The Incredible Hulk [2023] #11 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 11, June 2024

There can surely be little doubt in the minds of any bibliophiles picking up this book that it’s publishing company’s solicitation strapline of Bruce Banner’s alter-ego smashing “Frozen Charlotte once and for all!” is definitely adhered to throughout Issue Eleven of “Incredible Hulk”. True, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script also depicts the horrific demon's origin story as she torments the hapless residents of New Orleans for literal centuries. But these chilling flashbacks are actually impressively intertwined with the founding Avenger’s ferocious fist-fight, so never last so long as to slow the bone-breaking slugfest down.

Quite possibly this twenty-page periodical’s most disturbing asset though, is how its Eisner-nominated writer repeatedly reminds the reader that the Hulk’s latest adversary genuinely feels aggrieved that she backed Lucifer Morningstar in his unsuccessful rebellion against God. The ghoul-like villain’s desperate need to hide from both angels and devils alike amongst “the straw of mortals” has clearly snapped the deluded creature’s mind, and seemingly causes her to whole-heartedly believe that trapping a youngster’s soul for all eternity within a sightless shell of bisque is somehow better than letting them lead a normal life.

So devout a conviction, no matter how monstrously misplaced, soon turns to violent indignation once Banner fails to recognise Nephele’s macabre mission as being a blessed mercy, and this resultantly should generate an even greater sense of satisfaction within this comic’s audience, when the Green Goliath goes on to give the spectre a seriously overdue fatal smackdown; “Shut up. Shut up. Stupid whatever you are. Don’t care about you. Came for the kid. And I’m taking her.”

Decidedly adding their own raw energy into all these proceedings is “guest artist” Danny Earls, whose distinctive style of sketching probably won’t be to everyone’s taste. However, for those who find his brusque bravura pleasing to the eye, there’s certainly plenty of limb-crunching punches to both captivate the mind and stimulate the imagination. Indeed, there’s a number of subtle touches to his layouts which can easily be missed, such as Frozen Charlotte’s hellfire slowly withering the right side of the Hulk towards the end of their fight, as well as the impressive attention to detail given to the tiny dolls representing a long-fallen flower girl holding a bouquet, and the facially-disfigured teenage runaway Charlie.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #11 by Nic Klein

Moon Knight [2023] Annual #1 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL No. 1, August 2023

It's probably pretty easy to see just why Stephanie Phillips’ "Contest of Chaos" crossover storyline “received mixed to negative reviews from critics” if the plot to this particular “Moon Knight” annual is indicative of the overarching narrative’s questionable quality. For whilst Jed MacKay’s script undeniably contains a high-octane skirmish between the titular character and lesser-known South Korean super-hero Taegukgi, the context for the confrontation, along with some bizarre jumps through various multiple-universe hoops, arguably makes for an utterly exhausting experience; “What the hell is happening to me? Was I a Mummy?”

To begin with the entire “power-packed showdown” is created by both protagonists supposedly being drawn to the New Jersey Pine Barrens by a load of mysterious, mind-bending Etsium crystals. This contrivance in itself is pretty unconvincing – especially as it means Tae-Won must travel over six and a half thousand miles to reach his destination and apparently cross into American airspace without permission. But debatably becomes even more manufactured when “Tiger Division's fearless leader” tries to take some moral high ground as to the Fist of Khonshu being the one who is “a long way from home.”

Disappointingly, Agatha Harkness’ rejuvenated presence doesn’t seemingly work for this yarn either, with the “ancient and formidable sorceress” repeatedly breaking the ‘Fourth Wall’ in order to explain to the audience what is actually going on. This rather clunkily-delivered monologue quite quickly starts to grate upon the senses, as it repeatedly throws the reader out of any moment the quite lively, publication-long punch-up occasionally generates, and predominantly makes little sense anyway – unless any perusing bibliophile is particularly interested in the witch’s class on “pure, uncut chaos magic [being] accreted into physical form” or Marc Spector becoming “the patricidal God of the Moon” having taken his title from “the father he murdered.”

With all this in mind though, the layouts for this comic book event’s fourth instalment are prodigiously pencilled by Creees Lee and coloured by Arif Prianto. Between them the artists provide Don Perlin’s co-creation with an especially impressive-looking costume, and certainly give the twenty-two page periodical a genuinely surreal moment when a beheaded Immortal Moon Knight is beaten senseless with his own severed arm by an anthropomorphic Taegukgi.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Creees Lee, and Color Artist: Arif Prianto

Crypt Of Shadows #1 [2023] [Part Two] - Marvel Comics

CRYPT OF SHADOWS No. 1, December 2023

Penned by Declan Shalvey to “haunt new fans and long-time readers alike this Halloween season”, the second half of “Crypt Of Shadows” opens with a pulse-pounding piece depicting a heavily-fatigued Daredevil fending off a literal army of deadly ninjas in a long-abandoned subway system. Aptly entitled “…Without Fear”, the six-pager quite succinctly showcases both that there is much more to the blind crime-fighter than simply being a phenomenal acrobat, as well as taps into the horror of poor Doctor Ted Sallis’ never-ending existence as the lonely Man-Thing, after the desperate scientist injected himself with an experimental serum in order to save his life.

Also adding an incredible amount of bang for your buck to this tale is Alex Lins, who does a first-rate job in illustrating Matt Murdock’s ‘wear and tear’, along with the adrenalin-fuelled fighting’s frantic speed. Furthermore, the Eisner Award-nominee quite wonderfully captures the formidable, hulking presence of Horn-head’s plant-based fellow protagonist, imbuing the giant “marshy mass” with a sad, quiet presence which starkly contrasts with all the flames, death and destruction occurring around him; “Where some see devils, other see angels. And they should be guided toward heaven.”

