Recommended Reading for 2/13: Watson and Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is everywhere. Whether it's on TV in Sherlock or Elementary, the big screen with the upcoming Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellen as an aging Sherlock, live on stage at Washington's Arena Stage or Princeton's McCarter Theatre in a new stage adaptation of Baskerville, or in countless books, including a short story in Neil Gaiman's new collection, Trigger Warning, you can always find new material featuring history's greatest detective (with all due deference to a certain pointy eared one). Every version of Holmes that is not directly adapting the original Conan Doyle stories brings something different to Holmes. In the past couple years, a new version in comics has added its own spin on the classic dynamic between Holmes and his partner: Watson and Holmes recasts the duo as African Americans in modern Harlem. And it works really well.

This is a major departure, and there's the usual hand-wringing from certain corners of the internet about political correctness and similar obnoxious buzzwords. But one of the great things about archetypal characters like Watson and Holmes is they work no matter where you drop them. Of course, using African American leads in modern New York leads to all sorts of additional text and subtext to do with race, and the way African Americans interact with the world. The creators make some social commentary, but never to the detriment of the story itself; the story always comes first. But as much a departure as their race is, it's also interesting to see the change in nationality. Both characters are American. Even TV's Elementary, whose Holmes is a much greater departure personality-wise than the one presented here, is British. It removes a sort of classic British stuffiness. Oh, he's still a superior, remote piece of work, but there's something to be said for not imagining him with that British accent that makes him seem all the more different.

But these differences aren't as important as the similarities. because while the changes allow for different kind of stories to be told, the primary things that make a Holmes story a Holmes story are still there. Holmes is still the smartest guy in the room. He still sees the world in a way no one else does. And Watson is still his loyal friend, ready with his trusty pistol to follow Holmes on whatever case he is involved in.

Watson gets top billing in the series, and rightly so. Watson is the narrator of the series, as he narrates the classic Holmes stories, but this isn't the detached narrative of the classic Watson. He is a man of deep passions, a love for his family, and who is haunted by what he can't do as a doctor and by what he has done. Jon Watson (the missing H from the name is not a typo; it is how the character's name is spelled) is an Afghanistan vet of the recent war, as the original Watson was of the Victorian one. Watson's narration does not have that sort of Victorian distance; we are in his head, and we see exactly what he thinks. He is also a big man, and serves as Holmes's muscle at times. There is no doddering Nigel Bruce, or even the more comedic if at times lethal version that Martin Freeman portrays. Jon Watson is an equal partner, and has earned the right to be billed where he is.

While only six issues have been published, we have also seen other classic characters of the Holmes canon appear. Holmes's perennial Scotland Yard contact, Inspector Lestrade, is now Lieutenant Leslie Strode, adding a woman to the usually male dominated world of Holmes, something more and more common in modern retellings. Strode is not the bumbling, dogged detective Lestrade was, but is more competent and confident, and presses Holmes far more than her antecedent did, which is a nice change. We've also seen Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother. Modern retellings of Holmes tend to change Mycroft quite a bit, making him a more physically active character, and I was happy to see that this one kept his girth and somewhat more distant nature.

Only six issues of the series have been released thus far, the first five collected in a trade. The first four make up "A Study in Black," the story that tells of the first meeting between the title characters. Written by Karl Bollers and with art from Rick Leonardi, the story is a well paced mystery involving drugs, conspiracy, and mercenaries. It showcases both the changes and the similarities between the original stories and this new take, with a more active Holmes, but one still wrapped in the world of the mind. There is deduction and detective work, so the story never slips into the territory where action supersedes the detective nature of the story.

While that first story was a fun mystery, with wild action, gun battles, and a high stakes case, issues five and six were what sold me on the series. Issue five, written by Bollers with art by Larry Stroman, which served as an epilogue to the initial story, swings back around and ties up a loose end from the first arc about an infant found in a dumpster. It's a tragedy that is very modern and very urban, something that works well in a modern city, the thing that the London of the original Holmes was just becoming. It's a twisty narrative that pays off with an answer I wouldn't have expected coming in to the issue but one that makes perfect sense with all the evidence laid out before you.

Issue six, written by Brandon Easton and drawn by N. Steven Harris, the final issue to be released as a single issue, was a watershed for the series. It won a ton of awards, including a sweep of many of the major Glyph awards for 2014. It's a story with a social conscience, dealing with sex trafficking and the plight of the transgendered and various social stigmas. When the wife of a city councilman and the likely winner of the New York district attorney race is found murdered, Watson and Holmes are once again dragged deep into a case involving the Russian mob and politics. The twists and turns are even more sharp here, and the issue does some of the best balancing of ever read between delicately addressing an important social issue with maintaining an entertaining story.

The end of last year saw a Kickstarter for a new trade of Watson and Holmes, which I contributed to, collecting issue six along with two other stories, one that will introduce this version's interpretation of Irene Adler. I'm very curious to see that, as Adler has proven possibly the most difficult character in the entire Holmes canon to modernize, and I can't think of one version that works completely for me; she's always either too villainous or too lovestruck by Holmes. I look forward to seeing if the proper balance can be struck here.

I've written about many different comics featuring Sherlock Holmes on this blog, and most run to the more traditional. But Holmes is as relevant in the 21st century as he was in the 19th. Watson and Holmes is a 21st century version of these characters that pays proper homage to what has come before, while still doing new and different things, and that's what makes it worth taking note of.

Watson and Holmes: A Study in Black is available at all good comic shops as well as on-line, both for order through your favorite book store and digitally. When volume two is released, expect to read about it here.

5 Reasons You Should Care About … Monica Rambeau

When I think about Avengers who have gotten a raw deal over the years, Monica Rambeau comes to mind pretty quickly. She’s easily one of the most powerful members the team’s ever had, plus she even led them for a time. But she hasn’t appeared in any iteration of the Avengers cartoons, and there have been no reported plans to incorporate her into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Heck, she’s never even had a codename someone else hasn’t tried to steal. This February, we here at the Matt Signal think it’s time Monica got some lovin’.

The Basics:

Rambeau was created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. and first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 in 1982. Her powers – gained through exposure to extradimensional energy – allow her to convert her body into any form of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum, from electricity to gamma rays.

The Reasons:

1. She’s a better representative of New Orleans than Gambit: Rambeau grew up in N’Awlins and went on to become a member of the city police department’s Harbor Patrol, before she became a superhero. She was later a captain for a shipping company. After Hurricane Katrina, she, Blade, Black Panther, Luke Cage and Dr. Voodoo (Brother Voodoo was Sorcerer Supreme for a time) teamed up to fight vampires in her hometown.

