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Archie vs. The World leaves us wanting more

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Brett

Archie Comics has found success in recent years taking its beloved characters and throwing them into new and crazy situations. Horror has been a regular genre explored but superheroes and more have been a part of the fun. Now, with Archie vs. The World, we get Archie in an apocalyptic setting that’s a bit Mad Max and a bit Fist of the North Star.

Written by Aubrey Sitterson, Archie vs. The World is a love letter to the stories of the 80s where tires were shoulder pads and martial arts created elaborate displays and destructive paths. The comic doesn’t hide what it’s trying to be, a condensed riff on classic stories. It’s broken up into chapters focusing on the major events taking place. That’s both good and bad.

Archie vs. The World is a bit surface level. It’s a hell of a lot of fun, partially seeing how far Sitterson will take things. But, it’s a series of events as opposed to a really smooth narrative. It’s missing the details between the main event. And that’s part of what it’s supposed to be. The issue is it leaves the reader wanting more. This is the key sequences in the trailer that ruins the movie but I still want to see the whole movie to get everything going on. There’s a story but it’s those small details that could really make this series into something else. But, the details it does deliver are great, partially from the visuals.

The art by Jed Dougherty packs in all of the fun from those martial arts manga it riffs on. With color by Matt Herms and Doug Garbark and lettering by Jack Morelli it delivers the over the top visuals you’d expect. You don’t know why everything is going on, but the images tell you these are bad ass fighters. The team doesn’t try to do anything new, it doesn’t need to, the look of the comic is of a classic style mixed with Archie and it works really well. Small details give winks, nods, and laughs, to the world of Archie we know but the action is all Fist of the North Star and all of its imitators. It knows what it is and goes with it to solid results.

The criticism of Archie vs. The World isn’t necessarily the comic itself. It’s riff on Mad Max and Fist of the North Star is a lot of fan. The issue is, the comic is a series of shorts strung together as a narrative. There’s clearly a lot in between each chapter creating a choppy reading experience. Hopefully the comic is a success and we can get an “expanded” tale from this creative team taking us deeper into the story and world.

Story: Aubrey Sitterson Art: Jed Dougherty
Color: Matt Herms, Doug Garbark Letterer: Jack Morelli
Story: 7.5 Art: 8.2 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read

Archie Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Action Comics #1051 brings the family together for a super debut

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Brett

I will admit I am not a regular Superman reader. I tend to check out new creative teams or events and then slink away soon after. It’s a character that I appreciate but with so much out there, there’s only so much time to read. Action Comics #1051 kicks off this year’s new DC publishing initiative, “Dawn of DC,” which brings in new creative teams and new directions for characters. It felt like the perfect opportunity to see what was going on with the Man of Steel and it might be enough of a start to keep me around for a while.

Action Comics #1051 is an interesting direction for the series which has at times focused on other members of the Superman family in that it does exactly that, focus on the Superman family. It’s everyone from Superboy to Jon, to Supergirl, and the Superman of China. They’re all here and more delivering a debut that delivers a vision of where the series is going to go and takes on an anthology spin. Not only is there a main story focusing on Big Blue and his pals but also two additional stories focused in on other members of team Superman.

Picking up from the previous issue, the featured story is written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Rafa Sandoval, color by Matt Herms, and lettering by Dave Sharpe. “Speeding Bullets” sees the return of Metallo as the Super crew are taking all that they’ve learned over the years in an attempt to usher in a new age of technology to help Metropolis and the whole world. There’s a treatise in a way, driven by Superman’s time on Warworld. The plan is to do more and we see this “team” attempting to do exactly that. This feels like the first time in a while that the Super-family is exactly that. They have a shared goal and vision and are going to do what so many of us has wondered why they haven’t, use their powers to “do more”. It’s also a chapter that has one of the best moments ever between son and mother that is both horrific and funny. But, most importantly, there’s a balance of a group of superpowered individuals that you can see the good in and want to cheer for mixed with some great action and a reflection on how a world might really react to them. This is the new status-quo and it looks like it’s going to be a good one. The art is wonderful with some great visuals that do a fantastic job of mixing those family moments with big explosions. This story alone is worth getting this issue.

“Home Again” takes things back a bit. Written by Dan Jurgens with art by Lee Weeks, color by Elizabeth Breitweiser, and lettering by Rob Leigh, the story takes place a bit after Superman and Lois moved to California. They return to the home with Jon picking up after the story from The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special. It’s just a tease of what’s to come but Jurgen’s writing and the art delivers a story that feels like a bit of a classic in some ways. Jurgens has such a handle on the characters it’s a fantastic read with a slow build going in an unexpected direction. The art by Weeks, Breitweiser, and lettering by Leigh has an ominous feel to it creating an interesting mix with Jurgens’ storytelling style. It’s the perfect morsel to have you excited to see what’s next.