Arguably swapping out a sizeable portion of petrifying plot for some good old-fashioned Marvel Team-up shenanigans is “A Soul Worth Hunting” by Sarah Gailey, which quickly pits Jack Russell and Bruce Banner’s unholy alter-egos up against the overconfident arrogance of (Last Son of) Kraven the Hunter. Played with all the hubris this anthology’s audience might expect of a Sergei Kravinoff clone, this yarn does a solid job in exploring another of the super-villains ostentatious hunts, only for it to ultimately fail because he’s underestimated the anger-fuelled rage of his opponent.

Extremely engaging to the eyes, courtesy of Eder Messias’ lavishly-pencilled layouts, the story never misses a beat, and is only debatably disappointing due to the ex-Sinister Six member being so quickly dispatched miles into the air by the incredible Hulk. Indeed, the adrenalin-fuelled action abruptly ends just as Werewolf By Night appears to be squaring up to Kraven for a memorable close combat clash in the woodland, and many a bibliophile was probably therefore drooling at the imminent scrap ahead – especially as the Wundagore Mountain-born warrior is armed with the seemingly deadly Empyrion blade!

Writers: Declan Shalvey & Sarah Gailey, and Artists: Alex Lins & Eder Messias

Crypt Of Shadows #1 [2023] [Part One] - Marvel Comics

CRYPT OF SHADOWS No. 1, December 2023

Apparently returning “with more chilling tales starring your favourite Marvel Heroes”, Steve Orlando’s “Brick By Brick” certainly seems to get this anthology comic off to a somewhat “Creepshow” flavoured start, courtesy of the Scarlet Witch encountering “a terrifying new villain called the Bricklayer!” Admittedly, a man-shaped monster created by having a possessed brick inadvertently lodged in his chest probably isn’t the most convincing of origin stories for a central antagonist. But the American author still manages to imbue the figure with a surprisingly palpable evilness which may well make readers want to see more of the Elderspawn in future adventures.

Furthermore, the sheer ickiness of this six-page shocker is also down to Paul Azaceta’s deeply disturbing layouts, which impressively capture all the terror a living building might cause when it decides to impale its occupants with numerous nails and the odd flying piece of masonry. Indeed, the facial injuries suffered by the students inside the Hudsonview Hostel is only bettered by the artist’s disturbing drawings of the Bricklayer himself – complete with mutilated torso and fast-balding bonce; “I can’t be cleansed, girl. Can’t be killed. I’m in the walls…”

Much more tongue-in-cheek, as an audience would probably expect from a yarn featuring the ‘Merc with a Mouth’, is “The Living And The Dead” by Cavan Scott. Initially appearing to be a titanic tussle between N'Kantu and an overzealous Egyptian magic-user, this battle inside the Buckler Museum of Human History becomes a thoroughly bemusing melee once Deadpool literally crashes the party, and inadvertently prevents the Living Mummy from defeating his foe before she can raise some of the building's other heavily-bandaged relics back to life.

Well sketched by Devmalya Pramanik, there's a genuine pulse-pounding pace to this tale as the Indian illustrator provides all the ancient wrappings with a swirling animation that bewitches the eye and only occasionally provides a glimpse of the rotting flesh beneath them. In fact, many a bibliophile will doubtless be disappointed that this ‘devilish delight’ isn’t any longer in length than half a dozen pages, due to the unlikely anti-heroic duo looking pretty good together, fending off the three-thousand-year-old cadavers of Zeeta with a mixture of wit, sorcery, throwing knives and bullets.

Writers: Steve Orlando & Cavan Scott, and Artists: Paul Azaceta & Devmalya Pramanik

Horror Comics #30 - Antarctic Press Comics

HORROR COMICS No. 30, November 2023

Described by its San Antonio-based publisher as a “time-travelling horror” story containing “science-spawned monsters”, Dino Caruso and Shawn Richison’s narrative for “Origin Point” is arguably as good as such frightening fiction can get. Sure, it may take readers a moment or two to acclimatise themselves to colorist Paul Little’s dark-hued palette. But once they’ve become accustomed to the disconcertingly dreary surroundings of Doctor Liebrandt’s out-of-the-way lock-up and realise the struck-off surgeon is ferrying human corpses about on a trolley, this comic’s claustrophobic atmosphere becomes all the more palpable; “I realise it’s not the nicest part of town.”

Indeed, the motivation behind the former GENesis Labs employee is probably the first thing to grab the audience’s undivided attention. For despite his illegal underground workshop apparently about to be imminently hit by a squad of heavily-armed Special Forces, the man appears disturbingly unperturbed; casually stacking up a handful of carcasses upon a pushcart and then calming walking the cadavers across to where a fellow scientist is frantically finishing last minute repairs to her own invention.

The sheer volume of questions this bizarre behaviour raises in the mind should immediately grab any fright-fest fan’s interest, and subsequently help carry them on through the twenty-page periodical’s plot as more and more intriguing characters are added to the cast. Furthermore, the fact that one particularly shadowy soul suggests he’s somehow come back from the past to finally meet his “father” will surely raise the hackles on the neck of even the most cold-blooded of bibliophiles.

Probably this book’s best moment though, is the shockingly savage demise of the aforementioned police tactical team, who initially foolishly feel this “mystery-science-junk” assault is going to be a total waste of their precious time. Artist JC Grande does a good job in helping this comic’s writing team imbue a few of the troopers with all the arrogant indifference twenty years of gun-toting survival in such a high-pressure role might bring. And as a result, when the illustrator suddenly prodigiously pencils the squad being literally torn apart by a viciously-fanged ghoul, many holding this publication in their hands may well startlingly feel the overconfident gunmen are simply receiving their just deserts.

