Going back for seconds.

I've decided to do something a little different this week after realizing that my dropbox contained an awful lot of comic books sent over by Pipedream Comics to check out. Of course, after the rather heavy, somewhat long-winded read of Mister Miracle last week, a bit of variety is certainly a welcome change of pace.

Therefore, with issue 1's and full trades getting plenty of attention over at Pipedream, I decided to do something a little different here and use the gap in my schedule to focus on the issue 2's which had made it into my file. Fortunately, these were all comics I had reviewed the opening issues of and so if made it easy to catch up and get my thoughts ordered easily

So, here are a few thoughts on these various second issues.

Scout's Honor #2 - Aftershock Comics

Issue two of Scout's Honor picked up not long after issue one, as Kit returns to the compound (base?/home?) with a damaged drone her beliefs in question after the revelations of the last issue twist. However, despite Kit's attempt to keep this secret, the past isnt as willing when the compound is attacked and the wounds received hit Kit very close to home.

I thought that this second installment was a much quieter affair than the series opener as David Pepose allowed the new information to sink in and change the entire image of the Ranger Scouts from Kit's perspective. I enjoyed the relationship between Kit and her father as it was fleshed out here, as well as their connection to the Ranger Scouts being explained. As such, I thought it helped solidify the stakes by the end with a fantastic action scene from Luca Casalanguida. It also brought to me some new, more nefarious questions to readers regarding who the Ranger Scouts are and if those responsible at the end were closer to home than was implied.

For me, this issue just reinforces the quality of the first and I have no doubt it will continue to be a strong series as it continues to prepare us for when the finale gets here.

A Picture of Everything Else #2 - Vault Comics

It has been three years since his friend Alphonse accepted the Devil's offer and disappeared with the Englishman and Marcel has given up creating art for critiquing it. However, when Alphonse appears out of the blue to invite his old friend to learn the Englishman's tricks, Marcel finds himself torn between the life he now has and the only way he sees to stop this evil.

This second issue continues with the unsettling atmosphere of the first. However, while the opener seemed to lack a sense of direction and structure, it really felt that Dan Watters had used the time jump to take a breathe here as he hinted at the rules this world operates against and the plan going forward. What I do like is that he also used this break/reset to pretty much deconstruct Marcel's character, fleshing him out and effectively 'bringing him back from the brink'. Meanwhile, Kishore Mohan's masterpiece looking art still looks fantastic and seems even more fitting for the style of story this series is beginning to tell.

As a result the Picture of Everything Else, while arriving on shelves with a strong issue, feels even stronger here too. The intrigue and mystery feel like they have ramped up considerably, making the idea of getting this run in its entirety is a truly devilishly tempting notion for me.

I Walk with Monsters #2 & 3 - Vault Comics

Following on from the series opener, issue 2 delves into Janey's past as her discovery of a familiar face brings back painful memories of the beginnings of the journey she is now. Meanwhile, issue 3 reveals some of David's secrets as he and Janey plan for what comes next.

Paul Cornell continued this incredibly heavy story by really fleshing out his lead characters, all the while as they prepare for the finale. As I read the first issue I had thought of both Janey and David as monsters in their own right and that certainly seems to be the case with these issues, even though their respective transformations are so tragic. As a result, while they still come off as abrasive (especially Janey) the pain I felt for her certainly had me hooked on seeing her success.

Sally Cantirino's art, meanwhile, still looks fabulous and perfect for this story as it's picturesque background seem to give way aesthetically to the ugliness that the subject matter seems to bleed across it. This is especially the case with the reveal of the big bad, where an apparent graffiti art really makes this character far more sinister.

With this series, as I reach the halfway point (because it was issue 2 AND 3), I'm totally hooked on seeing these characters get their just desserts (which i certainly feel will be the case for all). While issue 1 had me intrigued, the more I read means the more i have to read.

Oh, and before I forget ...

While the lion's share of my reading was certainly second issues, I still had time for a first as I had a review go up on Pipedream Comics for Snow Angels #1, a new Comixology Originals comic by Jeff Lemire and Jock. Now, as the review kind of implies, I really enjoyed this issue. Lemire has left me with a lot of questions at the end of this, offering very little information I think, but in a captivating way. I think the characters arent fully fleshed out here but I think that is less of a negative than you'd think because it adds to the intrigue and has made think more about their respective futures.

It's been a while since I've seen Jock's art but this stuff is really gorgeous. It looks like Jock's work but doesn't as well (if that makes sense) as it still has his roughness to it but the pencils seem softer somehow, which sells me in this white world that makes me think of the cover to Rucka's Whiteout.

Given that this is Lemire, maybe I'm being biased after reading his run on Green Arrow and Sentient (well, the first issue) but I'm already really hooked on the concept of Snow Angels and think this might make the top 50 this year on this issue alone.

