Moon Knight [2021] #21 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 21, May 2023

Somewhat side-lining the titular character in favour of his vampire-turned-secretary Reese, Jed MacKay’s narrative for Issue Twenty-One of “Moon Knight” is initially a little slower-paced than some of its readers were probably expecting. Indeed, the twenty-page periodical’s plot is completely devoid of any action whatsoever for its opening half, as the audience are shown just how a principled blood-drinker likes to spend a night out with friends; “You’re going out dancing! Living life! And old Jake’s found you the hottest ticket in town!”

Happily however, that doesn’t mean that the comic’s start isn’t intriguing, as the Canadian author does a nice job in penning just how Marc Spector’s fanged confidant is coping with being an undead creature, and what life-style changes she has accepted so as to carry on ‘living’ as normal a life as possible. Considering just how violent her savage transition was, this development makes ‘Draculady’ even more admirable a cast member than before, especially when she ensures the less-experienced Soldier drinks up all his plasma before ‘hanging around humans’.

Furthermore, “Let’s Dance” provides Jake Lockley with some enjoyable spotlight as the taxi driver enthusiastically conveys his employee and her pals to their nocturnal destination. Humorous and witty, the moustache-wearing cabbie injects every panel in which he appears with plenty of energy, even when he’s just talking to one of his other personas as to where he’s stashed the Fist of Khonshu’s costume.

Ultimately though this publication lives or dies upon the success of Moon Knight’s battle against “a sinister pied piper [who] plays a deadly tune”, and despite being rather abruptly resolved, courtesy of Reese transforming into a cloud of mist and falling upon her attacker, there’s still enough fisticuffs on show to arguably please the majority of perusing bibliophiles. In fact, this book’s ending, with the vampire actually being gunned down by one of the deadly deejay’s shotgun-wielding minions, probably left most looking forward to a dramatic re-match.

Adding a distinctly disconcerting red gleam in the personal assistant’s eyes are artist Alessandro Cappuccio and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, who together imbue even the most mundane, dialogue-driven scene, with lots of flashing lights and noise. Of particular note is the creative pair’s ability to have the loud music inside the disco literally pop off the page, and then replace it with the sound of shouts, screams and punches, as the dance floor descends in chaos.

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

Terrorwar #7 - Image Comics

TERRORWAR No. 7, November 2023

Waiting until this comic’s very end before presenting its readers with any sort of noticeable action, Saladin Ahmed’s narrative for Issue Seven of “Terrorwar” is arguably something of a slog. Indeed, for those bibliophiles willing to wade through the cast’s consistent swearing and profanities, there’s still sadly not much storytelling to enjoy until Doctora Z casually allows Muhammad Cho’s team to waltz straight into Representative Ronali’s supposedly impregnable flying fortress in an attempt to sabotage Blue City’s power grid.

Before this cliff-hanger of a conclusion, all the American author pens is a strange row between the dishevelled contractors as to who is willing to sacrifice everything in order to save Humanity, and somewhat surprisingly, which of the Terrorfighters selfishly just want to return to their loved ones before civilisation's end. These arguments are debatably rather illogical considering that all of Cho’s comrades-in-arms now realise the psychic manifestations are actually helpless sentient lifeforms knowingly being turned into liquid fuel by the powers that be, and have seen first-hand the devastation the surviving creatures will cause in their desperate attempt to throw off their mass-murderer’s chains.

Furthermore, so much of Muhammad’s journey to Safehaven is made super-easy by Doctora Z’s sudden betrayal of Ronali, even though no mention has ever been made as to just why the planet’s greatest scientist has suddenly decided to switch sides. Admittedly, the green-haired inventor does unapologetically make mention of the “armoured, sealed, self-sustaining community” being built to protect the world’s children. But without the physicist inexplicably turning up out of the blue and repeatedly providing the slowly dwindling freelancers with top secret intelligence and conveniently superior technology, “the fancy part of town” would already have been destroyed with only the upper quadrant’s people presumably surviving the attack.

Adding another element of ‘hurriedness’ to this twenty-two-page periodical is Dave Acosta’s artwork, which whilst being perfectly proficient in places, appears rather rushed and ill-disciplined in others – such as during the journey to Safehaven inside Doctora Z’s limousine when everyone is shouting at one another. However, for those bibliophiles able to find the illustrator’s original pencils for this publication on social media, a lot of the man’s linework appears to have been sacrificed by inker Jay Leisten in order to either allow colorist Walter Pereyra to provide some garish hue to the proceedings, or simply to help the book hit its deadline.

Written by: Saladin Ahmed, Pencils by: Dave Acosta, Inks by: Jay Leisten, and Colors by: Walter Pereyra

Blade #6 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 6, February 2024

For those readers able to ‘stomach’ the titular character’s alliance with his arch-nemesis, Dracula, Bryan Hill’s penmanship throughout Issue Six of “Blade” was probably perfectly palatably. Indeed, the American author’s pitch that the undead Transylvanian nobleman would help Eric Brooks “unlock new powers of vampirism” arguably makes for a pretty engrossing experience, especially when the pair later spar with one another, and Gerry Conway’s Marvel Comics version” of Vlad the Impaler demonstrates just how much more his special abilities exceed those of the supposedly formidable Daywalker; “I’ve seen what I needed to see. And I know why you failed.”

Sadly though, some bibliophiles will surely struggle to shake-off the belief that the shades-wearing Dhampir would never ally himself with “his sworn enemy”, no matter what the reason, and this deeply disconcerting contrivance debatably permeates every scene within the twenty-page-periodical. Sure, some within this comic’s audience might claim that the plot points at just how desperate the Midnight Sons member has become to defeat the Adana. But others may well be disappointed by the Chicago-born writer’s decision to suddenly ‘up-gun’ the Sheriff of Vampire Nation with the power of Dracula himself, courtesy of Brook shockingly drinking his eternal foe’s blood.

