It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone getting? What are you excited for? Sound off in the comments below. While you wait for shops to open, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.
Forbes – Online Marketplace For Sports Cards, Other Collectibles Raises $20 Million In Series A Round – Hmmm. This could be interesting to watch.
Reviews
CBR – Demon Days: X-Men #1
Geek Dad – Wonder Woman #770
Today is one of two new comic book days! What are you getting? What are you excited to read? Sound off in the comments. While you wait to read some new comics, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Heaven, Hell, and Earth collide in SPELLS FROM HELL – Free comics!
Reviews
CBR – Demon Days: X-Men #1
Seattle Pi – Tono Monogatari
The Beat – White All Around
Peach Momoko is a talented Japanese cartoonist who has created many manga-influenced, watercolor comic book covers for Marvel and other publishers. She makes both her writing and interior art debut for Marvel in Demon Days: X-Men #1 where she puts her own spin on Marvel heavy hitters like Psylocke, Wolverine, Jubilee, Venom, and Hulk while placing them in the context of Japanese folklore and yokai stories. She transposes the conflict between humans hating and fearing mutants to humans hating and fearing the oni, like Hulk-maru, whose trees have been cut down so they have to raid the human village to get food for their children. What follows is a fairly simple story about humans and oni putting aside their differences to fight a larger threat, Orochi, or Venom with some fun takes on Marvel characters. For example, Jubilee is now a lazy sorcerer named Juju, and Logan is a wolf instead of a short, hairy mutant.
But the fighting is where Demon Days: X-Men starts to unravel. Momoko has many strengths as an artist, including an eye for design, cool poses, and the ability to match a color palette to a mood. She’s also good at setting a scene like the oni’s forest, Venom’s sanctuary, or the village where Sai (Demon Days’ Psylocke) and Logan travel to and offer their services as a sell-sword. However, choreographing and laying out a fight scene isn’t her strong suit, which is unfortunate because the majority with little interstitials of negotiations between Sai and the oni, various planning (Coaxing in Juju’s case.) sessions, and the ending of the book, which shows that maybe Momoko is better at slice of life than magical/sword slashing/symbiote action.
In brief, the battle between Venom and the villager/oni alliance is hard to follow with Peach Momoko switching up perspective and angles on a dime. It’s kind of like the comic book equivalent of the dreaded “shaky cam” even if it’s cool to see Sai fight gracefully with a katana, or Juju set off fireworks everywhere. Momoko sets up the condition that the oni and humans have to work together to defeat Venom, but there’s no magical weakness or fairy tale comeuppance just hacking, slashing, biting, and smashing until the yokai dissipates. It reads like “mandatory fight scene”, and apparently Logan loses his eye. However, you don’t see this until some post-fight dialogue where Momoko throws an obvious reference to his healing factor. The dynamic between him and Sai as well as the young girl Tsuki is really fun as both a nod to their relationship in the comics as well as a riff on Lone Wolf and Cub with a literal animal.
Demon Days: X-Men #1 has some cool designs (Juju’s was my favorite), fun character interactions, and the story and backmatter are a great introduction to Japanese folklore and yokai stories via American pop culture. However, Peach Momoko’s plotting is predictable, and she is better at drawing landscapes and conversations than fight scenes. But the comic isn’t a total wash, and it’s nice to see an artist whose style is a far cry from most of the “house style” Marvel books get to put her own imprint on iconic characters. Also, the final pages are damn good and made me interested in the nature of this universe that Momoko has created.
Story: Peach Momoko Art: Peach Momoko
English Adaptation: Zack Davisson Letters: Ariana Maher
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – 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.
Allergic (Graphix) – Maggie is getting a new puppy but finds out she’s allergic to anything with fur. This si the mission to find the perfect pet!
America Chavez: Made in the USA #1 (Marvel) – The character takes center stage soon in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and this series seems to start setting the ground so she does the same in the comic universe as well.
The Antifa Super Soldier Cookbook (Silver Sprocket) – What if everything the Right thought about the Left was real? An ANTIFA operative is about to get an upgrade and become a full-fledged super-soldier!
BRZRKR #1 (BOOM! Studios) – The Keanu Reeves/Matt Kindt written comic series is here. It has a hell of a lot of buzz due to Reeves and brought in a massive amount on Kickstarter. We’re excited we get to finally read it.
Chariot #1 (AWA Studios) – A military weapon in the form of a muscle car. That alone has us in for this.
Crime Syndicate #1 (DC Comics) – We head to a newly returned Earth-3 where these evil versions of our superheroes rule.
Dead Dogs Bite #1 (Dark Horse) – Seeing Tyle Boss’ name on this comic is what first got us to notice it. The story revolves around a missing person in a small town.
Demon Days: X-Men #1 (Marvel) – Peach Momoko’s new twist on the X-Men is here. We were a bit mixed on the initial preview but we’re still excited to check out a full issue. The art alone will be worth it.
ENIAC #1 (Bad Idea) – Bad Idea is officially here! We’ve read this first issue and it’s a solid debut. What does this publisher have up its sleeve? We’re expecting even more news upon release.
