or not. Lambert and Carlini are onto something special with this issue. The final page of this title introduces a character that will have television fans screaming with delight. I can’t help but appreciate the attention to detail and grounded tone BOOM! Studios utilized with the Buffy property. Author Jeremy Lamber and artist Eleonora Carlini don’t forget to make the tone of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Faith #1” incredibly casual and inviting to new and old readers.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Faith” #1 is a clever reinvention of one of the most interesting Buffy characters with solid writing and artwork.
By The Horns #1
Written by Markisan Naso
Illustrated and lettered by Jason Muhr
Colored by Andrei Tabacaru
Reviewed by Luke Cornelius
For a debut issue, “By The Horns” #1 is underwhelming. Opening with a unicorn narrating its last moments, it encourages sympathy in the reader and casts the series’ hero, Elodie, into the role of the villain. Markisan Naso’s script then turns the clocks back to one year earlier and we learn that Elodie’s partner, Shintaro, was killed by unicorns in an “unforgivable” act; it is her grief that drives her to hunt, not just unicorns, but any horned monsters. It’s a deeply poignant motivation that is undermined by the frequency with which jokes about the huge quantity of monster head soup her village now has are made. Moreover, it’s never made clear whether all unicorns are malevolent, or whether Shintaro’s death was intentional. Here, the issue starts becoming obscured. From one perspective, Elodie is a woman seeking revenge for a dark act of violence, and therefore, understandable or justifiable, but from another, she is slaughtering innocent creatures, casting her as a villain. It leaves the reader conflicted and the tone of the story doesn’t suggest we are meant to be.
With plenty of confusion narratively, “By The Horns” #1’s artwork keeps things simple and easy to read. There’s a range of panel layouts utilised throughout the first issue which never feel counterintuitive to the storytelling, but keep each page feeling fresh. Jason Muhr uses micro panels to present quick movements, like the drawing of a gun, and they work very well to keep the action sequences fast-paced, guide the reader, and give a great aesthetic to the pages as a whole.
Continued belowMuhr’s lettering works well in tandem with his illustrations, as to be expected. The word balloons are all similar, only changing their background colors, which gives the different characters, such as the red panda-shopkeeper, a feeling of normality in the world, rather than highlighting their fantasy to the reader. It’s only Sajen whose telepathic word balloons differer by having an uneven shape and outline which succeed in giving his voice an intangibility.
Finally, Andrei Tabacaru’s colorwork makes the book vibrant and inviting and subtly controls the atmosphere in scenes, most notably through shadowy and red background washes used in Elodie’s conversation with Haru.
Overall, with Naso’s narrative feeling unclear, though not without potential, it’s Muhr and Tabacaru’s great visuals that save “By The Horns” #1 and might convince readers to return for the second issue.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – “By The Horns” #1 has a unclear and indecisive narrative that doesn’t match its great artwork.
Crossover #4
Written by Donny Cates
Illustrated by Geoff Shaw
Colored by Dee Cunniffe
Lettered by John J. Hill
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo
“Crossover” #4 was a great “wrench in the plan” kind of issue; the creative team established the “how” in getting the main characters back to the dome last issue, and now they have the twist in needing a new power source. By challenging the protagonist’s it forces, the already power-drained superheroes into more danger.
The creative team was also able to give small glimpses into the previous known antagonists in the story that had not been shown since the second. Both of these moments are connected to Ryan: his hard-headed psychotic father beating a “supe” in his basement and the agent that enlisted Ryan’s help in killing Elle and Ava prepping for an attack on all “supes.” By showing these characters, the readers get a small feel of our protagonist slowly being circled and endangered.
Shaw does an amazing job with the art in the book. The comic is very meta, so some characters are given a different visual filter, being from a different world. The “supes” are drawn with special dots all over their body to differentiate themselves from the normal world. Shaw also draws a magnificent splash page showing the portal in the middle of the city. While there are numerous space vehicles, monsters, and fights going on, this view shows the amount of chaos happening . The majority of this happens in black and white, giving the reader slight pause to wonder if the characters should be marching towards this war zone.
Final Verdict 7.9 – A good move forward on the needle. Still missing that big action scene or close of any arc.
Department of Truth #6
Written by James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Else Charretier
Colored by Matt Hollingsworth
Lettered by Aditya Bidkark
Reviewed by Matt Sherman
“Department of Truth” #6 takes us on a side story with a different art team; we get a story centuries earlier, during the Middle Ages. The story brings into question of the Roman Empire’s original roots, leading us to understand that conspiracies lead back way before our time.
