Earlier this week, Marvel announced a new collaboration with Hasbro that would result in new collections of Rom the Spaceknight’s beloved comic book adventures. Marvel has revealed that another popular toy-originating comic book series will receive the same treatment: The Micronauts!
From out of the Microverse, it’s the Omnibus you thought could never happen! The subatomic superstars headlined a long-running series packed with rich world-building, fascinating mythology and big-scale, sci-fi excellence! With the series set in the main Marvel Comics universe, the Micronauts joined forces with the X-Men and the Fantastic Four and dared to go up against the likes of Doctor Doom, Arcade, and other iconic Marvel super villains. Like ROM, these exemplary comic book classics were written by industry legend Bill Mantlo and will be reprinted for the first time ever in Micronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus, on sale April 2024. In anticipation for this long-awaited collection, fans can also pick up a facsimile edition of the Micronauts’ comic book debut, 1979’s Micronauts #1, this September!
Micronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibsu Vol. 1 will collect The Micronauts (1979) #1-29 & Annual (1979) #1-2 and material from Micronauts Special Edition (1983) #1-5. Helmed by writer Bill Mantlo, the Micronauts brought together the subatomic heroes of Homeworld and the Marvel Universe. Mantlo’s rich character mythology and groundbreaking artwork by Michael Golden made the series an instant classic. In Micronauts, Commander Rann, Princess Mari, Biotron, Acroyear and Bug traverse the universe aboard the microship Endeavor as they struggle to free Homeworld from the tyrannical Baron Karza. Their exploits also bring them to Earth where our micro-sized heroes encounter big-time heroes and villains including the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom, S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain Universe and Man-Thing. This Omnibus edition presents a stunning restoration, complete with letters pages and a host of bonus material, including house ads, original artwork and more.
Micronauts #1 Fascimile Edition boldly re-presents Micronauts (1979) #1, one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, in its original form, ads and all! They came from inner space! Explorer Arcturus Rann! Freedom-fighting princess Marionette! The armored warrior Acroyear! Fun-loving thief Bug! The robots Microton and Biotron! They are the greatest heroes of the Microverse! But after 1,000 years in suspended animation, Rann has returned to a Homeworld vastly changed from the one he knew — and Mari’s family was killed in the coup d’état that saw Baron Karza rise to power. Now, together with their allies, they begin their epic quest to free Homeworld from the tyrannical Karza’s iron grip in the first chapter of an acclaimed comic-book space opera from the legendary creative pairing of Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden!
Check out the covers now, including a wide variety of Direct Market Exclusive Variant Covers from industry legends!
Fantagraphics has announced the publication of Fantagraphics Presents the Marvel Atlas Comics Library, a series of hardcover volumes reprinting comics from Marvel’s 1950s Atlas Comics line in both facsimile editions of individual titles and compilations of a single artist.
Fantagraphics will publish five volumes a year with the first two volumes releasing in Fall 2023. Sequential reprintings of individual titles will comprise four volumes, with a fifth volume devoted to one of the many first-rate illustrators who worked for Marvel during this period. The collections will run the gamut from colorful, weird, deliciously pulpy stories found in their horror, suspense, and supernatural titles to their surprisingly gritty war titles, to Westerns, and lighter funny animal comics and romance comics. These stories were created by such Marvel legends as Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Jack Kirby, Carl Burgos, Stan Lee, Bill Everett, Joe Maneely, Steve Ditko, Basil Wolverton, John Severin, and many others.
The first two volumes will shine a light on, respectively, Atlas’ luridly captivating Adventures Into Terror title and the work of versatile master Joe Maneely.
Adventures Into Terror shows the finest talents in the comics medium working in the shockingly wild, untrammeled freedom in the days before the industry came under the censorious eye of the Comics Code Authority. Atlas, revered by horror-comics aficionados, produced far more hair-raising titles and issues than any other publisher at that time.
The Maneely volume, the first of a series of oversized coffee table Atlas Artist Editions, presents a cornucopia of his varied genre comics, including Stan Lee’s satire on anti-comics crusader Fredric Wertham, “The Raving Maniac.” Maneely died at a young age and his short but incandescent career is only now being fully appreciated.
Continuing Fantagraphics’ tradition of creating beautiful books, these full-color hardcover collectors’ volumes are elegantly curated as well as stunningly designed. Edited by Atlas scholar Dr. Michael J. Vassalo, these comics were scanned directly from the original printings and meticulously restored with a wealth of detail never seen before.
