#437 - Bad Summer Vol. 1

After the last blog post, I hadn't planned to write another until the the following Friday as I normally do, as I had gotten slightly away from the set day that I preferred.

However, while I was surprised to get through the Expanse read so quickly over the weekend, I was even more astounded to find the time to fit in another comic read, albeit this later one being a little shorter than the first.

As we (the family and I) waited on Sunday Lunch, I got a short amount of free time, which i used to read Bad Summer Vol. 1. Written and drawn by Ed Laroche, this comic told the story of Alain and Shar, a working class couple whose life and interactions in their neighbourhood within Los Feliz takes a brutal twist when an unbearable heatwave falls upon them all. With both the temperature and their stress levels reading boiling point, Alain and Shar begin to unravel just as those around them begin to start to show cracks in their sanity from the vicious heat.

Now, honest to God, I don't remember where I had heard of this comic. If I could hazard a guess, I would assume I saw it on someone's top comics list of some past year, leading to me placing it on my own wish list (which now swells at a current level of over 700). Whatever the reason, Bad Summer has sat on my wish list gathering dust like so many other comics until a sale during the summer (an apt time given the title) brought from sitting on my wish list to sitting on my 'to read' list.

However, as time has gone on, my enthusiasm to read it has wavered, given that I wasn't entirely sure what it was about.

Thankfully, now that I've read it, any concern I had about Bad Summer has melted away like an ice cube in Los Feliz. I found this comic to be completely captivating as it seemed to tell an emotional story about a couple struggling at life while have an extra wrinkle hitting their regular chaos. In fact, all of this had me thinking of it like it was the film, Marriage Story in it's progression.

Of course, this made the loop I was thrown for even greater when the 11th hour twist hit, completely upending my reading experience as I reached that final page and needing to know what came next.

Now, I thought the art is rough (certainly initially) but, while the style never changes, I found that it actually works for the story. As the pages went on deeper in the events taking place, I thought that the art really gave the book a look like everything was definitely cooking and things were definitely getting more heated.

In one of those biased occasions where I thought a comic my not be great because I'd never heard of it, Bad Summer actually turned out to be most excellent. The only disappointing thing now is that the title says 'volume one' and so there must be a 'volume 2' out there. Unfortunately, Comixology doesn't have it so I'm gonna have to try and figure out a way to find it, because I really want to know what happens next.

You know, maybe it's on comichaus?

#436 - The Expanse Vol. 1: Origins

After last week's break (or early posting. I guess it depends on your point of view) I found myself struggling a little to get back into a groove.

With literally hundreds of comics which I've yet to read, it was really difficult to just pick something quick and easy. Now, I'm Not sure if I picked something easy exactly but at least I picked something quick.

The Expanse Vol. 1: Origins from Boom Studios is a comic I've had in my Comixology unread list for maybe eighteen months. Being an immense fan of the Amazon Prime show from back when it was on Netflix, this was a comic series I knew I had to pick up, especially when it found itself on heavy sale in the early days of the pandemic.

Written by Hallie Lambert, Georgia Lee and original series creator James S.A.Corey with art by Huang Danlan, colours by Triona Farrell and Juan Useche and letters by Jim Campbell, the Origins volume consists of five issues, each telling an origin story (of sorts) for each of the primary characters; Holden, Naomi, Alex, Amos and Miller. These stories see Holden seeking his place in the galaxy while Naomi attempts to fix herself through the ship she serves on. Meanwhile, Alex tries to choose between two very different lives as Amos attempts to answer his own questions about his actions. Finally, Miller, attempts to help a kindred belter as he attempts to uphold the law on Ceres in the last issue (which, apparently, is only available with this trade).

As I broke this open, I have to confess, I wasn't sure what to expect from this read. Having watched the entirety of the Expanse (well, up to the end of season 5), I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of these characters and their personalities and histories. That said, it's one thing to hear a story and quite another to see it and so, I did hope that these issues would add an extra nugget to flesh the crew of the Rocinante out even further.

Unfortunately, this first volume of the Expanse turned out to be not quite the read I was expecting and, ultimately turned out not to be my thing. That is not to say that the whole series was a complete failure because As I began reading, I found the Holden and Naomi stories really interesting as they showed Holden to always be this hero who is now Captain of the Roci and that his views and direction didn't seem to alter in any way (although I'm curious how he went from this character to the unwilling 2nd officer of the Cant in episode 1). Meanwhile, while not showing the events that changed Naomi's direction as mentioned in the series, this issue was interesting as it showed how she recovered from those events as well as first meeting Amos.

