Friday, 17 January 2025

Lt. Worf presents 'Steelworks'

Last week, I picked up my first comic of 2024, the trade collection for Steelworks.

As a part of the Super family, I've always had an interest in John Henry Irons ever since his appearance in the final days of the DC Universe before the New 52 (specifically Action Comics 1001 to 1004, if I recall).

Because of this, when this series came out last year, it got my attention, especially when it was revealed that Star Trek alumni Michael Dorn, Mr Worf himself, was writing it (having provided his voice in the animated series).

Well, I missed the singles but, now I had a chance (and thanks to the recent ending of Superman and Lois having highlighted the character), I finally got round to picking it up (just as I was finishing TMNT: Black, White and Green) and reading it.

This series sees the titular Man of 'Steel' (along with his moniker sharing niece) opening up his new company, Steelworks, with a plan and drive in place to make Metropolis a literal 'City of Tomorrow.' However, when old enemies re-emerge to take him down and steal the alien power source at the heart of his plans, Steel (along with the rest of the Super family) will wield his hammer to protect both Metropolis' present and future.

Dorn's debut(?) comic was an interesting read. While I liked the character's portrayal of an idealist and someone wanted to change the world for the better, I struggled to find his voice as I read it (I often attempted to imagine Worf himself speaking the dialogue but it just didn't fit). What i really enjoyed about this trade though was the idea of power and its corrupting effects, as Steel attempted to resist that urge while others simply wanted to horde the physical macguffin to acquire more of its figurative counterpart.

Speaking of, the villain felt a little cartoony and almost moustache twirling, making me wonder if Luthor would have been a better fit (being a mirror image of what Dorn was portraying Irons to be). Because of this, I felt the story was kind of like a throwback to comic stories of the past. That said, all of this didn't make the story any less entertaining, although, the inclusion of the Action Comics prequel to this story thread certainly caused the trade to feel very cluttered and bogged down until issue 2.

On the art side, provided by Sami Basri, it was certainly a style that i liked. Much like aspects of the story, I got the vibe that it was another 90's throwback. That said, there were certainly some nice panels, like the villains armour (which had a very New 52's Steel look to it. I wonder if that was meant to be symbolic?) as well as the shot of the whole Super family flying in to help (and, of course, any shot of Steel. His look with the Cape and the 'S' is just awesome ... in my opinion).

I do wonder to myself if I had expected too much from this series. It was written by Commander (or is it now Captain?) Worf, the voice of the man himself, no way this isn't great!

That said, despite it's flaws, Steel was still good(ish) read. Sure, it felt a little long (no thanks to those Action Comics installments) but it was still fun and, overall, I'm glad I gave myself the chance to check it out.

Friday, 10 January 2025

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White and Green

I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have done since I was a kid. I saw the film when it came out, the 80's cartoon and even the noughties cartoon (as a bigger kid). I even had the toys

I also love anthologies. Be it prose or comics (and to be fair, the latter has more examples, like Superman Red and Blue), I really get a kick out of getting multiple stories wrapped up in one because you are always guaranteed getting something you enjoy.

Therefore, when I saw a former which celebrated the latter in the form of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White and Green on the shelf of my LCS, I knew I had to pick it up. Coupled with the long list a fantastic creators including Jock, Patrick Gleason and Pauline Ganucheau who had worked on the contents, showing us the many sides of the heroes in a half shell, it really became a no-brainer (so the opposite of Krang).

After reading it, I found Black, White and Green was very much a mixed bag for me in terms of the storytelling. Some tales, such as the Book of Splinter and Green Means Go, I really enjoyed as they provided an action packed adventure while also focusing on the notion of family or providing a level of nostalgia.

However, while there were good reads enclosed, there was also an equal number of stories which struggled to vibe with me, giving the whole book a feeling sluggishness and making it difficult to focus on.

The artwork, on the other hand, I felt much more positive about (albeit after a nights sleep and some reflection). While many of the stories maybe didn't resonate with me, the art styles which accompanied them seemed to perfectly imbue the genre and context behind the Clan Hamato's adventures.

No more is this shown than in "The Brutal Sword of Leonardo" which, while not being a great story (from my perspective), was a phenomenal visual treat, with a style which really resonated the series' samurai roots.

Of course, there were other highlights to me beyond this. These included the aforementioned Green Means Go and Book of Splinter as well as Sin Sewer, Identity Theft and lastly Shredder Gets Caught on Things, which might have been my favourite story with its cartoon style and nostalgic look back at incarnations of the past.

The TMNT have and will always hold a special place in my heart. They were my first superheroes and this book doesn't nothing to sully that viewpoint. From my subjective perspective, this isn't a perfect book, but it is a good one that is enjoyable and visually stunning (albeit appreciated after a step back).

I've always thought anthologies could offer something to everyone and I'm glad this trade continued to prove me right.

Thursday, 2 January 2025

Once an addict ...

It's been 10 months since I've written on this blog (although, not 10 months since I read a comic).

This amount of time is surprise to be sure given how big a part writing used to be in my life. However, since the 'closure' of Pipedream Comics over two years ago, it's fair to say that I've felt burned out, hence the reason for the break.

In that time, I've gone back to simply reading for the enjoyment of it, without any ulterior motive and, I've got to admit, I'd forgotten how much of a relaxing experience reading and appreciating the art was.

However, in that time, I've also come to realise how limited are my means of discussing the comics I'd read was (my family aren't really big comic fans). As such, it's a little 'isolating' having my opinions stuck in my head.

Therefore, I figured it was about time to start over and try and take up writing again. Of course, whatever I say isn't going to be as 'professional' as the work I did when reviewing, I think maybe that is the point.

What I say here should be for me and if others find it and make use of my words then all the better.

So, my plan going forward will be just to write for me (as it always should be, truth be told), with my focus on simply my current collection (I hope to re-read Captain Britain and MI:13 in the near future) as well as any new trades (such as recent Christmas gifts of Criminal Vol. 3, Superman: Lost and TMNT: Black, White and Green) I pick up (or a story arc in singles, whichever I happen to pick up).

While it probably would be nice to write on a consistent, weekly basis, I'm confident that kind of routine would undo my hopes of making it fun. Therefore, simply ensuring that I write something reasonably regularly is enough of a routine for me.

With that all said, consider this my (rather wordy) new year resolution for 2025.

Because once an addict, always an addict (I guess).