Looking Forward: Comics, Books, and TV To Be Excited For In 2015

Welcome back to The Matt Signal! As I did in previous years, instead of looking back and doing a "Best of the Last Year," I'm going to do a, "Things that I Really Want to See for This Year." It looks like there's a lot of great comics coming out next year, so, without further ado, here we go!


Glen Weldon's The Caped Crusade: The Rise of Batman and the Triumph of Nerd Culture

If you've never read Glen Weldon, he writes for NPR on books and comic books, and a couple years ago wrote Superman: The Unauthorized Biography, a great book about Superman's history. For this year, he's moving on to Batman. Now, you know anything Batman has me excited, and this past year for the 75th Anniversary we got the beautiful Batman: A Visual History from DK Publishing, but that book is a comic book history of Batman. Weldon is going to be looking at Batman's history in pop culture, from the comics, to the Batmania of the 60s, to Burton in 89, to present. Weldon is a witty guy, and someone who loves comics and Batman, so if I'm not going to be writing this book, I'm glad to see that Weldon will be.

Convergence Tie-Ins

Now, I'm not sure about Convergence proper; I don't know if I know enough about it to pass any judgement. But some of these tie-ins? Yes, please! Greg Rucka and Cully Hamner returning to the Rene Montoya Question is a no-brainer, made even better by Rucka writing Two-Face again. Gail Simone writing Oracle is exciting, and the fact that Nightwing co-stars is even better. I think Doc Shaner might have been born to draw Shazam's retro-world, if his work on the recent Flash Gordon series is any indication. Len Wein returning to Swamp Thing is very cool, and bringing Kelly Jones, who drew an amazing Swamp Thing during his run on Batman makes it all the better. And Booster Gold is back. These are total fangasm books for me, and you know what? I'm ok with that.

Fables #150

I've been reading Fables since issue #1. It's not the first longform Vertigo series I read, and it won't be the last, but for it's sheer scope and length, I would be impressed. The quality has been consistent since issue one. And ending the run with a one hundred fifty page issue? That's impressive in a whole new way. I am excited to say goodbye to all these old friends, and see where they're going.

Thrilling Adventure Hour comes to Image Comics

Because a weekly podcast isn't enough for it's rabid fans, creators Ben Acker and Ben Blacker are doing to series based on characters from their fan favorite, "new time podcast in the style of old time radio." It's a mix of comedy and action, bending genres together in new and exceedingly bizarre ways that never fails to surprise and delight. In February, we get Sparks Nevada, Marshall on Mars, a sci-fi Western with a touch of soap opera, about a lawman on the rights the outlaw wrongs on Mars with his Martian companion in a classic odd couple partner situation, and March sees the release of Beyond Belief, about those married mediums Frank and Sadie Doyle, who will drink you under the table, all while correcting your grammar and stopping demons, vampires, werewolves, and anything that goes bump. I reviewed the digital zero issues of the series earlier this year, and I will keep talking about it until everyone is listening to the podcast and reading the comics.

Princeless: The Pirate Princess

Readers got their first taste of this series in the Free Comic Book Day Princeless story in 2013, so it's been a year and a half since the last Princeless story featuring the main cast. Still, good things come to those who wait, and the story of Princess Adrienne, who decides to stop waiting for a prince and saver herself and her sisters, and her companions Bedelia, who is a dwarf but not the short kind, and Sparky, her dragon, is still one of the best all ages comics of the past five years, twisting genre stereotypes. This volume adds a new character to the cast, the titular Pirate Princess, who is going to bring her own problems on top of the knights pursuing Adrienne on her quest. It's a series to share with everyone, and I'm glad to see it back.

A.K.A. Jessica Jones

There's been an increase in quality comic book based TV this season, and there's more on the way. And while I'm a long time and confirmed Daredevil fan, the Marvel series from Netflix I'm really looking forward to is A.K.A. Jessica Jones, the adaptation of Alias, Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos's MAX series, the story of a former superhero turned private investigator. If it approaches the original, it will have a grotty noir vibe that will mix nicely with the superhero aspects of the show, and I'm a sucker for mystery and p.i. stories. The series is starring Krysten Ritter, who I've liked since her turn on Veronica Mars, and between that and her performance on Breaking Bad, I think she can capture the brittleness of Jessica, a character who starts the series just on the right side of complete collapse, and can also show the toughness underlying that. And since the show is on Netflix, I hope they can at least keep a bit of Jessica's trademark swearing. I miss Jessica cursing every third word like she did when she was introduced, something that had to be sacrificed when she moved into the Marvel Universe proper. I know Marvel is going to keep it a little cleaner, since it is an MCU property, but if there's any project that can have an edge, I think this is the one.