However, the other three issues were really as interesting to me. This is because the Alex issue, while different than the cowboy we've gotten used to in a intriguing take, certainly feels that it retreads old ground given my seeing the later series. Meanwhile, Amos' issue, which had this very surreal psychodelic vibe about it, suffered from this story being a little confusing to me. Finally, the MIller story was a return to normality after issue 4 but struggled to capture me, given MIller's story here a much more boring feel than I ever picked up from the series.

As for the art, I thought it was solid work that made me think it had this Alex + Ada or Manga look to it, although a little more Western in flavour. Sadly, there was very little which really captured me about the work, the exception being the colouring from Triona Farrell and Juan Useche. This is down to Farrell having a very sterile pallette while Useche's seemed somewhat warmer, giving me this cold feeling for the space-based stories while the homebound ones (Mars in particular) felt warmer and, in the case of Amos' 'world' bright and bizarre.

By the end, while I'm glad I finally have gotten The Expanse off of my 'to read' list, I can't lie that I'm a little disappointed with my lack of overall enjoyment given my love of the IP overall. While the first half of the book makes it an ok read overall, I felt like there was almost nothing here that increased my love of these characters. Maybe if the series had been read by me sooner or contained origins for supporting characters like Ashburn, the Maos, Maros Inara to increase my understanding of them. Unfortuntely, this wasn't the case and, as a result I very much doubt I would return to it as well as making me incredibly skeptical about checking out volume 2.

Fortunately, I've still got a copy of Leviathan Wakes on my prose novel 'to read' list which I can pin my hopes on now.

 

Oh, and Before I Forget ...

Over the course of this weekend, Pipedream Comics posted another review of mine for Speed Republic #1, Mad Cave Studios' new Ryan K. Lindsay comic about a race across an imperially united Europe. Now, as usual, the review itself contains the real meat of my thoughts but, in a nutshell, I really enjoyed this story. I found Ryan's story a interesting idea, although this first issue may have been a little bare bones. However, it's the wider, larger world that is hinted at beyond the pages of issue 1 which has me most intrigued.

Meanwhile, I really love Emanuele Parascandolo's art, which has some real vibrancy and lightness to it (thanks to the colours of Michele Monte), making me think of the one-shot Parenthood (previously by Ryan K. Lindsay), which was also a driving comic and did have a greater sense of speed/urgency. Also, the story in itself, while reminiscient of a load of prior stories, I still found interesting even if it felt a little bit bare bones. As a result, even if there were cons to reading Speed Republic, I found that there were more than enough pros to outweigh them. I enjoyed the potential of Speed Republic and thought it was bordering a good comic. As a result of this, I certainly will be coming back for issue 2 to see if it has picked up speed.

And that's been my week (or more specifically, weekend given that I read I Walk with Monsters and re-read Batman: White Knight but chose not to write about them last week). I had wanted to try and get some writing done on my personal stories which I've been dreaming up but sadly, the time just wasn't there. That said, I did think of a new idea thanks to my wife telling me her story of her day just the other day. As a result, I've thought up a rough plot that I could cover three or four pages and will try and spend this week writing it out.

But, I do also hope to review something and read some comics from my pull list, so I need to make sure I don't break myself and find Im deleting everything I've written again.

#435 - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Lost and Found

It's been a weird weekend and not one that has gone the way I had planned.

My initial plan had been to read my trade collection of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman, given that it had been sitting on my 'to read' pile since last Christmas (and I don't mean 2021) and then write a post about it towards the end of this week.

However, no sooner had I started the series and reached the end of issue 2, I found that I was really struggling with it in much the same way I had when I previously owned the first half of the series.

As such, I decided to set down All-Star Superman (for the time being) and move onto something else, something that was maybe a little less heavy and a tad shorter. Essentially, something quick to burn through that might counter the particularly stressful week I'd been having in real life.

Well, it seems that my choice was a quicker burn than I expected as not only did I read that but I also ended up re-reading of David Pepose and Jorge Santiago Jr's Spencer and Locke and even a couple of comics for reviews.

