Master Of Kung-Fu #18 - Marvel Comics

MASTER OF KUNG FU No. 18, June 1974

Brilliantly bookended by two bouts of compelling close combat between the titular character and a highly-skilled Dacoit, Steve Englehart’s narrative for Issue Eighteen of “Master Of Kung Fu” certainly manages to suggest the international scale of Fu Manchu’s criminal organisation. Indeed, whether it simply be the vengeful interest of a former British Police Commissioner for Burma and his prejudicial agent, or the staggering scope of Shang-Chi’s malevolent father to brainwash “all of America” within the space of three months, the Indianapolis-born writer is not shy in showing the sheer scope of this ongoing series’ felonious machinations.

Likewise, the Inkpot Award-winner doesn’t fall into the tempting trap of simply depicting this comic’s lead protagonist as some sort of superhuman fighting machine, who boldly enters his pater’s hidden headquarters in New York, and readily defeats the numerous minions teeming inside. Instead, this book portrays a thoughtful warrior, who realises “the foolishness of [a] frontal assault” against his parent’s “Empire of Evil”, and instead tries to predominantly remain out of sight of his enemies, striking only when he must.

This thoughtful approach to his mission really helps sell Shang-Chi as both a highly-skilled, yet all-too mortal martial artist, who whilst capable of great feats of stealth, such as secreting himself aboard a cargo plane to Florida, is also vulnerable to a well-prepared ambush or fume-filled trap. Such susceptibilities really help sell the sense of suspense needed to make the warrior’s tense investigation into Fu Manchu’s murderous manoeuvrings all the more exciting, and it’s a credit to the America author’s penmanship that the Crime Lord’s latest scheme is actually thwarted by the actions of a disillusioned subordinate, rather than the Master of Kung Fu himself; “The man killed himself, because death was preferable to life for him! And my father made his life so unbearable!”

Just as captivating as this eighteen-page periodical’s plot are the layouts by Paul Gulacy and inker, Al Milgrom. The aforementioned punch-ups between Shang-Chi and the “adherent of Burmese strangler cult” are tremendously well-drawn, especially once Fu Manchu’s cold-blooded assassin has received four drops of a deadly chemical which bestows upon him “super-human speed”. But in addition, the creative collaboration are able to show off their truly imaginative side by creating a sensational splash page showing the hallucinogenic effects of the plant, Mimosa, upon the mind.

Author: Steve Englehart, Artist: Paul Gulacy, and Inking: Al Milgrom

Future State: Harley Quinn #2 - DC Comics

FUTURE STATE: HARLEY QUINN No. 2, April 2021

Fascinatingly focusing far more upon the titular character’s ability to outthink her opponents, rather than simply batter her way out of a problem with her infamous baseball bat, Stephanie Phillips’ plot for this particular twenty-two page periodical probably pleased the majority of its audience when it initially hit the spinner-racks in February 2021, and arguably deserved its spot as the month’s thirty-eighth best-selling comic. In fact, the American author presents such an intriguingly different insight into just how this 'psychiatrist from the Multiverse' operates that it comes as no surprise “DC Comics” consequently gave her the reins of “the ongoing Harley Quinn series” a short time later.

For starters, the anti-hero manages to play a masterful game of wits with the Scarecrow and Roman Sionis. Both of these terrifying criminal masterminds are absolutely nobody’s fool, yet Harleen Quinzel appears able to quite beautifully play them off against one another so as to ensure that the Black Mask’s murderous machinations throughout Gotham City are brought to a swift end. Moreover, the Cupid of Crime also enacts a little revenge of her own upon Jonathan Crane by persuading the supposedly reformed government official to once again don his fearful mask, and then subsequently steal the phobia-inducing device to ensure her escape from the Professor’s custody; “Harley… Did she? She… She did this… All of this… Harley Quinn has ruined me.”

Of course, that isn’t to say that Phillips’ incarnation of the Joker’s former-squeeze simply relies upon psychological one-upmanship to get her way, as agreeably Issue Two of “Future State: Harley Quinn” still contains plenty of brutal head-bashing and smart-mouthed action once the chemically-coloured woman finally decides to get physical with her wooden bat. In addition, this publication’s macabre death of Senator Hanssen in a lavish, skyline restaurant will probably give anyone slightly squeamish nightmares for at least a fortnight.

Helping push this comic’s creativity up an extra notch or two, is undoubtedly the almost animation-like art-style of its illustrations by Simone Di Meo and Toni Infante, which definitely imbues some of Quinn’s most earnest blows with some additional bone-crunching heaviness. However, occasionally this pencilling panache debatably gets in the way of the actual storytelling, and can cause moments of confusion, such as when Sionis is suddenly shown in a couple of panels as a blonde-haired man in dark clothing during the Scarecrow’s initial assault upon the sadistic super-villain’s senses.

The regular cover art of "FUTURE STATE: HARLEY QUINN #2 by Derrick Chew

Lady Freedom #2 - Second Sight Publishing

LADY FREEDOM No. 2, June 2021

Introducing a ton more “super beings from the Freedomverse” Art Bellfield’s narrative for Issue Two of “Lady Freedom” could certainly have baffled and bewildered some within this comic’s audience with its flurry of new faces, names and surplus of special abilities. But whilst the odd passage within this twenty-seven page periodical might require a second read, such as when Dread Devil suddenly transforms into his impish green costume so as to tackle a robot training simulation, the vast majority of this publication romps along just fine with its highly entertaining mixture of pulse-pounding pugilism, interdepartmental politics and time-travelling trickeries.

In fact, straight from its action-packed opening depicting Scarlett sparring off against Ultra Lass, this book barely allows any bibliophile a moment to pause for breath, and arguably even quickens its intense pace once the ever-arrogant Black Valkyrie has abducted Camille Arboghast during the villain’s sense-shattering escape from Tesla Prison; “Now, let’s have a chit chat between us girls an’ discuss those parents of yours and why out of thousands of failed attempts at replicating my powers your DNA seemed perfect for it. An’ then we can discuss how I am going to kill you for that very reason!” 