2. She was Captain Marvel for most of the 1980s: Rambeau was the second Marvel character to take the codename of Captain Marvel (not including DC’s Billy Batson). The original captain, Mar-Vell, died of cancer in 1982. Many more Captains Marvel followed, including the original captain’s son, Genis-Vell; his sister, Phylla-Vell; a Skrull imposter; Noh-Varr, aka Marvel Boy; and the current captain, Carol Danvers.

3. She’s had a few other codenames: Rambeau ceded the Captain Marvel name once Genis-Vell began superheroing in the 1990s. She subsequently went by Photon (1996), Pulsar (2005) and Spectrum (2013), her current codename in the book Captain America and the Mighty Avengers. She changed her name from Photon to Pulsar after Genis-Vell decided to change his codename from Captain Marvel to Photon, because the son of Mar-Vell’s powers apparently included the ability to blow up Rambeau’s spot. Additionally, during a post-Heroes Return Avengers story in which the sorceress Morgan Le Fay warps reality, Rambeau ends up doing Le Fay’s bidding under the name Daystar.

4. She once led the Avengers: Rambeau appeared in the original run of Avengers between issues #222 and #347, and was the first female African-American member of the team. In issue #279, she takes over leadership of the team from the Wasp, a reign that lasts until she fries herself touching the ocean while in an electrical state. This happened during a battle with a giant sea beast called Leviathan (There’s that name again!). Monica’s memories of leading Earth’s Mightiest Heroes became a point of annoyance among her teammates in Warren Ellis’ brilliant Nextwave series.

5. She was the Miranda in a Marvel attempt at Sex and the City: Rambeau shared a four-issue Marvel Divas series with Spider-Man ally Black Cat, Golden Age romance-book character-turned-superhero Hellcat, and New Warrior Firestar. Around this time Monica was dating Brother Voodoo and was getting over a crush on Black Panther, who’d recently married the X-Men’s Storm.

Read this: Nextwave, Agents of H.A.T.E. #1-12 by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immomen, in which a group of random heroes (including Boom-Boom, Elsa Bloodstone, Machine Man and “The Captain”) are recruited for a SHIELDish agency run by a man named Dirk Anger (get it?) to stop weird weapons of mass destruction. Also Fin Fang Foom tries to stick Boom-Boom down his pants.

Watch that: Rambeau has never appeared in an animated or live-action Marvel property.


Dan Grote has been a Matt Signal contributor since 2014 and friends with Matt since there were four Supermen and two Psylockes. His two novels, My Evil Twin and I and Of Robots, God and Government, are available on Amazon.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 2/4

American Vampire: Second Cycle #6
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Rafael Albuquerque

After returning from hiatus, it felt like American Vampire went back on hiatus with the massive delays between issues four and five and then five and six. But the wait was worth it. Any comic that opens in 1965 with the Russians retrieving a pod of space monkeys who turn out to be vampire space monkeys is off to the races in the best possible way. There's a lot that happens in this issue, and a lot of information that we finally learn. Firstly, it puts all of the surviving main characters in one place. I don't think an issue of this series has actually featured a meeting between all four of the American Vampires: Skinner Sweet, Pearl Jones, Calvin Poole, and Felicia Book (I know Felicia is a half breed, but close enough for government work). We see there's no love lost between the Vassals of the Morning Star and Skinner who betrayed them in the final arc of volume one. Of course this is a scorpion and the toad kind of thing; Skinner is self-interested at heart, and they should have just killed him because that betrayal was inevitable, Suicide Squad-style bomb or not. But once things settle down a bit, we finally learn the origin of the mysterious Gray Trader, the big bad introduced at the end of volume one, and we realize he is Darth Vader to the Emperor Palpatine of this series. It all ties together in a very cool way, tied in with various world mythologies. Snyder has established that all monsters are simply different breeds of vampire earlier on, and we even get a Gorgon this issue, which is a nice touch to reinforce it before the big reveals later. By issue's end , all the pieces are in place for this arc. We know the stakes, with the Cold War masking a secret supernatural war for the weapon to destroy the Gray Trader's master. We know the weakness of the Trader, so it doesn't pop up like a deus ex machina later. We know what Pearl and the others will have to do, including the infiltration of Area 51 (not said expressly, but when you talk about secret bases in the Nevada desert, that's a gimme). And you meet a vampire elephant. Of course, we are also reminded that Skinner has been touched by the Trader, so, as ever, Skinner is the wild card. I've missed American Vampire, with it's mix of myth, history, and genuine horror. I'm glad it's back, and hope it stays a while.

Saga #25
Art: Fiona Staples
Story: Brian K. Vaughan

And speaking of books returning from hiatus, Saga is back from it's standard between arc break. One of the best things about Saga is it's wide cast, which allows for some very interesting character combinations. The end of last arc has now created the unexpected duo of Marko, father of Hazel, our narrator, and one of the principal protagonists, and Prince Robot IV, the robot who has been hunting Marko since the beginning of the series, as they both hunt for their kidnapped children. Dengo, the robot kidnapper, has left Alana , Hazels's mother, and Klara, her mother-in-law, imprisoned together, and so we really get to see how they have grown together. And we get the really odd combination of The Brand, Pretty Boy, Gwendolyn, Sophie, and Lying Cat, hunting down the semen of beast to cure The Will, and accidentally grabbing a female, and hilarity and chaos ensuing. Beyond the character interactions, though, the opening of this issue feels different than usual. The opening to an issue of Saga is usually a flashback narrated by Hazel, and while this issue is no different, the scope of the flashback is. Instead of discussing some personal moment between characters, it is an examination of the origins of the war between Wreath and Landfall, about what drives people into the army, and what drives the war. It's a thoughtful discussion of the blindness on the homefront that can occur in a long standing conflict, and I feel it's setting up a new element to the series. The issue ends with the introduction of a new faction, one that makes perfect sense in the context of the series, and one that will add even more characters to the epic of the series. Also interesting to note is the inversion of the typical comic book credits, both on the cover and on the title page, with the artist listed before the writer. It's a testament to the marriage between art and story in this series, and how the creators view each other. The letter's page includes a comment that, despite all the new projects both creators are working on, there will be no additional delays or fill ins for the series, because this is a series they are both invested in. That investment shows on every page.

