Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 3/2

Bart Simpson Comics #100
Story: Nathan Kane & Ian Boothby
Art: Nina Matsumoto, Andrew Pepoy, & Art Villanueva

The final issue of Bart Simpson Comics came out a couple weeks ago, and as it sold out from my store quickly, it took me a bit to track one down, and I'm glad I did, as this issue does everything right that a Simpsons related comic should. Simpsons related comics feel like they're geared for two groups: younger readers (tween to teen) who are just getting into The Simpsons and want to see big, crazy stories, and die-hards like me who pick up all the random crazy references to classic episodes that litter the best stories. The basic story of this issue is one of the outlandish ones that tend to work better in the comic than the show: Bart stumbles into Professor Frink's time machine and after visiting the future inadvertently brings back an immortal cyborg Mr. Burns who conquers the Springfield of the present. The story is a comedy of Bart trying to find a way to stop Mr. Burns's conquest with the help of various Springfield residents, and has an ending that the show couldn't pull off because of how utterly sci-fi it is. There's also a brief moment where cyber-Burns actually kills Bartman, and Bart goes to heaven and has an actually very touching moment with Edna Krabappel, his former teacher, reminding us that Simpsons stories are at their best when there's a real emotional kernel at the heart of them; it's also a sweet moment of closure between two characters with a long history who couldn't have that moment due to the passing of Mrs. K's voice actor. But aside from all that mushy stuff, this issue is PACKED with references to Simpsons episodes. The time travel montage has scenes from the best Simpsons time travel episodes. Cyber-Burns initially appeared in the episode where Maggie finds Burns's teddy bear, Bobo. Bartman teams up with Mr. Burns's superheroic alter-ego, Fruit Bat Man. And in a moment that made me laugh out loud, we see Hans Moleman as leader of the molemen. The issue celebrates everything that has made The Simpsons a pop culture touchstone for over twenty years, and is a great send off to Bart Simpson Comics.

Beyond Belief #3
Story: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Art: Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, & Mauricio Wallace

It's been a while, but Frank and Sadie Doyle, everyone's favorite bon vivant exorcists and mediums are back in a new issue of Beyond Belief. After last issue, where the Doyles befriended imaginary friend Mr. Fuzzyface, the Doyles are still in the haunted neighborhood they've been stuck, now having to save Sadie's friend Donna Donner from being sacrificed by the local cult. As with any story of Frank and Sadie, the highlight is how cool they are under pressure. The Bens (Acker and Blacker) write the Doyles as the wittiest people you'll ever meet, and they happily deploy that wit when confronted by knife bearing cultists, ancient druids, and pretty much anything else. Throughout the entire issue, the Doyles wield a simple stick as if its a magic wand, and are continually told it isn't, but the magic isn't in the stick, but in how clever the Doyles are. The Doyles always win because they outsmart their opponents, although you can tell how early this is in the continuity of Beyond Belief stories that Frank is ready to roll up his sleeves and, as Sadie says, "engage in fisticuffs with that statuesque gentleman." And by statuesque, she means a man made out of rock. Credit must as with previous issues go to artist Phil Hester for making the monsters, be they tree men, stone men, or ancient gods, truly frightening; it would be easy enough, in a tongue in cheek world, to make the monsters not that scary. Hester makes them something that makes you worried for the Doyles. I also absolutely loved the twist in this issue, the little bit of social commentary, that in fact the tree monster isn't actually an evil monster demanding blood sacrifice to empower those who worship it, but is an ancient druid who is using the blood magic to keep dark gods imprisoned, and it switched to telling people they would earn power through the sacrifices because most people care more about their own greed than the fate of the world. Social commentary isn't exactly the centerpiece of Beyond Belief, but I like the point that's being made, and it's being made in a funny and sadly accurate way. There's only one issue of this mini-series left, and the Doyles are now stuck with a dark god and no booze left, so I expect an issue with a quick fight and copious drinking ahead of us, but no matter what happens, I'm sure the Doyles will handle it with their usual grace and proper grammar.

Stumptown #9
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Justin Greenwood & Ryan Hill

It's never easy being a private investigator, and it's especially difficult for Dex Parios, protagonist of Stumptown. What should have been an easy gig, picking up shipments of designer coffee beans from the airport and delivering them to the man who owns them, has turned into a true mess, as two of the brewers competitors have been coming at her to get each time a shipment comes in, and now with the last shipment arriving, Dex has been kidnapped by one of these competitors, and her ne'er-do-well sister, Fuji, has been kidnapped by the other. Dex deals with the rich Mr. Laidlaw easily enough, and once shes out, she begins preparing to pick up the last shipment and to put everything and everyone in their place. The climax of the issue has Dex gathering all the parties in her office, in a scene reminiscent of the great P.I. stories of old, like  The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man, and learning exactly who's who and what their motives are. But after a tense standoff, with guns drawn by multiple parties, Dex winds up pulling on over on the bad guys, and retrieving Fuji, who honestly she might have been better off without. Fuji winds up being a P.I. story femme fatale, with an agenda of her own and willing to leave Dex with little to show for her efforts on this case. Fuji has been a selfish, lousy sister throughout the arc, but this issue shows that its a lot more than sibling rivalry that has kept her out of Dex's life. The last panel is pretty much the ultimate P.I. noir ending, with the hero walking away from the train that the femme fatale left on; the only thing that would have made it more perfect is if it was pouring rain. Greg Rucka knows his detective stories down to the letter, and only a writer of that skill could make a story about designer coffee beans a truly exciting detective yarn. I'm looking forward to where he takes Dex next.

And for Dan Grote's pick of the week, we see reunion of the recent Daredevil creative team in the new Black Widow series...

Black Widow #1

Story by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid

Art by Samnee and Matt Wilson

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow is easily one of the most important characters and definitely the most important female character. Yet the studio has made no plans for a solo film spotlighting the Russian spy turned SHIELD agent.

This book shows what a damn shame that is.

Black Widow #1 is a Mission: Impossible-style action film condensed into 20 pages. It is largely wordless, allowing the art room to breathe and for Natasha to escape from seemingly insurmountable peril on nearly every page.

And when your art team is Chris Samnee and Matt Wilson, whose lines and colors made Daredevil one of the best books of the past five years, you want the art to breathe. Samnee gets a co-writing credit with fellow Daredevil alum Mark Waid, who added the sparse dialogue, so really this is Samnee’s show.

And he does not disappoint. Natasha – branded a traitor by SHIELD at the outset - fights an office full of agents, leaps from the helicarrier, steals a jetpack in midair, shows off her ballet skills, commandeers a motorcycle and causes explosion after explosion. Nat is hypercompetent, but by the end you can feel her exhaustion as the last agent just won’t give up and she’s forced to make a choice.

Pages are panel-packed but never crowded, and while some of the action could have benefited from more space, splashes are used sparingly. The scene in which Nat leaps from the helicarrier gets the most real estate - a double-page spread - which serves both to show how small she is compared with the monolith she’s escaping and to provide room for the credits against the New York skyline.

We don’t know why Nat is now an enemy of SHIELD. We don’t know what she stole. Those are mysteries for later issues. What we do know is that this first issue was shiny and full of boomsy-booms and we want more of that in our lives.