Equally as enthralling as all this publication’s plentiful punch-ups has to be the intriguing notion of “a nexus to all realities”, and that certain characters are actually able to teleport between the past, present and future. This captivating concept eventually leads to “the mysterious liaison between Lady Freedom and The Government of the United States” essentially becoming a younger version of “the ultimate Nazi weapon against America”, as well as shockingly cause the often referenced Tomorrow Man to finally materialise within the storyline’s modern-day timeline as nothing more than a seemingly powerless, gurgling baby boy.

Imbuing this comic with even more ‘bang for its buck’ are the clean-looking layouts of creator Larry ‘Spike’ Jarrell, which really help add some extra bone-breaking crunch to every blow, kick, throw and explosion. The artist’s somewhat short sequence illustrating the Headliners working together in order to rid Black Valkyrie of her prized possession from the past is particularly impressive, and quickly establishes that despite the occasional squabble, the team’s myriad of members can still operate together as a truly impressive, well-oiled machine.

Creator/Penciler/Writer/Plot: Larry Spike Jarrell, Script: Arthur Bellfield, and Finishes: Bill Marimo

Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS No. 1, August 2021

Those fans blissfully unaware that Issue One of "Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters" was actually preceded by “a canon one-shot”, were probably quite a bit perturbed by his comic’s succinctly short opening crawl detailing that Boba Fett had somehow lost the carbonite-contained body of Han Solo following the events seen in Irvin Kershner's 1980 science fiction film "The Empire Strikes Back". Sure, the sudden loss of the male mercenary’s "greatest prize of all” certainly promises to have the mini-series depict a lot of exhilarating gun-play and violence in “a galaxy far, far away.” But it also begs the question as to just why Jabba’s most favoured enforcer would even dare risk the Hutt’s infamous wrath by not flying straight back from Cloud City to the gangster’s palace on Tatooine..?

Fortunately, such ignorance doesn’t impact too much upon Charles Soule’s narrative for “Most Wanted”, courtesy of the Milwaukee-born writer quickly gathering up any unconvinced readers with his penmanship’s pulse-pounding pace. Indeed, just as soon as a positively peeved Fett arrives at Nar Shaddaa and begins offloading his problems to the corpulent bar-tender, Jango’s son is shown blasting away both inexperienced hot-heads and Gand findsmen within the space of just a few panels; “Thought you could predict the future, Zuckuss. Should’ve seen that coming.”

These intense fire-fights simply don’t stop either, at least until the thirty-page periodical’s concluding revelation as to just who was personally behind the Corellian smuggler’s theft, due to the American author continuing to portray Boba at his most murderously impatient - even when confronted with the combined forces of Bib Fortuna and a plethora of the majordomo’s most deadly assassins. These enthralling skirmishes genuinely help the book’s plot bound along at a corking rate, and also quickly establish the formidable reputation that the Mandalorian clone has throughout the universe as a stone cold killer who only those as “tough as hell, or too stupid to know” better would rip off.

Helping such scintillating storytelling is Luke Ross, whose proficient ability to illustrate this title’s central character in his prime makes every picture involving the bounty hunter well worth an additional look or two. The Brazilian artist also does a particularly fine job of pencilling the overly-confident Zuckuss and his constant companion, 4-LOM, and as a result it’s arguably something of a shame that the skilled insectoid tracker doesn’t last longer against the devastating firepower of Slave 1’s ion cannons.

The regular cover art for "STAR WARS: WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS" #1 by Steve McNiven & Frank D'Armata

Battlestar Galactica #1 - Marvel Comics

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA No. 1, March 1979

Based upon “the first episode of the television series”, Roger McKenzie’s script for this comic book adaption’s opening instalment somewhat wisely limits itself to simply focusing upon the destruction of both Humanity’s formidably-sized Colonial Fleet and its defenceless home planets by the merciless Cylons, rather than trying to stretch itself too thin by concerning itself with either the crossing of the Nova of Madagon, or the Ovion’s subsequent carnivorous machinations on Carillon. Indeed, despite the “monthly” arguably suffering with a tremendously text-heavy final few panels, Issue One of “Battlestar Galactica” ends on a natural high-point as Commander Adama initiates a mass exodus of his race in search of a mysterious "planet called Earth!” 

Furthermore, whether because of some last minute changes to Glen Larson’s storyline or not, the American author even goes so far as to deprive this eighteen-page periodical’s audience of Zac’s dialogue-driven opening exchange with Lieutenant Starbuck on board the Galactica, and instead immediately throws the inexperienced pilot straight into his fatal patrol with the youngster’s older brother, Captain Apollo. Such a decision really helps transport the reader straight into the cataclysmic action by demonstrating, within the space of just a handful of sketches, that this publication’s hapless peace envoy is clearly facing a ton of pain by pitting just two military-class space superiority fighters against “thousands” of Cylon warships, and enough combined firepower to annihilate all but one of Mankind’s capital ships.

Similarly as enthralling is the writer’s ability to demonstrate the extremity of Count Baltar’s treachery and just how close the former Colonial military officer comes to bringing the Thousand Yahren War to a calamitous conclusion. Admittedly, a lot of the mass carnage is actually explained through word balloons and text bubbles as opposed to graphic depictions of the slaughter, yet it still helps to ‘sell’ Adama’s eventual decision to bravely mass evacuate his people from the Twelve Colonies following their devastating destruction at the hands of the robots; “If we stay in this star system, the alliance will eventually hunt us down and destroy us!”

Disappointingly however, this comic is debatably badly let down by some decidedly uninspiring pencilling by Ernie Colon, which whilst prodigious when it comes to depicting the narrative’s impressive-looking spaceships, seems to somewhat lack much in the way of detailed dynamism for its quite considerable cast of characters. Indeed, the “stateside Puerto Rican” artist rarely seems to provide many of his drawings with any sort of background whatsoever, and when he does, they disconcertingly consist of simple, rudimentary line-art.

Script: Roger McKenzie, Art: Ernie Colon, and Coloring: George Roussos

Lytton #4 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 4, June 2021

Tenaciously trying to tie-up all the different plot threads which this title has previously created during the lead protagonist’s utterly mind-blowing hunt “for the Positron”, Eric Saward’s screenplay for Issue Four of “Lytton” must surely have kept its readers holding on to the comic for dear life with the sense-shattering speed of its numerous action sequences. Sure, so frantic a pulse-pounding pace arguably leads to the odd scene needing to be re-read so as to ensure all of its nuances are properly understood, but the former “Doctor Who” script editor crams so much into this single twenty-eight page periodical that such an undertaking to comprehend the breadth of the screenwriter’s storyline was probably always going to prove a necessity anyway; “I’m not used to working this amount of overtime on a week night, Mister Lytton.”  

