My Top 10 Comics for September 2016

Of the first issues I read: The Young Animal line made its debut with the hit and miss Doom Patrol. Image had the rock solid sci-fi noir, Hadrian’s Wall and Archie launches the all new Josie and the Pussycats.

I didn’t spread the wealth as much in Sept as Image dominated my Top 10, despite a few gems taking the month off. Marvel chipped in 3, while DC was shut out (though they are represented in the honorable mentions)

10. The Wicked + The Divine 1831 AD (Image)

Written by Kieron Gillen

Art and Colors by Stephanie Hans

Gillen riffs on the romantics as Mary Shelly and other literary analogues share stories and raise the dead. Oh, and a shout out to letterer Clayton Cowles who added much to the look and mood of the piece.

9. Invisible Republic #11 (Image)

Written by Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Bechko

Art by Gabriel Hardman * Colors by Jordan Boyd

So the biography nobody wanted published is published, and Babb is on a book tour. Later he (and we) learn some terrible news. While I still can’t make sense of certain plot points and character motivations (even after 11 issues) it’s such a richly told tale that I gladly go with it.

8. Seven to Eternity #1 (Image)

Written by Rick Remender

Art by Jerome Opeña * Colors by Matt Hollingsworth

This supernatural fantasy stuff isn’t really my bag, but by God that art, that freaking, mind-blowing art… I was completely lost in this world: the details, the exquisite line work and lighting technique, which is accentuated by some gorgeous coloring. Even Opeña’s sketches in the backmatter are breathtaking - hell this could have been a picture book, sans dialogue, and it would have made the top 10.

7. Revival #42 (Image)

Written by Tim Seeley

Art by Mike Norton * Colors by Mark Englert

Man, things have turned grim, as this small rural town has become hell on Earth. More slivers of truth are revealed, and Cale makes a desperate play to save her family as the series inches towards it finale.

6. House of Penance #6 (Dark Horse)

Written by Peter J. Tomasi

Art by Ian Burtram * Colors by Dave Stewart

Wraps everything up nice and, well, not so neat. The finale was bittersweet, haunting - and while Sarah’s prediction proved not to be true, she at least made her corner of the world, the people she touched, a little better.

5. Spider-Gwen #12 (Marvel)

Written by Jason Latour

Art by Robbi Rodriguez * Colors by Rico Renzi

Flat out superb writing on this series of late - it succeeds as both a character study and morality play. While Frank Castle has become pathetic and loathsome (a classic monomaniacal figure) honor takes center stage when a father stands up to protect his daughter. And Gwen, well she makes a deal with the devil. Bad move (even if she has a secret plan, so far her plans have all ended in failure). They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. I only hope Gwen’s ethics live to see that dawn.

4. Karnak #5 (Marvel)

Written by Warren Ellis

Art by Roland Boschi * Colors by Dan Brown

With this ish we get a psychological and philosophical standoff that cuts Karnak to the core of his being.

3. Kill or be Killed #2 (Image) 

Written by Ed Brubaker

Art by Sean Phillips  * Colors by Elizabeth Breitwesier.

The internal dialogue is beautifully scripted, I like the way Brubaker is developing character and story. Art is perfection.

2. The Vision #11 (Marvel) 

Written by Tom King

Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta * Colors by Jordie Bellaire

Another piece of the psychological, existential puzzle: we learn that what Vision wants is to be like everyone else. It’s everything he’s strived for since his birth. The scenes with Virginia are frightening and terrible, and we discover that she’s suffering from a split personality.

1. Black Monday Murders #2 (Image)

Written by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Tomm Coker * Colors by Michael Garland

You gotta love a comic that gives a credit to Satan on the cover. Top drawer detective story that thematically rests on the axiom that “money is the root of all evil.” I don’t know what else to add, other than, “Wow, that was good.” And, “Ouch, my brain hurts from overwork!” What a fascinating, perspicacious puzzler. 

Honorable Mention:  Harrow County #16, New Super-Man #3, Hellblazer #2, Spider-Woman #11, All-New Wolverine #12, Kingsway West #2

Writer of the Month: 

Jonathan Hickman (Black Monday Murders)

Artists of the Month: 

Jerome Opeña & Matt Hollingsworth (Seven to Eternity)

With a nod to Albuquerque on Batgirl and Walta on the Vision

To Oct 2016

Back to Aug 2016

My Top 12 Comics for August 2016

I read a couple of promising debuts this month: Animosity (Aftershock), Kingsway West (Dark Horse), and Image published new books from Hickman and Brubaker.

The Suicide Squad movie was released, I’ve not been overly thrilled with comic flicks this year (no, not even Deadpool), so wouldn’t you know it, the worst of the bunch was the one I was most entertained by. If that doesn’t make a lick of sense, you can see my reasons why here... Letterboxd (funny, I forgot to mention Flag in that write-up, but then I always forget Flag. Even in the pages of a comic he rarely interested me)

Continuing with DC: Rebirth is selling well and seems to have made fans happy. But I’ve found most of the stories lacking, and only a handful of titles remain in my pulls list.

Marvel continues to shine in spots. Even if I’m not digging the event tie-ins, I still have ace titles to look forward to each month, like Gwenpool, Black Widow, Moon Girl and Ant-Man. Plus, the new Amazing Spider-Man arc started off with a bang.