And from Dan Grote...

Ms. Marvel #11

Words by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Adrian Alphona and Ian Herring

Well, we’ve made it. After a year and 11 issues, G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona have capped their first arc on Ms. Marvel. She’s got her origin story, kept her secret identity from loved ones, established a support network (Lockjaw!), teamed up with Wolverine, given an inspiring speech or two and defeated her first villain, only for a loophole to set up his inevitable return around issue #25. She’s earned that cupcake she’s eating on the cover.

Kamala’s establishing arc is paced for the decompressed, trade-waiting age of modern comics. Consider that 50 years ago, by issue 11, Spider-Man had already faced the Chameleon, the Vulture, Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, Dr. Doom, the Lizard, Electro and the Enforcers. While Ms. Marvel may seem slow by comparison, consider how much character work Wilson and Alphona have done in this time. The book has really been more about how Kamala interacts with the people around her – her parents, her Muslim faith, her friends, the teenagers duped into working for the Inventor – as it is about “embiggening” (1 million points for working a classic Simpsons reference back into the popular lexicon, BTW) and punching stuff.

Taken by itself, this issue’s greatest achievement may be the splash page that shows Kamala inside one of the Inventor’s robots, stretched and weaving among the gears, filling tight spaces already inhabited by rats, garbage and what appear to be Christmas lights. Also, for you Easter egg hunters, enjoy spotting references to The Princess Bride, Black Dynamite and bad Japanese-English video game translations.

Next issue sees Kamala dipping another toe into the wider Marvel Universe, meeting up with the sexy-teen version of Loki. Here’s hoping Kamala keeps embiggening and learning along the way.

DC Comics New Series Announcements Make for Some Good News on a Friday.

So, I go onto the internet this morning, and what do I see? A whole slew of new DC titles announced! I'm going to put on hold what I normally would do on Friday so I can gather the list here and comment on the books I'm excited for, which look like quite a few of them. The list has been confirmed over a couple sites, so I feel safe running with it.

Bat-Mite by writer Dan Jurgens and artist Corin Howell

I love Bat-Mite. That might be an unpopular opinion, but when you look at Alan Grant's amusing Dark Mite stories from the 90s, Grant Morrison's darker take from his run on Batman, and Paul Reubens's bonkers portrayal of the character on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, you can see there's potential for something fun in Batman's universe.

Batman Beyond by writer Dan Jurgens and artist Bernard Chang

New 52: Futures End has turned out to be a far better series than I had anticipated, and part of that has been its use of Terry McGinnis. I'm not entirely sold on him interacting with the DCU, but that series has made me curious to see what could happen. I don't know exactly how this series will spin out of Futures End, whether Terry will arrive in the present, still be five years in the future, or back to his own time, and what that will look like, but I'm curious enough to check it out.

Bizzaro by writer Heath Corson and artist Gustavo Duarte

Black Canary by writer Brenden Fletcher and artist Annie Wu

The new run on Batgirl has been very well received, and I've enjoyed it for the most part. Barbara as a modern 20-something wasn't on my list of things to expect, and I was already acting like I was in my 30s in my 20s, so her experience doesn't speak to me as much, but it's smart and well written. The main surprise for me was the surly, grouchy Black Canary as supporting cast member, and how much I like Fletcher and Cloonan's take on her. The idea of Black Canary as the singer in a band is so natural an idea, I'm shocked no one has done it before, and making Black Canary an on the road, rock n roll action superhero comic is brilliant. Annie Wu's art on the Kate Bishop Hawkeye issues were gorgeous and gritty, so I think she's a perfect fit for the title.

Constantine: The Hellblazer by Ming Doyle and Riley Rossmo

I never felt like Constantine worked in DC's house art style, so Riley Rossmo, one of the kings of modern horror/monster/action comics (Proof, Green Wake, Bedlam, Rasputin) drawing Constantine? Sign me up.

Cyborg by writer David L. Walker and artists Ivan Reis and Joe Prado

This one is a long time coming. A Cyborg monthly has felt like a gimme since his addition to the Justice League in the post-Flashpoint world. It feels like DC is really giving this a push, by putting one of it's A-List artists on the book. And getting an African American writer for the title will help with DC's creator diversity issues. I'm not familiar with Walker's work, but I'm willing to see what he'll do with Vic.

Dark Universe by writer James Tynion IV and artist Ming Doyle

Doomed by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Javier Fernandez

Dr. Fate by writer Paul Levitz and artist Sonny Liew

Earth 2: Society by writer Daniel H. Wilson and artist Jorge Jimenez

Green Lantern: Lost Army by Cullen Bunn, Jesus Saiz & Javi Pina

Harley Quinn/Power Girl by writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, with artist Stephane Roux

After the recent team-up arc in Harley's ongoing, this combo is going to be one to watch for sheer madcap joy. They fought supervillains, alien warlords, and each other, as well as performing a burlesque act. What more can they do? Plenty, if Palmiotti and Conner's past stories are any indication.

Justice League 3001 with the same creative team of Keith Giffen and Howard Porter

Justice League of America by writer/artist Brian Hitch

Martian Manhunter by writer Rob Williams and artists Ben Oliver and Paulo Siqueira

I love the Martian Manhunter, I've never hidden that. But I've not warmed to the dark, manipulative Manhunter of the post-Flashpoint world. It seems that, since Superman has been doing the Stranger in a Strange Land thing that was always part of J'onn's character, J'onn has gone darker. There have been some light spots, particularly his relationship with Stargirl (once more proving J'onn is DC's Wolverine, mentoring young heroines), but mostly he's been a mind-wiping mastermind type of character. I don't know if this title will change that, or will simply flesh it out more, but either option is the least a great character like J'onn deserves.

Midnighter by writer Steve Orlando and artist ACO

 Mystic U by writer Alisa Kwitney and artist Mauricet

Omega Men by writer Tom King and artist Barnaby Bagenda

Prez by writer Mark Russell and artist Ben Caldwell 

Thanks to Neil Gaiman's use of the original Prez, a character from a 70s comic about the first teenage president of the USA, in The Sandman, the character is not completely forgotten, and well, it's just so weird an idea I can't resist seeing what the concept will look like so many years after it's initial conception.

