Thanos #16
Story: Donny Cates Art: Geoff Shaw Cover: Geoff Shaw, Antonio Fabela
Color: Antonio Fabela Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Editor: Jordan D. White Assistant Editor: Annalise Bissa
Parental Advisory
In Shops: Feb 28, 2018
SRP: $3.99
THANOS WINS Part 4
• The secret origins of King Thanos’ right-hand man, the cosmic spirit of vengeance, Ghost Rider!
• Just who IS this madman and how did he become allies with the most evil man in the Universe?
It’s Wednesday which means it’s new comic book day with new releases hitting shelves, both physical and digital, all across the world. This week we’ve got Doctor Strange!
Doctor Strange Vol. 3: Blood in the Aether collecting issues #11-16 by Jason Aaron, Chris Bachalo, Kevin Nowlan, Leonardo Romero, Jorge Fornes, Cory Smith, Al Vey, John Livesay, Victor Olazaba, Wayne Faucher, Tim Townsend, Richard Friend, Antonio Fabela, Jordie Bellaire, and Java Tartaglia.
Get your copy in comic shops today and bookstores on November 7. To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
Doctor Strange Vol. 3 Blood In the Aether
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFW
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.
It’s Wednesday which means comics are hitting comic stores all across the world. This week from Marvel is a trade dedicated to Star Wars!
Star Wars: Screaming Citadel collects Star Wars: Screaming Citadel #1, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #7-8, and Star Wars #31-32 by Kieron Gillen, Jason Aaron, Andrea Broccardo, Salvador Larroca, Marco Checchetto, Antonio Fabela, Edgar Delgado, and Andres Mossa.
Get your copy at comic at comic shops now and bookstores on October 24. To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
Star Wars: Screaming Citadel
Amazon
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.
“Are you not entertained?!” is an actual line spoken by the Riddler-esque “master villain” Arcade in this third installment of Elektra. Let that sink in for a moment, we’ve got an unoriginal villain speaking an unoriginal line and that’s one of the most interesting things about this issue.
Writer Matt Owens somehow manages to make his run of Elektra more tragic than the Greek play that the title character gets her name from. The sole black character, a stereotypical ethnic MMA champ gives us another great throwaway line by calling Elektra “Furiosa” and somehow the way the character says it, makes it sound more like an insult than a compliment. The other female character seems utterly useless and spends most of her time crying or forgetting how to hide, which I suppose was Owens’ way of showing us how strong Elektra is by contrast.
We are already three issues into this hot trash fire of a story arc and this solo Elektra series shows no signs of giving our character any dignity, agency, autonomy or actual story. Owens seems content to relegate our hero to a supporting role in her own comic book and by having her stroll around like the Assassin edition of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl he is now having her stay under the thumb of the wackest villain of all time. To recap, Elektra is wearing a barely there outfit and still manages to be the last one standing in the Battle Royal that Arcade set up. The other female on her team was pretty much a trope wrapped in a prop. The other POC dies while quipping. In Elektra’s saddest moments unable to draw strength from her own badassery, she conjures up an image of Daredevil to be her spirit guide to lead her to safety and when it’s all said and done, Arcade informs her as they stand face to face that he’s keeping her because she makes him a lot of money.
Juan Cabal was tasked with illustrating this train wreck and, to his credit there was less male gaze and body hugging in his panels than we saw in the last issue. Antonio Fabela and Jordan Boyd provided the color for this issue and, depending on what was happening it looked like an old 80’s cartoon, Arcade looked like Rainbow Brite’s older brother, with the color scheme to match or like a throwaway episode of Archer. Overall the artwork was cheesy but it matched the ridiculousness of the story being told. There’s a lot of “Stab” and “Splurt” used in the panel, which would be necessary if we didn’t actually see the people being stabbed or the blood spurting out. I can only assume that there was a word count and since there was so little talking or storytelling done with the dialogue, they had to do something to fill in the gaps. There’s also no sense of time change in present vs past or in dream world vs reality in the artwork. It all looks pretty much the same, down to Elektra’s permanently annoyed facial expression.