12. Lazarus #24 (Image)

Written by Greg Rucka

Art by Michael Lark * Colors by Santi Arcas

The Cull continues as another family bites the dust and Forever gets closer to discovering the truth of her existence. Good tale, if a bit repetitive as it goes through the same motions of the previous issue.

11. Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (DC)

Written by Scott Lobdell

Art by Dexter Soy * Colors by Veronica Gandini

Hate on Lobdell all you want, but there’s no denying he writes a damn good Hood! (Ok, you can deny that, but I’ll argue tooth and nail). Scott’s taking his time on this one: of Jason’s team-mates, only Artemis has shown up (and that was at the tail end of the issue), but both this and the Rebirth issue have set up an intensely interesting, street level undercover story, with Black Mask the primary foe (oh, I do so hope Kitty makes a guest appearance soon)

10. Tomboy #7 (Action Lab)
Written by Mia Goodwin
Art and Colors by Michelle Wong 
We see some significant changes in the aftermath of last month's masterpiece: Gramps shows he's more than a little psycho, and Addison's spirit guides... well, I wont spoil that. I still can't figure out the angel of death thing and what that's all about, but she's taken notice of Addison's actions and is on the move. Intriguing tale, good character piece. This series has really heated up of late.

9. The Wicked + The Divine #22 (Image)

Written by Kieron Gillen

Art by Jamie McKelvie * Colors by Matthew Wilson

An explosive end to the arc… literally! This series has always kept readers off balance, changing the game and the players at the snap of a finger, and this issue was no different. Who knows where we are going from here, but there’s the suggestion that something wicked this way comes.

8. Spider-Gwen  #11 (Marvel)

Written by Jason Latour

Art by Robbi Rodriguez * Colors by Lauren Affe

Odd to see someone other than Rico color Robbi’s art; Affe’s not as neon psychedelic, but it’s not bad and the story was amaze-balls. Gwen is coming through her dark night of the soul with a little help from Reed Richards. This superb character study sets the table nicely for her confrontation with Frank Castle (who I’ve come to hate. He’s the perfect foil for her: She, the superhero who is seen by many as the baddie. He, the cop hero who has lost his mind to obsession and become the villain)

7. Hellblazer #1 (DC)

Written by Simon Oliver

Art by Moritat * Colors by Andre Szymanowicz

Many laughs in this one, John and Swampy are great together. There were several British references that I had to look up (which is a good thing). Mercury’s harangue we've heard a thousand times over, but mostly I liked the issue, liked the way the twin stories were set-up.

6. House of Penance #5 (Dark Horse)

Written by Peter J. Tomasi

Art by Ian Burtram * Colors by Dave Stewart

An anti-gun message and the consequences of colonization are all present in this twisted, Lovecraftian nightmare. At first I thought Sarah Winchester was simply haunted and mad... but it appears the horrors of her mind have manifested themselves and entered the world of the real. Peter J. Tomasi has never written anything finer.

5. Black Monday Murders #1 (Image)

Written by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Tomm Coker * Colors by Michael Garland

I don’t know when I’ve ever been more bewildered, while still being impressed by a comic. The subject of Wall-Street and finance has seldom interested me, but detectives and weirdness do. And while it’s a long, difficult read, it’s a rewarding one if you can focus and stick with it.

4. The Vision #10 (Marvel)

Written by Tom King

Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta * Colors by Jordie Bellaire

Virginia playing a piano that can’t play is chilling, Vision tossing an empty oil can into the garbage is telling, and praying for a dead relative has rarely come off so heartbreaking and yet, so pointless, because it’s an impression of flesh and blood. This is not who you are, it’s what your pretending to be. Its existential displacement at its bleakest -- However, at the end, it looks like Vision isn’t ‘pretending’ any more.

3. Trees #14 (Image)

Written by Warren Ellis

Art and Colors by Jason Howard

The series makes its return and with it comes several characters not seen since the first arc. The comic is as smart and sinister as ever, but I don’t know whose more frightening, the trees or the bureaucrats.

2. Kill or be Killed #1 (Image)

Written by Ed Brubaker

Art by Sean Phillips  * Colors by Elizabeth Breitwesier

It’s Bru, Phillips and Breitwiser, so of course it’s exceptional. It also took an unexpected turn midway through. If Fatale was Lovecraft blended with Pulp Noir, then KobK –at first blush- is Death Wish filtered through Stephen King.

1. East of West #29 (Image)

Written by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Nick Dragotta * Colors by Frank Martin

A father and son reunion! We waited years for this and it does not disappoint.  Dragotta draws some heart stopping pages and I like how it ends with a callback to the first issue.

Honorable Mentions: Miss Fury #5, Green Arrow #4, Future Quest #4, Unbelievable Gwenpool #5, Black Widow #6, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #10, The Astonishing Ant-Man #11, All-New Wolverine Annual #1 (with guest star Spider-Gwen)

Writer of the Month:

Jonathan Hickman had a huge month, with an important issue of East of West and the debut of the Black Monday Murders

Artist of the Month:

 Gabriel Hernandez Walta & Jordie Bellaire (Vision) 

brought so much soul to the story and these characters

To Sept 2016

Back to July 2016