P.S., for you Deadpool fans, this issue features a cameo by SHIELD Agent/Life Model Decoy/occasional Wade conscience Emily Preston. No Agent Adsit though.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 2/17

Archie #5
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Veronica Fish & Andre Szymanowicz with Jen Vaughn

The new issue of Archie could actually have the classic Archie's Pals 'n' Gals title, since Archie himself barely appears in the issue, having been clocked in the head by a softball and given a concussion on page three. Much of this issue takes place on the metaphorical right side of the tracks, focusing on Veronica and Reggie, and Reggie's attempts to get in good with Veronica's father, business magnate and legendary comic book hardass Hiram Lodge. Last issue really introduced Reggie, but showed him mostly in context of being the weasel next to Jughead and Betty. Here, with Veronica, her father, and their butler, Smithers, Reggie gets to be a real jerk. He sells out his own dad to Ledge, clearly wants to be with Veronica for no other reason than it puts him closer to money, and in the end sells out Archie just to get in good with Lodge. In the essay with last issue, Waid said he liked to just present Reggie as a heel, because there are people like that in the world, and he does a great job of showing Reggie just like that this issue. Meanwhile, Waid continues to give Veronica depth. Her reaction when she finds out Archie has been hurt and is in the hospital is priceless; she remains an entitled princess, but has a good heart underneath all that spoiled exterior. Meanwhile, Betty meets a new guy named Sayid (a new character I believe, but I'd be happy to be corrected by the more Archie initiated) , but there awkward first moments of flirting are cut short when Betty finds out about the softball that knocked Archie out (take a guess who hit it?). Again, it's been years since I read Archie with any regularity, so I don't remember if these are traits that were part of the classic continuity, but as we meet both Smither the butler and Pop Tate, owner of the Malt Shop, I like that they're getting personality quirks, Smithers as a busybody and Pop as the guy who knows everything in Riverdale. And a highlight from the things I do remember from Archie comics from when I would read them waiting for my orthodontist appointments in middle school, we get to see Mr. Lodge blow his stack up close for the first time; new artist Veronica Fish draws a phenomenal panel of Lodge's realization of who exactly his daughter is dating. Archie's in for some big trouble next issue when hee finally has to meet Mr. Lodge, I have no doubt.

Invincible Vol.22: Reboot?
Story: Robert Kirkman
Art: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, & Jean-Francois Beaulieu

While Walking Dead is Robert Kirkman's most famous book, no doubt, my favorite thing he writes is still Invincible, his super hero saga about Mark Grayson, the hero known as Invincible. After the events of the last volume, where one of Invincible's friends took over Earth for its own good, or so he says, and Invincible, his fiancee Atom Eve, and their daughter Terra left Earth for the alien world of Talescria where the intergalactic government is headquartered. Invincible has spent time in space before, but changing the core location of the book to an alien world is a major shift in the status quo. The first half of this trade deals with that fallout, both on Earth and in space. Chapter One is on Earth and sees the remaining heroes escaping prison and setting up a resistance against Robot, their former friend and now secret ruler of the world. Only... the world seems like a better place. Crime is down, unemployment is down, happiness is up. So the divide amongst the rebels starts to form with the question of: if no one is getting hurt and things are better now, do the ends justify the means, the means in this case being Robot having ruthlessly seized control and killed many of their friends.

The next two chapters deal with Mark and Eve adjusting to Talescria. Kirkman does a string job of making so much of the planet seem alien. Sure, it's a city, but the local fauna is really weird. And while they have friends there, it's still a whole world of new people. And the threat of Thragg, the warlord of Invincible's people who has gone rogue, looms, and Mark has to take a leave from his family to go and confront Thragg, but not before spending a day of daddy-daughter time with his baby daughter. And that's important for what happens next, because while searching for Thragg, Mark is grabbed by a strange creature and awakens...

... In his own past and in his own body. The last three chapters play out the events of the first dozen or so issues of Invincible, but with a Mark who knows everything that's coming I've always been fascinated by how much of Invincible is about maturity and morality, and so Mark has to make a lot of tough choices, especially dealing with his father, who he knows is a good man underneath but is about to do some really terrible things. And when he makes those choices, he sees the world change for the better, maybe, somewhat, but his own life is worse for it. But Mark's a good guy, and willing to live a worse life for a better world. Until the other shoe really drops. As readers of genre fiction, we're often presented with the classic quandry of, "If you could kill Hitler before he was HITLER, would you?" But what if the question isn't about killing someone for the potential evil they will do, but "Would you sacrifice the person you love the most in the world, and by sacrifice I mean they will never be born and you will never know them, to make a better world?" And that is the question that Mark has to deal with at the end of the trade, and it's a heartbreaker. And even when he makes the choice, and I won't say which way he goes on here, but as ever with a Kirkman book, there's a price to be paid. Twenty-two trades (That's 126  issue folks) in, Invincible still finds way to stay fresh and interesting, and keep the reader guessing about where it's going next.


And hey, look, Dan Grote is back to reviewing, this month with a most Excellent comic (cue air guitar)...

Bill & Ted Go to Hell

Story by Brian Joines

Art by Bachan and Jeremy Lawson

I recently showed my 4-year-old son – you guys remember Logan, right? – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure for the first time. He’s already seen Back to the Future a bunch of times, and I wanted to show him there are cinematic time travelers way cooler than Marty McFly. At least Bill and Ted use the phone booth to go to more places than their own town.

Apparently, more than 25 years later, strange things remain afoot at the Circle K, as Wyld Stallyns’ co-founders are still kicking, at least in comics form.

Last year, BOOM Studios brought the pair back in Bill & Ted’s Most Triumphant Return, and this year they return again, most triumphantly, in Bill & Ted Go to Hell, the plot for which is as advertised. Someone has kidnapped B&T’s pal Death, which our heroes realize because he doesn’t show up at band practice Wednesday evening. To rescue Death, they round up their old friends Rufus, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln and Billy the Kid (Billy’s best friend, Socrates, isn’t invited) and mount a mission to hell, where they discover that the beast normally in charge of the place has been usurped. I won’t give away the final splash-page reveal, but suffice it to say the story’s big bad is another familiar yet most heinous face.

Bachan’s art captures the absurdity of the franchise, which went off the rails from time travel to the afterlife in the second film. In some ways it resembles a (slightly) toned-down version of the cartoon style Rob Guillory deploys on Image’s Chew. How else to draw a book that features a monstrous Easter bunny, good-robot versions of Bill & Ted and a giant, naked Satan?

The first issue alone features much of the movies’ supporting cast, including B&T’s princess wives, their infant sons, the aforementioned robots, their time-traveling companions, their dads, their ex-stepmom Missy, Death, Bogus Journey villain-turned-friend Chuck de Nomolos, military-school recruiter Col. Oats, et al. Brian Joines also nails Bill and Ted’s vocal ticks – that mix of stoner cadence and dime-store words like “egregious” and “odious.” (Seriously, are B&T smart or dumb? They nearly failed history in the first movie, but somehow they were able to figure out time travel enough to orchestrate a jailbreak.)

If you’re a fan of the movies and their minutiae, and you have the disposable income for a silly yet most epic adventure, the book’s a lot of fun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to rewatch Bogus Journey, because it occurs to me I remember next to nothing about that film.

Thursday's With Wade: Joe Kelly's Deadpool Revisited Part 3

Today’s reading: Deadpool: Sins of the Past #1-4 and Deadpool (Vol. 3) #3-5

Story by Mark Waid (Sins of the Past) and Joe Kelly (Vol. 3)

Art by Ian Churchill, Lee Weeks and Ken Lashley (Sins of the Past) and Ed McGuinness and Kevin Lau (Vol. 3)

Issues 3 through 5 of Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness’ Deadpool tell the book’s first long arc and give us more of a peak into Wade’s past than we’ve gotten previously.

