(W) Brian Buccellato (A) Christian Duce In Shops: Nov 21, 2023 SRP: $4.99
Legendary’s Monsterverse has been unleashed on the DC Universe, and cities are threatened across the globe! From Metropolis to Gotham City to Themyscira, the Justice League scrambles to protect the citizens from these raging titans! What role has the Legion of Doom played in all this monster madness, and how will the tide of battle change…when a hero falls?!
Legendary’s Monsterverse has been unleashed on the DC Universe, and cities are threatened across the globe! From Metropolis to Gotham City to Themyscira, the Justice League scrambles to protect the citizens from these raging titans! What role has the Legion of Doom played in all this monster madness, and how will the tide of battle change…when a hero falls?! Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 delivers the spectacle you expect and want as the threat grows… bigger.
Written by Brian Buccellato, Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 continues the silly summer popcorn fun that is its entire concept. Giant monsters are now destroying the DC Universe and the Justice League have to scramble to stop it all. Yes, it’s more than just Godzilla and Kong that are a part of this series. More monsters make their debut spreading destruction to numerous familiar cities.
And that’s really the entire point and fun of this, right? We want to see the Justice League fight these classic monsters. And now with even more of them on the table, who and what might show up makes the series even more exciting.
Visually, the comic is fun. Christian Duce‘s art with color by Luis Guerrero, and lettering by Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt deliver a comic that has the spectacle you want and expect. The comic does a solid balance of over the top moments without turning into one giant splash page after another. It does an impressive job of delivering all of that in panels and making it still feel like something you’d see on the big screen. Let’s face it, we’re here to see Superman punch Godzilla and the comic gives us that in a visually fun and dynamic way.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 isn’t all that complicated. The Justice League is fighting monsters in multiple cities. It’s the punching and destruction you’d expect from a story like this, nothing more. And honestly, it’s exactly what I’d want from this. It’s a comic you can just sit back, turn off you brain, and enjoy the symphony of destruction.
Story: Brian Buccellato Art: Christian Duce Color: Luis Guerrero Letterer: Richard Starkings, Jimmy Betancourt Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Backer Beware: Crowdfunding projects are not guaranteed to be delivered and/or delivered when promised. We always recommend to do your research before backing.
Immortal Studios is the home of the Immortal Storyverse, the first ever wuxia-centered, interconnected comic book story universe. They’re back with not one, but four new issues in one Kickstarter campaign. They continue to build the foundation of this epic Storyverse even further and even stronger.
The campaign features The Adept, Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen, Fa Sheng: Origins, andAssassin Gall lined up for their next big adventures — All in one shared universe. More Kung Fu, more Asian-American culture, and more wuxia fantasy action.
No Kickstarter is complete without an offering of tantalizing rewards and this campaign is no different. From digital copies to exclusive prints and special edition covers, Immortal Studios are delivering.
On to the comics…
The Adept #3
This is the one that started it all. Over 1200 backers took a chance on this series and became the founding Immortals of the Storyverse. We’re proud to bring you Issue #3, written by Charlie Stickney and illustrated by Yishan Li.
It’s Amy’s first day as rockstar Sasha True’s head of security — and things may prove to be challenging than she expected. In an all-out battle with Sasha’s martial arts instructor, Amy discovers that the mysterious organization known as the Wheel has its eyes on the rockstar—and more, they want Amy out of the way. Permanently.
Can she discover what the Wheel is up to before it’s too late for Sasha—and for her?
48 page comic!
Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen #2
Based on the seminal novel by Shiao Yi, and providing the foundation of the Immortal Storyverse, Payhuan Shiao, Brian Buccellato, and Jheremy Raapack bring you Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen #2!
As the threat of the Reckoning looms over mankind, Phil learns more of his connections to the mysterious Immortal Swordsmen from the enigmatic Ying Ying.
But even as Phil’s encounters more fantastic events —including a battle between the mystical white gibbons and their enemies the white gorillas and the discovery of the long lost Immortal Cave — it is Ying Ying who faces a life-changing revelation about her own past that may change everything.
32 page comic!