This replacement read was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Lost and Found by Javier Garron, Israel Silva and the legend that is Mark Waid. This is the story of current Wasp Nadia Van Dyne who, having been asked to get him home from outer space, attempts to transport current Ant-Man Scott Lang from the Nova Corps back to Earth via a teleportation beam (or some sort of science-esque variant). However, when Scott ruins the split second timing, it ends up with Nadia forced to journey into the Microverse to find him before the pair try and find their way back home in time for Cassie Lang's birthday.

Now, much like many of the top of my to read pile at present, Ant-Man and the Wasp has been sitting there looking at me since Christmas and, I must confess, the bright, wacky cover has certainly a tempting, almost Siren-like sight as it pretty much taunted me to foresake my planned reading list/order and just move straight to it.

Well, it finally succeeded and, I must confess, this trade certainly succeeded in blowing the cobwebs away with a fun, quirky, light-hearted adventure story which is neither too deep, nor too goofy. Like Baby Bear's porridge (or maybe his chair or his bed), it felt just right. I truly enjoyed this story as it was a fun take which didn't attempt to take itself too seriously and was fitting for the characters and their rather absurd (as my wife keeps telling me) power sets.

I have always loved Mark Waid's work. From Kingdom Come to Superman: Birthright, his run with Chris Samnee on Daredevil to his tremendous work with Mike Wieringo on Fantastic Four, I certainly felt that this story was certainly a case of the latter. Everything about this plot, from the locations to the technology and the events which happened, really felt completely outlandish and over the top and, well, Fantastic Four-esque in its extravagence. The thing is, if it sounds like I'm knocking it down, then I'm not, it was wacky and pure unadulturated fun and I loved it.

Even the characters were a blast for me to follow. Now, I love the MCU Ant-Man (Paul Rudd is inspired casting). However, ever since his introduction, the 616 Ant-Man (around the Nick Spencer run, not long after Matt Fraction's FF series) has always grated on me, as he seemed to do an about turn between those two series to be more MCU-like. Here though, while he continues to maintain that persona, I really did think that he felt like he was redeemed a little (even if the story happened because of his mistake) as he seemed a lot more competent than I felt he's been for a while. A part of me wonders if this is down to the partnership with the Wasp, who somehow grounds him. Speaking of which, I've seen very little of Nadia Pym/Van-Dyne (another character I feel created just because the MCU said so) but I have to admit that she really won me round here. I thought that Waid wrote her as such a well-rounded character and, as with Scott, Nadia came across as more real thanks to their dynamic.

Meanwhile, this trade looked fantastic to me! Israel Silva seemed to pretty much throw colour everywhere in this book, making it really vibrant and resonating both the story and characters into their environment brilliantly. Meanwhile, I loved Javier Garron's bizarre 'alien' designs and the many realms of the microverse, really matching the outlandish feel of the story in every page. Now that I think about it, if they had slapped a Fantastic Four sticker over the cover, I would not have been surprised to think this is a follow up to Waid's run there.

I won't lie though, there were some qualms for me. For instance, the last issue and ending seemed like it was a little rushed. It makes me wonder if a sixth issue would have worked to let it end slightly more naturally. Also, I'm curious about what happened to the energy vampire from the midpoint as I thought it might be the big bad of the piece and yet disappeared after its initial appearance. I'm sure it just served its purpose, but I guess I expected more from it.

Nonetheless, these few niggles doesn't change the fact that Ant-Man and the Wasp was a really enjoyable comic for me as it was a light hearted read that came at just the right moment to combat and contrast the stressful week I went through. I think its enjoyability is evident in the fact that I read the entire thing in a day. Now, if Marvel were to decide to make more stories of this duo from this creative team, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't say no.

Re-Reading ....

After finishing Ant-Man and the Wasp, I found myself inspired to read more. As I said, earlier, next in the queue was Spencer and Locke by Jorge Santiago Jr. and David Pepose, which isn't a new read for me as I first read it nearly a year ago. However, thinking that I was going to hold this and post it on Friday, I thought I'd simply read this and pad out the week.

Unfortunately, I found that Spencer and Locke was read almost just as quickly as Ant-Man and the Wasp. That said, this isn't a reflection on it's quality because, much like the last time, I thought Spencer and Locke was a great read once again. This time, however, it really read better to me. I wonder if this is because I kind of knew what to expect and so I was better able to appreciate it here. For instance, whereas I struggled with the first issue last time, I thought it held up with the rest of the series much better. Also, I found as I read Spencer and Locke that the Noir feel was there much more, something I really enjoyed.

Other than those differences/changes, the book read much the same as I remembered it. That said, I was glad to go through it again and remind myself about just how much I really like this series.