Writers: Dino Caruso & Shawn Richison, Illustrator: J.C. Grande, and Colors: Paul Little

Daredevil [2022] #5 - Marvel Comics

DAREDEVIL No. 5, November 2022

For those readers simply dipping into this ongoing series to witness its titular character completely ‘clean the clock’ of the ever- egotistical U.S. Agent, Chip Zdarsky’s script for Issue Five of “Daredevil” should have quite quickly brought them up to speed with Matt Murdock’s present-day life. Indeed, the Canadian author rather succinctly shows the Man Without Fear to have utterly embraced both his marriage to Elektra Natchios, as well as his seemingly formidable mission to establish “a new world order” as The Fist’s king.

Of course such bizarre cameos as Doc Samson making an appearance as a green-hued, giant yeti-turned-camp psychologist, and Foggy Nelson doing a disconcertingly acrobatic landing from a multi-storey rooftop takes a little bit of getting used to. But once these surprises are laid to rest and it’s firmly established that the now heavily-bearded horn-head is forming an army to fight a similarly-sized force of ninjas lead by a clearly crazed Frank Castle, the multiple Harvey Award-winner dedicates the rest of his narrative to simply telling a good old-fashioned tale of jaw-socking, covert infiltration; “You know the plan. We only have enough time to clear Block D.”

This edgily-penned penetration of The Myrmidon prison facility really lies at the heart of "The Red Fist Saga", and should wholly enthral its entire audience just as soon as Daredevil’s aircraft disgorges numerous bat-gliding warriors over the penitentiary's security perimeter. In fact, by the time Bill Everett’s co-creation actually confronts John Walker and a troop of Guardsmen in a dark, highly claustrophobic corridor, the tight tension in the air is already positively palpable; especially once the cocky West Coast Avenger begins piously claiming that God is on his side, and brazenly challenges Murdock’s alter-ego to simply “fight me like a man!”

Also helping to carry their fair share of this book’s storytelling duties is artist Rafael De Latorre, who provides some impressive, pulse-pounding panels throughout this publication’s climatic contest. Furthermore, the Brazilian illustrator’s layouts add plenty of pace to the proceedings, as well as somehow imbuing an onlooking Captain America with a genuinely dislikeable ‘holier than thou’ swagger when the Sentinel of Liberty sides with Tony Stark against Matt’s movement, and arrogantly declares that the Avengers are “bringing Daredevil in.”

The regular cover art to "DAREDEVIL" #5 by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #10 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 10, May 2024

Considering just utterly enthralling Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s narrative is for this second instalment to his “Frozen Charlotte” storyline, it’s hard to imagine many Hulk-heads arguing with a fan’s Letters Page declaration that the title “is a consistent measuring stick for high quality”. Indeed, this twenty-page periodical’s superbly-penned sub-plot depicting a ghost detective’s life-long “noir hunt for a serial killer set in 1850s New Orleans” will probably cause many a bibliophile to hope that “Marvel Worldwide” actually gives Inspector Francis Bergeron his own mini-series at some point in the future – Whether it be based upon his historic career or as a modern-day spectre obtaining justice for the recently deceased.

Surprisingly however, perhaps this secondary character’s greatest endearing quality, besides his remorseless determination to hunt down some supernatural serial killer to her underground lair singlehandedly, is the pistol-packing do-gooder's fallibility in bringing the murderous ghoul to justice. Before his gory death the man is clearly willing to continue stalking the fiend who has spent the past century slaughtering New Orleans’ hapless workers despite the Authorities wishing to hush the entire matter up, and his subsequent shocking realisation that the mediocre technology of the Nineteenth Century Pinkerton Detective Agency was ultimately no match for a devil who can scythe a person’s soul out without a moment’s thought is truly palpable; “Wh-What? B-Beg your pardon. I most… most certainly am not – - [dead].“

Similarly as successfully written is this comic’s central antagonist, who genuinely appears both as eerily creepy and diabolically deadly as any bibliophile could surely want. In fact, the Eisner-nominated author’s suggestion that Frozen Charlotte seemingly believes she’s rescuing the people she has somehow cold-bloodedly imprisoned within China dolls from “the world that would seem them ruined and broken”, is desperately disturbing – and leans heavily into the notion that rather than be a simple, stereotypical villain-of-the-piece, this sickening spirit believes themselves to actually be the tale’s heroine.

Sadly what doesn’t seem to strike as high a note as the script are some of Danny Earls’ layouts, which at times contain such grotesque-looking caricatures of the Big Easy’s residents that they can throw its audience completely out of the book. This heavily-stylised pencilling does admittedly work tremendously well for the scenes concerning the aforementioned evil ethereal entity, and arguably Bergeron too. But the Hulk himself appears far too cartoony to debatably be all that convincing in what is essentially a horror yarn.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #10 by Nic Klein

Blade #9 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 9, May 2024

Considering Bryan Hill’s storyline for this twenty-page periodical depicts Blade nonchalantly massacring the entirety of the Archives of the Second World without so much as getting a hair out of place, it’s probably crystal clear just why this is the penultimate issue of a title originally much-hyped as an “all-new ongoing solo series” which would dawn a “new age of vampire hunting”. True, the comic does contain a modicum of pulse-pounding action during its opening, when the werewolf Tanaka unsuccessfully attempts to evade capture from the Dhampir he was warned not to play games with. But this is incredibly short-lived, and everything which follows the lycanthrope’s beheading just seems to fall straight into Eric Brooks’ lap without rhyme, reason or even rationality.