This issue doesn’t really bring any new developments to this run, unless something ties back to this Roman conspiracy later on. However, the story itself was pretty interesting on its own, despite a break from the regular adrenaline-fueled pace, this seemed more of a less suspenseful setting. James Tynion IV’s dialogue and plot still gives a lot to ponder as we read, leaving some surprises with new connections and ties within the story being told.
The art was good, but nothing that stood out compared to what was originally in the earlier issues from Martin Simmonds. Simmonds’s rough style really compliments the tone and suspense Tynion sets, and we lose that dark atmosphere with Elsa harretier’s art. The storytelling was drawn well, but there was nothing really exciting added to the story. Matt Hollingsworth’s colors didn’t help either, as his choice of a neutral color pallet set a much calmer tone through the pages. This is not to say Charrier and Hollingsworth’s art wasn’t done well; it just didn’t work with this story.
Continued belowWith art being the lower point, the issue still brought an engaging story. It just feels a little out of place when it comes to the series’ tone. Nonetheless, the narrative itself was good, and keeps the reader’s attention.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – “Department of Truth” #6 gave a fun side story that had a change in pace and still continues to deliver more questions at the end of each issue.
Ice Cream Man #23
Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Illustrated by Martín Morazzo
Colored by Chris O’Halloran
Lettered by Good Ol’ Neon
Reviewed by Christa Harader
“Ice Cream Man” #23 is the latest in a flirtation with form. This time, we explore prose pages with alternating splashes in which a T.V. host interviews an animal trainer, with predictably disastrous results.
Literary comics fans, rejoice – this is the one for you. For people hoping for a little less jaunty prose this may be a frustrating read, and there are some basic issues with both tone and style that means the entire experience meanders and over-states its own cynicism. In addition, some of the snake information doesn’t match the art, and it’s not clear why Mack suddenly gets free from the apparently inescapable coils. Finally, the post-script from Rick isn’t necessary because it’s not esoteric enough to be additive. Instead, it belabors the point in a way that’s less cute and more of a grind.
Morazzo and O’Halloran do good work on the single scene, with a cheery snake, a friendly Rick and a host who’s clearly not got the upper hand. The backdrop is a great circus-y homage, and the python in question is a lovely shade of yellowish green. The lettering is on point, as usual, with good emphasis from Mack that demonstrates his significant lack of control.
Overall, “Ice Cream Man” #23 is an interesting experiment that doesn’t always work in execution. The idea is great, but more attention paid to dialing in content would do wonders.
Final Verdict: 6.5/10 – “Ice Cream Man” #23 tries for a prose/comics hybrid, with mixed results.
Ninjas & Robots #4
Written, illustrated, and lettered by Erik Klaus
Colored by Matt Young
Reviewed by Jeremy Estes
If you were to randomly pick two forces to fight each other in a comic book, you couldn’t do much better than ninjas and robots. They’re not eternal enemies or even analogues for the battle between tradition and technology (although…), they’re simply characters that look cool in bright colors and action poses. Sometimes you don’t need more than that.
Erik Klaus seems to understand this. The latest issue of “Ninjas & Robots” finds “purple-haired punk rock ninja hero” Yuki battling deadly robots and an onslaught of recovered memories. As stories go, it’s pretty standard fare for this type of material–the protagonist with the mysterious past is a trope comics, and maybe fiction in general, can’t seem to shake. The writing is clunky at times, with exposition and ninja-philosophizing standing in for characterization, but it’s sparse due to the action in the book. In truth, I wasn’t expecting much from the story due to the unimaginative title of the series. Luckily all the verve was saved for the visuals.
Klaus’s art has the energy of manga, but it’s rough around the edges. His swords aren’t drawn with straight lines and the bodies aren’t perfectly proportioned. Some lines barely connect, like we’re seeing the work being drawn in front of us. Jim Mahfood was the first comparison which came to mind as I skimmed the pages, and it turns out Mahfood has lauded the book’s energy and style himself. It’s a graffiti feeling, work done quickly (though not without care), possibly under duress, which conveys speed and excitement on every page. There are even shades of “Trencher”-era Keith Giffen, though this is a far more legible and reserved work compared to that 90s ink riot.
