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.
Written by Derek Landy
Illustrated by Federico Vicentini
Colored by Matt Milla
Lettered by Joe Caramagna
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
“Falcon and Winter Soldier #5” is a romp. In fact, it’s more than a romp. It’s a rollicking romp. This comic is honestly better than it has any right to be; it’s smartly written, genuinely funny, and jam-packed with great action. Not only that, but it’s probably the best Captain America story that’s been published in years which is particularly interesting given the notable lack of one Mr. Steve Rogers. This issue is a great conclusion to the story we’ve been getting, giving us wonderful character beats for both of its titular characters as well as it’s a very fun foil of a villain.
Federico Vicentini does pitch-perfect work on the art, bringing it a dynamic, cartoonish quality that lands beautifully. Vincentini’s action pieces, in particular, are an absolute blast to see. The Hydra vs. all our heroes and villains fight followed by the everyone vs. The Natural fight is easily one of my favorite scenes in comics this year and that’s due primarily to Vicentini’s beautiful work. Matt Milla also deserves recognition for his bright, bold colors, which imbue the whole comic with an energy that’s impossible to deny.
“Falcon and Winter Soldier #5” is a genuinely wonderful comic. It has a strong emotional core, particularly with regard to Bucky, but doesn’t take itself too seriously which an ideal quality for most superhero stories. It also delivers a message that isn’t original but feels like a great refresher of something that we’ve been missing. Especially in a year like this one, there’s a comfort to hearing about the importance of getting up when you’ve been knocked down, not being arrogant, and tapping into your emotions to be your best self.
Final Verdict: 8.0- “Falcon and Winter Soldier #5” is an absolute riot of a comic a surprising must-read.
Written by Peter David
Illustrated by Germán Peralta
Colored by Jesus Aburtov
Lettered by VC’s Ariana Maher
Reviewed by Luke Cornelius
In “Maestro” #4, we see the Hulk clashing with the current Maestro, Hercules, and visually it delivers. Germán Peralta’s artwork brings great energy and pace to each blow that is exchanged between the titanic pair. His linework differentiates between the foreground and the background subtly, with the foreground being more heavily outlined but never feeling as though it is disconnected from the background. Each panel has a great balance between too much and too little detail. Jesus Aburtov’s colors support Peralta’s work to great effect, giving great bursts of color throughout the fight scene that adds to the intensity, whilst later adding an alluring, then quickly gloomy, atmosphere to the bedroom sequences with glowing reds and pinks.
Where the issue is held back is with Peter David’s script. Initially, it brings an intriguing and unexpected twist to Hercules and Hulk’s clash but is quickly marred by a sequence that pays homage to The Avengers. Instead of providing the book with a moment of humor to balance against the darkness of the story, it jars against everything that has come before. Furthermore, one of the series’ most compelling aspects is absent in “Maestro” #4. In previous issues how Hulk is feeling in reaction to things has always been made clear, whether via his internal narration or by his violent vocal outbursts, yet, in the wake of his defeat by Hercules, we only have him surrender. The next time we see him is after a time jump of several years, with Hulk, accompanied by Vapor, returning to Dystopia. The time jump works for the narrative of the issue, but it denies us a glimpse into Banner’s psyche in those years that followed, as well as the motivation that is driving Vapor. In a series that is meant to provide the backstory for the Maestro, there’s now a sizable gap in it.
Continued belowOver the course of the final few pages, there’s an inherent tension as we anticipate what Hulk has planned, furthered by Rick Jones ominously predicting that Banner will inevitably find a way to win. Hercules’ undoing as a consequence of his lust is apt, but overall, it feels as though this issue has had to rush the plot to all but complete Hulk’s journey to becoming the Maestro.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – “Maestro” #4’s exciting visuals ease the damage caused by the misfires in its script.
Written by Marjorie Liu
Illustrated by Sana Takeda
Lettered by Rus Wooten
Reviewed by Kobi Bordoley
“Monstress: Talk-stories” is a series of one-off, short stories from the world of “Monstress,” following side characters and main protagonists as they explore backstory and hidden pockets of the world. In lesser hands, the sorts of stories in “Monstress: Talk-stories” #1 could be filler arcs or artistic romps that are nice to look at, but of little consequence. In Liu and Takeda’s hands, however, the short tales offer deep insights into character motivations and are deeply moving.