Leading this conveyor belt of contrivances is arguably the sword-wielding slayer’s trip to the aforementioned Archives, which unsurprisingly are manufactured by the American author just for the titular character to annihilate in this book. Supposedly a highly secret location, packed full of ancient black magic tomes and protected by a thousand-year pact, this apex of stored dark knowledge would surely pose even the much-lauded Daywalker an almost insurmountable hurdle to overcome..? Yet the vampire-killer simply asks Satana “nicely” where it is and then toddles off to destroy it; “You cannot be here! You should not even know of this place!”

Correspondingly catastrophic is how Blade discovers the specific whereabouts of his arch-nemesis the Adana, with Draven apparently now able to conveniently burrow into any living being’s mind (even when they’re the undead) and suck them dry of information. This extremely useful power debatably springs out of nowhere, and disconcertingly allows the Chicago-born writer to have Brooks forgo any effort to track his main target down himself – albeit it does subsequently lead to penciller Valentina Pinti desperately having to sketch seventeen sedentary panels filled to the brim with poetic banter to presumably help pad out the publication.

Indeed, there’s a distinct feeling with some of this comic’s interior artwork that possibly its Italian Illustrator wasn’t always completely sold on Hill’s script, such as when Draven places his hand on Tanaka’s head, and instead of any surreal insight into the mental madness which the deceased assassin’s presence obviously causes, the reader is underwhelming just shown Rotha and Tulip watching on. Such a lack-lustre portrayal of events is disappointing, and greatly contrasts with the werewolf’s pulse-pounding flight just moments before.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #9 by Elena Casagrande & K.J. Diaz

Moon Knight [2021] #25 - Marvel Comics [Part Two]

MOON KNIGHT No. 25, September 2023

Having arguably stuck to a somewhat ‘realistic’ modern-day world for this super-sized edition’s opening half, Jed MacKay’s writing certainly seems to lean in to the Marvel Universe’s more super-powered inhabitants for its second. In fact, even the Karnak Cowboy’s fantastically fast-paced flight from Alexandria somewhat surprisingly introduces their understandably-feared foes to be the paramilitary terrorist organization Hydra, and matches Marc Spector’s grounded mercenary team against a team of green-garbed, neo-fascist operatives in a flying automobile; “I told you not to say it. I told you! You know as well as I do, Plesko. Speak the devil’s name and he shall appear.”

Likewise, Moon Knight’s supposedly covert infiltration of Hart Island is utterly upended by a flurry of the anti-hero's most recent assailants all coming together in a sense-shatteringly savage team-effort to have their revenge. Whether it be Jigsaw, Manslaughter Marsdale, Man Mountain Marko or the truly-terrifying Waxman, this sub-plot genuinely pulls few punches in its portrayal of the former West Coast Avenger duking it out against some of the most brutal members of his Rogue’s Gallery, and repeatedly requires illustrator Alessandro Cappuccio to be at the very top of his game sketching the increasing fatigue Khonshu’s avatar is simultaneously fighting. Indeed, the cowled crimefighter’s visible concern at an insanely irate goo-bodied human mutate attempting to smother him is truly palpable.

Furthermore, the Canadian author even manages to imbue Zodiac’s chaotic penitentiary break from the Myrmidon Prison with some additional super-villainous vibes, courtesy of the mysterious Black Spectre himself making an impressive appearance towards to conclusion. This epilogue, prodigiously pencilled by Partha Pratim, is particularly well-penned due to its inclusion beautifully bookending the entire publication by showing just what price the pitiable Keith Burrough had to pay for having his ex-wife permanently disappear from his life at the comic's very beginning.

Perhaps however, this book’s biggest win is the sense of redemption felt for Jeff Hagees, who heroically returns to a near-dead Moon Knight’s side, so as to save him from the suffocating clutches of Waxman. Initially viewed by this comic’s audience as an untrustworthy D-list criminal, Eight-Ball’s resolve to be better than people think of him sensationally comes completely out of the blue, and doubtless even caused the odd reader to involuntarily cheer the failed bank robber on as he aids a badly bloodied Spector back up on his feet.

Writer: Jed MacKay, and Artists: Partha Pratim, Alessandro Cappuccio & Alessandro Vitti

Beware The Planet Of The Apes #3 - Marvel Comics

BEWARE THE PLANET OF THE APES No. 3, May 2024

Desperately trying to depict the shock of Cornelius and Zira discovering they are no longer “alone in this world [as] the only sentient creatures left”, Marc Guggenheim’s penmanship for Issue Three of “Beware The Planet Of The Apes” disappointingly falls frustratingly flat on account of the Long Island-born novelist employing a number of contrivances to keep his story moving. Indeed, the entire twenty-page periodical’s central plot appears to incorporate so many manufactured moments, not least of which is Nova mentally wandering down the Yellow Brick Road of Oz, that many a bibliophile will be scratching their heads in wonderment as to just how this prequel's final instalment will neatly tie in with astronaut George Taylor’s imminent arrival.

One such unsatisfactory set-up is surely Zira’s ability to convince the leader of Hope’s Point that the Hominidae Empire will launch an attack against the mutant human settlement at some point in the future - so their best course of action is to actually attack the gorilla-only civilisation first. This sedentary, dialogue-driven discussion is soon unsurprisingly revealed to have simply been a blatant lie by the chimpanzee psychologist so as to bring much-needed aid to her imprisoned nephew. However, considering that Mistress Ivana can and does read the veterinarian’s mind, it seems rather unbelievable that she didn’t sense the ruse; “I think you’ll say anything to save Lucius.”

