Wrapping Wednesday: Micro Reviews for the Week of 07/22/2020

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.

Just over eighteen months ago when I settled down to read “Middlewest” #1, I didn’t expect the series to be such a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It seemed like every issue would yank at your heartstrings or fill you with wonder and joy, if not both, at least once. With this final issue, Young, Corona, Beaulieu, and Piekos give an outstanding ending to Abel’s journey.

The issue is dominated by the reconciliation of Abel and his dad. It feels like every element of their distorted father and son relationship is discussed, with Young never shying away from the bleak reality that Abel’s abuse cannot be forgotten. It isn’t something that can just be healed with an apology and it never feels like Young was going to let that happen. The fact that the pair have a conversation without it erupting into violence shows Abel’s growing maturity, as well as giving hope for a permanent change in his dad’s behavior.

Corona’s artwork serves Young’s emotional script superbly. Initially continuing the chaotic scenes from the end of the previous issue, there’s a huge sense of scale and energy to Abel and his dad in their monstrous storm forms. When they gradually return to their human forms, the issue doesn’t lose any of its impacts, with Corona attributing a variety of nuanced facial expressions to the pair. The increased page count allows the conversation to breathe. Corona can use larger panels to isolate Abel and his dad against their surroundings and focus the book on the raw and uncompromising emotions being expressed in the conversation. It also means there’s plenty of room for Piekos’s word balloons to be placed into, allowing each piece of dialogue to sit with the reader for a moment and never feel rushed.

Beaulieu’s colorwork in this issue excels too, with it subtly directing the book visually. The intensely dark hues and dramatic flames that burn in the opening pages start to ease, replaced by thick smoke that masks a clear blue sky. Here, it’s obvious we’re in the aftermath, but there’s still lots to be resolved. The smoke clears by the end of the issue. It may be a clichéd use of pathetic fallacy, but it is used to such great effect here that it serves as the final layer to a beautiful and hugely satisfying if a bittersweet, end to Abel’s journey.

Final Verdict: 9.2 – “Middlewest” #18 is a fantastically executed finale to the rollercoaster ride that Abel’s journey has been.

Boy howdy was “Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1” a good read. This one-shot, written by primary Power Rangers scribe Ryan Parrot, is yet another top-notch entry in BOOM! Studios’ portrayal of our favorite teenagers with attitude. One of the high points of this Power Rangers line was the introduction of the Ranger Slayer, a Kimberly Hart from a dystopian universe where she was made the pawn/right hand of an evil Tommy; in this issue, we explore what happens after she goes to her home universe. The result is a mature, nuanced, very cool Power Rangers story.

Reading this comic, two properties leaped into my mind: Neon Genesis Evangelion and Game of Thrones. Aspects of the former come in the form of a shockingly deep story about teenagers piloting robots that also takes into account the impact of war on our psyches. When Kimberly goes to speak to her surviving friends, trying to atone, not only is she not embraced- they don’t believe her intent. The moments of positivity and levity are earned because they’re balanced by a certain sense of dread- consistently pierced by the darkness of war. Even the one-shot’s hopeful ending has dark foreshadowing. The Game of Thrones of it all should clearly click when Kim says “Rita is Coming” with an army of the undead as a means of swaying an incredibly untrustworthy unexpected ally. It also comes in the form of intricate, engrossing plotting. Parrot balances so many tones a(Also, Bulk as resistance hero is a standout part of the issue).

Dan Mora and Raúl Angulo deliver stellar artwork in “Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1.” Together, they bring a world to life that feels genuinely haunted and damaged while ensuring that it doesn’t feel absolutely hopeless or devoid of energy. The art is at its best during the book’s action sequences. An early scene that finds Kimberly fighting a handful of undead Red Rangers is both graceful and brutal. The issue’s set-piece – a massive fight between the living and the undead- is thrilling and absolutely teeming with energy.

That is all to say – Go Go Power Rangers!

Final Verdict: 8.4- Neon Genesis Evangelion meets Game of Thrones in “Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1”

“Sweet Heart” #2 fast-forwards eight years to Maddie’s first day of high school. There’s a fight, a close encounter, and a whole lot of familial guilt to contend with. But most of all, there’s Maddie’s temper.

Gilbertson writes a teenage girl with convincing anger issues, especially one dealing with what she has to go through. Iaquinta’s art features scowls, sneers, lowered brows and smoldering eyes, while Pagnotta chooses the perfect shade of red to help her hair pop and call attention to her braids (read: youth.) “Sweet Heart” succeeds because the emotion is real and the concept is unique, but where it stumbles is in its over-expository narration. Iaquinta’s monster design is striking, but we spend more time reading about the ins and outs of Ellicott City’s monster problem than we do settling on a panel and letting the horror seep in. It’s certainly there, but slashing some of the narration and allowing more to come out in the first scene in Maddie’s class would’ve been a more effective choice. This issue does a bit better than the first, and hopefully, we’re rooted enough in the story that we can leave some of the noise behind moving forward.