Infinite Frontier #0 (DC Comics) – This is the new start to the DC Universe. It’s full of possibilities and the groundwork and tease of what’s to come begins here.
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #1 (Oni Press) – Rainbow is looking for her sister Jonna. They’re both trying to survive in a world full of monsters driving humanity to the brink of extinction. Check out our review.
Man-Bat #2 (DC Comics) – The first issue was an intriguing look at addiction and we really want to see if the series keeps up with that theme.
Nocterra #1 (Image Comics) – The Kickstarted graphic novel is out in single issues. The world has been plunged into everlasting night. Meet Val Riggs, a ferryman who transports goods and people along deadly unlit roads.
Suicide Squad #1 (DC Comics) – With a movie out this year, the Suicide Squad is getting a shake-up and a new lineup that matches the film more. The first issue is exactly what you’d want from the series and shows readers to not get too attached to the characters.
The Swamp Thing #1 (DC Comics) – It’s a new Swamp Thing and a new vision for the character. We want to see what this new take is all about.
Transformers: Beast Wars #2 (IDW Publishing) – The cartoon is now a comic with a bit of a remix to it. The first issue set things up and now we’re getting to the good stuff.
Undone By Blood: The Other Side of Eden #1 (AfterShock) – The first series was a solid tale of revenge. We’re just hoping for more of the same.
What Unites Us (:01 First Second) – A graphic novel adaptation of Dan Rather’s essays.
Demon Days: X-Men #1
(W) Peach Momoko (A/CA) Peach Momoko
Rated T+
In Shops: Mar 03, 2021
SRP: $4.99
From STORMBREAKER PEACH MOMOKO comes a Marvel story unlike any you’ve ever seen before! A wandering swordswoman with a psychic blade arrives at village that’s being targeted by demons. One demon is black and white with a terrifying red tongue and another may be the strongest demon there is! In the stunning kick-off issue of this prestige quarterly story, you’ll see a revolutionary reimagination of the Marvel Universe that could only come from Peach Momoko. Ready your katana and enter a mysterious world of demons, monsters, mutants, and magic! Book ONE of FIVE of the DEMON DAYS saga!
One of the industry’s most in-demand artists, Marvel Stormbreaker Peach Momoko will introduce readers to her revolutionary take on the Marvel Universe next month in Demon Days: X-Men #1. The first chapter in a five-part saga, Demon Days: X-Men sets the stage with a thrilling tale about a wandering swordswoman with a psychic blade and a black and white demon with a terrifying red tongue. Fans will be mesmerized as they meet their favorite characters such as Wolverine, Psylocke, and Venom, reimagined in a way that can only come from Peach Momoko. Written and drawn by Momoko, this singular artistic vision will be a Marvel Comics story unlike any that’s come before! Get your first look at this highly-anticipated launch in the new Demon Days: X-Men Trailer, featuring never-before-seen artwork.
Peach Momoko has already taken the comic world by storm with her mega-popular variant covers. Don’t miss when this elite artist makes her Marvel Comics writing and interior art debut on March 3rd in Demon Days: X-Men #1.
And be sure to check out a bonus prelude story set in the world of the Demon Days saga in King in Black #4, on sale February 17th.
Marvel has announced that fans can get their first look at Peach Momoko’s all-new Demon Days saga in a six-page bonus story in February’s King in Black #4! Announced last month, Momoko will be making her highly-anticipated Marvel Comics writing and interior art debut this March with Demon Days: X-Men #1, the first in a five-part prestige series.
The elite artist, known for her bestselling variant covers, will introduce readers to her mesmerizing vision of the Marvel Universe. This exciting new tale will feature the first appearances of Momoko’s reimagined takes on X-Men characters such as Psylocke, Emma Frost, and Juggernaut.
Pick up King in Black #4 next month for this exclusive introduction to Momoko’s mysterious world of demons, monsters, mutants, and magic, and don’t miss book ONE of FIVE of the DEMON DAYS saga when it launches in March!
Recently announced as a member of the inaugural class of Marvel’s Stormbreakers, superstar artist Peach Momoko has taken the comic world by storm with her mega-popular variant covers. Marvel has announced this elite artist will be making her Marvel Comics writing and interior art debut this March with Demon Days: X-Men!
Demon Days: X-Men will be the start of a five-part prestige series bringing to life characters like Wolverine, Psylocke, Venom, and more in Momoko’s one-of-a-kind style. Each issue of the series, released once every three months, will feature some of the most popular Marvel heroes, setting the stage for an all-new saga that will leave fans mesmerized.
The Demon Days Saga will kick off when a wandering swordswoman with a psychic blade arrives at village that’s being targeted by demons. One demon is black and white with a terrifying red tongue and another may be the strongest demon there is! Ready your katana and enter a mysterious world of demons, monsters, mutants, and magic in a stunning premiere issue that will present readers with a revolutionary reimagination of the Marvel Universe that could only come from Peach Momoko.
Don’t miss book ONE of FIVE of the DEMON DAYS saga when it launches this March!
