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Exclusive Preview: White Widow #2

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White Widow #2

(W) Sarah Gailey (A) Alessandro Miracolo
(C) Matt Milla (L) Travis Lanham
(CA) David Marquez (VCA) Elena Casagrande, Peach Momoko
Rated T+
In Shops: Dec 13, 2023
SRP: $3.99

Just as Yelena Belova begins to settle into life in suburbia as a consultant for honest, hardworking assassins, change comes in the form of Armament – a company whose endeavors seem to infiltrate every aspect of life in the tiny town of Idyllhaven. But what exactly is Armament’s interest in Idyllhaven – and what does it have to do with Yelena’s rogue mentees?

White Widow #2

G.O.D.S. #2 continues a middling experience

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G.O.D.S. #2

The Centum normally has twenty-five Primes, now only three remain. College isn’t worth the time or the money. There’s a hidden book in the hidden library that hides a hidden door. Kubisk Core is from Georgia, like that matters. That word salad description? That really does sum up G.O.D.S. #2, a series that was pumped up with such hype but has delivered a ho-hum experience.

Pitched as a “redefinition of the Marvel Cosmology,” G.O.D.S. #2, like the first issue, feels like a story that both doesn’t fit the current Marvel Universe but also a Doctor Strange story with different characters. Written by Jonathan Hickman, G.O.D.S. #2 deals with the fallout of the debut issue with lots of discussion of recruiting new members, figuring out what happened, and the introduction of a new magical character. It’s all ok and if it was a creator-owned series with another publisher it might work better, but as is it weirdly just doesn’t feel like it fits the Marvel Universe. Like the first issue, the second feels like it’s a square being shoved into a circle hole.

There’s also the issue that while it acts like it adds this whole new experience and aspect to the Marvel world, it just feels like it’s a story meant for other magical Marvel characters. In fact, we get Doctor Strange, Clea, Wong, and Doctor Voodoo as part of the second issue taking what is pitched as this story of gods and their handlers/avatars and makes it feel like a low level magical threat Strange might otherwise deal with.

The art by Valerio Schiti is solid though. With color by Marte Gracia and lettering by Travis Lanham, the visuals feel much grander than the story itself. There’s so many interesting things shown but none of it feels expanded upon. It teases the grand story that hasn’t been delivered yet. But, it looks pretty and the characters are cool to look at.

G.O.D.S. #2 continues to show potential but never feels like it commits to its greater concepts. Everything feels rather pedestrian and like any other magical Marvel story. It’s been hyped up so much at this point, it’s hard to see it living up to expectations, the pitch, or hype.

Story: Jonathan Hickman Art: Valerio Schiti
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

White Widow #1 shows potential but doesn’t nail the opening

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White Widow #1

Yelena Belova returns! Superspy. Rogue agent. Shadow of the Black Widow. Yelena Belova has been many things, but striking out as a hero in her own right is new to her. Now that she’s finally free to choose her own path, who will she become? With the spotlight coming on the big screen, Marvel is ramping up the spotlight on Belova, the White Widow, kicking things off with White Widow #1… and it’s an ok start.

Written by Sarah Gailey, there’s a lot ot like about White Widow #1. Where it’s good, it’s really good but overall the plot is a bit odd and a headscratcher. Yelena is trying to figure things out in her life. She’s moved to a town away from all of the superheroes and running her own business, acting as a mentor to other assassins and spies. She lives in a house with a bunch of other quirky characters and of course has a dog she adores. With her life being either controlled or stolen from her, she’s on a mission to figure things out. That includes small details about her likes, dislikes, and what she’s neutral about. And that’s where the issue shines.

Gailey delivers a fun comic showing off the quirks of Belova as she literally makes a list of the small details of her life. We get to see her thoughts laid out in lists and quips like Ladybugs don’t have enough spots. It’s a minor thing in the big picture but it gives personality to the character and delivers some laughs. That concept of trying to find one’s path is perfect for White Widow, a character who has mostly played a secondary role in the Marvel Universe. Gailey’s focus on that, and her lists, emphasizes this is a character who has never quite fit one column herself, being a villain, hero, and something else depending on the situation.

