2020: A year of many new comics (but not much time to read them)!!

So, 2020 has really been something, huh? 

To say it's been an odd year could be considered the understatement. For me, like most Brits, I've gone through nine months of seeing no one, two lockdowns covering most of that time, having all my interactions over a video and through masks, the majority of which everyone the world over has also had to go through (unless you delusionally think that some of these notions don't apply to you).

So, in real life, this year has sucked quite a bit.

However, when it comes to comics, I've felt that this has been a pretty good year, even if I've not managed to make the time to read everything I've managed to add to my 'to read' pile.

From the very beginning, right up to last week, it has felt like COVID-19 could do nothing to knock down the comics industry and community (except that 2-3 month hiatus during Spring). Of course, that hasn't stopped either the pandemic or other factors from trying.

For me, the year started really well when I took a punt on Superman Smashes the Klan, which turned out to be a Godsend of a series as it told an all-ages story with an important message based on an old radio serial episode of the Man of Steel's fight against a KKK analogy.

From that point on my year was pretty Fantastic Four heavy within my pull list as not only did I get eight issues of the regular series (it would have been nine, but I wasn't able to pick #27 before New Year), but I was also blessed with two four-issue mini series in the form of Zdarsky/Dodson's X-Men/Fantastic Four and Waid/Adams' Antithesis as well as two one-shots (Grimm Noir and Road Trip) and a couple of First Family centric bookends for the Empyre event (which the regular series had a tie-in story. Now of all of these titles, only the one-shots had any real impact, with X4 not really meeting the standards I had in my head and the ongoing being wildly inconsistent (except for the art teams, all of whom were stellar) but it was nice to be able to read so much FF after years of getting nothing (Note, as I write this I hadn't gotten around to Antithesis).

Of course, my pull list wasn't exclusively Fantastic Four as I also picked up a few other titles here and there. The Lazarus story continued in the Quarterly digest issues, Lazarus Risen. Unfortunately, the pandemic along with the long gap between issue releases meant that this book moved very little as I only acquired one issue (the recent issue 5 apparently hasn't made it into Britain). Fortunately, other comics were a little more dependable with the terrific Star Trek: Hell's Mirror keeping me hooked on IDW's mirror universe instalments and X-Men #9, which was an accidental purchase but gave me the chance to partake in a little reading experiment.

That said, the contents of my pull list paled in comparison to the actions of Comixology during 2020, who really stepped up with numerous free releases of some pretty incredible comic collections to help readers get through their respective Lockdowns. Not only that but they did this again to honour the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman with a giveaway of every (and I do mean EVERY) single issue Black Panther comic that had ever been released to that date). For me, who took advantage of all giveaways, this meant a LOT of free comics, which has (obviously( resulted in a backlog of my reading material (made worse by a recent birthday haul) which can only mean I'll never be without reading material again.

Not that I ever am, of course, thanks to my constant supply of small press comics to review for Pipedream Comics. It was here, with this corner of the comics community, where I really felt comics saw their major strength of 2020 with a tremendous number of quality comics. These included titles like video game tie-in Crayta, the kickstarters for Burn Residue, Gunrunner and Commander Rao (to name a few), the full trade of Tom Woodman and Rupert Smisson's Future, the terrific Quarantine, the continuation of the 'Our Final Halloween' series, Joe Glass' tremendous Acceptable Losses, Jordan Thomas and Clark Bint's Frank at Home on the Farm, Jed MacPherson's The Show and a whole host of other comics (mostly released by Vault comics or, such as with Afterlift and the Pride, Comixology Originals) as well as some great webcomics (which, admittedly, are not new this year) like Vanguard, Theatrics and re-reading Breaks (this time for a Pipedream review). While you can't say that every release has been a winner (although that's subjective because everybody likes something different), I've really felt that this year has seen a truly incredible array of creator-owned, self financed releases.

Of course, as Star Wars movies have taught me, there is always a balance of dark side to light and 2020 has sire seen its share of the bad (excluding the obvious). Diamond withholding orders (and payments), Dynamite having CG ties (after their previous goodness in 70 free first issues on comixology), harassment revelations about some big name creators, the Slott 'mocumentary', I really feel 2020 has revealed a lot of the 'dark side' of comics. That said, I have thought that the reactions by the world at large to all of these is a great indicator that the majority of comics are indeed great people.

So, all in all, despite being trapped in my house for near 95% of the time I don't think 2020 has been that bad a year in regards to comics (everything else though I can't admit the same to). If anything though, 2020 has felt like a year that, through being locked in, has given me focus as to what I want to do in 2021 because I now have a lot of plans.

Therefore, roll on the new year!!!

Oh, and before I forget...