In fact, this particular instalment of “Mother Of Evil” could cynically be seen as Hill rather lazily shortcutting “generations” of tutelage under Vlad in order for Eric to instantly “awaken what you’ve hidden inside of you” simply so the vampire-killer is apparently 'more in tune with his imminent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) reboot.' Such lackadaisical ‘modernisation’ genuinely grates upon the senses, and smacks of the New York-based publisher's unhappiness at having to work within the long-established limits of Blade’s reliance upon man-made weapons to overcome his supernatural enemies.

However, what this book possibly lacks in convincing commotion, it does make up for with the prodigious pencilling of artist Lee Ferguson. The illustrator does a terrific job in imbuing both this comic’s two leads with plenty of restrained dynamism whilst they fight against blood zombies, the walking undead, vampire bats and each other. Furthermore, despite the rather emaciated, sombre appearance of Dracula, the figure moves throughout his stronghold in Chernobyl with all the regal haughtiness one would expect from a Fifteenth-century Wallachian prince.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #6 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire

Conan The Barbarian #5 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 5, December 2023

Somewhat intriguingly setting this adventure shortly after Conan’s “adventures on the high seas” with the now dead Belit, Jim Zub’s narrative for “The Heist” paints an enthralling picture of the sorrowful Cimmerian desperately trying to drown his great grief in the alcoholic drafts of Shadizar the Wicked. Indeed, arguably one of this comic’s hardest-hitting hooks is witnessing the heartbroken barbarian desperately agreeing to even the foolhardiest of thefts simply so he has enough coin to “return to drunken oblivion.”

Happily however, the Canadian author’s twenty-two-page plot doesn’t just dwell on the adventurer’s anguish at losing the Queen of the Black Coast and his soul-mate. But instead strives to capture the tense atmosphere generated by Robert E. Howard’s 1933 tale “The Tower of the Elephant" by depicting the thickly-muscled burglar attempting to infiltrate another of the heavily-guarded citadels stood deep within “Zamora's gleaming capital.” This stressful sequence is extremely well-written, with the Eisner Award-nominee penning a quite logical penetration of the basilica’s formidable defences, as well as some rather tongue-in-cheek exchanges between the robbers working alongside Conan - something which genuinely helps endear them to the publication’s audience.

Furthermore, the book projects an almost palpable passage of time as the quartet stealthily make their way down countless winding stairwells and past innumerable chambers packed full of devoted cultists. So tangible an atmosphere really helps sell the ever-present danger the Gloryhounds are in, and doubtless Greff’s painfully long attempt to disarm the traps protecting their highly-sought after prize will cause the odd reader to nervously look over their own shoulders for any approaching temple guards out of sympathy for the safe-cracker’s patient work; “Here, under lantern light with time running short, it pushes his abilities to their absolute limit.”

Ably aiding the story-telling within Issue Five of “Conan The Barbarian” is “the diabolical Doug Braithwaite”, whose pencils do a sterling job in portraying the squalor of Shadizar and the grotesque grimness of the Cimmerian’s route to the fortress’ Moratorium. In addition, “the master of visual sorcery” does an excellent job of showing just how merciless this current incarnation of the titular character is – a cold-blooded killer whose overwhelming unhappiness causes him to care not for the people he savagely slays with his sword.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #5 by Mike Deodato

Terrorwar #6 - Image Comics

TERRORWAR No. 6, September 2023

Described by “Image Comics” as “the strangest chapter yet in the sci-fi horror saga”, Saladin Ahmed’s script for Issue Six of “Terrorwar” probably came as a bitter disappointment to its audience in September 2023, as it mainly consists of just one long expletive laden discourse between the mysterious Doctora Z and Blue City’s sole-surviving freelance Terrorfighters. True, Muhammad Cho and his underpaid crew do momentarily battle a giant Pteranodon-shaped monstrosity whilst riding high aboard a flying luxurious limousine. But this action sequence is cut incredibly short thanks to a single, well-aimed shot at the creature.

Instead, this comic’s American author decides to painfully pad out his twenty-two-page plot with the off-screen deaths of Paulo’s entire squad, the total destruction of Central Command and more swear words than you’ll find at a hospital’s overbooked midwifery unit. Such a technique genuinely proves incredibly frustrating and arguably lazy, especially when Cho’s homicidal rivals were at the forefront of this book’s narrative until an edition or two ago. Indeed, such an almost casual offloading of the thieving, scheming government contractors strongly suggests that the creative team suddenly found themselves with far less time to tell their story than they originally thought – something which also ties in with the publisher's shock announcement that this title was now just going to be an eight-part mini-series.

Just as peculiar though is the unexpected release of Muhammad by the Terrors themselves. The “mind-bending monsters” have clearly established some sort of psychic rapport with humanity’s apparent last hope, as seen by the man’s physical pain when he later witnesses one of his colleagues blast a phantasm to pieces. Yet just why the multitude of manifestations initially withdraw their pink-hued tentacles from his brain is never explained, and instead his escape is simply used by the secondary cast as an excuse to remind the reader that “Paulo’s people are dead”.

Sadly, there debatably isn’t a great deal to celebrate with the look of this comic’s interior layouts either, courtesy of some inconsistent pencilling by Dave Acosta and disconcerting colour choices by Walter Pereyra. In fact, the scene set aboard Doctora Z’s ‘chariot’ so starkly contrasts with the visuals before it that many a reader may well initially believe it to have been crafted by a different artistic line-up.

Written by: Saladin Ahmed, Pencils by: Dave Acosta, Inks by: Jay Leisten, and Colors by: Walter Pereyra

Moon Knight [2021] #20 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 20, April 2023

Featuring one of Speedball’s less formidable foes from the Late Eighties, it’s difficult not to imagine a fair share of this comic’s readers feeling rather disenchanted with Jed MacKay’s conclusion to Issue Twenty of “Moon Knight”. True, the Canadian author’s build-up is enjoyably intriguing as numerous informants from the titular character’s past start falling like dominoes during the course of a single, crimson-splattered night. Yet, this momentum is arguably soon lost once Marc Spector determines his opponents are just the badly brainwashed Harlequin Hit-Men; “8-Ball called you a couple of jokes. 8-Ball.”