Even more bizarrely based though has to be the American author’s belief that his readers will accept a single person can mentally prevent an entire metropolis from seeing a large(ish) mounted army riding straight into the centre of their settlement. Lyla’s mind power is clearly potent. But considering the woman is later shown to be unable to shield just Cornelius from a beating before being butchered herself, it’s difficult to imagine how she is able to control so many minds – unless perhaps Guggenheim considers her to implausibly wield psionic abilities similar to that of the X-Men’s Jean Grey..?

Perhaps this publication’s most significant shortcoming though, can be seen in Ivana’s highly dubious plan of attack. Despite the plot clearly suggesting she has a sizeable force at her back, humanity is still clearly heavily outnumbered by the well-armoured gorilla soldiers. So just why the mind-reader believes chopping down a few apes with axes will defeat them debatably makes little to no sense; especially when the side-scheme to free Lucius consists of her just sending his unarmed relatives frantically searching the huge hostile community for him.

The regular cover art of "BEWARE THE PLANET OF THE APES" #3 by Taurin Clarke

Terrorwar #9 - Image Comics

TERRORWAR No. 9, February 2024

Arguably ending well before its allotted twenty-one-page count, Saladin Ahmed’s narrative for Issue Nine of “Terrorwar” seemingly smacks of a storyteller who simply has nothing more to give despite desperately needing to pen something for his (suddenly relabelled) mini-series’ “jaw-dropping conclusion!” Admittedly, that still doesn’t stop the American author from depicting a rather satisfying smackdown of Blue City’s selfish military elite, courtesy of a colourfully-coordinated action sequence which is disconcertingly reminiscent of something from Saban Entertainment’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” television show. But this pulse-pounding bout of pugilism is over before it's really started, and once obnoxious Representative Ronali is far too easily killed, any notion of the central protagonists losing is swiftly put to bed - leaving everything which follows debatably devoid of any real importance.

Indeed, even the subsequent death of Dmitry, who nobly sacrifices himself to prevent a pulse charge which would “blow everyone here to bits”, disappointingly lacks any lasting impact on account of how contrived his martyrdom appears. Just prior to this manufactured moment, the Terrorfighters have been shown to be absolutely imperious to even the most formidable of their opponent’s death-dealing weapons, such as when Muhammad Cho personally dispatches the monstrous mechanical Dissuader with just a punch. Yet suddenly, the Detroit-born writer would have his audience believe a single blast from a explosive device would terminally shatter one of their Terror-fuelled energy shields..?

To make matters worse though, even after this “brain-bending sci-fi horror saga” has come to a close, there doesn’t seem to be any real light at the end of the tunnel for this comic’s central cast. Despite quite literally saving the planet’s civilisation none of Cho’s team are better off. In fact, Muhammad himself is all the poorer for his heroic exploits, now being “a man with no prospects” in addition to being penniless, and can apparently only resort to expletive-laden soliloquies to help pad out Ahmed’s plot to its depressingly lack-lustre conclusion.

Equally as unconvincing, at least in places, are Dave Acosta’s layouts, which primarily appear to have designed to simply eke out enough sketches so as to finally finish the book. The artist does a good job of illustrating just how overpowered the ex-government contractors’ super-suits are when compared to their foes’ arsenal of man-made weapons. However, almost a quarter of the book is dedicated to splash pages, strongly suggesting there simply wasn’t enough script to keep his pencil all that busy.

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

Moon Knight [2021] #25 - Marvel Comics [Part One]

MOON KNIGHT No. 25, September 2023

Cramming an incredible amount of dialogue-driven intrigue, nerve-wracking tension, and a genuinely enthralling flashback to a time when Marc Spector lead a mercenary crew known as the Karnak Cowboys, Jed MacKay’s script for this oversized epic’s opening half must surely have had most within the comic’s audience on the edge of their seats within the space of a few pages. Indeed, despite most of the action at this stage being largely reliant upon the titular character’s “last ride” in the Arab Republic of Egypt some twelve years past, the numerous twists and turns also depicted inside the Myrmidon Prison and on Hart Island should certainly have entirely ensnared all except the most causal of browsing bibliophiles. 

Perhaps for obvious reasons, the greatest pull is probably the aforementioned assault in Alexandria, which heralds a welcome historic look back at the days when the future Fist of Khonshu was working shoulder-to-shoulder with Jean-Paul Duchamp. Admittedly, prodigious penciller Alessandro Vitti is not asked to pair the duo up all that much during their mission to kidnap Doctor Christopher Bousquet. But the professionally precise nature of the team’s gun-play is arguably an example of the medium’s adrenalin-fuelled entertainment at its best; “The bathroom fan is on, you absolute amateurs.”

For those readers requiring more of a build-up then Moon Knight’s surprising partnership with Eight-Ball should almost certainly have them covered, as the duo covertly infiltrate Black Spectre’s night-time hideaway. Of particular note is Alessandro Cappuccio’s ability to imbue the bank robber with a cue ball on his head with an impressive amount of both personality and humour; especially once the anxious Jeff Hagees’ nervousness gets the better of him and he is revealed to be a traitor, unwillingly on the payroll of Spector’s latest nemesis.

Finally, MacKay proficiently pens several scenes set within the penitentiary “revamped by Mayor Wilson Fisk” and featuring the enigmatic Zodiac. Determined to remain Marc’s arch-enemy, the American Anarchist provides a slightly slapstick, erratic foil to the silky-smooth suaveness of Steven Grant’s persona, which leaves the audience in absolutely no doubt that the unhinged maniac is perfectly likely to kill his mysterious rival for the lunar legionnaire’s attention if given even a fleeting chance.

