Dark Ages #4 (of 6)
(W) Tom Taylor (A/CA) Iban Coello (VCA) Mike McKone
RATED T+
In Shops: Jan 12, 2022
SRP: $3.99
A group of heroes have crossed dark seas in a desperate and dangerous attempt to save their friends. But before the heroes can save the world, they must first survive the most treacherous place on Earth – Europe!
Much like 2021, It feels weird writing a “best of” list for the past year since it’s been so difficult for so many. Comics, and entertainment as a whole, continued to be an escape from the rough reality of the year that was. Things struggled to get back to normal, whether you think it was too soon or not.
Comics have been an escape for me as I myself remained holed up at home, forgoing movie theaters and generally the public as a whole.
To pick one that stood out above all the rest doesn’t quite feel right as there was so much that was fun and entertaining.
The comic industry continued to shift in massive ways as creators figured out new ways to become independent or were lured by the promise of big paydays by venture capital. Publishers got bought out and some struggled to stay open. Stores opened. Stores closed. Distribution continues to shift. The industry continues to be disrupted in many ways. Some ways for the better. Some for the worse.
Things shifted for everyone.
Publishers canceled projects, shifted schedules, and continued to look to go directly to the consumer. Publishers faced distribution issues as ports backedd up and printing issues as paper became scarce. Creators looked for new ways to earn money and also go directly to the consumer. Consumers had more choices than ever before that made it easier to escape the world burning around them and find enjoyment in make-believe worlds where justice prevails in the end.
In the end, though 2021 continued to look bleak, it left the comic industry as a whole stronger than ever before with many challenges ahead and many answers yet to come.
It feels weird doing this “best of” but at the same time I feel like I want to “honor” and spotlight the comics that got me through the year and had me excited to read the next issues. This is what I’ve read so if you don’t see something mentioned it’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, I just might not have read it. Sorry, I can’t read everything (there was a massive glut in webcomics but more manga for me).
All of these are listed in no particular order (hell it’ll probably just be in alphabetical). Enough with the rambling… lets get on with some comics!
The comics that had me excited in 2021 and have me excited for 2022. It turns out maybe I enjoy horror more than I know?
Dark Ages #3 (of 6)
(W) Tom Taylor (A/CA) Iban Coello
RATED T+
In Shops: Nov 17, 2021
SRP: $3.99
AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT – STRANGE THINGS LURK WITHIN THE DARKNESS!
The Earth has been plunged into darkness, and Avengers and X-Men have begun vanishing in the night. They have been taken and twisted by Apocalypse to serve an evil older than the world. A group of heroes will assemble to travel across the dark planet in a desperate attempt to rescue their friends and save a civilization already on its knees.
Tom Taylor has become a master at the “alternate world” storyline. He’s shown time and time again he’s able to take familiar characters, and even somewhat familiar stories and concepts, and mix it all up for something new and entertaining. While these stories could easily just be surface level changes, Taylor constantly surprises with a depth of emotion and moments that are memorable long after being read. His twists are new classic alternate takes and Dark Ages #3 is a perfect example of what he’s able to do.
Dark Ages is a world where technology has failed due to a powerful being that is preventing its use. Electricity is gone and the remaining heroes and villains have banded together in an attempt to rebuild society. While things are generally working, we discovered in the last issue Apocalypse has plans of his own and with the help of Purple Man, enslaved some of the world’s greatest minds to help achieve whatever that is. With help from Mystique Apocalypse has captured Tony Stark to continue whatever he’s up to.
Dark Ages #3 is the fallout from that as our heroes discover Tony has been taken. Debate begins as to what to do and if confrontation with Apocalypse needs to happen. Taylor takes us on a rollercoaster as heroes are corrupted, someone dies, and someone discovers people she thought were dead are not. It’s all these moments together, including a smartass Doctor Doom, that creates an issue that’s a fun read. Dark Ages is popcorn fun and this third issue is a prime example of that.
The art by Iban Coello continues to impress. With color by Brian Reber and lettering by Joe Sabino, the comic looks fantastic. The character designs are great and the details tell so much of the story. This is a world that feels lived in and thought is put into how it all works. We can figure some of that out visually, which just tells more of the story.