And finally, after recently sending in my own submission, the the winning entrants  Soda and Telepaths' Producing the End of the World Anthology were revealed. Sadly, my name was not amongst the fortunate but, i wanted to just quickly say congrats to all whose names will be a part of this comic which, given the list of talent who did make the cut, I look forward to seeing the end result of.

Anyway, that's another week done and with it another chance to check out some comics I usually dont get the chance to continue post review (at least not until their trade is released). Fortunately, this has been a week of reads to remind me that a lot of what I review is definitely worth my time.

Mister Miracle

After over fifteen years of reading comics, I think it is fair to say that some things have slipped through the cracks (in fact, I think I said the exact same thing last time I spoke).

It had never been my intention to not read anything but sometimes you get a lot of stuff at the same time or you already have a big pile of comics still to read before this one or even both (as evidence this past Christmas).

Mister Miracle occupies the third of these options, although it also comes with a little extra. Since its release, I've heard nothing but praise from everyone about this series and being a fan of the Vision, it made sense to get a copy. However, it's been 14 months since I received the complete collection soft cover and as time has worn on, this title has been pushed further downstream as I feared that it may not be as good as the hope that has surrounded it.

But no more running, no more hiding, no more escaping (see what I did there). This past week or so has finally been the time to read it.

Mister Miracle (for that other guy in the world who hasn't read it) follows Scott Free, the titular escape artist supreme who. After attempting an escape attempt which nearly kills him, Scott finds himself facing uncertainty everywhere he looks as tries to juggle his career, marriage and even fatherhood with his responsibilities as a New God even as war breaks out between his two homes of New Genesis and Apokolips.

Now I've tried (and most likely failed) to keep my description of this series vague in order to not spoil it for anyone. However,  be warned that I will most likely reference a spoiler or two.

As I've already said, this series certainly had plenty of pedigree to it when I first got my hands on it. Writer Tom King has shown great talent thanks to his awesome

Vision run and the praise that this series has been given, especially towards the Activity artist Mitch Gerads, isn't something that even I can ignore.

However, as I started to delve in, I found this series to be quite a tough slog. I don't know whether it was my understanding of the story or my emotional/mental state at the time (when I started reading I was pretty burned out) but I thought that the focus at the beginning on theology and/or spirituality were quite had going for me.

That said, once I reached issue 3 onward, I found my enjoyment of Mister Miracle increased significantly. I think this is because the story seemed to move away from what I deemed as a deep philosophical and theological narrative to something a little more relatable (at least to me) of a man trying to juggle life and family while dealing with the baggage of his past. I think this because the series seems to focus on two things; Scott's interactions with Barda and later Jacob, and the dynamic of being the son (and heir) to two diametrically opposing New Gods. As I read this it made me think about my own life and how, while I carry a lot of baggage from my past, I always try to shield my kids from it to give them a better life.

Anyway, once I reached that third issue, I thought the writing became much clearer, as Tom King produced a poignant and heartfelt story. King gave us pair a wonderful characters in Scott and Barda, as I thought their relationship was beautiful and very genuine in its depiction. Meanwhile watching Scott's journey to becoming a father and his interactions with his son, Jacob, really tugged at my heartstrings as I thought this summed up the book of how Scott wanted to be better than those who came before him, as well as mirrored my my own life (sans the Godhood).

Of course, there were some lighter moments which really kept the book jovial as well, such as the veggie trays and Barda's frequent phrase of "Shut the $#%@ up, Lightray" towards the eponymous who, whether he truly deserved it or not, is depicted as a bit of a bully to start with and so makes the comment feel earned. However, the best, most lighthearted part of this series is the double-team of baby Jacob and Funky Flashman. It is said that back when the New Gods were created, Jack Kirby modelled Funky Flashman on Stan Lee and with Jacob being the Kirby's true first name, it is obvious that King was paying homage to the architects of the modern comics with a dynamic that mirrored that of the Lee/Kirby all those years ago. In truth, I loved it.

I also, adored Mitch Gerads contribution to this series. I remember his work on the Activity and how gritty it was but this was so different and Silver age-y in its look I think I'd be forgiven for thinking they were two different artists. Of course, it's not truly mimicking the Silver age look but its tone feels so similar while the fantastic nine panel grids and the slightly gritty tinge also gives me a reminiscence of David Aja's work on Hawkeye, enhanced by the ever changing superhero t-shirts that Scott wears throughout.

Of course, I still have many questions my the end of this run, chiefly being where is this set? I ask this because, while I'm aware it is out of continuity, I feel that there is some deeper going on.