Indeed, the Fist of Khonshu defeats Herb Hollister and his wife Sheila single-handedly without even breaking a sweat, before begrudgingly handing them over to Doctor Andrea Sterman and the appropriate authorities. This all-too abrupt ending is clearly penned to provide the Gemini Award-nominee’s mysteriously manipulative “Ghost In The Telephone” with some extra awe and murderous menace – presumably for a future narrative featuring them. However, it also disappointingly shuts down any meaningful sense of dramatic closure for this particular twenty-page-periodical, as the crescent crusader simply walks away despite the brainwashed assassins having cold-bloodedly gunned down, garrotted, and blown up several members of the Shadow Cabinet.

Luckily, Alessandro Cappuccio does provide some rather theatrical layouts for this publication, which readily draw any perusing bibliophile into Moon Knight’s desperate attempt to rescue his former ‘friends’. Of particular note is the Italian illustrator’s marvellous splash-page showing the route through Manhattan Island cab driver Jake Lockley mentally envisages whilst trying to determine who will be the Harlequin Hit-Men’s next victim. Many of these panels genuinely help drive home the increasing sense of helpless loss the ex-West Coast Avenger is feeling as the corpses mount up, and additionally imbues the search for survivors by Tigra and Hunter’s Moon with some vibrant pace.

Much more action-packed and debatably entertaining though, is this publication’s celebration of Black History Month, “Moon Debt” by Danny Lore and prodigiously energetic penciller Ray-Anthony Height. Featuring “the Sheriff of the Vampire Nation”, Blade, with one of Marc’s cowled predecessors from the Mid-Seventies, this ‘secondary short’ provides a thrillingly violent insight into the Egyptian Moon God’s eternal battle against fanged blood-drinkers who stalk “the innocents walking the night.”

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

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons Of Vengeance Alpha #1 - Marvel Comics

GHOST RIDER/WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE ALPHA No. 1, October 2023

Packed full of spine-chilling supernatural shenanigans, and some truly disconcerting physical horror, most bibliophiles perusing Issue One of “Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons Of Vengeance Alpha” probably agreed with its New York City-based publisher that its “hotshot writer” Benjamin Percy was indeed “a master at crafting hair-raising sagas for Marvel’s most hardcore anti-heroes.” In fact, those readers caught up with its narrative about “a demonic serial killer [who] is murdering innocent mutants” would be hard-pressed to find any faults with this thirty-one-page periodical.

To begin with, the American author decides to depict the titular characters’ “(never before seen!) first meeting” via a well-penned flashback, and in doing so transports this comic’s audience back to a classic era of the Uncanny X-Men, when Professor Charles Xavier was busy mentoring the likes of Colossus, Storm, Angel, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat. These scenes set “many years ago” genuinely tap into an ultra-nostalgic vein, and also help sell a significant plot twist when it at first appears that super-powered little Bram Straub will swiftly receive safety inside the School for Gifted Youngsters; “Nobody wants him… including the Orphanage he keeps returning to.”

Just as enthralling though is the terrifying creature which lurks within the poor boy’s soul and seemingly comes out whenever the youngster is disappointed or upset. Somehow able to readily defeat the most formidable of Logan’s team-mates within a matter of minutes, this giant, flame-headed entity readily grabs all the attention whenever it manifests itself – especially when his appearance results in the formation of a stomach-churning flesh column which consists of various hapless children’s twisted corpses.

Readily willing and able to assist Percy in this book’s storytelling is “acclaimed artist Geoff Shaw” of “Thanos” and “Guardians Of The Galaxy” fame. The illustrator does a first-rate job of making the ordinarily warm and welcoming X-Mansion as creepy as possible once tiny Straub crosses its threshold during an electrical storm. Whilst simultaneously prodigiously pencilling Johnny Blaze’s jaw-dropping attempt to break the record of jumping eighteen burning buses on a motorbike. In addition, the University of New Mexico graduate wonderfully captures both the fiery menace of the Ghost Rider and dangerous, quick-moving mannerisms of Wolverine, once the pair clash heads towards this publication’s end.

The regular cover of "GHOST RIDER/WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE ALPHA" #1 by Ryan Stegman

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #6 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 6, January 2024

There’s a lot of relatively straightforward storytelling to be found in Issue Six of “Incredible Hulk” which arguably harks back to the simpler days of comic books when the author would set the scene with a murderous assault upon some helpless innocents and then pen the titular character inadvertently appearing on the horizon to save the day. However, despite Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script for “Spirits Of Vengeance” following much of this tried and tested formula, its twenty-page plot also introduces the intriguing presence of “a one-hundred-year-old Ghost Rider” who appears determined “to ride down the Hulk!”

This fiery zombie mercilessly wielding a submachine-gun is easily the star of the show, appearing as a combination between Johnny Blaze’s skull-faced alter-ego and Captain America’s early days fighting Nazi Germany during World War Two. Furthermore, despite the heroic nature of the flame-covered cadaver, this publication’s author quite cleverly sets the motorcyclist up against the Jade Giant, rather than the savage monstrosity who has already slaughtered one of the settlement’s inhabitants; “He’s coming. Sal only comes when something bad is close… When the monsters are close.”

Similarly as well-penned is the believable build-up behind the Spanish-speaking settlers seeking work in Texas. True, the residents aren’t given too much ‘screen time’ before their number is brutally thinned by a blood-curdling killer. But in the time they’re given the poor labourers arguably quickly win over the audience with their love for one another, generosity towards similarly luckless strangers, and determination to ‘eke out a living’ in spite of the grotesque death fate appears to have in store for them.