For starters, the revelation that Mister Longbody is actually a Terileptil planning to take over a London warehouse packed full of extra-terrestrial weaponry in order to use its explosive stockpile to destroy the capital city, must certainly have caught many a bibliophile by surprise. Coupled with the aggressive alien’s determination to have the “rogue prototype” E.V.E. similarly annihilated, and much of the intergalactic freelance soldier’s extreme efforts earlier in this mini-series to both placate the reptilian humanoid’s mounting anger, as well as cover-up its bloody murder spree, finally starts to make much more sense.

In addition, the exhilarating adventures of Wilson and the mysterious Artemis positively demand a willing suspension of disbelief from this book’s audience, due to just how well Saward pens them. The pair do a first-rate job of overcoming some of the Terileptil’s infamously formidable androids with little more than brute force, and then continue to impress as ‘kick-ass’ companions when they individually tackle a truly massive Vindanty Snare Beast and recalibrate the complex inner workings of a Positron’s backup coolant unit respectively.

Equally as enthralling though are Barry Renshaw’s colourful pencils, which contain all manner of nods to numerous other science fiction/Spy-Fi franchises such as Logan’s Run and Jason King. The “Lucasfilm Officially Approved Star Wars Sketch Artist” does a particularly fine job depicting Lytton’s swashbuckling swordfight with Longbody, and momentarily manages to make it look as if the deadly contest may well actually portray the final moments of the mercenary from the satellite Riften 5.

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #4 by Barry Renshaw

Batman '89 #1 - DC Comics

BATMAN '89 No. 1, October 2021

Supposedly promising long-time comic book fans the opportunity to “step back into the Gotham of Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies”, Sam Hamm’s script for Issue One of “Batman ‘89” probably disappointed many within the six-part limited series’ opening audience with its familiar rehashing of ideas previously seen within Frank Miller’s “Batman: Year One”, and even Christopher Nolan’s 2008 superhero movie “The Dark Knight”. For whilst the narrative arguably somewhat follows straight on from Michael Keaton’s double outing on the Silver Screen, the premise of the Caped Crusader being seen as the actual source of Gotham City’s increasingly violent plight by the authorities, as well as the figurehead of a score of cowl-wearing vigilantes, has been seen more than once before.

In addition, the America screenwriter appears to have completely changed the personality of district attorney Harvey Dent from that portrayed by Billy Dee Williams during the actor’s sole celluloid appearance so as to pitch “the big man” as the twenty-page periodical’s central antagonist. This arrogant, self-important chief prosecutor seems to have completely forgotten about the events depicted previously during boss Carl Grissom’s murderous reign, and even accuses Jim Gordon of fabricating the costumed crime-fighter simply so the Police Commissioner can apparently deploy a “well-trained and well-funded” covert crew of enforcement officers to tackle the metropolis’ “untenable” rise in armed robberies; “You think there’s only one Batman? You think one human being could take that sort of punishment?”

Happily however, that isn’t to say that “Shadows” doesn’t contain some exciting elements, courtesy of the Dark Knight recovering thirty one million dollars from two stolen armoured cars. But this sense-shattering sequence involving a Russian helicopter, a giant penny piece and a ton of gratuitous gunfire hardly makes up for a plot which depicts a highly disagreeable Dent lording it over a poor nine year old with his flash sports car, and setting up a death trap to have the Caped Crusader instantly shot by a team of rooftop snipers should he be so foolish as to answer the Bat Signal.

Sadly, Joe Quinones’ layouts debatably fail to capture the look of Burton’s films either, despite the American apparently being a “noted fan” of them. The artist’s cover illustration for this book is tremendously evocative of Keaton’s incarnation of Batman. Yet his interior pencilling simply doesn’t project the same attention to detail, with Bruce Wayne in particular appearing to be little more than a roughly-animated caricature of the Academy Award nominee.

Writer: Sam Hamm, Artist: Joe Quinones, and Colorist: Leonardo Ito

Black Widow #9 - Marvel Comics

BLACK WIDOW No. 9, September 2021

Beginning with the titular character being brutally stabbed by a horde of Apogee’s super-powered disciples, Kelly Thompson’s opening for Issue Nine of “Black Widow” may well have had fans of the former-Soviet assassin thinking that perhaps the Avenger might not necessarily survive her latest encounter with the San Francisco-based villain. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the fact that Yelena Belova is apparently dead by this point in the four-parter’s storyline, many readers would probably have thought that Stan Lee’s co-creation was about to be permanently replaced by her blonde-haired "sister-in-arms” throughout the rest of this ongoing series’ run; “This will not happen. Not like this. Suit will do its job for a while. But that would will be mortal if this takes too long.”

Equally as enjoyable as this shock start is the development of Romanoff’s ‘backup crew’ consisting of Lucy, Craig and Anya Corazon, who genuinely seem to gel reasonably well together so as to provide Natasha with both the ingredients and expertise necessary so as to provide an antidote to “Apogee’s mass dosing”. Admittedly, it could be argued that the Black Widow stumbling upon the ‘sole’ scientific member of the Olio group who could synthesise a solution to her problem is conspicuously contrived at best, but this ‘lucky find’ was originally conceived by Belova during the White Widow’s own investigation into the shady shenanigans of Hux Advisors LLC.

In addition, the inclusion of Spider-Girl as part of this book’s badass trinity really helps sell the Black Widow’s ability to defeat a county-wide criminal organisation without its author needing to resort to the ‘tried and tested’ method of top-tier guest star appearances. Instead, it soon becomes very clear that between the three elite fighters, there’s every chance the drug-taking cartel of mysterious hooded cultists and smart-suited gunmen are going to fail in their felonious endeavours; “I remember you tried to kill me. And also you. And I don’t remember you, but I don’t like the look of you either.”

Quite possibly this book’s only brief bout of discombobulation therefore comes with this twenty-page periodical’s pencilling, which swaps between the pictures of Elena Casagrande and Rafael De Latorre. Luckily both artists are more than capable of prodigiously portraying this comic’s butt-kicking protagonists, so the sudden shift in slightly different styles at the end of its first act isn’t quite as disconcerting as perhaps it could have been if two more contrasting illustrators had been employed.