Red Hood/Arsenal by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Denis Medri

Robin, Son of Batman by writer/artist Pat Gleason

Taking the place of Batman and Robin, it looks like Damian is getting his own title, along with a giant Bat demon looking thing, and they're in snowy mountains. That sounds good on its own, but when you think about the fact that Talia is out there somewhere near Nanda Parbat, which is in snowy mountains, I expect we'll be seeing some of the threads from the current title followed up and a continued evolution of Damian as a character.

Section Eight by writer Garth Ennis and artist John McCrea

Oh, good lord, I never thought I'd see this! Ennis and McCrea created Section 8 for their run on Hiitman, a team of homeless and insane super heroes, including, but not limited to, Six Pack, who was the world's greatest hero in his own dreams, Dogwelder, who welds dog to his enemies, Defenestrator, who throws people out of windows, and Bueno Excellente, who fights evil with the power of perversion. are some of Ennis's most bizarre creations. Only one things I can say about it... Bueno.

Starfire by writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, with artist Emanuela Lupacchino

Starfire has been a problem character since the dawn of the pre-Flashpoint world, but I think breaking her off from her current Outlaws teammates and letting her have her own adventures in Miami (or somewhere in Florida. Palm trees and old folks make me think Florida) seems like a good chance to let her grow back into a more balanced character. Factor in the funny Harley Quinn writing team of Conner and Palmiotti and Emanuela Lupacchino, whose work on X-Factor I remember fondly, and you have a winning creative team. Also, the new costume is a vast improvement, closer to her animated Teen Titans look. I would have included the little skirt too, but it's more practical than her gravity defying current costume, so I'll take it.

We Are Robin by writer Lee Bermejo and artists Rob Haynes and Khary Randolph

Another brand new title with very little information, I can assume from the image that we're dealing with a group of kids inspired by Robin working together. I'm wondering if this might become the home for Duke Thomas, the future Robin who has appeared as a teenager in the current Batman story. It's interesting to see Rob Haynes return to mainstream comics. 

Of the creative changes to current books, three artist changes and one writer change jumped out at me. Juan Ferreyra, whose art of Colder has been astounding, will be taking over Gotham by Midnight, a perfect fit. Dale Eaglesham, who introduced Gail Simone's Secret Six in the Villains United mini-series, will be taking over as artist on that title, which is great to see, as I feel like he should be a superstar and never quite reaches that point. And Carlos D'Anda, another vastly underrated artist, will be the new artist on New Suicide Squad, a book that has suffered under multiple artists per issue, so hopefully D'Anda can add a nice unified feel to future issues.

The most exciting change is Gene Luen Yang on Superman. Sure, I would have liked more Geoff Johns Superman, but he did his part of setting up a new status quo for Superman in the current DCU. I recently read Yang's Shadow Hero, the origin of the first Chinese super hero, the Green Turtle, and it was such a brilliant mix of action, humor, and myth that I was blown away. I'd been waiting for the right week to do a recommended reading for it, and now it looks like June will be the time, to line up with the release of this new project. I hope he brings out the humanity in the Man of Steel, and does it with as deft a touch as he did in his other work.

So that's what's coming up from DC. I love my DC Comics, always will, and I hope that this breathes a new life into the line. If the creators and titles are any indication, it's going to be an interesting summer.

5 reasons you should care about … Leviathan

“Leviathan is coming.”

“Who?”

“Leviathan”

“The mythical sea beast of the Old Testament?”

“No.”

“The eidolon that crashes the ship in Final Fantasy IV?”

“No.”

“The evil organization from Grant Morrison’s Batman run?”

“No. I mean, yes, it’s an evil organization, but this one’s Marvel.”

“Oh, so it’s like Hydra?”

“Wellllllll…”

The big bad of Marvel’s Agent Carter series has been hinted at as Leviathan, as bespake by the electro-throated men doing its bidding. If you’re like me, you heard the name and thought of all the above examples. But it’s none of those. Here’s what it is.

1. It’s the Cold War Hydra: Just like Hydra was a by-product of Nazi Germany, Leviathan was a by-product of Communist Russia, except most of its members were cryogenically frozen, much like a certain Winter Soldier, which is a great way to explain away how new characters with Cold War roots were supposedly always there and able to still operate in the 21^st century. Apparently, back in the day, SHIELD, Hydra, Leviathan and the Hand used to play war games, but as could be expected, things got out of hand and double-cross-y.

2. It was created by the architect of the Marvel Universe’s destruction: Jonathan Hickman created Leviathan during his run on Secret Warriors, the book about original-recipe Nick Fury’s underground special ops team made up of the children of supervillains. Hickman also wrote the SHIELD series that traced the agency’s origins back to the Egyptian Imhotep in a sort of League of Extraordinary Historical Gentlemen. Hickman can currently be found preparing to smash the multiverse together for this year’s Secret Wars event that may or may not be the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it.

3. One of its members was killed by Bill Paxton: Well, not really, but Magadan, Leviathan’s leader, was assassinated by cybernetically enhanced SHIELD Agent John Garrett, whom Paxton played on the TV show as the eventual big bad of Season 1. Garrett was created by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz for the 1980s Elektra: Assassin miniseries.

4. Nick Fury’s girlfriend was one of its leaders: Among the Leviathan brass was the Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, regular flame of Fury and creation of SHIELD progenitor Jim Steranko. The contessa acted as a mole inside SHIELD and Hydra but was apparently working for the Russian organization the whole time. … except at some point she had been replaced by a Skrull, according to Secret Invasion. Twice.

5. There’s Brood stuff: X-Men fans know the Brood as the Chris Claremont-created Alien ripoffs that like to try to lay their eggs in mutants. Apparently, SHIELD, Hydra, Leviathan and the Hand at one point tried to use Brood technology to create super soldiers (because that’s all any global Marvel organization wants), which is where all the double-crossing comes into play.

Read this: Secret Warriors 1-28 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Castelli

Watch that: Agent Carter, 9 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC.