Dark Ages #3 is another fantastic issue that has us already wanting more from Taylor twisting the Marvel world. It’s an issue full of moments, exciting, shocking, sad, and funny. It’s a hell of a read that’s enjoyment from cover to cover.
Story: Tom Taylor Art: Iban Coello
Color: Brian Reber Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
A Chance (Graphic Mundi) – A story about a family’s struggles and triumphs about raising kids, adoption, and struggles with health.
Almost American #3 (AfterShock) – This based on a true story comic series about Russian FSB agents who defect has been intriguing so far and as the tension and danger ramps up, we want to see how crazy this story really is!
Batman #117 (DC Comics) – “Fear State” has been one of the best Batman events in years and we’re excited to see how it ends and where it leaves the status-quo.
Batman Secret Files: The Gardener #1 (DC Comics) – The Gardener has been an x-factor of a character. We don’t know much about her but that’s going to change here!
Carriers #1 (Red 5 Comics) – A band of weaponized carrier pigeons, they soar the night sky looking for new threats and find their largest one yet when the Croc King comes climbing up out of the New York sewer!
Chicken Devil #2 (AfterShock) – A fast food chain owner seeks revenge against the mob who killed his family. There’s something very 80s about this series and we’re excited for that.
Commander Rao #1 (Scout Comics) – On the final dawn of an exhausted war, a rogue commander sets out on a warpath to confront a tyrannical baron. A year later, stories are sung of her heroism, but the mystery of her motives remains.
Dark Ages #3 (Marvel) – This alternate world story has been great so far and the twists have been excellent. Apocalypse looks like he’s unstoppable with the “heroes” he’s gathered, will the rest be able to stand up against him?
Getting Dizzy #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Dizzy wants to be the best but everything she’s tried has been a disaster. Now she needs to stand up to defend her neighborhood when the Negatrixes attack!
The Nice House on the Lake #6 (DC Comics) – Ending the first arc, it’s a doozy of an issue. Holy crap!
Primordial #3 (Image Comics) – We’re having a lot of fun with this weird alternate history involving the space race.
Radio Apocalypse #1 (Vault Comics) – Long after the rock out of space struck the world and turned it all to dust, in Bakerstown stands the last Radio Station on the planet. Radio Apocalypse broadcasting into the unknown. It’s the soundtrack to the end of the world!
Robins #1 (DC Comics) – What’s better than one Robin? All the Robins!
Superman: Son of Kal-El #5 (DC Comics) – There’s been some high-profile news lately about Jonathan Kent and his sexuality. This is the issue eyes are on. It’s already getting a new printing, so don’t miss the “event” that has made the mainstream news!
Wonder Woman: Evolution #1 (DC Comics) – We’re always excited to check out a new Wonder Woman series and where it’ll take the character. In this series she’ll stand trial as aliens judge humanity’s worthiness to exist in the universe!
Dark Ages #3 (of 6)
(W) Tom Taylor (A/CA) Iban Coello
RATED T+
In Shops: Nov 17, 2021
SRP: $3.99
AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT – STRANGE THINGS LURK WITHIN THE DARKNESS!
The Earth has been plunged into darkness, and Avengers and X-Men have begun vanishing in the night. They have been taken and twisted by Apocalypse to serve an evil older than the world. A group of heroes will assemble to travel across the dark planet in a desperate attempt to rescue their friends and save a civilization already on its knees.
Dark Ages #2 (of 6)
(W) Tom Taylor (A/CA) Iban Coello
RATED T+
In Shops: Oct 06, 2021
SRP: $3.99
It has been years since the age of technology ended in a single moment, like a switch had been flicked to off for an entire planet. Now Earth’s heroes attempt to bring humanity together in the darkness. X-Men and Avengers, vigilantes and villains all work together to create something better. But something darker than the night is descending on the world. Our post-apocalyptic world is about to face Apocalypse.
Tom Taylor is a master of the dystopian comic story. With stories like Injustice and DCeased for DC, he’s shown the heroes we know other fallen from good or struggling to survive. He takes the characters we know and puts them up against impossible odds with no issue having them fail. Marvel‘s Dark Ages is about what happens after that failure. After stopping an immense being called the Unmaker, Earth is enveloped in an E.M.P. that has shut down all of the technology. The first issue left us with a world that had gone dark, Dark Ages #2 shows us what comes after.