Spiritually, these three issues act as a sequel to Mark Waid and Ian Churchill’s 1994 Deadpool: Sins of the Past miniseries, as they pick up two big threads from that four-issue story: They reintroduce Dr. Killbrew, the scientist responsible both for curing Wade’s cancer and disfiguring his entire body, and reteam Deadpool with Siryn, the X-Force member on whom he has developed a major crush.

We also get a pretty sweet fight between Deadpool and the Hulk, and we get to see what the mercenaries of Hellhouse get up to when Wade’s not around (Hint: It mostly consists of cowering in front of T-Ray).

A lot of what transpires in issues 3 through 5 depends on some working knowledge of Sins of the Past, so here’s some context: In Sins, Black Tom Cassidy, who was effectively turning into a living tree, had obtained the services of one Dr. Killebrew (note the spelling; it changes when he resurfaces in Kelly’s run) to help cure him. Killebrew believes the only way to cure Tom is to give him some of Deadpool’s regenerative cells (Note: Deadpool’s healing factor is itself a warped genetic copy of Wolverine’s). So Tom has some goons try to take Deadpool in, one of whom slices off DP’s hand, which Killebrew then affixes to Tom, red glove and all. The series ends with Deadpool taking Killebrew away in a boat, demanding the doctor fix his healing factor, as Wade noticed it was taking him an inordinately long time to grow his hand back.

… Except Deadpool apparently skipped out on the doctor shortly thereafter, never actually addressing the issue, according to Kelly. So when Deadpool loses a finger to Taskmaster in issue 2, he’s right back where he started, unable to grow back more than a wee nubbin.

Cue the opening of issue 3, and the arrival of a mysterious package at the Hellhouse that turns out to be Wade’s missing glove, along with a love note from Black Tom. Wade decides to go on a revenge run, enlisting Siryn – Black Tom’s niece – in the process. The two track Tom down to a chalet in the Swiss Alps, only to find not Tom – who at the time was busy harassing the students of Generation X – but Killbrew, and a box full of red gloves.

In addition to being spelled differently, Dr. K looks different, too. Churchill drew Killebrew with Sandy-colored hair and a little more wisdom in his eyes: Albert Einstein meets David Crosby. McGuinness’ Killbrew has grayish-white hair, a fuller mustache and is rounder of belly: Wilford Brimley meets Dr. Light from the Mega Man games.

Either way, Killbrew tells Deadpool he’s dying and wants to fix him as penance for past wrongs. The only thing that can save Wade is an infusion of gamma-irradiated blood, and only because he took that gamma bath in issue 1.

And so, Deadpool gets his biggest, greenest guest star to date in issue 4. During this period, the Hulk had taken over one of the Florida Keys and was in one of his more violent “Leave Hulk alone” phases. So after a fight that ends with Deadpool impaling the Hulk on a rusty street sign, DP gets his blood, Killbrew gets his cure and Wade can set about crossing “Kill Killbrew” off his bucket list.

… Except that Siryn gets between the two and pleads with Wade to spare Killbrew’s life, which he does, after much hemming and hawing. Siryn serves as the angel on Deadpool’s shoulder throughout this arc, getting Wade’s hopes up for a romantic relationship just enough to get him to do good, while making it clear to him that her primary duty is to X-Force – of which she had recently become a junior leader – and that they could only be friends, at least for now, and possibly moreso if Wade continues playing nice. That being said, she also reveals she’s cool with him essentially stalking her, knowing that he watches her sleep outside her bedroom window at the Xavier Institute, leaving her “safe t’dream.” Sorry, that’s just creepy.

The Siryn-Deadpool relationship never really develops beyond this. Deadpool, in fact, moves on rather quickly to a new woman who is in no way good for his mental health, and not long after that the living embodiment of Death, with whom he still maintains a relationship. Siryn bounces from team to team for a while, moving from X-Force to X-Corp to X-Factor Investigations, where she ends up impregnated with a clone of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. According to writer Peter David, Deadpool made one cameo appearance in that iteration of X-Factor, off-panel.

As for Killbrew, we’ll see him again in about a year’s time, in a story that further fleshes out Wade’s experiences in the Weapon X program and introduces an even bigger threat from his past.

Before we part ways, let’s check in on the other denizens of that marvelous mercenary meat market, the Hellhouse. Issue 5 ends with a look at T-Ray inside his lair after a big hit, where it’s revealed his powers involve some kind of magic, and his back is covered in a large, horrific scar, with names carved into his flesh below it, including Wilson’s. He’s clearly being built up as a big-bad for Wade – one who has no qualms killing children for money, it turns out. Exactly why he hates Deadpool so much will be revealed much later, and then retconned and unconned and may or may not involve Thanos. But for now, let’s enjoy T-Ray for the menacing, alabaster Street Fighter knockoff he is (speaking of which, keep your eyes peeled for the Kevin Lau-drawn Zangief knockoff hanging around Hellhouse).

Next time on Thursdays with Wade, we’ll cover Deadpool’s Flashback Month issue, which tells the story of Wade’s ex-girlfriend, Copycat, and just how long Landau, Luckman & Lake have been keeping tabs on the man in the red pajamas.

In addition to writing for The Matt Signal, Dan Grote is now the official comics blogger for The Press of Atlantic City. New posts appear Wednesday mornings at PressofAC.com/Life. His new novel, Magic Pier, is available however you get your books online. He and Matt have been friends since the days when Onslaught was just a glimmer in Charles Xavier's eye. Follow @danielpgrote on Twitter.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 9/2

Beyond Belief #2
Story: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Art: Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, & Mauricio Wallace

Now that the live stage show and podcast of The Thrilling Adventure Hour have ceased on a regular basis, it's great to have the comics return to help give me my fix of all my favorite characters. After helping their friend Donna get her house clear of ghosts, mediums Frank and Sadie Doyle head across the street to help a little girl named joy and her imaginary friend Mr. Fuzzypants deal with a monster problem of their own. The story is a perfect Beyond Belief, with clever plots and wheels within wheels storytelling; there are the imaginary friends of imaginary friends, monsters born of monster hunters. And the Doyles are as ever brave, not afraid of anything (the fact that they're gleefully drunk as ever doesn't hurt). AS with the other TAH comics, the story takes advantage of the visual medium in a way the podcast cannot, with Frank fighting creatures instead of simply talking them into defeat like the monster hunter he was before he met Sadie and settled down. Artist Phil Hester is one of comics best, an artist who brings his A game to anything he does, be it superheroes or monsters, but this issue he stretches his artistic legs. Some of the pages of the story are told by joy and Mr. Fuzzypants, and for that narrative, the backgrounds shift to a childlike crayon design, which gives it the perfect feeling of childlike imagination. While the Doyles are dealing with all this, we find out a little more about the neighborhood Donna has moved into, as we see a party going on down the block, attended by Joy's parents, among others, and well, I don't go to a lot of parties, but I didn't think human sacrifice was a part of most get togethers, and when things don't go as planned, well, let's just say it looks like the Doyles will be coming to the rescue again. As always, these horror tinged precedings are told with the usual TAH tongue planted firmly in cheek, balancing the scary with Doyles usual dry and urbane wit. I will happily read anything Thrilling Adventure related, and fortunately, Bne Acker and Ben Blacker continue to give their fans quality stories of walks in realms Beyond Belief.

