Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist:  Kev Walker

Cover Art:  Phil Noto

Dr. Strange has been in several comic versions over the last few years.  So when, in the previous one, Strange used a spell to fix his damaged hands (a plot point that will pay off again down the road, I am sure), I was actually a little uncertain on how I felt about it.

Then I discovered that Marvel was using this to reboot the series again, dubbing it Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme, having Stephen Strange return to being a surgeon.  And I wondered about the viability of the story.

Then I read the first issue and, while I still have some questions about the continued ongoing aspect for the character, I was in with what I read in issue one.

I shouldn’t have had near as many concerns because all I had to do was to look at the writer on the series.  Mark Waid is one of the best comic writers going and he is consistently creating some of the best comics around.  In fact, you can name off a bunch of the best runs of characters and it is likely that Mark Waid was involved.  His very name provides credibility.

Kev Walker is not a name that I recognized as the artist, but I really enjoyed his work as I read the book.  It brought the right feel to the story as it moved along.  I especially liked his rendering of Stephen Strange when he was out of costume.  There was a proper cockiness in his face that really worked for the character.  Not to mention the fact that the very first page (the splash page) was so beautiful that I opened the book and it took my breath away.  With a small sample size, I am a Kev Walker fan.

The book ends on a fine cliffhanger as well.  Overall, this is some high quality work and I am looking forward to seeing where they take the character from here.

Incoming! #1

Writers: Various

Artist: Various

There are a ton of writers and artists involved in this project.  Individual creative teams per books.

Cover Art:  Patrick Gleason & Marte Gracia

I have been anticipating this book for several months because of the promotion Marvel had done.  I am a fan of murder mysteries and the idea really appealed to me.  So, here on the last new comics day of 2019, Incoming! #1 was released.

I had many thoughts about it.

First, the book started out strong with the discovery of the murder and the involvement with Jessica Jones, which made total sense.  The clues dropped and the banter with Jessica and Captain Marvel was great.

Then as I was getting into the mystery, suddenly, it felt as if the book took a turn.  At this point, it felt like an advertisement for all the other Marvel books.  Each time the scene shifted, it felt like those free releases that give a flavor of the upcoming books.  Not that they weren’t fascinating or interesting by the way, but they did not feel as if they had anything to do with the mystery of the murder.  It was just what Marvel Comics 2020 was going to be like.

It got back to the mystery at the end of the book and connected it to a major event that is happening in the Marvel Universe.

There are some fun interactions between characters that do not always work together, and Jessica Jones is great as always.  I am curious about the new young superhero issues that are mentioned in here because I like most of those characters (because it almost got as much exposure here as the murder mystery did).

This was the best Reed Richards that we have gotten in quite a while too.

In the whole, I am not sure this was worth the massive promotion that Marvel gave it, but I had a good time reading it and I am looking forward to the ideas and the storylines that it mentions so it may have done its job.

Family Tree #2

Writer:  Jeff Lemire

Artist:  Phil Hester

Cover Art:  Phil Hester

I have not read a ton of Image Comics.  So when I picked up Family Tree #1, it was a whim.  I was very happy I did because issue #1 was strong, engaging and beautiful.

It made me wonder what issue two would be like.  Would it continue the positive direction or would it lose the momentum it started?

I am very pleased to state that I think the second issue is even better than the first one.

The story is told in two time eras, 1996 and 1997.  We see some more of Grandpa and what he can do, and the last page is stunning.  The story from Jeff Lemire has been enjoyable so far and makes you wonder exactly what is going on.  That has not changed in issue two.

Not only is the writing tremendous, the art is beautiful.  I love looking at the art as I am reading this issue.  Phil Hester’s artwork is haunting and helps create a special storytelling technique.  The use of black and white in the background helps the images to stand out and provide more depth.  The color of the art helps tell the story as well.  It feels unlike most any other comic on the market at the moment.

I am excited to see how this continues.