Impressively, Taylor subverts some of the expectations going into Dark Ages #2. This isn’t a world that is crumbling with roving gangs battling it out. The heroes and villains that remained eventually found a better way for everyone and worked together. That’s what the issue takes us through, the history and the more hopeful, smaller world that now exists. It’s an interesting twist compared to Taylor’s previous work. There’s absolutely some carnage but all of that is mentioned giving us the history to the now. It’s in the past as the people that remain have moved forward to work towards something greater and better. It’s weirdly… hopeful. But, can you do an entire comic of that? Where’s the fun!? Taylor delivers twists and turns in Dark Ages #2 and by the end the danger and conflict to come is clear.
What’s great is Taylor has really thought about this world. The comic is full of small details that makes it all feel “lived in” and more real in so many ways. Alarm systems and how the heroes and villains use their powers to keep things going are interesting and there’s clearly ideas mapped out in how all of this works. Those small details help add depth to the comic and adds to the enjoyment as we see how the world has adatped.
Some of that detail is due to Iban Coello‘s art. There’s so many visual queues as to what has happened to the world and how it, and the survivors, have changed. Along with color by Brian Reber and lettering by Joe Sabino, the combination of the trio gives us a comic that feels a little bit grimy but in a way you’d expect for a world without technology. There’s a bit of dirtiness about it all that adds to the realism and sucks the reader in. The designs for everyone really stands out though. The changes are fantastic blending classic superhero looks with an almost steampunk flair about it. It never quite crosses over into any one genre instead it feels cobbled together like would really happen.
Dark Ages #2 is a fantastic second issue. The first setup the world to come and this issue gives us the conflict to come while also going over the history that was. Such a solid story that it’s one to not be missed and feels like a classic Marvel alternate future in the making.
Story: Tom Taylor Art: Iban Coello
Color: Brian Reber Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Almost American #2 (AfterShock) – Based on the true story of two Russian spies who defected to the US.
Amazing Spider-Man #75 (Marvel) – It’s a whole new era for Spider-Man as Ben Reilly suits up in what’s being dubbed “Beyond”. It’s an intriguing new direction that builds off of what has come before really well.
Arkham City: The Order of the World #1 (DC Comics) – After A-Day, numerous individuals who were in Arkham escaped. This series focuses on them and the individuals attempting to round them up.
Batman #114 (DC Comics) – “Fear State” has been amazing and this issue is just awesome brutal action.
By the Horns #6 (Scout Comics) – This fantasy series has been a blast to read with a nice mix of tech and magic and characters that are a lot of fun to watch what they do and how they interact. This is a series far too many are sleeping on.
Chicken Devil #1 (AfterShock) – The title alone has us smiling. The story is about a business owner who finds out his business partner owes the mob $2 million.
Dark Ages #2 (Marvel) – The miniseries has the world plunged into darkness and the heroes attempting to help rebuild society. An interesting debut that had us wanting to check out more.
DC Horror Presents: Soul Plumber #1 (DC Comics/DC Horror) – DC has been dipping into horror more and more and this second series in the line has us wanting to see if they can strike gold twice.
The Nice House on the Lake #5 (DC Comics/DC Black Label) – An amazing series. An amazing issue. This is one that should be in everyone’s pullbox.
Out #1 (AWA Studios) – Allied POWs vs. Vampires in World War II.
Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #1 (Image Comics) – Rick Remender writing a new series gets us to take notice but the tease of assassin’s and the action that can bring has us excited.
Serial #7 (Abstract Studio) – This series has been growing on us with every issue and this one really starts to bring it all together.
Dark Ages #2 (of 6)
(W) Tom Taylor (A/CA) Iban Coello
RATED T+
In Shops: Oct 06, 2021
SRP: $3.99
It has been years since the age of technology ended in a single moment, like a switch had been flicked to off for an entire planet. Now Earth’s heroes attempt to bring humanity together in the darkness. X-Men and Avengers, vigilantes and villains all work together to create something better. But something darker than the night is descending on the world. Our post-apocalyptic world is about to face Apocalypse.
