Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10
(W) Charles Soule (A) Luke Ross
(C) Nolan Woodard (L) Joe Caramagna
(CA) Derrick Chew (VCA) Bengal, Josemaria Casanovas, Luke Ross and Alex Sinclair
DARK VISIONS IN THE DEPTHS OF VADER’S CASTLE! KYLO REN goes on a quest through unseen caverns within VADER’S CASTLE! The young tyrant comes face-to-face with grotesque visions of his past! Can Kylo make his way out of the depths of darkness with his sanity intact?!
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10
(W) Charles Soule (A) Luke Ross
(C) Nolan Woodard (L) Joe Caramagna
(CA) Derrick Chew (VCA) Bengal, Josemaria Casanovas, Luke Ross and Alex Sinclair
DARK VISIONS IN THE DEPTHS OF VADER’S CASTLE! KYLO REN goes on a quest through unseen caverns within VADER’S CASTLE! The young tyrant comes face-to-face with grotesque visions of his past! Can Kylo make his way out of the depths of darkness with his sanity intact?!
UNFRIENDLY AND UNSTABLE! X YEARS LATER, the X-Virus decimated New York – but Spider-Man won’t stop fighting. In a desperate gamble, Peter Parker doses himself with lethal radiation to hold the infection at bay. Survival comes at a cost. While this may not kill Peter Parker, it sure messes him up. This is the most dangerous, mutated Spider-Man ever – and he’s not alone.
Story: Joe Kelly
Art: Kev Walker
Color: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Get your copy 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.
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MARVEL’S FIRST FAMILY UNITES WITH THE MANHATTAN CLAN IN THIS EXCITING CROSSOVER! GARGOYLES creator and acclaimed Marvel writer Greg Weisman brings the Gargoyles to the Baxter Building alongside star artist Enid Balám! Danger strikes when the super villain Diablo learns stone gargoyles may hold the secret to eternal life…but the Gargoyles aren’t about to let him leech the blood of his own! Fortunately, they’ve got the help of expert Diablo-bashers – the Fantastic Four! Plus: Tony Stark and David Xanatos compare facial hair, Marvel’s own Gargoyle, Isaac Christians, bonds with his new kin, and more!
Story: Greg Weisman
Art: Enid Balam
Color: Raul Angulo
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Get your copy 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.
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
Star Wars: Han Solo – Hunt for the Falcon #2
(W) Rodney Barnes (A) Ramon Rosanas
(C) Guru-eFX (L) Joe Caramagna
(CA) Ramon Rosanas, Guru-eFX (VCA) Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz and Rain Beredo, Ken Lashley and Juan Fernandez
HOT ON THE TRAIL OF THE FALCON! HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA continue their search for the Falcon and face RAPTOR DROIDS along the way! DUCAIN is in for a beating when Han and Chewie find him! And how are the IRVING BOYS wrapped up in this intergalactic chase?!
FROM THE SKIES TO THE STREETS – THE NEW ULTIMATES! The Maker is only three months away and time is running out. But the Ultimates network is bigger than ever now that they’re inspiring more and more people to join their cause! A can’t-miss street-level adventure from the Ultimates’ new recruits!
Story: Deniz Camp
Art: Juan Frigeri
Color: Federico Blee
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Get your copy 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.
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
The crossover you’ve pined for but never thought possible: DEADPOOL and BATMAN cross swords and batarangs as MARVEL and DC unite for the first time in decades! WADE WILSON has been hired for a job in GOTHAM CITY, but will the WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE help him or destroy him? After decades of waiting, Marvel and DC have once again teamed for Deadpool/Batman #1 and it is not worth the wait.
I’ll admit, I was very excited to see Marvel and DC once again bringing their characters together for what feels like a once in a lifetime event (really it’s been like 3 or 4 times in mine). Batman and Deadpool, the rather serious and the not so serious characters teaming up for whatever mission. Written by Zeb Wells, would the comic fall into the usual tropes of heroes battling it out before teaming up? Would it deliver something new and different?
Generally, Wells delivers something different and the comic doesn’t fall into the usual patterns we’ve seen far too many times. Deadpool is hired to take on Batman. Not knowing who Bruce Wayne really is, he crashes through his window wondering if Wayne would like to hire him while he’s in town. It makes absolutely no sense at all and that might be the highlight of this particular story. The overarching issue is that the Joker has stolen materials to dump Joker Venom into the city and Batman has to stop him.