Spider-Man #3 (of 5)

“Bloodline Part III”

Writers:  J.J. Abrams & Henry Abrams

Artist:  Sara Pichelli

Cover Art:  Olivier Coipel & Dave Stewart

I have been enjoying this series, although it has been a while since issue number two came out.  Typically, I am not a huge fan of alternate stories, but I have really grown to like the son of Peter Parker, Ben.  I like his look.  I like his personality.

And the story has been hot so far.  There is a page in the early part of the book that seriously was jaw-dropping.  So what I have been reading here has been excellent.

The arrival of another former Marvel super hero here was a cool arrival and made the story funny, despite the big time stakes that were going on.

And the ending is mind-blowing.

This is a great example of when you write a good story, have great art, and intriguing characters, a book will be successful.  If you write a great story, even out of continuity, you can enjoy a comic.

Superman #18

“Truth”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist:  Ivan Reis

Cover Art:  Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Alex Sinclair

I have not collected Superman.  I have picked up certain significant issues of the Man of Steel because I am a comic book fan and I am curious.  That is the situation I was in today as I was looking at the issue of Superman where Brian Michael Bendis had Superman reveal to the world that his secret identity was Clark Kent.

I liked the issue itself.  Superman was shown making the final decision, understanding that the identity of Clark Kent was really unnecessary, at least the dual identity part of it.  We see Superman telling the people closest to him in his life who did not already know such as Perry White and Jimmy Olson.  Then we see the press conference to reveal to the world.

Spoilers:  The best part of the whole issue was the reaction of one specific super villain at the end of the book.

This felt like a nice character piece dealing with what had to be a huge deal in the DC Universe.  There was a lot of dialogue and discussion which was well done.  It was very much a Bendis book in this way.

I do not think this means that I am going to start reading Superman all of a sudden, but I did enjoy this issue.  It may make me take a peek at the next issue to see if they can maintain this kind of momentum.  If you like Superman, I think this is a solid read.  I do wonder if long time fans will react to this the way they reacted to the reveal of Peter Parker in Civil War.  Since Superman is not a character I generally gravitate towards, this felt fine.  I am intrigued to see what the rest of the world thinks.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14

“A Night Off”

Writer:  Tom Taylor

Artist:  Marguerite Sauvage (flashbacks) Ken Lashley

Cover Art:  Andrew C. Robinson

Okay, I feel a rant coming on.

It was just a few weeks ago that I found out that Loki #5 would be the final issue of that series, a series that I had found to be one of the best that Marvel published.  It was a blow, no doubt, because this was extraordinary.

Now this is so much worse.

I absolutely love Spider-Man.  He is easily my favorite fictional character, not just super hero, but fictional character anywhere, movies, TV, comics, literature.  Anywhere.  I have always enjoyed the Amazing Spider-Man book and other places where I can consume the Wall-Crawler’s adventures.

Then I started reading Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.  I honestly am not sure when I realized that this book was the best Spider-Man book on the market, but it absolutely is.  Every issue was something that touched me deeply and renewed my love for Peter Parker.

Issue #14 is the final issue of this series.

Not only is it the final issue, but it is an issue that is just damn brilliant, which makes it all the more difficult to comprehend.

I have said this before, but I guess I can only say it once more.  Tom Taylor is one of the greatest Spider-Man writers in years.  He clearly understands the character and places him into situations that provide Spidey with the opportunity to show what an amazing character he is.

When I read the final letter page on the final page, I saw a response from Tom Taylor that placed my thoughts on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man into perfect perspective.  He wrote:

“By design, this was not a big blockbuster book.  This was a smaller, more personal book.”

This was 100% it. It felt more intimate.  I still love Amazing, but there are always grand, sweeping crossovers and major events. This was something small and meaningful to the individual.  It was originally drew me to Spider-Man.  This is one of the few books that shows how Spider-Man can affect the people around him and how important he is to their life.  Without spoiling this final issue, the “villain” of the piece responds to Spider-Man in a manner that we have not seen before, and Spider-Man reacts to this character in such a perfect Spider-Man way that it almost made me well up.