Daredevil #18
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Chris Samnee & Matthew Wilson

All good things must come to an end, and so ends Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's impressive run on Daredevil. After over four years, Waid bows out this issue, having written two volumes of the series, of which Samnee drew the majority. Waid has done an impressive job of balancing the brooding with the funny, moving Daredevil away from the character that Frank Miller crafted, the tormented Catholic who loses everyone he loves, and into a character who looks on his life with a bit more of a smile. It's not to say that Daredevil's life is easy or the comic is a comedy. Going into this issue, Matt Murdock, Daredevil has rarely been in more dire straits: his whole life laid bare by the Shroud and the Owl, his reputation ruined, and the two people he loves most, his best friend Foggy Nelson and his girlfriend Kirsten McDuffie, in the hands of his archfoe, the Kingpin. The story spotlights everything about Daredevil that makes him a great character: he uses his mind to set up Kingpin's downfall, and then he uses his fists to aid in it. And Waid gives Matt a big win as well as the losses here, keeping the balance just right. A lot of this series has been about Matt discovering things about himself and dealing with all the issues that years of being beaten down by his enemies and fate have given him, and at the end, before he has to go out and talk to the reporters and explain exactly what happened to him during his time in San Francisco, he breaks down. Not nervous breakdown collapse breaks down, but talks to Foggy and Kirsten about what being a man without fear means, and it's not all for the good. But he perseveres and pushes through, We get to see Matt in his traditional costume again, and Chris Samnee gets to draw not just the impressive fight scenes that have been his trademark on Daredevil,  but also some of the personal, quieter scenes that show off a different set of skills, with strong acting from the faces and body language that flow in a different way than combat. Chris Samnee was an artist whose work I enjoyed before this run, but after it he's become an artist I will follow wherever he goes. I'm looking forward to seeing what Charles Soule and Ron Garney are going to be doing on their new run on Daredevil, but they have very big shoes to fill; this run is as definitive to Daredevil as Waid's run on Flash as to Wally West. It was a swashbuckling story of crime, the law, superheroics, and a man trying to make the world and his life better. If you never tried it, or are curious about Daredevil after you saw his Netflix TV series, it's really something worth checking out. It's not like any Daredevil of the twenty years before it, and I think it will be the standard the next twenty years are measured against.


And Dan Grote reviews this week's battle between two of our favorite characters...

Deadpool vs. Thanos #1

Story: Tim Seeley

Art: Elmo Bondoc & Ruth Redmond

A long time ago (2002) on a space throne far, far away, Thanos, the Mad Titan, killer of stuff, cursed Wade Wilson with immortality, on account of Wade was getting too cozy with Thanos’ main squeeze, the living embodiment of Death.

The splash page on which this happened was the final page of writer Frank Tieri’s run on Deadpool, which cleared the way for Gail Simone and Udon Studios to take over the character. Thirteen years later, that coda is being explored in greater detail in a four-issue miniseries by writer Tim Seeley (Grayson) and artist Elmo Bondoc (the Loki issue of Ms. Marvel).

In Deadpool vs. Thanos, Death has gone missing. Not just taken a holiday, but completely disappeared. As a result, not only can no one be killed, but the dead are coming back to life (Yeah, I know, more zombies; let’s not dwell on it). Which totally messes with Deadpool’s assassination of Dr. Doom, who attempts to return the favor. While Wade heals from the more successful attempts on his life, he visits a place between life and death where he gets, let’s say, conjugal visits with Mistress Death (and a sweet, outside-the-mask mustache). This time, though, Death is trapped behind a mirror and begging for Wade’s help.

When he comes to, Deadpool seeks the expertise of Black Talon, a voodoo practitioner and rooster-headdress aficionado, who turns DP on to the idea of tracking down Thanos. After a fun montage featuring the Avengers, Cable, a poop joke and a Muppets reference, Deadpool shows up at Thanos’ space-doorstep, and tall, purple and rock-chinned commences straight up mega-murdering our anti-hero, having rescinded his decade-old curse.

Except it doesn’t take. Whoever took Death out of the picture, it’s not Thanos. And so the two realize they must team up to set the balance of life and death aright. Hope you like zany antics on a cosmic scale, because they’re gonna ensue.

For continuity geeks, a recap page lets readers know this story takes place before Deadpool’s Marvel NOW! relaunch of just a couple years ago. So don’t look for talk of Battleworld, incursions, the ghost of Benjamin Franklin or SHIELD agents who look like Pete Hornberger from 30 Rock. But if you’re a fan of DP’s retconned misadventures, such as the just-ended Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars, you’ll no doubt enjoy this, too.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 8/19

Batman: Arkham Knight #7
Story: Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Viktor Bogdanovic, Art Thibert, & John Rauch

Tie-in comics are a tricky business, especially when it comes to video games. Video games are an interactive medium, and often these prequels are doing their best to not spoil any of the aspects of the game. The comics that have tied into the Arkham franchise have been mixed: some have been good, many have been passable. This issue has two stories, one the epilogue to the previous Bane story, the other the beginning of a new Suicide Squad story. The second story is fun, with a Squad made up of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and Killer Croc (all of whom will be in the upcoming movie, by the by) working for the Penguin, keeping the Squad name despite escaping Amanda Waller's leash, to assassinate Bruce Wayne. But it's the first story that impressed me. After an explosion, Batman is found in a dumpster by Archie Freeman, and old man who was scrounging for anything he can to pay off the people who are running a protection racket in his building. Batman, of course, helps him and scares off the thugs. What I liked about the story is how Batman interacts with Archie. Batman can often be portrayed as gruff and not exactly a people person. But Pete Tomasi, who beautifully built the relationship between Batman and Damian in his run on Batman and Robin, writes an empathetic Batman, who listens to Archie talk about his late wife Alice and about Archie's time as an usher at the Monarch Theater (the theater from which Bruce's family was leaving on that fateful night). There's a Batman who wants to connect, who wants to hear more about Gotham before its decline, and who wants to hear more about this man. It's a sweet story, one that reminds us that Batman is about helping people, not just beating on criminals. That's a Batman I like.

Giant Days #6
Story: John Allison
Art: Lissa Treiman & Whitney Cogar

Giant Days is the story of three roommates, Susan, Esther, and Daisy, away at college for the first time, their friendship, and the madcap adventures they get into. It's a fun series, with great characters and whimsical plots, which seems to be what the Boom Box! imprint, which also publishes Matt Signal favorite Lumberjanes, specializes in (It also specializes in suckering me into buying limited series that get expanded into ongoings or maxi-series, but since they're great comics, I try not to grumble too much). This issue takes place over the Christmas holiday, and sees Esther and Daisy called by a desperate Susan to come to her hometown and help her as she's gotten into trouble. Not answering her phone, Esther and Daisy grow more worried about Susan, and begin a wild search, from going through clutches of smokers, a joined record/comics store staffed by twins, one a record store hipster, one a comic book guy just to the good side of the Simpsons line. Discovering that Susan ran afoul of Karen Shaw, a member of the town's rough Shaw clan, Esther and Daisy track down McGraw, a school friend with a complicated past with Susan, and they head to the nightclub the Shaw's own to rescue Susan. The story ends with madness on the dance floor, lock picks, and a confrontation on the roof between Susan and Karen Shaw. This is a great issue if you haven't read Giant Days before, as it spotlights the main characters' personalities, as they're thrown into this adventure. Lissa Treiman's art is wonderful, another artist who falls into a category of artists I love, ones who draw really broad and expressive faces, ones that can tell a story almost without the words. This issue marks the halfway point in the twelve issue series, and so it's a great time to dive in and enjoy.

