new comic book day – Secret Society Comics

6 Comics to Pick up this Week (09/18/19)

FLASH FORWARD #1 (OF 6)

DC Comics
(Wr) Scott Lobdell (A) Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund (CA) Evan Shaner

Following the events of Heroes in Crisis, Wally West sets out for redemption after the multiverse was re-written without him in it. After the uproar of Wally fans responding to Heroes in Crisis, I’m curious how DC, with this mini-series, attempts to sway back into the good-graces of Wally’s most fervent fans.

INFERIOR FIVE #1 (OF 12)

DC Comics
(Wr) Keith Giffen, Jeff Lemire (A) Jeff Lemire & Various (CA) Keith Giffen, Michelle Delecki

After the “Invasion” that rocked the DC Universe, the citizens of Dangerfield, Arizona are affected by strange goings-on — but only five misfit kids seem to notice them. Can they uncover what’s happening before some sinister force collects them all? Stranger Things meets X-Files? Sign me up!

SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 5) CHIP KIDD DIE CUT VAR

Marvel Comics
(Wr) J. J. Abrams, Henry Abrams (A) Sara Pichelli (CA) Chip Kidd

WHO IS CADAVEROUS?! WILL J.J. ABRAMS (and son, Henry) KNOCK SPIDEY OUT OF THE BALL-PARK?!

More importantly, ARE DIE CUT COVERS COMING BACK?!

I don’t know which I am more excited to find out. Jokes aside: I am very excited to pick up this issue. I think Spider-Man is in good hands with the incredible writing of JJ Abrams and the always stunning artwork of Sara Pichelli.

I also LOVE that it is a mini-series, which always feels re-assuring to me when considering to start a new series. Just enough commitment to not feel like I’m committing to (approximately) a million issues.

ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #3 (OF 5) AC

Marvel Comics
(Wr) Donny Cates (A/CA) Ryan Stegman

THE SUMMER OF SLAUGHTER CONTINUES!

HOLY SMOKES, this series is amazing. From the captivating story to the jaw-droppingly-gorgeous artwork, I am HOOKED! What is in store for the Venom/Spider-Man gang, and who will they recruit to help fight off the massacring masses following the orders of Carnage?

FOREVER MAPS #1

Scout Comics
(Wr) Michael Lagace (A/CA) Todor Hristov

I am always down to pick up a new Scout Comics first issue, and this story pulled me in like a fly to honey.

In 1794, John finds a map, follows it, and when he arrives at the end he finds another map, and another and another and SO ON! Decades later he realizes that as he follows these maps, he does not age — after about 100 years, he realizes that when he stops, time starts to catch back up with him.

John is torn between family and immortality: does he choose living forever? Or having a life worth living?

I can understand some of the not-so-nuanced symbolism to modern life in this story, but I have not yet had enough Red Bull to decipher it beyond that…Regardless, I am seriously intrigued.

YOU ARE OBSOLETE #1 CVR A CLARKE

AFTERSHOCK COMICS
(Wr) Mathew Klickstein (A) Evgeny Bornyakov (CA) Andy Clarke

After reading the description of this comic, my first thought was “Ew.” Right on time for spooky-season, this comic sounds like it will give you some serious chills, heebie-jeebies, and general discomfort (especially for those nearing or surpassed 40 years old).

On an isolated European island, a reporter discovers that children have taken control over the island and are killing off all adults by their 40th birthday. (Sounds kind of like Lord of the Flies, no?) She must discover what is behind these killings while staying on the good side of the children’s harsh leader. Got the creeps? Yeah, me too..

6 Comics to Pick up this Week (09/11/19)

GOTHAM CITY MONSTERS #1 (OF 6)

DC Comics
(Wr) Steve Orlando (A) Amancay Nahuelpan (CA) Philip Tan
I am absolutely GETTING IN THE SPOOKY SPIRIT and diving right into this comic on Wednesday!

Frankenstein has to take down his former mentor, Melmoth, so he heads to Gotham City in search of allies. He recruits Killer Croc, Lady Clayface, Orca, and vampire Andrew Bennett… but will these dreaded creatures be enough to save humanity before the entire cosmos collapses in on itself??

Zoinks! Gotta pick up this ghoulish issue to find out!

BATMAN #78 YOTV

DC Comics
(Wr) Tom King (A) Clay Mann (CA) Tony S. Daniel
Tom King has created an interlude to the final story arc of his long-running Batman series featuring our favorite feline badass and Batman’s ex(?)-fiance, Catwoman!

