BRZRKR #10 - BOOM! Studios

BRZRKR No. 10, September 2022

Considering that a physically scarred titular character spends half this twenty-four-page periodical quietly recovering on a bunk-bed having previously unleashed his “full fury” upon the American authorities, it is difficult to imagine many within its audience feeling that Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt’s storyline is actually building “towards a conclusion that will blow fans’ minds!” Sure, the immortal warrior does eventually find his way back to his ancient birthplace in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia, so as to recover his biological mother’s mysterious “bird” artefact. But the sheer amount of technobabble and gobbledegook the reader must endure before this memorable moment occurs is incredibly off-putting; “Confirm floral formula series 2AK1. Execute new floral formula series 2AK2.”

Furthermore, this comic’s infuriatingly pedestrian-paced narrative never seemingly states what any of Caldwell’s directives are for the Machiavellian murderer’s “master plan”, or even simply what the covert government department are expecting to happen once “B” arrives at their intended destination. Instead, Unute is just told to recuperate for ten days, whilst Doctor Diana Ahuja blissfully wanders around a hydroponics garden firing black lightning from her fingertips, and then later operates a huge hyper-computer which requires so much power that “half the Western Seaboard is about to black out.”

Eventually, it does become clear that the suddenly telepathic physician’s herbal concoction is thought to be that drunk by her patient’s long-dead mother to help the ancient hunter-gatherer’s mind “make contact” with the godlike powers that created her son. However, besides sending Unute on a hallucinogenic guilt trip back to his parent’s uber-gory demise, this book’s writers don’t explain why this is particularly important nor how it causes a metal phoenix to inexplicably rise from ‘a mile deep in the desert’ and savagely skewer the supposedly undying combatant alive.

Debatably doing his best to at least provide this publication’s panels with something interesting to look at is Ron Garney. Sadly though, even the former “Daredevil” artist can’t work miracles with a plot featuring two stone-still characters sat endlessly looking at one another in a confinement cell. Yet at least he’s able to imbue the military’s climatic build-up with all the excited apprehensive a bibliophile might expect from the Armed Forces surrounding a target imbued with any number of unknown magical properties.

The regular cover art to "BRZRKR" #10 by Ron Garney & Bill Crabtree

Star Trek #400 [Part Two] - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK No. 400, September 2022

Starting with a narrative centred upon a character who “was unpopular among more than a few Star Trek fans” during “The New Generation” era, Wil Wheaton’s arguably self-indulgent storyline “A Matter Of Choice” probably isn’t as exciting a start to this comic’s second half as the actor-turned-YouTube-host probably hoped. In fact, the incredibly word-heavy narrative must surely have tested the patience of even the most ardent Trekkie, especially when at times the numerous word balloons seemingly threaten to blot out everything but the most basic-looking figure’s face in any given panel.

Disappointingly however, there’s debatably very little reward at the tale’s end either, as after an eight-page long series of dialogue-lead sedentary scenes where an omnipotent Wesley Crusher revisits several moments in his past where his shipmates have previously offered him advice, he simply decides to do what he planned to do in the first place. Such a lack-lustre conclusion may well cause some readers to scratch their heads in bewilderment as to just why “the Traveller” bothered to pull an elderly Jean-Luc Picard out of the Kelvin Universe in the first place, let alone how him doing so might irreversibly damage existence's “complex crystalline structure that only holds itself together through the most delicate balance.”

Perhaps this anthology’s most bemusing adventure though is the kid-friendly fracas between “Keyla Detmer, the Starfleeter” and an adolescent Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Written by Mike Johnson and sketched by Megan Levens, this meeting between two crash survivors smacks of the sort of juvenile humour a reader might expect in a children’s comic for young readers, and appears an odd choice of storyline to feature in a celebration of over fifty-years’ worth of serious science fiction; “Try it you shall and when you cannot stomach it, you shall declare me the superior lifeform and be on your way!”

Rounding off this publication with a blatant advertisement for the publisher’s upcoming new ongoing “Star Trek” title is “A Perfect System” by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Focusing upon the sudden disintegration of Gary Mitchell whilst the god-like entity is busily building solar systems, this pedestrian-paced piece even rather mercenarily ends with its final page featuring the former Federation helmsman’s skeleton floating in outer space with the words “To be Continued” “Star Trek #1” “Coming Soon” emblazoned between artist Ramon Rosanas’ well-pencilled panels.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK" #400 by Louie De Martinis

Star Trek #400 [Part One] - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK No. 400, September 2022

Considering the sheer scope of Gene Roddenberry’s fifty-plus year-old science fiction franchise, “this collection of minis” by “IDW Publishing” may well have pleased some Trekkies out there, particularly as it’s opening storyline set at the very end of the original series’ movie run does such a good job in wrong-footing the reader with its conclusion. But by the time “this monumental issue” hits its mid-way stage, the quality of its penmanship is debatably somewhat deficient at best; “I needed a new differential octolithium re-compilerizer, and you needed a new phase-inducted piromactal teravertarium battery!”