The regular cover art of "BLACK WIDOW" #9 by Adam Hughes

The Immortal Hulk #49 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 49, October 2021

Consisting of nothing more than a carousel of splash pages each accompanied by a few paragraphs of text, Al Ewing’s decision to turn Issue Forty Nine of “Immortal Hulk” into more of a children’s reading book than an actual comic doubtless perturbed a fair few of this ongoing series’ followers. Indeed, coupled with the lack-lustre storyline of the titular character simply being invited to walk through the Forever Gate by Benjamin Grimm, many readers were probably of the opinion that this penultimate instalment to the British author’s overall narrative was nothing more than a ‘filler’ edition prior to its “giant-sized” finale.

Admittedly, that isn’t to say that this publication doesn’t generate a modicum of interest with its word-heavy transcript approach, as Joe Fixit’s alter-ego encounters the increasingly dislikeable Avengers and, owing to a non-disclosed communication error, ends up once again fighting the entire roster of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. But it’s arguably difficult to get particularly excited by a single picture of the “Green Goliath” battering upon Captain America’s infamously tough shield, even when the artist is Joe Bennett; “I didn’t see who threw the first punch. Someone must have.”

In addition, whilst Ewing’s short tale does somewhat make sense as far as the Hulk seeking out the help of Reed Richards to finally confront the Leader in “the city of suffering”, just how this option becomes a possibility is never properly explained. Instead, Jackie McGee and Jen Walters simply escort the nonchalant behemoth through the night-time streets of New York City to a presumably pre-arranged rendezvous at the Baxter Building, where he encounters the likes of an extremely hostile Captain Marvel, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther and Nova.

Likewise, the Avengers’ presence is never rationalised, and simply seems to have been unceremoniously crowbarred into the comic so as to give the writer an opportunity to include at least one pulse-pounding punch-up amidst all his prose. In fact, the Thunder God and his team-mates are quite clearly depicted as the ‘villains of the piece’ for this book, with Invisible Woman’s scathing look of absolute disgust at them when she is forced to separate the fighting forces speaking a thousand words.

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" #49 by Alex Ross

Batman: The Detective #4 - DC Comics

BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE No. 4, September 2021

Predominantly focusing upon Bruce Wayne’s “gruelling Interpol interrogation” for the “attempted murder of former mentor and teacher Henri Ducard”, Tom Taylor’s narrative for Issue Four of “Batman: The Detective” probably disconcerted many within the mini-series’ audience thanks to the plot’s perturbingly vulnerable portrayal of the crime-fighting billionaire. Indeed, it’s arguably hard to imagine a more trusting Caped Crusader than the one the Australian author depicts nonchalantly answering the authority’s threat-laced questions and overconfidently drinking the Police’s fizzy soda water; “I was hoping for something nice from the Champagne Region. But instead you’ve brought me sparkling disappointment.”

Delightfully however, once it becomes clear that the Dark Knight’s alter-ego has naively allowed himself to be detained by the murderous Equilibrium in a moment of misplaced conceit, this gripping grilling becomes even more exciting. The revelation that Wayne has been lethally poisoned by cyanide is really well-penned by the Victoria-born writer, and debatably creeps up upon the reader incrementally in precisely the same manner as it does the somewhat haughty, super-wealthy industrialist.

Equally as well delivered is Wayne’s plan to escape so grisly a demise, following his captors’ swift departure. Physically handcuffed inside a cell, his throat swelling and a large knife embedded in his right shoulder, the ‘old man’ follows his training to the letter by slowing his heartbeat and “lowering my metabolism”. Then, with the super-human effort of will the Batman is renowned for, the Justice Leaguer manages to break his bonds and flees to a chemist where he swiftly swigs down an antidotal cocktail of his own devising.

Adding plenty of apprehension to this comic’s ultra-tense atmosphere is Andy Kubert’s pencilling, which genuinely helps sell the sincere shock in Bruce’s eyes when he comprehends he’s been played for a profusely sweating fool by his merciless opponents, and is very likely to die at their hands within mere minutes. In addition, the American artist does a first-rate job of showing the Dark Knight’s more tender side when later inside his mobile headquarters he emotionally discovers the late Alfred Pennyworth has left him a toy dinosaur holding a giant coin as an affectionate reminder of the real subterranean Batcave beneath Wayne Manor.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Pencils: Andy Kubert, and Inks: Sandra Hope

Shang-Chi [2021] #3 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI No. 3, September 2021

Providing an interesting balance between top tier close combat action and the disconcertingly dark evil-doings of some within the Five Weapons Society, this particular twenty-page periodical’s plot probably pleased most within this ongoing series’ fanbase. But whilst Issue Three of “Shang-Chi” most definitely depicts a fascinating fracas between its titular character and the hugely-popular X-Man, Wolverine, it is arguably hard not to shake the impression that James Howlett’s limited involvement in this narrative is something of a wasted opportunity, and should have consisted of something a bit more believable than the mutant suddenly appearing on the shore of Muckross Lake in Ireland simply to thwart the prejudicial protestations of some dim-witted demonstrators; “It’s your birth right to come with me to the island of Krakoa. No one will hunt you there.”

Mercifully though, so off-putting an observation can easily be set aside considering just how intriguing Gene Luen Yang’s storyline involving another half-sibling the titular character “never knew he had” actually is. Indeed, the shadowy background to Zhilan of the House of the Deadly Staff genuinely seems set to shake up the already somewhat precarious status quo of Shang-Chi being the supreme commander of his dead father’s cult-like criminal organisation, with the initial determination of both Brother Sabre and Sister Dagger to kill “the Lake Witch” simply because she’s a mutant far from boding well.

Likewise, the American author’s ability to produce an emotional response from the reader is repeatedly proved with his penmanship during this story. Whether it be the absolute disgust at a truly ungrateful tourist’s reaction to post an encounter with a deep sea monster on social media despite being asked not to by her saviour, or the sheer shock at Esme’s derogatory choice of words to describe Wolverine’s people, there’s plenty of dislikeable behaviour on show within this publication to stir the sensibilities of any perusing bibliophile.