Gamora

Every character from Guardians of the Galaxy got a big spotlight shone on them this summer, and while Star Lord, Rocket, and Groot were the breakout characters, Gamora is the character I have the longest history with, and the most affection for, and so knowing we're getting a Gamora ongoing this year has piqued my interest. This has a lot going for it in the current Marvel landscape, with the success of so many other female lead books and the heightened focus on the cosmic corner of the universe. The series is going to be written by Nicole Perlman, who co-wrote the screenplay for a certain Marvel movie this summer, so she has some history with Gamora. Perlman says that the series will reveal more about Gamora's history, about why she decided to leave the service of Thanos, and seems to be deeply entrenched in the cosmic Marvel Universe I grew up with. The series looks to dig into the psyche of Gamora, a character who was given plenty of layers by Jim Starlin, her creator, so I'm curious to see which layers Perlman is going to unwrap.

Our Expanding Universe, a new graphic novel from Alex Robinson

OK, first thing I have to admit is I know next to nothing about this project except for that name and the creator. But that's really enough. Alex Robinson doesn't release a ton of work, but when he does, it's always outstanding. Box Office Poison, his first major work, a comic series about growing up in your twenties, was the first truly independent comic I ever read; it was black and white! It was also full of characters I recognized, characters I wanted to be, and characters I wanted to flee from, but they were all real people. It's an underrated classic, something that belongs in the same breath as books like Blankets. Since completing that book, Robinson has released two graphic novels, Tricked and Too Cool to be Forgotten, both smart and affecting stories. New work from a cartoonist of Robinson's caliber is something to be excited about. Now, Robinson's publisher is Top Shelf, which it was announced today was purchased by IDW, but the announcement doesn't indicate any changes to their publishing schedules, so I hope that means we'll still get this book in our hands this year.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesdays 12/24 & 12/31

Abigail and the Snowman #1
Story & Art: Roger Langridge

If you haven't picked it up from the things I've written about The Muppet Show Comic Book, Snarked!, and The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow, I love the work of Roger Langridge. The fact that BOOM! Studios chose the first issue of his new project, the all ages Abigail and the Snowman, to be their skip week end of year book made me happy, because it meant that, due to the limited field of what was released, the book got a higher profile than it might have gotten otherwise. Abigail is a lonely girl who just moved to a new town, hasn't made any friends, has a dad who's a bit clumsy, and has a vivid imagination. She's sweet and funny, and has her own imaginary dog. And then, one day, playing alone at the park, she meets a Yeti. The Yeti escaped from a government lab, and has the power to cloud men's minds, so no adult can see him. However, kids can, and he and Abigail become fast friends. The government agents, guys who you could easily see working in spy stories like Get Smart, are pursuing the Yeti, so now the race is on for Abigail to protect her friend. The Yeti, by the way, is not your Harry and the Hendersons cryptid, but is intelligent and well spoken. The set up for the book is charming, as would be expected from Langridge. The characters are all lovable, and I think many comic readers will feel a kinship to Abigail, with her wild imagination. The set up is simple and elegant, and let's Langridge play with character, something he is a master of in these all ages stories. His art is second to none, and his design for the Yeti is wonderful, making him expressive without losing the fact that he's, well, a Yeti. Abigail and the Snowman was a perfect comic to start 2015 with, something that glows with fun, joy, and promise. I'm crossing my fingers for the series to go over well enough to earn some more issues, like Lumberjanes did, or at least a sequel. More Langridge is always a good thing.