Tom Taylor was able to balance Spidey’s iconic wit/banter with his internal struggle toward heroism in a way that, in many times, was different than any other comic book story.  Spidey was able to use his brains in many issues without having to regress to violence.  It is a part of the character that sometimes gets left out, but his intelligence combined with his humanity is signally Spider-Man.

I loved Spider-Man when I was younger because of how much of a hero he was.  He was as likely to try and save the life of the villain trying to kill him as he was to save the bystander.  Life had value for Spider-Man and he would do whatever he could to persevere.  I loved that.  It helped make me the person I am today.  Tom Taylor was able to tap into that vein of the character once again.  Every time I would read Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Taylor’s writing and character development would remind me of the feelings I had when I first read the unexpectedly poignant short story, “The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man.”

I had been afraid that this was going to happen.  I had been missing the book in the Previews section, but I had hoped it would be published on a semi-regular basis.  Sadly, that is not the case and FNS has come to an end.

If there are readers out there who love Spider-Man (heck, even just like the character), do yourself a favor and pick up this issue, heck pick up the entire Tom Taylor run, because it is some of the best Spider-Man you will ever read.

With great sadness comes great irrationality?

I now must place this book on the list with Mockingbird and Loki as books cancelled WAY TOO SOON!!!!

Thank you to Tom Taylor and the rest of the creative forces that worked on this book.  You gave me many issues of pleasure.

Conan: Serpent War #1

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist:  Scot Eaton

Cover Art:  Carlos Pacheco, Aneke & Frank D’Armata

I have to say that I just don’t think Marvel Comics has had any missteps with the character of Conan the Barbarian since they got his publishing rights back.  Both of his own series are great, I truly have enjoyed him with the Savage Avengers, his guest appearance in the Avengers: No Road Home storyline was epic and now he teams up with some of the most intriguing characters around for Conan: Serpent War.

Moon Knight being brought in is a hook for me.  Moon Knight has been one of the most underrated characters in Marvel Comics.  Throw in the characters of Dark Agnes and Solomon Kane and you have quite the team up.

Then, I think the art was very special.  It was the perfect feel for the story that was being told and the first few pages of the dream involving Niord was beautiful.

This first issue does a great job of setting up what we are doing and introducing us to the characters that will be our feature during this series.  It also provides us some ideas about what is going on without giving us too much.

Well written and fascinating, I think this could be yet another Conan book worth reading.  Jim Zub has been on fire the last few years and he has quickly become on of the writers that excites me as a reader.

Old Man Quill #12

“Spirit in the Sky”

Writer:  Ethan Sachs

Artist:  Robert Gill

Cover Art:  John Tyler Christopher

When Old Man Quill came out with their first issue, I had just finished Old Man Hawkeye, which I loved, but I was not going to continue on with these “Old Man” books from Marvel.  Peter Quill is fine, but I never found him to be that compelling of a character.

Twelve issues later, the series came to an end with a fantastic confrontation with Galactus and a cool nod to the character of Peter Quill and what his future holds.

Yes, I had no intentions of reading Old Man Quill, but it was consistently entertaining and well done. There were some surprises along the way that were actually surprises and the important moments all paid off.

I see that Marvel will, in January, be continuing this future world with the Avengers of the Wasteland coming out of the Dead Man Logan series.  Again, I am not interested, at this point. However, if the story is as well written, the art as well done as Old Man Quill, maybe I won’t be able to help myself.

The Walking Dead: The Alien

Writer:  Brian K. Vaughan

Artist:  Marcos Martin

Cover Art:  Marcos Martin

I was surprised to see this issue at my local comic book shop.  It was pricey, but it was worth every penny.

A story about Jeffrey Grimes, Rick’s brother, who was dealing with the outbreak while he was in Barcelona, Spain.

The art was absolutely beautiful.  The black and white was unbelievably stylish and fit perfectly with the original Walking Dead series from Robert Kirkman.  Brian Vaughan feels like a wonderful fit with the series.