Writer: Jed MacKay, and Artists: Partha Pratim, Alessandro Cappuccio & Alessandro Vitti

Titans #9 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 9, May 2024

Considering the total absence of any action whatsoever within this continuation of Tom Taylor’s “Dark-Winged Queen” saga, the comic still arguably contains plenty of intrigue and double-dealing to hold its audience’s attention throughout. True, much of the twenty-page plot revolves around various cast members simply conversing with one another. But even something like a short-lived sequence depicting Peacemaker inadvertently walking in on Amanda Waller’s secret meeting with the demon Trigon provides the Australian author with an opportunity to demonstrate both Christopher Smith’s unswerving patriotic fervour, as well as the head of the Bureau of Sovereignty’s ruthlessness in immediately deciding to have a new recruit’s memory wiped of her diabolical dealings.

Indeed, the script to Issue Nine of “Titans” is simply packed full of character development, ranging from Beast Boy’s increasing descent into a dark depression on account of recently trying to inadvertently take over the world, through to the Quintessence’s unsuccessful attempt to covertly warn the planet Earth of its imminent destruction utilising the fast-paced skills of the Greek god Hermes, and thus “risk a confrontation with Hell.” So crammed a carousel of word-heavy scenes genuinely could have become incredibly tiresome for many a reader to navigate. However, such are the sticky webs being spun by the competing forces of good, evil and the American way of life, that every time someone opens their mouth another twist to an already engrossing tale is added; “That is a decent carrot. But I’m after actual power, not just the appearance of it. Let’s talk about a better deal, devil…”

Of course, the clear highlight of this publication has to be Raven’s subtle ability to manipulate her team-mates for her own satanic ends. No longer Rachel Roth, the Daughter of Darkness does a terrific job of making the Flash look a fool simply by insinuating the speedster forced Garfield Logan to leave the super-group's rescue mission on the Island of Key West prematurely, before the media could film the vilified shape-shifter once again saving people. Furthermore, the fact Starfire asks her to help Beast Boy recover his understandably lost boyish swagger could well add future legitimacy to the spell-caster’s savage cleansing of her boyfriend’s mental guilt, shame, and self-loathing.

As a result it is probably only new series artist Lucas Meyer’s pencils which take a bit of warming up to. Approached by publisher “DC Comics” to be the ongoing illustrator “about halfway through issue four of Titans: Beast World”, the Brazilian does a fantastic job when it comes to sketching the fiery pits of Hell. Yet his portrayal of the Titans and many of the other figures in this book, especially the likes of Cyborg and Wally West, regrettably look a little stiff and wooden.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Lucas Meyer, and Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Conan The Barbarian #9 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 9, April 2024

Casting the titular character back in time some eighty thousand years, Jim Zub’s penmanship for Issue Nine of “Conan The Barbarian” seriously seems to walk a terrifyingly taut tightrope between fan fiction and something seen in the Seventies comic book anthology series “What If..?” by “Marvel Worldwide”. True, the surprising plot twist undoubtedly provides the Canadian author with an opportunity to involve the Cimmerian in a truly savage, sense-shattering sword-fight against the legendary King of Valusia – something which would excite many a devotee of Robert E. Howard’s writing. But this confrontation is manufactured in such a bemusing, irrational manner, that many fans of both sword and sorcery heroes will surely be wondering just what is going on..?

Foremost of these disappointing doubts is surely the logic behind just how the adventurer has time-travelled to Kull the Conqueror’s era in the first place, having previously been depicted killing himself with a sword rather than continue on as a blood-soaked zombie. The fact the heavily-muscled thief simple steps from out of a destroyed black stone statue set upon a hill-top with all his physical faculties intact, at least once he’s slept, is as mysterious as it is arguably absurd. Whilst Brule of the Borni Tribe’s willingness to accept the stranger as a fellow comrade-in-arms, and subsequently take him straight to the very heart of his civilisation’s power unrestrained, appears to have been manufactured purely to quickly place Conan in the presence of the “Exile of Atlantis".

Disconcertingly however, the Animex Honorary Award-winner also appears unable to resist the chance to have the barbarian encounter a younger incarnation of Yag-kosha. Such a meeting is debatably dubious at best, due to the elephant-headed creature now presumably knowing that a horrible, lingering fate (and eventual death) awaits him in Yara’s evil tower in the Zamorian city of Arenjun. Indeed, so abrupt is this reunion’s end, that many a bibliophile will probably feel even Zub himself suddenly thought better of exploring such “wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff" too much.

What does undeniably work throughout this publication though, are “ravaging” Rob De La Torre’s layouts, which genuinely whisk the reader away to pre-cataclysmic Atlantis with just a few strokes of his pencil. Of particular note has to be the aforementioned battle between Conan and Kull, as its intensity quite literally leaps off the printed page, and is most certainly worth the cover price of this comic alone.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #9 by Mike Deodata

Dune: House Corrino #1 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO No. 1, March 2024

Described by its Los Angeles-based publisher as “unveiling a closer look at the rising conflict between beloved characters and bitter villains”, this first issue of “Dune: House Corrino” is arguably a comic book adaption which will only be understood by bibliophiles already heavily familiar with the science fiction franchise created by Frank Herbert, and later expanded upon by award-winning novelists Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Indeed, without such prior knowledge its genuinely hard to imagine any reader successfully navigating their way through this thirty-three-page deep-dive into the very heart of the dystopian future’s incredibly complicated universe; “We hatched this plan decades ago, Hasimir, after we tricked father. It has been too long!”

Of course, there are times when the periodical’s authors do attempt to provide any new readers with something of a recap – most notably when Leto Atreides holds a celebratory banquet at Castle Caladan for his now almost completely cybernetic companion, Prince Rhombur Vernius. However, even this update doesn’t provide much in the way of actual detail as to how “the last true Earl of the planet Ix” received such life-changing injuries, nor that it was actually the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen who was ultimately behind the failed assassination attempt which lead to them.