The dialogue is painful, the setup is meh, the resolution is ok. Overall, the comic offers no fun, no excitement and leans far to heavy into Batman being the serious one while Deadpool rants on and on. The comic takes itself too seriously forgetting Batman has shown a comedic side at times and cracked jokes and instead feels like a tour of Gotham from the perspective of Deadpool where he points things out and makes fun of them. There’s completely bizarre choices by Batman and Deadpool feels like a more annoying version of himself. Let’s forget it’s different universes which opens up how Deadpool would even get paid, there’s just an odd interaction between every character. The only one that feels like it makes sense is the Joker being irritated at Deadpool that Deadpool is stealing his crazy character bit.
Greg Capullo‘s art, along with ink from Tim Townsend, color by Alex Sinclair, and lettering by Clayton Cowles looks just ok. Capullo can do some amazing art but here it ranges from forgettable to just nice. There’s little that gets you to linger and stay on the page. Entire sequences feel like they have no life to them and that’s from the start where Deadpool crashes into Wayne Manor and beyond one panel, Bruce Wayne just stands there… and talks… Visually there’s some odd choices and little that really feels like the level this high profile comic should have.
Where the comic has some life is the numerous other stories packed within. Some are truly great. The Captain America and Wonder Woman story by Chip Zdarsky, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and Joe Caramagna, the Jeff! and Krypto story by Kelly Thompson, Gurihiru, and Caramagna, Daredevil and Green Arrow story by Kevin Smith, Adam Kubert, Frank Martin, and Caramagna, and Rocket Raccoon and Green Lantern story by Al Ewing, Dike Ruan, Moreno Dinisio, and Caramagna all stand out. All of those I’d love to have seen more of or been one-shots on their own. Old Man Logan and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns from Frank Miller, Alex Sinclair, and Caramagna, and Logo by Ryan North, Ryan Stegman, Martin, and Caramagna are both clunky in different ways.
For all of the hype, all of the build up, all of the excitement, Deadpool/Batman #1 is a bit of a letdown. It missed the fun of the opportunity of it all, which the back-up stories seem to have gotten. If anything, it could have been a greater success focusing on a series of shorts, forgoing a main story and instead just let creators cut loose with what they’ve had. It’s an odd release overall that’s more for the nostalgia of the concept than the final product to read.
Story: Zeb Wells, Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, Kevin Smith, Al Ewing, Frank Miller, Ryan North
Art: Greg Capullo, Terry Dodson, Gurihiru, Adam Kubert, Dike Ruan, Ryan Stegman
Ink: Tim Townsend, Rachel Dodson Color: Alex Sinclair, Frank Martin, Moreno Dinisio
Letterer: Clayton Cowles, Joe Caramagna
Story: 6.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics
Captain America #3
(W) Chip Zdarsky (A) Valerio Schiti
(C) Frank Martin (L) Joe Caramagna
(CA) Ben Harvey (VCA) Benjamin Su, Brent Anderson and Morry Hollowell, Chip Zdarsky, Francesco Mobili and Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jerome Opena and Neerag Menon, Valerio Schiti, Michael Cho, James Kerigan
ORIGIN OF DOOM! A meeting with Doctor Doom in Latveria forces Steve to confront the realities of the harsh new world he’s awoken in. Meanwhile, Dave Colton and the Howling Commandos infiltrate Doom’s fortress to rescue hostages, but instead they uncover a sinister truth behind Doom’s rise to power…
Left behind on New Sakaar to keep the peace, Jen Walters discovers that in this savage realm, what’s needed isn’t a litigator, it’s a liquidator! Fortunately, She-Hulk is accomplished at being both! Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk #1 lets us catch up on what She-Hulk has been up to as war rages on elsewhere.
Imperial is a solid cosmic event currently playing out in the Marvel Universe. A corner of the world, it has remained to the side for quite a while, but the event has shaken things up brining instability to almost every part as multiple heads of state have been assassinated. As Hulk went off to wage war She-Hulk has been left behind on New Sakaar and generally forgotten about in the story. Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk #1 gives us a look as to what she’s dealing with… and it’s mostly being a rather frustrated leader.