It is a quick read and a very entertaining piece of the mythology of The Walking Dead.  If you are a fan of the comic series or of the live action TV series, this comic should be a pleasing read.

And, as I said, the art by Marcos Martin is spectacular and one of the best selling points for the one-shot.  The use of the color red was done to perfection.

I did not collect the comic series, but I am glad that I picked up this book.  One shots like this would help keep the Walking Dead comic relevant in today’s world.

Family Tree #1

Writer:  Jeff Lemire

Artist:  Phil Hester

Cover Art:  Phil Hester

I have been expanding beyond my safety zone with Marvel Comics on a pretty regular basis and this week add another Image comic.  And this time, I cannot even blame the comic shop workers/owner who have been pushing me towards some of the really great work being done in other companies.  Because of them, I have purchased (or am currently in the process of purchasing) The Undiscovered Country, Something is Killing the Children, Harleen, Batman/Superman, Sea of Stars, and Far Sector.  The problem is that this week, I cannot blame Todd or Ben for this.  This one is all on me.

I spotted the new number one from Image Comics, Family Tree #1 and the cover looked interesting, but really drew me in was seeing Jeff Lemire’s name on the cover as the writer.  Lemire is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers and it was enough for me to give this a chance.

Once I read the issue, it was a fascinating start, with language that implies this will be a apocalyptic world because of some disease that causes the victim to sprout branches and leaves from their bodies.  The issue focuses on one family and leaves us with quite the crazy cliffhanger.

I enjoyed the energy of the book and the art, by Phil Hester, was beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time.  It brought together quite the feel of helplessness as well as the feel of darkness.

It left me wondering exactly what was going on and I wanted to see more.  That is always the key for a number one.

Who would have guessed that there were so many good books outside of Marvel?

Loki #5

“The Man from Up North”

Writer:  Daniel Kibblesmith

Artist:  Andy MacDonald

Cover Art:  Ozgur Yildirim

I am really sad.

Loki#5 is the final issue of this series.  I was originally unaware that this was not going to be an ongoing series and I am terribly upset by this.  I haven’t felt this sad about a Marvel Comics series going away since the unnecessary cancellation of Chelsea Cain’s Mockingbird a few years ago.

I have loved the five issues of this series.  I have found the series full of laughs and some unconventional comic stories.  I found this to be way above most of the comics being published.

And now it is gone.

Yes, the story inside deals with Loki in the old west with Wolverine.  And it leads into a revisionist version of the character of Loki.  It felt as if the character was preparing for the next arc of stories, but the letters page dropped the bomb on the end and it was truly a punch in the gut.

Thank you Daniel Kibblesmith for a series that was remarkably enjoyable, albeit way too short.  You had a great take on this character and you seem to encompass everything that makes Loki one of the classic characters of Marvel.

I also get a feeling that this issue will give some idea of what we may see in the Loki Disney Plus series coming next year.

In a medium that could use more original takes on these characters, I will mourn the loss of a series that feels as if it only just got started.

Deadpool #1 (2019)

Writer:  Kelly Thompson

Artist:  Chris Bachalo

Cover Art: Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend

Deadpool, King of Monsters?

This was a strange new direction for Deadpool, the Merc with the Mouth.  Deadpool is hired to kill the King of Monsters and winds up on the throne himself.  Huh?

We get some Elsa Bloodstone in the comic too.  Gwenpool shows up and gives Deadpool the Jeff, the Land Shark character.  There were other monster type characters here.

None of this made any sense to me and I really did not like it.  Deadpool was not nearly as witty as I remember him in other versions.  I found myself bored about midway through the issue.

Now, to be fair, there was a cool final panel in the book that I won’t spoil, but I did not find this cool appearance made up for the rest of the book.

I did not enjoy the new Deadpool series.  It feels as if they are taking this character in a whole different direction that I am not interested in.

Far Sector #1 (of 12)

“Chapter One”

Writer:  N.K. Jemisin

Artist:  Jamal Campbell

Cover Art:  Jamal Campbell

This is another book that my comic book shop friends recommended outside of my safety zone of Marvel. This is a DC Comics tale that owner Ben got me to read.  Last week it was Undiscovered Country from Image and now it was Far Sector from DC.