Princeless- Raven: The Pirate Princess #2
Story: Jeremy Whitley
Art: Rosy Higgins & Ted Brandt

The second issue of the spin-off from the amazing all-ages fairy tale re-imagining Princeless starring Raven the Pirate Princess, hits with even more force than the first issue, which is saying something, as I thought the first issue was great. This issue sees Raven trying to gather herself a crew so she can go and find her traitorous brothers and give them what's coming to them. But before that can happen, we get some more time with characters who I feel are going to be important to the series: Dancer/pickpocket/half-elf Sunshine Alexander, Cookie, the pirate and cook who knew Raven as a young girl, and Jayla, Cookie's bookish daughter. Raven was usually scheming, trying to find a way to get her way, when she was in the main Princeless title, so this is one of the few times we've seen her with her guard down. This little domestic scene, as Cookie prepares breakfast is pleasant, and as Cookie gives Raven the advice she needs to gather a pirate crew, we segue to the bar Cookie now owns, as pirates line up to join the crew. Unfortunately, the male pirates are... I'm not sure of the word for it. Basically, everything they say could come out of the worst depths of non-swear laden internet forums, full of misogyny and arrogance, up to the point where one actually says, "not all men..." It's hilarious and a little depressing at the same time. Things look lost until Katherine "Katie" Kling shows up, looking to join Raven. Katie immediately is impressive, tall and strong, but also talking of honor and justice; she has a real Brienne of Tarth vibe going. And after Katie's suggestion of an all female crew appeals to Raven, and they get their first recruit in Sunshine, there is the somewhat expected brawl as the male pirates don't take it well. The fight ends with a little help from Jayla (who will be joining the crew next issue if I'm not at all off base), and so the course is set (pun intended). Raven: the Pirate Princess is just as good as its originating title, filled with the same joy, action, wit, and smarts as Princeless, and it a great addition to the reading list of anyone who's looking for a new take on some old tales.

And now some quick reviews I wasn't able to flesh out in my conference shortened weekend, and Dan Grote's review of the second issue of the relaunched Archie...

Black Canary #3- Bravo Brenden Fletcher. I actually like and am curious to see what happens to Kurt Lance, a character who was a walking plot device in every earlier appearance. Plus, Annie Wu continues to absolutely blow me away with every page. Black Canary is easily my favorite book launched in the post-Convergence DCU.

Book of Death #2- Valiant's event comic continues, with a great fight scene that makes me want to read Ninjak's ongoing, since he is clearly the Batman of the Valiant Universe, and a flashforward that shows you exactly why Gilad the Eternal Warrior is the best.

Secret Six #5- Answers abound in this issue, as we learn why the Six were gathered, what's up with Ralph and Sue Dibny, plus we see some more of Strix and her pet lawn gnome. I'm happy to see that Gail Simone isn't teasing this mystery out too long, and that there's a chance of a happy ending for my favorite comic couple ever.

Star Wars #8- One of the things I've enjoyed about the new Star Wars continuity is watching old things pop up for the first time. This issue reintroduces one of my favorite EU settings, Nar Shaddaa, the Smuggler's Moon. For those of you only familiar with Star Wars movies, picture if Mos Eisley, the wretched hive of scum and villainy, basically covered an entire moon. We see Luke at his most naive, and Han dealing with the fallout of his wife (or is she?), Sana, meeting an increasingly irate Princess Leia. It's a pretty fun book.

Archie #2

Story: Mark Waid

Art: Fiona Staples

Fun fact: Archie Andrews is a world-class klutz who often gets by solely through the herculean efforts of his friends, in the kind of good fortune you can only have when you’re the star of your own comic book.

In the second issue of the adventures of Archie 2.0, Riverdale’s mainest character tries to get a construction job so he can afford to fix up his old beater of a car, since his previous mechanic was his ex-girlfriend.

Archie gets the job and immediately wrecks the work site, despite the best efforts of ancillary characters Dilton, Kevin, et al. He then returns later in the evening to fix the damage, only to completely tear down the frame of soon-to-be-stately Lodge Manor.

The story serves to reintroduce two important characters to the Archieverse: Veronica Lodge and her father, the new richest man in town (social standing is a big part of Archie. Veronica has it, Reggie wants it, Jughead used to have it, and Archie does not).

Fiona Staples draws Veronica exactly how you’d expect her to: as a raven-haired knockout in heels. She doesn’t get any dialogue, just a coquettish giggle, but Archie falls in love at first sight.

But let’s shift focus to the first girl in Archie’s life: Betty Cooper. It’s B’s birthday, and her friends are trying to get her out of her post-Archie funk, and push her into embracing her budding womanhood. This leads to a wonderful montage of Betty awkwardly applying hair extensions, false eyelashes, makeup, heels, teeth-whitening strips and press-on nails, then hating the face she sees in the mirror. Mark Waid’s Betty would rather be playing video games and fixing cars, specifically Archie’s car, which she does – secretly, and in collusion with Archie’s dad – before she finally feels feminine enough to make her grand party entrance. Watch what she wishes for when she blows out the candles.

For historical evidence of Archie’s butterfingers and dumb luck, consult the 1942 backup strip at the end of this book, completely with a handy glossary of dated terms.

In other news, I’m bummed to hear that Fiona Staples is leaving Archie with this issue. Her pencils have been 50 percent of the reason to read the book. That said, Annie Wu (Hawkeye, Black Canary) will be filling in on issue 4, which is about as fine a substitute as you can find.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 7/8

We're going to start off this week with Dan Grote's return to regular reviews, looking at what might be this year's most anticipated reboot...

Archie #1

Story: Mark Waid

Art: Fiona Staples

Fictional teenagers are one of America’s most precious commodities. They are fonts of potential yet somehow more self-actualized than real teenagers. They embody American ideals of physical perfection that put to shame the real thing, which is just a walking bag of hormones programmed to make bad decisions unless its parents tightly control every waking moment of its existence, which generally only backfires anyway. They provide an illusion of hope and order in a time of wanton id.

That’s why shows like Saved by the Bell, Beverly Hills 90210 and The O.C. maintain a place in the cultural conversation years past their expiration. And it’s why Archie will never go away.

The Archie Andrews of Mark Waid and Fiona Staples’ reboot is still the wholesome face of fictional-American teenage life. Perhaps even moreso than the pre-2015 Archie, as he lives in a version of Riverdale where raven-haired part-time lover Veronica Lodge hasn’t even moved to town yet. There’s only ever been one woman in his life – Betty Cooper – and they just broke up. Why? Well, there was something called “the lipstick incident,” but no one will explain what that is – no matter how much food you bribe Jughead with – and all parties agree it’s none of your business.

But because Riverdale High School works on Saved by the Bell logic – Archie talks to camera, there’s an inordinate number of school dances, and life seems to revolve around a core group of kids (God, I wish Jughead had a robot named Kevin) – the students of Riverdale feel it’s their mission to reunite Archie and Betty.

If there’s a lesson to this first issue of Archie, it’s butt out. It’s nobody’s business why Archie and Betty broke up, even in a book where Archie talks directly to the reader. It’s obviously complicated, and the fact that Archie and Betty still speak highly of each other and respect each other as friends and former significant others (“I wish everybody would stop looking for a villain in this,” Betty says at one point) speaks volumes to the quality of their character and to the strength of Mark Waid’s writing.

Waid appears to be at a stage in his career where he can do no wrong. His run on Daredevil was a phenomenal mix of character-driven plot, lighthearted superheroics and occasional detours into horror. This fall, he’ll be taking over the most diverse team of Avengers yet, including Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) and Nova (Sam Alexander).