To begin with however, Chris Eliopoulos’ “Captain’s Log” definitely delivers a thoroughly enjoyable summary of Captain James Tiberius Kirk’s adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, and then rather cleverly hands over the baton to Hikaru Sulu commanding the U.S.S. Excelsior. Proficiently pencilled by Luke Sparrow, this nostalgic trip down memory lane contains many of the programme’s pivotal moments, such as the death of Spock, and then rather neatly leads into the senior helmsmen’s own adventures at the end of “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”.

Similarly as successful is “Soldier On” by Declan Shalvey, which rather surprisingly provides an intriguing flashback to Petty Officer Miles O’Brien’s time on the planet Setlik III during the Federation/Cardassian War. Featuring both Captain Maxwell and the U.S.S. Rutledge, as well as a young Elim Garak, this reasonably straightforward tale of resupplying, sabotage and Obsidian Order obstinance is engagingly drawn in a quirky, somewhat cartoony style by Seth Damoose.

Closing out the first half of this “equal celebration of IDW’s Star Trek comics past and future” with a shockingly short, though still disconcerting yarn, is the five-panel long “Meanwhile…” Written by Mike Johnson and illustrated by Angel Hernandez, this brief glimpse of the Kelvin Universe’s Scotty shows just how unrecognisably dissimilar the “miracle working’ engineer has become from his former-self once Simon Pegg embodied the character on the silver screen. Perfectly happy to lazily sleep on the job and leave the Constitution-class starship’s repairs to an equally snooze-happy underling, this Montgomery Scott is a far cry from the decidedly dedicated incarnation played by Canadian actor James Doohan.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK" #400 by Louie De Martinis

Moon Knight [2021] #12 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 12, August 2022

Painting an intriguingly grim picture of the afterlife for the many previous incarnations of the Fist of Khonshu, Jed MacKay’s storyline for Issue Twelve of “Moon Knight” certainly seems to provide its audience with an exciting “final struggle for Marc Spector's soul in the Battle of the Midnight Mission.” Indeed, the ensuing fracas between Zodiac’s heavily armed mercenaries and a gaggle of the Egyptian God’s mummified minions is one of this ongoing series’ most memorable moments to date; “How. How the hell was I supposed to plan for this?! Damned zombie Moon Knights!!!”

Furthermore, the Canadian author pens a disconcertingly dark aspect to the costumed crime-fighter’s vampiric secretary Reese, who momentarily appears to completely lose herself to the ‘Red Rage’ when she realises her friend, Soldier, has been brutally gunned down by Terry’s villainous alter-ego. This “monster” adds an entirely new layer to the usually somewhat stiff, self-controlled character, and ably demonstrates just how narrow a tightrope the fanged office worker walks every night to maintain her sense of normality. 

Perhaps therefore this comic’s sole disappointment arguably comes at its conclusion when the Cowled Avenger surprisingly stops himself from killing his latest nemesis by swapping his current murderous personality for that of the much less aggressive Steven Grant. Sure, there’s an unwritten rule within comic book writing that super-heroes don’t intentionally kill their opponents, even ones as disconcertingly dark as MacKay’s current manifestation of Moon Knight. But to simply leave an astonished Zodiac impotently squirming on the floor after all the mayhem he has caused is debatably rather anti-climactic.

Minor quibble as to this publication’s ending aside however, a lot of its storytelling success also lies in the lap of Alessandro Cappuccio and the artist’s incredibly dynamic layouts. The sheer chaos depicted in the Italian illustrator’s splash pages depicting Khonshu’s former agents savagely shredding the cartel are absolutely breath-taking, and well-worth the cover price of this twenty-page periodical alone. Whilst, Zodiac’s infuriated body language as he watches his well-laid out plan for Spector go catastrophically awry is equally as captivating, and even manages to squeeze in some moments of humour during an otherwise ultra-intense fracas.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War #2 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR No. 2, October 2022

Sporting more grisly beheadings than a history book about the French Revolution, the sheer savage violence on show throughout Issue Two of “DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War” must surely have made this twenty-four page periodical a huge hit with its audience. Furthermore, the gratuitously bloody nature of Alex Paknadel and Matthew Rosenberg’s narrative isn’t simply present just to appease the gore fans either, but rather to reinforce just how desperate the plight is of this comic’s surviving cast following the “horrifying vampire attack” upon them in the previous instalment.

Such dire despondency is particularly typified by the beleaguered super-heroes' evident terror at having to face one of their deadliest foes in the shape of an entirely homicidal Wonder Woman, who effortlessly begins whittling down their already low numbers just as soon as she enters the fray. Seldom has the Amazon’s Lasso of Hestia been shown slicing through the necks of her opponents with such utterly lethal abandonment, and yet that is precisely what William Marston’s co-creation does whilst confronting a couple of Talia al Ghul’s guards in a blatant demonstration of the blood-drinker’s sadistic nature; “I only ever need to follow him from a discreet distance and a banquet always presents itself.”

Helping to make the sacrifices, slaughter and ever-growing body count even more memorable are Pasquale Qualano’s delightfully intense layouts, and Nicola Righi’s disconcerting penchant for splattering every possible panel with as much claret as the colourist can muster. Such eye-catching visuals genuinely help reinforce the brutally grim carnage occurring, and also adds an extra dramatic element to the genuinely sad demise of “the most dangerous… fella in Metropolis”, when Jimmy Olsen is suddenly bitten by Diana Prince’s alter-ego completely out of the blue during the heat of the battle.

