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Category Archives: Mini Reviews

Mini Reviews: Zawa, Petrol Head, and G.O.D.S.!

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Logan Dalton

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

Zawa + the Belly of the Beast #1 (BOOM! Studios) – In Zawa #1, writer/artist Michael Dialynas puts a colorful and unique spin on the dystopian genre. He crafts a world centered around processed food and a feast honoring a corrupt mayor that screams factory town, but has a little bit of a Nintendo aesthetic. For example, the mayor looks like a Kirby baddie. The protagonists of Zawa run a bakery and try to scrounge together fresh food and remember a time when food was art and not just convenience. It all leads to some good trouble involving the aforementioned beast of the comic who is this series’ wild card. Dialynas handles coloring and lettering duties using colored font any time a character mentions a “rare” ingredient as well as bursts of brightness any time they have a breakthrough. The whole thing ends up being a visually charming version of a well-trodden genre. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

Petrol Head #1 (Image Comics) – Petrol Head is the other new dystopia series that was launched this week, but it’s very different from Zawa. Rob Williams and Pye Parr channel classic 2000 AD comics with a day-glo sheen in this tale of domed cities, retired, gas (Or petrol for the Brits) powered racing robots, and sassy robot birds. I really enjoyed the flashback scene of Petrol Head in his prime, and the excitement of the racing scenes pair nicely with Williams’ satirical script of how the world is basically rigged. Parr’s designs for the different robots have both form and function, and it’s a sheer thrill ride to see Petrol head run over the robot cops from the O-Zone. (Yes, there are lots of great puns in this comic too.) Petrol Head #1 sets the table for this brave new world with action, hijinks, and a pitch black sense of humor instead of gloms of exposition, and I’m interested to see how this rag tag bang takes down the authoritarian corporations that run their world. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

G.O.D.S. #2 (Marvel) – Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti continue to cut off G.O.D.S. from the main Marvel Universe (Bye bye cameos) while having the bent of the series completely transcend and undergird it. And the final result is fantasy in a very sci-fi way as Aiko takes her soon-to-be sorcerer’s apprentice Mia to the Library of Worlds and offers this struggling, underprivileged college student a way to achieve. Even though G.O.D.S. is full of high concepts and powerful beings, Schiti’s skill with facial expression grounds the story and really let me connect with Mia. Of course, when you’re failing at life, the crazy white haired magic lady and library with supernatural beings might actually be appealing. Some other highlights of G.O.D.S. #2 are the flatness of the dialogue that Jonathan Hickman writes for Mia’s friends and the boringness of her life compared with the world of the Centivars. What sets apart G.O.D.S. from other Chosen One narratives other than the class consciousness is that Mia isn’t set up as some kind of messiah figure, but just gets to live an interesting life as the series progresses. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Mini Reviews: It’s Giant Robot Hellboy and Alan Scott Green Lantern!

Posted on October 29, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Giant Robot Hellboy #1 (Dark Horse) – Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo, and Dave Stewart reunite for the enticingly named Giant Robot Hellboy #1. Set in the 1960s, Hellboy is kidnapped off the streets of London by some secret organization, and his brainwaves are connected to a giant robot fighting a monster on a distant island while a stealthier spy does her thing. Pacing is this first issue’s strength with Mignola relying on Fegredo’s visual storytelling skills to show the trials and tribulations of connecting someone to a mecha against their will. The spy action is as sleek as the robot fight is clunky. The ending is a little abrupt, but it’s a good first foray and would probably make Guillermo Del Toro smile. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #1 (DC Comics) – Alan Scott: The Green Lantern is another hit from DC’s new JSA line of books. Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey spin a tale of Scott’s life as a closeted gay man and early superhero in 1941. There’s tension between him and the JSA, an extended scene with J. Edgar Hoover, and of course, pining for Alan Scott’s lost love Johnny Ladd who appeared in the DC Pride special. On the visual side, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #1 is a modernization of a classic superhero/war comic with sharp lines from Tormey and bright colors from Matt Herms. Much of tension doesn’t come from the overarching threat, but if Scott will be caught with another man because being gay was a felony in the 1930s and 1940s when much of this comic took place. Alan Scott #1 is all about the struggles to live your truth and explores queerness and sexuality just like Wesley Dodds #1 explores class and privilege. It has light jokes, at times, but is miles away from a happy ending at this point in the story. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