Boxing Day saw the beginning of Pipedream Comics annual Top 50 comics of the Year. For 2020, we again selected the best half century of small press and independent comics (well, in our opinion anyway).

I'll be honest, I have some knowledge of the inclusions, but not the full list and so I'm equally in the dark and gaining the same surprise as everyone else as to who is on there and what placement.

As of writing this, 50-41 and 40-31 have already been posted, so I'd recommend you check it out, especially if you are looking for a new, top quality comic to read.

Fantastic Four #24 - 26 (and Road Trip too)

It's been a few weeks since I last posted and that wasn't intentional. Unfortunately, I've come to discover that with the Christmas period comes more work, more Christmas preparation, more to do. In fact, more of everything. As such, I've not been able to find the time (or maybe even the energy at some points) to read the small backlog I've built up in my pull list.

However, with Christmas fast approaching, I thought I'd make a concerted effort to get through at least half of my pull list backlog (Antithesis will just have to wait until the new year). Therefore, in order to allow me to catch up on all the FF 26 spoilers on my podcast list, I decide to burn through the outstanding issues of the FF regular series as well as the Road Trip one-shot.

So, let's get started.

First up was Fantastic Four #24 which saw the ever extending First Family come together to celebrate their new arrivals (namely the Kree and Skrull children from Empyre). However, the good cheer is short lived when Franklin's return brings with it the appearance of Iceman, leading to the revelation of his tenure on the team and his rivalry with Johnny.

Now, this was a fun little one-and-done issue which I rather enjoyed. I thought it was nice to finally get an answer to the question that had been in the back of my mind since the series had returned; when was Iceman part of the FF? Now, maybe it wasn't as big as the delay in the telling the story might have made it seem, but still I enjoyed it for its somewhat SIlver age vibe that I got from it.

In fact, the art was what really made me think about this issue being a callback to the silver age because Paco Medina not only keeps the present in the style I've been loving since he came on the book but also the flashback pages which look so incredibly silver agey in their style is fantastic (pardon the pun) suit the period perfectly. Medina's art is really awesome here like all his prior issues and I have to confess that I'm a little sad to be seeing him (along with Sean Isaakze) leaving the book.

Otherwise, the book has some fun moments. The new kids are showing some nice dynamic with Ben and Alicia (although, I'm curious about how they legally adopt these kids who are Aliens? Maybe it's to do with more their fit as parents than the kids being in any adoption system. But I digress). Meanwhile, Sky has a nice bit here as her presence appears to assist in Johnny's bout of growth (at least for now). I have to admit though that there is still something about her that feels like a waste, including that she's still kinda forgetable and could easily replace her with any girl (or guy. Just saying). That said, she's a lot less prickly to me now than her initial appearance, though I struggle to see what her overall arc is beyond Johnny's latest arm candy.

But anyway, regardless of the last few thoughts, this was a very simple and fun issue. If I don't think about the rest of this series and its controversial moments (selling the Baxter building, Ben as the lead, the retcon of their origin), this issue is a reminder to me of how fun the FF truly are.

Meanwhile, Fantastic Four #25 saw secrets revealed as an unknown, but all-powerful creature and his master invade Earth seeking some mysterious item amongst the world's most hidden vaults. Unfortunately, this just so happens to include one at the Baxter Building as one of Reed's oldest secrets is let out in the open, spoiling the teams domestic and professional bliss', while also leading Franklin to a lack of identity.

Unfortunately, while the prior issue reminded me of how fun the FF are, this one didn't really follow up on that as I found I didnt like this issue as much (although after a second readthrough, I found that it wasn't as bad as initially believed).

I think the main problem I had with it was that it felt so crowded, as if Slott was trying to cram in far too much setup in preparation for some grand story arc. As such, and maybe due to the cast now being so big (eight characters were here, not including Sky or Wyatt Wingfoot), it really felt like no one got any real focus (in fact I barely remembered Johnny appearing).

That said, a few of the characters did have some good moments, so maybe I'm being unfair when I say no one had any focus. For one, it was nice to see Sue get some more focus than usual as her recent mini (which I need to read) was tied in. I found it interesting when she commented about her family never noticing her gone, was that a real show of the family dynamic or some kind of meta-commentary towards her obvious lack of use in this run? I also found the Franklin tease towards the end interesting, and not just because I've been hearing so much about it online. Finally, the Doom/Reed banter was a fun little moment for me, although that as well as Reed's praising his daughter did little to make up for my dislike for another installment of the character assassination of Reed Richards which this run seems to make a habit of.