Far less as ferociously fast-paced, though just as enthralling, is Emma Vieceli’s dialogue-driven short story “Dark Birth”. Well-drawn by artist Haining in a Manga-like style, this tale rather intriguingly features a pre-apocalypse Dick Grayson inadvertently stumbling upon the vampiric plot by the Acolytes of Shadow to assassinate Mary, the False Queen, and seemingly sets up just how Nightwing would surprisingly be revealed as this limited series’ shock central antagonist.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR" #2 by Alan Quah

Dungeons & Dragons: Legends Of Baldur's Gate #4 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: LEGENDS OF BALDUR'S GATE No. 4, January 2015

Despite actually promoting Issue Four of “Dungeons & Dragons: Legends Of Baldur’s Gate” as containing “less talk, more fight!”, Jim Zub’s narrative for this twenty-page periodical regrettably doesn’t really get going until the comic is half-way over. Sure, the Canadian author manages to whip up a modicum of mystic mischief at the very start of the publication by taking its audience back to when an adolescent Delina first realised her rare aptitude for magic “without any training”. But this glimpse into the young Moon Elf’s backstory is fleeting, and arguably is included more to show the angry resentment stored up within her jealous brother than to provide any injection of dynamic action.

Instead, this book’s audience must first negotiate a series of conversational pieces between “The Fist of Truth” and “Ugly Walrus Face”, as well as the evidently evil Deniak’s unsurprising betrayal of his naïve sister. These dialogue-driven scenes are somewhat necessary to explain how Minsc, Krydle and Shandie can quickly navigate the legendary city in the hope of thwarting the cultists’ dark ritual. However, it’s not until some thirty-six text-laden panels later that any bibliophile will actually see Boo explode onto the scene atop his ranger’s formidably sized shoulder; “My hamster speaks truth, ugly ones! Surrender or face huge justice!”

Enjoyably though, once Zub’s penmanship does finally get things going, it’s easy to imagine most of this publication’s 4,602 strong circulation thoroughly enjoying its jaw-cracking concoction of powerful pummels to the face, well-aimed arrows and deadly attacks by a certain miniature giant space rodent. Furthermore, the pace of the already frenzied action is ramped up every so often by the clever inclusion of Deniak feverishly working his dark magic upon his immobile, sacrificial sibling to become imbued with all the dread power of a dragon.

Ably aiding any reader through this comic’s sedentary start, and then gleefully hurling them face-first into the sheer carnage of Minsc bludgeoning a basement full of Bugbears, is Max Dunbar, whose artwork does a tremendous job in depicting the emotions of this mini-series’ considerably sized cast. Indeed, besides the sheer ferocity on show during this book’s climatic fight sequence, one of its highlights is just how well the concept artist manages to etch the venomous envy upon Deniak’s face and the genuine concern upon Delina’s for her beloved brother’s wellbeing despite everything he has done against her.

Written by: Jim Zub, Art by: Max Dunbar, and Colors by: John-Paul Bove

Star Trek: The Mirror War: Troi #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR - TROI No. 1, September 2022

Turning the recently concluded Mirror War mini-series spotlight upon Deanna Troi and the supposedly dramatic course of events which lead to her becoming the much-feared Inquisitor aboard the I.S.S. Enterprise, “this one-shot set in the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation” probably didn’t please as many fans of the science fiction franchise as perhaps its publishers hoped it would. In fact, Marieke Nijkamp’s backstory arguably doesn’t make all that much sense, as the Betazed Administrator appears to double-cross everyone, including her planet’s population, apparently just to show Jean-Luc Picard that her murderous obsession with power would make her a useful ally for his “ruthless ambition.”

Admittedly, the fact the cold-hearted killer is perfectly happy to personally disintegrate her closest confidant, Lwesi, after the ill-fated advisor is ordered to take “charge of our Plan B” by infiltrating the Stargazer’s Cargo Bay Two, certainly shows the extent to which the mass-manipulator will stoop to attain the potent mix of “triumph, vengeance, [and] power” which she so greatly desires. But having repeatedly demonstrated such disloyalty, treachery and duplicity to the bald Terran Empire officer, including an attempt to have her world’s dissidents assassinate him, it seems rather unconvincing anyone would see such an untrustworthy person as being an essential piece of their own grand scheme for domination.

Furthermore, there are so many twists and turns to the Dutch author’s twenty-page plot, that by the end of the comic some within its audience may well be completely confused as to just which attacks upon Picard and his crew were planned by the titular character, and what was merely unexpected happenstance. It certainly seems likely that one of the Stargazer’s crewmen telling his captain that Lwesi and her handful of rebel fighters were actually in need of the Empire’s help came as much as a surprise to the Betazoid leader as it did Jean-Luc; “Are all your officers so weak to be easily control--” 

Setting aside such quibbles as to its narrative, Megan Levens’ layouts for Issue One of “Star Trek: The Mirror War – Troi” certainly bring some enjoyable phaser-fights to eye-catching life whenever the book requires them. Indeed, there’s a palpable sense of dynamic action to the “Buffyverse” illustrator’s pencils when she first depicts the insurgents enthusiastically blazing away at their planet’s ‘honoured guests’, which helps carry any perusing bibliophile through some of the script’s more mundane, dialogue-heavy sequences.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR - Troi #1 by Megan Levens & Charlie Kirchoff

Hendricks #1 - What If Stories

HENDRICKS No. 1, July 2019

Marvellously mashing up the motion picture worlds of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” with that of Ron Underwood’s “Tremors”, Matt Stapleton’s storyline for Issue One of “Hendricks” must surely have pleased fans of either movie franchise when it was first released in 2019. Indeed, if nothing else the whopping thirty-eight-page periodical does an excellent job of fleshing out the silver screen (supporting) character Leonard Hendricks, by showing just how much Martin Brody’s death and the continued corruption of Amity’s town council affected the police deputy; “I was a coward. I ran… We were going to expose them. Mayor Vaughn and that crooked developer Peterson.” 

Foremost of this super-sized comic’s hooks must be the continuation of events after “Jaws: The Revenge” and the author’s enthralling insinuation that the likes of Larry Vaughn always knew that their lovely little island’s waters were infested with man-eating sharks. This suggestion radically alters the “well-meaning and caring” but ultimately greedy portrayal of the town manager by actor Murray Hamilton, and replaces it with a much more dark, deeply disturbing tale of a man’s criminal irresponsibility, as well as arguably cold-hearted manslaughter.

In fact, quite possibly this publication’s biggest highlight is artist Rhys Wootton prodigiously pencilling a terrified titular character being lowered into the monster-filled sea without an air tank or equipment simply to stop him blabbing to the press about the councilman’s dirty little secret. These tremendously impactive scenes are wonderfully dramatic, especially once Hendrick’s poorly maintained cage is easily breached by a particularly hungry great white, and very convincingly explains why the traumatised policeman initially fled the community rather than speak out against his torturers.

Similarly as successful though, is this book’s secondary tale of Leonard unsurprisingly leaving Amity after exposing the mayor’s murderous machinations and supposedly seeking recuperative rest in the idyllic sounding settlement of Perfection. Heavily influenced by the tendril-tearing trauma which made “Tremors” such a beloved horror flick, Stapleton is finally able to show that the former-deputy plainly has some gritty determination of his own, as he neatly pens a homage to the cataclysmic conclusion of “Jaws 2” by having Hendricks lure a predatory giant worm into explosively chomping upon the local electricity mains supply cable.

Writer: Matt Stapleton and Illustrator: Rhys Wootton

Batgirls #6 - DC Comics

BATGIRLS No.6, July 2022

Rather succinctly bringing this on-going series’ opening six-part storyline to a conclusion, as well as potentially paying homage to Christopher Nolan’s 2012 superhero film “The Dark Knight Rises” by having Stephanie Brown seemingly die in an explosion at the end after unselfishly driving a bomb-laden car into a river, Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad’s script for “One Way Or Another” probably pleased the majority of its audience. Indeed, the twenty-two-page periodical’s plot is particularly successful in evenly sharing out its spotlight between all three different incarnations of Batgirl to ensure each crime-fighter actively contributes towards the combined defeat of Tutor and Spellbinder; “Not only did they help administer an antidote to the Fear toxin, but one of them allegedly gave her life stopping a bomb…”

In addition, this publication most probably hooked many a perusing bibliophile straight from its start by hurling Barbara Gordon right into the centre of the action despite the “popular comic book figure” being comprehensively tied to a chair. The supposedly disadvantaged superheroine’s subsequent fisticuffs with Charles Dante is enthrallingly ferocious, courtesy of the former paraplegic utilising her experience of being ‘trapped in a wheelchair’ to outmanoeuvre and ultimately outwrestle, her overconfident opponent.

No less impressive though is the authors’ handling of Cassandra Cain and her last second roof-top rescue of the suicidal Grace O'Halloran. This wonderfully orchestrated sequence not only produces a moment of genuine mirth when the brainwashed news reporter mistakes her rescuer as the Dark Knight himself and is curtly corrected. But also sees the black-clad vigilante cleverly use her bat-line’s momentum to safely swing the pair into the very room where Brown is somewhat struggling against her electro-sword wielding opponent - just so the dynamic duo can subsequently coordinate an impressive double Kung-fu kick upon an astonished Cody Kline.

Working well in tandem with Cloonan and Conrad is Jorge Corona, whose well pencilled panels really help sell the superior fighting skills of this comic’s titular characters and the awkward arrogance of their heftier enemies who foolishly seem to think that their physical size alone makes them unstoppable. Furthermore, due respect should also be given to colorist Sarah Stern, whose eye-catching use of different purple and blues throughout Stephanie and Cassandra’s exploits marvellously contrasts with the vibrant orange-red palette utilised during the scenes concerning Barbara.