Mini Reviews: Go Back to School with Hack/Slash while the Justice League take on Godzilla and Kong

Posted on October 22, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 (DC Comics) – There are glimpses of Godzilla, Kong, and other denizens of Legendary’s MonsterVerse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1, but mostly, the comic reads like a pretty standard Justice League vs. Legion of Doom throwdown. Brian Buccelato and Christian Duce turn in an episode of Superfriends with more modern dialogue and an art style that’s a lot like the New 52 designs, but sleeker. Buccelato also seems to get some of his characterization from the early days of the New 52 with Hal Jordan acting like a total douchebag while Barry Allen is a little unsure of himself and hasn’t revealed his secret identity to Iris. However, Superman’s characterization is more traditional with the heart of the comic being his proposal to Lois Lane that’s, of course, interrupted by a certain kaiju. JL vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 is a pretty standard superhero comic, but it has flashes of fun like the Legion of Doom breaking into the Fortress of Solitude that’s thwarted by someone who never should have been on the team in the first place. It’ll be interesting to see if the quality gets better when we see more of Godzilla and Kong. Overall: 7.2 Verdict: Read

Hack/Slash: Back to School #1 (Image Comics) – Cartoonist Zoe Thorogood turns her talents to the postmodern horror genre in a new revival of cult 2000s comic Hack/Slash. It’s like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and X-Men, but way more fucked up. Thorogood immediately dives into the trauma of protagonist Cassie Hack who is living a wayward life after killing her mother who was a literal monster. She conveys this through messing around with layouts as a fast food mascot ghost merges into an image of Cassie’s mom. The intervention of former B-movie starlet/current headmistress sets up the premise of the series, and Zoe Thorogood subverts the “weird new girl” trope by having all the students of the school have traumatic backstories involving monsters, or slashers as they’re called in this universe. All in all, Hack/Slash: Back to School #1 is perfect reading for spooky season with buckets of blood, general creepiness, and a self-aware sense of humor to go with the vulnerability in the captions Thorogood writes for Cassie done in a handwriting type lettering style. Overall: 8.7 Verdict: Buy

Mini Reviews: Wesley Dodds, Superior Spider-Man, and American Psycho return

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

American Psycho #1 (Sumerian) – The American Psycho comic from Mike Calero and Piotr Kowalski reads like a hybrid of the original American Psycho film and its not as memorable sequel American Psycho 2. One half of the story shows Patrick Bateman’s killing spree from the POV of private eye Donald Kimball (Played by Willem Dafoe in the film), and the other sets up a new killer in 2011 with young woman Charlene Carruthers as the protagonist. Calero nails the self-satisfied style of narration in the film while Kowalski lays out the kills (real and imagined) in a suitably graphic way. Calero digs into some of the homerotic elements of the source material with the way Kimball gazes at Bateman and appreciates his body, especially when he’s killing. There’s some fun voyeurism going on. However, my main issue with this comic is that beyond the violence, axes, and basic commentary on men being creepy along with copious drug use is that the dual plot lines don’t really intersect. Because of this, American Psycho might read better as a trade paperback. Overall: 7.4 Verdict: Read

Wesley Dodds: Sandman #1 (DC Comics) – Robert Venditti, Riley Rossmo, and Ivan Plascencia breathe new life into the original Sandman in an action-packed, social-commentary filled first issue. Even though Sandman #1 takes place entirely in 1940, war, inequality, and fear are conflict that every era has to deal with as Wesley Dodds struggles to use his privilege and scientific know-how to make the world a better place, both at home and potentially abroad. Rossmo’s angular style fits the surreal nature of a comic starring a nightmare-plagued, gas mask wearing, and sleep gun wielding superhero. The cold open of the comic is especially memorable with a gas mask silhouette taking up the page and causing a crime lord to squeal. With his mix of competency and insecurities and hate for Nazis and the 1%, Dodds is a protagonist that’s easy to latch onto, and Sandman #1 is a solid introduction to the classic Golden Age crime fighter. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy

Brett

Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 (Marvel) – I’m a fan of writer Dan Slott‘s original run of Superior Spider-Man. The concept of Doc Ock being in Peter’s body delivered something a bit different and added some more depth to the classic villain. It created a path that was interesting with things I felt like I never saw in a Spider-Man comic. Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 takes us back to that time as Doc Ock in modern times attempts to remember some details of something he did. With a new series coming, the issue really just comes off as a really bad “0” issue. With a story by Slott and script by Christos Gage, the issue feels like recent Marvel releases that fill in missing time. The art is packed with artists including Mark Bagley, Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos, Giuseppe Camuncoli, ink by John Dell, JP Mayer, and Victor Olazaba, and color by Edgar Delgado with lettering by Joe Caramagna. Despite a movie crawl of artists, the comic is pretty good in the visual department with just a few bumps along the way. I was excited for what’s to come but the issue pretty much killed that adding not all that interesting and instead just feeling like an addition to that run that wasn’t needed and whose end result could have been handled a different way. It’s an issue that didn’t need to exist and the story that’s to come could have just given us everything here easily. Overall: 6.0 Verdict: Pass

Mini Reviews: G.O.D.S. #1 arrives!

Posted on October 8, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

G.O.D.S. #1 (Marvel) – Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, and Marte Gracia set out to flesh out the magical side of the Marvel Universe and mostly succeed. Their take on the mystical arts reads like philosophy 101 meets a tabletop RPG with two players going through a divorce, but it makes for a lot of action and some heartfelt moments. I initially wasn’t sold on protagonist Wyn and his wish.com Dr. Strange energy, but his interactions with his wife Aiko (Amplified by Schiti’s nine panel grid layouts.) show how romantic he is. Wyn would rather find true love than upset the current magical order so I find myself rooting for him as he barters for magical objects with sidekick Dmitri in tow. G.O.D.S. #1‘s price tag is steep, but it feels like a full meal with a summer event level of stakes that still has room for filling out a whole section of the Marvel Universe and introducing compelling new characters. Wyn is like a Vertigo or Image protagonist stranded in the Marvel Universe and sans Dr. Strange and some cameos, G.O.D.S. #1 feels like Hickman’s new creator-owned universe rather than a take on a pre-existing property although some of the fight scenes evoke classic Steve Ditko psychedelia. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Pharoah Miles

G.O.D.S. #1 (Marvel) – Neil Gaiman is one of those authors that you feel like as if he could be your best friend. His works always consist of characters that we always root for. As most are flawed but have the capacity to be and do good. It is their fallibility is where we identify with them the most. Gaiman’s American Gods is a perfect example of what fans love most about his works. We see how, despite the fact most of the characters are deities, their flaws are what rules them in the end. Gaiman seeks to show that despite their perceived power, they more human than us. In the debut issue of G.O.D.S., writer Jonathan Hickman delivers a similar concept. The issue pulls back the veil, uncovering just how powerful deities are in a world filled with aliens, mutants and super powered beings. Overall, G.O.D.S. #1 is an engaging debut which more than excites. It adds to Marvel’s vast canon. The story by Hickman is masterful. The art by Valerio Schiti, and Marte Gracia is gorgeous. Altogether, the debut is a fun introduction to these exciting new characters and teases how they fit into the greater Marvel Universe. Overall: 9.0 Verdict: Buy

Mini Reviews: Hawkgirl, Fall of X, Gotham at War, and a blackout drunk PI!

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Hawkgirl #3 (DC Comics) – Kendra, Galaxy, and Argus hit the road and fight the Court of Owls in Gotham with the assistance of Batman and Chef Alysia Yeoh in Hawkgirl #3. Artist Amancay Nahuelpan‘s visual tricks and skill with layouts get a workout beginning with a hilarious, yet epic riff on “I’m Batman”. He and writer Jadzia Axelrod continue to have wonderful chemistry as she puts captions revealing Kendra’s inner thoughts, and he brings the fisticuffs and handles the shift in timelines with style and grace. Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou also adds flavor to Axelrod’s dialogue with his bubbles, font choices, and timely capitalizations and underlining and highlights some big emotional beats like Galaxy’s insecurity around Batman or Kendra’s nigh-metafictional rage about how she’s been treated by different characters in the DC Universe over the year. Hawkgirl #3 is a fun team-up, adds depth to Galaxy and Kendra’s characters, and also progresses the Nth metal mystery plotline as the book continues to be one of the cutest, gayest, and most badass current comics on the stands. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Brett