Graveyard Shift #1
Story: Jay Faerber
Art: Fran Bueno

I'm calling it right now: there is no genre Jay Faerber can't write. Between his current space western, Copperhead, his crime series Near Death, and his superhero series Noble Causes and Dynamo 5, Faerber has written some great comics. Graveyard Shift is a classic horror story, about a police raid gone wrong. After a suspect is seemingly killed in a raid, the police officers who were on the raid are murdered all in one night. Liam, the last remaining member of the squad, is having dinner with Hope, his fiancee, when a knock at the door admits... vampires. The fight is dirty and brutal, leaving a fire,a wounded Liam, and a dead Hope. But Hope was bitten, and upon visiting her grave, Liam sees more of the darkness that is hiding in the world. There's a lot to like in this comic, with it's well written characters, and dark, moody art. One of the things that really grabbed me is how old school this feels when it comes to its horror. In the essay at the back, Faerber talks about his influences, and you can see the classic monster movie feel. These aren't Joss Whedon witty vampires, or Twilight sparkly ones. Nope, these are monsters in the sense of your best 80s horror movie, Fright Night, Lost Boys, or Near Dark. Fran Bueno adds to the atmosphere with art that makes the monsters look good and scary. Liam is a likable protagonist, and spending time with him and Hope in their home life makes the horror all the more real when it happens, and I'm curious to see where he goes in the rest of the series, whether he becomes the grim avenger or is partnered with a classic vampire hunter (or maybe the Frog Brothers. It could be them). So many horror comics have a modern feel, are trying to do something different, which is great, don't get me wrong.  But Graveyard Shift takes the classic horror tropes and runs with them, crafting a scary narrative that follows all the old rules and still feels fresh.

And from Dan Grote...

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

Story: Mark Waid

Art: Carlos Pacheco, Mariano Taibo and Dono Almara

Marvel’s newest book may have been “inspired by the hit TV series,” but it reads more like a love letter to the Phil Coulson of the first Avengers movie, the one who gushed about his Captain America trading cards and became a rallying point for the heroes upon his (quickly reversed) death.

In S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson’s title is “Special Ops Supreme Commander.” And while he doesn’t wear a metal faceplate or a blue bag over his head, he does appear to have access to every superhero in the Marvel Universe.

And he knows how to use them, a skill honed through a childhood of figuring out which superheroes could beat whom in a fight, or memorizing the X-Men in the order in which they joined. “Remind me to tell you sometime how Quicksilver could kill the Hulk if he wanted to,” he tells Agent May at one point.

That right-tool-for-the-job approach has Coulson throwing tanks like the Hulk and Hyperion at fire demons, Valkyrie and the Black Knight (nice to see you again after MI13, Dane) at a MacGuffin-empowered, sword-wielding Mideast terrorist and the Vision at a possessed Heimdall.

Coulson’s relationship with the heroes is downright rosy compared with the way other high-ranking SHIELDers have interacted with the capes-and-tights set. We’ve been subjected to years of Nick Fury standing in a corner chomping a cigar looking like his secrets have secrets, and about a decade of Maria Hill getting in good guys’ faces wagging her finger and saying, “I don’t like you, I don’t trust you, etc.” Coulson plays poker with these guys, but he also has their tells memorized.

Agents May, Fitz and Simmons make their 616 debuts in the book, but the big missing TV agent – Skye – is glaringly obvious. If you’ve seen the mid-season finale of the show, you know working Skye back into the comics is going to be tricky, and I’m curious to see how Mark Waid and company handle it. That said, this book is already the best attempt I’ve seen at cramming Coulson into the comics.

The Strike File Strike File

I had started on Stryfe’s Strike File as an entry for the Advent Calendar, but after nearly doubling the 250-word limit I had set for myself on Advent entries, I realized it required further study, and additional jokes.

The X-books were obsessed with G.I. Joe-esque character profiles for a while in the early ’90s. They filled the back pages of issues of X-Factor and X-Force, and finally got a full book of their own at the end of the "X-Cutioner’s Song" crossover, written by the man in the spiky metal costume himself (through his servants Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza) and full of melodramatic screeds and portents of plotlines yet to be abandoned.

At 13, I pored over this book ceaselessly, looking for clues to the future. At 34, I read passages like “So do I love you or hate you? Do I nurse at your breast or do I tear at your throat? Do I look for you, if I survive the final curse of my mad song?” and chuckle while shaking my head.

Among the events and new characters the one-shot foretold:

-Colossus’ defection to the Acolytes

-Illyana’s death from the Legacy virus

-Graydon Creed, though it’s pretty much spelled out that his dad is Sabertooth.

-Threnody, who would appear months later in X-Men #27 as a pawn of Mr. Sinister.

-Sienna Blaze, who would later get shunted into the Malibu universe.

-A sketch by Larry Stroman that hinted at the coming of Revanche, aka The Other Psylocke, a confusing storyline that served as my introduction to the X-Men comics.