Adding plenty of empathy to these penniless people’s plight is Nic Klein, whose pencilling imbues the likes of family man Jaime and young Leo, with plenty of genuinely likeable personality. Furthermore, the German illustrator does a first-rate job in sketching Bruce Banner’s painfully prolonged transformation into the Hulk. This double-splash skin-shedding is as gruesome-looking as the furious flesh-ripping is disconcerting, and alongside the excellent drawings of the “undead Spirit of Vengeance” fruitlessly attempting to gun down the founding Avenger, is well worth the cover price of this comic.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #6 by Nic Klein

Doctor Who: Once Upon A Time Lord [Part Two] - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ONCE UPON A TIME LORD, November 2023

Perhaps rather unsurprisingly concluding his “incredible Doctor Who comics debut” with the Tenth Doctor confronting all of the dead souls he’s created throughout his numerous adventures, Dan Slott’s conclusion to the celebratory “Firelight” is debatably rather dissatisfactory. True, the American author does inject a few noteworthy moments within this crescendo of cameos, such as the Cybermen once again battling a handful of Daleks as John Lumic unemotionally looks on. But all these scenes are so stiflingly short-lived, that there’s rarely an appearance that maintains a reader’s attention for any significant length of time.

Indeed, considering that the Gallifreyian simply gallops past all these people without any problem, courtesy of the alien werewolf from “Tooth And Claw”, this entire yarn appears to have been penned simply to provide Matthew Dow Smith the opportunity to pencil as many of the Doctor’s numerous enemies as he can. However, the narrative’s conclusion is wonderfully written, with the all-powerful Pyromeths finding themselves utterly helpless before the stern-faced time traveller once they discover to their utter horror that the fairytale Martha Jones has carefully been telling them was actually the truth; “Suddenly they could hear it. The wheezing, groaning sound of the TARDIS…”

Far more disappointing is this graphic novel’s much smaller, “special bonus” script, which features the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler perturbingly battling the Terileptil whilst orbiting the Earth at the start of the Twenty-First Century. Based upon the popular pairing spouting nonsense as they tie the “space-faring reptilian species” up in knots with plenty of tongue-twisters, Slott lamentably just repeats this particular incarnation’s penchant for de-evolving his foes back to when they were a much less dangerous species of extra-terrestrials.

Much more successful than the writing for “Rhyme Or Reason” are arguably Mike Collins’ clean-lined illustrations, with the West Bromwich-born artist rather pleasingly capturing the physical likeliness of both Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper as they joyfully outwit the supposedly highly sophisticated, technologically advanced fish-like humanoids. In addition, there’s a real stiffness to the movement of the Terileptils in “Doctor Who: Once Upon A Timelord” which nostalgically mimics the creatures’ awkwardness when seen on the small screen during the 1982 televised show “The Visitation”.

Writer: Dan Slott, and Artists: Christopher Jones & Matthew Dow Smith, and Mike Collins

Titans #5 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 5, January 2024

Very much living up to “DC Comics” pre-publication promise of “The Titans are going green” in this twenty-page-periodical, Tom Taylor’s plot for “Out Of The Shadows” still probably dissatisfied a number of its readers with its super-wordy narrative. Indeed, even the titular super-group’s battle against “the new and improved Demolition Team” is resolved via Beast Boy angrily giving one of the villains a considerable tongue-lashing, as opposed to transforming into one of his famously flamboyant animal forms; “Gar. They’re subdued. The town and the people are safe. It’s done.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean for a second that this book’s “New York Times bestselling author” doesn’t later depict Changeling in a multitude of guises as Logan impressively transmutes into a mass of butterflies, dung beetles and then ladybirds in order “to heal the Borneo rainforest”. But these marvellous, multi-bug makeovers are included simply to show the extent of the former Doom Patrol member’s special powers, as opposed to exciting the audience during the aging sidekicks’ stand-off against numerous criminals “with a construction motif”.

Arguably much more involving, though just as dialogue driven, is Nightwing’s last minute deduction that the Flash’s future murderer is actually Wally West’s alien-possessed wife. This well-penned revelation is already known to any bibliophile familiar with the ongoing series. Yet the shock generated by the investigative journalist nonchalantly attempting to detonate a Qwardian Doomsday Weapon inside the Titan trophy room on Mars is still somewhat palpable, due to the reactions of both Dick Grayson and the Scarlet Speedster as Linda impotently taps the neutralised device’s activation button repeatedly.

Perhaps slightly discombobulated by this comic’s inaction is Nicola Scott, whose sketches of Swamp Thing seemingly make the Avatar of the Green appear disconcertingly thin and utterly unimposing. In fact, the protector of plant life is regrettably difficult to spot in many a panel, due to the peaceful yet supposedly powerful giant’s lack-lustre stature, and some of colourist Annette Kwok’s dark-hued palette choices. Happily however, the Australian artist doesn’t disappoint when it comes to Beast Boy’s aforementioned insect-based transformation sequence, with the depiction of the protagonist willingly losing a tiny part of himself whenever one of his green-hued creepy crawlies dies probably being the highlight of the book.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Nicola Scott, and Colorist: Annette Kwok

Doctor Who: Once Upon A Time Lord [Part One] - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ONCE UPON A TIME LORD, November 2023

Whilst it’s rather unlikely that many of this hard-back graphic novel’s readers will actually “be on the edge of your Tardis as Martha recounts three unbelievable tales of The Doctor facing off against his deadliest foes”, many should still enjoy Dan Slott’s penmanship for the book’s opening adventure “Firelight”. Indeed, a fair few Whovians probably felt that it was something of a shame the “Eisner Award-winning Spider-Man writer” wasn't asked to use his forty-page plus plot as the basis for the science fiction television programme’s Sixtieth Anniversary celebrations; “So all of those incredible ludicrous things I said you did… You actually did all of that?!”

For starters it is arguably all too easy to imagine actor David Tennant thoroughly captivating a small screen audience with the Tenth Doctor’s antics as he desperately attempts to have his time machine get swallowed whole by an enormous killer space salmon. The entire build-up to this ‘Jonah and the whale’ moment is wonderfully entertaining and rather pleasingly adds an extra element of interest to the superstitious Sycorax, courtesy of the vicious intergalactic plunderer Admiral Scarrr and his ‘Moby Dick’ like obsession with the mighty Troutanicus.

