The Week in Comics: April 23rd 2014

Welcome to The Week in Comics!

This is my weekly column where I go through the new comics releases that I read every week, what I liked and what I didn't. Safe to say there'll be some spoilers but I'll try to keep them light.

So if you're looking for what to read or just some random guy's opinion on the comics he read this week (that's me. Hi there!) then join me as I separate the BEST from the REST in The Week in Comics!

The Best

Daredevil #2

Marvel. Waid, Samnee, Rodriguez.

A stronger, more all round fun issue than the debut last month, this time around we get a wider view of Matt Murdock’s new status quo, as well as a few more players on the board. A shameless yet hilariously tongue-in-cheek rip-off of DC’s Caped Crusader in new enemy The Shroud – one created purely to silence Daredevil’s (admittedly dwindling) critics who have drawn one too many comparisons between Horn-head and Bats in years gone by. Then there’s the mystery surrounding Foggy Nelson – what is going on there?! Well written, superbly drawn, worth your time and money.

Fantastic Four #3

Marvel. Robinson, Kirk, Kesel, Arburtov.

Wow. This was surprisingly enjoyable, mainly for its sheer volume of referencing. With more than one eye firmly in the FF history books, James Robinson is really creating a run that feels like it matters. More than that, because of the stunning level of detail in not only back-story but character development, it feels like he’s building on a richly established world. Which, ok, everyone is when they pay in the Marvel sandbox, but with the constant renumbering and strong focus on ‘new readers’, it’s refreshing and very rewarding to find a book that’s not shying away from acknowledging the full lives these characters have had, and how that influences their future. Really great stuff.

Harbinger #22

Valiant. Dysart, Henry, Reber.

The story I’ve been dreading for a while has begun, and we inch ever closer to the Death of a Renegade…gulp! Click here for my full review on IndieAltRepeat.

Letter 44 #6

ONI Press. Soule, Alberquerque, Jackson.

The first arc is over, and concludes with the same high quality as I’ve come to know and love from this series. Conversations are had both on Earth and in space that bring satisfying payoffs as well as setting up stories to come. Head to Rhymes With Geek for my full review.

Original Sin #0

Marvel. Waid, Cheung, Morales, Ponsor

My personal favourite book of the week, and I really wasn’t expecting to say that. What easily could have been a throwaway issue (seeing as it’s going to sell no matter what) was a touching, fun, emotional look at the origin of the Watcher, and the growing relationship between him and Sam Alexander, the new Nova. See my full review over at Rhymes With Geek.

Uncanny Avengers #19

Marvel. Remender, Acuna.

It’s always a good week when my favourite Avengers title (and may well be my favourite title on Marvel’s current roster) brings out its next issue. The story is tight, frantic, with high-stakes and impossible odds - Kang’s timey-wimey shenanigans are slowly revealing themselves, even if his real motives remain hidden. His motley crew are awesome and I can’t wait to see where this story goes. I desperately look forward to the Uncanny Avengers Omnibus sitting on my shelf in a year or two.

The Rest

24: Underground #1

IDW. Brisson, Gaydos, Burcham.

This was pretty fun. As a fan of the series since day one it was great to read a book that felt like it captured the pace and spirit of the show. Michael Gaydos on art is always a good thing and, much like the Buffy book out this week, the voice and actions of your favourite characters need to be spot on, and it’s safe to say Jack is definitely back. Filling in the gap between the end of series 8 and the start of Live Another Day, the only thing that will make this better is if it’s something that gets mentioned or referenced in the show, to really cement it in canon.

Batman Eternal #3

DC. Snyder, Tynion IV, Fawkes, Layman, Seeley, Fabok.

Another week, another chapter. This one wasn’t as fast paced or revelatory as the previous two, with a feeling that a lot of pieces are being moved into place. Following on from the surprise return at the end of issue 2 the rats are scrambling on both sides of the law to bolster their positions. Interesting more for what’s to come rather than what’s actually in the issue.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #2

Dark Horse. Gage, Isaacs, Whedon.