Oh, and Before I Forget ...

While I've been reading trades like they were going out of fashion this weekend, Pipedream Comics posted a review round-up containing three comics, of which two of them I had gotten the opportunity to read (I never got around to Nightmare Fuel). The first of the ones I read was Turning Roads, which was an anthology created by a group of Irish creators full of stories, some of which reinterpret or are inspired by various Irish Folklore tales. Well, that's certainly what the title implied to me. However, after reading through the entire anthology, I found that this was less of a folklore inspired collection and more a bunch of stories bundled together. That said, this had little impact on my enjoyment because, with the exception of one or two tales, I really liked reading this comic, getting hooked on a good number of the stories and having a nice time checking out some of the talent from across the Irish Sea.

The other was A King's Vengeance #1, a Scout Comics entry created by Peter Ricq and Davila LeBlanc which told the story of a King seeking ... well, vengeance after a brutal attack. I'll be honest, this was a comic which I struggled with because, while I thought that the artwork throughout this issue was gorgeous, the story itself struggled to hook me. The thing about it was that the story in this issue really made me think that it was more of a prelude entry or an issue 0, meaning that the main story would begin next time. However, with the exception of the dark moody art (and the world design which gave me all kinds of Warhammer vibes), I'm not sure I'd be up for checking out the next instalment (although maybe I'll come back at the end of the story).

And that was my weekend. As I said WAY back at the start, I had planned for all of this to cover the week, but I guess I've gotten quicker at reading and so I burned through in a lot less time than I expected.

Still, thankfully, the week is still young so I have no doubt that I can fit another trade (or maybe even two) in before Friday.

#434 - Avengers Arena: The Complete Collection

As another week comes to an end, I am finding myself mindful of exactly how many weeks into 2022 we are. During the course of any given year, I find myself riding the bus to get to work (with the other nine having me getting some exercise on the bike), allowing me the opportunity to read more than any other period I commute to work does.

However, as of the day I post this, I only have two weeks left on my bus card, which means that the transition back to two wheels begins and a (hopefully slight) reduction in reading volume takes place.

As such, I'm eager to cram in as much as I can before my time runs out.

Maybe, however, as a follow-up to last week's Superman Red and Blue, I shouldn't have considered the eighteen issue Avengers Arena due to its length alone. That said, after a year of this complete collection sitting on my shelf, I was eager to get it read and wasn't willing to wait until the next bus card.

Avengers Arena: The Complete Collection by Dennis Hopeless, Christos Gage, Kev Walker, Alessandro Vitti, Richard Burchielli, Karl Moline and a whole host of others (seriously, it's a blog post just naming everyone included up to the letterer) is the entire eighteen issue run of the Marvel series which tells the story of sixteen young superheroes from the X-Men, Avengers Academy, Runaways and the Braddock (a.k.a. Captain Britain) Academy who find themselves kidnapped and abandoned on a remote island by the villainous Arcade. However, This is not the end of Arcade's plans as these formerly Z-list villain has seemingly acquired a major power upgrade and has brought these teen heroes for one simple reason: to survive his traps and kill off their opposing heroes in the next thirty days in order to survive and escape his newest game: Murder World.

Now, back when this initially came out, I remember picking up the first issue along with a number of other 'All-New' comics. However, starring a cast I had very little knowledge and connection to and with a premise that seemed to be based on the (at the time) recently released Hunger Games movie, I decided that this wasn't a series for me and decided to move on.

However, when I picked up and became engrossed in Avengers: Undercover a couple of years ago, I found myself intrigued in the story which led to what I had just read.

Fast forward to now and, with this copy finally opened up (only took a year of putting off), I have to confess that I don't remember or understand why I cut this series. First up was the fact that I couldn't remember any of what happened in the opening issue as I was reading through (with the exception of a vague thought of a flashback scene. I initially missed it on this read through and went back as I looked for it) which wound up engrossing me deeply in this story than I ever remember it had before.

In short, as I read through this collection I really felt that Dennis Hopeless had created an unbelievably brutal story as he pulled no punches in pretty much decimating the Marvel Universe's next generation of super heroes. I said a moment ago about how I had no connection to the characters when I first read it, but I now realise that this lack of connection was what would have made this such an excellent read had I have given it a little bit more of a chance.