The cover should let you know everything you need to know about where this story is headed. Arcade stands above Elektra as a puppetmaster, while Elektra sticks her bottom out like a video vixen in a house of mirrors so that the reader can get multiple views of her backside. The cover alone reminds us that this is issue, like the ones that came before it, are not about Elektra, it’s about the men in control of her story. This issue was just as convoluted, Elektra devoid, and uneventful as the two issues that proceeded it. I keep expecting the next issue to be the one where we get a real Elektra comic but, Owens seems incapable of providing one. We get loads of insight into the bad guys and supporting characters, even the mob of people betting on the outcome of the death dome that Elektra is stuck in seem more interesting and better developed than she does. Owens doesn’t know how to write women and his lack of interest in his subject matter shows in his writing and in the world he created for his title character to exist in.
The whole point of this arc seems to be rooted in making Elektra fight for other people but, not to save them, she is not in control of her body or actions and is trapped in a storyline that makes her a slave to others, under the thumb of her male enslaver and at the mercy of a mob who takes delight in using her body as entertainment. It’s lazy storytelling and it’s not even interesting or complex enough to be an actual story. To answer the question posed by Arcade early on in this issue, NO! I am not entertained.
Story: Matt Owens Art: Juan Cabal, Antonio Fabela & Jordan Boyd
Story: 5.4 Art: 7 Overall: 5.8 Recommendation: Read (if it’s rainy & you’re bored)
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
In part two of the “Always Bet On Red“ story arc writer Matt Owens repairs some of the damage that the mostly Elektra-less first issue did. Elektra #2 focuses more on Elektra but thanks to the way the artist focuses mostly on her figure and the writer refuses to give her clear motivation or depth, it still isn’t really an Elektra comic yet. The title character still has no agency, no real plan, and overall isn’t very Elektra-like. The situation that she finds herself in seems unlikely and convoluted, there is no clear reason why someone itching to get a fresh start would attack a facility that sent people to kill her for helping a bartender without doing any recon first.
Most if the story seems implausible and the villain, Arcade and his henchmen/women, seem pretty boring, one note, and basic. There is a bit of a Running Man ripoff in the plot of this arc that makes little sense, even to Elektra who remarks during what should be the “oh sh**” moment in the issue that “Somewhere Bullseye is laughing at me.” She’s probably right, he got a realistic, true to character story arc in his new comic, complete with a great story, great action, and a feeling of agency. Elektra has been relegated to a tricked, trapped, damsel in distress in her very own series. This second issue fairs slightly better than the first issue in the arc. Yes, Owens gives us more Elektra in this issue but, instead of focusing on her character development, Owens chooses to instead focus on what crazy hijinks he can put her in.
Juan Cabal adds a bit of something to the story with his art but, not much. It’s very well drawn and, Elektra’s combat outfit isn’t overtly sexualized but he does have a full panel of her showing nothing but her midriff as she puts on her underwear. I’m not sure what seeing her bare-bellied in her boxer brief boy shorts had to do with the story at hand but it was probably one of the most detailed and modernized panels in the issue. We also got to see his artistry in the hotel scenes of her fighting off attackers in her underwear and a tank top. Bad ass, yes, but it wasn’t necessary. Her skin hugging clothing was detailed and noticeable in every panel it appeared in but, you could barely make out her face, not because it was in the middle of battle but because it looked more like a quick sketch. Further proof of the elicit and unnecessary detail to Elektra’s physique are in the almost page full of panels that showcase various body parts of our heroine and nothing more. We get a glimpse of her leg, her stomach, her bare back all in perfect focus but none of these have any real information about the story. Cabal also uses a lot of up angle perspectives in the hotel scenes, so that the readers would get a nice view of the definition of Elektra’s back side. Antonio Fabela manages to make the colors pop in some places and muted in others, it’s an interesting style choice and, in some panels it seems a bit all over the place and convoluted. The art work is C-level pandering that is solely focused on the male gaze and reducing a strong powerful, kick-ass woman to literally the sum of her parts.