Story: Becky Cloonan & Michael Conrad, Art: Jorge Corona, and Colors: Sarah Stern

Task Force Z #10 - DC Comics

TASK FORCE Z No. 10, September 2022

Repeatedly chucking its audience all over the place as far as this narrative’s timeline is concerned, it is hard to imagine many bibliophiles were able to properly follow Matthew Rosenberg’s choppy storyline for Issue Ten of “Task Force Z”, at least with just a single reading. For whilst the twenty-two-page periodical certainly contains some sense-shattering action sequences, such as Peacemaker lethally braining an inbound intruder with a single blow, the decision by its “hard-hitting” writer to persistently relocate the action back and forth between the zombie team’s latest headquarters and the old Chop Shop “twenty-four hours later (but still months ago)” gets frustratingly disorientating rather quickly.

In addition, it’s arguably not made particularly clear just what Amanda Waller’s main goal is apart from ordering her “rent-a-geniuses” to “figure out how to put memories into a dead guy.” Ultimately, this rather puzzling plot thread reveals that throughout this mini-series the super-strong villain Bane has actually been the ‘pumped-up’ crime-fighter Gotham in disguise, with the implication being that Edmund Dorrance’s real son “somehow survived during the A-Day.” However, as it’s crystal clear that the United States government agent doesn’t trust either Two-Face or Mister Bloom, the notion she’d willingly allow Jim Gordon’s arch-nemesis the opportunity to overwrite her undead team’s minds with his own homicidal one is unconvincing at best. 

Fortunately, what this book’s penmanship debatably lacks in logic it more than makes up for with violent action, courtesy of Red Hood’s confrontation with Mister Bloom and the masked maniac’s mind-controlled minions – KGBeast and Madame Crow. Initially, this pulse-pounding bout of meta-human pugilism looks set to be decidedly one-sided considering that Solomon Grundy literally smashes his way into the fracas on the former-Robin’s side. But once the fists, feet and severed limbs start flying all over the place, an eventual winner is far less certain - particularly when Task Force Z’s “criminal contortionist” also turns traitor; “It must have been Copperhead. Bloom must have gotten to him too.”

Equally as enjoyable as this reckless rampage through the streets of Gotham City are Eddy Barrows’ layouts, which help project this comic’s significantly sized cast with plenty of raw emotion, even when its more sedentary scenes are overflowing with dialogue. Indeed, despite the brevity of her appearance in this publication, Waller arguably steals every panel in which she appears, courtesy of some wicked pencilling demonstrating all the character’s ruthlessness, strength of will, and utter arrogance.

The regular cover art of "TASK FORCE Z" #10 by Eddy Barrows & Adriano Lucas

Ms. Marvel & Wolverine #1 - Marvel Comics

MS. MARVEL & WOLVERINE No. 1, October 2022

Rather enthusiastically proclaimed by its New York-based publisher as containing a team-up with “one of the Marvel Universe’s most lauded heroes in an oversized action-packed adventure”, this opening instalment of a three-issue saga certainly showcases both the body-morphing abilities and endearing characteristics which helped win Sana Amanat’s co-creation “the Hugo Award for best graphic story in 2015.” In fact, Kamala Khan’s innocent uncertainty as to just what is going on throughout the assault upon Central Park’s “crazy futuristic treehouse” rather nicely matches that of the audience, and thus arguably helps them share a common bond together as the storytelling progresses.

Of course, perhaps this comic’s biggest selling-point is the inclusion of Wolverine, as well as the rest of the highly popular X-Men, and Jody Houser’s writing definitely doesn’t disappoint in providing the mutant super-group with plenty of scintillating spotlight. Ever grumpy and willing to take a bloody hit just to get a deadly strike of his claws home, Logan clearly takes the centre-stage whenever the Canadian is featured in a pulse-pounding panel. Yet rather pleasingly, that doesn’t mean for a moment that mainstay team members Rogue, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Storm and even the likes of Hisako Ichiki, aren’t also given plenty of robotic bug-busting action to get their teeth into whenever the opportunity allows.

Furthermore, the Eisner Award-nominee doesn’t simply settle for having the planet’s protectors effortlessly whip their miniscule opponents within moments, courtesy of Scott Summer’s devastatingly sweeping visor-blasts or Ms. Marvel’s all-encompassing “embiggened hands.” Instead, preferring for the protagonists to overcome their foes’ sheer weight of numbers with a well-thought out, coordinated plan involving Wolverine and Ororo Munroe; “I suppose it was too much to hope that my visit to Earth wouldn’t coincide with some sort of attack..?”

Equally as enthralling as the mysterious motivation behind the tiny, murderous machine’s Machiavellian mission are the excellent layouts of Ze Carlos and colorist, Erick Arciniega, who together provide this thirty-page periodical with plenty of attention-grabbing eye-candy. Indeed, the art team’s portrayal of its colourfully costumed female titular character is worth the comic’s cover price alone, especially once she starts using her great size to swat, stomp and splat as many of the metallic bugs as possible.

The regular cover art to "MS. MARVEL & WOLVERINE" #1 by Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee

Doctor Who: Origins #4 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #4, September 2022

It's difficult to imagine that many bibliophiles perusing Issue Four of “Doctor Who: Origins” would agree with the fan website “DC Comics News” that this book “is the perfect comic for all Doctor Who fans, old or new” considering that Jody Houser’s narrative for it is arguably a seriously sedentary affair. Sure, the publication’s plot does contain a moment of movement when the Gallifreyian gets all “timey wimey” and ferries her people’s numerous renegade colonists into the TARDIS in an act similar to the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark. But even this sequence hardly exudes much tension as each planet’s inhabitants calmly walk to safety inside the Police Box, courtesy of a textless, two-page long montage proficiently pencilled by Roberta Ingranata.