The series made me think of the tv series Lost in its layout as the story seemed to just hit the ground running. With the the action coming thick and fast and the cast's attempts at survival practically dominating each and every issue (as it should), I liked how Hopeless focused on one character primarily in every issue, flashbacking to their pre-Murder World life to give some context to their personality and actions. In this respect, that was why I could only think of Lost as I read it (not the fact that its a group of people surviving on an island).

As a result of this 'focus' method, I really found myself compelled by every character (even if I didn't necessarily like them) and I was very intrigued by their actions and rationale. One character in particular though had to be Arcade. Getting roughly as much focus as each of his multiple 'hostages' (because there isn't really a better word), I've seen Arcade a handful of times in my comic reading life and to call him z-list may be a little cruel but is very much accurate. In Arena, however, I really loved how not only did Hopeless make him to near akin an A-list villain on a level bordering the Joker (ok, maybe not that good) but how he also show that levelling up and how with the Marvel world thinking him as much a joke as the real one.

So, overall it was a good story, weakened only by (surprisingly) Christos Gage's issue. That's not to say that it was a bad issue because his focus on the various teachers of these kids slowly realising that they are missing was yet another great read. However, for me, this issue felt like it really hindered the pacing of events on the island. Had this been an annual and left in the collection until the end of the book then I think I'd have been more happy about it. That said, it isn't something that'll make me burn my copy in spite.

Especially not when it comes down the artwork. I truly loved the work provided by the selection of artists, inkers and colourists brought on to this series as their various works were so colourful and yet contained such deep shadows that it really built upon the whole horror/unnerving sense that any character was about to be killed off (which given the low-level of all these players was totally possible ... unless you read Undercover first, like me). Then there were the flashback scenes which had this very cold, through a video lens look to them that made me wonder if these were flashbacks of events or flashbacks of Arcade studying his 'contestants' through cameras. Not all of the art resonated with me as Richard Burchielli's style didn't inspire me like the rest. However, much like the story in Gage's contribution, it's not enough to make me hate this series.

Quite the contrary in fact, as by the end, I found my really loving this series. Avengers Arena is a really excellent read, especially when it is accompanied by follow-up series Avengers Undercover. I must confess, after reading this series, especially the final few pages, I find myself wondering if Hopeless and Avengers Arena was a concept which was about seven years too early as I don't recall any major follow-up to it that might've been deserved (like the Outlawed event from last year). It is strange that (in-story) there was never any follow up in regards to youth superheroes or even reinforcement of the Superhuman Registration Act, but then again this is only a story.

Regardless, I'm certainly glad I finally made time to read it. Hopefully (one day soon ... ish), I can read both Arena and Undercover as a full story (and being a sucker for trilogies, see another, final follow up to it).

Oh, and before I forget ...

While I've been reading 16 Superkids battle it out this week, I've also managed to read a few comics for Pipedream Comics, the reviews of which have gone up.

My first review for Pipedream was (yet another) new Vault Comics title We Ride Titans #1 by Tres Dean, Sebastian Piriz, Dee Cunniffe and Jim Campbell. Now, as always, a lot of my thoughts can be found in the review proper but I will confess here that I really did enjoy this. What I loved about it was the whole family dynamic and the interpersonal relationships that were depicted in it. Both the art and the story really reminded me of Alex + Ada as well as Future both in terms of its look, its temperament and its pacing (and the fact both of those comics are amongst my favourites is a good sign for this one). By the end, I'm already looking forward to the next issue and I'm quietly confident that this might be joining Resonant and I Walk with Monsters on my shelf.

After this I had a review go up for Space Precinct Zero #1, a sci-fi comic by Chris Chandler and Jayson Santos. With this review, I actually ended up reading the first two issues (even if the review refers to only one) and while for the bulk of my thoughts you should read the review (go me plugging the bosses), I'll have to say that SPZ was a really fun comic. I felt that this comic was a really mellow read, which was exactly what I needed to wind down after the hectic day I had (on the day I read it, that is). I also really enjoyed the art (because I always love black and white) and it perfectly matches the action-packed tone of the story. Honestly, while I had never heard of this title prior to my review of it, I now look forward to checking out any future issues and hoping they are as enjoyable as the first two.

And that's my week done. A whole lot of comics (if you count it in single issues) and a whole lot of thoughts aired about them. Beyond the reading, very little else has been happening, although I shared my completed scripts with skilled writer Andrew Clemson who needed something to do (in my everlasting generosity) and I got some good feedback on them, which leads me to plans to amend them.