Ultimately however, this book’s success depends upon the inclusion of X-Force’s field leader and once the brown-costumed super-hero shows up, things really start to sizzle. Feisty, angry and unwillingly to listen to reason before rushing in with his deadly claws, Yang’s version of Len Wein’s co-creation simply bristles with his infamous hostility, and resultantly proves irresistible to the eye when he soon engages Shang-Chi in a battle of stomach-wrenching blows.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI" #3 by Leinil Frances Yu & Sunny Gho

A Man Among Ye #6 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 6, August 2021

Considering that this particular issue’s narrative is largely restricted to the affairs of Anne Bonny whilst the hung-over Pirate Queen stands helplessly imprisoned inside a Caribbean gaol, Stephanie Phillips’ writing still manages to provide the audience with plenty of excitement courtesy of both the murderous machinations of the mysterious Amira, and a foul-looking, tooth-stealing vagabond who stalks this comic’s leading cast for the latter half of the book. Indeed, it’s impressive just how much tension the American author manages to generate from a storyline which predominantly has the likes of Mary, Iris and Jane Castor steadfastly held behind iron bars at the utter mercy of Governor Rogers’ loyal Redcoats.

Foremost of these agitating antagonists has to be the aforementioned Amira, who is soon depicted as being as deadly as she is voluptuous. It’s arguably clear straight from start, whilst she is flirting with a naïve prison guard, that the beautiful woman is up to no good. But even so, the poor man’s grisly poisoning still comes as something of a shock, especially when his terrible death is later made all the more brutally evident by Josh George prodigiously pencilling the still open-eyed deceased staring up at the ceiling in a pool of his own vomit and blood.

Similarly as successful is Phillip’s portrayal of another assassin presumably determined to collect the bounty upon Bonny’s flaming red head. Unlike the extremely talkative Amira, who seems truly blessed with the ‘gift of the gab’, this cold-hearted killer barely utters a syllable, and instead manages to project plenty of intimating menace simply by walking down the jail’s corridors whilst scrapping the end of his blade along one of its walls. Of course, the fact the scarred mercenary also takes the time to gleefully remove one of the dead guard’s teeth with his dagger additionally helps mark him out as one of this twenty-page periodical’s bad guys.

Enchantingly however, not everything within this publication is focussed upon Anne’s somewhat suspicious rescue attempt, with the plot occasionally flitter upon the treacherous Jack Rackham and his own plans to lethally dispatch his former lover. These scenes showing the traitorous pirate being less than happy with his plight as Woodes obedient lapdog are rather satisfying, but also strongly suggest that Amira may well be motivated by more than her desire to recover the long-lost treasure of San Marcos as she claims; “And if we want to catch a woman, we have to do more than think like one. We need a woman’s touch.”

The regular cover art of "A MAN AMONG YE" #6 by Josh George

Star Trek: Year Five #23 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: YEAR FIVE No. 23, May 2021

Packed full of pulse-pounding phaser combat and seriously exhilarating spaceship shooting shenanigans, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s script for Issue Twenty-Three of “Star Trek: Year Five” certainly must have struck many Trekkies as containing the perfect mix of action and adventure. Indeed, considering that this twenty-page periodical depicts the increasingly damaged Constitution-class starship single-handedly fighting off the entire invading Tholian fleet for the sake of the Universe, it is hard not to agree with the pre-publication press release by "IDW Publishing" that, alongside artist Stephen Thompson and inker Elisabetta D'Amico, the two “showrunners” have concocted “the biggest battle the Enterprise and her crew have ever faced.”

Disappointingly however, those same franchise fans were also probably shaking their heads in utter disbelief when at the climax of this major mission the vessel’s Captain suddenly invokes the little know Starfleet Order 104 and relieves himself of command so as to teleport himself back to Earth. This uncharacteristic decision, which conveniently puts the unrecognisably troubled Mister Spock in charge so as to force the half-Vulcan to face his misgivings about being a competent leader, comes completely out of the blue, and simply seems to have been predominantly penned to ensure James Kirk is able to swap verbal pleasantries with a wholly homicidal Gary Seven; “You’re the time traveller. If that’s what you say I’ll do, I’ll believe it.”

To add insult to injury though, this title’s writers also decide, presumably because they realised they may well have conjured up their own Kobayashi Maru by placing the lone Enterprise up against the “Tholian horde bearing down on Earth”, that the starship’s crew can now rewrite the code controlling the alien invaders’ biology, and thus easily pass through the extra-terrestrial’s supposedly unassailable blockade by creating "Potassium-Rubidium Quantum Gas!" As with Kirk’s shocking change in personality, this contrived solution appears from out of no-where, and is as unconvincing as Scotty’s ability to apparently “overclock” his warp engines to produce an all-too convenient miraculous super-speed.

Of course, such ‘liberties’ with established canon can usually always be forgiven if the storytelling warrants such a divergence for the sake of dramatic effect or just a 'gosh darn good yarn.' But debatably little of what takes place within this comic’s narrative can make any such claim, with even the motivations of Seven’s all-powerful Aegis to forever “lock the galaxy in a perfect stasis” partially being driven by their apparent disgust that all four quadrants will eventually militarise themselves so as to defeat the emotionally merciless Borg Collective in the future..?

Writers: Jackson Lanzig & Collin Kelly, and Artist: Stephen Thompson

Shadowman #4 - Valiant Entertainment

SHADOWMAN No. 4, July 2021

As demonic blights who walk upon this world go, Cullen Bunn’s monstrous creation for Issue Four of “Shadowman” surely must have disconcerted many within this comic’s audience with its unnerving ability to send both new-born babies and canine pets fatally mad with a psychedelic overdose. Of course the ‘Master of Horror’ incorporates plenty of other disturbing sub-plots into the twenty-page periodical, not least of which is the titular character finally having a face-to-face confrontation with this ongoing series’ lead antagonist. But when ‘boiled down’ this book’s central premise is arguably based upon Jack Boniface’s battle against a pill-pushing junkie who takes far too much pleasure in giving his hapless victims a ‘trip to end all lifetimes.’

