Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Marian Heretic #4 (BOOM! Studios) – Shit hits the highest heavens in Marian Heretic #4 as the titular character drops the charade of fighting for the patriarchy and kicks ass for the mother goddess instead. Tini Howard and Joe Jaro skillfully juxtapose Marian’s past and present and unpack that her power doesn’t come from a blessed Communion wafer, but from her background as mixed martial artist. Caught up in a whirling dervish of blends of Christianity and old school paganism, Marian ends up being at the eye of the storm. All the gloves are off, the torture devices and firearms are out, and Howard and Jaro have set the stage for a spiritual battle royale. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Archie x Army of Darkness #1 (Dynamite) – I love Archie Comics (Especially the old house style!) and the Evil Dead so I’m kind of a biased mark for this kind of thing. Bill and Ben Galvan bring the carnage, splatter, and gore of Sam Raimi movies into wholesome, innocent Americana with a Deadite channeling Alien-meets-Temple of Doom by pulling Moose’s still-beating heart out of his jock body. But, unfortunately, Erik Burnham structures this story in a kind of jumbled together way. I appreciate the Archie working at S-Mart with Ash subplot, but it should have gone at the beginning or middle of the comic not the end. Maybe, this whole series would have worked bigger as a lengthy one-shot a la the excellentArchie/Jay and Silent Bob, but I’m still tuning in for the Archie/Ash banter and hopefully some lessons in chainsaw use. Overall: 6.6 Verdict: Read (If you’re a big Archie/Army of Darkness)/Pass (If not)

Godzilla Infinity Roar #1 (Marvel) – Godzilla Infinity Roar #1 is big, dumb, and full of fun. Gerry Duggan, Ig Guara, and Javier Garron set the King of Monsters and symbiote god Knull loose on the Marvel Universe causing a cosmic scale of destruction and freaking out the various intergalactic players. They just want to let them find their way to Earth and be done with it, but not if elements from the Avengers, FF, and Guardians of the Galaxy have their way. Cue an utterly pointless battle scene between the Guardians, Knull, and a being of an unfathomable. However, this scene of total filler is counterbalanced by ending setting up a battle that I’ve been waiting almost my whole life to see. Overall: 7.4 Verdict: Read

D’Orc #1 (Image) – Both political sides sucking is a relatable refrain, and Brett Bean explores it in fantasy comedy kind of way in D’Orc #1, which features plenty of violence, gore, puns, and supernatural elements. But the best scene is a simple six panel grid of both the light and dark sides finishing each others’ sentences and having the same conversation about our half dwarf/half orc protagonist as some kind of violent harbinger of doom. Even in this first issue, the d’orc has his own little arc going from creeping in the trees with his talking shield to using the talking shield for active violence. What is likely to follow is a silly, yet timely take on the fantasy genre from Bean and the dark Saturday morning cartoon palette of colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Batman #6 (DC Comics) – After last month’s single action sequence centric issue, Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez are back to the ratatat subplot/gadget heavy storytelling in Batman #6. Fraction seeds in lots of real world themes like AI as a substitute for companionship and police corruption while not neglecting the action. Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey really let Batman cut loose in a sequence versus the new and improved Monster Men. However, there is also room for moments with Bruce’s sons Tim Drake and Damian Wayne with this issue being a big milestone in Bruce and Tim’s relationship. I love for the awkward conversation that Bruce and Annika have at the beginning of the comic where he tries to explain why his son is Robin featuring some well-timed beat panels from Jorge Jimenez. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy