Greetings, ‘Rama readers! Ready for your ellets? Best Shots has your back with this week’s Rapid-Fire Reviews! Let’s kick off today’s column with Mischievous Matthew Sibley, who takes a look at Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler…
Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler #1 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Matthew Sibley; ‘Rama Rating: 7 out of 10): The fact that Giant-Size X-Men was first intended to be annuals for the line becomes clearer with this Nightcrawler-titled one-shot. After Kurt stating his intention to start a religion at the end of X-Men #7, you might expect this to follow up and showcase him getting to work on that. Instead, he, Magik, Eye-Boy, Cypher, and Lockheed take a trip back to Westchester to work out why the Krakoan gateway at the X-Mansion has had a number of attempted breaches. It’s a jaunty little escapade from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Alan Davis, and as with the issue of X-Men out this week, the former’s having fun branching out in the new sandbox he’s made. The latter retains his classic style working alongside colorist Carlos Lopez, something you can see most strongly in the reactions of the team as they make their way through the former school, which is quite different to how readers remember it. In fact, the issue is arguably more about the school in a symbolic sense. No longer is it the home base of the franchise, though the existence of a gateway allows any mutant who should find themselves there a way onto Krakoa.
Batman: Curse of the White Knight #8 (Published by DC/Black Label; Review by Kat Calamia; ‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10): Will Batman cross the line and go against all his principles and kill Azrael? Writer/artist Sean Murphy has built a world where nothing is black and white, as our favorite Gotham heroes and villains have become truly unpredictable, keeping even the biggest Bat-fans on their toes. Batman: Curse of the White Knight #8 is an action-packed finale that showcases Murphy’s finest artwork – especially when it comes to scenes with the Batmobile. In the mix of all this action, Murphy also allows for a lot of heart with some great scenes between Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne’s father/son dynamic and even a burgeoning relationship with a reformed Harley Quinn. The White Knight franchise continues to be a promising line of books that’s reminiscent of the iconic worldbuilding of Batman: The Animated Series – just much darker.
Sex Criminals #28 (Published by Image Comics; Review by Matthew Sibley; ‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10): As absurd as the series’ basic premise is, Sex Criminals has done a remarkable job of using that entry point into this world as a means to craft an emotional ride for its characters. This issue is essentially one long conversation between Suzie and Badal, as the latter explains his plans, how Suzie’s entangled in them, and how he views the Quiet. Writer Matt Fraction keeps things moving, even as Badal gets chauvinistic, masochistic, and downright deranged, building to a big emotional crescendo for Suzie. It’s the kind of beat you couldn’t have anticipated the series getting to from its first arc, though that ability to surprise is what has made this a must-read creator-owned book during its lifetime. It’s also one heck of a showcase for what artist Chip Zdarksy can do with what’s largely a book of shot/reverse shot sequentials, just look at the way he captures head tilts, glances and other body language, even in packed 16-panel grids. The tightness of his formalism makes the contrast found in the last few pages’ craziness work even better, and with the pair still firing on all cylinders, it’ll be interesting to see where they go in the final few issues.
Falcon & Winter Soldier #2 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by David Pepose; ‘Rama Rating: 7 out of 10): If you’re digging the irreverent action Matt Rosenberg is putting out in Hawkeye: Freefall, you might want to double-dip with Falcon & Winter Soldier, as writer Derek Landy and artist Federico Vicentini operate in that same wheelhouse, only with added emphasis on their buddy-cop dynamic. Vicentini’s artwork moves fast and furious, giving this book a nicely breezy pacing, as Sam and Bucky wind up battling their way across an entire train packed with Hydra agents. Landy’s writing is engaging here, as well, keeping readers on their toes with his heroes bantering as well injecting a fun action montage to keep things interesting. Granted, once the fisticuffs end, the momentum of this sophomore issue takes a hit – Landy’s character and action work are strong, but his exposition-dumping sometimes is a little overwhelming, such as when our heroes face a villain from the past. Still, Falcon & Winter Soldier is a surprisingly fun, if middle-of-the-road, book.