Thankfully for “mankind” however, this depraved killer who can transform crawling toddlers into tentacle-faced hallucinogenic nightmares which even a mother can’t love, is soon confined to a London-based abandoned dwelling, and subsequently used by this publication’s writer as an opportunity to shed even more light upon the enthralling relationship between the titular character and his supposed supernatural benefactor, Baron Samedi. It’s abundantly clear that Boniface’s bony companion actually seems to relish misleading the Darque powered-champion from time to time. Yet on this particular adventure the loa of the dead readily admits previously playing Jack false for the sake of reassuring Jim Shooter’s co-creation that he is all-too serious in providing some assistance on this solemn occasion; “I’ve lied to you often and with great delight. But I’m telling the truth now. I did not know.”

Furthermore, Bunn’s narrative also takes a big step away from presenting Shadowman as simply a scythe-carrying super-hero who seems destined to thwart any Deadside incursions on an ever-repeating singular circle, by intriguingly having him finally realise the futility of just such an existence. Instead, it is made clear to both the skull-faced fighter and the reader, that matters are now far too advanced for such episodic interventions, and that a much larger, bolder strategy needs to be employed if humanity is not to be drowned out by the malicious magic of the man’s mysterious arch-nemesis. 

Undoubtedly helping the American author in this comic’s entertainment value are Jon Davis-Hunt’s layouts, which seem to be particularly relied upon towards the end of the book when an utterly delirious Boniface experiences the effects of the brazen blight’s mind-altering abilities up close and personal. Indeed, whether because Cullen desired to provide the illustrator with plenty of sheet-space with which to demonstrate his prodigious pencilling, or due to this magazine’s storyline requiring some ‘extra padding’, the artist provides one of the highlights of this magazine by drawing two consecutive double-page splashes of Jack struggling to withstand an intoxicatingly deadly assault upon his senses.

The regular cover art of "SHADOWMAN" #4 by John Davis-Hunt

Bad City Blue - Rebellion [Part Two]

BAD CITY BLUE, August 2021

Debatably turning the character of Blue completely upon his head, by having the rogue button man finally remember his past as the notorious gang leader of the Skulls and resultantly revert back to his disagreeably repugnant “devil killer” persona, Alan Grant’s script for the second half of “Bad City Blue” definitely portrays this graphic novel’s lead protagonist as a much less sympathetic ‘hero’ than the Scottish author did during its opening chapters. Indeed, the Inkpot Award-winner actually appears to go that extra step in presenting the “slumscum” as something of a brainless barbarian, who needs to be repeatedly taught just how to manipulate the engine alignment controls so as to blast the asteroid-based municipal free of a nearby Black Hole.

Happily however, liking the brutal "Grexnix" isn’t a precondition to thoroughly enjoying this comic strip’s insanely violent zarjaz action, and actually makes perfect sense once it becomes clear just how much street-fighting savvy Blue is going to need to remember if he’s ever going to make it to the central computer buried deep within the Power Dome alive. In the past, whilst being wracked by mind-controlling headaches, the befuddled assassin was understandably somewhat vulnerable, and quite quickly fell prey to a pair of his government-sponsored peers when he encountered them at the entrance to the city’s jungle habitat.

Now that “Dirty Blue” is involved in an exhilarating ‘race against the clock’ though, the aspiring “Big-Chief Boss” needs to be at his very best if he is to outfight an entire posse of experienced button men - all of whom have been dispatched to kill the “real bad scummer” before the man can complete his life-or-death mission. These deadly skirmishes, stunningly pencilled by “Scrotnig” artist Robin Smith, really help ensure that the audience are constantly kept guessing as to whether or not the foul hooligan will be effective in his endeavours, and definitely help reiterate the notion that the brutal hitman is bereft of any pity or compassion; ““Horgan an’ Shrap eat ‘crete. R.I.P., bruds!” 

Ultimately though, this “digital first” publication’s most memorable moment has to be its sense-shattering conclusion, which doubtless traumatised many a Squaxx dek Thargo when it was first revealed within the pages of “2000 A.D.” way back in July 1986. Having somehow managed to overcome the last button man, Teco, despite suffering a “shoulder shatter”, a semi-distraught Blue realises that he’s going to need to hurry if he wants to be known as the “top scummer, citywide”, and is last seen powering through the space-floating metropolis on his skimmer, plotting his presumably short-lived ascension.

Writer: Alan Grant (a.k.a Craig Lipp), Artist: Robin Smith, and Letters: Steve Potter

Star Trek #3 - Marvel Comics

STAR TREK No. 3, June 1980

Somehow managing to cram the concluding events of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” within this comic book adaption’s meagre eighteen pages, Marv Wolfman’s plot for “Evolutions” certainly moves along at a perplexing pace. But whilst the Brooklyn-born writer predominantly sticks to simply shoehorning in the movie’s overly-long dialogue-driven screenplay, he does still manage to inject the publication with an element of action by stepping away from the film’s theatrical release and having Admiral Kirk actually join Commander Spock on a spacewalk exploring the “alien intruder vessel called V’Ger.”

This departure from the ‘official version’ certainly adds some much-needed excitement to the adventure, whilst additionally giving Trekkies an intriguing insight as to what might have been had director Robert Wise not rejected the infamous Memory Wall scene during postproduction and Robert Abel’s Special Effects Team gotten fired by “Paramount Pictures”. Indeed, alongside Dave Cockrum’s proficient pencilling and Klaus Janson’s inks, the somewhat dynamic sequence depicting the U.S.S. Enterprise’s Captain being attacked by an aggressive crystalline swarm arguably provides the storyline with a golden opportunity to explain to its audience just what the two lead protagonists are thinking about without frustratingly reverting back to the script’s sedentary, corridor-based conversations.

Disappointingly however, once the half-Vulcan’s unconscious body is brought aboard the Constitution-class starship, this comic’s narration debatably once again becomes an unimaginative carousel of word balloons, which disconcertingly even manages to make the Admiral’s decision to activate the Federation vessel’s self-destruct device rather uneventful. Sadly, such lethargy also seems to even permeate into some of the book’s panels, with the American artist repeatedly neglecting to provide them with any sort of background whatsoever, and simply sketching the likes of Kirk debating with Will Decker across a noticeable blank void; “Each of us, at some point in our life turns to someone… A father, a brother, a God, and asks -- Why am I here? What was I meant to be?”