Throughout the book we get extreme closeups of Yuki’s pouty, rubbery lips sucking on a lollipop, and that’s exactly what this book is–brighty, candy colored fun with a pleasant crunch.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Klaus has described this book as his “dream project”, and that passion shows. It’s a perfect match of story and storyteller.
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Post Americana #3
Written and Illustrated by Steve Sckroce
Colored by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Fonografiks
Reviewed by Matthew Blair
It’s a world that has ended and where society has reestablished itself into a new world order of isolated elites who have everything against everyone else who have to fight and kill for what little remains. “Post Americana” #3 is the exposition issue that shows the reader how we got into this mess in the first place.
Writer Steve Sckroce devotes a lion’s share of “Post Americana” #3 to having the main characters sit around in a relatively safe place and talk about what they need to do and why they need to do it. While the backstory is appreciated, it has a nasty habit of bogging the comic down with walls of text and exposition that could have been told in a single page in the back of the book. What’s really unfortunate is that when the book gets back to moving the plot forward, it doesn’t have a whole lot of time and space to do it and feels a bit rushed. However, it makes up for it with a pretty good twist at the end.
While Steve Sckroce the writer has a nasty habit of putting too many words in “Post Americana” #3, Steve Sckroce the artist is doing some amazing work. It’s a style that gives an incredible amount of detail and realism to the people, makes the gore and violence look visceral and nasty, and makes all the tech and robots look highly sophisticated and complex. On top of that, the designs provide a blend of rugged modern realism with sleek futuristic design that look like they were a lot of fun to design and draw.
“Post Americana” #3 is a small detour to the larger story of the series that provides some nice exposition, but it feels like that exposition could have been handled better with a single page in the back of a book. Still, it’s a fun and interesting world to look at filled action, drama, violence, gore, cool tech, and pretty art.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Pacing issues and walls of text take away from a book with beautiful artwork and a viscous post apocalyptic setting filled with cool looking tech and massive amounts of gore.
Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #6
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated and colored by Tonci Zonjic
Lettered by Steve Wands
Reviewed by Jim Malakwen
Finally, after almost a year of waiting, the concluding chapter of this “Black Hammer” spinoff is upon us. The penultimate issue ended on a cliffhanger, with Skeleton Boy taken captive by GrimJim. This instalment begins with a thematically relevant flashback that depicts the contentious relationship between The Crimson Fist and his angry sidekick, The Alley Rat. The two have a philosophical difference when it comes to crime fighting that culminates in the breakup of their partnership and results in The Alley Rat becoming Skulldigger.
In the present, Detective Reyes and Skulldigger are at odds on the best approach to rescue Skeleton Boy from GrimJim. The two split up and follow GrimJim’s trail to a warehouse on the outskirts of Spiral City. It is here that the climactic battle between Skulldigger and GrimJim and his allies ultimately takes place.
The storytelling in this chapter is impressive. Lemire’s script is lean, engaging and offers plenty of poignant character payoffs that have been set up since the first issue. After taking the time to establish the dynamics between Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy while also providing a brief interaction between Skeleton Boy and Detective Reyes in the previous issue, the stage is set for a twist that will surprise the reader at the end.
Tonci Zonjic’s artwork is spellbinding! His panel designs are simple and use both black and white gutters. The penciling is superb, utilizing dynamic angles, ingenious linework and exceptional inking.
Special mention to Zonjic’s coloring in this comic. The first few pages have this dominant red hue that enhances the high pressure situation the characters find themselves in. As the location shifts to the fight at the warehouse, Zonjic adds purple and green to the palette thus creating a wonderful sense of contrast to his illustrations. Furthermore, he knows when not to use color. There are some engaging sequences depicted entirely in black and white that enhance the narrative by not having any color at all.
Continued belowThe story ends in a satisfactory way but also leaves the door open for Lemire and Zonjic to revisit these characters at some point in the future.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – a satisfying conclusion to a captivating story about fathers and sons.
Stray Dogs #1
Written by Todd Fleecs
Laid out by Tone Rodriguez
Illustrated and lettereed by Trish Forstner
Colored by Brad Simpson
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
“Stray Dogs” #1 is an insidious comic in the best way possible. The art does heavy lifting in disarming you. Its characters, a group of dogs in a big house in the middle of nowhere, feel like Disney characters each with their own adorable design, especially the main pup Sophie (Rusty is a pretty handsome pooch, too). Trish Forstner’s cartoonish style and Brad Simpson’s warm colors make you feel at ease as a reader. The house feels like a real home, too. Somehow, it feels like a normal place that an actual person lives with its stray papers, partially open doors, and random boxes of stuff. Then there’s the murder.