Fortunately, the arrival of R.B. Silva on the art helped make up for things with me, as I felt his work was like a nice evolution of the Izaakse/Medina styles that I had come to love with this series. Of course, it wasn't all perfect as I'm not a fan of the new costumes (which look far too 'ultimate' for my tastes) but it was overall a beautiful feast of panels, my favourite of which had to be the scene set in jo-venn and N'kalla's bedroom which I liked very much. The Watcher backup story which picked up from after Empyre was ok. I have to admit that I felt it was a bit redundant, although it was worth it to just once more get a little bit of Medina art in the book.

Unfortunately, after issue 24, which had me reinvested, issue 25 was, to me, a pretty bad 180. While the second readthrough made me realise that it wasn't as bad as I first thought, this was an issue I found I couldn't connect with. Hopefully it would read better when it is part of (what I assume is) the upcoming arc but, I have to admit, it has made me a little hesitant of the next instalment.

Next up was Fantastic Four #26 which saw the First Family deal with the fallout of the previous issue as they attempt to control the Forever Gate while also finding a way to protect from whatever may attempt to come through.

Now, I have to say that this issue had me intrigued. Like 25, I really thought that it suffered from a case of having far too much crammed into it. However, what intrigued me was the feeling I got that all of the plot threads from Slott's run were being tied up (or at the very least were at the beginnings of having them tied up). This issue saw the Future Foundation return (before summarily being moved off stage) along with Lyra the Lazerfist (how did she get there? Was that something I missed in the Future Foundation mini?), who is obviously there to bring the end of the Sky/Johnny romance.

Finally, there is the controversy (if you can call it that) surrounding Franklin's mutant status. Now, I've been hearing rumblings on the web but have tried to avoid and I must admit that, after reading it, I'm not too fussed. In truth, where Slott has gone has made sense for the character, who has done everything from make himself a grown up to create universes, so the idea of him making himself a mutant in order to connect or feel a sense of belonging works. My theory, by the end Slott will return him his powers and then they'll say that he's actual a Celestial.

Otherwise though, this issue felt pretty standard to me and on the same lines as 25 in terms of enjoyment. While it had a couple of cool moments; Reed and Sue at the press conference and Nikki and Jo 'defending' 4 Yancy Street, I struggled to get invested (although it was less of a struggle than the prior issue I'll admit).

Again, Silva's art is breathtaking and saves the day for this issue. The art is where this series has been strongest in my opinion and I think getting Issakze, Medina and Silva has been its major coup. Here though, I think Silva really takes things to the next level, especially with the portal scenes are tremendous. If this is the final arc then I think Silva's ... Epicness will do it nicely. Also, I've gotta say, I really love Brooks' cover. It is breathtaking!!!

So again, not a strong issue, but I found that this one was a slight improvement on the last one. Hopefully, my intrigue over what is to come, along with the notion that it might be Slott's final story on this book, will not be in vain as the next issues fare better.

Lastly I read Fantastic Four: Road Trip, which saw the Richards/Grimm clan go on a family vacation to a remote cabin (detouring for Reed's scientific curiousity). However, things start to unravel (literally) when the team find their bodies start to fall apart.

Now THIS was a 'fantastic' read (pardon the pun, but it's valid). I absolutely loved this issue from beginning to end. I've been hearing Christopher Cantwell's name here and there and how he does good work but, seeing it for myself, I've got to admit I'm in awe of how great a story he's put together here. I found the story completely compelling, tremendously paced, Cantwell seemed to get the characters perfectly, I just couldn't put it down. Of course, there were some questions that came to me after reading this such as why did Valeria regress to a toddler if she's now a teen/pre-teen? Was it a case that the 'virus' inverted their powers, so if hers is her hyper-intelligence then inversely she'd regress to something akin to a toddler? Also, if this story took place after the Point of Origin arc, then where is Sky? Surely, as she's new to the world (and Johnny's betrothed) she wouldn't be left behind. That said, these questions didn't affect my thoughts that this was an awesome story.

And then there was the art. Oh my god the art is phenomenal. Filipe Andrade's art style in this issue is hauntingly brilliant (especially the page breaking down the house, I really love those images). While the art seems unusual for the team to begin with, I really thought that each character had take on their powers traits visually (e.g. I really thought Reed looked stretch out when he was proportioned 'normally', with gangly fingers and everything) and I wonder if this was intentional. If it was, I loved it. However, as the story progresses, every facet of the world seems to become more disturbed and insane to match the characters problems. I could maybe gush on this art forever, but I'll just quit while I'm ahead by saying I loved every panel of this comic.

(As a side note, it occurs to me that every FF one-shot has been of a specific genre. Noir, Sci-fi and now horror. I don't know if that's intentional but I'm liking it). 

Road Trip is a fantastic comic and without a doubt one of the best I've read this year. There is the old adage of saving the best to last and, with this, I'm pretty sure I did and gladly so. I hope I can read more of both creators stuff in the near future.