Upcoming volumes in 2024 will feature the Atlas career of Bill Everett, the archetypal romance comic My Love Story, the best of Atlas’ war and humor titles, the super hero/romance hybrid Venus and much more.
Adventures Into Terror: The Atlas Comics Library is set to release October of 2023 with the second volume The Atlas Artist Edition Volume 1: JOE MANEELY, releasing in November of 2023.
In November 2022, Mondo was all over the world including Thought Bubble and Designercon. Not everyone can make it to shows, so the company held back a portion of the total run size of some of their favorite posters of the year.
The following releases will be available in VERY LIMITED quantities beginning tomorrow, January 19, at 11AM CT on The Drop at MondoShop.com.
ROBOTECH Linocut Poster Artwork by Attack Peter
$100
Product Information Edition Size: 120 Width: 20″ Height: 30″ Printer: Attack Peter
GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (VARIANT) Screenprint Artwork by Oliver Barrett
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, ANNUAL 2: “THE WONDROUS WORLD OF DR. STRANGE!” Screenprint Artwork by Steve Ditko. Colors by Johnny Dombrowski
$60
Product Information Edition Size: 215 Width: 24″ Height: 36″ Printer: Lady Lazarus
DOCTOR STRANGE and THE CROW (EVERY NIGHT I BURN VARIANT) posters expected to ship in April 2023.
ROBOTECH, GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA, HEDORAH ANATOMY, DOCTOR STRANGE (RED FOIL VARIANT), and SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 2 posters expected to ship to select countries in February 2023.
DREDD and THE CROW (DEVIL’S NIGHT VARIANT) expected to ship worldwide in February 2023.
Gather your wooden stakes and silver bullets because the Creepy and Eerie Archives are coming back to shelves! Dark Horse Books and New Comic Company present new paperback editions of the groundbreaking horror collections of Creepy magazine and its cousin, Eerie. The New York Times bestselling collections will be printed in their original 8.5” x 11” size and include original letters pages, text features, and ads.
Creepy Archives Volume 1 TPB arrives in comics shops April 26, 2023 and in bookstores May 9, 2023. This terrifying tome unearths Creepy magazine issues #1–#5, featuring tales of horror, murder, and the macabre by comics legends Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, Alex Toth, Joe Orlando, and more.
Eerie Archives Volume 1 TPB lands in comic shops June 6, 2023 and in bookstores June 6, 2023. This grim grimoire reanimates Eerie magazine #1–#5 and features the ultra-rare Eerie #1, of which only 200 original copies were printed. These frightful fables feature the work of comics giants Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Steve Ditko, Angelo Torres, Gray Morrow, Gene Colan, and more.
Creepy Archives Volumes 1 and 2 and Eerie Archives Volume 1 are now available for pre-order from your local comic shop and bookstore for $19.99 each.
‘The Marvel Comics Library’ is an exclusive, long-term collaboration between TASCHEN and Marvel. Over the next decade, Marvel’s rarest classic comics, including Spider-Man, Avengers andCaptain America will be reproduced in their original glory, in extra-large format. The library offers collectors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lay their hands on the world’s most desirable comics.
The inaugural volume of ‘The Marvel Comics Library’,Spider-Man. Vol. 1. 1962–1964, features the first 21 stories of everybody’s favorite web slinger, meticulously honoring the original vision of Spider-Man creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. An in-depth historical essay by Marvel editor Ralph Macchio, an introduction by uber-collector David Mandel, original art boards, rare photographs, and other never-before-seen gems make this book the ultimate tribute to the teen who redefined what it meant to be a hero, right ahead of Spider-Man’s 60th birthday.
TASCHEN’s extra-large format, close in size to the original artworks, reveal startling new details in the work of Marvel’s most acclaimed artists. For each title in the series, the most pristine pedigreed comics have been cracked open for reproduction in close collaboration with Marvel and the Certified Guaranty Company. Rather than recolor the original production artwork (as has been done in previous decades’ reprints of classic comics), TASCHEN has attempted to create an ideal representation of these books as they were produced at the time of publication. Beginning with high grade, top-quality comics sourced with the assistance of the CGC, super-high-resolution photographs of each page were made as printed more than half a century ago, using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing. This included improved and balanced ink densities and color matching, proper registration of the four-color printing and correction of thick/thin lines resulting from the flexible plates “smudging.” The end result is a finished product — as if hot off a world-class printing press produced without economic or time-pressure constraints – tailored for readers, fans, artists and collectors alike.