Happily however, probably due to this comic’s substantial size, its narrative does still contain some attractive action-sequences which will surely ‘hook’ those within its audience who are ignorant of the sweeping storyline’s wider context. Foremost of these is probably Duncan Idaho’s mission to destroy a scurrilous Tleilaxu contingent who are deplorably attempting to recover DNA on Beakkal from long-dead war veterans. This attack is both planned and executed with the confines of just the book, and resultantly should provide an enthralling, adrenalin-fuelled act of self-contained defiance by the Red Duke against the disagreeable race of genetic manipulators. Likewise, this eight-part mini-series' pulse-pounding opening involving Stilgar destroying a hidden Harkonnen spice storage facility on Arrakis needs little explanation or build-up.

Perhaps this periodical’s greatest attraction though, lies in the layouts of Simone Ragazzoni. The Italian illustrator does a first-rate job of imbuing all the cast with plenty of emotion and personality, such as Leto's heart-wrenching haunted look whenever he recalls the murder of his infant son, Victor. Whilst he also provides the mechanically-enhanced Rhombur with a fitting and highly memorable (re)introduction, as Doctor Wellington Yueh's rebuilt patient quite literally stomps his way to a triumphant feast in his honour.

The regular cover art of "DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO" #1 by Raymond Swanland

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #5 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 5, March 2024

Whilst some within this twenty-page-periodical’s audience might find Jim Zub’s ability to tie his mini-series’ central plot to a comic he penned way back in June 2018 quite clever. The revelation that Finder’s “true nature” actually stems from a momentary chance encounter with the mage Delina may well prove a bit too contrived for those readers anticipating an origin story much more enigmatic or precocious from the “Dungeons & Dragons fan favourite” author. In fact, the notion that all the gruesome deaths, hapless mind-swaps and head-scratching chaos contained within this mini-series are simply as a result of the Moon Elf’s fast-declining magical powers inadvertently leaking into a Modron and altering its basic programming is debatably underwhelming at best.

What does arguably work though, is the Canadian writer’s wonderfully enthralling flashback sequence of unit F1R’s “tour of the great wheel of the planes to refresh [the] information archives and take inventory of reality.” This lengthy quest genuinely appears capable of capturing many a bibliophile’s imagination, as the rotund walking sphere witnesses dragons fighting against one another in the sky, learns some basic spells, and encounters a giant, multi-tentacled plant monster – which disappointingly signifies the increasingly sentient automaton’s sad demise.

Indeed, it’s probably a pity that the Eisner Award-nominee didn’t use this approach to his storytelling straight from the start, rather than trying to confusingly combine the mystery surrounding Finder’s origin with a disconcerting headlong descent into the recently released “Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse” role-playing sourcebook instead. Such a stance may well have made far more sense to those who were bamboozled by this tale's persistent body-exchanging premise, and allowed them to supportively share the wide-eyed construct’s wonder at the much larger world it was journeying into; “I didn’t just record data like the others. I was actually curious. Curious and eager to see and do as many new things as possible."

Impressively managing to give the central Modron a life of its own though, has to be Jose Jaro, whose ability to transform one of many identical machines into so endearing a central character with just a few pencilled lines here and there is positively breath-taking. The frustration, excitement, fear, and pain of F1R’s escapades are so plain to see on the inquisitive adventurer's face, that few purchasing this publication will be able to stop themselves giving a little jump for joy when it concludes with the reassembled ‘immortal’ back in the city of Sigil, and once again teaming-up with Notitia Never-Lost.

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #5 by Max Dunbar

Moon Knight [2021] #24 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 24, August 2023

There should probably be little argument that Jed MacKay’s storyline for Issue Twenty-Four of “Moon Knight” is somewhat different from the norm, considering that it quite neatly intermixes a number of hallucinogenic visions with the former West Coast Avenger’s exploration of a multi-storey building in the real world. But sadly, when the central premise of a book is to have the Fist of Khonshu basically just climb up a few stairs and then find a dying “old enemy” curled up in a dark corner, these psychedelic trips can debatably be seen as being nothing more than mere padding to help fill out the twenty-page publication; “You’re insane, you know that? How about this? Endless violence. Does that make you happy?”

Indeed, by the time Marc Spector’s alter-ego encounters a nightclub in which a surprisingly happy Jake Lockley is holding a big party, the more critical minded members of this comic’s audience may well be thinking that the Canadian author had already run out of ideas for Morpheus’ day-dreams, and was simply throwing notions against a wall to see what successfully stuck. Certainly, there appears to be little rhyme or reason to some of the subsequent visualisations, such as when the “Lunar Legionnaire” savagely smacks Captain America straight in the mouth following the First Avenger illogically welcoming him back to the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Perhaps therefore the most fun to be had out of “Ill Met By Moonlight” comes with the zany, tongue-in-cheek interlude featuring the Mighty Mail-Man and his short-wearing sidekick, the Precocious Postie. Apparently determined to deliver the post through a demon-infested, post-apocalyptic landscape, this mirage would surely have made a much more fascinating, pulse-pounding plot than the numerous hollow intermissions which surround it, had it been given much more sheet space.

Bringing a little Anime-like animation to parts of this comic’s layouts is Federico Sabbatini, who seemingly does the best he can with what little the script provides. The Italian illustrator definitely delivers an eye-catching Moon Knight, resplendent in his white cape and cowl. However, a lot of his backgrounds, such as the sequence staged at Grant Manor are rather bland and lack-lustre, and do little to hold the attention as the panels progress.