Wrapping things up is “Head Like a Hole.” Written by Leah Williams with art by Marguerite Sauvage, and lettering by Becca Carey the story ties into the current “Lazarus Planet” event going on. Power Girl’s powers have changed and she’s now working as a counselor helping heroes. There’s a bit of Heroes in Crisis to it but the story takes on a touching subject of helping Beast Boy after his tragic experience. It’s not all depressing. The colorful pop art mixed with some funny moments brings a levity to what could easily have been a downer.

Action Comics #1051 is a solid start to the series. With a new anthology focus, it has a little bit of everything making it easy to change things up and keep things fresh. The trio of stories each have their own strengths with a variety of styles and voices and a wide focus. Overall, a solid start to the “Dawn of DC.”

Story: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, Leah Williams
Art: Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks, Marguerite Sauvage
Color: Matt Herms, Elizabeth Breitweiser Letterer: Dave Sharpe, Rob Leigh, Becca Carey
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Archie’s “That Wilkin Boy” returns in a new horror comic

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Graphic Policy Team

The cult-favorite Archie Comics character Bingo Wilkin is getting a modern revival through a more sinister type of cult in Chilling Adventures Presents… The Cult of That Wilkin Boy, a one-shot comic from the Archie Horror imprint releasing in April.

In a book-length solo story, horror comics master Cullen Bunn and artist Dan Schoening tell a chilling tale of fame and fandom gone wrong when rock star Bingo is offered a demonic deal he can’t refuse. Of course, it doesn’t go exactly the way crossroads exchanges usually do in traditional folklore.

Bingo first appeared in 1968’s That Wilkin Boy #1, launching a fan-favorite spinoff to the core Archie titles that ran for 14 years. Bingo was the cousin of Riverdale’s Jughead Jones and lived in nearby Midvale, where he led a band called The Bingoes. In the new horror one-shot, Bunn and Schoening take the concept of Bingo as an iconoclastic hipster musician and update it for a terrifying tale of clout-chasing ambition and powerful cults.

The Cult of That Wilkin Boy, with an open-to-order variant cover by Robert Hack, inks by Ben Galvan, colors by Matt Herms and lettering by Jack Morelli, releases April 19 in comic shops nationwide.

Comics

Review: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Brett

For quite some time, it’s felt like the DC Universe has just barreled from one event to the next and at times multiple events going at the same time. Resolution is short with an almost immediate build to the next Crisis. It’s an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth… but on a multiverse scale. Dark Nights lead to Dark Nights: Death Metal, which eventually lead into Dark Crisis which was really Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. But, with so many events, things have unfortunately blended together. Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 wraps up the latest leaving us pretty much where we began.

Written by Joshua Williamson, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 wraps things up and delivers teases and story lines yet to come. It shakes up some characters and teams but overall doesn’t feel like the world of possibilities like previous recent events. Where Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 succeeds is its focus on a few characters, Nightwing becomes much more of the center for the DC Universe that’s to come and Black Adam gets much more depth. It’s in a way a passing of a baton to the next generation of heroes and in that way succeeds in elevating some of the characters. But, as a story, it suffers from some of DC’s past mistakes. A mumbled story where things are sort of explained away, others you just go with, and in the end a status quo that’s a bit head scratching. Mostly because it doesn’t seem all that different from where things began. It was a lot of action and drama that didn’t change a whole lot. Two armies go to battle for the end result to be the same borders.

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 doesn’t so much feel like it charts its own path going forward by shaking things up. Instead, it feels like an attempt to make sense of a bunch of threads that have been weaved in the year since Death Metal ended. An attempt to get things more focused going forward. It’s not a follow up to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, so much another sequel to recent events to get things settled that were left unanswered.

The art by Daniel Sampere, Jack Herbert, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Rafa Sandoval is really good. They’re joined by Alejandro Sanchez, Alex Guimaraes, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Matt Herms on color, and Tom Napolitano on lettering. The main story art has some solid switches between the battle raging in the real world and the battle in the mind between Nightwing and Deathstroke. Black Adam also gets his spotlight with a single page that makes the anti-hero a much more complicated hero. Overall, there’s moments that pop but few that will live on as iconic. The teases at the end too vary with the final one really delivering a punch.

At the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal, a multiverse was born of infinite possibilities. At the end of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 a new multiverse is born of infinite possibilities. The difference? I couldn’t really say. Beyond the small details, a lot of the two events feels exactly the same. While the event sends some characters and teams in new directions, overall, it was a lot of show to get us to a spot not much further than where we began.