Where the comic stumbles is the big picture villain and that might have to do with the fact it’s a monthly comic and not a graphic novel to be read in one sitting. Of course there’s bad things happening in the small town she has moved to. A mysterious company has been buying up all of the businesses in the town and even has gone so far to send an assassin to try to intimidate the last owner and Yelena to sell out. It’s all a little over the top going from 0 to 60 without any escalation. Wouldn’t you just send some punks or gang to start? Why an augmented assassin? And of course the town Yelena just so happens to move to is having this problem.

The fact Yelena also seems to be struggling to connect the dots when things are so obvious is a little frustrating. The company doing the purchasing is also the same company trying to hire her mercenary/assassin proteges. The connection feels obvious but plays out in an odd way. Yelena immediately going into action to hunt down the company feels much more logical than what happens in the comic. The tactics used by the evil corporation also feels so over the top as presented as well, but once we get a better idea as to their wants, maybe it’ll make a bit more sense.

The art by Alessandro Miracolo is good. With color by Matt Milla and lettering by Travis Lanham, the comic has a nice balance in the visuals. There’s some action, some lighthearted moments, some comedy, and it all works. There’s also some solid layouts and design to introduce readers not just to Yelena but also the town and other characters. What particularly stands out is Yelena’s lists. While not everything is 100% readable, it feels like the comic goes out of its way for you to get a chance to read most of it or enough to guess as to what’s covered up. It’s a nice detail that adds a lot to the comic and delivers some solid humor.

White Widow #1 is an ok start overall. There’s a lot to like and the details deliver a fun read. But, it’s big picture plot feels a bit convoluted and as presented doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. That all could change as the series progresses but if you’re diving in, come for the cool action and decent laughs, just don’t think too much about anything else.

Story: Sarah Gailey Art: Alessandro Miracolo
Color: Matt Milla Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: White Widow #1

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White Widow #1

(W) Sarah Gailey (A) Alessandro Miracolo
(C) Matt Milla (L) Travis Lanham
(CA) David Marquez (VCA) Adam Hughes, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Declan Shalvey, Leirix
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 01, 2023
SRP: $4.99

Yelena Belova returns! Superspy. Rogue agent. Shadow of the Black Widow. Yelena Belova has been many things, but striking out as a hero in her own right is new to her. Now that she’s finally free to choose her own path, who will she become? Sarah Gailey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eat the Rich) joins forces with Alessandro Miracolo (Obi-Wan, Yoda) for a groundbreaking new chapter in the life of one of Marvel’s most enigmatic antiheroes.

White Widow #1

Exclusive Preview: White Widow #1

Posted on by

White Widow #1

(W) Sarah Gailey (A) Alessandro Miracolo
(C) Matt Milla (L) Travis Lanham
(CA) David Marquez (VCA) Adam Hughes, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Declan Shalvey, Leirix
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 01, 2023
SRP: $4.99

Yelena Belova returns! Superspy. Rogue agent. Shadow of the Black Widow. Yelena Belova has been many things, but striking out as a hero in her own right is new to her. Now that she’s finally free to choose her own path, who will she become? Sarah Gailey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eat the Rich) joins forces with Alessandro Miracolo (Obi-Wan, Yoda) for a groundbreaking new chapter in the life of one of Marvel’s most enigmatic antiheroes.

White Widow #1

G.O.D.S. #1 doesn’t match the build up

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G.O.D.S. #1

The infinite détente between The-Natural-Order-Of-Things and The-Powers-That-Be nears an end. Old acquaintances are reunited during a Babylon Event. The Lion of Wolves throws the worst parties. Don’t look under the table. There’s a John Wilkes Booth penny on the ground. G.O.D.S. #1 has had months of hype and build and the debut issue doesn’t live up to any of that.

When it comes to the various gods of the Marvel Universe, the execution has been weirdly muddled and at times contradictory. Depicted as forces, depicted as beings who make decisions, depicted as something grander than comprehension, depicted as a being you can touch, it’s been all over. Now, they have servants who walk among us and do… something, it’s not quite clear.