Selina knows how Bane is fueling his regime in “City of Bane,” and she’ll help Batman shut down the supply line — but first, she has to whip her battered Bat into shape.

I am going to keep all of my fingers and toes crossed that this interlude will lead to a happier (than Batman #50) ending between Catwoman and Batman (that I may or may not have held a bitter resentment about ever since that issue was released over a year ago). Don’t let me down Tom King!

KING THOR #1 (OF 4)

Marvel Comics
(Wr) Jason Aaron (A/CA) Esad Ribic
The epic conclusion to Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s INCREDIBLE Thor story.

Seven years ago, Jason and Esad introduced the Thor of the far future, All-Father of a broken realm and a dying universe, as he stood in battle against the Butcher of Gods, wielder of All-Black the Necrosword. Now that nefarious blade has returned, in the hands of Thor’s all-time greatest enemy — his brother, Loki — for one final, cataclysmic showdown.

Buckle up, folks! It’s going to be one hell of a final series.

DAREDEVIL #11

Marvel Comics
(Wr) Chip Zdarsky (A) Marco Checchetto (CA) Julian Totino Tedesco
New story arc!! I really enjoy Chip Zdarsky’s writing, and if you haven’t caught this series from the beginning, this new story arc “THROUGH HELL” would be a great place for new readers to dive in!

TREES THREE FATES #1 (OF 5)

Image Comics
(Wr) Warren Ellis (A/CA) Jason Howard
Continuing my interest in spooky things in this upcoming Halloween season (I tell myself, even though I love spooky and horror all year ’round), I will be picking up the first issue of this horror / mystery continuation of Trees, a series created by Ellis and Howard.

“Trees Three Fates” — In the remote Russian village of Toska, there’s a dead body by the leg of the Tree that landed eleven years ago. Police sergeant Klara Voranova, still haunted by that day, has no idea how this murder will change everything-nor what awaits her in the Tree’s shadow.

COFFIN BOUND #2 (MR)

Image Comics
(Wr) Dan Watters (A/CA) Dani
Holy smokes. I am honestly shocked that I am adding this comic to my “Books to Pick Up!” list this week.. The first issue… what to say, what to say… it reviewed VERY well by creators.

The description of the first issue was just RAVING reviews by creators about how amazing this comic was. My expectation was that it would exceed (or at least meet) the reviews from so many of my favorite writers.

It was a difficult read; the dialogue almost felt like I was reading lines from the Canterbury Tales. THAT BEING SAID, I loved the artwork and I loved the idea of the story and how shockingly breathtaking many of the scenes were.

Even though the dialogue was obscure, I am going to pick up the second issue to give it a fair shot and see where this story goes!

Everything You Need to Know about House of X #1

Geopolitics, genocide, drugs, religion, corporate entities, Magneto — House of X #1 has it all. This is the kind of story that requires you to pay attention.

That one promo image for HOUSE OF X that you’ve seen 5,000 times.

The Most Important Things from HOUSE OF X #1

Humans of the planet Earth. While you slept, the world changed.
Professor X, epigraph

What is Krakoa?

Krakoa is Charles Xavier’s perfect mutant habitat, a garden of Eden with no snake, no fruit of knowledge, no Eve, no Adam — and especially no God. The island is the seat of the sovereign mutant nation-state established two months ago.

Cyclops says that “New beginnings demand a wide berth.” In the opening pages, we see X-Men planting flowers around the world over a five month period. They’re planting roots in the natural world to grow the infrastructure of their sovereign mutant nation.

Only mutants can access Krakoa. Advantageous gateways allow mutants to travel all around the world via the Krakoan ecosystem, but only mutants can access those portals. If humans are present, the gateway grants or denies permission for them to enter — but only if a mutant asks on the human’s behalf.

Make no mistake: Charles Xavier is creating a distinct culture, with its own language, land, economy, environment, and drugs.

The Flowers of Krakoa

This chapter title refers to the flowers/drugs that allow mutants to access different environments and states of consciousness unavailable to humans.

We learn that Xavier acquired a pharmaceutical company to produce pills that enhance the immune system, lifespan, and mental health of humans exclusively.

This sets up an interesting contrast between humans and mutants. Mutants: natural (flowers), community-centered. Humans: synthetic (pills), self-centered.

Krakoa Pacific

The introductory pages provide a geography of Krakoa, with indicators to 12 key locations.

According to Dr. Gregor, who is a pretty foundational character in the series, humans only have 20 years left before extinction.

