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.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Clayton Henry
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Wes Abbott
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
“Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent” #1 feels less like the start of a new series than it does the start of a new arc. It’s not that this feels like it’s the same story as Taylor’s last Jon Kent series and he does strong work of using existing material and relationships without making knowledge of all of that background a prerequisite to understanding the issue. It’s just that the framing of the events of this issue definitely makes it feel like we’re picking up in the middle of a bigger narrative and this is a solid jumping on point. That being said, this is about as solid of a jumping on point as you can get.
Taylor wastes no time jumping into a cool premise- Ultraman traveling across universes to kill Supermen, specifically Kal-Els. On Earth-Zero (the main earth in DC comics), while dealing with a crisis, Jon Kent is met by Earth Two’s Superman, Val-Zod (a great Tom Taylor creation making a more than welcome return to the pages of DC comics. Together, the two are going to stop Ultraman. It’s simple but effective, with the issue taking more time to focus on Jon as a character than anything else. The issue is made up of a lot of small moments that add up to Jon being a good person who wants to do well by the world, his boyfriend, and his family. Now, that means facing the villain who stole his childhood. There’s nothing here that’s quite great but it’s all so competently written that it’s hard to find a weakness. Moreover, it effectively lays the foundation for more exciting things to come.
The artwork is very strong, perfectly fitting the tone of classic superhero adventure. The linework is crisp and the colors are bold and fun. There are two particular moments that drive all of this home: Jon flying into space as debris falls to Earth and Val-Zod catching a satellite. Both are colorful and show off the innate heroism of the Supermen. Those bookend a very visually exciting sequence featuring Jon blowing up quite a few satellites that are getting increasingly close to the surface of the planet. The opening scene is probably the best in the whole issue, with dynamic action and striking colors. If those heights are met consistently through this series, this is going to be something to behold.
Ultimately, the best thing about “Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent” #1 is what it promises. It efficiently lays the groundwork for a bigger story while effectively communicating who its heroes are. But unfortunately, as good as the setup is, it’s hard to find greatness without execution.
Final Verdict: 7.5- “Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent” #1 is a good issue but feels more like a promise of great things to come than a great product in its own right
Know Your Station #4
Written by Sarah Gailey
Illustrated by Liana Kangas
Colored by Rebecca Nalty
Lettered by Cardinal Rae
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo
“Know Your Station” is an interesting murder mystery that, despite not providing any primary suspects, continues to keep the reader fully engaged. This far into the series Sarah Gailey has done an excellent job of creating this empathetic bond with Elise by only showing her point of view throughout the story. The reader doesn’t know more than the protagonist does about any of the murders, and so they get to ride the emotional rollercoaster with her. Gailey starts the issue by giving Elise confidence by officially making her in charge of the investigation and revealing a secret to her partner, Marin. It’s enough to get her to start questioning people, but it immediately hits a wall when it’s revealed everyone has a reason to kill on the ship. Gailey’s choice not to have an omniscient viewpoint hurts the reader’s sympathy toward the victim. Elise is shown to have a polite relationship with all the passengers. Still, the reader is never allowed to see them outside of brief conversations before Elise is dragged off for another errand. Other than Marin, the only other character Gailey shares with the reader is the ship’s AI, St. Brigid, who helps Elise. Still, her conversational responses seem very coy, as if she’s hiding important information. Such as, when Elise asks about someone being alive in one of the suites, Brigid responds, “Definitely,” but they find a man dying as his lungs hang outside of his chest. However, that may have just been a distraction as Brigid is stabbed in the issue’s final pages.
Continued belowLiana Kangas continues to deliver in this issue by working well with Gailey’s solo point of view of Elise. The backgrounds are usually filled with a blank color background, typically pink or blue, but this storyline works well because the reader focuses on what is happening on the ship. Despite not knowing the exact layout of the ship, it doesn’t take the reader out of the story whatsoever and gives it this Wall-E ship vibe. However, where Kangas does an excellent job in the murder scenes, which have a victim with his lungs hanging out of his body but more surgical, this level of precision shouldn’t be overlooked. Rebecca Nalty’s color choices are also on-point because there is no natural light since the story is in space, so day or night isn’t a factor. It adds to the story’s mystery because murder can happen anytime.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – The bodies are still piling up with no clear suspect in sight, but the entire creative team keeps their hooks in the reader to see if the murderer will be stopped.
Predator #1
Written by Ed Brisson
Illustrated by Netho Diaz
Inked by Belardino Brado with Victor Nava
Colored by Erick Arciniega
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by Gregory Ellner
As an introduction to the world of the Yautja, better known as the “Predators,” Ed Brisson already has some experience. Despite being a new #1 issue, “Predator” #1 is actually the start of his second arc, ‘The Preserve,’ after the prior Predator limited series. As such, Brisson’s decision to cut right to the chase and begin with brutal violence may be understandable, but it does not make the story any more interesting. The concept of the various captives of this Predators-like game preserve may be interesting on the surface, but the fact that the story seems intent to just have a brief exposition interlude between extended carnage (which takes up more than half the book) makes it difficult for readers to really care about any of the likely-to-be victims. In fact, Brisson’s story seems to be more interested in killing people off than developing anything of note to truly distinguish itself from other monster stories, Predator-based or not.
The artwork by Netho Diaz, aided by inks from Belardino Brado and Victor Nava, does have a dynamic brutality to it, one that greatly enhances fight scenes. The bloody combat is drawn in vicious, glorious detail, showing that it is no wonder the focus of the story remains on combat over slower scenes.
Erick Arciniega’s colors help showcase both the mundane, relatable part of the world, as shown in the case of the shades around the humans and their gear, and the fantastical, such as the Predators themselves and local fauna. The latter tend toward bright hues with certain aliens or their fluids, while the darkest of the Predators themselves helps exacerbate their menace. The way in which the cloaking device of the hunters is portrayed, using a light outline, feels almost otherworldly, emphasizing how out-of-place it may feel to the humans.
Final Verdict: 5.5– Well-portrayed artwork of violence cannot make up for a lack of much in the way of story for this introduction to a new miniseries.