G.O.D.S. #1 kicks off the newest high concept Marvel comic from writer Jonathan Hickman and the end result is just a bunch of new characters who are cool but don’t deliver a ton. At the center of things is Wyn, a character who has the charm of Constantine and powers of… Constantine and Doctor Strange? While a possible nice addition to the Marvel Universe, the character is one that’s rather familiar… a fun familiarity. He has the charm, he has the cool, he saves the day, but we’re just presented a character who’s surface not substance beyond his relationship with Aiko Maki, his sort of wife, and Dimitri his apprentice/servant. In the trio we get a rehash of drama and back and forth that’s a bit Strange/Clea/Wong. It’s just in this case they all serve some higher powers. We’re not exactly sure the who, why, what, and more which leaves the comic to rely on the action(s) to hook the readers. And, while it’s all fine, it just delivers a comic that’s more style than substance. Like some of Hickman’s recent releases, the end result is a debut that has some good ideas but doesn’t deliver enough to really hook you or feel satisfying.

The art by Valerio Schiti is what stands out. With Marte Gracia on color and lettering by Travis Lanham, the comic looks great delivering action and designs that are fantastic. There’s absolutely an otherworldly vibe about it all in the characters and locations, making the comic feel a bit grander than some of the other mystical Marvel comics. The comic’s visuals does a solid job of “sexy and cool” and grand action with a slight horror tinge. An action packed sequence is preceded and followed by a quiet one featuring Wyn and Aiko discussing their relationship that feels like it’s Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight.

At $9.99 for the first issue, G.O.D.S. #1 is a “pass.” If it had a cover price of half that, it’d be a “read.” But, as is, the comic feels like a one-shot that has little connection to the Marvel Universe and impact featuring a trio that’s are a clone of Doctor Strange’s world. For a series that was built like it’d shake things up, it just introduces a bunch of new characters who deliver Hickman’s charm and cool concepts but there’s not much else beyond flashy art. It’s the blockbuster that is all style and little else.

Story: Jonathan Hickman Art: Valerio Schiti
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.4 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Pass

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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

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Uncanny Avengers #2

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

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

Uncanny Avengers #1 Delivers Fascist Killing Violence

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Uncanny Avengers #1

When faced with fascism what’s the appropriate response? How far should we go in self-defense against those who would see us dead? Uncanny Avengers has an answer for that vital question, in response to fascists you use any means necessary. Uncanny Avengers delivers buckets of fascist blood and a compelling mystery to boot.  

After the devastating events of this year’s Hellfire Gala, the anti-Mutant organization Orchis has won. Mutants are scattered across the globe and beyond. Krakoa has fallen and the remaining Mutants are being deported to the Mutant world of Arakko, itself in the midst of a Civil War in part orchestrated by Orchis. In response to all this Captain America once again assembles a new Avengers Unity Squad to fight back against Orchis. The team is heavily stacked with Mutants like Rogue, Psylocke, and Monet while also comprising the X adjacent characters of Quicksilver and Deadpool, and of course Captain America himself. It’s a fitting ensemble full of heroes who don’t pull their punches in the fight against fascism. Opposing the Unity Squad is the New Mutant Liberation Front, a false flag operation by Orchis to turn public sentiment against Mutants. The new MLF is led by a mysterious figure who has dawned the Captain Krakoa armor once worn by Cyclops earlier during Duggan’s run of X-Men. He’s joined by the bloodthirsty Wildside, A duped Blob, and the Nazi incest siblings themselves, the Fenris twins. The mystery of the identity of the new Captain Krakoa has been much talked about in the leadup to this book, while this issue doesn’t answer that alluring question it does very much play into the reader’s curiosity of who’s behind the mask.

The highlight of Uncanny Avengers #1 for me is certainly when our heroes unleash bloody violence on Orchis soldiers, it’s gory and glorious. Now one might worry that the moral paragon of Captain America might have a liberal tendency to be opposed to killing fascists. You’d be wrong, Captain America is arguably comics’ most famous anti-fascist, from the cover of his first appearance he’s been punching nazis. So it’s refreshing and true to the character to see him hold no grudges against his teammates for slicing and dicing. 

Gerry Duggan’s writing is slick and compulsively readable. Duggan is putting in a lot of work for the Fall Of X event doing Uncanny Avengers, Invincible Iron Man, X-Men, and of course, he kicked the event off with this year’s Hellfire Gala. One of the subjects Duggan has been tackling through his various works is fascism through the lens of Orchis. I was dubious at first if Orchis meant the criteria for an academic definition of Fascism but as Professor Steven Attewell recently pointed out on his blog Orchis fits within the framework and rhetoric of recent neo nazi talking points like for example the great replacement conspiracy theory. Duggan demonstrates this very fact in the rhetoric of the villains with phrases like “America has gone downhill” and the fake Captain Krakoa’s praise for nazis of old. Orchis’s fascist tendencies have never been more explicit than in Uncanny Avengers.