However, probably this comic’s best yarn concerns the Time Lord’s decision to match wits with both the Third Reich and the alien Osiran Horus during the Second World War. Absolutely crammed with all the Egyptian puzzles and mummeries a fan would expect from a narrative clearly inspired by Robert Holmes’ “Pyramids Of Mars”, this pillaging of the extra-terrestrial's treasure beneath the sands of North Africa contains a mesmerising mixture of shocks and tongue-in-cheek humour - most notably when the obnoxious and utterly arrogant Colonel Heinrich Munsterhausen demands that the 'god' send him straight to the Realm of the Dead, and is promptly executed by a robot mummy.

Disappointingly though, this book’s artwork does occasionally prove something of an obstacle due to Christopher Jones’ splendid layouts quickly being replaced with the much rawer pencils of Matthew Dow Smith as the action moves from the peaceful planet Bibalabinko to the stormy Plasma Seas of Sirenia Seven. Admittedly, Smith’s proficient panels still help with the storytelling. But when compared to the prodigious artwork of the “Young Justice” illustrator, the stark contrast in quality is disconcerting to say the least.

Writer: Dan Slott, and Artists: Christopher Jones & Matthew Dow Smith

Creepshow [2023] #3 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 3, November 2023

Disconcertingly delivered like something out of “Tharg's Future Shocks” than the American comedy horror anthology franchise, Zoe Thorogood’s space-age saga “Eternity, Eternity, Eternity” probably caused a fair bit of consternation to those anticipating a ghoulish tale from beyond the grave. Indeed, arguably the ten-page tale’s sole connection with George A. Romero’s popular series is the obligatory brief inclusion of the Creep as narrator, and several buckets worth of gruesome bodily dismemberment; “With nothing left, I began to deconstruct. Life had won. I lay on the ash covered wasteland I once called home.”

To make matters worse though, the comic creator’s pencilling doesn’t arguably add all that much dynamic life to her adventure about an immortal woman getting thoroughly bored with living forever either, courtesy of some rather flat-looking panels with empty backgrounds. This artistic style does admittedly have its moments, most notably at the story’s start when scientist loses her pet cat and husband through unhappy circumstances. But by the time the illustrator’s main protagonist has injected herself with “only one viable dose of serum” and plucked out an eye in frustration at its singular effect, the sole purpose of many a subsequent picture appears to simply be to shock the audience with another gawdy show of self-mutilation.

Much more mesmerising is “Sacrifices” by Joel Farrelly, which does a cracking job in combining a modern-day crime thriller with a Cthulhu-like deep sea deity. Persistently twisting and turning, the ‘subversive comedian’ repeatedly keeps his audience on the edge of their seats, even when the narrative’s major mobster sniffs out his wife’s treachery and unsurprisingly intercepts professional thief Eddie before the light-fingered rogue can escape off his luxurious ocean-liner with a highly-valuable red diamond.

Admirably helping to sell this tentacle-filled yarn is Goran Sudzuka, whose design for the giant crab creature Ag’Biknoir appears to have been delightfully snatched straight out of the pages of either a H. P. Lovecraft or Jules Vern novel. Furthermore, the Croatian does an excellent job in quickly shifting Berkman’s facial fury in not getting his jewel “by midnight tonight” over to sheer insanity, once the crook realises his god has already come for its sacrifice and he has nothing more to look forward to in life than a brain-splattering thump from a gigantic antsy appendage.

Writers: Zoe Thorogood and Joel Farrelly, and Artists: Zoe Thorogood and Goran Sudzuka

Planet Of The Apes [2023] #5 - Marvel Comics

PLANET OF THE APES No. 5, October 2023

Those readers who stuck around for Issue Five of “Planet Of The Apes” in August 2023 were probably rather perplexed by the comic’s disappointingly palpable, apathetic atmosphere as the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention mission to save mankind supposedly hits another “speed bump”. Indeed, it’s hard to recollect a title where the writer’s narrative arguably smacks so much of them just wanting their story to be finished, and resultantly penning some stunningly underwhelming set-pieces simply to make it happen; “I’d hoped… I’d hoped we were better than them.”

For openers, the desperate struggle for American democracy and the imminent fall of Washington DC., which saw Sergeant Tobon bring her apes halfway across the world from the International Simian Research Centre in Ghana, actually consists of just a dozen or so poorly-equipped terrorists who quickly retreat in the face of a swarm of simians running amok across Duke Ellington Bridge. This highly-anticipated battle is genuinely over before it’s even started, and any suggestion of a nation-wide struggle for survival is quickly scythed down by David F. Walker’s unsatisfactory focus upon a single nearby street being held by four ill-armed combatants.

Of course, the American author does try to imbue some sense of danger and urgency in his (significantly shortened) fifteen-page piece, by having the United Nations Peacekeeper suddenly marry park ranger Omatete, for fear that they might not ever be together again. However, considering that the pair debatably have never before displayed such an inclination, this supposedly emotionally moment sadly smacks of being an ill-thought-out, empty contrivance to just keep the tale going for a few more painful panels.

Unforgivably though, even Juliana’s swift decision to walk out on the victorious United States military and somehow conclude her own adventures by safely trekking all the way to Atlanta without incident, doesn’t come across quite as abruptly as Walker’s conclusion to this publication’s secondary yarn “Pug’s Tale”. The “award-winning comic book writer” doesn’t even bother with a title or explanatory paragraph for this chronicle, and disconcertingly just states that the French gorilla somehow crossed the English Channel into Dorset at the head of a huge Ape army, and defeated all the Exercitus Viri camped there – who were inexplicably holding the land’s inhabitants and children captive for some nefarious purpose..!?!

Writer: David F. Walker, and Artists: Dave Wachter & Andy MacDonald

Blade #5 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 5, January 2024

Disconcertingly skipping the much-hyped fight between the titular character and the Adana, this twenty-page periodical’s plot probably had many within its audience surreptitiously double-checking to make sure they hadn’t missed an instalment of Bryan Hill’s lengthy “Mother Of Evil” narrative within mere moments of starting it. True, Issue Five of “Blade” does contain a confrontation between the Daywalker and his supernatural nemesis. But it’s disappointingly set in the aftermath of the pair’s highly anticipated ‘off-screen’ skirmish, and rather disagreeably ends with an utterly impotent Eric Brooks being cast back to our present reality with his tail well and truly tucked between his legs; “Our business is done. This is goodbye.”