Still storming ahead in a brand new direction, this issue requires a bit more foreknowledge of the events of season 9 (of both the Buffy title and the Angel & Faith) than the last issue did which, as someone who dropped off at the end of season 8 I was a little confused. Still, it’s not rocket science, and the important thing is the characters all still feel familiar. The transition to a new writing team has not only been smooth but breathed new life into the franchise.

Conan the Avenger #1

Dark Horse. Van Lente, Ching.

Having not read much in the way of Conan before, in comics anyway, I went in to this as more of a Fred Van Lente fan. On that level, or any other in fact, it didn't disappoint. It didn't blow me away but it was a fun romp. With Conan being drunk for the first half of the book and angry for the second, events just kind of went on around him you know? But there’re enough supporting characters to keep you busy, and it moved along at a brisk pace.

Elektra #1

Marvel. Blackman, Del Mundo.

An unusual one this, and one I desperately wanted to love. Having been treated to so many amazing All-New ongoings from Marvel, I assumed this would be more of the same. The art certainly seemed to lean that way in previews, and while the art is gorgeous it’s not enough to lift the story. Much like how a lot of people seemed to see last week’s Iron Fist The Living Weapon (although I personally found that to be superior), Elektra #1 is just a bit boring really. I’ll stick with it for the beautiful interiors, but even they can’t hold me for a third issue on their own.

Eternal Warrior #8

Valiant. Pak, Gill, Major.

A satisfying end to the series that has gone from Ancient Mesopotamia to 4001AD all while keeping the focus on Immortal champion Gilad Anni-Padda. With a strong theme of family running from start to finish, this is a series that will read well in trade. Take a click towards IndieAltRepeat for a more in-depth review.

Evil Empire #2

BOOM! Studios. Bemis, Getty.

A much better issue than the debut, this took the setup and final cliff-hanger it was given and ran with it in a very promising way. Wittier, smarter, more complex; I wasn’t expecting to be drawn into this series but I’ll definitely keep coming back if this is the kind of thing we’re in for.

Fuse #3

Image. Johnston, Greenwood, Chankhamma, Brisson.

As hard boiled a detective drama as you’re likely to get in a comic, it’s Fuse #3. Heavy on the procedural, light on the Sci-Fi, this is more Law and Order than Star Trek, and all the better for it. The space elements are subtle and unobtrusive, and the ‘crime of the week’ mixed with engaging detectives makes this an easy read for those who love police dramas. The plot ramps up as Ristovych and Dietrich get closure to the truth of debut mystery ‘The Russia Shift’. It even has a crime novel title.

Guardians of the Galaxy #14

Marvel. Bendis, Bradshaw, Wong, Ponsor.

Not just a nod to the past and more like a slap in the face, this anniversary issue brings the old Guardians out of the toy chest, dusts them off and throws them back into the fight in an effortlessly easy way, thanks to their already established dalliances with the timeline. The current line-up get plenty to do as well; although the main story is fairly Star-lord-centric, there’s a subplot involving Drax and Venom (yeah he’s already part of the team. You’ll need to get the Free Comic Book Day issue to find out exactly how he came to be with them), as well as a back up story shedding light on Groot’s childhood. It’s awesome to see Nick Bradshaw joining the team, and with 3 stories packed in between the covers this is a solid anniversary issue.

Secret Origins #1

DC. Pak, Higgins, Bedard, Weeks, Mahnke, Siqueira.

Do we really need another retelling of DC superheroes origins? Well, if they keep rebooting the universe then I guess the answer is yes? This anthology format at least spares us countless miniseries when they’re not needed, and they’re not when you can cover everything you need to cover in a third of an issue. I preferred the Dick Grayson and Supergirl origins over the Superman one, purely because Superman’s story has been done over and over in much better ways than this, whereas the other two I (as a non-DC fan) wasn’t as familiar with.

Undertow #3

Image. Orlando, Trakhanov, Mauer.

