Welcome back to Everything We Read This Week. This is the place that we make our weekly trip through this week’s pull-list. It features mostly spoiler-free brief analysis and commentary of each book.
This week we read a bunch of great comics. Go out and find the comics you like, and remember, Read More Comics!!
We reviewed books from DC Comics, Valiant Entertainment, Mad Cave Studios, Boom! Studios, Lion Forge, and Image Comics this week. As always, we hope you might find what we say interesting enough to try some of these comics. Don’t forget we welcome comments on these and any other comics that you read. Feel free to leave a comment and get the conversation moving.
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. There are a few of them out this week, and they are really good.
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, it’s 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:
The Batman’s Grave #2
DC Comics
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Bryan Hitch
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Letters by Richard Starkings
Cover Art by Hitch & Sinclair
This is a fantastic Batman comic. There is a perfect balance of action and dialogue. Let’s be honest; Bryan Hitch is just creating ridiculously amazing art in this book, and Alex Sinclair’s work, particularly with lights, brings an almost photographic quality to the book. If you are looking for a good Batman book and not reading this, then you really aren’t looking very hard.
Battlepug #3
Image Comics
Written by Mike Norton
Art by Norton
Colors by Allen Passalaqua
Letters by Crank!
Cover Art by Norton & Passalaqua
This is a really well written comic book. Norton’s dual story threads that are played out in this issue both hit the mark. There are appropriate breaks in action, and the dialogue is compelling and the plot points are spot-on. Of course, his art is wonderful as well, and Passalaqua’s colors enhance it beautifully. The bonus story by Kelly Williams and Chas! Pangburn is also excellent. This is a great issue.
Doctor Mirage #4
Valiant Entertainment
Written by Magdalene Visaggio
Art by Nick Robles
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover Art by Philip Tan with Jay David Ramos
We have been enthralled with this comic all the way through. In this issue, Visaggio does an expert job of getting the story moving by explaining without exposition. Nick Robles continues to deliver a freaky “otherside” landscape, and in this issue Jordie Bellaire’s masterclass in color incorporates blacks into the palette. Holy crap!! You should be reading this series.
The Dollhouse Family #1
DC Comics / Hill House Comics
Written by M.R. Carey
Art by Peter Gross
Colors by Chris Peter
Letters by Todd Klein
Cover Art by Jessica Davla
Hot #1
I have yet to be disappointed with a comic that is produced by this creative team. This mysterious multi-generational story involving supernatural phenomena is intriguing. The story is excellently paced and smartly written. The color choices and execution by Chris Peter are perfect for the mood of the book. Todd Klein’s lettering is masterful as always.
Family Tree #1
Image Comics
Written by Jeff Lemire
Pencils by Phil Hester
Inks by Eric Gapstur
Colors by Ryan Cody
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover Art by Hester, Gapstur, & Cody
Hot #1
Check out our Preview Review here:
“This is an intense, foreboding, dark book, and it is wonderful. The story that is set up in this opening issue is both captivating and frightening. The dialogue and narration by Lemire is excellent. The voices are organic, and while there is a bit of narration, it complements the art without becoming repetitive.
The art team….”
Far Sector #1
DC Comics / Young Animal
Written by N.K. Jemisin
Art by Jamal Campbell
Colors by Campbell
Letters by Deron Bennett
Cover Art by Campbell
Hot #1
This a beautiful book. Campbell creates a visually interesting new world. His storytelling is wonderful, and I am particularly struck by the use of the lack of color to add emphasis in certain panels. I thoroughly enjoyed Deron Bennett’s lettering. It is a critically important part of this book. The story, a deep space murder mystery, is intriguing, and the world building done in this issue is just enough to keep the reader informed and interested. Looking forward to next issue.
Folklords #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Matt Smith
Colors by Chris O’Halloran
Letters by Jim Campbell
Cover Art by Smith
Hot #1
We were looking forward to this one. Kindt and Smith did not disappoint. This role-reversal book about fairytale people in search of our “normal” world starts off excellently. It is immediately engaging and welcoming. Instant concern for the protagonist and his struggle make this a page turner. We are super excited for the next issue.
Reaver #5
Image Comics
Written by Justin Jordan
Art by Rebekah Isaacs
Colors by Alex Guimaraes
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover Art by Becky Cloonan
Wow! This book is really good. There are plot twists that we did not expect at all. The characterization continues to be a strength of this series. Isaacs’ art is dynamic and expressive. This series has been a joy to read from start to finish and we are eager to see the conclusion of this quest in the next issue.
RV9 #1
Mad Cave Studios
Written by Ben Goldsmith
Pencils by Travis Mercer
Inks by Miguel Angel Zapata
Colors by Maria Santolalla
Letters by Justin Birch
Cover Art by Nicholas Salamanca & Mauricio Villarreal
Hot #1
This is a visually gorgeous book, with an interesting story. The story of secret assassins definitely caught our attention and has raised a bunch of questions. The art is stunning. Both the figure work and panel designs are strong point for the storytelling. This is a solid start for Goldsmith and the entire art team.
Seven Days #2
Lion Forge Comics
Written by Gail Simone
Pencils by José Luís
Inks by Jonas Trinidade
Colors by Michelle Madsen
Letters by Saida Temofonte
Cover Art by Stjepan Sejic
This “end of the world” story is absolutely captivating. There is a palpable urgency to both the visual and written narrative in this book. The plot and dialogue is clear and intriguing. The bits of backstory that are necessary are done in subtle and unobtrusive ways. The art in this book is excellent. Luis is able to really convey power and emotion in the character figure in a fantastic manner. There are only 5 days left.
Superman #17
DC Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Kevin Maguire
Colors by Paul Mounts
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover Art by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & Alex Sinclair
We all know what is coming. It is the next issue that the big thing happens. This issue is just the lead up to it. Very little of substance happens in this issue. But, it is still a good comic, full of interesting storytelling. There is a six-page sequence in the middle of the book that has interesting use of visual real estate, and tells a complete story. The work of the entire team, Bendis, Maguire, Mounts, and Sharpe, combines to deliver an excellent piece of story in a book that we questioned why we would even want to read. Well done.
Trees: Three Fates #3
Image Comics
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Jason Howard
Colors by Howard and Dee Cunniffe
Letters by Fonografiks
Cover Art by Howard
This is a fantastic story by an excellent creative team. The storyline for this remote Russian murder mystery is full of intrigue and sparsely touched on character backstories give real life to the narrative. Howard is just a master of putting Ellis’ stories into motion. There is a true feeling of action that is on these pages. This is just a wonderful and suspense filled comic. Read it.