So, there it is!! I'm done for the year (well reading wise sadly, because I rarely if ever get time to read over the Christmas break). It was a shame I didn't get a chance to read Antithesis, but I guess that's just one more series to look forward to for 2021.

So, until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (well, I really hope so)!! 

Two weeks later

I'll be honest, I almost didn't post for the second time in two weeks just down to the fact that I feel very exhausted. Sadly, that's December for you.

However, as I sit on the middle of the night trying to settle my youngest back to sleep, I find I have some time to kill.

So, not much has really happened over the last two weeks (to tell the truth, I sure dont remember any of it) but rather than work on my own collection/to read pile, I thought I'd spend a bit of time clearing through my review pile.

As such, I thought I'd talk about all of that briefly.

First up I read Crayta #1 - 4, which was top of my review pile. Now, I have to be honest, I really struggled with the first issue and nigh on wrote the series off. However, I'm glad I didn't as you were right, this is a top quality series.

I thought the world building for this was excellent and the story (after that first issue) was incredibly gripping. As for the art, that too was gorgeous and has a real sci-fi, futuristic look to it (I've likened it to Black Science but I think it looks much more utopian than that). Of course, there is a touch of inconsistency in the art given the number of artists involved but it is so minor it's actually surprising how minor it is.

The series has left me with questions; not least is this some subtle take on environmentalism (given that gAIa could be Gaia, the pop culture term for mother nature), but also how deep are interaction in the 'conspiracy' and if all of them are so zealous in their beliefs in the co-existence and what is the end game for the apparent antagonist.

That said, despite a rough start, sticking with the series has really turned me around and I'm glad that I got the chance to review it, especially four issues worth.

Next up was my review for Like Father, Like Daughter #1-6. I really enjoyed this series. it was pretty straightforward with a good story behind it.

I thought Kat Calamia's writing was really good and that she had a good handle on the various relationship dynamics. there was a 'B' story where the father's origin story was the focus but it was somewhat take or leave until the last minute twist made it REALLY interesting.

The art was solid enough, although a little bit rougher than what I like. That said, I thought Wayne Brown's style gave the content a rather sincere focus, although I will admit that I thought the look of the school girls was a little too sexualised.

I'll be honest, I do worry that Kat Calamia lumbered this series with an unnecessary superhero story. Based on this, I think if she had done something that focused on the emotions, like Alex + Ada, then it would have served her just as well. Regardless though, it was a very fun series and I'm glad I got to read it. I just hope I'll get the chance to finish the arc.

Afterwards, I changed tack a little by reading Giga #1, which I didn't review but Alex's thoughts convinced me to check out. Now, I enjoyed this issue, especially the art which I loved and made me think of the look of Black Science. I have to confess that I'm intrigued about what's going on in this world but I did struggle as the story offered very little information. As such I'm hoping that the future issues will fill in the gaps but, for now, I have so many questions such as 'why was the lead character exiled from the order? And Who is Laurel (the robot)? That said, I feel like this could be the start of something big and epic, in the vein of Descender, and so I'm gonna be keeping my eye on this one with great interest.

Finally, I read Knights vs Pirates, which again Alex's review had me intrigued of but the concept itself convinced me that I wanted to read it. Again, I really enjoyed this, which I'm glad about becauseI was rather excited fie this one. Unfortunately, I found the story to be a bit of a struggle to begin with which almost put me off of finishing it. Thankfully though I ploughed on and I was rewarded as KvP' story really picked up. I thought Jay Martin did a great job in his depiction of both the Knights and the Pirates as both differing sides felt authentic in how they came across. Unfortunately, The overall plot was where I got lost as I couldn't understand the plan of the overall villain. That said, for what the comic was, it worked for me and felt full of great ideas (the Bermuda triangle was cool) as well the entire depiction of both ... legacies(?) (I wonder if Jay did historical research to make this fit in both characters timelines?).

What I truly loved about this comic though had to Chris Imber's art,  which looked absolutely glorious here. I remember how much I loved his style in the Last Sheriff bit his work here just looks on a whole other level and a vast improvement to even that great looking comic. The best example I can offer is quote possibly my favourite page of Knights v Pirates , the depiction of inside the Bermuda triangle.

Long story short, reading this really made me regret not getting in on the Kickstarter for a print copy. Fortunately that is something I can maybe rectify next year if/when the cons start up again.

And that's my last two weeks. On reflection I feel a bit annoyed with myself that I didn't offer more insight here for these books. However, the prior mentioned exhaustion has me struggling to find the words.

I can only apologise for this. Hopefully, next time I'll have a little more energy to put down on the page.