Pan to outer space, where we see The Forge — a space station shaped like a giant Sentinel head. This outpost will help humanity “survive the coming days” in accordance with the Orchis Protocol (explained below).

Orchis Protocol: Build for Doomsday

This protocol is a response to a unique scenario when human population is threatened with extinction, the moment when natural selection finally chooses mutantkind over mankind.

The word “Orchis” is derived from Greek for “testicle.”

Three triggers cause this doomsday scenario, and they’re distinctly political:

Population: mutant gene rates are escalating
Financial: Charles Xavier acquired the seventh-largest pharmaceutical company in the world to make cure-all pills, a move predicted to destabilize the industry and provide him a unique advantage
Territorial: the nation of Krakoa is established

After this context, we see mutants obtain a copy of the combined database from 2 smartest people in the world. They are confronted with the Fantastic Four upon their escape. The contents of the data are unknown, and it makes a solid cliffhanger.

Damage Control

There is a corporate entity weaponizing Iron Man’s and Mister Fantastic’s technology. They add this ownerless intellectual property to an archive of similar assets where there is no clear chain of custody over that intellectual property.

Scott Summers/Cyclops tries to diffuse the situation with the Fantastic Four. using it as an opportunity to state Xavier’s politics. This moment draws an interesting and deliberate line between Marvel’s heroes and their ideologies.

Omega Level

The book ends by suggesting Magneto finally has his chance to be a god.

Omega Level mutants are an elite class of the world’s most powerful mutants, of whom the Krakoan state is especially protective. Magneto is one of these rare beings.

Charles Xavier has made you an offer — one full of grace and brotherly love — but one that is also written in stone. This is not a negotiation. Things will be different now, and the sooner you realize the finality of your situation — and the inevitability of ours — the sooner you will be grateful for the things we are so generously giving to you.
Magneto

Mutants are the new gods, so it’s fitting that the ever-dramatic Magneto needed to make this statement in Jerusalem, the birthplace of the three Abrahamic religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Time is a Flat Circle

The book, after starting with a quote from Charles Xavier, ends with a Magneto quote.

I have a new word for the lexicon of man: KRAKOA. And in the future, when you speak it, make sure you do so softly and with proper deference. For we will be listening.
Magneto

This speaks to the unity of mutants, and also makes the reader question just how aligned Xavier and Magneto really are. Would Xavier threaten humanity this blatantly? Is he already doing that?

HOUSE OF X & POWERS OF X Reading Order

“Two Series That Are One.”

House of X #1	July 24, 2019
Powers of X #1	July 31, 2019
House of X #2	August 7, 2019
Powers of X #2	August 14, 2019
Powers of X #3	August 21, 2019
House of X #3	August 28, 2019
House of X #4	September 4, 2019
Powers of X #4	September 11, 2019
House of X #5	September 18, 2019
Powers of X #5	September 25, 2019
House of X #6	October 2, 2019
Powers of X #6	October 9, 2019

Rating 9.5/10

Jonathan Hickman writes a unique premise that engages a lot of contemporary social and political issues.
Incredible graphic design from Tom Muller.
Bright and luscious colors from Marte Gracia softened the heaviness of Pepe Larraz’s lines, creating art that is on par for Marvel.

Review: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #1

Who would’ve thought that a Golden Age character would become the poster-boy for “pivot to video”? Well, in Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber’s newest maxi-series, anything’s possible. Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #1 is a hilarious collection of four related short stories provide a “bizarre tour of the underbelly of the DC Universe.”

The series opens with a family history of the Luthor and Olsen families, focusing on their role in shaping Metropolis. In a hilarious death sequence, Jimmy’s “great-great-grand-something” falls to his death after getting whacked with a shovel while disputing over the land that would be Metropolis. After this brief history, we see a standard day in the life for Jimmy Olsen: falling from outer space with nothing to break his fall…while metamorphosing into a giant turtle, thanks to a biomedical experiment. Though Superman tries to save his life and prevent major damage to Metropolis, he shatters The Monarch of Metropolis — a massive lion monument/tourist attraction erected by the Luthor family.

These shenanigans are fun, but the story really hits its stride in the second half. Jimmy’s space turtle fiasco costs the city and the Daily Planet, but the video of his fall is the only thing bringing money in for the publication. He’s too much of a liability for Metropolis, but he’s good for business, so Daily Planet’s publisher relocates him to Gotham. After moving in to his crappy new digs, it’s revealed that the Daily Planet published a front-page fake news story about Jimmy Olsen getting murdered!