Other things worth noting:

-“Collectable” is misspelled on the cover

-It miscounts the number of Upstarts: Under a listing for Graydon Creed, they are called a quartet. In fact, not including their referee, the Gamesmaster, the Upstarts included Fabian Cortez, Graydon Creed, Trevor Fitzroy, Shinobi Shaw, Sienna Blaze and the Fenris twins.

-Gideon is referred to as the “Ziggy Stardust of the corporate boardroom,” which may be my favorite phrase in the whole book.

-Cannonball is foretold to be a major leader of mutantkind, which, as I wrote about during the Advent Calendar, hasn’t quite panned out 20 years later.

-It introduces Holocaust, but an exoskeleton-less version of the character, who would not actually appear in the comics for two years, and then in the Age of Apocalypse reality, though he would eventually cross over. Stryfe’s file on the character is all questions and vagaries, as if the writers themselves were like, “Yeah, somebody did a sketch of this guy, and we’ll probably use him, but we don’t actually know anything about him yet.”

The writing itself is exceedingly melodramatic. Of course, Stryfe had just spent the entire "X-Cutioner’s Song" ranting and raving and giving verbose speeches, so it’s not like it was out of character. But it made me yearn for the Stryfe of the Askani’Son limited series from 1995, when Scott Lobdell and Jeph Loeb wrote the Chaos Bringer as more of a young Joker.

The framing device for the issue is that Xavier finds a computer disk with the files on it at Stryfe’s base on the moon. Xavier looks through all the files, decides information about the near future would make Scott and Jean’s fragile hearts explode, and erases the disk. It wouldn’t be long before he ended up doing the same thing to Magneto …

… which is ironic, because of all the 1993 plotlines he foretold, Stryfe completely misses the climactic event of the biggest X-story of the year to come. Because Stryfe actually believes he killed Xavier during the "X-Cutioner’s Song" and that Magneto died on Asteroid M back in 1991. What a dummy.

Earlier “strike files” in X-Factor and X-Force featured the private files of Apocalypse and Cable, respectively.

Apocalypse’s “Manifesto” files ran in X-Factor #65 and #66 and featured portentous ramblings on the five members of the team, which were then the original five X-Men. Though X-Factor was written by Chris Claremont and Whilce Portacio at the time, Nicieza wrote the Apocalypse files, and you can see the same love and care went into writing these as did the Stryfe files, when he calls Archangel “The birth spawn of my soul, if not my loins.” Great, now I have to picture Apocalypse’s Apoca-loins!

Cyclops’ file reminds readers he is one of The Twelve, “the archetype beings that will one day save or damn mutantkind.” This refers to a comment made by the Master Mold waaaaay back in the series’ early days. The Twelve subplot would lie largely dormant for nearly an entire decade before coming to the fore in a year-2000 X-Men crossover about Apocalypse attempting to siphon the mutants’ powers to achieve omnipotence. The rest of The Twelve were Xavier, Magneto, Jean Grey, Iceman, Polaris, Sunfire, Storm, Cable, Bishop and, fresh from obscurity, Mikhail Rasputin and the Living Monolith. Nate Grey was additionally revealed as The Thirteenth, intended to provide Apoc with a new body.

There was one neat moment of most-likely-unplanned foresight in Apocalypse’s files. Of Beast, he writes, “If not for the rape of will performed by Xavier, Hank could have been a son of my own heart, my own pain, my own fears.” This perfectly vaguely describes the so-called Dark Beast of the Age of Apocalypse, who would not meet the page for almost four years.

Cable’s files, which appeared in X-Force #1, featured then-new characters Deadpool, Feral, Shatterstar and G.W. Bridge, and, according to Comic Book Legends Revealed, were apparently a cheap way to cram Deadpool into the issue without actually including him in the story.

Of the walking cat with Bride of Frankenstein hair known as Feral, Cable writes: “Feral will sit on your lap, purring for attention one second, and just as easily kill a passing bird and drop it at your feet for approval the next.” Also, she hates Mondays and there is video of her playing a keyboard on the Internet.

Another one-shot character guide was published during the Age of Apocalypse, in which En Sabah Nur separated the alternate reality’s major players into categories of Chosen and Forgotten. Despite being a proponent of survival of the fittest, there were more Chosen than Forgotten. This one doesn’t work as a vague prognosticator of the future, however, as this version of Earth was meant to go away with the storyline in just a couple months’ time. But hey, it’s nice to know there’s a world where characters like Wild Child, Abyss, Mikhail Rasputin and Aurora are elevated to stations of importance.