Similarly as unconvincing is the notion that each settlement’s supposed total destruction was allowed to happen by the titular character even though she knew she could stop her opponent at any moment with a second Division strike team. Such a callous disregard for life seems particularly perverse when the Doctor only calls in her heavily gunned ‘back up’ squad when it appears that the Time Lord’s opponent is finally about to kill her; “I hope you got what you needed, because I’m really not in the mood to regenerate today.” Up until this point, the American author would have her audience believe that the clandestine agency’s operative was covertly gathering testimony and evidence against her overly talkative foe, even though its debatably clear such a threshold was achieved just as soon as the fiend revealed he already had explosives planted upon all the civilisations he wanted to eradicate.

Perhaps this comic’s biggest disappointment though is just how wholly impotent the Fugitive Doctor appears to be throughout its conclusion. Having stood by and witnessed mass-murder on a multi-planetary scale simply so she can make a case against a rogue member of the council, it seems clear that the short-fused time traveller was simply going to then set-off on another mission until the highly disagreeable Taslo provides her with the spatial co-ordinates needed to go back and rescue each world’s inhabitants. Just why the Division’s top agent didn’t consider such a solution herself is baffling, as is Houser’s unpersuasive notion that even if she had done, she’d still need the mathematical skills of her treacherous one-time assistant to work out the calculations.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS" #4 by Jess Taylor

Task Force Z #9 - DC Comics

TASK FORCE Z No. 9, August 2022

Intriguingly depicting the titular characters as “public enemy number one”, Matthew Rosenberg’s script for Issue Nine of “Task Force Z” certainly contains a super-tense stand-off between Red Hood’s zombie-like goon squad and a heavily-gunned Gotham City Police Department. In fact, the sheer amount of officers stood outside the Snyder Ice Rink in Bludhaven arguably suggests that without Bane’s surprising distraction, Jason Todd’s team might not have survived the encounter intact; “Head for the Van! Copperhead, No! Don’t eat him… Good little monsters. Good job not eating the cop.”

Disappointingly though, the rest of this periodical’s twenty-two page long plot doesn’t debatably seem to lead anywhere until its very end, with the American author spending some significant time spotlighting the treacherous Mister Bloom’s investigations into Powers International’s deepest, darkest secrets. True, these incredibly dialogue-heavy scenes do eventually divulge that the “twisted meta-human” has established some sort of hold over King Snake’s Venom-enhanced, super-strong son using a covertly implanted brain chip, but such a revelation could probably have been told within a much shorter time-frame.

Instead, this book is padded out with Sundowner single-handedly almost taking out the entirety of Task Force Z, courtesy of an obvious ambush inside a pitch black recreation facility. So bloody a subsequent battle is undeniably pulse-pounding as Hanna Hobart’s alter-ego savagely slices her way through her former colleagues one-by-one. However, the villain’s eventual defeat and demise at the hands of Solomon Grundy is then solely used by Two Face as a means to obtain some more Lazarus Resin so as to resurrect the very undead criminals “their most dangerous foe” slaughtered during her attack in the first place. 

Significantly more convincing than this publication’s storyline is Eddy Barrows’ remarkable pencils, which go a long way to helping keep the reader fully invested in this book. The Brazilian artist proves particularly good when sketching Mister Bloom’s disconcertingly awkward mannerisms, so that even when the unnervingly masked menace is supposedly being friendly to the adolescent Derek Powers by ruffling the young boy’s hair, any perusing bibliophile will still feel that at any moment Commissioner Gordon’s arch-nemesis is going to cold-heartedly kill the kid.

The regular cover art of "TASK FORCE Z" #9 by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira & Adriano Lucas

Shang-Chi And The Ten Rings #2 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS No. 2, October 2022

Absolutely steeped in both nostalgia and treachery, this continuation of “the epic new era of Shang-Chi” most probably mesmerised the vast majority of its audience with the return of Leiko Wu and riveting re-tread of the Master of Kung Fu’s “early days as an MI-6 agent." Indeed, Gene Luen Yang’s penmanship of “Old Friends” is so highly evocative of the martial artist’s adventures during the Bronze Age of Comics, that it’s arguably a shame this twenty-page periodical’s battle against Carlton Velcro and his gun-toting goons isn’t somewhat longer.

Foremost of this narrative’s ‘hooks’ has to be the way the American Author wastes very little time getting his cast to assemble inside the professional criminal’s formidably-sized grotto at the gulf of Lions in southern France. This sequence contains a plethora of “James Bond” type tropes which really help maintain the plot’s old school atmosphere, whether it be a scuba-swim down a secret underwater tunnel, a dash across a single-tracked rock-bridge where one wrong step will send the protagonists plummeting into a panther-packed ravine, or a lavishly furnished living quarters crammed full of ornately-armed minions.