For me, this was a comical story about the “long, slow death spiral” of print media, as the comic puts it. The “pivot to video” and clickbait trends are central themes to this story filled with wacky plot points. Fraction uses puns, witty wordplay, and slick sarcasm in a measured way that complements the strange subject matter. Steve Lieber’s art is just cartoony enough to match the funny script, and the colors heighten the Golden Age nostalgia while remaining crisp.

Rating 9/10

I need to learn more about the DC Universe, and this comic seems like an amusing tour de force. As a writer, I’m delighted to see comic creators working in a print-based medium address the challenges of the twentieth century. Although comics have adapted to the digital medium (with Comixology), the silver screen (MCU movies), and smaller screens (YouTube reviewers), it’s nice to see a traditionally print-based medium address its own reckoning in such a lighthearted way.

Invisible Woman #1 Review: Has Potential to Be about Infidelity, But Probably Won’t Be

Susan Storm is one bored MILF.

I assume that bored moms let their minds wander to the past, a time when they were less bored. If a bored mom is unemployed now, she might think about former career highlights. If her children are young, and if there are a lot of them, she might fantasize about the days when all she had to worry about was herself. If she’s unhappy in their marriage, she might think about more emotionally and sexually attentive boyfriends and lovers from the past.

From what I can see in issue #1 of Invisible Woman, Susan Storm is a bored mom. This is very clear, and yet I think I’m the first one to come out and just say it already. The creative team connects the past and present in issue one to explore Susan’s determination to break free from matronly routines.

What happens in issue #1?

Writer Mark Waid opens the series with a flashback to back to more than a decade ago, during Susan’s espionage mission for S.H.I.E.L.D.. What happens in that mission doesn’t matter at all. The scene merely exists to establish her relationship to her handsome partner, Aidan Tintreach (whom she calls Squarejaw), and their differing approaches to their line of work. He is fine with killing if it means surviving a mission; she isn’t.

That’s not where their differences end. Aidan/Squarejaw wants to be with his beloved “Stormy” romantically. She denies him that honor because she’s busy with the Fantastic Four. She’s also engaged to Reed Richards.

Fast-forward several years later, during which Susan doesn’t age at all. There’s some internal monologuing about she’s fine with being stuck in a routine before she is summoned to the C.I.A. headquarters. There, she learns that Aidan has been captured by terrorists/spies and is being tortured for intel. As he was being captured, he left a coded message: Stormy. How romantic!

Naturally, the old, white C.I.A. man tells her that she is not to intervene whatsoever. Naturally, Susan flies to Moravia, the fictional Marvel country where Aidan is likely being held hostage. Once she’s there, she meets the Black Widow, who bears a freaky resemblance to Nicole Kidman. Marvel just can not resist a crossover.

Rating 5/10

Until the series concludes, I’ll tag along for the distinct pleasure of looking at Mattia de Iulis’s art. It’s as if he’s spent his whole life analyzing the way light bathes objects and people. The way he renders fabrics — cloth, suits, cotton, denim, and leather — is overwhelmingly satisfying, better than real life. If someone from 1910 saw the realism of his art, they would have died from shock.

Mark Waid, if left to his own devices, might make this a story about Aidan and Susan’s chemistry, which might boil over into something physical when they inevitably meet again. Marvel, if left to its own devices, will not let that happen. Marital infidelity is not part of Disney’s (and by extension, Marvel’s) brand. I expect some lukewarm compromise between these two possibilities, filled with mostly action scenes.

Advance Review of LEAVE ON THE LIGHT #1 from Antartic Press

The comics world is experiencing an onslaught of horror books. DCEASED and THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS are just some of the popular titles satisfying and inspiring a bloodlust in comics fans, who are highly-anticipating ABSOLUTE CARNAGE on the horizon.
Recently, Bradley Golden has unleashed some bloodshed of his own. His new series, HORROR COMICS, debuted on May 29, sparking a lot of conversation among fans of violence and gore. His upcoming series, LEAVE ON THE LIGHT, keeps the horror craze alive…with a lot of death.

What’s LEAVE ON THE LIGHT #1 about?

“In a small town near New York, an undead serial killer has begun claiming the lives of children using the city’s electrical system.” This is the pitch sold to backers of Bradley Golden’s Kickstarter for LEAVE ON THE LIGHT, a supernatural horror comic published by Antarctic Press and the author-owned Second Sight Studios. This three-issue, 24-page horror mini series was supposed to debut on June 26, according to a recent interview with economics in comics, where Golden discussed his forthcoming series. According to a recent tweet from Golden, however, the launch date has been delayed until July 10.