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.

The Matt Signal Advent Calendar 2014 Day 24: Atomic Robo Free Comic Book Day Special 2009

Atomic Robo Free Comic Book Day Special 2009, May 2009

One of the best parts of Free Comic Book Day is discovering new comics. And in 2009, I was reading through the stack of free comics, and one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

I had seen Atomic Robo on the racks, and it looked neat, but we had sold out of issue one, and so I figured I'd get the trade. And I am as guilty as anyone; trade waiting becomes hoping you remember to get the trade when it eventually does come out to forgetting. And so I forgot. But when you have that ideal free price, it reminds you about your curiosity.

Atomic Robo is everything I love in comics. It's smart, it's clever, it neither takes itself too seriously, nor does it treat everything like it's a big joke. It perfectly blends humor and action. Robo is an amazing protagonist, and this first issue spotlighted his brains and sense of humor. Not to mention the sense of wonder that infuses everything in Robo's world, how amazing things are around every corner. And it also introduced Dr. Dinosaur. The only affection in my life that has lasted longer than my loves of comics is my love of dinosaurs, so a mad scientist raptor was too good a concept for me to articulate.

I saved this one for last specifically because my first real, full post on this very blog was a recommended reading for Atomic Robo. It was to comics what I wanted this blog to be for comic book blogs: full of the joy of comics.

With that, ladies and gents, it is Christmas Eve, and so I am off to spend the rest of this week with family and friends. Have a merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it, and I hope you're back next year for more of The Matt Signal. I have some exciting plans for 2015, and I hope you'll be here for them.

The Matt Signal Advent Calendar 2014 Day 23: X-Factor #87

X-Factor #87, February 1993

The X-Men had the heavy hitters, your Wolverines and Storms and Rogues. X-Force were the hip new extreme strike force led by a white-haired commando from the future who carried big guns and wore even bigger metal shoulder pads.

X-Factor had Cyclops‘s brother, Magneto’s son, and guys named Strong Guy and Multiple Man.

But that’s the magic of Peter David, who has spent the better part of 23 years collecting misfit mutants under the X-Factor banner and making people care about them. And perhaps the best early example of this is X-Factor #87, the “X-aminations” issue in which the team is checked out by Doc Samson, personal gamma-powered, green-ponytailed shrink to the Incredible Hulk, who was also written by David at the time.

It is in this issue we learn that Wolfsbane yearns for a kindly authority figure, Quicksilver sees everyone as slow and aggravating due to his super-speed, Polaris has body-image issues, Strong Guy is in constant pain due to his mutant power but doesn’t want anyone to see it, Jamie Madrox can’t stand to be alone, and Havok is constantly afraid he won’t measure up as a team leader, especially to his brother. Also, Val Cooper, their government handler, is completely oblivious to all of it.

Also, dig that crazy opening splash page, in which Wolfsbane and X-Force’s Feral are drawn as then-Nickelodeon sensations Ren and Stimpy. The penciler of this issue was some kid named Joe Quesada, whom I’m sure was never heard from again.

The Matt Signal Advent Calendar 2014 Day 22: The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes

The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes

Aside from Sandman: Overture, I haven't written much about Sandman on this blog. Frankly, if you haven't read Sandman and you're reading a comics blog, the odds are you don't need me evangelizing. You either just haven't gotten to it, or it's not your thing. But if I'm writing about the specific comics that have affected me, this one ranks in the top three.

The summer before going away to college, I had a job that paid me well enough that I was able to indulge my comic habit a bit more liberally. One light week, I bought Watchmen, and I finally understood what all the hub-bub was about. And around the same time, Grant Morrison wrote a two part story in JLA featuring Daniel, the new incarnation of Dream of the Endless. So having touched on Sandman in my regular comics, and having read my first really mature comic, I decided it was time to try Sandman. I had read all about it, how smart it was, how it featured mythology and literature (two things I love); my main concern was it wouldn't live up to the hype. So the last Wednesday in July of 1998 was a fifth week, so my stack was light, and I added the first volume to my stack. I got home, and decided to break my normal reading order and start Preludes and Nocturnes. And I was done for from that moment.