This issue isn’t a complete letdown but, it’s not altogether good. It seems a lot like the writer wanted to do a comic book about Las Vegas high stakes gaming using people and just threw Elektra in it. There’s a scene after Elektra’s hotel fight where she has a”moment” with the bartender, Lauren, she saved from an abusive “boyfriend” who is now staying in her room. Elektra tells her to go back to Ohio and then she says she’s going to stay and help instead. An indication as to how poor the character development and story structure is, there are a couple of panels where Elektra urges her to go again and then they hug and nothing gets resolved but immediately after Elektra decides to run into a mystery warehouse to do battle with an unknown bad guy. In my head I wonder if they’re going to try and back pedal and make the bartender in on the whole scheme but there was never anything establishing that anyone knew Elektra was in town until after she goes after the bad guy and his minions. I also am not a fan of the reductive nature of Elektra labeling the casino boss as the bartenders “boyfriend” in this issue, especially when it’s clear in the first issue that he’s her boss taking advantage of his position, using his power to sexually assault her, and the facial injuries she sustained were from her attempting to fight him off. It seems odd for a female character who attacked the scumbag the night before for assaulting the bartender in the bathroom stall would all of a sudden see that vile encounter as a lovers spat. Overall I was more annoyed at this issue and disappointed than anything else, it was sexist, reductive and, an ill-conceived look at what should have been an amazing Elektra story.
Story: Matt Owens Art: Juan Cabal Color: Antonio Fabela
Story: 6.0 Art: 6.0 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Read
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
It’s Wednesday which means new comic book day with new releases hitting shelves, both physical and digital, all across the world. We’ve got three volumes from Marvel covering some of their newer releases.
All-New X-Men Vol. 3: Hell Hath So Much Fury collecting issues #12-16 by Dennis Hopeless, Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, and Nolan Woodard.
Daredevil Vol. 3: Dark Art collecting issues #10-14 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Millia.
Doctor Strange Vol. 3: Blood in the Aether collecting issues #11-16 by Jason Aaron, Chris Bachalo, Kevin Nowlan, Leonardo Romero, Jorge Fornes, Cory Smith, Al Vey, John Livesay, Victor Olazaba, Wayne Faucher, Tim Townsend, Richard Friend, Antonio Fabela, Jordie Bellaire, and Java Tartaglia.
Find out what each trade has in store and whether you should grab yourself a copy. You can find all three in comic stores February 22 and bookstores March 7.
Get your copies now. To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
All-New X-Men Vol. 3: Hell Hath So Much Fury
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW
Daredevil Vol. 3: Dark Art
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW
Doctor Strange Vol. 3: Blood in the Aether
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.
“I was wrong. For me to even be here–someone had to die.
– Peter Parker (the real one)
Superior Spider-Man has finally come to an end. The thirty-one issue superhero story is one of the best of I have ever read and will definitely be remembered as a very important moment in the timeline of our favorite web-slinger. I was surprised to learn that quite a few people I spoke to about the series were a little confused by what transpired in issue #30 and how Peter took back his body from Doc Ock. Before I summarize and review #31 let’s go back and I’ll explain what exactly happened in the last issue real quick. Dan Slott did a fantastic job with this thirty-one issue Spider-Man story and it would be a shame to not understand the little nuances that made it so…well…superior.
Issue #30 confused a lot of folks and left people wondering if it was Doc Ock who did the valiant thing and gave up his seat of power as the Superior Spider-Man or if it was Peter Parker’s doing and he duped the brilliant scientist Dr. Octopus? Well, in my opinion, it was a harmony of both of those. If you remember back in Amazing Spider-Man #700, Peter/Ock died and Peter’s fans and followers let out a unanimous “gasp” that one of their favorite Avengers finally succumbed to Doc’s evil plan. However, We learn later on that a part of Peter still lived on the brain of Doc/Spidey. Then in the infamous issue #9, it appeared as though the tiny remnant of Peter that we desperately wanted to cling to for hope vanished as Doc went into his brain and defeated Peter for good. I know, this is going to get a little confusing, but it will be worth it.