Not as enjoyable to me as the previous two issues, this nevertheless delves deeper (no pun intended) into the politics of Atlantis, as well as bringing the surface-world crew face-to-face with The Amphibian. Head to Rhymes With Geek for my full review.

So that’s it for another week! A few stand outs and a lot of good-not-great issues, with only one giving me a distinctly ‘meh’ feeling. Not the strongest of weeks but still some gold if you know where to look. But enough about me, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @MattLune, and I’ll see you next week for return of The Amazing Spider-Man, and the debut of the Southern Bastards.

Until next time,

Matt

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Why I love - Letter 44

Epic in scope, claustrophobic in execution - why I love Charles Soule's political Sci-Fi thriller; and why you should too.

ONI Press. Soule, Alberquerque, Major.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for issues 1-4 of Letter 44.

By the time of this writing, Letter 44 - ONI Press' new series by writer du jour Charles Soule and by artist Alberto Alberquerque - is on issue number 4 (really no excuse not to play catch up), but there is so much going on you'd be forgiven for thinking there'd been as many as the title may suggest. But no; the title is referring to the final act of exiting U.S President Francis Carroll, namely a letter to his successor - an apparently standard practise for Presidents to do on their hand over. However, what newly appointed President Stephen Blades discovers within said letter is anything but standard.

In it, Carroll explains away all of his questionable actions during his time in office - all of the pointless wars, all of the sketchy foreign policies, all of the highly suspect economic decisions he made - all explained away with "one essential fact", what he calls "the biggest secret of them all"... that seven years ago what appears to be an alien mining operation was discovered in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and that he has spent all his presidency since that discovery not only sending a manned mission up to find out as much as they can, but pumping as much funding, time and effort into preparing his country for a potential invasion.

I came to this book with issue 3, but after reading the premise and flicking through the issue I picked up parts 1 and 2 straight away. It's such a simple concept: what if your government was hiding from you something so life altering and so scary that revealing it would potentially cause mass panic? What if the conspiracy theorists were right, that we are not alone? And how would that information affect our current political climate? Never more relevant than in light of recent revelations involving the NSA, these are nevertheless questions Charles Soule asks of the reader and of the characters within the story.

The beauty of Letter 44 is not the brilliantly simple premise, but in the delivery of that premise. There is no omnipresent narrator, no cuts to the aliens and their mysterious plans, no fourth wall breaking revelations; we find out information as and when the characters do. The first we hear about Project Monolith (the government's plan to investigate and prepare for the "visitors", and a subtle reference to Soule's Sci-Fi influences) is right when Blades opens that letter. We're there in the meetings as he uncovers everything they have learned so far, and we're there when the deep space crew onboard the Clarke first come into contact with whatever is out there. This not only serves to make the investigations of all the characters more relatable, but totally immerses you in their world. After all, this is very close to our world - politically, societally and technologically - which helps to play up the tension and the terror. It is in our very nature to be afraid of the unknown, and there is so much unknown in this story so far.

Attempting to uncover that 'unknown' are two very distinct but not dissimilar groups. Firstly there is the very much Earth based President Blades, who is surrunded by only a small gathering of staff that know all the details (and as the story progresses it's not certain all of those can be trusted). These moments on Earth are Blades story; he comes into his new post as Commander in Chief with many plans for reform and with big ideas surrounding the 'mistakes' of the previous administration, and in one short letter all of that unravels. The weight of command, of the responsibility, and of the truth bear heavy on his shoulders, and the promises made on his campaign trail become harder and harder to fulfil. His predecessor Carroll knows this burden and is seemingly eager to hand over the reigns. At the end of his letter he explains that he is done. He's out. And in a way you can understand why - he's sick of being hated in public for doing what he sees as the right thing in secret.