Sandman was everything I had heard and more. That one trade stretches the gamut of genre from horror to fantasy to action to a melancholy philosophy. I met Dream, Death, Lucien, Cain & Abel, Lucifer Morningstar, and John Constantine (who guest starred from over in his own book, Hellblazer). "24 Hours" gave me the same chills Stephen King's novels do. "The Sound of Her Wings" made me think about mortality, yet not in a fearful way. And "Hope in Hell" was a story of demons that was my first taste of Gaiman's unique brand of mythology. I had a new favorite author pretty much from the get go. Since then, I've met Gaiman a handful of times. I met my wife because we were both fans of Gaiman. And I had my eyes fully opened to exactly what comics and graphic novels could be. Season of Mists is my favorite Sandman story, but Preludes and Nocturnes is the one that started it all.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 12/17

Batman #37
Story: Scott Snyder/James Tynion IV
Art: Greg Capullo/John McCrea

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Joker story, "Endgame," takes a decidedly creepy turn this issue. Not to say that the work these creators have done with Batman's greatest foe has been pure comedy at any point, but this issue was that ratcheted up the tension and added a very horror movie feel to this clash. The opening splash page, of a frozen Bruce Wayne staring out of the page at the reader begins the issue with a sense of distinct unease. Once Bruce comes out of the paralysis from Joker's drug, we begin to see just how dire the situation is, with a new strain of aerosolized Joker toxin turning Gotham into a city of madness. And none of Batman's old cures are working. Batman has over one hundred cures devised for Joker toxin. If you think about the New 52 timeline, that's over ten cures a year, meaning either Joker gets out of Arkham even more than you'd think, or Batman spends a lot of time coming up with possible cures; maybe Joker isn't the only one a little obsessed with his rival. With no cure, Batman must head to Gotham Presbyterian Hospital to find the first infected person. The journey is the issue's action peace, as Batman fights his way through a hospital filled with people corrupted by Joker. And when he finds patient zero, well, if there was any doubt about whether Joker knows Batman's secret identity, it's gone now. Snyder brings Duke Thomas, the kid who has been popping up in his run (and was Robin in the possible future from Batman & Robin: Futures End) , as Joker gives Batman a chance to relive his worst memory. And while that's great material, the scenes with Jim Gordon make this issue into one of Snyder's best. As Gordon researches Gotham Presbyterian to try to figure out why Joker started his assault there, Gordon finds photos from over the past century. Photos that all have the Joker in them. And then Gordon hears a sound in his apartment. The following scenes, with Gordon and Joker in the apartment, are straight up horror movie scenes, and Capullo's Joker is so much creepier with a face than without. The pale skin and the black suit make him seems like an undertaker, a clown, and death itself mixed together. The issue cliffhanger sent a shiver up my spine. The back up ties into the Joker's seeming claim of immortality, or a connection to the dark heart of Gotham, with John McCrea adding his manic style to a tale of madness and clowns. And even if it's set a hundred years ago, you know clowns and Gotham don't mix. Batman #37 shows everything that Snyder and Capullo have been doing right for three years now, and moves "Endgame" on to an historic confrontation between comics' greatest rivals,

Lumberjanes #9
Story: Noelle Stevenson & Shannon Walters
Art: Brittney Williams & many more

I love scary stories, and I love telling them. I think I said in a previous review of an issue of Lumberjanes that I never went to camp, so I never told them around a campfire, but I've been at a Halloween party or two where people have shared a tale of the supernatural or two. This issue, the cast of Lumberjanes each get to tell a story around the campfire, each drawn by a different artist. "Tailypo" is a classic campfire tale, one I remember reading in one of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark volumes in my younger days; Felicity Choo does an admirable job of making the long tailed monster scary. The Aimee Fleck drawn, "Wrong Number" is a variation on another classic theme of the campfire tale, but since it's told by Jen, Roanoke Cabin's councilor, it has an ending that is a little less harrowing than it's usually presented as. "Bad Candy," drawn by Becca Tobino, is a whirling, trippy vision, perfectly in tune with the personality of the energetic Ripley, and the message at the end of the story reinforces to themes of friendship that underlies all of Lumberjanes. I'm a fan of Faith Erin Hicks, so her tale, "Ghost Girl," told by Jo, is the one that struck me the most visually. Mal's story, "Lonely Road," is one I'm not familiar as a campfire story, although it starts out like one we all know, and winds up with a twist that is a much more real life terror; Mal is a planner, someone who thinks things out, and I like that her tale of terror remains grounded in something that can be combated (for which she gets a bit of teasing from Molly). "Old Betty," with art by T. Zysk, is gorgeously drawn and atmospheric, giving off something of an EC Comics vibe. All of this is framed by art from Brittney Williams. Each of these stories is no more than a few pages, but no story seems rushed. It's a great one off that will give a new reader a great jumping on point for one of the best all ages comics on the racks now.