Perhaps this magazine’s biggest drawback though comes with its super-swift ending, as Commodore Matt Decker’s son directly keys in “the old NASA code signal that instructs the probe to transmit data”, physically merges with Voyager Six’s probe and suddenly disappears along with the gigantic extra-terrestrial spaceship within the blink of an eye. In fact, the sudden destruction of “the deadly V’Ger” debatably isn’t even seen, and instead the reader is just left with a solitary sketch of a lone U.S.S. Enterprise presumably orbiting the now safe planet Earth…

Script/Edits: Marv Wolfman, Pencils: Dave Cockrum, and Inks: Klaus Janson

Iron Man [2020] #10 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 10, September 2021

Arguably reading more like a story set during the 2015 comic book storyline “Secret Wars” than one based upon the exploits of Tony Stark from Earth-616, Christopher Cantwell’s script for Issue Ten of “Iron Man” probably had some within its audience scratching their heads in utter bemusement at its depiction of the Golden Avenger slowly coming to terms with a low-tech life on Megiddo. Indeed, considering that the rag-tag settlement’s “big man” isn’t revealed until quite late in the twenty-page periodical’s plot, there were probably quite a few bibliophiles convinced that Battleworld’s God Emperor Doom was actually about to make an appearance; “I feel like I went right to the wizard and somehow skipped the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Intriguingly however, the Chicago-born writer manages to subvert any such expectations by surprisingly presenting Wilbur Day as “the man behind the curtain”, and establishes a tricky emotional conundrum for Shell-head to overcome if he is going to peacefully co-exist alongside Stilt-Man’s growing community of extra-terrestrial kidnap victims. The genius inventor is quick to point out the number of times “one of Daredevil's most enduring arch-foes” has tried to kill him, and resultantly how difficult it is going to be for him to trust the former super-villain that the whole 'lost in space' situation facing him isn’t just part of some dastardly, diabolical plan by the bespectacled career criminal.

Such doubts though are swiftly set aside once an Ultimo robot attacks the village, and Iron Man is desperately required to ally himself with his former antagonist so as to best the giant automaton. Ordinarily, a battle between the titular character and one of the Mandarin's mightiest minions would be exciting enough, but Cantwell ramps up this pulse-pounding bout of pugilism an extra notch or two by having the machine physically eat some of the settlers it catches in one of its mighty mitts, including the rather likeable 'second-in-command' Yar.

Helping to pack this sense shattering sequence with plenty to put off the squeamish is Cafu, whose illustrations throughout “Megiddo” are prodigiously pencilled. The “Marvel Comics exclusive artist” appears to have a particular talent for depicting the sheer size of a dismembered Ultimo, which has long lain dormant as a ruin close to the colony, with many a reader possibly even 'hearing' the eerie silence of the large clearing as a curious Iron Man explores the long-dormant carnage looking for a source power.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #10 by Alex Ross

Batman: The Detective #3 - DC Comics

BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE No. 3, August 2021

Providing a thoroughly insightful pen picture of a teenage Bruce Wayne’s apprenticeship under Henri Ducard in France, Tom Taylor’s script for Issue Three of “Batman: The Detective” caused the comic to rather impressively shift an estimated 49,000 copies in June 2021. Sure, the twenty-two page periodical doesn’t actually provide much in the way of progressing this mini-series’ central plot concerning the murderous machinations of the homicidal Equilibrium, but when the storytelling behind an aspiring Dark Knight’s fractious relationship with the “knowledgeable detective” is arguably this well-written, it’s doubtful many within this book’s audience were complaining.

Indeed, witnessing a naïve young millionaire slowly learn his man-hunting skills from one of the world’s greatest investigators debatably makes a welcome change of pace from this title’s ferociously-fast narration - especially when the cut-throat Didier is still taken down by the well-meaning amateur courtesy of a thunderous blow to the jaw with the killer’s own hand-gun. This exciting sequence really shows the potential the middle-aged Frenchman can see in his super-rich protégé, and contains some nice, notable nods to the fully-established Caped Crusader, such as Wayne wearing a forerunner of his famous utility belt; “You always keep handcuffs on your belt, Kid?”

Likewise, the Australian author does a good job of highlighting just where Batman developed his need to “primarily [be] a night time thing” and not “a morning person.” This necessity clearly will lead on to the crime-fighter’s eventual creation of his cowled alter-ego, yet is rather intriguingly depicted as not being a lifestyle which automatically leads to the vigilante requiring to ‘go it alone.’ In fact, Taylor makes it crystal clear, through the lad’s bungled attempt to track “an accountant for two crime families”, that in Ducard’s eyes a successful gumshoe needs “to have friends who have your back” as “you can’t do it all on your own”. 

Quite possibly this publication’s most memorable moment though, is Andy Kubert’s superbly-pencilled clash between the two ‘old friends’ in London, “ten years ago.” A misunderstanding at the very start quickly escalates into the pair badly hurting one another before the Dark Knight gains the upper hand, and despite requiring a little assistance from Henri in order to stop the metropolis from being “engulfed in nuclear fire”, still ultimately arrests his former-mentor for all the cold-blooded assassinations he has carried out in the past.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Pencils: Andy Kubert, and Inks: Sandra Hope

Bad City Blue - Rebellion [Part One]

BAD CITY BLUE, August 2021

Described by “Rebellion” as “a bleak highlight from the mid-Eighties, full of class warfare, gritty sci-fi, and big concepts”, this opening half of the next title in the Oxford-based publisher’s “series of digital-only 2000 A.D. collections” certainly delivers an enthralling vision as to just what Humanity can expect from life in the distant future, should some brave souls decide to emigrate to a self-isolated dome partially buried into the side of an asteroid. However, rather than spend any time at all leading its audience by the hand through the opulent residences of such a civilization’s Class A citizens, and then contrasting this with the much more decadent existence of the less wealthy population, Alan Grant’s narrative rather shockingly simply throws the reader head-first straight down to the very dark depths of Bader City’s depravity.

This riveting insight into the ultra-violent world of Blue and the button man’s brutal battle with a gang of cold-hearted murderers, proves an excellent way of immersing any perusing bibliophile straight into “Bad City Blue”, whilst simultaneously setting an incredibly fast pace for its plot. Indeed, within just a few turns of the page, the Scottish author has comprehensively established that this graphic novel’s lead protagonist represents the best interests of the decaying metropolis’ “decent folk”, and is perfectly disposed to follow their orders when it comes to gunning down any criminals who have become so big that they now threaten the floating space station’s natural order; “There may not be much of this city still fit for decent people – But what there is, it’s my job to keep that way!”