However, that's time I can carve out to do this coming week, just as long as I keep reading on the bus, then (for now) that's all which matters.

#433 - Superman: Red and Blue

Normality appears to have returned to life now that 2022 has gotten through its first week.

For me, after the almost blitzkrieg-like comic reading that I did last week, this one felt a lot more relaxed in comparison as I went about getting into my more long term groove of one 'me' comic and one review comic.

However, when it came to the 'me' comic, it was simply a case of finishing what I had started just as last week was coming to an end.

What I finished, of course, was Superman: Red and Blue which I had started before last week had even finished (just about). What I read was the Hardcover edition which was released (and I subsequently purchased) just after Christmas and contained six bumper size, 46 page issues by a immense host of creators as they told small, anthology-esque stories about the Man of Steel and his many adventures and interactions with those he saves, as depicted (well, most of them anyway) in his primary colours of red and blue.

Now, I think that it is fair to confess that, when it comes to DC characters, Superman is my guy!! While most people will argue that the dark, brooding Batman is the best character around (I'd argue that. In fact, I think I have), for me Superman is the character I prefer and will always place as my number 1 because the world is a dark, foreboding places far too often for my liking (especially these days). As such, while Superman may seem to many as too plain or too hokey, for me he is simply too optimistic, too unyielding, too ... good that while he has many relatable struggles, he puts them aside to be the best and inspire us to be better, be brighter in this drab little world.

Here's the thing: Superman: Red and Blue really seemed to encapsulate that idea perfectly. When I first learned that this series was announced (I think it was a tweet by Rich Douek), I was immediately intrigued because A. I do enjoy anthologies and B. the image the title entered into my head was that it would be a series of stories told entirely in those two colours.

Well, intrigued is a word which doesn't do this series justice because every single one of these stories is so incredible!! I absolutely loved this trade, it felt that it picked up the vibe of the character perfectly and told compelling tales of the Man of Steel's abilities and enjoyable stories about Big Blue's various relationships. However, what I loved most about Superman Red and Blue was just how superbly inspiring it was. From the first story to the last, every one of them seemed to show the character's innate goodness, certainly giving me the renewed belief that maybe the world isn't as bad as it always seemed.

Meanwhile, the artwork ... what can I say about the art other than it is 'chef's kiss' beautiful. Every artistic team on every story in every issue of this series brought an A-game and then some to deliver page after of Super beauty.

In fact, I can say that the book wasn't perfect and that there were art styles and stories which I didn't particularly like or weren't my thing but, at the end of the day, they were still so tremendous that I can easily admit that those 'bad' stories were simply a case of subjective preference. Beyond that, I can still see what I didn't enjoy for the great quality it was.

For me, Superman Red and Blue was phenomenal is every sense of the word! While it makes me a little sad that I didn't pick up the individual issues as they were released and find my love for this comic as it came out, I'm nevertheless so glad that I didn't wait to pick up the hardcover when it came out. The thought that I might have waited even longer, depriving myself of time where I didn't read these stories, is something I dare not even consider.

Fortunately, that's not a thought I have to dwell on because now it can go pride of place on my shelf to read again (and again) in future.

And that has been my read for the week. It may not seem like much but every page of it was more than worthy of the time I committed.

Meanwhile, one of my reviews I wrote last week went up on the Pipedream comics site earlier this week as my thoughts on Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S. #2-3 & Bete Noir #2-3 were aired. As I said (both in the review and on my post from last week), both of these series really improved on the first issues which I read, although Damsel pulled it off better than Bete Noir if I'm totally honest. regardless of which is better, both ended issue 3 in a position where I truly cannot wait for more issues to be available.

Sadly, I've not had much chance to work on my own 'other' writing projects. I won't lie, I did manage to put my lunch towards an older script I had, where I spent For that hour re-designing the basic plot as well as working on the layout. Next will be making a start on the new script but that may have to wait until next week (if I can make the time).

Now, before I finish up I've got to mention something I had forgotten to do a couple of weeks back. The Best of List for 2021 was released by Pipedream Comics (of which I assist in putting together). Posted in five parts; 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11 and 10-1, I had to bring it up because this was by far the best list we've put together in the over seven (maybe eight) years that I've been reviewing for the site. In fact, I'm not going to delve too much into it because it's one of those lists you have to see for yourselves. However, it contains such a varied assortment of tremendous comics (and, to be honest, we could have easily added 2, 3 times as many. That's how difficult it was to whittle down to) that I can't help but be proud of what Alex, Mike, Lydia and myself put together. Therefore, I thought I'd just mention it.