Multiversity: Thunderworld
Story: Grant Morrison
Art: Cameron Stewart

Wow. After what was the most complicated and intricate issue of Multiversity in "Pax Anericana" we get this gem. Not to say "Pax" was bad, far from it, but this issue is so brimming with the joy of Captain Marvel and everything that he embodies. The basic premise is that Dr. Sivana has gotten in touch with Sivana's from across the multiverse to gather suspendium, the mineral that he discovered that can effect time, to steal enough time to make a new day, Sivanaday, where he can triumph. It's a big, crazy plot, one perfect to a world of Golden Age simplicity and joy. He also has built an artificial Rock of Eternity so he can use science to create and empower his own Sivana Family. Pretty soon, the Sivana's are fighting the Marvels, and not just Captain, Mary, and Junior, but appearance from the likes of Uncle Marvel and Fat Marvel, the Monster Society of Evil appears, and in the end, Captain marvel must fight Black Sivana, a Sivana/Black Adam mash-up, to save himself and the Multiverse. In the end, good triumphs conclusively over evil for the first time in Multiversity, the wonder of magic triumphs over analytic science, and Sivana is bested as much by his own duplicity as it is by Captain Marvel. But as fun as the story is, the scene is completely stolen this issue by artist Cameron Stewart. I've rarely seen the Marvel's world look so wholesome and gorgeous; the only other story that comes to mind is Jeff Smith's Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil! That kind of wonder filled, childlike art was perfect for a story that at its heart is about joy and simplicity defeating cold, calculating analysis. Special call outs to the page with the first appearance of the technological Rock of Eternity, the first appearance of Captain Marvel, the splash page of the Monster Society of Evil (including 52 era butterfly Mr. Mind), the designs on all the multiversal Sivanas, especially snake Sivana and Hannibal Lector mask wearing Sivana, and the beautiful, sunshine filled last page. I feel like each issue of Multiversity has worn its influence in its sleeve, and maybe it says something about me as a reader that this is my favorite so far, a simple tale of good versus evil.

Sandman: Overture #4
Story: Neil Gaiman
Art: J.H. Williams III

Every issue of Sandman: Overture is a masterpiece. I guess you'd hope that, since it's at least four months between issues, but if that's what it takes to get a comic of this quality, I'll take it. This issue slides between Dream having a conversation with his father, the embodiment of time, and entering the city of stars to confront the being who is about to bring about the end of everything. It's nice to see that Dream's relationship with his father is no better than his relationship with any other member of his family. This issue explains exactly why the sequence with Daniel from issue two had to happen when it did, and Gaiman does a very good job of making what could be awkward timey-wimey stuff make perfect sense. Williams's shifting page and panels structure as Dream wanders, speaking to his father, and his father's shifting age, makes it clear that time to eternal beings is something that mortals cannot comprehend. The star city bits feature call backs to the Dream story from Sandman: Endless Nights, as Dream talks to the anthropomorphized stars, and once again meets Sto-Oa, the star who took the heart of Dream's first beloved. More interesting is Dream confronting the mad star, and learning exactly how that star relates to Dream. The flashback in this issue, the story of Dream and that star, is one of, if not the, earliest story of the Endless that we have seen; the personalities of Dream and Death in it are a clear indication of that. We have seen stories of Death early in her, for want of a better word, life, and the Death here is the cold, matter of fact being there, not the Death who has come to understand the value of life. But we have rarely if ever seen Dream so... soft-hearted. Dream has always been the character who has no problem taking a life to defend his realm, no compassion when he responsibility is invoked. And maybe now we know why. We see more of the little girl Dream picked up last issue, and her name, Hope, invokes the classic duel from Sandman #4, "Hope in Hell," so I wonder how integral she will be to this final battle, for good or ill (ill, probably, if the Wyrd Sisters are to believed in issue three, but they see things differently than most). The art is stunning, too stunning for someone with my limited vocabulary when it comes to art to even define, but this is Williams at the height of his powers. Sandman: Overture is a comic that, when I open the book, I hold my breath, and it stays held until the very last moment, it is such an immersive experience; maybe once every quarter is all I can take, but I'm waiting for that next one with that same held breath.

Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #5
Story: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art: Gabriel Hardman

I wasn't sure how much Wonder Woman I'd be reading after the Azzarello/Chiang run ended. And while I'm not sold on the direction of the ongoing, Sensation Comics, the anthology series in the style of Legends of the Dark Knight and Adventures of Superman has given me my monthly dose of Diana. This issue is a full issue story from Star Wars: Legacy Vol.2 creative team Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, with pre-Flashpoint Diana infiltrating Apokolips to save two of her Amazon sisters who had been sent to spy on Darkseid. I think it was George Perez who conceived of the antagonism between Themyscira and Apokolips, and I have always thought the two mythic realms make great foils. Diana fights the Female Furies, Darkseid's elite squad of women warriors, and faces down the despot of Apokolips himself. She finds out exactly what the Amazons on Apokolips are up to, and in the end she does the right thing, saving the planet despite all the evil it contains because she knows that not every life on the dread world is evil. And she inspires. She inspires the people of Apokolips with her strength and compassion. The issue's final line is a perfect ending to an issue where we see Diana at her most inspirational. I like that aspect of Wonder Woman a lot, one that was used in my favorite run on the character, Greg Rucka's, that Diana is a person whose mere presence and attitude makes people want to be better. Bechko and Hardman get that, and that makes for a great Wonder Woman story. I really enjoyed Hardman's take on Apokolips; he's an artist with a gritty style, and that perfectly suits the world of evil, it's master, and his servants. This is a good done in one story for anyone who has missed traditional Wonder Woman stories in recent years, and well worth picking up.

Terrible Lizard #2
Story: Cullen Bunn
Art: Drew Moss

A girl and her dinosaur fight a giant ape. Do I really need to say much more than that? Ok, here's a bit more. Jess, the daughter of a leading scientist, and Wrex, the temporally displaced T-Rex she bonded with in the previous issue spend much of this issue throwing down with a giant ape who has a crab arm. It's a gorgeously drawn battle from Drew Moss, full of all the action you'd expect from that simple, yet awesome, set up. But after the fight, the issue finds its heart. Jess and Wrex spend the day after the fight doing everything you'd do with a favorite pet, just to a scale where your pet is gigantic, another brilliant series of pages by Moss. But there are storm clouds on the horizon, as the mystery of how the ape was pulled into the present, the army's distrust of Wrex, and Jess's father's experiments all hang overhead. Cullen Bunn does a good job establishing Jess and Wrex's bond. For a writer whose work I think of as action and horror, he's doing a bang up job crafting an all ages book.



And, from the desk of Dan Grote...

Ms. Marvel #10

Story: G. Willow Wilson

Art: Adrian Alphona and Ian Herring

During the past year, Kamala Khan has experienced a lot of firsts: Getting powers, finding out she has them, using them, using them for good, wearing a costume, fighting an archenemy, teaming up with Wolverine and getting a pet.

(Yes, Lockjaw is not technically a dog, but I still want to scratch him behind his giant ears and kiss his wrinkly forehead.)

In issue 10, Kamala gives her first superheroic speech, inspiring a group of teens to rise up against their captor, a cockatiel/scientist named the Inventor, who has been harvesting their bodies as a form of alternative energy to, among other things, power his giant robots.

Let that last sentence sink in a minute. Drink in every ounce of its Silver Age flavor. Mmm, satisfying.

Kamala’s speech is meant to motivate not just the captive teens but millennials in general, countering stereotypes of a generation of shiftless smartphone junkies. The teens initially don’t want to be rescued because the Inventor has convinced them they are worth more as energy than as human beings.

There’s also a concern about overpopulation that was also stated in another Marvel book I bought last week, but I’m not sure if that’s coincidence or part of some editorial fiat.

Anyway, like any good villain, the Inventor teaches Kamala that heroics often endanger those close to the heroes, and so he kidnaps Lockjaw.

The last page ends with the words “To be concluded,” meaning this crockpot meal of a first arc is finally about to ding. I've very much enjoyed how Wilson and Alphona have taken their time developing Kamala this past year, but I’m also ready to see how Ms. Marvel’s second act plays out.