Story: Joshua Williamson Art: Daniel Sampere, Jack Herbert, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, Rafa Sandoval
Color: Alejandro Sanchez, Alex Guimaraes, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Matt Herms Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Pop Tate serves up fresh terror in all-new one-shot!

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Archie Comics mainstay Pop Tate, proprietor of Riverdale’s world famous burgers-and-milkshakes diner, has some sinister secrets! The horrors hidden beneath this wholesome small town hot spot will be revealed in Chilling Adventures Presents… Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors, a one-shot anthology from the Archie Horror imprint, on-sale in March!

In a trio of new terror tales, a dark side of Pop is revealed as he exacts revenge on ne’er-do-wells when most of Riverdale is asleep and safe at home. The collection includes “Night Shift” by Ryan Cady and Chris Panda, “Soylent Teen” by Eisner nominee Jordan Morris and Liana Kangas, and “Die-and-Dash” by Amy Chase and Federico Sabbatini.

The new one-shot hints at a fascinating continuity with earlier Archie Horror comics, and that Pop may have something to do with the terrible events plaguing this version of Riverdale since the zombie invasion detailed in Afterlife with Archie nearly ten years ago. The writers contributing to Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors all spoke to the imprint’s legacy in the horror genre.

Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors, with an open-to-order variant cover by Francesco Francavilla, colors by Matt Herms and lettering by Jack Morelli, releases March 22 in comic shops.

Comics

Preview: Happy Horrordays (One-Shot)

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Happy Horrordays (One-Shot)

Script: Frank Tieri, Joanne Starer, Joe Corallo
Art: Joe Eisma, Butch Mapa, Patrick Piazzalunga
Colors: Matt Herms, Glenn Whitmore
Letters: Jack Morelli
Cover: Adam Gorham
Variant Cover: Robert Hack
On Sale Date: 12/14
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a… werewolf?! The holidays look a little different in Riverdale this year—Santa’s nowhere in sight but Krampus is on the rampage! Who can take him down? Why only someone who can meet his match, and that someone’s best friend/monster hunter. That’s right, WereJug returns to do battle with the horned and hoofed holiday beast with Betty Cooper in his corner! Then, we dive into the true story of the Icelandic yule cat, Jólakötturinn, and her master—Sheila Wu?! Finally, Reggie meets a nice girl that he takes to the holiday dance—but things aren’t as they seem when she systematically dismantles Reggie’s life! The holidays are horrifying in this special horror anthology that reunites the team of Jughead: the Hunger!

Preview: Happy Horrordays (One-Shot)

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Happy Horrordays (One-Shot)

IDW Publishing celebrates the fifth anniversary of Sonic The Hedgehog #1

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

With all the speed of the world’s fastest hedgehog, five fantastic years of friendship, adventure, and chili dogs have flown by, and IDW Publishing will celebrate a half-decade—and its massive accomplishment of over one million collections sold—in April with the Sonic The Hedgehog #1 Fifth Anniversary Edition!

An expanded reissue of the classic IDW first issue, the Fifth Anniversary Edition gets the original creative team of writer Ian Flynn and artist Tracy Yardley back together to craft an all-new bonus short story entitled “Familiar Territory.” This special release will also include an exclusive look at how Sonic comics get made, an extensive cover gallery, and more!

Sonic The Hedgehog #1 Fifth Anniversary Edition will be available with multiple cover variants for retailers and fans to enjoy, each one illustrated by a different artist instrumental in making IDW’s Sonic kickoff from five years ago an unequivocal success! These variants include a special foldout Cover A by Tyson Hesse (featuring the connecting covers from issues #1-4), Cover B by interior artist Tracy Yardley, Cover C by Matt Herms, Cover D by Jennifer Hernandez, and three Retailer Incentive covers from Adam Bryce Thomas, Evan Stanley, and Jon Gray respectively.

Comics

Preview: Happy Horrordays (One-Shot)

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Happy Horrordays (One-Shot)

Preview: Bob Phantom

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Bob Phantom

Script: James III
Art: Richard Ortiz, Juan Bobillo
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
Letters: Jack Morelli
Cover: Tim Seeley, Matt Herms
Variant Cover: Jamal Igle
On Sale Date: 11/30
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

By day, he’s Walter Whitney, a fledgling theater columnist with a wild imagination, but by night he’s Bob Phantom, the “Scourge of the Underworld” — or is he? Using his power to become immaterial, Walt beats up criminals and then breaks the news of his exploits in his newspaper column . . . but New York City is not as it once was, and with less crime that means less news. So, if there’s no crime left to fight, there’s only one thing to do: create enemies. Is Bob Phantom really the Scourge of the Underworld, or its leader?

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