My theory is that this entire run takes place in a state of Purgatory or death, with Scott imagining or playing out the life he wanted or wish he'd had. I wonder this because throughout the run Gerads puts a sort of 'interference' over some of his panels. If this was a TV show I might not think much of it (although doubtful in the technological age we live in) but in this artistic medium it is a deliberate choice and I wonder if it is to imply a sense of fantasy (or maybe I've watched too much WandaVision). Still, regardless of the setting I do have other questions, such as how did Highfather and Orion die? It's never implied or state the cause but is that because it was Scott or themselves having succumbed to the Anti-Life equation? In that case is this a story about living with depression as much as it is about middle age and fatherhood? Comparing it against my own life (again, sans the Godhood) it certainly seems that way, but I guess there is no way of knowing but asking the creators themselves (and I'm not gonna do that).

Regardless of my questions though, despite the rocky start, I truly fell in love with Mister Miracle, with his journey and his love for his family making me think a lot about myself as much as anything. I think that maybe I expected this to be the Vision 2.0 and that was a mistake but, despite it not matching those heights in my eyes, it was still a really good read and I'm glad I finally got around to it.

I may have to read it again though when I'm a little smarter to see if it's worthy of a place on my best ever list.

Oh, and before I forget ...

Before I delved into Mister Miracle, I got the chance to review for Damsels from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S #1. I have to say, while I thought this would be a fun little read, I didn't expect it to be as enjoyable as I found it. As I've tried to elude to in the review, I thought Damsels had this real energy to it that made it just so much fun to read, along with a subtle sense of parody on the spy genre (predominantly)

I also absolutely loved the art. I likened it to Stephen Byrne's work and that isn't a bad thing. However, while Mauricio Mora's work is a little more muted than Byrne's, I still loved the look, the colour and how both really translated the energy of story.

In shortest of shorts, I absolutely loved this comic and might have to find the necessary pennies when Andrew Clemson launches the Kickstarter for the second issue (next month I think).

So that's another week (and a bit) done. I'm probably going to take a break from my own collection next week in order to catch up/get ahead with my reviews.

But given the amount I've got to read that I keep putting off, that decision may end up changing if I get another Mister Miracle.

Alex + Ada: the Complete Collection

Believe it or not, despite the amount of comic books I appear to read over the course of my life (which often feels excessive ... ok, maybe not), there are often comics which slip through the cracks amongst my collection. These are titles which, despite being owned for months and even years, I have never opened up and read.

Many, many years ago (so many, in fact, that I cant remember how many), my father bought me a copy of the complete collection of Alex + Ada. I had initially read this series in digital as it had been released and loved it so much that when I saw the collection, I expressed my desire to have it and my good old dad obliged.

To this day, it is only one of two comic series (the other being Black Panther: the Man without Fear) in which I have "double dipped."

Unfortunately, despite owning such a gorgeous looking book and remembering how much I enjoyed the series as singles, I had never actually opened up this collection and read it.

Until this past week.

Alex + Ada: the complete collection was originally going to be a post that I put up on valentine's day as a sort of celebration focus... thing. As such, I opened the cover 15 days in advance (one per issue) as well as a couple of days to write my thoughts. The fact that, as I post this, it isnt valentine's day should kinda say everything about how good this series actually is.

Alex + Ada tells the story of Alex a mid-twenties man in a future world who is still recovering from the abrupt departure of his former fiancee. Unable to shake his melancholy, Alex receives an unexpected gift in the form of Ada, a life-like android who is almost indistinguishable from a real person, less a distinct personality. However, this missing piece turns out to be too big for Alex to ignore as he finds a way to unlock Ada and allow both to embark on a journey neither expected to be on.

I've probably hammed up that explanation incredibly when I could have easily said 'a man and a robot start living together I dream of Jeanie style' but I really felt this series deserved something more. The truth is, as if I haven't alluded to it already, Alex + Ada is a truly phenomenal series.

I really do love this book because the story, while rather simple (there is next to nothing of elaborate plot points or set ups), is so earnestly and poignantly told that, even all these years later after having already read it through once, I found myself totally hooked and astounded by how incredible a story this is. I thought Sarah Vaughn did an astonishing job with this series. The pacing was a nice gentle pace that matched the tone of the story and the characters, who were ultimately the reason the story stood so well, were written and formed gorgeously.

I think what I loved most was that the focus was split equally between both Alex and Ada. It was so refreshing that both were treated equally, with their respective arcs starting with them waking up, as if the following five issues were the start of a new day (which, technically, they were) before the final five seeing them focused together. Both Alex and Ada felt so real as I read through this that I couldn't help hut be enthralled in their lives, from Alex's uncertainty to Ada's almost childlike appreciation and love of everything (even the idea of boiling water). Then, of course there was the abundance of supporting characters who made the whole story richer as well as helped move it along. As I read on, it struck me how almost every character within the lead pairs respective social circles seemed like differing extremes along the line between loving robots and fearing them. These included both Franklin and Jacob's cynicism and fear respectively of their opposite species, Isabel's dislike and Levy's love.