Set in suburban New York, LEAVE ON THE LIGHT begins with the sudden, brutal murder of a little girl, Kassey, and her mother, Claire, the night before what would have been her daughter’s first day at a new daycare. The murderer is an escaped inmate wearing a prison uniform. He has gaping lesions on his face, electric currents pulsating from his body, and a heavy stream of drool oozing from his snarled mouth.

As police pore over the crime scene that night, we meet Detective Gary Marshall, assigned to look into the murder of the Maxeys. After some broody inspection and chain smoking, he thinks the dismembered bodies and crime scene look identical to those of Thomas Butcher Lassey, a child killer who was sentenced to death by electric current eight months ago.

Troubled by the resemblance of this crime scene to others, Detective Marshall and his partner, Sarah McKinney, begin their investigation. One of their lives is in danger by the end of book one.

The Writing

Generally, the story is intriguing, but the writing and art need more attention to detail.

Using well-timed moments of restraint, Golden makes you ask questions about multiple elements of the story to build demand for the next book. I found myself curious about characters’ pasts, and wondered if what I was seeing in the panels was real. To refrain from any spoilers, I’ll say that the killer is likely supernatural. It’s clear that Golden has an interesting plan for this tale of depravity and revenge.

Sometimes, the storytelling was interrupted by stiff dialogue in scenes where characters are alone. In one bit of dialogue, Detective McKinney talks about how she’s going to put down some toilet paper on the seat because the gas station bathroom is dirty. I think the author felt like he has to fill the silence in these necessary moments and convey something to the reader.

Bradley Golden is credited as the writer and editor of LEAVE ON THE LIGHT, and it shows. There were a few mistakes in the copy that I’m sure will be resolved by the launch date. (He does tell me, however, that he’s working with an editor before this book releases — and that he welcomes suggestions from fans.)

The Art

There are really well-drawn cars in this comic. There’s also expressive faces and moody color palettes. Props to penciler Alex Sarabia, inker Lehkem Amiyr, and colorist Shannon Smith. Letterer Hector Negrete adds to the composition with his evocative sound effects. Be on the lookout for a funny cameo they create together in a couple of panels toward the end of issue #1!

Some visual elements were confusing. For example, heavy speed lines made backgrounds less detailed, and they seemed to occur faster than the pace of the actual action. In my first reading, I thought the “VZZ” and “FZZ” lettering effects were cell phone vibrations when they were actually bursts of electric current that power the killer Thomas Lassey.

There were also some inconsistencies in the art. In one scene, the killer has large lesions on his face. In his second appearance, his skin is unblemished. (Perhaps this shows he’s getting more powerful and gaining strength? It wouldn’t be outside the realm of the supernatural. Still, it took me out of the moment.)

Rating

6.5/10

Kickstarter comics like Icarus and the Sun have been getting a lot of buzz lately. So has horror. Those two trends meet in LEAVE ON THE LIGHT from Antarctic Press.

Feels like a classic horror story with supernatural elements. Reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Poltergeist.
The art and writing are limited in depth.
Because of good pacing, there’s lots of room for the story to developed.

7 Comics to Pick up this Week (06/26/19)

ASCENDER #3

IMAGE COMICS
(Wr) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Dustin Nguyen
This is the third installment of Ascender‘s five-part story arc, with STUNNING artwork that plays perfectly with a captivating story of a father and daughter’s fight for their lives against the All-Powerful “Mother.”

CANTO #1 (OF 6) COVER A ZUCKER

IDW PUBLISHING
(Wr) David M. Booher (A/CA) Drew Zucker
“Canto’s people once had hearts, now they have clocks.” This all-ages story looks like a fantastical trip of mystery and adventure that the whole family will love.

ISOLA #8 CVR A KERSCHL

IMAGE COMICS
(Wr) Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl (A) Karl Kerschl, Msassyk (CA) Karl Kerschl
I LOVE THIS SERIES. We have had to patiently wait for this issue after Isola #7 was released in March, but it is so worth the wait. It does not happen often when the artwork in a comic book takes you on an emotional trip and leaves you absolutely breathless, but the artist, Karl Kerschel does this in every single issue. I am SO excited to pick this comic up on Wednesday.

THANOS #3 (OF 6)

MARVEL COMICS
(Wr) Tini Howard (A) Ariel Olivetti (CA) Jeff Dekal
This series has been a really interesting read. It explores the early interactions and relationship of Gamora and her “father-figure,” Thanos. While we all may be feeling a little burned out from Thanos, this is a refreshing take on the character and I have really enjoyed this mini-series so far.