Dan Grote has been a Matt Signal contributor since 2014 and friends with Matt since there were four Supermen and two Psylockes. His two novels, My Evil Twin and I and Of Robots, God and Government, are available on Amazon.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 1/28 Part 2

Abigail and the Snowman #2
Story & Art: Roger Langridge

Friendship is an important theme in a lot of the all ages work I've read by Roger Langridge. It is a tent pole of the Muppet franchise, was the key theme in Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow, and it's the friendship of the Carpenter and the Prince and Princess that make the selfish Walrus become a better person in Snarked!. Once again, Langridge looks at unconventional friends in Abigail and the Snowman. After befriending the Yeti she dubbed Claude, young Abigail brings the Abominable Snowman only children can see with her to school. When the other kids see Claude, they begin to open up to Abigail. The sad, lonely little girl of the previous issue is happy, something her father notes. Abigail's dad is a wonderful character, loving and doping his best by his daughter while struggling to make ends meet. Of course then men in black from the previous issue are still hunting Claude, but a run in with Abigail's teacher, who will not permit people to wear sunglasses in doors (a little beat set up early in the issue, so when it comes up with the agents it makes perfect sense), has them remove the classes that allow them to see Claude, and we get a series of slapstick moments that are very funny. Langridge has a talent for balancing comedy and character, so we get scenes of Claude snoring away on Abigail's floor balanced with scenes of Abigail's father hustling to get work as an electrician. The happy scene of Abigail, Claude, and her new school friends at Burger Thing for Abigail's birthday is a picture of joy, and is shortly juxtaposed with the appearance of a new threat, a new man called to hunt down Claude who looks considerably more competent than his previous pursuers. It's high stakes without being scary; Langridge knows exactly how far to push the story and keep it all ages. Two issues down means the series is half over, and Abigail and the Snowman is another example that Boom! is publishing the best all ages line of monthly books in comics right now.  And , by the way, boy does Langridge draw an awesome Nessie. If that sentence doesn't pique your interest, I don't know what will.

The Dying & the Dead #1
Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Ryan Bodenheim

Ah, the Jonathan Hickman first issue... I'm a huge fan of Hickman's creator owned works, with both East of West and Manhattan Projects on my list of the best books Image is publishing right now. And Hickman is a master of giving you a first issue that has a ton of story and is loaded with potential. And that's even more clear when he has a first issue that's the size of two issues. The feel in this book is more fantasy than anything I've read by Hickman. While East of West has it's apocalyptic overtones, that fantasy is set in a very science fiction world. Here, we're dealing with a "real" seeming 1969 that has mystical ancient beings, artifacts, and magic sounding words. What I found most interesting about this issue is how it feels more intimate than any Hickman comic I've ever read. His series usually charge out of the gates with these sprawling casts. Here, while we meet quite a few characters, including a legion of identical women whose names all seem to begin with an A (Hickman's own Clone Club?), the mysterious Bah al Sharur, and the pale denizens of the mystic City, the Courier, the Bishop, and his Advisor, this is very much the story of The Colonel. Hickman has addressed this as the last story of the greatest generation, and the Colonel was a war hero of that generation, and is now about to lose his wife to cancer. But he is offered a chance to save her by the Bishop, who he has some past association with, by retrieving a stolen object. This is a classic story, a variation of sorts on Orpheus. This is going to be a series about love and about one man's attempt to save the one thing he loves. A Hickman comic is always full of big, crazy ideas, but this time it's more grounded in statements of what love is and means. Ryan Bodenheim's art fills the world with almost balletic violence, while designing a wonder in The City. A world of conspiracies, artifacts, and magic seems perfectly fit to Hickman's style, and I'm curious to see which direction he takes this new series.

Graveyard Shift #2
Story: Jay Faerber
Art: Fran Bueno

It's hard to find fiction nowadays where the primary purpose of a vampire is to scare you. Thanks to the likes of Anne Rice, Joss Whedon, and Stephanie Meyer, vampires are sex symbols, tortured souls who only need to be loved. And there's nothing wrong with that. I like Lestat and Spike as much as the next genre fan. But I do miss days where vampires were freakin' terrifying. Jay Faerber and Fran Bueno's Graveyard Shift is putting that terror back in vampires. After being attacked by vampires the previous issue, and finding his fiancee has been turned, police officer Liam runs from the collected vampires, dragging Hope along with him. Safe in a mausoleum, the two discuss what they should do next once she comes out of her vampire form. It looks like we're dealing with vampires in the mostly classic sense; they're vulnerable to holy objects as well as the sun. Bueno does a great job of making the vampires scary looking, and the action sequence as Liam and Hope flee the vampires is excellent. As Liam tries to learn more about the case that earned him the dubious honor of the vampires' attention, he tries to figure out what to do with his new status quo with Hope. We're still in the story phase where Liam is up to his neck in questions and doesn't have many answers. Horror has always existed closer to the real world than it's sister genres of science fiction and fantasy because the horrific encroaching on the real is part of what gives the genre its power. The ending of the issue is tragic but not unexpected, as it seems clear that vampires in this world are monsters, but ti's still sad when you realize the repercussions. Faerber is working a slow build this issue, after all of last issue's action. It's not drowning in exposition, but it spends a lot of time setting up the action that the series will climax in, which I think is the way a second chapter should work. It definitely has me hooked to see exactly what Liam is going to do as the vampires close in.

King: Flash Gordon #1
Story: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Art: Lee Ferguson

This week saw the debut of the first two of five titles from Dynamite that will celebrate the centennial of King Syndicate, the company that published many of the great newspaper strips, by creating a universe where these characters will coexist. I've never read many of those classic strips, but with the creators involved in these books, I had to give them a try. Flash Gordon comes from Thrilling Adventure Hour creators Ben Acker and Ben Blacker. Thrilling Adventure Hour is a throwback to classic radio, so it seems appropriate that they're writing something here that hearkens back to another classic form, but with their usual modern take. Acker & Blacker throw you right into the action on this one. There's no exposition to explain who Flash is or exactly who the people around him are, but the story does a good job of getting that across. You get to know Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov, and while Ming the Merciless doesn't have a large role in the action, it's not hard to understand his place as despotic dictator. The issue opens with Flash waking up in Dale's bed after a night of drinking, and him being sure they must have slept together, despite Dale never confirming it, and it's pretty clear there's more there than what is being said, but the joke of Flash just being, :Well, we're together now," is charming. The action of the issue has Flash and Dale infiltrating a mine to get a telestone, the substance that allows Ming's minions and governors to communicate over distance. Of course, things don't go according to plan and soon they're running from robots and Ming's men. Flash is a charming meathead, not stupid but always referencing his sports prowess and being a bit full of himself, while Zarkov is the egotistical jerk he is often portrayed as. If you read the 2014 Flash Gordon Annual, you could tell that Acker and Blacker love Dale from the short featuring her they wrote, and that comes across here, with her as the most together of the trio of heroes.This comic is classic space opera, full of the fun and action you can expect if you know Acker and Blacker's Sparks Nevada, only inverted, with a bit more action than humor. Oh, and at one point, one of the alien princesses says of Flash, "Will you save every one of us?" His response? "I'm just a man." You quote Queen, you've got me sold.