Despite his initial trepidation, Blades immediately sets out to uncover as much as possible, visiting with all chiefs of staff and Project Monolith itself to bring himself, and us, up to speed. There's a great page in issue 2 that's split into 4 widescreen panels, each showing off a different weapon being developed behind closed doors. All of this leads him to a monumental decision: to continue the ideals of former President Carroll and work in secret, planning for what many see as an inevitable invasion; or to go public and reveal Project Monolith to the world, with the only assurance being that no one really knows for certain why the visitors are there. One of the highlights of the (admittedly short) series so far is the opening monlogue from issue 2. In this speech, delivered by Head of Project Monolith Doctor Portek, writer Charles Soule rationally, calmly and systematically lays out all that can possibly be surmised from an alien presence of this kind in our Solar System. It's a thoroughly sobering moment for President Blades and for us as readers, and the series has rarely been more chilling or realistically scary.

The second group out to uncover the truth is off in deep space. There are 9 personnel (4 military, 5 scientific) that make up the crew of the Clarke; tasked with breaking through the 'curtain' that surrounds the extraterrestrials which blocks all attempts to remotely scan them. As you read through these early issues it's revealed that this dysfunctional band of explorers have been travelling for 3 years to reach their target, and in that time they've established a close-knit society, one with its own norms and rules that can only be embraced by a group of people that are in such close proximity for an extended period of time. As one of the crew explains in issue 3 "no one has anyone. If you ask and they say yes, then no one can say a word". A good idea in theory - a very human attempt to satisfy the common urges that would rear up when any set of people are thrown together like this, while trying to also address the insular nature of their situation - but seemingly harder to maintain in practise. Take Mission Commader Charlotte Hayden; they've been in space for 3 years, and yet she's 9 months pregnant. When the ships doctor asks if she'd like to know the father of the baby (to which she replies that she wouldn't, explaining that this is everyone's baby) you get an idea of the kind of issues their rules have raised. Throw in very obvious tensions between the two potential fathers and you sense a crew on the edge of unravelling, despite their obvious closeness.

There's also a more all-encompassing problem with the crew of the Clarke. In issue 3 we learn (again, at the same time as President Blades) that their deep space mission does not have enough fuel for a return journey; theirs is very much a one-way trip. If this was not troubling enough it's revealed that not only are they all aware of this fact, but that knowing this they all "jumped at the chance" of signing up. Why? Is it because of the thrill of the mission? For the love of their country? Or are they on the run from their previous lives? Time will tell.

It's clear here that Soule and Albequerque are weaving a complex science fiction narrative. Both Blades' story in the White House and the Clarke's story in space are extremely claustrophobic; metaphorically in the former's case, very literal in the latter. The fast pacing of the plot combines with the layouts on the page (the final splash pages being a particular highlight) and the dark, enclosing colour pallette of Guy Major all result in an almost unbearable level of tension that ratchets up after every issue.

Although it may seem like you now know everything there is to know about these first few issues, I've barely scratched the surface. From the extreme long distance shot of earth on the first page of issue 1 (deliberately at odds with the close, tight, claustrophobic nature of the book) to the extreme WTF final splash page of issue 4 (seriously...WTF...) there's lots to discover and love. Like the characters, the less you know, the more you'll want to find out, so I won't spoil any more here.

And if you needed any more of an excuse to check this series out, io9 have the entire first issue up on their site here. Go! Read!).

Until next time,

Matt

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The Reading List - Feb 12 2014

Welcome to The Reading List!

Every week I'll be sharing what I think are the highlights of the latest releases, including a few thoughts on what I liked, what I didn't, and what I think you should be reading too.
If I've not mentioned something you think I should read, or want to let me know your thoughts on any of the new issues then drop me a message.
If you've read my blog before I do lean towards Marvel/Image/Indie over DC, although I'm working on getting caught up on the New 52 in order to provide a more thorough weekly recap (weekap? No), so don't be surprised if you don't see many DC reviews on here. 

This is a little (lot!) later than I'd have liked this week, but what can I say - Valentine's Day plus House of Cards Season 2 took up my time! Apologies!  This'll hopefully be more prompt in future. This also doesn't cover every new release I've read, as some deserve a bit more of an in depth look (looking at you, She-Hulk #1!), and I'm still playing catch up on Thor:God of Thunder and the last few issues of Harbinger, so they're not here either. Anyhoo!

Let's get started!

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