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.
Cosmic Ghost Rider #3
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Illustrated by Guiu Vilanova
Colored by Espen Grundetjern
Lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham
Reviewed by Alexander Jones
The Cosmic Ghost Rider has returned in The Marvel Universe and in his latest series he’s seeing double. Throughout the pages of “Cosmic Ghost Rider,” Frank Castle has been having dreams about an alternate version of himself. The alternate Cosmic Ghost Rider is going up against familiar Marvel hero Jane Foster in her identity as the Valkyrie. Will writer Stephanie Phillips and artist Guiu Vilanova be able to tell a captivating story with two Cosmic Ghost Riders?
Guiu Vilanova’s art is a huge draw to the issue. Vilanova’s line is great with big character expressions while keeping the framing on scenes looking cohesive. When we are first introduced to the core Cosmic Ghost Rider in the issue, Vilanova frames the introduction with a huge punch to the Rider. The immersive way that Vilanova frames this panel will draw readers into the comic book. Vilanova captures great expressions as well for the alternate Rider who emotes with his skull. “Cosmic Ghost Rider” #3 blends cosmic narratives with Foster’s magic-based power set in an interesting visual representation.
The most endearing aspect of “Cosmic Ghost Rider” #3’s narrative is the way that the two Cosmic Ghost Rider stories slowly begin to converge in this series. It is so fascinating that both protagonists have finally become aware of each other in the issue. Jane Foster has great moments battling both of the Cosmic Ghost Riders. The way Foster is able to use her ties to Valhalla as a Valkyrie is one of the driving forces in the plot. Author Stephanie Phillips does a wonderful job keeping the tone of the issue light despite the robust narrative here. Guiu Vilanova captures the humor in the series along with the intrigue that two Comic Ghost Riders bring to “Cosmic Ghost Rider” #3.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – “Cosmic Ghost Rider” #3 has a great sense of humor and finally pushes the plot of the series forward.
Silk #1
Written by Emily Kim
Illustrated by IG Guara
Colored by Ian Herring
Lettered by Arriana Maher
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
“Silk” #1 is one of the most fun debut issues Marvel has released in a while. When the story opens in Hollywoodland with awesome noir visuals, it’s clear that we’re in for a treat. Cindy’s internal monologue, the dialogue, and the general construction of the story feel entirely in line with the genre without tilting too far into parody. Of course, things quickly shift into superhero mode when Cindy has to fight off a giant monster and taps into memories of fighting it in present-day New York. It’s an engaging, fun sequence made all the more interesting by the revelation that this is all taking place in a dream world that Cindy is trapped in. As soon as she realizes that, though, she’s whisked away into another one, this time in the Wild West which is sure to make for a great second issue.
The joy of “Silk” #1 is that it’s pretty simple, straightforward, enjoyable stuff. Cindy gets a tip, she fights a monster, she realizes things aren’t what they appear to be. The dream world twist, though, does’t inspire quite as much joy. That’s primarily because the villains are treated like a big reveal but either (1) they’re new and this treats them with too much familiarity or (2) they’ve appeared in a Silk story before and the team is assuming we’ll know who they are. The problem with ending an issue on this imagery is that it leaves you asking questions about what you’re supposed to know instead of asking questions about what’s coming up next. Where that “The Silk Train Robbery” reveal is thrilling, the issue’s actual ending is confounding.
The artwork, particularly the coloring, is the thing holding this whole issue together. This team is tasked with something that isn’t easy- creating a consistent visual language for very different genres while still fully leaning into said genres. A lot of that is accomplished through simple coloring. The noir portion of the issue is all about the color grey with pops of red in Silk’s wardrobe and just enough color for characters’ skin that we don’t mistake this for black-and-white. The strong style of this story meshes shockingly well with the gripping fight against the big monster, which features great Spider-action and incredible moments in the flashes to Cindy’s real life. The layouts are perfectly executed, keeping up momentum and pace in the fight while looping in these frames that help place readers in Cindy’s head. The switch to the wild west is awesome, too, suddenly flooding the page with color and throwing us into the middle of a train heist. This is the kind of stuff that get’s you to pick up a second issue and the art team sells is beautifully.
Final Verdict: 7.4 – An absolute blast that doesn’t quite stick the landing