King: The Phantom #1
Story: Brian Clevinger
Art: Brent Schoonover

And the second of these King titles is The Phantom, coming from Atomic Robo co-creator Brian Clevinger. For a character who I only know from cartoons and that Billy Zane movie, I'm suddenly reading two books featuring him (the other from Hermes Press written by Peter David). Clevinger starts out by introducing a new Phantom, and by doing this has a good way to explain the legacy of the character. But the new Phantom is not a member of the family that has long held the name. Lothar Kehwabe is serving as a sort of Phantom regent, seeking out the person who should rightly hold the name. But he's capable, fighting modern pirates and warlords in Africa with the aid of Guran, his tech guy. We learn that Earth was targeted by an alien warlord (no details yet, but I can only assume it's Ming) and tech has been reset to pre-internet levels (think the early 80s). It does make for different story choices, and works well with the throwback feeling of these books. By issue's end, Lothar and Guram have to infiltrate the Vultures, a clan of pirates that numerous previous Phantoms have fought, whose leader has set himself up as a warlord. Along the way, we also meet intrepid reporter Jen Harris, who is also investigating the Vultures. Of course, being an intrepid reporter in comics whose name doesn't rhyme with Dark Trent, she is captured, and looks to be meeting our hero next issue. The comic has all the pulpy feelings you'd expect from The Phantom, action and excitement, something that is right up Clevinger's alley. Like everything Clevinger writes, it's a fun, action packed, engaging comic, and is well worth checking out, even if you don't know anything about The Phantom. This could make you a fan.

Rasputin #4
Story: Alex Grecian
Art: Riley Rossmo

Alex Grecian and Riley Mossmo's historical fantasy about the like of the Mad Monk Rasputin reaches the point where he comes into contact with the Tsarina Alexandra, the moment that sets him down the path that will lead to his eventual... I don't know what exactly. Going to the palace to attend to the ailing prince, Rasputin must prove his abilities by first healing the dog of little Anastasia, an act that costs Rasputin dearly. But Rasputin is a good man, although one literally haunted by his past. and he does it. But the animal nature enters him, and now part of the dog resides in Rasputin, a part that is in the fore for much of the issue. Rasputin snarls, snaps, and eats like a dog, a contrast to the soft spoken monk who we have seen in previous issues. And still, we know his fate is coming, as these scenes are flashbacks told from the moments of Rasputin's betrayal, as he flees after being shot, stabbed, etc/ I never imagined sympathizing with a monster like Rasputin, but the series has done it's job well, fleshing out a character who is historically known to be a vulgar glutton who dealt in the pleasures of the flesh. Riley Rossmo's art on the issue astounded me; his feral Rasputin is a terror. The wild designs as Rasputin using his abilities are aided by the tremendous colors of Ivan Plascenia, who has done impressive work throughout the series. Rasputin is an excellent character study, building a portrait of a man, not a monster.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #4
Story: Erik Burnham & Tom Waltz
Art: Dan Schoening

The crossover of the century ends with a satisfying bang. As Donatello and Egon attempt to get the portal to send the Turtles home ready before the window to get them home closes, the rest of the teams must face the forces of Chi-You, the Chinese ghost/god. It's an issue packed to the gills with action, with possessed people, evil gods, and possibly exploding containment units. Burnham and Waltz again perfectly capture the voices of all the characters. I am really impressed with how they've written Winston of the Ghostbusters. In the movie, Winston was the straight man and the audience proxy, there to ask the questions so the big brains could explain the crazy technobabble, hence his classic, "Tell him about the Twinkie." But over the course of Burnham's run on Ghostbusters, Winston has been given the background as an ex-Marine, and the most steadfast of the Ghostbuisters. As an ex-soldier, he connects with the Turtles on a different level than the others, as one fighting man to another. But the Science Bros of Egon and Don have their own plot, and I like how the two, who spent early issues arguing over the existence of ghosts versus aliens, now come together to save everyone from getting blown up. This series seems to mark the end of the Ghostbusters line from IDW, probably in preparation for a big relaunch around the new movie, and I'm sad to see it go; especially under Burnham and Schoening, a lot was done to really expand the Ghostbusters universe and both flesh out the classic characters and add some new members. But if it has to go, this mini-series was a great send off.


And this week, Dan Grote gives us another book from Image

Bitch Planet #2

Words by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Art by Valentine De Landro, Cris Peter and Clayton Cowles

We’re two issues in to Kelly Sue DeConnick’s women in prison in spaaaaaace tale, and already we’re going for the Hunger Games thing. But I have a sinking feeling we’re not headed for an on-the-nose ripoff.

The administration of the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost (aka Bitch Planet) has extended an offer to inmate Kamau Kogo, the central character, to participate in a series of brutal games called Megaton. She smells a setup from the start, but her fellow inmates try to talk her into it with visions of sabotaging the system, in a great multipanel sequence in which plus-sized inmate Penny Rolle wordlessly starts a riot in the background.

At this point, we don’t have a great handle yet on the individual women of Bitch Planet, but one face that’s already familiar is that of the author herself. The pink hologram that appears in different forms to the inmates is the spitting image of DeConnick, and I get a kick out of it every time, be it dressed as a Catholic nun, a workout instructor, a news anchor or a heretofore unseen member of the Hellfire Club.

We also meet the literal patriarchy that runs the government, headed by a man who insists on being called Father and who believes that pitting us vs. them is what makes a society work.

If you find the misogynist conspiracy in this book a bit overreaching (as if the concept of a prison planet for “noncompliant” women weren’t out there enough), definitely read the backup essays by feminist authors, who do a great job of explaining why the book’s message matters.