Far Sector is a story of a Green Lantern from the edge of the universe, trying to solve a murder mystery in a world that had not had a murder in 500 years.  It is a cool concept and the new Green Lantern, called Lantern Mullein, is a well designed and intriguing shift on the character.

I found the first issue a tad slow but in all the good ways.  The story took its time and worked on building the world that this story was going to be set within.

N.K. Jemisin is the writer on this series.  Jemisin is a female science fiction writer who has won several awards.  She wrote the best seller The Fifth Season from the Broken Earth series.  All three of the books from that series won the Hugo Award for Best Novel over a three year period.  She feels like a perfect match for the Green Lantern mythos.

Then, we have the artist Jamal Campbell, whose work has been spotlighted in the DC book Naomi.  His work here is spectacular and really made this book stand out even more than it did.  There is a smooth lay out of the book that makes for an easy read.

I also enjoy the fact that this feels very much outside of the DC Universe proper.  Sure there is a Green Lantern, but it is a whole new world and it is intriguing.

The book has started out extremely hot and popular with the comic collectors.  It is nice to see quality rise to the top.

I am in for now, but if I keep getting these other company comic books, I’m not sure what I am going to do.

Undiscovered Country #1

Writers:  Scott Snyder & Charles Soule

Artists Giuseppe Camunicoli & Daniele Orlandini

Cover Art:  Giuseppe Camunicoli

I was forced to buy this comic.

Todd, my friend who works at my comic shop, basically told me that I had to read this book.  I said…”It’s Image.”  Todd knows my Marvel bias and has been actively attempting to expand my horizons recently.

He tried to even get me to sit down at the shop and read the book.  I love sitting at the shop on Wednesdays and reading the new comics, but my time was limited tonight.  He said…it would only take me about 10 minutes.

Actually… it was 20 minutes.  I timed it.

Then Todd said that I had to read it tonight or tomorrow and do a post about it.  Todd, a former teacher, was assigning me homework.  I had to laugh.

So, I read it.  And now I am writing my review.

This was fantastic.

I was fully engaged with this book.  I was interested in the setting. The entire subplot of this mysterious Sky virus (maybe not the best name I have ever heard) was grabbing.  The arrival in the United States of America, but a USA that is totally different makes you wonder what has happened.  The characters, though still in the early part of development, are interesting enough to want to know more about them and the art is beautiful.

Written by Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire) and Charles Soule (Star Wars, Death of Wolverine, Daredevil), Undiscovered Country has all kinds of mysteries and unknown plot points and is extremely compelling.

I guess I owe Todd a thank you.  I guess I am buying an Image Comic.

I see online where second printings are already being ordered so if you want a copy, you had better get going because I do not think it will last too long.

Marvel Zombies Resurrection #1

Writer:  Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist:  Leonrd Kirk

Cover Art:  Inhyuk Lee

Hey Todd, this wasn’t that bad.

One of my friends from my comic shop had told me that his opinion of Marvel Zombies Resurrection #1 was that it was terrible.

Perhaps that lowered my expectations a lot, but I did not think it was that bad.  Don’t get me wrong, it was not that great, and I have never been a huge fan of alternate reality stories that do not fall into the continuity, but,as a zombie story, this one was okay.

Not sure why Deadpool is on the cover of the issue though.  He does not appear.

I missed most all of the Marvel Zombies phase of comics, and so I am not anxious to see it return.  Again, I prefer my comic stories to be real and in the actual continuity of the universe.  There are so many alternate future/reality stories that just do not interest me.

I do like zombie stories though and this one was fine.  It has an intriguing hook with the death of Galactus drawing out the big guns of the Marvel Universe.  However, the flow of the story did feel rushed.  Once the zombies appeared, the fight came way too fast.

I do not think I am going to buy this series past issue #1, but I have certainly read worst comics than this.