Each volume features an essay by a comic book historian alongside hundreds of photos and artifacts. The books use three different paper stocks, including an uncoated and woodfree paper exclusively developed for this series that simulates the feel of the original comics.
The first 5,000 copies of Spider-Man. Vol. 1 will be numbered and released as a ‘Famous First Edition’. The book is also available as a Collector’s Edition, limited to 1,000 copies featuring an aluminum print cover tipped into a leatherette-bound spine, foil embossing, and housed in a slipcase. Each book is individually numbered. The inaugural purchase of the Collector’s Edition entitles the collector to preemptively secure the same identical edition number for all forthcoming Collector’s Edition titles in ‘The Marvel Comic Library’.
The next titles in ‘The Marvel Comics Library’ series will be Avengers. Vol. 1. 1963–1965, Fantastic Four. Vol. 1. 1961–1963 and Captain America, all scheduled for release in 2022 and 2023.
An exciting new line of Marvel graphic novels will debut this June! The Mighty Marvel Masterworks will collect the very beginning of Marvel’s most iconic heroes: the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and more. The stories that kicked off the sagas of these beloved franchises will now be available in an accessible new 6 x 9 format that the whole family can enjoy!
These timeless stories were crafted by none other than industry legends Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko who revolutionized the comic book genre with their bold new approach to superhero adventures. Now, the Mighty Marvel Masterworks will serve as a perfect gateway to the expansive Marvel Universe and allow a brand-new generation to witness the historic beginnings behind these pop culture phenomena.
Collecting Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #1-10 and material from Amazing Fantasy (1962) #15, Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man – With Great Power will feature Peter Parker’s web-slinging adventures from the very beginning — including the tragic origin that started it all; the first appearances of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, the Vulture and Electro; and guest-star nods from the Fantastic Four and Human Torch!
Collecting Fantastic Four (1951) #1-10, Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 will feature the fateful cosmic voyage of scientist Reed Richards, pilot Ben Grimm, and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm, who became known to the world as Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, the Invisible Girl and the Human Torch —the Fantastic Four. See the first of their many extraordinary adventures including their first battles with legendary villains such as the Mole Man, the Skrulls, the Puppet Master, the Sub-Mariner, and the diabolical Doctor Doom.
Collecting Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1-10, Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men – The Strangest Super Heroesof All will feature Professor X’s original teen team as they set off on a mission to forge peace between man and mutantkind. Meet Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman and Marvel Girl and thrill to their first encounter with the Master of Magnetism, Magneto, and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Own the very foundation of the Marvel Universe in new must-have collections! Check out Michael Cho’s cover for Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man – With Great Power as well as the Exclusive Comic Book Shop Cover by Steve Ditko and pick up the Mighty Marvel Masterworks when they hit stores this summer!
In August 1961, Fantastic Four #1 hit newsstands, heralding a new take on super hero stories and the birth of the Silver Age Marvel Universe! Now, sixty years later, experience the excitement of being a comic book fan in that momentous month with the Marvel: August 1961 Omnibus, a complete hardcover collection of every issue that shared the shelves with Fantastic Four #1, many never before reprinted!
Considering leaving the comic book industry behind, Stan Lee was persuaded by his loving wife Joan to create one more book exactly the way he wanted it. And so, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created Fantastic Four #1 and changed the American pop culture landscape forever. Before the Silver Age kicked off, Marvel Comics had published western, romance, comedy, monster and science fiction titles — and in August 1961, Fantastic Four was just one of over a dozen very different Marvel books. This first-of-its-kind omnibus will include:
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) #73-74
KATHY #13
LIFE WITH MILLIE #13
PATSY WALKER #97
AMAZING ADVENTURES (1961) #6
FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #1
KID COLT, OUTLAW #101
LINDA CARTER, STUDENT NURSE #2
MILLIE THE MODEL #105
STRANGE TALES (1951) #90
TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) #23
TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #25
GUNSMOKE WESTERN #67
LOVE ROMANCES #96
TEEN-AGE ROMANCE #84
AMAZING ADULT FANTASY #7
PATSY AND HEDY #79
RAWHIDE KID (1960) #25
These works were brought to readers by some of the most influential comic book creators of all time including Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Stan Goldberg, Al Hartley, Paul Reinman, Jack Keller, Dick Ayers, Bob Forgione, Vince Colletta, and more!
Check out the all-new cover by Javier Rodriguez as well as the exclusive Direct Market variant cover by Jack Kirby and be sure to pick up this rare and unique collection when the Marvel: August 1961 Omnibus hits shops in August 2021!