The Blackout Bombshell #1 (Sumerian) – Written by Louis Southard with art by Dean Kotz, color by Patrick Buermeyer, and lettering by Buddy Beaudoin, The Blackout Bombshell #1 nails everything you’d want in a PI/noir story. The private dick is a… dick, a blackout drunk who can’t remember why he wants to find a mysterious woman. She also just so happened to show up at his door and tried to kill him. Then there’s an attorney who himself has some ethical and personal issues. An ever growing pile of dead bodies are mixed in and it’s all set in a post Vietnam world, and you’ve got an intriguing start that’s full of individuals you want to slap. The art is solid, using a noir-ish style but a more modern setting. It all comes together for a start that fans of detective stories will want to get. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

Avengers Inc. #1 (Marvel) – Writer Al Ewing, artist Leonard Kirk, colorist Alex Sinclair, and letterer Cory Petit deliver an intriguing Avengers team that mixes your typical spandex superheroes with a bit of a detective/crime spin. It all works well setting things up for what should be something a bit different from your regular Avengers title. The art by Kirk and the team is solid with colors popping to set up each scene. Overall: 8.25 Verdict: Buy

Catwoman #57 (DC Comics) – The third part of “The Gotham War,” writer Tini Howard, artist Nico Leon, colorist Veronica Gandini, and letterer Lucas Gattoni give us events from Catwoman’s perspective. It’s a decent entry in the crossover event as she must figure out how to proceed through Batman’s stubbornness. But, the comic also focuses a lot on the Red Hood, almost distracting from the title character. The end adds a bit of a wrinkle to the story but beyond that, the entry is rather forgettable. Overall: 7.25 Verdict: Read

Alpha Flight #2 (Marvel) – Overall, Alpha Flight’s entry in Fall of X has been entertaining by predictable. Written by Ed Brisson with art by Scott Godlewski, color by Matt Milla, and lettering by Travis Lanham, it hasn’t surprised too much. Still, it’s interesting to see this sort of resistance against Orchis and the government’s bending to their will. While the overall story follows the beats you’d expect, individual choices and moments stand out. The art is good and the characters all look like the Alpha Flight we love with some nice fights and dynamic moments. Still, the comic feels like it’s playing it a bit safe instead of pushing the underlying concepts and themes of Fall of X. Overall: 7.5 Verdict: Read

Dark X-Men #2 (Marvel) – Writer Steve Foxe, artist Jonas Scharf, colorist Frank Martin, and letterer Clayton Cowles continue to deliver what is the standout of Fall of X. The team is dysfunctional but on a mission that’s familiar, save mutants. But, it’s that dysfunction of this misfit team that really stands out and nails the spirit and classic feel of the X-Men. Add in solid art and some dynamic visual moments and you have a comic series you hope continues well after this storyline event ends. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Uncanny Avengers #2 (Marvel) – Writer Gerry Duggan, artist Javier Garron, colorist Morry Hollowell, and letterer Travis Lanham take on the newest unity team as they fight Captain Krakoa and the new iteration of the Mutant Liberation Front. There’s a lot of interesting moments but really we just want to find out who is under the mask of Captain Krakoa, and we’re given a major hint here. Overall, the comic is entertaining enough with some decent action and good art but it feels like a piece of a puzzle rather than a comic that stands on its own. It’s only job is to get the plot from point A to point C, when it could be far more. Overall: 7.75 Verdict: Read

Mini Reviews: Doomsday, Dragons, Ultimate Invasion, and more!