So, now onto next week. I've got some review comics already planned and I'm already an issue into Avengers Arena as my personal book as I read this. I just have to hope that next week will be a little more free than this one.

#432 - Domino: Killer Instinct

My first week into 2022 has been ... 'busy' to say the least.

For the first time in what feels like a long time, I've managed to read an absolute abundance of comic books thanks to all of the time off (although I have worked a couple of days too) that Christmas and then the New Year has afforded me here in the UK (God bless Bank Holidays), allowing me to cram in enough issues of various series. Some New, Some Old and some follow ups of things I've reviewed before.

My main read of the week was Domino: Killer Instinct, one of the many trades I acquired from Jolly old St Nick, which sees artists David Baldeón and Michael Shelfer, colourist Jesus Aburtov and writer Gail Simone tell a new story about Marvel's premiere Mutant Soldier of Fortune (or so the back blurb implies). This trade follows the ever lucky Domino as she and her posse, the Mutant Outlaw (who I've never heard until now) and the sometimes villain Diamondback (who I've heard of but never actually read a story involving. Was she in Sam Wilson: Captain America?), find themselves the target of an attack from a vengeful new enemy in the middle of a job, with Domino being their specific target. As she finds herself more and more under siege and her luck starting to run out, Domino finds herself reconnecting with her painful origins and attempting to discover more about herself as she attempts to win the game after being dealt an unusually bad hand.

Probably not my best recap, I'll admit.

Now, despite the fact that Gail Simone is a terrific and well respected writer who must be bordering on 'Legendary' status, it shames me that I've read very few of her works. In fact, the only one before this was the Brightest Day Tie-in series of Birds of Prey (which contained the core team plus Hawk and Dove). However, I'd heard/read/been told that this was a good series and, with its appearance on a Zaavi deal a few months back, it seemed like a good choice to pick up (and then subsequently pass to my wife so she could give it to me for Christmas. Convoluted I know).

Sadly, as I read through the series, I found myself struggling to get invested in it properly, with the read feeling very up and down as I progressed.

Of course, I'm not trying to say that it was a bad read, simply that it was ... interesting. Domino's story had a lot of good ideas and concepts wrapped into that really had me invested. What I liked most about this story was the connection that Domino had to her villain/s. I enjoyed that they had this deep connection to them and I did wonder to myself if Simone was trying to implement a sort of Quasi-toxic/abusive relationship between Desmond (the main bad guy) and Domino in that her suffering was as a result of all the pain he had experienced which he placed the blame solely on our heroine's shoulders. There also seemed like this sense of violation towards Domino thanks to Topaz's (the other bad guy) powers, which were an interesting idea. The two combined really made me feel that Domino was on a journey of recovery and almost empowerment as she attempt to overcome both her physical and emotional assault from these villains.

Also, I had to wonder if Topaz's anger stemmed from the notion that her connection to Desmond was never going to be like Domino's. Like a lover who was always feeling in second place.

Anyway, beyond the ideas beneath the skin, there were aspects of the story I also enjoyed. The Domino/Shang-Chi dynamic was a fun little setup, and the relationship between the book's core three of Domino, Outlaw and Diamondback was a really great and enjoyable relationship, something that reminded me of Black Canary, Lady Blackhawk and Huntress' dynamic (in that comparative order) from Birds of Prey.

That said, there were just as many things that I didn't gone with, the main thing being Domino's power set. I've always understood that her Mutant power relates around good luck but I really struggled to grasp the idea of how she could possibly treat as a skill rather than a reflex (or similar word). Otherwise, my main issue was the idea of a rat that ran through the trade which, upon being revealed, the culprit was just as quickly pushed aside and swept under the carpet.

As for the art, I really enjoyed it overall, especially Jesus Aburtov's colours which reminded me of the current Fantastic Four runs issues which were drawn by Izaakse, Medina and Silva (which makes sense because he was the colourist on the Medina work). The pencils were equally as beautiful by David Baldeón and Michael Shelfer, in particular the scenes of Domino out on the town or falling out of a window (in a true display of bad luck). However, the one downside here was that I felt all of Domino's exes looked a little caveman-esque.