Fa Sheng: Origins #2
Ripped from the pages of The Adept – witness the origin of the mysterious monk who has been training Amy (The Adept) in her dreams! Written by Rylend Grant and illustrated by Dexter Wee.
The origin of Fa Sheng continues! In the wake of the massacre at Liyuantun, the Kaiser sends troops to China demanding restitution and vengeance. Before the invaders stands the army of the Imperial General Yuxian. But will they be enough — even as desertion and betrayal rip through their number?
And in the ensuing bloodshed, the young soldier Chengren must find a way to survive in order to discover his destiny.
32 page comic!
Assassin G #2
One of the most popular series (as Sister Gan G) in the Shiao Yi pantheon is now a comic book modernized for a new audience, set in the neon-soaked 1980’s! Written by Jen Troy and illustrated by He Tao!
In the year 1982, Margot Gan, Assassin G of the Vermilion Pavilion, continues her deadly quest of vengeance — eliminating every member of the Yueyang family for a crime committed decades ago.
Alone and desperate, the lone survivor, the young martial artist JP must find allies fast or face becoming Assassin G’s next victim.
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
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
(W) Brian Buccellato (A) Christian Duce In Shops: Oct 17, 2023 SRP: $4.99
HEROES AND MONSTERS COLLIDE IN THE CROSSOVER EVENT OF THE YEAR! The cataclysmic crossover event of the year is here as the DC Universe clashes with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. Clark Kent is enjoying a night off with a very important dinner planned with his girlfriend, Lois Lane, when the entire city shudders under the weight of the monstrous Godzilla, who emerges from the bay! What started as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth! What ensues will be a brawl of unprecedented scale and destruction from acclaimed writer Brian Buccellato (Injustice) and bestselling artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point)!
Let’s face it, there’s just some entertainment where you turn your brain off and enjoy the ride. Disaster films is an entire genre of that as you just sit in the awe of the scale of destruction before you. Often, kaiju films fall into this concept where how and what gets destroyed is the fun. It’s popcorn popculture, made to fill you up on the joy of the insanity of it all. Let’s face it, Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 kicks off exactly that. And it’s it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
While we don’t get into the battle royale that we all want, Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 sets things up as Clark Kent is attempting to have a very important dinner with Lois when Godzilla rises from Metropolis’ shore. How did things get to this point? That’s the comic, setting up the Justice League attempting to help Clark have a vacation and the Legion of Doom causing mayhem in all their dysfunction.
Writer Brian Buccellato seems to be having fun with it all as it feels like the comic mines more of a B-movie vibe and a Legion of Doom that’s more silly like we’ve seen in their animated form in the classic animated series Super Friends. They squabble and screw up and it all leads to the main event. It’s the exact camp you’d expect and want, never taking itself seriously and just having fun with the concept.
The art by Christian Duce is solid. With color by Luis Guerrero and lettering by Richard Starkings and Jimmy Bentacourt, the comic handles its genre smashing well and the art quickly shows off the concept of a giant gorilla fighting superheroes isn’t as silly as it might seem. But what’s interesting to me is that the art, like the comic itself, doesn’t take itself too seriously. The characters’ body language and facial expressions show a loose nature about it all. Like the comic’s concept, they’re just having fun and going with the flow. This is the more joking, smiley Justice League, not the seen some shit beat down version.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 is exactly what you’d expect and want and is great because of that. It begs you to just sit back and enjoy the ride, taking you on an adventure that can only happen in comics. I have no doubt what’s to come will be predictable with the Justice League teaming up with Godzilla and Kong to fight the Legion of Doom but who cares, this is a wild journey to just sit back, enjoy, and not think too much about.
Story: Brian Buccellato Art: Christian Duce Color: Luis Guerrero Letterer: Richard Starkings, Jimmy Bentacourt Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
(W) Brian Buccellato (A) Christian Duce In Shops: Oct 17, 2023 SRP: $4.99
HEROES AND MONSTERS COLLIDE IN THE CROSSOVER EVENT OF THE YEAR! The cataclysmic crossover event of the year is here as the DC Universe clashes with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. Clark Kent is enjoying a night off with a very important dinner planned with his girlfriend, Lois Lane, when the entire city shudders under the weight of the monstrous Godzilla, who emerges from the bay! What started as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth! What ensues will be a brawl of unprecedented scale and destruction from acclaimed writer Brian Buccellato (Injustice) and bestselling artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point)!