The art is moody and dark, with glowing light sources and lovely painted details by Pagnotta and a bubbly quality from Iaquinta. It’d be nice to linger on the visuals awhile longer at times. Temofonte’s lettering is straightforward with minimal flourishes save a nice little bend at the end of some of the balloon tails. It’s so nice, in fact, it’s noticeable when it’s absent, but the only other issue of note is that more leading would lighten up some of the narrative load. That’s not always possible, however, and script adjustments would do exactly the same thing without placing the burden on the letterer to fit it all onto the page.

Final Verdict: 7.0 – “Sweet Heart” #2 makes a successful jump in time with a compelling lead but features too much narration to let its story take off.

Dracula is one of those characters that has undergone a ton of revisions, reworkings, and reimaginings over the years. Since the guy’s in the public domain a lot of writers have portrayed him and his…affliction in various ways ranging from a misunderstood Byronic hero to bloodthirsty savage. But even the original source material doesn’t pay a lot of attention to the actual historical figure behind the legend, which is a shame because the real story behind Vlad Dracula is actually really interesting.

Thankfully, “Vlad Dracul” #1 has decided to take the historical approach and the results are pretty interesting.

“Vlad Dracul” #1 is written by Italian novelist Matteo Strukul, in an oversized and higher-priced format than a traditional comic book. The writing seeks to portray Dracula as he might have been: a king worried about defending his people from the encroaching Turkish armies. While the historical Dracula was actually really bloody and violent, the comic seeks to show off his love for his people, the woman he loves, and the political intrigue that sets the foundation for a lot of the tropes that surround the supernatural version of the man. While there appear to be some issues with the translation of the text into English, the story does work and paints a complex, morally sympathetic man who is not afraid to be violent to protect the people he loves.

The art in “Vlad Dracul” #1 is provided by Andrea Mutti and it’s an interesting choice. Mutti has a loose and minimalist aesthetic when it comes to drawing people, which means the comic isn’t very good at showing grand romance or anger and for a story about Dracula it’s not very bloody. However, Mutti excels at showing grand and beautiful landscapes and ornate rooms fit for royalty and there’s a fantastic sense of setting capped off by an enchanting decision to color the comic like a watercolor painting. It may be an acquired taste, but it works if you’re willing to be in the right mindset.

Final Verdict: 7.7 – Historical realism in the writing meets a dreamy, fairy tale look in the artwork that might not work for everyone, but is an interesting take on a classic story.

There’s a certain expectation that in a superhero story with two feuding factions of heroes that the teams will put aside their differences and face down the bigger threat. This is initially the case in “X-Men/Fantastic Four” #4, with the two teams taking on Dr. Doom and his mistreatment of Latveria’s mutant population. But Chip Zdarsky and Terry Dodson use this opportunity to tell a mature story of growth, family drama, and a twist of the knife at the end to show that teaming up doesn’t necessarily heal all wounds.

Watching the teams working together is a lot of fun in “X-Men/Fantastic Four” #4, but it’s the drama of Franklin’s fate that makes the issue special. The majority of the series is an ideological chess match over Franklin’s future. But throughout the series, they are talking across Franklin, the debate of his future being decided for him, not with him. The resolution shows a great deal of maturity from all parties, with everyone taking responsibility for a lack of communication and resorting to fighting. But the ending is what really makes the issue work. After separating on good terms, Professor X and Magneto pay Reed a visit. The conversation starts out cordially enough until they reveal their true purpose. Reed’s “Code-X” is a threat and needs to be destroyed, and Xavier erases all traces of it from Reed’s mind. Alliances don’t always extend past fighting Doctor Doom.

Terry Dodson’s art also captures the balance of these two stories in “X-Men/Fantastic Four #4.” During the fight with the Latviathans, the combination Sentinel/Doom Bots (the man knows how to brand,) everyone gets a moment to shine. Watching some of the ways that the two teams work together to take down the robots is a lot of fun and the Latviathans are quite memorable. But the quiet moments are when Dodson shines. This is especially true of the ending, with Charles’ almost emotionless face as he drains Reed’s mind of its harmful secrets. The shadowing of the scene is also intense, with lots of muted greens giving the whole sequence an unsettling vibe. Ending with this confrontation and a Hickman inspired infographic page slowly disappearing as Xavier wipes the mind sends a clear message. Krakoa only has one priority, keep mutants safe at any cost.

Final Verdict: 8.0 “X-Men/Fantastic Four” #4 provides a strong ending to good crossover, adding a nice subversion to the traditional ending of putting aside differences for the greater good.