And I want to live in a world drawn by Fiona Staples. I’ve been in awe of her work on Image’s Saga, the way she can take even the most grotesque concepts – a ghost with its guts hanging out the bottom, a contract killer with a spider’s lower half and thin red slits for eyes, a robot with a retro-futuristic TV set for a head – and make them all beautiful in their own way. And now she’s drawing normal American teenagers! Normal clothing with sags and creases and unironed collars! All races and body types! Even Archie’s dad, playing guitar on the couch in a sweatshirt, khakis and Gold Toe socks, looks like the best version of a balding, paunchy, American dad in his mid to late 40s.

Also shining this issue is Jughead, who though given a reputation for being dimwitted and food-obsessed over the years proves smarter than all the other gossipmongers at Riverdale trying to steer the course of the good ship Bettchie (the portmanteau for Betty and Archie). An ad at the back teases a Jughead solo series this fall written by Chip Zdarsky (Image’s Sex Criminals) and Erica Henderson (Marvel’s The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl). Sounds like another can’t-miss book.

Full disclosure: I never gave a rat’s ass about Archie prior to this reboot. I respected Afterlife with Archie, in which zombies come to Riverdale, but mostly because I love Francesco Francavilla’s covers. I am fully sold on Archie 2.0. Come join me on the bandwagon; the seating is very comfy.

And now on to my reviews of this week's highlights...

Batman #42

Story: Scott Snyder

Art: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, & FCO Plascencia

Jim Gordon's tenure as Batman sure doesn't look like it's going to be getting any easier. In the same way the first issue of this new direction Batman spent time flashing between Batman's fight with a new foe and his decision to become Batman, this issue starts with Jim training before going out, and in the middle of this month's fight flashes to a scene with him and Maggie Sawyer, before returning to him training after the fight. The symmetry if the opening and closing work really well, but it's the middle sequence that really grabbed my attention. Firstly, Greg Capullo draws new commissioner Maggie Sawyer differently than I've seen her drawn before. She's slimmer, with a very thinner face, and I really like it. But in the discussion, we see the first hints of a rift between the GCPD and the new Batman. Sawyer pretty clearly doesn't view Gordon as a cop anymore, but as something cop adjacent, and has no problem pointing out that while he can get the collar, it's the GCPD's place to do that actual legwork. I can't recall how much Maggie's background has changed in the new continuity, but there's a logic to this if it's still pretty much the same. Maggie started out in Metropolis before coming to Gotham, and while she might respect Gordon, she doesn't have the same hero worship that many GCPD officer's like Bullock and Montoya would have for him. It's also an interesting inversion of the Batman/Gordon relationship, where Gordon would privately support Batman while publicly have to disavow any cooperation, while here Maggie has to publicly be gung ho for the new Batman while privately not trusting the program. The main thrust of the issue if Gordon fighting a new villain, Gee Gee Heung, a Triad leader who has been given powers; he's basically Magneto but with silica based things and not metals. This lets Capullo run wild, drawing an incredible fight sequence. Streets and brick buildings become his weapons, become horizontal columns of death, and a giant brick traditional Batman-monster throws down with the armored Gordon. There's a lot of other stuff to like, including the hints of the new big bad, Mr. Bloom and his seeds that grant powers, Jim Gordon proving he's still a detective by deducing Julia "Perry's" previous relationship with Batman, and the opening of the two Batman action figures that also comes back around at the very end as the kids in a shelter discuss who is really Batman, a discussion I'm sure Snyder predicted would be happening in comic stores everywhere.

And it's the shelter that has the big reveal of the issue. As interesting as Mr. Bloom's scheme is, it's the final pages, with a bearded Bruce Wayne working in a shelter with Julie Madison, that has garnered the most attention. Snyder actually seeded Julie at the end of "Zero Year" so it's a good opportunity to pay off that cameo. And there are a lot of questions left here. How did  Bruce escape the Batcave? Does he remember his past? Has he retired? I'll be honest. I am one of the few people who liked the end of The Dark Knight Rises, the fact that Bruce got to retire and move on with his life. But I know this is comics and that will never happen, because these are endless, ouroboros stories. But it's an interesting choice to have, as Snyder said in an interview, "Batman die and Bruce Wayne come back," and I think there's story potential in any of the eventualities, whether it's a choice or amnesia of some kind. Keeping Bruce's presence in the book also  makes the tension different. There's none of the looking for Batman that was tied in with Grant Morrison's death of Batman. No where, just how and when he will return, and Snyder hasn't let me down yet, so I'm in for the ride.

Princeless: Raven- The Pirate Princess #1

Story: Jeremy Whitley

Art: Rosy Higgins & Tod Brandt

The fourth volume of Princeless is in full swing, and with four successful mini-series under his belt, creator Jeremy Whitley, along with the art team from the third mini-series, get the band back together for this spin off featuring that volume's break out character, Raven Xingtao, known as The Black Arrow, the pirate princess. Raven is the heir to the pirate king, whose twin brothers locked her in a tower to claim her inheritance for their own, and after retaking one of the ships that is rightfully hers (granted without its crew) with the help of Adrienne, Princeless's protagonist, at the end of the third volume of Princeless, Raven finds herself in need of a crew and food, so she stops at a city that is populated by pirates and goes out to get a bite. But being this is, to quote a phrase, a wretched hive of scum and villainy, it's not long before she is taken in by a pick pocket con artist, and the chase is one. Rosy Higgins draws a fabulous chase sequence, as Raven and the pick pocket cut through buildings, over roofs, and even go through a stall or two, leading to a hilarious nod to Avatar: The Last Airbender. Higgins fight scenes are some of my favorites in recent memory, with a fluidity to her characters that makes the fights seem almost like dances. And when Raven and Sunshine, the pick pocket, get into a fight with a band of toughs led by a guy called Melancholy Johnny, and there's an unimpressive street name if I ever heard one, they start working together seamlessly, which is a clear set up of them working together in the future, and possibly keeping the romantic tension from Sunshine's distracting kiss. And yes they're both female and this is an all ages book. I think it's cool how little this is played up, no more than if it was a female pickpocket kissing a male hero to distract him. How far we've come as a fan community. The issue ends with Sunshine leading Raven to her place of employment and not getting the result she anticipated, with the introduction of a character who has a past with Raven and isn't trying to kill her, which is a change. Princeless is still one of the top all ages books on the market, full of character, action, and a rollicking adventure plot, and it feels like The Pirate Princess is right in line with that.

Saga #30

Art: Fiona Staples

Story: Brian K. Vaughan

The end of the past few arcs of Saga have pulled away from Marko and Alana, to focus on supporting characters, but this issue is a different beast. As our protagonists have been separated for the length of this story, this is an issue about relationships and about coming together. As Marko makes his way to find his wife and daughter, Alana fights her way out of the Revolution's ship, only to find that Hazel is still inside it with Klara, her grandmother. OK, so if you're reading Saga in trade, here we go with the SPOILER ALERT. The important character beats of the issue show exactly where Marko and Alana are with Hazel gone. Reunited, the stand with Dengo, the robot who kidnapped their daughter, on his knees and vulnerable, but they decide not to kill him. The choice between taking a life or not, between violence and peace, has been central to this title, and one violent act by Marko is what drove them apart some time ago. By choosing the peaceful way, by choosing not to act, the two are drawn together again, and Hazel's narration points out that couple change together or they break up, and it's clear this time apart has gotten our leads to grow into more complimentary people. That's not say Dengo lives. Because Robot IV is still there, and he wants his son back and revenge for that kidnapping, and we see some true tenderness Robot has for his son when he holds him. The opposite of that tenderness is when The Will awakes to find Gwen, Sophie, and Lying Cat waiting for him, only to find out about what it took to heal him. I'd love to see some flashbacks to The Will and The Brand as kids, so we could get a better feel for the roots of their tight familial bond. Dan talked about Fiona Staples's amazing art on Archie above, and I just want to echo it here. the splash of Marko and Alana's reunion might be one of my favorite pages in all of Saga, just so completely full of emotion. And now we enter Saga hiatus again, time for those who trade wait to catch up, and those of us reading in singles to hibernate and wait for the next new issue. Hopefully, I won't go crazy with the wait

