As April comes to an end, I've found myself realising two things.
1. We really are burning through 2022, as the first four months seem to have passed at breakneck speed.
2. I could have really written this post at the beginning of the month instead of the end.
While I spent much of this week finishing off blog posts which aired my thoughts on the comics which I read during my holiday a couple of weeks prior (specifically about the Sheriff of Babylon, Black Bolt and Bullseye: Perfect Game), I decided to use the time to read the April releases from my pull list as the final issue of that collection, Fantastic Four #43 was due out this past Wednesday.
Oh well, we're here now so why stand on ceremony (any longer)
First up was Star Trek: The Mirror War #5, which continued the crew of the I.S.S. Enterprise's mission to gain control of an independent shipyards in order to build an armada big enough to lay waste to their enemies. Now though, two years after having seized that shipyards, the first ships are rolling off of the production line. However, with pressure coming from imperial High Command and their representative, Commander Shelby, for results, Picard and his crew encounter another obstacle as they lack the fuel needed to power the newly formed fleet.
First on my list thanks to the enticement of yet another J.K. Woodward cover, I'm still finding myself intrigued about this series although, after a feeling that things were ramping up in the last issue, this latest instalment felt like an abrupt (almost) all-stop. Still, the Tipton's, who I think have a better grasp than some actual Trek writers, certainly have me wondering where series, and with it the universe, is going to lead to.
As I progress issue after issue, I'm certainly getting a much more comfortable feel for Gavin Smith's artwork, although I must admit I'm having a resurged longing for Woodward's interiors. Overall, this issue was interesting but once again has me thinking that the series would read much better if I read it all in one go.
Next up, I read Rainbow Rowell and Roge Antonio's She-Hulk #3. This issue continues the Jade Giantess' re-invention after years of more Hulk-like tales as Jen gets better settled back into her green skin, her old apartment and her new job all the while trying to help Jack of Hearts understand and acclimate to his new power level and circumstances post resurrection.
I continue to enjoy this latest run of She-Hulk. After years of Jen feeling like nothing more than a Hulk stand in, it's really great to see Rainbow Rowell return She-Hulk to her more upbeat and positive self. However, this series is also losing me a little as the plot feels like its meandering, coming to a crawl with little focus on prior hints. I have to admit, it makes me wonder if this series was planned to be more than five issues from the start, because I'm unsure it'll resolve by then.
As for the art, like the tone of the writing, it feels so upbeat and vibrant. Roge Antonio's style is gorgeous and has a real glam look to it (which the dialogue helped me to realise). It reminds me of Javier Pulido's work on the Soule She-Hulk run, but then maybe skew a little closer towards the Dodson's art style. Suffice to say, I love this style and think it's a wonderful look for the postivity that She-Hulk should imbue. As such, this was yet another good read, although if the next issue can give more of a hint towards a story resolution then I certainly wouldn't be upset.
Finally, my last read was Fantastic Four #42, which continued the saga of the Reckoning War as Mr Fantastic, the Thing, Jack of Hearts and She-Hulk pursued the agents of the Reckoning after the theft of the M'Kraan crystal from the Shiar. Meanwhile, elsewhere, as Johnny continues to lead forces from Spyre in order to repel the Reckoning's main forces, Valeria, Franklin and the Grimms find themselves cornered in the Baxter Building which leads them to a decision which could force the bond between Ben and Reed to be broken forever.
I continue to be in two minds with this event as I read through another issue. I'm continuing to enjoy the direction Reckoning War is going and am intrigued about what Dan Slott has planned for the finale (and I do wonder how different it is now to 15 plus years ago). However, beyond that, this issue felt a little ... standard really. What I disliked about was not only the absolute ignoring of Sue Storm (doesn't appear in one panel) but also the seeming character assassination of Reed Richards. This issue more than any other feels like this should be more an event book instead of within the pages of FF due to the amount of screen time the first family lose to other characters (and Ben because this issue returns to the Ben Grimm show).
The artwork in this issue is a different matter as I really like Rachael Stott's work throughout. While it's certainly not a style similar to Isaakze, Medina, Silva, etc, there is juat something ... 'different' about Stott's art (I.e. not of the superhero standard) that, while it took a moment to get used to, here really connected with me and looked great. Unfortunately, the cool art isn't enough to make me think this is a good read, leaving it as an ok one in my mind. Much like with Mirror War, I do wonder if Reckoning War is something better read in its entirety. Hopefully, that opportunity won't be far off as I'm pretty sure the final issue is that pushed back issue 43.
Anyway, that's been my reading for the week. I must admit, I feel a little deflated after these three issues, with more of them being ok rather than good or better. However, with all of them reaching beyond the half-way mark in their respective story arcs, hopefully it won't be long until I can give them a proper read and judge them in their entirety.
Hopefully, when I get round to doing that then they'll all fare better in my opinions.
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