There is 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.
Alex + Ada #4
Written by Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn
Illustrated by Jonathan Luna
Reviewed by Vince Ostrowski
Luna and Vaughn are pulling ever so slightly on our heartstrings a little more with each issue. The attachment that they’re building between the central characters is palpable. There’s a lot of techno-babble in this issue in an effort to move the plot toward Alex changing Ada’s “life”, but if you let all of that wash over you, what you’re left with is a lot of complicated feelings on the part of Alex. Feelings that are not and do not need to be vocalized. “Alex + Ada” gets more mileage out of silent, pensive panels than any comic out there right now. Luna’s warm, sleek near-future visuals are all about open spaces and streamlined lives. Alex’s world is intentionally emptier than the one we know, which makes his loneliness and desire to connect feel even more urgent.
By now, we know who Alex is and we know what he wants, even if he’s unsure about how to get there. “Alex + Ada” has generated a situation where a good person is doing something for the right reasons, but you have a feeling that everything might not turn out well. Because of that intensely personal sense of unease and mystery, “Alex + Ada” has quickly become appointment reading.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy and keep buying
Green Lantern New Guardians #28
Written by Justin Jordan
Illustrated by Brad Walker
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
Above all else, “New Guardians” does not feel like any other book DC is publishing. I worry that, perhaps, that hurts the book more than it helps it, sales wise. But this intergalactic travelogue harkens back to a time when DC set many books in space, instead of merely the 5 Lantern books. It also has a thread of hope that runs through it that perfectly works with who Kyle Rayner is as a character. That is to say, it is a great fit of character and concept.
Walker’s skill is really challenged with each issue, as he is responsible for drawing new species all the time and making them look unique. Here, he gets pretty standard humanoid creatures to work with, but still creates interesting aliens on just about every page. If I have any overarching problem with this book, it is teasing a Kyle/Carol relationship. I know this is a silly reason to fight a storyline, but I always imagined Carol a good 10-15 years his senior at least, and since he looks up to Hal as an older brother, this all feels weirdly incestuous and gross. Kyle has been maybe the least lucky character in DC history when it comes to love interests (Jade, Donna Troy, Soranik Natu), so there’s no way he winds up actually cock-blocking Hal, but it just seems to be a weird place to take the character.
The arc this issue kicks off deals with characters called Godkillers going after local deities, and seems like a good fit for the book which can, at times, feel a bit rudderless. There’s a fun to be had in a book that is freewheelin’ and roaming the furthest reaches of the universe, but putting a little giddy-up in its step isn’t a bad thing, either.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
Kings Watch #4
Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Marc Laming
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
I’m pretty sure I’m the only one at Multiversity that is reading “Kings Watch,” and for that, I say “SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!”
Now that I’ve got that over with, I can gush all over this book. Parker writes this mini like it is the series he was born to write – he infuses these old characters with humor, winks, and nods to their vast histories, but always with an air of respect – these characters are, after all, older than Superman. Laming does a similar job, using classic visual elements, but making them all look perfectly in place in a modern day story.
Continued belowThis issue, in particular, showcases the action, and sets up the big finale between Ming’s forces and the Flash Gordon/Mandrake/Phantom gang. There is a lot to like here, from Laming’s Golden Age inspirations to Parker’s ever-logical plotting, to seeing characters from the childhood of every generation since the Great Depression ride again. News that Parker will be continuing to write Flash’s adventures is wonderful – but don’t miss this mini, which has done a great job re-establishing these characters.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
Wonder Woman #28
Written by Brian Azzarello
Illustrated by Cliff Chiang
Reviewed by Vince Ostrowski
There’s no two ways about it, since its launch “Wonder Woman” has been DC Comics’ most consistent effort. Whether you feel like it’s actually “Wonder Woman” or not, it’s really impressive how it’s navigated in an otherwise rocky ‘New 52’ status quo. Every fill-in artist seems to pick up the ball and run with what Azzarello and Chiang have envisioned for the character, and even when the ‘New 52’ mandates it change its focus for a gimmick month (‘Villains Month’ or ‘Zero Month’), “Wonder Woman” basically comes out smelling like roses. But although “consistency” is definitely the right word, it’s never quite as vibrant as when Cliff Chiang is drawing it. The man is a master.
With issue #28, Azzarello once again puts all the characters into a proverbial dice shaker and shakes them out onto the table, everyone ending up at the beginning of a new obstacle or adventure – everyone with a new set of challenges. He and the artists have done this a few times now. Can a storytelling technique be redundant and refreshing at the same time? Regardless, “Wonder Woman” continues to be an endlessly compelling story about a rock solid hero at the center of a dysfunctional family for which she continues to find ways to remain unfazed. It’s a shame that the end is near.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – Buy
