On our weekly trip through this week’s pull-list, we found a bunch of great books that we have been wanting to talk about for some time. This column features mostly spoiler-free brief analysis and commentary of each book.
There were not a whole lot of new series that came out this week but the issues #2’s and #3’s for some newer series were excellent. We encourage you to go out and find the comics you like, and remember, Read More Comics!!
We reviewed books from DC Comics, AfterShock Comics, Boom! Studios, Mad Cave Studios, Titan Comics, Vault Comics, Marvel Comics, and Image Comics this week. There were plenty more good books out there this week but this list is all we have gotten through so far.
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.
Some of the books on this list are also on our New Number Ones for the month of November. You can see them noted with the New Number One tag and can check out the solicitation for the series on our previous article.
And here are the books we read in alphabetical order:
Aquaman: The Becoming #3
DC Comics
Written by Brandon Thomas
Pencils by Scott Koblish
Inks by Wade Von Grawbadger
Colors by Adriano Lucas & Alex Guimarães
Letters by AndWorld Design
Cover Art by David Talaski
This book is now officially promoted as the Prequel to Aquamen, and while that is interesting, it is a disservice to think of this book only as service to something else. Brandon Thomas is building characters and telling an intriguing story. The execution of the fast-paced chase elements to this book are a credit to the storytelling skills of Scott Koblish. The rest of the art team and letter compliment the theme and tone of the issue. As a midpoint book in this limited series this issue definitely raises the stakes.
Bountiful Garden #3
Mad Cave Studio
Written by Ivy Noelle Weir
Art by Kelly Williams
Colors by Giorgio Spalleta
Letters by Justin Birch
Cover Art by Williams
You should be reading this book. It has been excellent through this third issue. The story exploration and development are well paced. The art by Kelly Williams is as terrifyingly foreboding as it is gorgeous, and it is really gorgeous. The color work by Giorgio Spalleta accentuates the shadowy nature of the story. Justin Birch does excellent work lettering this book and meshes the tone well. The complete book has a feel that there is a monster in the shadows, and there are shadows everywhere.
Chicken Devil #2
AfterShock Comics
Written by Brian Buccellato
Art by Hayden Sherman
Colors by Sherman
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Art by Sherman
What a treat this book is!! I am tempted to go full chicken metaphor in this review, but I will corral that urge. This book is visually exciting. The bright color work combined with interesting panel layout and camera angles command the full attention of the reader. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou proves again why he is one of the best letterers in the business. The story that Brian Buccellato is telling is captivating, and I cannot wait for the next installment of this book about a Chicken entrepreneur who’s life has become more chaotic than he ever dreamed possible.
Eat the Rich #4
Boom! Studios
Written by Sarah Gailey
Art by Pius Bak
Colors by Roman Titov
Letters by Cardinal Rae
Cover Art by Kevin Tong
For the very little amount of in-panel violence depicted in this series so far, it is consistently terrifying. This issue’s plot and accelerating action make for a captivating read. The mental gymnastics that writer Sarah Gailey has Joey, the protagonist, employ to maintain some semblance of sanity begin to take their toll in this issue. The delicate balance of willful ignorance and outrage that she has been maintaining falls to pieces and Pius Bak’s panels bring it all down in a pulse pounding last few pages of this book. A special shout out to the use of word art in this book. It is excellent in its design and placement. Do yourself a favor and read this series.
Dark Ages #3
Marvel Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Iban Coello
Colors by Brian Reber
Letters by Joe Sabino
Cover Art by Coello & Frank D’Armata
We have been thoroughly enjoying this series. Tom Taylor and Iban Coello have been crafting a coherent post-crisis event story from the beginning. The cliffhanger reveal from the previous issue is expanded upon with dire consequences. Taylor is ratcheting up the tension in interesting and thoughtful ways. It is not chaos and change for the sake of shock value. Brian Reber’s talents are put on display in the most notable scene in the book, and Joe Sabino does an excellent job lettering this book, particularly with the narration box and balloon placements.
Gun Honey #3
Titan Comics
Written by Charles Ardai
Art by Ang Hor Kheng
Colors by Asifur Rahman
Letters by David Leach
Cover Art by Jay Ancieto & Marco Lesko
This series is released under the Hard Case Crime label from Titan Comics, and Charles Ardai is definitely bringing the hard boiled crime story to these pages. The titular character has been developed as a capable and impressive operative in the world of espionage, but the events of the previous issue change her independent status. This issue flows well toward a major revelation, and the art by Ang Hor Kheng is carefully crafted to heighten anticipation and deliver a compelling narrative.
The Nice House on the Lake #6
DC Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Álvaro Martínez Bueno
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by AndWorld Design
Cover Art by Martinez Bueno
Let’s take a moment to talk about the work that Álvaro Martínez Bueno is doing on this series. Telling a story with such a large cast, little action, and with massive scene changes from page to page and even some on the same page is not easy. However, Martinez Bueno is telling it perfectly. His panel and page layouts are fantastic in this issue. Jordie Bellaire is easily one of the top five colorists ever, and she is bringing that talent to every panel in this book. James Tynion’s script explores some interesting new revelations as to what is going on in this story as the first arc comes to a close. This series is a no brainer for anyone’s year-end “Best of” lists, and this issue is wonderful.
Nightwing #86
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Robbi Rodriguez
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Wes Abbott
Cover Art by Bruno Redondo
A second Tom Taylor book on this week’s list. This issue is the culmination of the Fear State cross-over event. Despite the event taking Nightwing out of Blüdhaven and detouring the story that Taylor had started telling, he maintains key elements to that story while crafting a satisfying side-story to the Fear State event. This issue does an excellent job of wrapping up the story being told and setting up the future Batgirls book. We enjoyed this, and are looking forward to next issue and some more Bite-Wing.
Primordial #3
Image Comics
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover Art by Sorrentino
This issue might best be enjoyed while sipping on a glass of fine whisky. It is truly beautiful. The complex existential issues facing the characters in this series are fascinating. The art and panel composition from Andrea Sorrentino is absolutely awe inspiring. Jeff Lemire’s “dialogue” in this issue is both adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. Dave Stewart’s colors and Steve Wand’s letters are both excellent. This series has been excellent and is highly recommended.
Radio Apocalypse #1
Vault Comics
Written by Ram V
Art by Anand RK
Colors by Anisha
Letters by Aditya Bidikar
Cover Art by Anand RK
This new book from Vault starts of strong and finishes the same. The story of an existence of a small population after a civilization altering event is full of emotional and physical struggle in the life that is left. The craft of the book is well done by Ram V and Anand RK. The pacing is welcoming and the entire team delivers a solid and engaging first issue for this series. We are interested in where it goes from here.
This is on our New Number Ones list for November.
DISCLAIMER:
We use a 4 star rating system. It is simple and not to be taken too seriously. Everyone has 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:
OK
No