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Logan Dalton

Action Comics Presents: Doomsday Special

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Action Comics Presents: Doomsday Special (DC Comics) – Dan Watters, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira channel late 80s/early 90s DC Comics in a yarn about Supergirl and Martian Manhunter teaming up with the First of the Fallen to keep Doomsday in Hell. I love the parallels that Watters draws between Doomsday and Earth’s Devil, and Barrows’ art has an intricate texture that reminds me of the “mature readers” era of DC like Swamp Thing and early Sandman. In the end, the story is about finding hope in the most hopeless place and balances punching and philosophical captions nicely. There’s also a backup featuring a new Bloodwynd that acts as a kind of Superman for Hell. It’s Extreme Justice meets Dante’s Inferno, and artist Max Raynor is damn good at drawing suffering souls and punching. All in all, Doomsday Special adds new depths to the creature that killed Superman by fusing him to the intricate worldbuilding of DC Comics’ Hell. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy

Dungeons and Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures (IDW Publishing) – I’m a 90s kid so I didn’t grow up watching the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, but I know it was partially the inspiration for Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans’ Die so i decided to give this one-shot a purchase/read. DnD: Saturday Morning Adventures is a cute, nostalgic read from David Booher and Jack Lawrence that definitely has that old school cartoon structure: light-ish on continuity with an enemy of the week and a moral at the end. What made me smile about this comic was the humor that the creators sneak between fight scenes and saccharine teen angst. For example, there are multiple panels debating the difference between a chromatic and metallic dragon. (Maybe, this is important ; I’ve only dabbled in DnD.) This isn’t a must buy comic, but it’s fun and easy to follow with lively art that definitely made me think about getting into the fantasy genre through animation as a kid. (PBS’ Redwall was way darker than this though.) Overall: 7.1 Verdict: Read (I purchased my copy)

Ultimate Invasion #3 (Marvel) – Ultimate Invasion has some cool ideas, and Bryan Hitch working in wide screen mode is always a treat whether it’s the opulence of the superhumans that run the world or Tony and Howard Stark sharing a moment at Obadiah Stane’s funeral. However, he and Jonathan Hickman seem rushed in Ultimate Invasion #3 where there’s lots of delicate character development for Howard, Earth 6160 Hulk, and of course, the Maker. It ends up turning into an identical blow ’em up with the clones of the Ultimates coming again with a groanworthy character showing up in the cliffhanger. This series either needed a companion series like Hickman’s Avengers/New Avengers, or to be expanded to a six issue miniseries to let this world breathe. The story is 75% over, and I finally have a grasp on this incredibly relatable world of elites play-fighting in the background. However, coupled with its price tag and lack of storytelling rhythm, you’re better off waiting for Marvel Unlimited with this mini that would be fine as a prologue to a large universe, but not a whole entree. Overall: 5.9 Verdict: Pass (I purchased a copy.)

Brett

Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1 (DC Comics) – Kicking off the upcoming story that pits Catwoman and Batman against each other about the direction how to handle Gotham’s crime. The story is intriguing and there’s some solid concepts within, but overall, the comic feels like a rather boring debate. The ending has a little bit of juice to it, but even that falls a bit flat in its execution. Overall, it does its job in explaining what’s going on and why but doesn’t really create buzz from it. It coming so soon after DC’s recent event doesn’t help at all. This is a story that needed a few more months to breathe and grow naturally post Knight Terrors, as is, it’s a bit of a snooze to start. Overall: 6.75 Verdict: Read

Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 (DC Comics) – DC’s compact event wraps up as DC’s heroes deal with the heroes in the real world. The overall concept is nice and the groundwork it lays out is good but as far as events go, this is a knight terror that doesn’t stay with you. The artwork goes from interesting to what am I looking at quickly and the beats themselves never quite hit. Even the intriguing ending concerning Batman feels a bit undone rather too quickly in the kick-off to Gotham War. Overall, it comes off as just a way to get from point A to point C instead of an event story that stands on its own. Overall: 6.5 Verdict: Pass

Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel) – A fun new direction as Kamala puts on the costume of the X-Men and goes undercover to stop Orchis. It’s keeps the lighter feel of Ms. Marvel comics but adds on the rather darker themes of the X-Men. There’s a balance of the fun and serious. It’s also interesting to see Kamala again struggling with her identity. A solid start and folding in of this popular character into her new role as mutant and X-Man! Overall: 7.75 Verdict: Buy

Ultimate Invasion #3 (Marvel) – The comic feels like it’s missing story beats and the art doesn’t make up for things. There’s been an issue with the series not letting the story breathe compacting things a bit too much and missing some key points. The art is some of Bryan Hitch’s best but the writing isn’t helping. The comic is interesting in that it helps lay out what’s going on with this world a bit more, but not even that is shocking or exciting enough to really recommend it. Overall: 6.0 Verdict: Pass

Mini Reviews: What If, Mutant Mayhem, Conan, and Magneto!

