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.
A.X.E.: Eve of Judgment #1
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Pasqual Ferry
Colored by Dean White
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by Gregory Ellner
Generally speaking, an introduction to an event series should likely invite people in, giving enough information to entice them to find out what will happen, as well as perhaps to find out what led to this series if at all possible. With his first headlined event series in the upcoming “A.X.E.: Judgment Day,” Kieron Gillen definitely has his work cut out for him, given how insular much of the lore involving the Eternals tends to be on the whole. In “A.X.E.: Eve of Judgment” #1, he does a decent job of setting the stage with copious amounts of exposition. Unfortunately, while his effort explains quite a lot, the story leans heavily on terminology that may be alien or otherwise opaque to the casual reader, leaving the prelude as less of an overarching event introduction and more of a continuation for people who already are well versed in his recently-concluded two-arc “Eternals” run.
Pasqual Ferry’s artwork is phenomenal, both highly detailed and capturing the style put forth by Esad Ribic very well. The characters are near-photorealistic, but also stylized, making for a sense of wonder that has these quasi-divinities interacting not only with “mortals,” but also with the audience themselves.
Dean White similarly does a very good job with his colors. The muted tones of the 2021-2022 “Eternals” series give way to more vibrant choices, as if deliberately embracing the outside world under the rule of a new Prime Eternal.
Final Verdict: 7.0– Entertaining but a bit opaque, this beginning may be a bit hard to dive into directly.
Impact Winter #1
Written by Travis Beacham
Illustrated by Stephen Green
Colored by Matt Hollingsworth
Lettered by Andworld Design
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo
Travis Beacham’s “Impact Winter” one-shot takes place before his audible original story, which is set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with vampire-like creatures. The exposition for this world is quickly explained in the first few pages and then shifts focus to the protagonist, Darcy, a young woman who is more than willing to go toe-to-toe with the creatures but has the smarts to realize she’s got some training to do. Beacham does a great job of balancing Darcy’s desire for a romance with another survivor with keeping her need to guard her sister the priority, especially when she realizes the man she may have had feelings for has become one of the blood-suckers.
The pacing was well-done in that it took time to build the suspense needed for a thriller horror vibe but sped up when it was time for action. The ending opened the story up for newer and more cunning villains and showed more left to be explored in this world. Beacham also directly speaks to the audience in his letter at the end of the story by mentioning how the game changes when it’s realized these creatures are more intelligent than Darcy knows.
Stephen Green’s dynamic character and creature design are key in creating this post-apocalyptic world. The vampire-like creatures are a mix of thin bone zombies mixed with a bat face and claws that captures the readers’ attention from first sight and, despite only being shown in the opening scene, keeps the audience on their toes if they see another one. Green also reminds the reader of how small Darcy is when compared to the creatures or her male counterparts, and it helps the audience root for her all the more when she has to face enemies. Matt Hollingsworth’s colors are also vital in building up this eerie vibe where anything could pop out and attack Darcy or her crew. It’s well done and doesn’t negate any of the details in the panels. It’s just pure darkness and that makes it all the more creepy.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – This one-shot is filled with lots of details to satisfy the reader with what has transpired and enough clues to check out the audible original.