WOLVERINE EXIT WOUNDS #1

MARVEL COMICS
(Wr) Chris Claremont & Various (A) Salvador Larroca & Various (CA) Ryan Stegman
WOLVERINE, CHRIS CLAREMONT, SALVADOR LARROCA, and RYAN STEGMAN…NEED I SAY MORE, BUB? This issue is going to be amazing. A superstar lineup of creators come together to give us brand new stories of our beloved Wolverine. It’s bound to be bloody and I am here for it!

BATMAN DAMNED #3 (OF 3) (MR)

DC COMICS
(Wr) Brian Azzarello (A/CA) Lee Bermejo
Holy smokes, we have waited what feels like an ETERNITY for the finale of the series that shook comic fans to the core. All Bat-Wang jokes aside, the only thing that was disappointing about this series was how long we have had to wait for this final issue of this “Mature Audiences” story.

From my understanding, after the controversy of BATMAN DAMNED #1 from the now infamous “First Appearance” that flashed in a shadowy panel at the Bat-Cave, the higher-ups at DC decided to revise the rest of the series to avoid any more upset. I am supportive of the creative team’s initial decisions, and am bummed that after the controversy it was censored and revised, but I am still interested in the story and curious how they wrap it up.

WONDER WOMAN #73 VAR ED

DC COMICS
(WR) G. Willow Wilson (A) Jesus Merino (CA) Jenny Frison
While I am not currently reading WONDER WOMAN, I can never pass up a Jenny Frison cover — all of them are jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Secret Society Comics had the pleasure of meeting her and getting a few things signed by her at Heroes Con in North Carolina.

Superman: Year One is the Comic that Nobody Needed, Especially in 2019

If you’re going to judge a book by its cover, then comic books are perfect for that. The covers for Superman: Year One #1 are pretty uninspiring. So is the book itself. But it’s more than uninspiring. It’s cruel.

Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. team up for a modern-day retelling of Superman’s origins — except there’s nothing modern about it. Let’s get the stale plot out of the way so that we can talk about the stagnant idea behind it, the cancerous stereotypes, and the dusty tropes.

Krypton blows up. In a rocket made by his father, Kal catapults through the galaxy. He crashes into earth, where he meets his parochial parents and becomes Clark Kent. Immersed in Miller’s version of Americana, Clark grows up, fights off some bullies, saves his crush from a gang-rape (more on this disastrous scene in a bit), plays some football, gets laid, and then enlists in the Navy.

Father-son “wisdom” at the expense of women everywhere. Classic!

As you can see, the plot isn’t innovative or remarkable. But it does make you see Superman in a new light. That light isn’t flattering.

Clark doesn’t have any interiority here. If he does, all we get is his sense of superiority and frustration. Sure, Clark’s a teenager, but his thoughts reek of Miller’s own prejudices and teenage hangups — from sexist comments, creepy innuendos, obnoxious bravado, to stubbornness that’s nothing more than stupid.

Before the bullies escalate their crimes against innocent podunk Kansas to rape, they’re doing the classic bully stuff that has been portrayed in American film and TV for decades. Amid this yawn-inducing buildup, Clark says, “This is madness. Madness. Why?” It’s because they’re bullies, Clark. This is as deep as Clark Kent gets in Miller’s hellscape.

The bullies achieve obligatory villain status when they attempt to gang-rape Clark’s crush, Lana. She’s on the dirt, crying, with some hands holding her down, others touching her where she’s vulnerable. Clark saves her before the violence escalates, commenting on how feeble human beings are all the while. He then whisks Lana up into the clouds before dropping her at home and asking “Let me court you, Lana Lang” with no regard for what she just endured, no curiosity, no compassion, no sorrow, no anger. It’s incel savior mentality at its worst.

Clearly, the intent and ideas behind Miller’s writing are lacking. So is his style. The voice of the narrator drunkenly wobbles between Miller and Clark Kent. There’s a matronly-looking teacher who says “dumplings,” “my blossoms,” and “angels” within four fucking panels. There’s establishing narrative captions, like “Back home. Supper time” that are entirely pointless because we can see that Clark is indeed at home eating food.

The worst and most prominent lack of style is the unnecessarily bolded font. In the very next panel after the rape scene, here’s what Frank Miller has to offer the people who paid eight dollars to read this: “Boning up there, Mr. Kent?” (Lana) “Damn if Lana doesn’t just have a way of saying things…” (Clark). Excuse me while I go hibernate in a nuclear winter.