In addition, the tense, action-packed fight scenes arguably help distract the audience from the burglary taking place in the Appalachians by a group of red-costumed ninjas. This attempt to capture the Ten Rings isn’t given anywhere near the limelight thrust upon Shang-Chi’s rescue mission. So when it's brought to a truly shocking conclusion at the very end of the publication, it’s perfidious revelation is debatably all the more startling; “Agent Black Jack Tarr to MI-6. I have the rings. These bloody things better be worth the trouble.” 

Of course, such successful storytelling would not be possible without the engrossing layouts of Marcus To, whose pencilling of a certain former Freelance Restorations operative against some truly-demonic looking guardian statues is flesh-crawlingly disconcerting to say the least. The Canadian artist also does a first-rate job in portraying the angry anguish felt by “The Chi-Meister” when he realises he’s been played for a total fool by his old friends, and the determined look in the hero’s eyes now he realises they disappointingly regard the new Commander of the Five Weapons Society as an enemy.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS" #2 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson

DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War #1 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR No. 1, September 2022

As spin-offs from a limited series go, Alex Paknadel and Matthew Rosenberg’s storyline for Issue One of “DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War” definitely seems to do a reasonable job in depicting just how desperate things have become for those super-heroes (and villains) who have been able to endure Dick Grayson’s bloodthirsty betrayal of the Batman. In fact, the duo’s notion of the planet’s sole survivors living below ground in a cavernous stronghold is really well-penned, leaving little doubt as to just how tenuous its inhabitants’ grip is upon a ‘normal life’ due to thirty-six percent of the humans’ food supply being wholly reliant upon Captain Atom converting “his energy output into solar radiation for us so we could grow crops and get Vitamin D.”

To make matters even gloomier, this yarn’s riveting plot also shows just how disconnected some of the settlement’s Council members are with one another, courtesy of Deathstroke’s brazen attempt to resurrect Bruce Wayne’s emaciated corpse using a Lazarus Pit in Switzerland, and then encourage him to stage a coup against the likes of Lead, Midnighter, John Constantine and Metropolis’ Mayor Fleming. This shocking betrayal by Slade Wilson not only demonstrates just how ineffectively “bureaucratic” the so-called protagonists have become in their battle against Nightwing’s ever-expanding Vampire Empire. But also leads to what little stability they had being completely destroyed by an infected Damage, who unsurprisingly follows his former friends from the Swiss Alps back to their secret sanctuary so as to blow it up.

Perhaps this book’s most eye-catching element however, lies with Pasquale Qualano’s pencilling and colourist Nicola Righi’s unnerving red, black, grey and white tones. This somewhat unique look to the twenty-three page plot genuinely appears to help reinforce all of its sombre themes, whilst signposting numerous elements throughout the publication’s panels, such as the blood-red moon, Deathstroke’s persistent presence and Captain Atom’s life-giving energy.

Equally as enjoyable is this comic’s ‘back-up’ tale, “Who’s Trapped”, by Guillaume Singelin. Featuring the final fate of Commissioner Jim Gordon at the hands of his daughter, Batgirl, this exhilarating, action-packed fright-fest is absolutely crammed full of high-speed antics, and strongly reminiscent of a Manga-style magazine; “You were a good cop, a good father, Mister Gordon. I promise to avenge you. All of you. And I keep my promises.”

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR" #1 by Alan Quah

Shang-Chi And The Ten Rings #1 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS No. 1, September 2022

Proudly proclaimed by “Marvel Worldwide” as the start of “a bold new era” for the Master of Kung Fu, Gene Luen Yang’s script for Issue One of “Shang-Chi And The Ten Rings” arguably doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to involving its titular character in pulse-pounding pugilism and deep-rooted treachery. For whilst this twenty-page periodical’s plot does contain a brief sedentary sojourn to a crazy golf course so as to show the martial artist wooing current girlfriend Delilah Wang, the vast majority of this comic is crammed full of sizzling laser beams, deadly-sharp giant blades and gun-toting Hydra goons.

Indeed, straight from this book’s opening, where a pair of ill-thinking Warriors of the Deadly Hand unwisely attempt to interact with Ta-Lo’s mystical iron weapons, its American author appears determined to ensure that the reader is persistently kept ‘on the edge of their seat’ with a series of well-penned, dramatic occurrences involving some of Brother Hand’s most notorious opponents; “Makes you wonder -- If he’s got these, why isn’t the Five Weapons Society in charge of, well… everything..?! 

Perhaps foremost of these ‘guest appearances’ is that of William Young, who not only makes a surprising, savage attack upon “the Chi-Meister” whilst the Supreme Commander is busy putting. But also ‘enjoys’ a throwback comment to one of his early battles as Razor Fist when Doug Moench’s co-creation got one of his formidably-sized blades stuck in a statue. Sadly, this epic tussle only lasts a dozen or so panels. However, its brevity is actually crucial to Yang’s storyline, as the now heavily-bearded mercenary was supposed to delay Shang-Chi long enough for Lady Iron Fan’s winning bidders to successfully steal the Ten Rings.