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

What If…? Dark: Venom #1 (Marvel) – Stephanie Phillips and Jethro Morales have Thing merge with the Venom symbiote in the latest installment of What If…? Dark. Set in the 1980s after Secret Wars when Thing left the team, this one-shot plays off Ben Grimm’s desire to be human to great effect. Of course, the symbiote makes him human again, but there’s a cost, and Thing indulges his dark side with the help of Lizard. Phillips and Morales draw a parallel between Curt Connors and Grimm musing if Thing would be considered a hero if he wasn’t part of the Fantastic Four. Sadly, the third act turns this interesting relationship into pure edginess, but there’s 2/3 of an interesting and badass at times comic in What If Dark Venom #1. Overall: 7.4 Verdict: Read (I purchased a copy)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem– TMNT: Mutant Mayhem is like going to the movies with your cool (probably stoner) older brother. The latest reboot based on the most successful independent comic of all time goes for Gen Z in a lot of its jokes, references (Leonardo “rizzes up” April O’Neil), and of course, in the voice performances of the Turtles, but is pure Gen X in its soundtrack with lots of classic hip hop cuts from ODB, Gang Starr, and De La Soul to name a few. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem focuses on the “teenage” side of the mutant ninja turtles as Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Donatello just want to live normal lives with humans and go to high school instead of cowering in the sewers with their human-phobic father Splinter. However, the bad guys are all mutant as Super Fly (Ice Cube) plots with a veritable menagerie of mutated animals to take out all the humans and make New York an extension of the Bronx Zoo. The seven writers on this film and director Jeff Rowe give Mutant Mayhem an anarchic spirit that literally oozes from the DIY-ish animation style, and the voice cast is star-studded, but not in annoying, say Rio way. Paul Rudd as a chill mutant gecko is the find of the year, and Ayo Edibiri’s earnestness and nervous energy as April O’Neil is the definitive performance of this TMNT ally. The final fight is a little on the short side, but overall, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem is an audiovisual feast with a great sense of humor that does “hated and feared” better than most of the X-Men films. Overall: 8.2

Conan the Barbarian #1 (Titan) – Set in Conan’s younger adventuring days, writer Jim Zub, artist Rob de la Torre, and colorist Jose Villarrubia immediately raise the stakes by having Conan and his new ally, the Pict women Brissa, face off against undead tribe of Picts that are ravaging the countryside. The highlights are the brutal battle sequences with de la Torre and Villarrubia excelling at both close-up intimate panels and huge spreads of the carnage. Unlike the Free Comic Book Day issue, Zub is more sparing with his purple prose captions using them to dig into the larger themes of Conan #1 even though sometimes they end up describing the visuals of the panels. All in all, Conan the Barbarian #1 nails its protagonist’s world-weariness with a heart of gold and feels like a throwback to the old John Buscema Conan comics while adding psychological depth and exploring its hero’s connection to his Cimmerian roots. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy (I purchased a copy)

Magneto #1 (Marvel) – Magneto #1 continues to try to answer the age-old question: how could Magneto be both hero or terrorist? Featuring retro art from Todd Nauck and a psychologically savvy script from JM DeMatteis, this tale set in the 1980s features Magneto caught between being the teacher of the New Mutants and the leader of a new iteration of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Magneto #1 takes its time to explore pivotal moments from Erik Lehnsherr’s going deep into his motivations, and how the big attack in X-Men #1 was just him playing role and basically trying to get the X-Men over as heroes. DeMatteis and Nauck also don’t shy away from portraying Magneto in a negative light like a scene where he freaks out at Wolfsbane and almost hurts her with his magnetic abilities. The comic strikes the perfect balance between nostalgia and character study and has some big action scenes to boot like a Danger Room showdown between the New Mutants and Brotherhood. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

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 (**).

Mini Reviews: Space Outlaws, Superman, Avengers, and an Ultimate Invasion!