Comics are collaborative, so Miller can’t fully bear the weight of this book’s crushing failure — with the exception of letterer John Workman and colorist Alex Sinclair. Workman excels at making Miller’s gratuitous dialogue highly legible, neat, and crisp. Alex Sinclair imbues finer textures, like prairie grass and hair, with colors that feel natural and bright. John Romita Jr. may have sprung from the loins of a legend, but apparently it takes more than that to draw children’s heads proportionally. Many times, Clark Kent looked like a bobblehead. Danny Miki’s crosshatching is too clumsy and spaced out, while his line weight is unbearably light and heavy. Then again, no inker could salvage Romita Jr.’s creepy take on the human form.

The first installment of this new Superman series was the perfect opportunity for Miller to explore Clark Kent’s boyish charm in a complex, characteristically dark way for the author. Instead, we all can see how immature Frank Miller really is. There’s nothing charming about it. While this Black Label retelling of Superman’s origin is supposed to deviate from the world’s first superhero who we know and love, it’s nothing more than a perversion.

Rating 3/10

7 Comics to Pick Up on 06/19/19

CRUCIFIED #1

Scout Comics
(Wr) Sheldon Allen (A) Armin Ozdic

The introduction of a brand new series about a NGO on a mission to kill a man believed to be the modern day Jesus — at any cost.

FAITHLESS #3 (of 5) Cover B Erotica Strips Variant

BOOM! Studios
(Wr) Brian Azzarello (A) Maria Llovet (CA) Dani Strips

Polybagged erotic cover art & the continuation of a truly amazing mini-series. Check out Reece’s review of FAITHLESS #1 here!

LAB RAIDER #1 (of 4) (MR)

Black Mask Studios
(Wr) Matt Miner (A/CA) Creees Lee

Young vigilantes break into a lab to free animals from being experimented on, and they discover that top-secret experiments are being performed on these animals to turn them into monstrous weapons. The rescuers quickly become the prey in the introduction of this highly anticipated mini-series.

AQUAMAN #49 Variant

DC COMICS
(Wr) Kelly Sue DeConnick (A) Viktor Bogdanovic, Jonathan Glapion (CA) Joshua Middleton

I will definitely be picking this comic up, simply because Joshua Middleton’s cover is just THAT stunning.

SUPERMAN YEAR ONE #1 (of 3)

DC Comics
(Wr) Frank Miller (A/CA) Danny Miki, John Romita Jr

DC’s premiere issue of Black Label, BATMAN DAMNED #1, shook comics fans across the world. This next phase of their Black Label retells Superman’s origin, putting fans in an absolute tizzy. I’m not particularly thrilled about either cover, but I will definitely be picking up a copy to read Frank Miller and John Romita Jr’s rendition of Superman’s origin.

MARVELS ANNOTATED #4 (of 4)

Marvel Comics
Kurt Busiek (A/CA) Alex Ross

The final issue of the 25th Anniversary reprint of MARVELS, which changed the way we view super-heroes. These issues have been chalk-full of commentary from the creators and are an amazing addition to any comic collector’s vault.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #6

Marvel Comics
Donny Cates (A) Geoff Shaw (CA) David Marquez

This issue is promised to be action packed with Guardians vs Dark Guardians vs Hela and Black Order. It’s also been teased that Thanos will be resurrected.

Review of SILVER SURFER: BLACK from Donny Cates and Marvel Comics

Silver Surfer: Black is a passion project for Donny Cates, and it shows. It’s the culmination of boyhood dreams, professional ambition, meticulous plotting, expansive imagination, and hours spent writing, refining, writing again.

Issue one of Silver Surfer: Black is a cosmic blend of Donny Cates’s soul and Marvel corporate. Each an invincible force gleaming with incomprehensible power like the Surfer himself.

In order to write something this plotted, you have to really love comics. I’m not sure enough people know that Editorial at Marvel really does love comics. Sure, their names are credited in the issue, but…

Since Marvel’s Editorial team so relentlessly and effortlessly interweaves story arcs, characters, and universes, I’ll leave it to them to catch you up on the cosmos before we get into Silver Surfer: Black.