“Monstress, Talk-stories” #1 follows Kippa as she navigates life in the refugee camp, the birthplace of her story, and her (at least at a glance) reason for being in the series at all. From the start of “Monstress,” Kippa has always been a representative of the masses, the downtrodden citizens caught in the crossfires of higher powers. As god-children and generals clash, Kippa and her lot fight for scraps and, frankly, try not to die. “Monstress, Talk-stories” #1 puts a microscope over this experience and follows a day in the life of Kippa as she and her heretofore unmentioned sister do their best to scrounge for food.
Kippa’ hunt for a full meal may seem like small beans in the grand scheme of things, but “Montress: Talk-stories” #1 is impressive because in a short period of time it conveys a great deal: solidarity between siblings, the intricacies of refugee life, and a whole lot more. The story packs an emotional punch without diving into woe is me, pity territory. The story weaves fantasy and realism effortlessly, and I found myself thinking frequently of real-life refugee and displaced persons narratives while reading “Monstress: Talk-stories” #1.
Perhaps most of all, the story works well on its own and in the greater “Monstress” canon, meaning it’s worth reading for anyone interested in gritty, high fantasy.
Final Verdict: 8.4. “Monstress: Talk-stories” shines a light on unexplored moments of “Monstress” lore, serving an emotional gut-punch as it does.
Written by Rick Remender
Illustrated by Andrew Robinson
Colored by Moreno Dinisio
Lettered by Rus Wooton
Reviewed by Christa Harader
“The Scumbag” #2 is the next installment in this Thompson-esque intergalactic romp, and yes, the Thompson references are already getting old.
“The Scumbag” is an interesting concept that feels overbaked in execution. The majority of that is Remender’s insistence on juvenile humor and over-written dialogue, even though there’s a bit of an edge here that does work. Robinson’s gritty, gristly art suits our leathery dirtbag protagonist, and Dinisio adds a penciled look to the colors that help soften the edges. Clean digitized colors would completely sink the book’s aesthetic, and Dinisio does really good work to unify the visuals in “The Scumbag.” Wooton has too much dialogue to deal with, really, and the small font makes things a bit difficult to read sometimes given how intricate Robinson’s line can get. Still, the font has some character, and the placement is pretty good.
Overall, there’s not enough that’s bananas in “The Scumbag” to pull off a fish-out-of-water vibe, nor is it gritty enough to sell an unlikeable protagonist. Remender’s writing lands somewhere in the confusing middle, and the book doesn’t really make a lasting impression as a result beyond Robinson and Dinisio creating good art. There’s some imagination here in concept but it feels like well-trod territory at this point.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – “The Scumbag” #2 tries a little too hard to be clever in its writing and ends up missing the mark.
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Written, Illustrated, and Lettered by Stan Sakai
Lettered by Ronda Pattison
Reviewed by Matthew Blair
Everyone’s favorite comic book samurai rabbit is back, and this time in full color! The rabbit ronin known as Usagi Yojimbo has been around for a very long time, and this time around we get to be reintroduced to some of his earlier stories with a modern update.
“Usagi Yojimbo Wanderer’s Road” #1 is a story that really isn’t about the titular rabbit character, but rather about a very hungry lizard who is just looking for something to eat. When the rabbit is introduced, he only really comes into play when the lizard is cornered and is being threatened by a very angry and violent restaurant owner. Sakai does a very good job of creating emotional stakes and peril from a very small situation, showing how greed and anger can escalate a relatively simple situation into a huge mess and how kindness and generosity don’t really have to do much to combat aggressive anger and rage.
On top of the writing, Sakai also provides the artwork for “Usagi Yojimbo Wanderer’s Road” #1 and long-time fans of the series will be happy to see Sakai’s familiar style is enhanced by Ronda Pattison’s colorwork. Sakai has a deceptively simple linear style that makes his stories great for children, allowing the reader to enjoy the anthropomorphic characters occupying a historically accurate Edo period Japan. It’s a unique and beautifully illustrated book that can be enjoyed by all ages and is a fantastic reintroduction to a character that has been around since the 1980s.
“Usagi Yojimbo Wanderer’s Road” #1 is not the grandest reintroduction of a beloved character. It’s a small, low-key story that relies on simplicity and funny animals to engage its audience, and it works. It will be very interesting to see other classic Usagi stories in color.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – It’s a reintroduction of the classic and familiar with a fresh coat of paint, perfect for new readers and old readers trying to introduce the stories they love to their friends.