Cleverly though, the Bristol-born writer also soon establishes through the death of Gonza, that Blue’s beliefs might not actually be all that sound, and subsequently takes the hired gun on an exhilarating journey up to the very summit of the self-contained conurbation in order for him to discover first-hand just why nothing seems to be being done with all the breakages and leaks occurring throughout downside’s lower levels. This moment of realisation that the “real bad scummer” has been utterly abandoned by the same authoritarian figures he has been risking his life for provides an engrossing hook for this publication’s second half, especially when the robots who have been covertly ensuring that the Slumlands are blissfully ignorant of their masters’ mass-evacuation, decide to dispatch three more button men to specifically eliminate him.

Nevertheless, perhaps this comic’s biggest thrill-powered draw are co-creator Robin Smith’s incredibly dynamic layouts, which do a tremendous job of depicting the squalor within which Blue works. The British artist’s pencilling of the shotgun-loving hitman fending off a pack of giant, flying sharks is debatably this book’s highlight, albeit the illustrator’s attention to detail when sketching a smack of multi-limbed mechanical Jellyfish makes them equally as impressive a feast for the eyes.

Writer: Alan Grant (a.k.a Craig Lipp), Artist: Robin Smith, and Letters: Steve Potter

Batman: The Detective #2 - DC Comics

BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE No. 2, July 2021

Despite being strangely devoid of any real physical action involving this comic’s titular character, Tom Taylor’s fascinating focus on portraying the Dark Knight as a keen investigator throughout this twenty-two page periodical still deservedly ensured Issue Two of “Batman: The Detective” was the twenty-third best-selling publication during May 2021 – at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”. In fact, considering just how well written this short-lived insight into Bruce Wayne’s relationship with his old teacher, Henri Ducard, arguably is, it’s perhaps surprising that this particular instalment concerning the Caped Crusader’s “European Adventure” didn’t sell more copies.

For starters, the Melbourne-born writer’s ability to depict the sheer mercilessness of the Equilibrium and the criminal organisation’s zealous determination to murder any person whom Batman has historically saved, really comes across when its leader decides to kill the utterly naïve Matthew. True, the idiotic minion doesn’t really generate much in the way of sympathy from the audience due to the fact that he had previously attempted to assassinate a bed-ridden Knight in hospital. But even so the goon’s sudden bullet to the head, simply because he would have died if the World’s Greatest Detective “hadn’t caught me” during his escape from the medical institution, is a truly horrifying moment.

Likewise the Australian author is very good at penning the somewhat tense atmosphere created by Wayne meeting up with his old mentor, Ducard, on a Paris-bound train. Both men clearly have a lot of mutual respect for one another. Yet it’s also very evident that Batman doesn’t agree with Henri’s amoral reputation as a killer within the criminal underworld, and as a result is extremely perturbed to accept his assistance; “But if it helps with your ethical conundrum here, just know more people will die without me. Also, I’ve been fully pardoned for all my known crimes.”

Admirably assisting this comic’s storytelling with some eye-catching visuals is Andy Kubert, whose pencils depicting both Matthew’s realisation that his own words have lethally sealed his fate and Ducard’s stunned amazement that he’s not as immortal as he perhaps thought, truly showcase their heightened emotions. In addition, Brad Anderson's colours help provide this book with some highly memorable action sequences, such as the splash page of Batman dangling the doomed Equilibrium stooge from the clock face of Big Ben during a sunset, or the partially-illuminated night-time chase scene between Bruce and Henri across the top of a "TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse" during a torrential downpour.

The regular cover art for "BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE" #2 by Andy Kubert & Brad Anderson

Conan: Serpent War #2 - Marvel Comics

CONAN: SERPENT WAR No. 2, February 2020

Captivatingly pairing up this comic’s unlikely cast across two different time periods in their combined defiance against the Elder Gods, Jim Zub’s script for Issue Two of “Conan: Serpent War” probably pleased the vast majority of its 22,420 readers in December 2019. Indeed, the Canadian author’s development of Solomon Kane’s burgeoning relationship with Moon Knight makes the deadly duo’s escapades in England 1584 A.D. utterly compelling, and strongly suggests that the partnership could plausibly work in a future title together if penned with the same liveliness; “Slow down, Big Hat. I’m not with them. If you were fighting snake guys, then I think we’re on the same side.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the strong-willed characters concerned, the same mutual respect does not appear all that forthcoming with Conan of Cimmeria and Agnes De Chastillon though, who could best be described as being prickly with one another. This hostility doesn’t admittedly manifest itself to the point where the two swashbucklers trade sword-strokes, but the Sixteenth-Century Frenchwoman’s somewhat infuriating ability to see a chauvinistic slight towards her in everything the Barbarian says and does, strongly suggests that if the pair weren’t entwined “on this snake-tainted journey” that they would not get along in the slightest.

Adding an extra element of intrigue to this twenty-page periodical’s proceedings, is Zub’s inclusion of the “Great Satyne”, a servant of Set from the village of Tezunar during the Hyborian Age. This priestess appears both generous and benevolent to her people, which resultantly generates a remarkable amount of positivity as to the young Stygian’s personality. However, having suddenly been approached by the living manifestation of Set, it quickly becomes clear that the “loyal and fervent” servant will not be so forgiving to those warriors who have “set upon a path to take” a sacred family heirloom “and shatter its power”.

Supporting so diverse a story is Stephen Segovia as the publication’s leading artist and Vanesa R. Del Rey, who once again pencils this book’s haunting sequence of James Allison on his deathbed. The Filipino illustrator’s panels depicting Captain Basso’s treachery and his sailing ship’s subsequent destruction at the hands of Marc Spector’s alter-ego is absolutely first-rate, and does a terrific job of cementing the aforementioned friendship between the Fist of Khonshu and Robert E. Howard's crack-shot Puritan.

Writer: Jim Zub, Artists: Stephen Segovia & Vanesa R. Del Rey, and Colorist: Frank D'Armata