Admirably adding some extra “Klunk”, “Hwak” and “Whump” to this publication’s proceedings is Marcus To, who amongst other positives, somehow manages to prodigiously pencil the absolutely lethal Heavenly Weapons with a disconcertingly deadly personality all of their own. In fact, coupled with the sheer amount of colourfully-attired assassins being brutally clobbered, as well as the Red Dot’s gruesome demise, and it’s debatably hard to imagine what else a bibliophile could expect from the Canadian artist inside a Kung Fu comic.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS" #1 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson

Dungeons & Dragons Annual 2022 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ANNUAL 2022, August 2022

Enthusiastically described by “IDW Publishing” as a “special self-contained issue that’s perfect for new readers and gaming fans alike”, Jim Zub and Ryan Cady’s two yarns for the “Dungeons & Dragons Annual 2022” certainly seem to live up to their hype. Indeed, as was probably intended, the authors’ exploration of the Feywild Realm will doubtless pique the interest of this comic’s audience so much so that many may well consider purchasing “The Wild Beyond The Witchlight” adventure sourcebook upon which its narratives are inspired; “Once every eight years, a piece of the Feywild returns to enrapture and entertain the good people of this town.”

First up is arguably the meatier adventure of the book, “Lost & Found”, which sees “fan-favourite D&D writer” Zub take the reader on a fun-packed romp full of humanoid rabbit warriors, wyrmling-guarded cottages and super-cute Owl-bears. The penmanship for this thirty-page escapade proves particularly effective as it will surely cause many a bibliophile to initially dislike its lead protagonist Billi Sharpe right up until the young rogue’s mysterious (and decidedly tragic) background story is revealed – after which they’ll probably be rooting her on as she desperately tries to rescue her brother from the clutches of a truly despicable old witch.

Somewhat reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”, along with a sprinkle of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice In Wonderland”, this fable is also quite cleverly bookended by artist Eduardo Mello, with Kyler Clodfelter tackling all the interior illustrations once Sharpe has taken the plunge through one of Witchlight’s numerous looking glasses. This visual emphasise that both the thief’s world, as well as its rules, have radically changed genuinely helps reinforce her character’s edgy nervousness at being placed in an entirely unknown environment, and also adds an extra element of potential danger to the sneaky lockpick’s perilous predicament.

Perhaps somewhat less venturesome is Cady’s “Something For Everyone”. Possibly best described as “Romeo and Juliet” but with fairies, this ten-sheet ‘short’ provides a fairly straightforward romp concerning a lawful faction of tiny, winged warriors and a pilfering band of similar-sized criminals. Gorgeously sketched and coloured by Vincenzo Riccardi, this intriguing yarn definitely delivers some well-pencilled eye-candy, and helps provide a romantic air to the two lovers' dramatic escape from the inflexible attitudes of their polar opposite cultures.

Written by: Jim Zub & Ryan Cady, and Art by: Eduardo Mello, Kyler Clodfelter & Vincenzo Riccardi

Harley Quinn #17 - DC Comics

HARLEY QUINN No. 17, September 2022

Supposedly promising “the moment we’ve been building toward for months”, Stephanie Phillips’ narrative for Issue Sixteen of “Harley Quinn” certainly should have sated most of this comic’s audience with its succinct conclusion to the American author’s five-part long storyline concerning the Verdict. Yet whilst this twenty-two-page periodical undeniably brings the “violent vigilante” to justice, courtesy of the titular character teaming up with Batwoman once again, its sickly-sweet nature and somewhat illogical set-up, rather ruin the moment; “I think you’re going to make someone really happy one day. But more importantly… We’ve got each other. And we’ve got this entire city.”

For starters, having only given “your hyper-verbal, semi-reformed former villain” a flesh wound with her close-range gunshot, Sam Payne suddenly decides to end it all by blowing up Gotham’s City Hall and all its innocent inhabitants with her still inside it. This suicide mission admittedly demonstrates just how deranged the former cop has become following her realisation as to the deep-rooted corruption infesting her metropolis’ justice system. However, it seems somewhat at odds for Kevin’s girlfriend to go ‘off the rails’ quite so dramatically that instead of continuing to target just the corrupt judges and council workers individually, she instead decides to just wipe the municipal building, complete with any innocent employees and unfortunate visitors, en masse.

In addition, it’s perhaps not as clear as it could be just how Quinn actually manages to save the day..? Batwoman is clearly busy desperately trying to deactivate all the Verdict’s explosive devices before the homicidal maniac detonates them. But just how Harley is subsequently still throwing Muhammad Ali-style haymakers with the same injured shoulder she could barely move an hour earlier is anybody’s guess, especially when Payne has literally just given the colourfully costumed trained psychiatrist a serious smackdown of her own.

Providing this publication with their swansong as its interior artist is Riley Rossmo, who arguably adds a lot of much-needed energy to this comic’s storytelling. Of note is the Canadian artist’s dynamic depiction of Quinzel’s delirious dream sequence boxing the Verdict. The pencilled punches are ferocious and readers will surely be able to hear both the sound of leather upon flesh, as well as the squeak of trainers upon canvas, as they enthusiastically peruse the scintillating sparring taking place in the squared circle before them.

The regular cover art of "HARLEY QUINN" #17 by Riley Rossmo