Back from my Break.

It's been nearly four months since I've written anything here (or anywhere for that matter), allowing me something of a welcome break to (essentially) re-focus and recharge.

However, rather than come back and write, pretending that nothing has happened, I've decided that I would like to just vent to explain where I've been and why I've come back. Doing this might give some clarity but, if for no other reason, it's mostly for the purpose that it gets it all out of my own head.

So, I'd be remiss to not mention that all of this started long before May itself, as the stress of many things all at once (including comics) has given me the feeling of really chipping away at my soul. This came to a head at the beginning of May as my work and home life reached a point of no return and lead me back to Doctors where I realised that my depression had returned. Now, depression isn't really something which comes and goes in my opinion, it being something which is always with you. However, it's the management and control of it which is the key and, at the time, I had neither.

Anyway, Four months later, I've gotten my head back in better shape than I was thanks to getting the right support. However, this wasn't without sacrifice on my part as I decided that I could not continue to split my focus amongst so many things in my life, as that kind of stress would not help me. Therefore, I decided to pull away from comics, quitting my review work for Pipedream Comics, cease blogging, put the dream of writing on hold and give all my attention to my job, my family, and my recovery.

Of course, I'm still a comic book addict and so the thought of no comics at all is rather ludicrous. That said, rather than read them for the purpose of critiquing, I used this time to read comics for the reason they were made: to be enjoyed. This was doubly important because, during my last remission, it was comics have always helped me step away from this dark place I'd found myself in (Comics should totally be available on the NHS). And so, I've read used every spare moment I can muster to read as much as I can and it has been quite a list so far:

• Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol's 3 & 4 (Kieron Gillen run)
• Star Wars: Darth Maul
• Star Wars: Captain Phasma
• Kingpin
• Iron Fist Vol. 1
• Fantastic Four: Island of Death
• Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 (Charles Soule run)
• Trespasser
• Mother Russia
• Slots
• Daredevil #595-600
• Black Science #35-37
• Secret Wars
• Marvel 2-in-1 Vol. 1
• Harvest
• Point of Impact
• Snapshot
• Demon Knights
• Black Panther: Man Without Fear
• The Massive
• Secret Warriors
• Brightest Day - Justice League: Generation Lost
• Brightest Day - Birds of Prey
• Brightest Day - The Flash

Doing this was a great decision as, not only did it help me to de-stress greatly compared to previously, but it also helped me reconnect with some truly great stories and remind me just how great comics actually are.

Now though, I am in a better frame of mind and am ready to move back to more of what I used to do and be more me, even if it is only gradually. Therefore, while I probably won't try for the frequency I had once planned, I'm going to try and write on here more,instead focusing on the thoughts, ideas and general ramblings about comics which are in my head.

Meanwhile, I also hope to return to Pipedream Comics (if they'll have me) and get back into the reviewing of some great comics, although maybe not to the 1 review a week level I was previously at. Instead, I've had some ideas brewing in my head that I would like use more of my time to try and turn them into something a bit more substantial, if for nothing other reason than to quell Matt Garvey's constant nagging that I can do it!!

However, all of this may be WAY in the future (well a few months). For now, I just want to get back into the swing of comics and, if nothing else, use this blog as a platform to just ramble about what's in my head in lieu of someone to actually talk to.

A part of me does wish I'd fought through and kept writing but I'm glad I didn't as, looking back, I realised I'd taken too much on. I don't plan on making this mistake again but I'm not sure I can spend anymore time not talking about comics and the thoughts they bring me. Therefore, now that I've vented and gotten this all out of my system, I'm ready to move on and start talking about comics again!

May's Pull List: Black Science #35

So the May month has begun and this month I have nine issues on my pull list coming out, a much larger number than what April had (maybe this is a good sign).

Of course, five of these issues are for the new Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through the mirror series, which is being released weekly. Those issues I've decided to put to one side to be read as a single story.

But, for now, that still leaves me with four other comics to write about (if I so choose). Therefore, I've decided to start off on a positive and note down my thoughts about  one of those other four.

Black Science #35.
Photo taken from
Comixology.

So I've started with Black Science #35, which jumped ahead in time from the prior arc to find Grant and Sarah McKay having been summoned from their dimension jumping efforts to locate their universe, and with it their children, to meet with someone wanting them to do one simple thing: accept their children are gone.

In honesty, I don't have much more to say about the plot of this issue (not without spoiling it anyway) as, compared to the previous arc, issue 35 is a very quiet issue, one which focuses on the reflection by both Grant and Sarah on their lives and past mistakes. This issue is very much lacking on action compared to much of the series before it but I did enjoy reading it as, once again, it was nice to see Grant attempt to figure himself out while also learning infinitely more about how he has become the character we now have. This I enjoyed given my own talent as a screw up (although maybe not on Grant's level) because it ultimately shows that who Grant isn't so much obnoxious or arrogant but instead is just very badly damaged.