Today’s new digital releases sees five new comics from Marvel and Harlequin. Get shopping now or check out the individual releases below.
Captain Universe: Power Unimaginable
Written by Gerry Conway, Eric Fein, Tony Isabella, Bill Mantlo, Dan Slott Art by June Brigman, Steve Ditko, Neil Errar, Rick Leonardi, Bill Wylie Cover by Steve Ditko Purchase
Collects Marvel Spotlight #9-11, Incredible Hulk Annual #10, Marvel Fanfare #25, Web Of Spider-Man Annual #5-6, Marvel Comics Presents #148 And Cosmic Power Unlimited #5.
He’s the hero who could be YOU…but in these stories, being a burglar, a college professor and an astronaut will have to do! Whether it’s half-sized as a child or doubled as twins, the Uni-Power transforms its lucky recipient into Captain Universe — countering crises that range from a masked marauder to the edge of apocalypse! Guest-starring the Hulk, doing the non-mutant cosmic super-hero thing years before Spider-Man made it popular!
Daredevil Vol. 12: Decalogue
Written by Brian Michael Bendis Art by Alex Maleev Cover by Alex Maleev Purchase
Collects Daredevil (1998) #71-75.
The wait is over! Exactly what happened during Daredevil’s year-long reign as the new Kingpin? His historic cleaning of Hell’s Kitchen will finally be revealed in bloody detail. Framed around the Ten Commandments, this epic story is like nothing you’ve seen before!
Daredevil Vol. 13: Murdock Papers
Written by Brian Michael Bendis Art by Alex Maleev Cover by Alex Maleev Purchase
Collects Daredevil (1998) #76-81.
The Eisner Award-winning run of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev comes to a blistering conclusion! First, they outed Daredevil in the press, then they married him and made him the Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen. What could they possibly do to top that? Four words: WILSON FISK IS BACK!
A Royal Mission: Royally Wed
Written by Elizabeth August Art by Nanami Akino Purchase
Victoria, kidnapped and bound, is dazed when Lance, a royal bodyguard, comes to rescue her. She doesn’t know who Lance is or where he is taking her, but Victoria slowly becomes fascinated by this protective, caring man. But Lance must reveal a secret to Victoria that will change her life forever…
Un Bébé Pour Jack
Written by Emma Darcy Art by Eri Nakanuki Purchase
Jack sombre dans le désespoir après que Nina, l’amour de sa vie, l’ait soudainement quitté. Huit mois plus tard, voilà qu’il retombe sur elle, mais cette fois, à la maternité ! Incapable de renoncer à Nina, Jack s’arme de détermination : avec ou sans bébé, il doit la reconquérir. Or, Nina ne parvient pas à lui faire confiance et le repousse fermement. En effet, elle connaît son tempérament impétueux et elle sait qu’il déteste les enfants. Malgré l’obstination de Nina, Jack veut lui prouver son amour, alors il se lance donc dans l’éducation de sa fille à peine arrivée dans ce monde… À présent, il doit leur prouver qu’il les aime toutes les deux!
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ComiXology has a mix of new and classic comics for you today in their digital store. Get digital comics from Marvel and Harlequin. Check them all out here or the individual issues below.
Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man/Giant-Man Vol. 1
Written by Ernie Hart, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber Art by Dick Ayers, Don Heck, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber Cover by Richard Isanove, Jack Kirby Purchase
Collects material from Tales To Astonish (1959) #27 and #35-52.
Burned under the magnifying glass of overwhelming demand, Mighty Marvel has given in to bring you our smallest hero in his first big Masterwork! Scientist Hank Pym invented an amazing growth serum and a cybernetic helmet, making him the Astonishing Ant-Man! Teamed with the winsome Wasp, the tiny twosome battle a sensational array of mini- and maxi-sized menaces from the Scarlet Beetle to the Black Knight! And if that’s not enough to occupy a man of science, he’s also defending the good ol’ U.S. of A.’s secrets from the Commie hordes! But we’ve got more than just miniature mayhem for you, True Believer — you can also look forward to the birth of the biggest Avenger there ever was: Giant-Man!
Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man/Giant-Man Vol. 2
Written by Al Hartley, Leon Lazarus, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber Art by Dick Ayers, Carl Burgos, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Bob Powell Cover by Jack Kirby Purchase
Collects material from Tales To Astonish #53-69.
