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.
Dark Spaces: Dungeon #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Hayden Sherman
Colored by Patricio Delpeche
Lettered by Andworld Design
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo
Scott Snyder’s latest entry into his Dark Spaces anthology may be one of his darker stories told yet. For any fans of his Batman, imagine that minus the superhero aspect and just getting into the dark and gritty elements of Gotham, and now you’ve got an idea of what to expect from this serial killer thriller. The story bounces between a “retired” fifty-year-old techie living with his family when he stumbles upon a hatch while on his morning run. This catalyst event leads him to Agent Madoc, a man who has been searching for this killer for 21 years since he managed to escape one of the deranged killer’s play areas. The story’s bare bones are one man looking to discover the truth about what happened to him as a child and another man trying to protect his family. Snyder paints a pretty vanilla portrait of the family man for the first half while also showcasing Madoc’s unique style of law enforcement by pulling the trigger on a deranged mother on the verge of a murder-suicide. With a debut issue for this murder thriller, it leaves a lot of open-ended questions, but the decision to have the killer remind the family man he messed up by reporting the hatch is an excellent hook for the reader to come back.
Hayden Sherman is back on art, which was a great choice because they deliver a similarly dark and chaotic vibe like their work on “Dark Spaces: Wildfire.” Their style has this slightly messy vibe that fits well with the thriller aspect of the story, trying to find out who is behind these mysterious dungeons and the connections between everyone. The character design is based on regular people. Still, all the characters have slightly unsettling sunken cheekbones and elongated faces to add a layer of creepiness to the story. There’s also the scary simplicity of the dungeon design itself, filled with small blocks that look like a design you’d see in the hotel from The Shining but, when in action, can distort a person’s body to break, then it’s shown in the final pages.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – An awesome debut for this psychotic thriller but a ton of wanting to know more moments.
Uncanny Spider-Man #2
Written by Si Spurrier
Illustrated by Lee Garbett
Colored by Matt Milla
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna
Reviewed by Alexander Jones
Marvel’s ”Uncanny Spider-Man” debut was a fun romp exploring Nightcrawler’s new status quo. Kurt has left Krakoa and is now working alongside Peter Parker, Spider-Man to fight crime. Kurt has continually found himself locked in combat with Spider-Man foes possessing lethal Orchis upgrades. Plus, Kurt is even exploring his relationship with Mystique in the latest chapters of the series. Artist Lee Garbett continues to lend a beautiful, refined line that captures the emotion in tense character interactions. Can “Uncanny Spider-Man” #2 follow-up on the ambitious debut chapter?
In “Uncanny Spider-Man” #2 Lee Garbett’s art continues to render Spurrier’s script with high quality. The page just before the credits reads as an unexpected page turn showing a classic Spider-Man foe dealing a strong blow to Kurt. The visual contrast between the art and color of Silver Sable’s operation versus Kurt’s storyline from Garbett and color artist Matt Milla is intriguing. The dark, blue hues contrast against the sunny skies with Kurt beautifully. Even though Kurt’s eyes are draped in shadow readers can still see his expressions thanks to Garbett’s steady line. Garbett and Milla utilize the ghostly hues of Dagger to portray beautiful negative space on the page. Garbett’s layouts are incredibly ambitious throughout “Uncanny Spider-Man” #2.
Kurt is tasked with going up against an Orchis-powered Rhino and Silver Sable in this issue. It’s incredible to see how carefully Spurrier manages to make these two plot threads intersect. When Sable and Rhino start to connect in battle, Kurt finds a clever way to split the threats up. “Uncanny Spider-Man ” also juggles a romantic plot point for Kurt amidst the turbulent script. It’s also fascinating to see how Kurt and Spurrier continue to implement Kurt’s Hopesword into the narrative. “Uncanny Spider-Man” #2 melds X-Men and Spider-Man concepts together in order to craft a compelling narrative.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – ”Uncanny Spider-Man” #2 melds Spider-Man and X-Men concepts together in creative ways.