To make matters worse though, Marv Wolfman’s co-creation has apparently learnt absolutely nothing from the hell-creature easily breaking his wrist and seizing Lucifer’s Sword – apart from perhaps an ability to behave in an incredibly dislikeable manner towards the Sorcerer Supreme. Everything bad which happens in this book has been as a result of Dhampir’s arrogance and unwillingness to listen to the advice of Doctor Strange. Yet just as soon as the half-vampire can stand again he is threatening to unheroically scythe down the Master of the Mystic Arts because he arrogantly still believes he knows how to defeat the “indescribable, overwhelming power” of his foe.

Perhaps this comic's biggest headscratcher though comes at its confounding conclusion, when Blade willingly kneels in supplication at the feet of Count Dracula, and offers the blood-drinking fiend Lucifer’s Sword if the Transylvanian nobleman will help him better understand himself. This bizarre scene was presumably penned by the American author so as to tap into the old proverb of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. However, whilst Hill has clearly conjured up a formidable rival for Brooks to battle in the Adana, a partnership with the vampire-killer’s biggest adversary, Vlad the Impaler, is arguably pushing this ongoing series’ logic a little too far..?

Disappointingly, this script’s unwillingness to portray the savage carnage of Eric’s ferocious struggle against werewolf, cultist and demon-spawned creature also means that Elena Casagrande has little to do except pencil him getting madder as he talks with either Stephen Strange or the Adana. This genuinely feels like a real waste of the Eisner Award-winning artist’s talent, which is debatably only given room to manoeuvre when it comes to pencilling the incredibly painful internal struggle taking place between Tulip and the devil now physically residing inside her body.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #5 by Elena Casagrande & Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Planet Of The Apes [2023] #4 - Marvel Comics

PLANET OF THE APES No. 4, September 2023

Entirely set upon a besieged ocean liner “one hundred miles east of New York”, it is hard to imagine just how a writer could better stir up an almost overwhelming sense of injustice within their audience as David F. Walker does with his narrative for Issue Four of “Planet Of The Apes”. For whilst Exercitus Viri’s merciless armed assault upon Juliana Tobon’s precious passenger ship doesn’t succeed in its mission to wipe-out the world’s last sizable population of apes in captivity. The terrorist’s attack does still cause the sea vessel to be “strewn with blood and death”.

To be honest though, this palpable hostility in any reader towards the irrational anti-simian group is generated well before this comic’s disconcertingly high kill count is even hinted at, and arguably starts with the book’s opening panel as the gas-mask wearing, holier-than-thou pirate leader arrogantly declares that “the human race is depending on us” just as his soldiers’ raid begins. Indeed, the conceit of these fanatics as they mercilessly gun down unarmed chimpanzees is genuinely distressing, and doubtless caused many a bibliophile to involuntarily cheer once the monkeys begin successfully fighting back against the smaller boats surrounding their transportation.

Equally as inspiring as the “award-winning” author’s penmanship however, are Dave Wachter’s layouts, which add a tremendous amount of dynamic and emotional energy to the chaotic scenes breaking out around the ambushed U.N. Peacekeeping force. At one point it shockingly appears to be all over for Tobon, and the illustrator takes this moment to pencil some serious determination upon the faces of the enraged primates as they realise that it is now or never if their species are to survive another day; “No one was giving orders, Everything the apes did – every action they took – they did on their own.”  

Far less pulse-pounding, but just as enthralling, is this publication’s secondary story “The Smartest Gorilla In The World”, in which Walker depicts a now talking Pug realising his band of simians in France need to visit the country’s surviving zoos and animal preserves to protect their inhabitants. Well-drawn by Andy MacDonald, this five-page tale is somewhat sensitively told by having a human prisoner suddenly realise that the Exercitus Viri’s propaganda is wrong and that his captors are neither animals nor savage.

The regular cover art of "PLANET OF THE APES" #4 by Joshua Cassara & Dean White

Dune: House Harkonnen #7 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN No. 7, July 2023

Taking a somewhat more measured approach to their storytelling than the frantic dash through numerous people, places, planets, and proceedings of this mini-series’ previous instalments, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s script for Issue Seven of “Dune: House Harkonnen” should have maintained the interest of many within its audience upon its release in July 2023. True, the twenty-two-page periodical still slightly suffers with its authors' attempt to absolutely cram as many different politically-based shenanigans as they can within its cover. But the fact that the reader can now ponder upon the various events for a good score of panels every time, at least allows the characters and incidents upon Arrakis, Geidi Prime and Ginaz to increasingly generate an aura of intrigue and excitement.

Foremost of these insights into the “feudal interstellar society” is arguably Gurney Halleck’s decidedly dangerous attempt to escape imprisonment in the Harkonnen slave pits by inciting his savage guards to beat him close to death, and then using his stay at the prison hospital to stow himself away inside an off-world bound cargo of razor-sharp crystals. Well-paced and packed with plenty of tense moments as the unbroken bondsman risks all for his liberty, the talented minstrel’s plight should cause the odd bibliophile to actually hold their breath in case the noise gives the character away to his brutal overlords.

Similarly as heart-stopping and overwrought are the actions of the Ixian rebellion, as they desperately smuggle in weapons and a message from Prince Rhombur Vernius - the planet’s rightful ruler. Again the writers do a tremendous job in making even the most innocuous of daily tasks on the occupied sphere super-edgy, with every citizen encountered suspected of either being a loyalist saboteur or a Tleilaxu spy.

Undeniably the biggest contributor to this comic’s success though has to be the pencilling of Fran Galan, who quite beautifully imbues this publication’s incredibly numerous cast with as much dynamic emotion as a figure upon a printed page can muster. Whether it be Liet’s utter heartbreak at losing the woman he loved to his best friend and departing to “be alone with his thoughts”, or Duke Leto Atreides’ desperate attempt to reconcile with his long-time concubine only to find Kailea more hostile towards him than ever, the illustrator does a fantastic job in bringing each and every character to vibrant life.