Now, there were seeds of unease in Sophie’s lack of memory and general jitters. But the whole comic takes on a new light when it’s made clear that the man who brought her home murdered her previous owner. Obviously it brings up questions of whether this is how he got all of the dogs and who, exactly, he is but there’s also a new lens through which everything that’s come before can be seen through. Rather than a warm, welcoming community, this house and back yard seem more prison-like. Not being allowed out front doesn’t feel like it’s about the dogs’ safety. The benefits of their home seem more like those that come from being a dedicated member of a cult. The conspicuously silent Imogene and defensive Earl make it clear that there’s something hidden here.
It’s a bit odd to read a murder-mystery comic starring dogs, particularly given that it doesn’t have any supernatural premise and it’s much more odd that it could be so compelling. Where this mystery is going and what’s going on with Sophie’s memory are genuine hooks that make it impossible not to be waiting for issue 2 to drop. This is a real treat and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – “Stray Dogs” is a charming, compelling comic with the best kind of sinister center
Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar #5
Written by Kieron Gillen
Penciled by Jacen Burrows
Inked by Guillermo Ortega
Colored by Java Tartaglia
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by Conor Spielberg
Issue 5 of “Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar” is a fitting climax to the story Kieron Gillen has built up to thus far. Previous issues made a great effort to show how much of Calgar’s humanity has been sacrificed during his transformation into an Ultramarine. The non-stop action of Jacen Burrows’s artwork allows the reader to indulge in the spectacle of it all as Marneus finally takes his revenge.
The sense of satisfaction is somewhat surprising, given the pessimistic tone set in previous issues. Gillen and Burrows have managed to take a genre and artstyle all too familiar to many comic readers and still craft a unique comic book story that showcases their respective talents.
The panelling frames the Lord of Skulls as the titanic threat that it is in but knows that dramatic and dynamic action lies elsewhere. The dark caves and bright snowy surface contrast each other well and both evoke an unpleasantness that the Ultramarine never seems to be affected by. In fact the stoic nature of Marneus is all the more highlighted by the emotiveness of the Followers of Khorne.
The battle fought harkens back to the conflict of a young Tacitan, trying to outthink an opponent that were stronger than him, but also highlights how formidable the renamed “Marneus Calgar” has become. Marneus’ closure against his childhood adversaries reduces them to little more than childhood bullies only after making them feel like a formidable threat against him. His mentorship of his “little adept” is the closest thing to compassion we see in this horrific future. A part of me wishes for an ending a little more grim, but I can’t help admiring a Warhammer 40k book by Kieron Gillen ending on a positive note.
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Wolverine #10
Written by Benjamin Percy
Illustrated by Adam Kubert
Colored by Frank Martin
Lettered by VC’s Cory Petit
Reviewed by Rebis
“Wolverine” #10 gives readers a Logan who is now more man than weapon. The story picks up in the final confrontation from the last issue, now in Maverick’s perspective. Using disorienting negative space to give the sense that he’s still coming to, Logan tries to talk him through it. As Logan guides him, Maverick slowly begins to adjust while the number of panels grow to show his awareness, until finally Maverick’s instincts take over. Kubert and Percy waste no time showing how efficient of a team Logan and Maverick used to be while on Team X.
The issue’s clever use of panel layout from Kubert to focus in on the action and giving the reader a front row seat to what is surely an outmatched fight. Kubert moves the action quickly and efficiently, mirroring the skill of our protagonists and keeping us enthralled in the action without relying on excess gore. While the art team does a great job as a whole keeping pace, the word balloons are noticeably not in style with the art, making them seem out of place and sometimes taking the reader out of the story.
Percy does a great job of characterization in this issue, giving a fresh new Logan that is no longer in search of a home and family, now striving to protect it. Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin we have an untrusting Maverick. Feeling no need for the family that Krakoa provides, Percy makes it easy to see how Logan could have become Maverick if he hadn’t found a family with the X-Men. Percy and Kubert deliver a strong issue with new and exciting plotlines to follow, while wrapping up the Madripoor arc with a satisfying conclusion.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – A consistent and well crafted issue that we’ve come to expect from this creative team.
