Welcome back as we make our weekly trip through this week’s pull-list. It features mostly spoiler-free brief analysis and commentary of each book.
There are plenty of good comics out there. Make sure you go find some. Hopefully, you might find what we say interesting enough to try some of these comics
Also, Don’t forget to check our hotlist of new books debuting this month over here. You will see books that we were looking forward to with the designation Hot #1 by them.
DISCLAIMER:
There is a 4 star rating system. It is simple and not to be taken too seriously as everyone gets their own impressions of art. These ratings are just to give our readers an idea of what we thought of the book, and they will be on the generous side normally. So don’t expect to see a lot of 1 Stars. After all, its not often that you have a bad book on your pull-list.
The rating system is as follows:
Great
Good
OK
Not Good
And here are the books we read in alphabetical order:
Click a link below if you want to jump to a particular review:
Aphrodite V #4, Astonishing X-Men #16, Batman #57, Captain Ginger #1, Cemetery Beach #2, Cover #2, Exorsisters #1, Justice League #10, Nightwing #51, Pearl #3, Runaways #14
Aphrodite V #4
Image Comics
Written by Bryan Hill
Art by Jeff Spokes
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover Art by Spokes
The finale of this arc (and series?) focuses on two extended scenes. The storytelling technique and choice of transition points are excellently done by Hill. Spokes’ art, while dark and extra-shadowy with a simple color palette, is like home for this story. The conclusion to the story is natural and the realization that is finally undergone by Martin is satisfying. Very good stuff here.
Astonishing X-Men #16
Marvel Comics
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Pencils by Greg Land
Inks by Jay Leisten
Colors by Frank D’Armata
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover Art by Land, Leisten, & D’Armata
Without taking anything from the rest of the group that worked on this comic, the work that Frank D’Armata did on this issue must be noted first. The colors that he laid down are stunning. The depiction of two luminary characters such as Dazzler and Havok are beautiful. Rosenberg’s complex tale of intrigue continues to be interesting. While there is a conclusion coming soon, we certainly enjoy seeing this group of mutants together.
Batman # 57
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by Tony S. Daniel
(Folktale Art by Mark Buckingham and Andrew Pepoy)
Colors by Tomeu Morey
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover Art by Daniel & Morey
Batman is a man of few words in this issue. All but the last three pages are a fight scene between Batman and the KGBeast as he seeks vengeance. The “folktale” that is told interstitially reveals belief in atavistic tendencies that mirrors the mood of the Dark Knight. Tony Daniel absolutely shines in the physical portrayal of this story. And at the end, we continue on the descent of the Batman.
Captain Ginger #1
AHOY Comics
Written by Stuart Moore
Pencils by June Brigman
Inks by Roy Richardson
Colors by Veronica Gandini
Letters by Jimmy Betancourt
Cover Art by Brigman, Richardson, & Gandini
Hot #1
The next launch from AHOY Comics is purrrfect (sorry)!! Seriously, there is a lot that goes on in this debut issue. The creative team takes on a challenging task by telling a current-time story at the same time that the backstory is being told. They all do a great job with it. The visual characterization is wonderful and the voices of the characters are clearly defined. The only caveat that I could see to this series is that it is really for cat lovers, but cat lovers will adore it.
Cemetery Beach #2
Image Comics
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Jason Howard
Letters by Fonografiks
Cover Art by Howard
Ellis and Howard’s sci-fi tale is full-on action. The pacing and exposition (or lack thereof) are important points to pulling in the audience. Howard’s art is amazing. The camera angles are inspirational. One of the best things about a comic is that when it is over, you haven’t noticed or questioned word choices or panel layouts. With this book, every choice makes sense and flows together at a breakneck speed. Looking forward to more.
Cover #2
DC Comics / Jinxworld
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by David Mack
Colors by Zu Orzu
Letters by Carlos Mangual
Cover Art by Mack
This is a comic book industry meta-story masquerading as a spy book. It continues to be intriguing. Mack’s visuals are an excellent take on storytelling and serve the narrative well. This is a fun and interesting book. We will be there to see what turns this tale takes in the coming issues.
Exorsisters #1
Image Comics
Written by Ian Boothby
Art by Gisele Lagacé
Colors by Pete Pantazis
Letters by Taylor Esposito
Cover Art by Legace & Pantazis
Hot #1
This is THE new series that we were looking forward to. It has not disappointed. Boothby and Lagacé combine equal parts magic, humor, personal relationships, and mystery in the most fascinating way. The visual layout and presentation of the story is warm and inviting. There is smart storytelling mixed with clever gags. The main characters are easy to claim as favorites. This series is off to a fantastic start, and based on the last page cliffhanger, there is lots of good things to come.
Justice League #10
DC Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Francis Manapul
Letters by Tom Napolitano
Cover Art by Manapul
The prelude to DC’s “Drowned Earth” event gets off to an interesting start in this issue. Snyder does a good job of setting the stage. The introduction of some pretty large concepts comes off well. Manapul does his usual amazing work on the interior pages of this book. From the panel layout, to the figure construction, to the color choices, this book is visually stunning.
Nightwing #51
DC Comics
Written by Scott Lobdell with Fabian Nicieza
Art by Travis Moore & Garry Brown
Colors by Hi-Fi & Nick Filardi
Letters by Deron Bennett
Cover Art Moore
The aftermath of Nightwing’s massive traumatic event continues here. The struggle that “Ric” Grayson deals with is compelling. The storytelling is well done, and while the audience might not be happy with Nightwing’s current status, this book brings encouragement and is entertaining along the way. The only concern that I have is that the change in artist two-thirds of the way through is jarring. Brown and Moore both do an excellent job in their own way, but they are too different stylistically to create a uniform flow of the book.
Pearl #3
DC Comics / Jinxworld
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Gaydos
Letters by Joshua Reed
Cover Art by Gaydos
Bendis and Gaydos continue the interesting story of Pearl, a tattoo artist and sometimes Yakuza assassin. Visually this book is a trip. Truly, Gaydos is in his element and is challenging limits of color and shading. The narrative continues to be intriguing and unexpected turns will keep the audience coming back to this series.
Runaways #14
Marvel Comics
Written by Rainbow Rowell
Art by David Lafuente & Takeshi Miyazawa
Colors by Jim Campbell & Michael Garland
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Cover Art by Kris Anka
This series keeps staying at the top of the read pile. Rainbow Rowell’s grasp on this family is amazing. The characterization is perfect. This issue is a little different in that there is a the continuation of the main story with art by Lafuente and a backup story that is a silent interlude that follows Old Lace around the hostel. The wonderful part of this series is that each issue adds to the plot and grows the larger story being told, and it does that in subtle ways while staying true to the fantastic character interactions that make it a great book.
Well, that is it for this week. Thanks for reading, and let us know what you think about these books or any books you are reading in the comments.