Also (and maybe I saw too much into this), as I read Alex + Ada  i felt like i was seeing a lot of social commentary on various human relationships and form of discrimination. For instance, the idea that android must constantly pretend to be 'locked' heavily implied a LGBT comparison (despite minimal representation) as the fear of being outed was heavily stated. Also, both Isabel and Jacob's actions also seemed to imply a more racist overtone, as the feeling of android rising up and/or forgetting their place is another heavy implication I got through the story. Of course, this might all have been a case of me seeing things that weren't really there in a straightforward love story.

Now, I did have questions as I reached the end, such as where were Alex's parents and what was Su's outcome by the end. I also found myself wondering about the very Graduate-esque finale which, while being a happy ending of sorts, begged the question of what would happen next in a similar bittersweet way (although there was a throwaway line that maybe explains that for me if I want to be optimistic).

Anyway, as for the art, I think it's fair of me to say that I am equally in love with the work of Jonathan Luna here as I am Sarah Vaughn's words. I thought the art in this series was absolutely phenomenal, with the seemingly part Japanese manga inspired, part ethereal fantasy look give the series such a distinct visual that I actually thought really suited the futuristic setting. That said, if there was one thing that really stood out to me, it was the way Luna used multiple panels on a page to show the most minor of change. This gave me the idea of a world that moved incredibly realistically and where every subtly in emotion beyond words was important. In fact, out of all the comics I've read, this sequential style has to be the one that has influenced my thinking when I have ideas of my own. Finally, the art throughout is incredible with, no single page ever outgoing the rest. However, if I had to pick some with a gun to my head I would have to say the covers. This because, while I had never really taken them in previously, time and wisdom made me appreciate them all the more now. As a result, I had forgotten how beautiful they all were, as if they were depicting a love story through these fifteen images alone.

All these years later, I can never remember the reason why I choose to pick up this comic as opposed to another indie crime/thriller or big two superhero. However, this last week has reminded me about how grateful I am that, whatever that reason, it was enough. I've said it many times so far but Alex + Ada is a truly incredible series, as a story told with such beauty that is only matched by its art. I remember now why I always felt so highly of this series and also why I needed a print copy of it because this series is a must read and deserves a place amongst my best of's in the world.

I'm glad it took the chance on it when I did.

Oh, and before I forget ...

First up I reviewed Ruination #1 and I have to confess, I wasn't quite sure what I'd think of this before delving in. Fortunately though, Ruination turned out to be quite a nice read, although it wasn't all plain sailing. This is because, as I mention in the review, I thought the beginning was immensely crowded and convoluted, effectively making it a struggle to get through initially.

Thankfully, this stopped being the case about half way in where everything, both the story and world, opened up. This, as well as a less frenetic pace really helped me get into it better.

The art, on the other, I loved from the start. I've said it reminds me of a few different comics and the way they look, the colour, the smoothness of the pencils, the way they pop, doesn't change my mind on either that opinion or my enjoyment of this issue.

By the end, I felt thoroughly engrossed in Ruination, with an many questions in my head regarding the crystal, why Elene has it and why Silas wants it. As such, with the most crowded bit out of the way, I think the series has some potential and I'd be back for another issue or two as a result.

After that I reviewed the Picture of Everything Else #1 from Vault Comics. I have to admit that I was intrigued about this comic simply because Vault's catalogue has always been worth the read. Fortunately, POEE didn't choose to buck the trend as it to was captivating read.

That said, I didn't think it started out that way as I found it a little confusing to begin with. However, by the end, I really thought it had found its groove and had me eager to come back for more.

The art meanwhile was gorgeous and absolutely loved it's 'like a painting' look which fitted perfectly for the world it was set in. The colours too I thought were used brilliantly, giving it a grounded, aristocratic vibe to begin with but then flipping it 180 with a deep red horror-esque look by the end.

I have to admit that I've done well with the reviews so far this year in that they are all something I want to read more of and the Picture of Everything Else is yet another title to that list.

Oh, and finally, I also got the chance to interview the awesome pairing of Joe Glass and Vince Underwood about their new comic the Miracles, the Kickstarter campaign for which has already begun (as of my posting this). Both Joe and Vince are awesome guys and the series sounds killer so do check it out (the kickstarter if not the interview, bit why not both).

So that's another week (and a bit) done for me and, if I'm honest, putting in the time to read this version of a great story was time well spent. I just have to hope the next title will be burned through as quickly.

But given that I'm finally biting the bullet with Mister Miracle, I'll settle for it be enjoyable.