Also, the book’s ’60s pulp-movie covers and fake Silver Age comic book ads on the back are perfect works of pop art.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 1/28

Arkham Manor #4
Story: Gerry Duggan
Art: Shawn Crystal

The mystery murderer in Arkham takes a backseat to the menace of the Joker/Clayface monster "Clownface" in the new issue of Arkahm Manor. Batman is still in his identity as inmate Jack Shaw, and has to deal with the Clownface without burning this new identity and without any of his trademark gadgets. I like stories where Batman has to operate on wits alone, and so this speaks to something in me, and having him work with Mr. Freeze makes perfect sense. Gerry Duggan writes a good Freeze, one more in line with the more homicidal and emotional version in the New 52. The issue has much more action than the previous ones, less mystery and more punches, which is fine with me in this case. There are some nice character beats mixed in, with Batman finding one of the crooks he beat pretty badly in issue one, an emotional lapse I was uncomfortable with, and Batman feeling empathy and remorse for that beating this issue worked for me; a Batman who relishes beating on criminals is a step too close to the Punisher in my book. I still think Duggan's Batman could use a little work; as clever as he was in defeating Clownface, I can't picture him not being clever enough to find a way to keep Freeze from escaping, or just shrugging his shoulders and saying that is the lesser of two evils. Batman finds a way to stop both evils. It's what he does. We do get a nice character moment out of Freeze in that moment, though, so I guess it's a writer's choice moment. We also get the escape of Sybil Silverlock, a plot point I see playing out in future issue's of Gotham Academy, so I'm glad to see that plot moving forward, and more on Gotham Academy shortly. The issue ends with both a return to the over arching Arkham killer plot, and hints that Jeremiah Arkham is slipping again. Jeremiah has never been the most stable guy, and if this book was surviving the upcoming DC cull, which it isn't, I could see this playing out further. With only two issues and a special left, it's sad to see this book hitting it's stride, mixing black comedy, superheroics, and a touch of horror, just for it to end. But I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Batman #38
Story: Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
Art: Greg Capullo & Sam Keith

Is there any more I can say about "Endgame" that I haven't in the first few parts to indicate how exciting this story is for me? Well, I guess I'll try. Scott Snyder has built a very nice corner of the Batman universe for himself over the course of his run on this book, and he calls back to it in a story that if it were his last with Batman, would serve as a perfect coda. Joker's plan continues to roll out, and every new step makes it more macabre. Using Jim Gordon as a pawn in his attack on Batman is well within the Joker's usual psychosis, and it delivers the emotional gut punch to Batman, and makes for a perfectly eerie visual that Capullo runs with in a Jokerized Gordon. Getting Julia Pennyworth out of the Batcave and aiding Batman is something I hope we get more of in this story and the future of the Bat books; she's a capable, competent agent, and I like how she plays off Batman. Speaking of capable and competent agents, it was nice to see Batman getting in touch with Dick Grayson; Snyder writes their rapport perfectly, and how he clearly cares about Batman is something I miss. Dick's horror when Batman tells him Joker knows Batman's identity is tangible. Having Batman hunt down the doctor who helped Joker create the new Joker virus is a logical step, and I was a bit shocked to see it was Paul Dekker, better known as Crazy Quilt (OK, probably not better known as anything. Crazy Quilt is about as D-list a villain as you can get). The only connection to his pre-New 52 identity is the quilt he has wrapped around him, one matching the pattern as his old costume. This new version of Dekker is a scientist, one obsessed with immortality, and he continues to propagate the story Gordon discovered and that Julia reinforces with her own research, the the Joker is an immortal. I like how Snyder ties Vandal Savage and Ra's al Ghul together with Joker in this immortality, and creates a single mythological point in the DC Universe where all immortality springs from. Whether or not that's true, though, we'll have to wait and see. And speaking of waiting and seeing, that last page of the main story is a real kicker, and something that ties all of Snyder's run together. For a story where the Joker doesn't appear for more than a few panels, his presence and madness permeate the whole story; like Dracula in Stoker's novel, the Joker doesn't need to be present for him to cast a long shadow. This month's back up is a soldier who was part of the squad injured during "Zero Year" (another nice call back to earlier in the run), who believes Batman is actually a military program of numerous super soldier. As crazy ideas go, it's not the wildest, but the extent to which it's taken is what makes it nuts. And when you're drawing a story from the point of view of someone not quite in touch with reality, there are few artists better than Sam Keith, whose style always seems a bit out of line with reality.

Gotham Academy #4
Story: Becky Cloonan & Brenden Fletcher
Art: Karl Kerschel

The mysteries at Gotham Academy are starting to unfold, and Olive Silverlock is up to her neck in it. After the encounter with something in the North Hall last issue, we start the issue with a shell shocked Olive and her frenemy Pomeline, trying to figure out what they saw. But soon, Olive is called before the headmaster who delivers veiled threats, and we get another cameo from Olive's mysterious benefactor, Bruce Wayne. Olive and her friend/sidekick, Maps (who continues to be my favorite part of the book, this buzzing, energetic geek girl), continue their investigation into the school's mysteries, now focusing on the symbols etched into the stones around the school. Their good cop/bad cop interrogation of outsider kid Eric is charming and hilarious. And as the mystery of ghost of Millie Jane Cobblepot comes to a conclusion, new mysteries open as Olive discovers the secret passages throughout the school. The cast is an ensemble, and while Olive and Maps get the most face time this issue, we still get hints of others. The couple scenes with Pomeline continue to develop her beyond the stereotypical mean girl, and her hipster boyfriend Heathcliff gets a great scene with Olive. It's a testament to Karl Kerschel's skill that Kyle, Olive's sort of ex and Maps's brother, appears in one silent panel and we still get a good impression of what's going on in his head. There's also the matter of the mysterious blonde haired boy who seems to know far more about Olive's lost summer than she does, but we can't expect answers to everything in one issue. We also meet another member of the Academy staff, and it's another wonderful Easter egg for long time Batman fans. Along with Aunt Harriet and Bookworm from the classic 60s Batman series, the matron of the girl's dorm and librarian respectively, we now meet Simon Trent, drama teacher, who was the actor who played Batman's boyhood hero, the Grey Ghost, in Batman: The Animated Series. Speaking of B:TAS, we get an appearance from Killer Croc this issue, whose design is very much reminiscent of the design from the seminal series. It seems answers are coming about Olive's mother as well, but I'm sure that even with those answers, there will be plenty more questions coming up in Gotham Academy. With it's large and diverse cast, it's plots that feel like classic teen mysteries mixed in with Gotham's usual sense of dread, and love letters to classic Batman, this is a book that has all the charms to be a breakout hit.