Written by Stephanie Phillips and Jonathan Hickman, Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk #1 is an entertaining, though not vital, read. It gives us a peak into a part of the storyline that has mostly been to the side and will get more of a spotlight when the event wraps up.
Phillips and Hickman nail down the frustration that She-Hulk experiences as she attempts to deal with the rules of New Sakaar and mistaking it for a world ruled by actual laws. While she’s a lawyer on Earth, that doesn’t really translate to a world where strength really is the defining thing above all else. Hoping to have five days without death, event that is a stretch as she attempts to keep the peace in the streets as well as deal with the former ruler’s wives who may have had something to do with a murder in the royal castle. It ends in a bit of a predictable fashion, but Phillips and Hickman nail the tone in a way that makes the comic a fun and entertaining read.
The art by Emilio Laiso looks good. With color by Matt Milla and lettering by Joe Caramagna, the comic’s style matches the borderline comedic and overall lighter tone than a Hulk comic. But, that also feels a bit odd in a world like New Sakaar which you’d imagine being a bit grittier. The art style, which looks good, doesn’t quite match the location. But, it absolutely matches the tone of the comic highlighting the frustration of She-Hulk’s experience.
Like Imperial War: Black Panther #1, Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk #1 is only vital if you’re already reading Imperial. It’s a cute comic and absolutely has its moments but it acts mostly as a way to catch up on what She-Hulk is up to, and clearly lead into what happens next. It’s a fun addition to the excellence that is Marvel’s cosmic event but not required reading to enjoy it.
Story: Stephanie Phillips, Jonathan Hickman Art: Emilio Laiso
Color: Matt Milla Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
If you like the ever blue eyed Thing punching things over and over again, then Marvel All-On-One #1 will probably be your favorite comic ever. Ryan North, Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and Marco Menyz tell a glorious story of clobbering and ass kicking using only single or double page splash pages. It’s like a less depressing Superman #75 for the old heads out there and is a worthy showcase of McGuinness’ powerful art and ability to tell stories through singular images because this isn’t just a collection of pinups, it’s truly sequential storytelling. There’s a throughline to each one on one or group fight from the initial encounter with his teammates on the Fantastic Four to wrecking Iron Man’s tech and even elemental battles with Storm and Phoenix.
Marvel All-On-One #1 is definitely a red carpet for Ed McGuinness and his inker Farmer to flex their superhero fight muscles, but North’s script adds humor, a touch of psychological depth, and a jab at how damn complicated some of these alternate universe stories are. Instead of going grimdark and having Ben Grimm or the rest of the Marvel Universe turn evil, he makes all of the Thing’s opponents robot setting up him as the last remaining human in a world consumed by the machines. So, the gloves are off, and the Thing can cut loose without worrying about collateral damage or bystanders. 90% of this book is mindless violence, but the other 10% probes the depths of why Ben Grimm goes straight to clobbering instead of being curious about the world around him. He actual has a full character arc in this book and learns and grows as well as taking down big-time Marvel superheroes in clever ways.
Other than Ben Grimm’s journey of self-discovery through pugilism, my big takeaway from Marvel All-On-One and its hopefully wholesome discourse-inducing draw is the memorable imagery from Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and colorist Menyz, who hits a nice balance between flat colors and modern digital work. (I adore his take on Phoenix, and his Hulk is so green!) I feel like everyone will have their favorite specific page or splash in this book whether it’s a big group splash page or the Thing ripping the Vision apart while quipping about how he’s more robotic than usual. (They really need to release a tear-out poster version of this comic.) It’s not punch, punch, clobber, clobber, but McGuinness and Farmer mix up the angles they use and even throw in wrinkles like the Thing using elements in his environment and his underrated noggin to dispatch his foes. Finally, no spoilers, but the last couple pages of the battle royale are jaw dropping, and I will probably tell everyone I know about them for the next six months.
Marvel All-On-One is big, ornery, and lovable comic showing Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew at his finest. Ryan North’s cleverness and Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and Marco Menyz’s brawn are amatch made in comic book heaven, kind of like Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters. If you’re a fan of punching, grumpiness, crash outs, and hate clankers, then this will be a great treat for you.
Story: Ryan North Pencils: Ed McGuinness
Inks: Mark Farmer Colors: Marco Menyz Letters: Joe Caramagna
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.9 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