To save his planet, Norrin Radd surrendered his freedom to become herald to the world-devouring Galactus. Coated with galactic glaze, given a surfboard obeying his mental commands and granted the power cosmic, he now soars the universe as a shining sentinel of the spaceways! The galaxy was in chaos after Thanos, the mad titan, was killed. The cosmos’ greatest warriors gathered to hear the reading of his last will and testament — only to be attacked by Thanos’ Black Order! In the ensuing battle, the Black Order opened a black hole and cast several heroes — including the Silver Surfer — into the abyss. Now, drowning and unmoored in an endless void, the surfer is lost…
Silver Surfer Black, issue one preface

Reading experience

For us, Silver Surfer: Black is a comics zeitgeist moment. A tribute to the past and beginnings of the Marvel Universe, publisher in a time when the future of comics never seemed so bright, from self-published webcomics to global movie domination. This comic is a spectacle worthy of the infinite variant covers it has spawned. It’s the most poetic and vulnerable comic I’ve ever read.

For Marvel, it’s a boon. A comic that can increase their dominant market share just a bit more, get readers to buy into new universes. To fully understand this departure from reality in your hands, I’d say you need to know your Guardians of the Galaxy — and Donny Cates’ entire magnum opus. (I took Marvel Editorial up on their advice and acquainted myself with Guardians of the Galaxy — Annual #1 and Guardians of the Galaxy #1, both released in 2019.)

Cates’s writing is poetic and ambitious. (My favorite line: “Celestial tides crash upon me, starless and infinite.” My favorite words: “felled,” “cull,” “unmoored,” “bedlam.”) The story reads as if it is fresh off the lips of an omniscient being shouldering the trauma of millions, rather than a guy in Austin, Texas.

The framing of the story is equally poetic. Cates’s Silver Surfer begins by saying he is known as Death, and ends by affirming “I am not death. I am a blazing light in the abyss — and though drowning in the shadows — overwhelmed and suffocated by the dark —I ignite. I shine.”

How’s the art in SILVER SURFER BLACK?

There is, of course, another poetic element to this story. The dynamism between the words and art shows just how far back Cates and Tradd Moore go, from former classmates at Savannah College of Art and Design to the top of the most world-renowned comic book company.

The history here — between Cates and Moore, Cates and Stan Lee, and Lee and Kirby’s surfer plus the Surfer of 2000s movies & modern angst — is something to behold. And it is a visual spectacle to behold, indeed — with a texture, weight, arrangement, and palate unlike anything else currently published.

The fluid expressions of Moore’s lines, Stewart’s colors, and Cowles’s letters are perfect for this epic. It’s hard to imagine the fabric of reality tearing apart into something timeless and infinite, but these guys can.

My favorite visual moments:

Silver Surfer crying as he relives the worst period of his life. The tear fades into a speed trail.
The black hole pages have psychedelic borders made of earthy tones. If there were a shirt with these patterns on it, I’d buy.
The physical and atmospheric deformities caused by the torrent of motion and time in the black hole.
The revelation of the Surfer’s black, iridescent hand is absolutely iconic.

***Contains Spoilers*: What happens in SILVER SURFER BLACK issue one?**

Norrin Radd — the Silver Surfer, Sentinel of the Spaceways, the Herald of Galactus unchained — goes by many names, including death. Throughout, he grapples with his complicity in decimating people and planets by Galactus’s side. He feels remorse over his “cold stare” and “stone inaction.” He sheds a silver tear.

After this recap, we see Norrin fall into an endless wormhole with the other Guardians of the Galaxy. He implores Beta Ray Bill to summon Stormbreaker and create a chasm black hole. (If you don’t take my word for it, then consult an interdimensional galactic physicist or Donny Cates.) After this disruption, the Silver Surfer tears through the abyss, his speed and power cosmic eventually breaching the fabric long enough for his fellow heroes to escape.

After they are safe, he collapses. Saving pantheons of heroes absolves his guilt only partially. Now he must ponder his guilt indefinitely as he careens through something beyond spacetime. He floats and falls for years, hurting, healing.

Suddenly, he senses that there is a planet eons away where evil forces are killing the innocent. He answers the call and is confronted with three giant sentries guarding some phallic metal thing. They engage in a battle, against the Surfer’s wishes and pleas for help.

Instead of killing the sentries, he restores light to this dark, barren world. The hand he used to birth that infant star becomes black and iridescent.

Is the black hole part of him now? It seems so. It seems the blackness might consume him.

The sentries are revealed to be “goddesses of some abandoned pantheon.” They must have been under some spell, because their faces are revealed when they were concealed before, and their faces are beautiful.

He investigates the mysterious metal structure, now opened. In a Marvel-Cates checkmate moment, Knull awaits the Surfer inside. (It is implied that the Surfer was catapulted to the beginning of time, and now he stands before the father of Symbiotes, Knull.)

9/10 Rating