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Logan Dalton

Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Space Outlaws #1 (Scout Comics) – Marco Fontanili brings his gonzo visual sensibilities to the sci-fi and western genres in Space Outlaws #1. It’s Terminator meets Alien in Texas as a killer robot is chasing after an escaped alien parasite convict in the deserts of the Western USA. Fontanili makes Space Outlaws a memorable read with intricate panel layouts and a deadpan sense of humor (A Western gunmen is described as “Armed not dangerous”) He’s also not afraid to prob the darker side of the human psyche with a supporting character who is an alcoholic farmer down on his luck and about to hang himself. As evidenced by his previous work on Pentagram of Horror and Kingjira, Marco Fontanili is the shlockmeister supreme of indie comics, and Space Outlaws is another hit for him. Overall: 9.0 Verdict: Buy

Superman Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 (DC/Black Label) – The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 is a strong character study about the relationship between Superman and his greatest foe. Lex takes advantage of Superman’s compassion to enlist him on a quest to cure his terminal illness. Writer Mark Waid weaves in flashbacks of their life in Smallville, and their attempts at friendship because they both felt different yet acted in opposite ways about their feelings. On the art side, Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan seem to be having the time of their lives drawing big rescues, the Phantom Zone, and the Bottle City of Kandor. It’s kind of a greatest hits set for these great masters of superhero blockbusters. Last Days of Lex Luthor is off to a promising start because Waid and Hitch know the best Superman stories are when he faces moral challenges and not just physical ones. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy

Brett

Ultimate Invasion #2 (Marvel) – The Maker’s plan comes into the picture as we see the world he’s shaped after his escape in the first issue. The question that’s raised is the world seems great, but we’re not really shown the negative. The Maker is supposed to be this evil person but beyond preventing heroes from their origins, he’s generally benevolent to the end. It’s something that sticks out in an otherwise interesting concept. There’s some solid art in moments that deliver some shock. Overall, an interesting series so far but not one that really stands out as amazing… yet. Overall: 7.75 Verdict: Read

Avengers #3 (Marvel) – The Avengers have been tipped off by Kang of major events coming and the first is here. Being that are supposed to be a real challenge have shown up to terrorize cities and overall it… falls a bit short. The new characters are interesting but the setup that they’re a real threat isn’t there. Overall: 7.0 Verdict: Read

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

Mini Reviews: Hawkgirl #1 and Blade #1

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Logan Dalton

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Hawkgirl #1 (DC Comics) – Apart from guest appearances here and there and of course her amazing role in Justice League Unlimited, I didn’t know much about Hawkgirl. But after reading Jadzia Axelrod, Amancay Nahuelpan, and Adriano Lucas’ Hawkgirl #1, consider me a Kendra Stan. Hawkgirl starts strangely with fairy tale narration and mysterious figures before turning into a superhero punch ‘em up. Kendra starting over and issues opening up and finding an outlet outside of hitting aliens with her mace make her relatable and endearing before Axelrod and Nahuelpan throw her into the main plot of the series. And speaking of Nahuelpan, his art is high energy and does Hawkgirl and the other superhumans’ abilities Justice. However, my personal favorite part of Hawkgirl #1 was also the queer representation, including Galaxy and Kendra’s college friend Abilene who is going through a similar life crisis. Galaxy’s enthusiasm (and talking corgi) make her a nice foil to Kendra’s world-weariness, and I’m definitely reading Prettiest Star while waiting for Hawkgirl #2 to drop. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy (I purchased copy.)

Blade #1 (Marvel) – Even though it ends up being your standard team up and save the world from a supernatural threat with a tinge of East and Southeast Asian culture, Blade #1 is a stylish-looking action book from Bryan Hill, Elena Casagrande, and Jordie Bellaire, who especially pours on the red in an opening club sequence reminiscent of the 1998 film. Hill also has a solid handle on Blade’s stoic voice and nature introducing vulnerabilities and cracks in his personality towards the end of the first issue. There’s definitely an emphasis on stoic with Hill being content to let Casagrande’s visuals sing with horrifying imagery and clever fight choreography. This isn’t a particularly deep comic, but it’s a fun ride and filled with the brand of badass action that Blade is known for in other mediums. Overall: 7.7 Verdict: Read (I purchased a copy)

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

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