Star Wars: Jedi Academy- The Phantom Bully

Story & Art: Jeffrey Brown

I wrote a recommended reading on the Star Wars books of Jeffrey Brown last year, and this past week saw the release of the final volume of his Jedi Academy series, an all ages series that mixes diary entries and comics (ala Diary of a Wimpy Kid) about Padawan Roan Novachez's last year at Jedi Academy middle school. Roan is your typical teen/tween protagonist: good hearted, kind of clumsy, unsure of himself. But this third year looks like it will be great for him. He's learning to be a pilot finally, he's got a good group of friends, and he has a girlfriend, Giana, the smartest girl in school. But his new Jedi Advisor is Mr. Garfield, the monosyllabic Zabrak, who Roan is sure is out to get him. And Cronah, his old bully, is still definitely out to get him. Throughout the book, there's a mix of tween pathos and good lessons for the young ones who will read it about friendship and confidence building (heck, maybe an adult can use that too here or there). We see Roan constantly set upon by Cronah, although Roan can never prove the pranks are Cronah, and he makes it through withe the help of Pasha, his best friend, and Giana, as well as other Padawans. Since it's set a few hundred years before Star Wars continuity as we know it, Yoda is there, as inscrutable and backwards talking as ever. This might be the last book to feature some of the string ties to the EU, which Brown puts in without making someone feel like they're being inundated with Star Wars minutiae, but are fun for those of us in the know. I was also impressed in how he handled Cronah and Cyrus, who were the bully duo in previous volumes. Cyrus reforms throughout this book, clearly trying to be a better guy after he got into serous trouble in the last volume, but Roan isn't fast to trust him, and at the end of the volume, we learn why Cronah has been targeting Roan all along, and it's a really interesting, really human reveal. If you're a Star Wars fan with kids this is a delightful book to share with them, or just a fan who enjoys a fun, light read, The Jedi Academy series is a perfect afternoon's diversion.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 4/22

Beyond Belief #1
Story: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Art: Phil Hester

Who cares what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Me for one, if that evil is spooooky and being investigated by Frank and Sadie Doyle in the pages of Image Comics second series based off the wonderful Thrilling Adventure Hour, Beyond Belief. Beyond Belief is my favorite segment of TAH, starring Paul F Tompkins and Paget Brewster as everyone's favorite married mediums, the Doyles, and as with the other TAH comic, Sparks Nevada, this takes place before the events of the podcast, so no prior knowledge is needed. You get to meet the Doyles, bon vivants and alcohol aficionados, who love nothing more than booze and each other. But their bliss is interrupted when Sadie's best friend, Donna, calls to ask for the Doyles' help, as the house she just bought is haunted. For those who know their TAH, Donna will one day be Donna Henderson, vampire and wife of werewolf Dave Henderson, and mother to the beast of the Apocalypse. But right now, she's just Donna Donner, new homeowner. The Doyles enter the haunted house to find a room full of creepy dolls, ancient spectres, and the ghosts of Mary Ellen Capp and her dead husband, Ted. With the story written by TAH creators Ben Acker and Ben Blacker it's not surprising that the dialogue is spot on; I can hear the actors reading the dialogue in my head. It's funny and with just a hint of creepy, especially the flying evil dolls. Phil Hester does a great job, not just capturing the horror, but also the essence of the Doyles. Frank and Sadie look dapper, dashing, and just a tad drunk, which is the ideal for the Doyles. And as a bonus, this issue also contains the digital first Beyond Belief #0 from the same creative team that tells the story of how Frank and Sadie met! If you've never tried Thrilling Adventure Hour, and like horror and comedy, this is the book to try, and if you're already a fan, well, you know what's in here, so get out and pick it up.

Empire: Uprising #1
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Barry Kitson

I love that no project is ever completely dead in comics is the creators have the passion and the rights (yeah, that last one is a little more problematic, but still...). It's how John Ostrander can return to Grimjack after a decade plus away, how I still hold out hope for Mage: The Hero Denied from Matt Wagner, and how we can get a new Empire story a decade after the last. I've been reading Empire through all of its incarnations, the two issues through Image and then the six from DC, so its new life at IDW is exciting. Empire is the story of a world conquered by Golgoth, a supervillain, and the workings of his inner court; it's like Game of Thrones with supervillains. This issue picks up a year after the end of the last issue, and the reader gets a primer on what has gone before from a schoolteacher talking to her class about world history; we hear her sanitized version of history along with panels showing exactly what Golgoth did to bring about his utopia, which is a nice touch. It's the anniversary of the death of Golgoth's daughter, Princess Delfi, and the world will have a moment of silence. And we quickly see that moment of silence is enforced with lethal force for anyone who breaks it. It's chilling to see that there's no real heart in Golgoth. This isn't the villain who has some kernel of good in him; he's a monster. He is also ridiculously powerful, which is evident as he slaughters a group of resistance fighters who attack during the moment of silence. Attacking in masks of Delfi is creepy enough, but as they cry out "Daddy!" in combat, well. brrrrrr. With the soldiers put down, we see various members of Golgoth's inner circle, and get a feeling for those who surround him. And we see Golgoth change his mind, something that does not go unnoticed by the various villains who serve him. Predators always sense weakness after all. It's a strong set-up for the return to this dystopia, and I'm looking forward to heading back in and seeing exactly who is trying to overthrow Golgoth and what their plans are.

Velvet #10
Story: Ed Brubaker
Art: Steve Epting

One of the numerous impressive things about Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's spy thriller, Velvet, is the way they balance action and plot.Over the course of this arc, Velvet Templeton, on the run from her own agency, ARC-7, has been attempting to find a traitor, and done some things along the way that would indicate to an outside observer she is the traitor, including freeing imprisoned traitor Damian Lake. Well, Damian escaped at the end of last issue, and now Velvet, on a train, is confronted by French authorities. This sets off an issue that is full of intense action, with a fight and flight on the train, through the woods, and to a farmhouse. Epting is at his best in this issue, drawing Velvet making her way through and on top of the train, diving off it, and fighting gendarmes and dogs hunting her through the woods. Brubaker gets to do some nice character work during the chase, especially as Velvet has to fight a dog and does so with reluctance. But as we get to the end of the chase, we see that Damian sold her out to the local ARC-7 office, and we meet the next of our potential traitors, local chief Jean Bellanger. But Damian is up to tricks, and a captured Velvet doesn't remain so as Damian's plan unfolds. The final pages, both Velvet's final scene and the epilogue, set all the gears that have been moving slowly into full speed. There is blood and bodies, and a power vacuum left at issue's end that will need to be filled, and whoever does it is going to want Velvet. It's a nail biter of an ending, one I absolutely didn't see coming and left my jaw on the floor. Velvet is the best spy comic I think I've ever read, adding a modern tilt to the classic James Bond formula. This issue marks the end of the second arc, so it's a perfect time to catch up before the third act begins.



And Dan Grote looks at this week's most talked about comic...