Hank Pym and his ladylove, Janet Van Dyne, make their highly requested return to the Marvel Masterworks in the concluding volume of Ant-Man/Giant-Man’s Silver Age adventures! Penned by no less than “The Man” himself, Stan Lee, and illustrated by an unmatched cadre of Bullpen embellishers from “Dazzling” Dick Ayers and “Sturdy” Steve Ditko to Golden Age greats Carl Burgos and Bob Powell, you’ll need high pockets to hold onto the action and adventure that’s in store for you. Giant-Man and the winsome Wasp have the decks stacked against them as they go up against an array of antagonists from the wild and weird Human Top, Porcupine, Colossus and the Wrecker to the Incredible Hulk, Attuma and Spider-Man! Also presenting the debut of the world’s tallest Avenger’s new look and the Wasp’s own solo feature!
Avengers Epic Collection: This Beachhead Earth
Written by Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas Art by Neal Adams, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Frank Giacoia, Sam Grainger, Herb Trimpe Cover by John Buscema Purchase
Collects Avengers (1963) #77-97; Incredible Hulk (1968) #140.
Roy Thomas’ epic run continues with the origin of the Black Panther, the debut of the Lady Liberators, the return of the Squadron Sinister and the all-time classic Kree/Skrull War! Caught in a cosmic crossfire, Earth has become the staging ground for a conflict of star-spanning proportions! Two eternal intergalactic enemies — the merciless Kree and the shape-shifting Skrulls — have gone to war, and our planet is situated on the front lines! Can Earth’s Mightiest Heroes bring about an end to the fighting before humanity becomes a casualty of war? And what good are even a dozen super-powered champions against the vast military machines of two of the greatest empires in the cosmos?
Britannia All At Sea
Written by Betty Neels Art by Kuremi Hazama Purchase
Head nurse Britannia finds herself strangely attracted to the stone-faced and stoic visiting professor Jake Luitingh van Thien.
Getting a glimpse into his softer side, Britannia takes him up on his offer to visit his hometown in Holland to find love…
Marvel Adventures Iron Man Vol. 3: Hero By Design
Written by Fred Van Lente Art by Scott Koblish, Graham Nolan Cover by Francis Tsai Purchase
Collects Marvel Adventures Iron Man #9-12.
The Armored Avenger blasts through the third arc of his solo title in the critically acclaimed, best-selling Marvel Adventures line! Featuring an army of gray Iron Man armor automatons; the Chameleon; the spectacular Spider-Woman; the Living Laser; Canada’s greatest super heroes, Alpha Flight; Kiber the Cruel; and the return of Tony Stark’s missing father!
Marvel Fanfare: Strange Tales
Written by Mike W. Barr, Charlie Boatner, Chris Claremont, Steven Grant, David Anthony Kraft, Bill Mantlo, Roger McKenzie, David Michelinie, Sandy Plunkett, Roger Stern, David Winn Art by Joe Barney, Dave Cockrum, George Freeman, Michael Golden, Luke McDonnell, Sandy Plunkett, Marshall Rogers, P. Craig Russell, Paul Smith, Charles Vess, Trevor Von Eeden Cover by Michael Golden Purchase
Collects Marvel Fanfare #1-7.
One of Marvel’s most unique anthology titles had a strong start with a classic Spider-Man/X-Men team-up saga in the Savage Land, presented here in its entirety, with more than a half-dozen additional tales! Mister Fantastic, alone against Annihilus! Captain America faces a forgotten wartime legacy! The Hulk vs. the circus! Christmas with Daredevil! Deathlok, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Ian McNee of MYSTIC ARCANA fame and more!
Marvel Illustrated: The Last Of The Mohicans
Written by Roy Thomas Art by Steve Kurth, Denis Medri Cover by John Watson Purchase
Collects Marvel Illustrated: Last Of The Mohicans #1-6.
The first great hero in American fiction—in the first true American epic! Across the Eastern Wilderness rages the French and Indian War—with only a handful of English and Colonial troops standing in the path of the relentless army of General Montcalm and his fierce Iroquois allies. But arrayed against the invaders are Hawkeye, the fabled frontier scout, and his noble friends Chingachgook and Uncas, the only two survivors of the Mohican tribe. THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS is a tale of bravery and barbarism — of heroism amid the horrors of the final great war fought between the British and the French — and their Indian allies — for a land destined one day to seize its freedom in its own hands. James Fenimore Cooper’s famous novel has been adapted with all its legendary excitement intact by award-winning writer Roy Thomas, and artists Steven Kurth and Denis Medri.