As I said at the beginning of this .... rant, I guess, this story was an interesting one. As I went through it I really felt there was so much about it that was good. On the other hand, I also found it a little laborious at times to get through, which indeed solidified that 'peaks and troughs' thinking towards. That said, I won't lie and say that this wasn't my thing and was indeed glad to have read it. However, I'm not sure that I would actively seek out the second volume due to the complete story it told and I'm unsure if I would read a second time (although maybe I would to just confirm where my head's at with it).

After Domino, my week consisted primarily of small press comics, starting with Henchman Vol. 1, a super villain-esque book from Greg Smith, Sal Donaire, Maksim 'Keeper' Strelkov and Olga Timofeeva which was my first full review of the year for Pipedream Comics. Now I won't lie, when I sat down to reading this trade, I actually wasn't expecting much from based on the first look. However, to my surprise, Henchman turned out to be a really fun, action packed and entertaining comic which had some great (if generic characters who don't take themselves too seriously.

I also thought the art was solid, if a little non-standoutish, reminding me of a particular style which I just could place (the best which sprung to mind was Jay Martin's ALV). Overall, while it might not win any awards for seriousness, I honestly thought this was a good read and a nice way to pass the time. I look forward to volume 2 when it shows up.

This was followed up with an Andrew Clemson double bill of Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S. #2 and 3 followed immediately by Bete Noir #2 and 3, both of which I wrote a round-up about of Pipedream Comics on the back of these reads. Now while I, as always, really went in depth into my thoughts on both comics in the review, I will admit that that I really enjoyed both set of issues I read.

For Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S. (by Clemson as well as Maruricio Mora and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou), these two follow up issues really improved on what was given in the first, with yet more action, charm and fun about it. I really enjoyed the almost campy James Bond-ness to the concept as well as the richness of the world and even the introduction of a new supporting character. The art was still gorgeous to look at (even if some bits were a little ... off) and, by the end, I found myself looking forward to future issues rather enthusiastically.

The same is said for Bete Noir (by Kris Wantowhy, Hde and Clemson), although maybe not as enthusiastically, as the newest two issues built up a very intriguing story after the first issue, although struggled with a few more problems overall. The problems I had with this series stemmed from the fact that it ended up so much information within but not always the right sort, which lead me to a little bit of confusion. That said, the mystery that the story centres on certainly became very compelling to me, despite any confusion, as it started to show a darker side to superheroes that reminded me of some reasonable recent comic series, with an art style to match nicely. That said, while the thriller side of it had me more engaged, the confusing notion struggled to shake me and so, while I want to see more, Damsel would certainly be my first stop of the two.

Then I returned to a new favourite of mine when I read the print copy of Cuddles: The Last Chance Crime Story which I received for Christmas after loving the digital copy (and cementing its place on my recommended reading list). Again, this is a comic (by Marco Perugini, Shan Bennion and Jed MacPherson), which I have reviewed much more in depth elsewhere but, I must confess, there was something of an enhanced beauty to it which I thought came from reading it physically. Beyond that, I thought that it was just as sublime as the first time I read through Cuddles and am still confident as on that occasion that I will be reading it for many more times to come.

Finally, I read Leap M, a one-shot from Matt Battaglia, Lettersquids and Doug Wood who recently released their Kickstarter rewards for the this issue which was originally under the Action Lab publisher (and all of that mess). Once again, I reviewed this for Pipedream Comics and the bulk of my thinking can be found there, but the long and short of it is basically that I found to Leap M to be an enjoyable and rather contemplative comic which gave a very interesting focus into characters suffering from mental health issues.

It wasn't by any means a perfect comic as the plot was missing some things (like who was the victim? Was there a reason he was chosen? and Why didn't the police find the real killer as quickly as Wilbur?) and the artwork was a unique style that in some places didn't resonate with me, while in others it worked really well. However, by the end, it was a good read and I'm certainly glad that I got the chance to read it and I'm glad the creative team were were able to free themselves from under Action Lab's boot.

And that's been my week! ...

... well, almost.

I've also tried to make some inroads regarding my plans for 2022 in regards to making my own comic. Unfortunately, straight off the bat it has all come a little undone. However, I've been reminded that I should keep trying and so, while it'll be slightly delayed in regards to when I wanted to get started, hopefully I can right the ship or get the train back on the track (whichever analogy works for you).

Now I'm done. I've already gotten next week's comic picked out in Superman Red and Blue as well as plans for the review comic, so I'm feeling prepared but, for the first week of 2022, this has been a good week!