All-New X-Men #40

Story: Brian Michael Bendis

Art: Mahmud Asrar and Rain Beredo

X-Men post-crossover issues are often some of the franchise’s best moments, a chance for creative teams to mold memorable character beats, like Jean Grey proposing to Scott Summers or Jubilee teaching Professor X how to rollerblade. Frankly, I’d be weirded out if Brian Michael Bendis, who wrote many a breakfast scene during his run on the Avengers, couldn’t hack that.

Cards on the table: As someone who has been reading X-comics for more than 20 years, I have no problem whatsoever with Iceman being gay. Let’s be honest, the original five X-Men – five white kids, one of whom was “the girl” – were the Blandest Teens of All. Stan and Jack couldn’t even bother to write origin stories for them; they were just born with powers. Having one of them turn out to be gay at least adds a little spice to the mix. And it’s not like Chuck Austen didn’t toy with the idea during his run on Uncanny, much maligned as it is. And how many stories have there been in which somebody accused Bobby Drake of holding back? Perhaps that wasn’t just about his powers. I guess my only REAL question is: Whatever happened to Opal Tanaka?

I know some have raised issues about the WAY the reveal occurred, with Jean being telepathically invasive and the sort of heteronormative idea that gay people need to “out” themselves whereas straights can just be. I won’t pretend to be an expert in those things, nor should I, but as to the fact of a longtime character being retconned this way, I’m on board. I also really like Jean’s facial expressions and hand gestures in those panels.

All-New X-Men #40 wasn’t just about Bobby and Jean’s heart-to-heart, though. We also get a midair chat between young Angel and X-23. Warren is sporting new wings after the Black Vortex story, a move he says he made deliberately after learning how his adult self was corrupted by Apocalypse and then essentially erased by a Celestial life seed.

The framing scenes set up one last storyline (because Secret Wars) involving a band of mutants protecting Utopia, the X-Men’s old island base. I won’t spoil who they are, because I could only make out two of the six, one of which is an Obscure ’90s Relic.

Also, heh heh, Tyke-lops.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 4/15

Archie Vs. Predator #1
Story: Alex de Campi
Art: Fernando Ruiz

Yes, you read that right: Archie and the kids from Riverdale are now the most dangerous game in Archie Vs. Predator, copublsihed by Dark Horse Comics and Archie Comics. After Jughead wins a contest in a bag of chips, the gang from Riverdale gets to go to the island resort of Los Perdidos on spring break. And while they're there, a ship arrives carrying movie's most legendary alien hunter: The Predator. It's a pretty simple set up, and most of the first issue is taken up by the gang's usual Archie-style adventure: Dilton has to finish layouts for the yearbook, and having not done any of the polls (most popular, most likely to succeed, etc). everyone agrees to help, despite there being only twenty or so kids there of the entire high school. Hey, this is the Archie world and we know only they matter. Cheryl Blossom and her twin brother, Jason, show up, and as the other local rich kids, decide to start instigating fights between Betty and Veronica, simply because Cheryl has it in for Veronica, thus interfering with the "Best Dressed" competition. Sounds about right for a high school hijinks Archie story. right? Well, that would be true if the Predator wasn't watching them in his creepy infrared vision. And if Veronica and Betty didn't get into a full on fight and Veronica broke Betty's nose. And if Betty didn't wander into an ancient temple the Blossoms were talking about looting and inadvertently take an obsidian looking dagger. And if the Predator didn't flay a couple kids. This, ladies and gents, is not Archie Meets Punisher, where the violence level was more akin to an Archie story; this is a Predator story with Archie and his pals & gals in it. As the issue ends, the kids head back to Riverdale with the Predator following.  Fernando Ruiz is one of the masters of the classic Archie house style, and while his Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, et. al. are all spot on, this doesn't mean his Predator looks light and goofy; it's as monstrous as you would expect, and that juxtaposition, of monsters and gore with classic Archie, is what really blows your mind reading this issue. It's fun, crazy, and not the least bit what you'd expect, and that's what makes it all the better. It also earns extra bonus points for a one page back-up strip of Sabrina the Teenage Witch meeting Hellboy, which is excellent, and has some great art from Robert Hack, who is the regular artist on...

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #2
Story: Robert Aguirre-Sacasa
Art: Robert Hack

After a long delay, the second issue of the second Archie Horror title comes out, and it was worth the wait. The first issue of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina set-up Sabrina's status quo in this darker world, establishing her character, as well as those of her aunts, her familiar, Salem, and her friends and nemeses at school. This second issue focuses mostly on her actual enemy, Madam Satan. Madam Satan was the witch Sabrina's father abandoned in favor of Sabrina's mortal mother, and we spend this issue watching her as, recently freed from Gehenna, she cuts a swath through the world, starting her plans for revenge. She initially exacts revenge on Sabrina's parents, but finding that they have a daughter, she begins a deeper, darker game as she arrives at Sabrina's town and works her way into Sabrina's circle. The design on Madam Satan is really creepy, with skulls for eyes, kind of taking the Corinthian from Sandman design for the next level of horror. Robert Hack's style, with it's many lines and heavy shadows, along with the colors, give the book a feeling of a classic horror movie, something akin to Rosemary's Baby, with its creeping dread, so setting the story in 1966 feel appropriate. The time we spend with Sabrina in the issue deals with her trying out for the school play, and we get a great little scene where Sabrina meets with another witch, who just happens to be a famous movie star of the time, but I'll let you find out who that is one your own. After six months, it was a dicey proposition to have your protagonist relegated to being a supporting player in your second issue, but I felt like it worked. Letting the reader really see Madam Satan's motivation, and exactly what she can do, ratchets up the tension, and makes us more worried for Sabrina. I never thought I'd say that Archie was publishing some of the best horror comics on the market, but between this and Afterlife with Archie, that seems to be the case. I just hope it's less than six months before we see the next issue.

The Fox #1
Story: Dean Haspiel & Mark Waid
Art: Dean Haspiel

The Fox mini-series that came out under the brief Red Circle imprint from Archie a year and change ago, "Freak Magnet," was one of the strangest superhero comics I'd read in a long time, and intentionally so. The beginning of the new ongoing from the same creative team is no less strange. Paul Patton, the titular superhero who attracts weirdness to himself, is out on a job as a photojournalist, taking pictures of his home town, that is about to be flooded to make a watershed to help Impact City, where he and his family live. He and his son, Shinji, are taking pictures when a supervillain, Dream Demon, arrives, and Paul must reluctantly don his costume to try to stop her. Only it turns out Paul knows Dream Demon as his childhood sweetheart, Linda, who wants to stop the town from being flooded for nostalgic reasons. It's a very thoughtful story, with Paul's memories shown throughout, and he does his best to stop Linda without actually fighting her. As much as this is a superhero story, it's more a character piece, really letting the reader get into Paul's head and understand him, and setting up his family life, with Shinji and his wife, Mae. It's clear being a superhero isn't what Paul wants to do anymore, but he does it because it's the right thing to do. It's a really enjoyable first issue, and stands so differently from the other Dark Circle superhero title from Archie, Black Hood, that I'm impressed by how hard they're trying to do different things. Just because the line is called Dark Circle doesn't mean everything has to be doom and gloom; The Fox is a very entertaining and fun debut. The end of the issue sets off the "Fox Hunt" that is the title of the arc, and introduces new readers to local mob boss Mister Smile and a group of other supervillains, who have some great designs and a loopy personality or two amongst them. If you picked up "Freak Magnet" or enjoy your superheroes with a little touch of the surreal or with strong character behind the mask, you should definitely try out The Fox.