Of course, Sarah has her own story arc here as she is sent to another world to see how her life could have turned out differently. However, maybe because of her limit appearances in the series compared to her ex-husband, this part of the issue just didn't resonate with me, although it was enjoyable in a more passive sense.

Overall though, despite the quiet vibe, Remender still knocks this book out of the park with his writing (and a couple of 'whoa' revelations and cliffhangers to boot) and Scalara continues to give me the most gorgeous artwork. I really love Black Science, as much (if not more) now as I did when I first picked up an issue those three or four years ago (has it really been that long?).

That said, there is one problem with this issue which totally kills me and it's the note in the letters page where Remender claims the story ends in 7 issues time. This, for me, is heartbreaking given what I just said about this book and makes me hope that he means for the arc and not the title as a whole (although, if it is I did figure they'd last until issue 45 so they could hammer out three 15 issue omnibuses).

Regardless of this though, Black Science is still a fantastic comic series and I'm now really looking forward to seeing how this all ends. The next issue can't come soon enough.

But, in the meantime, I have May's other comics to read.

April's Pull List - The Terrifics #3

I've just finished a review for Cognition #3 for Pipedream and, with twenty minutes left before my lunch break ends, I figured I'd write about something else (use my time efficiently).

In truth, I'd hoped for more time to write about The Terrifics #3 because, mainly this is an important issue for it. This third issue of this Fantastic Four homage/copy is (as I've said before) D-Day for the title. Either it's going to leave my pull list or stay.

Of course, this would be a little more finite if I'd actually planned ahead so I wouldn't have to pick up the next two months worth. But I didn't so I'll have two more issues at least.

But anyway, I digress.

The Terrifics #3. Photo
taken from Comixology.

So, the Terrifics #3 continued where issue 2 left off, with Mr Terrific crashing (literally) back down to Earth with a bump when he realised that he, Plastic Man, Metamorpho and Phantom Girl are now mysteriously bonded thanks to their trip to the Dark Multiverse. Now they must figure out how to separate themselves from each, while not being too far from each to cause the explosive consequences.

As I wrote that last paragraph and re-read it, all I could think is 'was that all that happened?' and, honestly, it was for the most part. However, there was also an attack by a War Wheel (literally a tank built into a wheel) as well as some kind of Metamorpho-related event in a small town elsewhere (I can't remember where) so some action happened, but otherwise I thought this issue was rather quiet.

Unfortunately, I just struggled getting on board with this issue and while I have no problem with a quiet issue, this issue did nothing to dissuade me from the concerns I had during the prior two issues about this series. The Terrifics, for all the greatness of its name, isn't really all that terrific.

I have to confess, the problem I had with the issue was the characters. Metamorpho, whether written that way or not, continued to sound like Ben Grimm in my head, even after watching the Metamorpho Justice League episode to try and change that for me. Meanwhile, Phantom Girl just felt flat and  lacking any real depth or personality (hopefully, this'll be something which changes in the future. Only Plastic Man has, for the most bit, grown on me a little bit and so I can't complain too much on him.

However, any problems of those three pales in comparison to the 'team leader'. The Mr Terrific of this issue I really struggled to connect with as he comes across as rude, obnoxious, uncaring, all at different times to a different supposed 'teammate. This is surprising given the way I've always assumed the character is and I do feel like the writing team (who I noticed this time was not solely Jeff Lemire) were trying to make him more of a Mr Fantastic-esque character, who is quite (famously) self absorbed . However, instead of getting the self-absorbed aspect, they ended up making Holt out to be just a real dick.

... Deep breathe....

Now, I feel I've been WAY too negative at this point and this is unfair because I've made it sound like a terrible comic when the Terrifics #3 does have some good points. First of all, I realised from this issue that the series gives off a real silver age vibe (albeit with a modern twist), something which I thought gave the comic a nice touch and made me feel silly or not noticing it sooner. Meanwhile, the art continued to be solid and so consistent with the prior issues that I didn't even realise that it was not by Ivan Reis (and I have to wonder if issue two was the same).

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I struggled to find this comic overly compelling thanks to the characterisation of the leads as well as its 'meh' storyline. I think it's an ok title but, and maybe I'm being too picky, I thought that about the Terrifics for the first two issues and I don't really wanna spend my limited budget on something that's just 'ok'.

So, with that, the Terrifics will be leaving my pull list as of this coming Monday. Maybe the last couple of issues I'm obliged to pick up will change my mind but, if they don't I'm not sure I'll lose sleep over it if they don't.

Especially given that the Fantastic Four are returning to fill the team book void in my life!