Gotham by Midnight #3
Story: Ray Fawkes
Art: Ben Templesmith

While the first two issues of Gotham by Midnight were enjoyable, they felt like they suffered from a case of first-issue-itis, a condition where exposition abounds, although they did better about having stuff happen around the exposition, so that was a point in their favor. This third issue, though, feels like a home run, versus the solid grounds rule double of the previous two. With the mystery of what dark is rising in Gotham firmly established, we see Jim Corrigan and his partner called to a Gotham hospital to investigate a girl who seems to be demonstrating signs of smallpox. While this doesn't sound mystical, we soon see the girl has an autonomous shadow, like a very malignant version of Peter Pan's shadow, and that the shadow is what is carrying the disease. I like the new dynamic for Jim Corrigan. I didn't read his appearances in Phantom Stranger, so I don't know if this was established there, but this Corrigan seems much less inclined to let the Spectre, the angel of vengeance he houses, get full reign, something that is understandable if the Spectre is always like he is like when he was released in Batman: Eternal; collateral damage isn't something the Spectre seems to care about. We got some more time with Szandor Tarr, the team's resident scientist, who for some reason jumped out at me as one of those quirky characters I tend to like. The spotlight of this issue falls on Corrigan's partner, Lisa Drake. I liked the flashback's to Sister Justine's past last issue, and I'm glad to see Drake get hers this issue. It looks like we'll be getting flashbacks tied into each issue's A-Plot as a regular occurrence in the style of Lost and Arrow, which I like as a way to get backstory out there without tons of exposition. I didn't see the twist of what Drake is coming, and it's not something I want to spoil in this review, but I also like that she used her brain to defeat the shadow demon and didn't rely on her gift/curse. There are comics like Justice League Dark that are superhero comics with trappings of horror; my problem with early issues of Constantine was that they had that vibe as well, while I thought they should be different. Gotham by Midnight is a horror comic with some superhero aspects just sort of thrown in for flavor. Gotham is a city that lends itself to horror, and now those threatened by the mystical in Gotham have the hero's they deserve.

Harley Quinn #14
Story: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Art: Chad Hardin

There are certain characters that would have an issue titled "A Day in the Life," and would give you exactly what you'd expect. Then there are characters like Harley Quinn, where any day in their life is so screwy you get nothing that you'd expect. Harley's been burning the candle at every end you can imagine between being landlady to a building of bizarre characters while holding down a job as a psychiatrist and one in an illegal roller derby, and this issue all that collides. Between one the exo-suits of the egg man who lives in her building running amok, a broken water heater, reports and patients, and a derby bout, there aren't enough hours in the day for Harley. Oh, and she has her first real date in ages lined up. If you've never read Harley Quinn, this issue does a great job of both throwing you in the deep end and letting you know everything you need to know to get the fullest experience out of this issue. We see Harley in and out of costume, and we see exactly what kind of person she is. The Harley we get from Conner and Palmiotti is much more akin to her classic personality, and less in line with the more deranged version from the recent Suicide Squad series. Harley will chase after muggers who steal from a little old lady, but will still tie up an annoying S&M enthusiast at the nursing home she works at, and then save the life of another old lady whose oxygen tank was stolen, the latest in a series of thefts at the nursing home that are a plot point that seems to be building towards something. And she is still haunted by her past with the Joker, as we see from her nightmares. By issue's end, everything has gone completely wrong: she missed her bout, lost her date, and still has problems at her homestead. This is all done with a ton of humor, something artist Chad Hardin captures beautifully. If Amanda Conner herself can't be drawing this comic, Hardin is an excellent choice. If you're looking for a madcap comedy that is deeply comedy driven, you should definitely be reading Harley Quinn, and this is a great jumping on point.

Multiversity Guidebook #1
Story: Grant Morrison
Art: Various

Grant Morrison is a writer who can take something simple and twist it around into something you don't expect. Here, he take the typical guidebook and crafts a narrative comic around it, creating stories within stories in the way the readers have come to expect out of Morrison. More akin to DCs Secret Files and Origins of the 90s, this isn't simply pages after page of each of the fifty two universes, although that's in here too. It mixes the narrative around Earths- 42, 51, and the comic books that tie the worlds together. Earth-42 is the home of the Little League, childlike versions of the DC heroes, and ones who are attacked by the legion of Sivanas from the previous Multiversity story, "Thunderworld," before the Batman of the radioactive Earth-17 arrives on his grail hunt. Morrison makes the Atomic Knights of that dystopian world more akin to the Knights of the Round Table, which is one of those Morrisonian tropes that seems perfectly logical when you read it. Pretty soon Li'l Batman has opened a comic that gives him a view of Earth-51, the Jack Kirby Earth created out of the end of Final Crisis, where Kamandi finds caves that have a history of the multiverse on them. This elegant bit of story lays out how all the Crises that have affected DC continuity exist in one continuum, a love letter to DC history. We do get the breakdown of the 52 Earths (or 45, as seven are mystery Earths), and the issue ends with the more details of the menace of the Gentry and the Empty Hand that they serve. The Empty Hand is something DC fans can recognize from the past, as nearly everything in this issue nods to past stories. Morrison loves DC Comics, loves it's history, and this series is him telling us why. Mix in Marcus To's art on the top level Batmans narrative, Paolo Siqueira's on the Kamandi narrative, and a murderers'  row of artists on the guidebook pages, you have a comic that speaks to everything we love about superhero comics.

The Unwritten: Apocalypse #12
Story: Mike Carey
Art: Peter Gross

Bidding goodbye to a long-running series you've been reading since the beginning is a part of being a comic book fan. I've done it before, and I'll do it again. But The Unwritten is a special case. It's a book I went into super psyched for, and came out of even more psyched for. There was never a lag, never a wasted moment. This final issue ties up the story in a neat bow without seeming pat. The way that all the worlds are saved, how Leviathan (the great beast of story, not the DC terrorist organization or the Marvel Cold War Soviet Hydra-analogue) is healed, it's all a perfect, elegant solution that stared you right in the face from issue one of the current volume but only on second reading. It's a tragic ending, like most endings to long term Vertigo series are, but every character gets the end they deserve, or have earned. A heroic death for a man who never viewed himself as a hero is a good death. And some characters have learned something about themselves. I will say the Pauly Bruckner gets to return to Willowbrook Wood, and Wilson Taylor, like Roland Deschain at the end of Stephen King's Dark Tower, sets out on a journey he's made before in a way he never would have before the last journey. Tommy does finally face down Pullman and Madame Rausch, the (pun intended) puppet master behind everything that has gone before. And we get to see the fates of pretty much every important character from the book's long history. More than any other comic, this final issue is appropriately meta, and if you've read the series, you know that is a high complement.  I'm planning a longer retrospective piece on The Unwritten timed to post around the time the final trade is released, and this isn't an issue new readers can just jump into, but take it from me, this is a comic that is well worth the time to read.