The art by Javier Garron, colored by Morry Hollowell is action-packed and fabulous. There’s some action here that took my breath away. The colors are bright and heavy and the page layouts smart and dynamic. If I had one complaint it would be the fact that Garron tends to draw everyone very young. It’s a little bit jarring when older characters like the Blob or reporter Ben Urich look like fresh-faced twenty-somethings. Overall though the art more than delivers great action and stunning visuals.

Uncanny Avengers #1 is a great first issue to the limited series. It has action, mystery, and oh so many dead fascists, what more could you want? 

Story: Gerry Duggan Art: Javier Garron
Color: Morry Hollowell Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Alpha Flight #1 delivers a predictable but entertaining start

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Alpha Flight #1

Alpha Flight has a new mission, saving Canada from the mutant menace!? Guardian, Puck, Snowbird, and Shaman return as Canada’s superhero team but now they’re doing to bidding of the government to abuse and detain mutants. That puts them at odds with Aurora, Northstar, Nemesis, and Fang, who are on their own mission t protect them. The Fall of X fallout continues with a focus to the north in Alpha Flight #1.

Written by Ed Brisson, Alpha Flight #1 is an entertaining comic. Unfortunately, it’s also rather predictable so far. Fall of X has delivered a new status quo and the anti-mutant hysteria has reached Canada. They’re bending over backwards to discriminate and abuse mutants, and Alpha Flight is one of the ways they’re going to do it. The concept of the a team split like this is something that drew me to the comic. The fact I loved reading Alpha Flight back in the day helped too. And Alpha Flight #1 reminds me of those older comics in a way. The team is very much in the “following orders” mindset which is something we’ve seen before but you can also tell there’s something more going on as well. Again, something we’ve seen before. The comic delivers a story that’s a bit retro in a way like that.

Scott Godlewski handles the art with Matt Milla on color and lettering by Travis Lanham. It’s all pretty solid. The characters look good. The action is solid. There’s also a weird dread about it all, even though everything also feels very clean and spot free. There are really solid moments visually though none so far I’d call epic. Again, it reminds me of Alpha Flight comics of the past in that way as well. It’s all good to look at.

Alpha Flight #1 is a good start. I’m not sure if it’s a series to read with each issue or collected based off the first issue, hence my “read.” I think the first issue is a bit too predictable in that way so if there’s more twists and turns to come, then that’d change things in the long run, but, it’s a fun and entertaining read and solid addition to Fall of X.

Story: Ed Brisson Art: Scott Godlewski
Color: Matt Milla Letterer: Travis Lanham Design: Tom Muller, Jay Bowen
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 is a thrilling debut

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Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1

As an avid comic reader, I enjoyed the comics from my preteen years. This was before all the bigwigs at Image left their jobs at DC and Marvel to form the company which has shown that is more than force in the comics industry. That era gave us some of the best books. I remembered getting into X-Men, not because of Chris Claremont, whom I discovered later, but because of Jim Lee’s art.

It was during that time when I found out why Wolverine was everyone’s favorite character. The animated show that came out only affirmed the reason why. Then came Hugh Jackman’s portrayal, which made him iconic. In the debut issue of Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance, Wolverine teams up with Ghost Rider to hunt a mutant serial killer, one which ties these two.

WE fine Johnny looking for Wolverine in the darkest of places, which makes him wonder why after all this time? We go back in time to a  flashback, where Wolverine and Professor Xavier meet a prospective student, but what Xavier sees is too disturbing for him to admit the boy.  AS his suspicion was right, as he was something more monstrous, as he kills the other children at his orphanage and he comes back to Xavier’s School aiming to take them out as well.  By issue’s end, he would escape  but Wolverine in pursuit would run into  Ghost Rider, leading to their 1st meeting and the reason for the meeting in present day, to put this monster down, once and for all.

Overall, Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 is a thrilling debut that sees our favorite antagonists get some payback. The story by Percy is amazing. The art by the creative team is astounding. Altogether, it’s a story that fans of these two characters will absolutely love.

Story: Ben Percy Art: Geoff Shaw
Color: Rain Beredo Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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