Detective Comics #1021 (Published by DC; Review by David Pepose; ‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10): Historical numbering aside, it’s easy for readers to overlook Detective Comics as mere Batman “product” – which is why it’s so heartening to see not just writer Peter Tomasi continuing to deliver dependably solid scripting, but to see artist Brad Walker absolutely swing for the fences. The result is a beautifully produced issue focusing on Batman and Two-Face, with a wonderfully deliberate introduction showing that in some ways, these characters are two sides of the same scarred coin. In particular, I love the new visual vocabulary that Walker is bringing to Batman – super-lush shadows lining his entire cowl, but with some surprisingly large eyes that lend themselves well to expressiveness. He also really wrings a lot of emotion from the conflicted Two-Face, who you can tell seems anguished as what little semblance of control is slipping through his fingers. While there are a few contrivances in Tomasi’s script that feel a little convenience – like Two-Face being able to escape the Batmobile – this is a series that shouldn’t be underestimated, particularly for Walker’s art.
Marvels Snapshots: Fantastic Four #1 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by David Pepose; ‘Rama Rating: 9 out of 10): Curated by Kurt Busiek, Marvels Snapshots goes two for two, as writers Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer and artist Benjamin Dewey tell a down-to-earth but heartwarming story about the Human Torch and the town that raised him. If you enjoyed Busiek’s work on Marvels or Astro City, you’ll love this book, which has plenty of history about Johnny Storm and long-forgotten supporting characters (like his teen sweetheart Dorrie) but gives us just enough of a human touch to make the exposition come alive. There are so many great little moments to this book – like a supervillain being horrified that he used to attack a 16-year-old boy, or Dorrie’s deep-seated fears of getting too close to a cosmically empowered hothead. Dewey’s artwork also feels like the perfect fit for this book – it’s not the flashiest or most atmospheric, but instead has a classic, old-school sensibility that is clean, concise and emotionally engaging. While some readers might cry foul that three out of the Fantastic Four only get a little bit of lip service in this one-shot, Marvels Snapshots: Fantastic Four #1 is a wonderful read that should not be missed.
Legion of Super-Heroes #5 (Published by DC; Review by David Pepose; ‘Rama Rating: 3 out of 10): There are a lot of kernels of good ideas in Legion of Super-Heroes #5, but writer Brian Michael Bendis never spends long enough time to expand upon them, let alone give artists Ryan Sook and Scott Godlewski enough elbow room to really strut their stuff. It’s a shame, because any of this book’s aborted high concepts – the Legion versus the Science Police, the formation of the Legion itself, Chameleon Boy’s ties to the United Planets, or Superboy’s importance to the fabric of reality itself — would be interesting, but Bendis swerves from concept to concept with little follow-through or focus to let anything breathe. To their credit, Sook and Godlewski’s artwork flows surprisingly seamlessly – the inking here feels really consistent, with a lushness to the line weight that bridges the two artists nicely. But that said, beyond a couple of splash pages that go nowhere (that wind up seriously flat-tiring the abrupt conclusion), the haphazard scripting doesn’t do Legion of Super-Heroes any favors.
Road to Empyre: The Kree/Skrull War #1 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Kat Calamia; ‘Rama Rating: 6 out of 10): Writer Robbie Thompson’s cast from Meet the Skrulls returns just in time for the latest Kree/Skrull war. It’s nice to see Thompson use characters readers already had a familiarity with to try to garner some emotional resonance, but the bogged-down exposition takes away from the potential character moments that he tries to build. Even if narratively not perfect, there still was a stand out for this issue – artist Mattia De Iulis’ pencils. Following his work on Jessica Jones and Invisible Woman, he tackles a large event in total stride with a cinematic feel that truly energizes the narrative. His pencils intertwine perfectly with co-artist Javier Rodriguez’s work as his section takes a deep dive into Kree/Skrull history. Road to Empyre: The Kree/Skrull War #1 delivers visually, but narratively focuses too much on set-up and not enough on character.
Heavy Vinyl Y2K-O! TPB (Published by BOOM! Studios; Review by Kat Calamia; ‘Rama Rating: 9 out of 10): Heavy Vinyl’s sophomore arc takes place during one of music’s biggest transitional periods – the birth of Napster, LimeWire, and the rise of digital music, all poetically connected in this reality to the conspiracies behind Y2K. Music runs through the veins of this comic, but what makes this title truly memorable is writer Carly Usdin’s electrifying cast. The first volume of Heavy Vinyl did an extraordinary job at introducing the band, and just like any good second entry, Y2K expands on that development with some stand-out character beats, especially when it came to their romantic sub-plots. On artwork, Nina Vakeuva and Natalia Nesterenko embrace the series’ manga/slice of life aesthetic with great expressive and vibrant work, beautifully showcasing the casts’ growing bond. Heavy Vinyl Y2K-O is a splendid sequel that hits all the right notes.