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 short reviews from the staff of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full review for. Given the lack of new comics, expect this weekly update to begin featuring comics that we think you’ll enjoy while you can’t get anything new to read – only new to you.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

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Brett

Empyre: Captain America #1 (Marvel) – There’s something just pure about this comic which is very ra-ra in fighting the evil invading forces. It’s simple and a bit of a throwback to war comics of old and it really works because of that. There’s also a nice attention to detail to the area (which GP HQ is actually not far from) which is fun to see. A nice addition to the Empyre event that delivers a little more as to what’s going on. Overall: 7.75 Verdict: Read

Logan

X-Factor #1 (Marvel)– In X-Factor #1, Leah Williams and David Baldeon have crafted a fun addition to the X-Men line with quirky dialogue, a procedural plotline and tone, and plenty of connections to Krakoa and resurrection protocols. From page 2 on, Williams and Baldeon dig into the implications of resurrection on the community of mutants, and it’s very much like waiting in line for the newspaper or trying to get coverage on healthcare.gov. X-Factor isn’t just an arbitrary super team, but fits a role in Krakoan society to bring closure and the possibility of new life for many mutants. Williams and Baldeon establish this through humor and a mini-mystery with Daken getting most of the best lines and his “disaster bisexual” on full display. X-Factor #1 is a fun read with comedic, expressive art from David Baldeon, who is working in the vein of Amanda Conner, but much less detailed, and the ensemble has instant chemistry. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Spider-Man Noir #2 (Marvel)– Margaret Stohl and Juan Ferreyra continue the globe-trotting adventures of private eye Peter Parker and mysterious museum curator Huma Bergmann as they try to figure why a cicada gemstone means so much to everyone from rich patrons of the arts to Nazis. Spider-Man Noir is really a style over substance book. I definitely read for the dialogue that sounds like it came straight out of Nicolas Cage mouth in Into the Spider-Verse, and Ferreyra lush monochromatic visuals, especially in a London chase scene and not the plot per se. But it has a lot of momentum and dash of wit from Stohl, who gets a lot of comedy out of Queens boy Peter Parker trying to hob nob with the rich, famous, and probably fascist at a London soiree. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Lost Soldiers #1 (Image)– Ales Kot, Luca Casalanguida, and Heather Moore tell a harrowing story of two Vietnam vets that have been through shit and continue to wallow in it as part of a clandestine CIA unit that fights for US interests across the Mexico border. This first issue is less about plot and more about establishing the psyche of the characters from flashbacks with different line weights from Casalanguida that fade in and out with a topping of red spot colors from Moore, who calibrates each panel to the emotional state of the character. Kot’s dialogue and captions shifts from the technical (Mission briefs) to poetic as he really tries to capture the spirit of a man who killed a man and can’t stop killing. He and Casalanguida do an excellent job with this non-linear narrative showing how these men progressed from a couple of youngsters shooting the shit about Superman and John Wayne to hardened killers crossing the border. Lost Soldiers #1 is a war comic with a holistic view of its characters instead of hammering home well-worn points or being an action book in realism’s disguise. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

That Texas Blood #2 (Image)– In That Texas Blood #2, Chris Condon and the excellent Jacob Phillips shift perspectives from Sheriff Joe Bob to Randy Terrill, who has left the town for work as a writer elsewhere, and whose brother Travis is the murder victim from the previous issue. The dark underbelly of the town starts to get poked just like the buzzards on Travis’ body. Mundane activities like checking into a hotel and getting a sandwich and coffee at a diner turn into melodrama. And this is where Phillips’ gift with faces comes in handy. By playing with a few lines on a face, he can really convey an emotional state from Randy’s steady emptiness to a waitress’ pure rage and more mysterious look on others. Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips make That Texas Blood #2 a much more interesting read by adding to its narrative tapestry and showing the murder from the victim’s surviving family’s perspective as well as just from the investigator. Overall: 8.7 Verdict: Buy

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Well, there you have it, folks. The reviews we didn’t quite get a chance to write. See you next week!

Please note that with some of the above comics, Graphic Policy was provided FREE copies for review. Where we purchased the comics, you’ll see an asterisk (*). If you don’t see that, you can infer the comic was a review copy. In cases where we were provided a review copy and we also purchased the comic you’ll see two asterisks (**).