Ruben Kwan is a 50-year-old firefighter who’s been afraid of fire his whole life. Instead of running into burning buildings, he pushes papers, living in the shadow of his father—who died a hero on the job. After 25 years in the LAFD, he’s firmly in the middle of an unremarkable life. That is until his new wife gets pregnant and a random act of courage reveals that Ruben is FIREPROOF! Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1 kicks off a new superhero adventure. But, this is one for the Gen X generation and hits really close to home.
Written by Brian Buccellato, Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1 is a solid opening chapter. But, it’s not the heroics or the potential of what might come as far as that, that stands out. It’s Ruben and his life in general. Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1 delivers a comic that’s so easy to relate to. It features a main character we don’t aspire to be, it’s a main character may of us are.
Buccellato mines his own life and those around him for the series and in doing so just nails the Gen X/Lost Generation/Unsung Generation perfectly. Ruben is a person who seems to be a decent guy. His life hasn’t gone as he pictured it or wanted and he’s now turning 50 and not just looking back at what was but trying to figure out what’s to come. In my mid-40s, I can say I’m doing the same. Unlike Ruben, I have no intention or need to start things fresh but there’s a point you reflect on your life and it’s Gen X’s turn to figure out their latchkey upbringing. For those around my age, it’s easy to connect with Ruben and through that the comic delivers a grounded start that sucks you in. Because you can relate, you can then imagine and go with the possibilities to come.
Buccellato also makes Ruben a bit more interesting based on what’s revealed. It’s not really a spoiler since it’s everywhere but we find out that he’s fireproof. Out of all the powers, that and invulnerability feel like they’d be the most appropriate for Gen X. We’re a generation who were on our own and figured things out. We patched ourselves up and generally are just a hardened group in a lot of ways. To not have fire hurt Ruben feels appropriate because as the world burns, we’re the generation just plodding along doing our thing as we always have.
The art by Stefano Simeone is solid. The emotion delivered by the characters feels real and the lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou emphasizes every bit of dialogue. From the facial expressions to the body language, you really get a sense of how each character is feeling. Whether it’s a bit worked up about something, angry, or just depressed, the physical body language tells so much of the details. It’s great work that helps connect readers to the characters.
I love Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1. It’s a hell of a debut that delivers a hero we can relate to and at 50, a hero we don’t see often enough. Gen X might have grown up on comics, but Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1 is one that might just be “our” comic.
Story: Brian Buccellato Art: Stefano Simeone Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou Designer: Tim Daniel Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Writer Brian Buccellato will re-team with artist Stefano Simeone for an all-new character-driven superhero series in the upcoming,Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!). This ongoing series is set to launch in October from Image Comics.
Ruben Kwan is a 50-year-old firefighter who’s been afraid of fire his whole life. Instead of running into burning buildings, he pushes papers, living in the shadow of his father—who died a hero on the job. After 25 years in the LAFD, he’s firmly in the middle of an unremarkable life…until his new wife gets pregnant and a random act of courage reveals that Ruben is FIREPROOF! Readers won’t want to miss out on this totally relatable (sometimes cringey) story of a middle-aged dad who’s about to find out that his new powers have major strings attached.
Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!) by Simeone (Lunar Code 0823IM306) and Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!) by Simeone 1:10 copy incentive (Lunar Code 0823IM307) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, October 11.
Heroes vs. Monsters! The universe-shattering crossover event of the year, Godzilla vs Kong vs Justice League, begins in October. DC Comics x Legendary Comics!
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1, written by Brian Buccellato with art by Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero, will be published on October 17 with a main cover by Drew Johnson and variant covers by Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Rafael Albuquerque; Francesco Mattina; and Dan Mora and Alan Quah.
