Death of X concluded on a strong note.
Snyder & Lemire’s anticipated comic/prose series, A.D. After Death came to life.
Young Animal introduced the last of its 4 books with Mother Panic. The thing I admire about the line is how it did things right. It had a vision -a commitment to the fringe- and it hired the right people to bring that vision to light. Each title has the right artist and writer, the right colorist and letterer… every piece fits seamlessly. Take Marley Zarcone on Shade: she’s like the second coming of Steve Ditko (the creator of Shade). She draws in that same angular, awkward, surreal manner… and it suits the series to a T
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Dexter Soy * Colors by Veronica Gandini
Spider-Gwen #14 seemed a Top 10 shoo-in, what with its incisive character study that saw Gwen interact with her father, then slimy Murdock and finally kindly May Parker. But a sappy, sloppily drawn backup story murdered her shot at a perfect score, and allowed Red Hood to take the spot instead. RHATO is the one Rebirth title I still read that has maintained its high standards. Arrow and Hellblazer are slipping, and despite the stellar art, Batgirl is undone by blah plotting and cornball moralizing (Wonder Woman and Batman never impressed me much). But Hood is surprisingly good. Not guilty pleasure good, but GOOD good: From the character work to the ever building drama, and tense moments that leave me pining for more, I’m digging every page of it. In this issue the ‘dark trinity’ bonds. And Black Mask shows his hand, which leads to a great cliffhanger.
Written by Jody Houser
Art and colors by Tommy Lee Edwards
And Y.A. is 4 for 4 with this winning début! Mother Panic (great name BTW) takes a look at an unexplored corner of Gotham’s dark streets. The snarky protagonist isn’t likeable but she is interesting. The issue has mystery and a baddie with a nasty artistic talent.
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Phil Hester * Colors by Mark Englert
The protagonist is named Shipwright - but nothing is right in this twisted world of gruesome death rituals, a murder of crows, plucked eyeballs and cryptic remarks. The surreal series is thematically centered on people who seek escape, and the saboteurs who would foil that desire.
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Mike Norton * Colors by Mark Englert
More pieces of the puzzle drop into place, more shocks at the end, more set-ups on the coming clash at the grand finale.
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Carla Speed McNeil * Colors by Jenn Manley Lee
The conclusion of the 2-part story reveals the surprising secret of Emmy and the Abandoned. This gripping tale might be the series finest issue to date.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Gaydos * Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
What a beautifully fleshed out character. Jones has a fully realized and lived in life that rings true page to page. I like the mystery here, I like the human qualities even more, I like how Jessica is the ultimate outsider. “Perfect Carol” she mutters upon seeing Captain Marvel fly by. Jess isn’t perfect, she isn’t polished or pretty or nice, she’s just a regular messed up person who just happens to have powers (that she still hasn’t mastered). The one time we do see her perfect, pretty and nice is when she’s with her daughter - ‘Ah, how sweet’, but ‘ah how sad’ if she screws up and loses it all.
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Art by Veronica Fish * Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
What? NO NO NO NO that can’t have just happened! NOOOO!! Forgive my outburst, but this comic was built on establishing a strong emotional bond between the characters and the reader. Even when it gets sappy, or too precious (as it does when Jess visits Moon’s Hollow and everything (‘cept for Roger’s ex) is all so peachy keen) you go with it because you care. And because you care the ending to this issue hurts. Hurts like a son of a bitch!
Written by Gerard Way
Art by Nick Derington * Colors by Tamra Bonvilain
This entertaining book gets better each month - with this issue providing some fun homage’s, as well as a brief look at the teams history (with a couple of new wrinkles thrown in for good measure.) There’s added clarity on the plot and Casey’s origins are revealed. The art is a huge plus, beyond Derington’s talent as a storyteller - the shading in Bonvilain’s colors and Todd Klein’s smooth lettering are big reasons why this comic works as well as it does.
Written by Cecil Castellucci
Art by Marley Zarcone * Colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick
I’m keen on the language in this comic, the way Loma describes this strange new body and this strange new world. I adore the literary references (in word and picture) and laughed when she quotes Dorothy Parker’s doorbell greeting upon seeing the School for the first time. I like the way the protagonist struggles to navigate through this unfamiliar life with all its history -- The investigation on Meta is of less interest, but with my eyes worshiping at the altar of the psychedelic freak out in the art and colors, that becomes a minor concern. “Madness is toxic even in small doses” whispers one character, a good thematic mission statement for the series. Madness is also addictive, especially in comic book form.
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Tomm Coker * Colors by Michael Garland
Damn brilliant, labyrinthine storytelling that guides us through Grigoria’s history... how she fell and what has spurred her to action.
Honorable Mentions
James Bond #11, James Bond Hammerhead #2, The Clone Conspiracy #2, Moonshine #2, Hadrian’s Wall #3, Spider-Gwen #14, Monstress #8
Writer of the Month
Jonathan Hickman (Black Monday Murders)
Artists of the Month
Marley Zarcone and Kelly Fitzpatrick (Shade: The Changing Girl)
I wrote of Zarcone’s Ditko-esque style above, but I also like her design sense. The circle of girls in the swimming scene, the repeated patterns on their suits is a good example of this (I frequently leaned on circles in my own art and design work in College and beyond, so my eye is drawn to that). And Fitzpatrick has never been better. In the past I’ve felt she was a bit flat and mundane as a colorist. But here her work is a kaleidoscope of trippy color, and rainbow gradations.
Head Writer, wide awake nightmare... bids you salutations citizens of Earth!
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