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DCBlack Label branches out from Batman, the Joker, and Harley Quinn in the gritty and trippy The Question:The Deaths of Vic Sage#1. With a dedication to both Question’s original creator Steve Ditko and his finest writer (Up to now) Dennis O’Neil, writer Jeff Lemire, artists Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz, and colorist Chris Sotomayor attempt to bridge the character’s portrayals as an Objectivist, who views the world in strict black and white terms and as an Eastern philosophy-influenced fighter of systemic evils, who donned the Question mask to right wrongs that newscaster Vic Sage couldn’t. They also craft the first chapter in one hell of a mystery. It features an art style that is far from the usual capes and tights.
Bringing back artists Cowan and Sienkiewicz from The Question’s original DC Comics series was a stroke of genius. It’s what initially got me interested in this series. Sienkiewicz’s scratchy inks and Cowan’s almost journalistic portrayal of human nature roots the first half of Question in the violent, yet ripped from the headlines crime stories that characterized the original run.
The comic opens up with Question muttering something straight out of a Mr. A strip or an Ayn Rand novel and catching a Hub City councilman in a brothel with underage girls. He knocks the creep about a little bit but is mostly concerned with recording footage for Vic Sage to play on the evening news where he openly accuses Hub City mayor Wesley Fermin of being connected to organized crime that leads to a lawsuit and more trouble. The sequence sets up Sage’s very public persona and role as the gadly, or voice of truth, in Hub City. That makes it necessary for him to wear face-warping masks courtesy of his old chemistry professor, Aristotle “Tot” Rodor.
However, this dual identity isn’t so simple. Lemire and Cowan play with the different sides of Question and Vic Sage’s personalities. They show that Question’s single-minded quest for justice sometimes makes him lose the big picture. An example is the police shooting of an unarmed man while he’s following a lead about a ring that was on both the councilman’s finger and the mayor’s lawyer’s. The Question is a skilled detective but his conspiracy-driven nature can blind him to the everyday issues of his city. Cowan, Sienkiewicz, and Sotomayor show this visually through a wavy line, lots of black ink, and a darker color palette. It culminates in Question’s discovery of a literal abyss and some surreal imagery where you can really see the Sienkiewicz influence shine through.
Thankfully, in the second half of The Question #1, Lemire and Cowan create the context for these images. It’s a departure from the crime fiction of the comic’s first act to something more mystical. Hence, Richard Dragon shows up with insight and potty mouth one-liners. (Think the Bride’s sensei in Kill Bill sans the misogyny and xenophobia.) From a big picture perspective, the conversation between Dragon and Sage also seems like a conversation between O’Neil and Ditko. The former taking Question into more of a zen Buddhism direction while Ditko used him as the avatar of his black and white view of the world. That was passed onto his creation Mr. A and Question’s spiritual offspring, Rorschach. (The nine panel grids and the use of “Hrrm” are a nod to that fellow.)
Richard Dragon believes that souls can travel between bodies while Question just wanted to learn martial arts to kick ass and is talking to his old teacher to solve a mystery steeped in symbolism, but connected to Hub City and its corruption. To take a page out of the German philosopher Hegel‘s book, Dragon is thesis, Question is antithesis, and they are a long way from synthesis. The last few pages introduce another wrinkle in the status quo in a natural non “Oh shit, we need a cliffhanger” way. Cowan makes fantastic use of recurring metronome motif to slip readers into another world. It’s like seeing a hypnotherapist as the story shifts in genre. His solid storytelling and well-placed use of six and nine-panel grids, as well as larger layouts, doesn’t waver.
The debut is steeped in the classic O’Neil and Cowanrun as well as the ideology of Ditko. Lemire, Cowan, Sienkiewicz, and Sotomayor make sure The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1 isn’t a nostalgia-driven retread. In a current era where political corruption runs rampant, and the said corrupt don’t even try to sweep it under a rug, a character who isn’t afraid to speak truth to power is incredibly relevant. However, the Question also engages in Randian purity policing and has a primal, childish view of the world. He’s far from an inspirational figure. This is why Cowan and Sienkiewicz’s naturalistic, almost dirty art style is a good fit for the book. They and Lemire also aren’t afraid to get a little weird. I’m interested to see how they synthesize the various versions of the Question in both the spiritual and physical realms.
Story: Jeff Lemire Pencils: Denys Cowan Inks: Bill Sienkiewicz Colors: Chris Sotomayor Letters: Willie Schubert Story: 8.9 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics/Black Label provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