The regular cover art of "DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN" #7 by Raymond Swanland

The Return Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 [Part Two] - DC Comics

THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL No. 1, December 2023

Opening this anthology book’s second half, Karl Kesel’s "The Metropolis Kid" is probably the comic’s most touching tale, courtesy of a twelve-page script which focuses upon just why Superboy convinced Perry White to believe in him despite the adolescent’s arrogant bravado and cockiness. Indeed, the Ontario County-born writer does a first-rate job in depicting the shades-wearing Kon-El as a well-meaning metahuman, who whilst happy to hog the limelight from a local fire’s real first responders, arguably does so with the best intentions at heart – and even attempts to later make up for what the youth sees as his mistake by flying a replacement skateboard to his “favourite grommet” when the original is blow apart by an errant shot from Bloodsport’s LexCorp-produced firearm.

Nobly assisting the penmanship for this story, especially once the narrative turns in favour of a much more action-packed shoot-out between the genetically-engineered Kryptonian clone and the villainous Robert DuBois, is Tom Grummett, whose energy-packed fight scenes add plenty of “Blam Blam Blam” to the duo’s sadly short-lived confrontation. Furthermore, Superboy’s co-creator appears very good at depicting Bloodsport’s facial horror at discovering that the “microscopic coating of Kryptonite” on his bullet-tips has no effect on the wannabe Man of Steel.

Finishing off “this special that’s sure to be a classic in the future” is "Betrayal" by Dan Jurgens. Initially focusing upon the Daily Planet’s mistake of publicly stating “Superman Is Back” in the guise of Hank Henshaw, this tale eventually moves on to Metropolis’ modern-day problem with the mass-murdering cyborg as he almost effortlessly defeats a combined assault upon him by Superboy, Steel and the Eradicator; “I was afraid this’d be over by the time I got here. Not that I’m hoping for rampant destruction, death, and mayhem, you understand.”

Essentially a somewhat sentimentally sweet apology by the newspaper’s Editor-In-Chief to the genuine Justice Leaguer, this yarn’s already quite palpable sense of drama is debatably doubled once the Phantom Zone-bound antagonist discloses he’s simply seeking a means to reincarnate his dead wife and friends, rather than “create a new Engine City.” Such motivation genuinely causes something of a dilemma, as no reader will understandably forgive Henshaw for “incinerating seven million men, women and children.” Yet, the former Astronaut’s current desire to simply resurrect his ‘loved ones’ is a much more reasonable incentive, and one many a bibliophile might sympathise with.

The regular cover art of "THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL" #1 by Dan Jurgens

Sgt. Flag #2 - G-Man Comics

SGT. FLAG No. 2, May 2023

In many ways a straightforward no-holds barred scrap between the titular character and Pteranodon-like super-villain Omicronbie, Rik Offenberger’s script for Issue Two of “Sgt. Flag” still manages to provide the ex-sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps with some enjoyable development. In fact, “Virus” seems to show a genuinely remorseful aspect to the ordinarily arrogant special agent’s personality, whether it be his sorrow at seeing the grotesque, crucified corpse of a dead comrade-in-arms, or slightly tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement as to Christopher Squires’ comprehensive clean-up operation following the hero’s most recent mission; “Sorry, didn’t know you were so touchy about the kid.”

Equally as intriguing as Rob McFarlane’s growth though, is the brief insight into the sadly short-lived career of Mister Mystery and the mask-wearing operative’s decidedly deadly first encounter with his eventual murderer. Looking somewhat like an amalgamation of the Green Lantern and Riddler, the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) operative’s special abilities are surprisingly never shown on the printed page. However, even in this comic's fleeting flashback, the predominantly jade-coloured character should still create a few exciting possibilities as to his crime-fighting capabilities in the mind of the more imaginative bibliophile.

Ultimately however, Offenberger’s “love to letter to my favourite Nineties’ comics, with all the macho action that made them famous” succeeds thanks to its breathtakingly frantic finale in which Flag appears to be repeatedly cornered by his would-be-killer, only to snatch up yet another well-placed firearm or grenade. This chase sequence, claustrophobically contained within the gung-ho G-Man’s rental home is absolutely captivating, and will surely force any reader encountering it to hold their breath quite literally until McFarlane has smashed through the building’s upper-floor window and subsequently blown it sky high with a spectacularly 'loud' splash-page explosion.

Of course, adding much of the dynamism to these marvellous moments is Gilbert Monsanto, whose phenomenal pencilling really adds a dangerous raw edge to both Rob’s attitude and belligerent behaviour. The former chief instructor for Whilce Portacio’s comic creation school in Manila makes it crystal clear with his sketching that a foul-mouthed Sgt. Flag is purely out for revenge, and cares little for the chaotic collateral damage his hot-headed plan will cause – except perhaps the non-return of his security deposit.

The regular cover art of "SGT. FLAG" #2 by Mike Gustovich

Moon Knight [2021] Annual #1 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL No. 1, December 2022

Undeniably containing plenty of spooky shenanigans, courtesy of a script which is chock-full of Werewolves, Vampires and super-heroes, Jed MacKay’s penmanship for this annual must have pleased the vast majority of its audience upon its release in October 2022. But whilst the Canadian writer does a sterling job in setting up a seemingly no-win situation for the titular character as he faces arch-nemesis Jack Russell in a supposed battle for Diatrice Alraune’s life, some of the contrivances which need to occur for the Darkhold’s prophecy to occur and subsequently fail are a little hard to believe; “I’ve come a long way from Malibu, Marc. I realised that this curse wasn’t about me.”