We all thought Peter was gone for good (most of us, anyway) until he showed up back in Doc/Spidey’s brain, during The Darkest Hours arc, to help take care of Venom because things were getting a little too crazy for Doc as Superior. And the world rejoiced. Which brings us to issue #30 and the part that confused a lot of people. If you look closely Peter’s plan all along was to hold onto the key moments in his life as Spider-Man, the parts that really defined him. Their are actually 31 of those moments, which, is why Slott made Superior 31 issues long. So, what Peter planned to do was go through Doc’s timeline, but, not lose himself by remembering the key moments he held onto as ASM; he’s fighting all the memories that are not his – we can clearly see that. Note that Doc is fighting this from happening, also. When Peter gets to the point on Doc’s timeline where we reach ASM #700 Peter doesn’t fight anymore and lets it all in realizing that those are his memories. This is why I say the FINAL switch was a harmonious result of both Doc and Peter. Doc finally decides that he is not the hero Peter is and Peter does what he planned to get his memories back. It was a perfect resolution by Slott. If this is still a little confusing, please comment below and I would love to clarify any questions you might have
This brings us to the heroic tale of Issue #31 and Peter back in his original body. The final issue of Superior Spider-Man is basically a cleaning up and restart for the much anticipated ASM #1 that will be released in a few weeks. Peter’s first task is to find out how the Goblin became so powerful so quickly. Carlie tells him that he hacked Doc Ock’s Spider-bots to not recognize anything with a Goblin mask or logo on. Peter immediately gets to work to get his city back and save the people he loves and the people that love him. In brilliant fashion, Peter goes to save Miguel O’Hara from the Spider Slayers, so he can have someone like himself fighting with him to take down the Goblin. They take down Menace and Peter injects her with the serum that Doc created to reverse the effects of what makes her a Goblin. Peter attempts the same with the Goblin, who is in fact Norman Osborn, but he admits to changing his face to become unrecognizable. The spider-bots were reprogrammed and fitted with Goblin-serum and attacked Osborn. Just like that there is no more Goblin.
The issue does a great job at setting up the next arc in the franchise and resetting things for Peter to take the reigns once again. It will be nice to have him back, but I will admit that Doc Ock as Spidey will be missed. We will definitely keep an eye out for him in the future as well as Stone, Liz Allan and Norman. I really enjoyed Doc’s time as Spider-Man and I had hoped that there would room enough in this city for both of them. That would have been really neat to see and, who know, maybe Doc Ock will make another superior outfit and challenge Peter once again. One thing is for sure, however, the next time these two meet will be one superior…amazing…awesome issue.
It goes without saying that fine lines and perfect colors are a perfect match for Slott’s unique writing skills. Giuseppe Camuncoli draws the most incredible Spider-Man issues and every issue is a treat to look at. John Dell and Terry Pallot are amazing on ink and, well, everything about this team is awesome. When I find myself staring at each page in awe I tell myself that this has to be one of the best teams in comics today. All of that would be nothing colors by Antonio Fabela and letters by Chir Eliopolous.
And lastly, Anna Maria Marconi does get saved by Peter and her confession of love for Doc/Spider really touches him. He realizes that Doc did a good job even if he couldn’t complete it. Maybe people can change? He understands the sacrifice Doc had to make to save the people he loved and Peter contemplate that someone had to die in order for him to become the Amazing Spider-Man again. That someone was the Superior Spider-Man, but in the end, it’s Peter who was Superior all along. Welcome back Peter. Welcome home.
Thoughts and Discussion
– Where is Doc Ock? Will he be a villain fighting Peter again? Will he be a good guy for now?
– What will happen with the Goblin now? Will he turn back the effects of the serum that Parker injected him with?
– What are J. Jonah Jameson’s plans? Will he hold a grudge against Spidey and be a new antagonist?
– Will Peter put a fail-safe in place so the brain-swap won’t happen again?
Thanks for checking out my Review! Please comment below so we can discuss the issue further!