For openers, Marlene’s accusation that her daughter’s abduction at the hands of the original Werewolf by Night is all Moon Knight’s fault is a bit far-fetched, considering she is the person who bought the young girl back to America from the safety of France because “I thought we would be okay.” Sure, the adolescent was kidnapped by lycanthropes in order to impel the Fist of Khonshu into a ‘final’ showdown with the Legion of Monsters member. But none of the events depicted within this thirty-page tome would ever have taken place if the woman hadn’t unwisely chosen to attend her ex-husband’s funeral and brought Diatrice with her.

Furthermore, if all the former West Coast Avenger had to do was wait until “the terrestrial alignment or whatever is over” for Russell’s plan to fail, then why didn’t he do just that once Yehya Badr informed him about the prediction’s crucial planetary orientation.? Instead, this publication’s protagonists recklessly smash a silver-laden automobile straight through the front door of Jack’s hideout, violently wade into a pack of werewolves and resultantly repeatedly risk the girl’s life before she testily admonishes them herself once the configuration is over.

Happily however, those bibliophiles able to overlook these quibbles should still find this comic to be a rather enjoyable, pulse-pounding publication, largely thanks to some prodigious pencilling by Federico Sabbatini. Indeed, the Italian illustrator’s ability to sketch Spector’s shrouded alter-ego smacking both Russell and his fur-covered cronies about is one of the highlights of this book, alongside Khonshu’s evil-looking shadow as the Egyptian deity urges Hunter’s Moon to cold-bloodedly kill Diatrice once he finds her.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Federico Sabbatini, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

The Return Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 [Part One] - DC Comics

THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL No. 1, December 2023

Arguably reading more like a memorial to the unconscious, hospital-bound editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet than the actual Man of Steel, this Thirtieth Anniversary Special for “The Return Of Superman” certainly still captures the audience’s attention by having Cyborg Superman shockingly attack S.T.A.R. (Scientific and Technological Advanced Research) Laboratories for no discernible reason. However, Henry "Hank" Henshaw’s treacherous assault upon the advanced scientific research facility is sadly soon side-lined in favour of several authors simply penning a series of short, character-focused yarns that individually target the “Four Supermen [who] Rose To The Challenge” of replacing Kal-El following the Kryptonian’s apparent death over three decades ago.

First up is “Speed!” by Louise Simonson, which depicts John Henry Irons’ armour-encased alter-ego battling a carload of laser cannon-carrying criminals, who unwisely decide that Metropolis’ recent blackout is the perfect opportunity for them to stake their claim on a local block of hapless residents. Prodigiously pencilled by Jon Bogdanove, this fast-paced fight fest is visually somewhat reminiscent of Frank Miller’s more recent art-style and resultantly crackles with raw energy as Steel tackles a pair of toastmasters in front of a cheering crowd; “Bet this’ll stop the bad guys the next time they show up around here!”

Slightly more thoughtful is Jerry Ordway’s “…He Had Me Thinking He Was Superman…”, a twelve-page investigative piece that centres around Perry White’s first encounter with the utterly merciless Eradicator, and shows that the elderly reporter can still ‘follow his nose’ to a good story whenever the opportunity arises. Indeed, in many ways the ancient extra-terrestrial vigilante takes a back seat to the newspaperman, as Lois Lane’s boss not only intercepts the analogue radio wave used by the tale’s arms traffickers. But also interviews enough bystanders to determine where the much sought after weapons shipment is being loaded.

Equally as enticing with his illustrations as his penmanship, the American author/artist does an excellent job of selling some of this one-shot’s contrivances to his audience by repeatedly sketching White as a savvy-headed individual who knows just where and when to be to get a scoop. Furthermore, this yarn’s layouts perfectly portray Eradicator’s machine-like, emotionless pursuit of justice and inhumane willingness to prosecute evil-doers far beyond what is acceptable to Metropolis’ Police Department.

The regular cover art of "THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL" #1 by Dan Jurgens

Blowtorch: Bad Roads #1 - Page1 Comics

BLOWTORCH: BAD ROADS No. 1, November 2023

Described in its solicitation synopsis as “the bare-knuckled, rough and tumble, gritty, bloody crime thriller you’ve been waiting for”, Alex De-Gruchy’s script for Issue One of “Blowtorch: Bad Roads” definitely lives up to its promise of being an utterly uncompromising twenty-two-page periodical packed full of savage violence and edge-of-your-seat shenanigans. In fact, arguably ensnaring something of Derek Kolstad’s neo-noir action franchise “John Wick”, this comic should captivate its audience’s attention just as soon as the ex-military mercenary’s sport utility vehicle is stolen from a petrol station and its owner menacingly vows to track the thieves down.

Delightfully though, Alfred Paige’s mask-wearing creation doesn’t simply wade into the local criminals’ hideout all guns blazing as some less well fleshed out characters might do, and instead initially bides his time watching his opponents – even when the gang’s leader mercilessly cuts the throat of one hapless fellow hoodlum who unwisely was stealing drugs money from him; “Make sure they weigh him down enough, I don’t want his bones ever seeing the light a’ day.” This patient approach makes the subsequent firefight all the more genuine and believable, especially when its generated by the C.H.E.S.S. operative understandably thinking that a helplessly bound boy in a wooden shed is probably a prisoner, rather than the boss’s disconcertingly loyal lad.

Of course the big pull for any perusing bibliophiles is the insane action which occurs once Blowtorch heads for his pilfered vehicle and starts gunning down anyone foolish enough to get in his way. Rather excitingly, this exchange of bullets does not go all one way either, as Richard encounters much more resistance than he was anticipating. Indeed, one of this book’s best moments comes after the cold-blooded killer is back in the seat of his beloved SUV and attempting to make an unsuccessful drive for freedom.

Equally as good at pencilling as De-Gruchy and Paige are story-telling is Igor Kurilin, whose black and white panels add a distinctly dark and foreboding night-time ambience to the publication’s layouts. The illustrator proves especially good at capturing all the last second decision-making that takes place within the former soldier’s mind, as events increasingly grow out-of-hand due to more and more of Conroy’s heavily-armed minions congregating upon his progressively perilous position outside a farmhouse.

Creator: Alfred Paige, Script: Alex De-Gruchy, and Art: Igor Kurilin