Story: Dan Slott – Script: Christos Gage – Art/Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli – Ink: John Dell & Terry Pallot – Color: Antonio Fabela – Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Story: 9.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy
“…it’s mine! The good and The bad. I built that. And I’m not surrendering one second of it. I’m taking it all back! ALL OF IT!”
– Peter Parker
“With great power comes great responsiblity” has never had more meaning than it does in Superior Spider-Man #30. Otto Octavius has realized the old adage of Peter Parker and it took love to do it. Otto’s love for Anna Maria. Needless to say, there will be spoilers ahead if you have not figured that out already. To be honest, I was not expecting that ending at all. We all knew that Peter Parker would be back one day but I thought he would take his persona back, not have it handed to him. Either way, Peter Parker has always been welcome to his city and the Spidey-Suit, and I’m sure people all over are rejoicing in the fact that he’s back.
Superior Spider-Man #30 continues the story-arc Goblin Nation with part 4 of 5. We have all known for a few weeks that Amazing Spider-Man would return this April and it will be Peter Parker filling the Spidey-Suit instead of Dr. Octavius. The only thing we didn’t know is how it would happen. Part four of Goblin Nation is full of terrific scenes from start to finish. The story dives right in with Superior and Spidey 2099 hacking their way through the “Goblin Slayers” robots to no avail. The fate of Spidey 2099 is unknown as he curses Superior for leaving him to fend for himself, knowing the real Spider-Man would never leave him stranded. Liz Allan, CEO of Alchemax, plays a prominent role in this issue which will leave the new Spidey with a lot more to clean up than he expects.
The main feature of this arc is, of course, the Goblin and who is really behind the mask. The Goblin’s minions have laid waste to much of the city and the creators do a great job of conveying how demolished and devastated Otto’s tenure has made ‘Parker’s’ New York. Menace, Goblin’s Number 2, leads Superior to Amy Chen, the girl from issue #8 that Otto saved with Cardiac. Amy is tied to the subway track with a train en route and Otto shows difficulty in choosing what to do; if he tries to save her he could risk injury or death and never be able to save Anna Maria, or if he goes to Anna Maria now then Amy will perish. What Otto ultimately decides to do was extremely unexpected but made for and incredible ending.
The art and sequences this issue are nothing short of spectacular. Artist Giuseppe Camuncoli has done a fantastic job with this well-known and well-loved character. Writer Dan Slott has done an amazing job at showing us how much Peter Parker was missed and how much better he handled precarious situations. It’s no secret that the ‘Hobson’s Choice’ situation of Amy Chen was a prelude to the larger one that Otto ultimately had to confront. While Superior Spider-Man has indeed given us some great stories to read having Parker back will be a breath of fresh air and begin a new era for our webbed hero. I personally thought that Otto’s demise would have been some ugly act by one of Parker’s villains, most likely the Goblin, with someone recovering Parker’s memories. Instead, Otto heroically hands over the thrown to the one true Spider-Man. It seemed Otto’s reign has ended not with a bang, but a whimper.
Story: Dan Slott Plot: Christos Gage Art/Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli Ink: John Dell & Terry Pallot Color: Antonio Fabela Letters: Chris Elliopoulos
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy
BlackAcre #11
Story By: Duffy Boudreau
Art By: Wendell Cavalcanti
Art By: Antonio Fabela
Cover By: Brian Churilla
Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: AUG130686
Published: October 2, 2013
THE SHOCKING AND BLOODY CONCLUSION OF ARC TWO!
Sinclair faces exile, Hull scrambles to rescue Lee after the horrific incident at the outpost, and Fawna finally gets Greene in her crosshairs.
BlackAcre #10
Story By: Duffy Boudreau
Art By: Wendell Cavalcanti
Art By: Antonio Fabela
Cover By: Brian Churilla
Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: JUL130518
Published: September 4, 2013
At his distant outpost, Hull receives unwelcome visitors. Meanwhile, an eager Guardian puts BlackAcre’s security capabilities on explosive display.