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

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #4 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 4, February 2024

For a brief while there’s probably plenty of fun to be had with Jim Zub’s storyline for “Lawful Uph-Evil”, regardless of whether the reader be a devoted disciple of Dave Arneson’s tabletop role-playing game or not. Indeed, Finder’s journey through the chaotic cogs, winding wheels, and spiralling sprockets of Mechanus should still ensnare even the most uninformed of bibliophiles, courtesy of the pink-hued succubus’ desperate attempt to escape the diabolical clutches of Missy Maddyknack, and her subsequent heartwarming meeting with the well-mannered, tinker orc Crundlespike.

Frustratingly however, these intriguing exploits are soon replaced with a tremendously tiresome court room trial, which sees the colourfully-costumed ‘crystal shard’ attempt to reason with the mechanical logic of the Modrons. Admittedly, the computer-like behaviour of this particular race of robotic immortals is arguably quite endearing at first, especially when they march about their kingdom like human-sized, wind-up soldiers. But by the time the aforementioned Maddyknack has inexplicably returned as the titular character’s dubiously-qualified defence counsel, it debatably appears that even this mini-series’ Canadian author has somewhat lost the will to pen anything moderately understandable; “Council, your insipid, incoherent, and insulting display is a mockery of our esteemed judicial process!”

In fact, what follows Finder’s predictable capture appears to have been written simply so the lead protagonist can once again demonstrate their propensity for both dying quite horribly, and then being reborn in a completely different physical guise. This sequence sadly smacks of the author badly needing to find something long-winded to help pad out the twenty-page-periodical’s plot, and simultaneously cause the creation of a cliff-hanger conclusion which sees the “agent of chaos” sensationally transformed into a winged Modron.

Nobly assisting Zub in his endeavour to pack Mechanus with all manner of gearwheels and bone-grinding machinery are Jose Jaro’s layouts. The “Filipino American” designer appears particularly adept at greatly expanding upon any modicum of action found within this book’s script, such as when Finder takes a seriously long tumble through numerous giant gears, or Maddyknack does her best to keep the two trespassers out of the ultimate law’s sight. Furthermore, the illustrator is evidently a ‘dab hand’ when elongating a reasonably straightforward conversation, as seen when the “plane hopping” adventurer just asks the fortress of disciplined enlightenment’s guardians for help and spends an unnecessarily long ten-panelled piece to do so.

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #4 by Max Dunbar

Daredevil: Black Armor #4 - Marvel Comics

DAREDEVIL: BLACK ARMOR No. 4, April 2024

Penning a genuinely pulse-pounding “final round”, D.G. Chichester’s narrative for Issue Four of “Daredevil: Black Armor” quite simply picks its audience up by the scruff of their necks and doesn’t drop them back down until towards the comic’s end when Tony Stark’s golden alter-ego makes a cameo appearance to help save the day. In fact, even then the Connecticut-born writer may well have some bibliophiles holding their breath as Iron Man momentarily contemplates just how the composite material armoured crime-fighter before him suspiciously broadcast a distress message “on the Avengers’ Emergency Channel.”

Much of this momentum is clearly due to the titular character running headfirst through Baron Wolfgang von Strucker’s underground colosseum, initiating a mass uprising by Mole Man’s numerous fungus-based moloids in the process. But to mix things up a bit, this comic’s American author also manages to show just what ‘Jack Batlin’ is capable of by having him successfully stand toe-to-toe against both the Hobgoblin and Sabretooth simultaneously, and impressively walk away the clear victor.

Perhaps however, despite all the aforementioned adrenalin-charged action, this book’s best moment comes following Daredevil’s failed attempt to get the surviving Hell’s Kitchen inhabitants back to the surface. Cut off inside a creaking, badly damaged tin can, the former “Epic Comics” editor pens a genuinely touching scene between the Man without Fear and a terrified Trina, which quite wonderfully demonstrates just how much the super-hero cares for the people who trusted him to save them. Indeed, the heartfelt sentiment between the young, claustrophobic child and her would-be rescuer is arguably the highlight of this book, and shows that Chichester hasn’t lost a step when it comes to the vigilante’s motivation, even after a twenty-five-year long break.

Also wasting no opportunity to imbue the storytelling with plenty of “Fwrak”, “Kwram”, “Twok” and “Thwik”, is Netho Diaz, whose pencilling really helps sell Matt Murdock’s flight through Hydra’s secret subterranean lair. Of particular note is the artist’s ability to show the increasing fatigue which falls upon Bill Everett’s co-creation as things slowly go awry with his evacuation plan, and how the street acrobat’s physicality markedly changes at the end of the twenty-page periodical, when a fighting fit blind lawyer confronts some ill-advised, knife-wielding muggers; “When’d it get so hard to intimidate people in this city?”

The regular cover art to "DAREDEVIL" #4 by Mark Bagley & Romulo Fajardo Junior

Original X-Men #1 - Marvel Comics

ORIGINAL X-MEN No. 1, February 2024

Described by its New York City-based publisher as a celebration of “the X-Men’s Sixtieth anniversary with an original X-Men adventure by Christos Gage and Greg Land”, this one-shot certainly appears to contain plenty of action-packed elements to keep the majority of its readers entertained. Indeed, apart from some seriously contrived alternative universe hopping, which allows Professor Xavier’s earliest team of teen mutants to know everything that is going to happen to them in their future, the thirty-page periodical’s plot is loaded with great nostalgia, laugh out loud humour, enthralling drama, and even something of a surprise ending.

Foremost of these sense-shattering successes is surely the way the adolescent Angel and Iceman manage to convince their older counterparts that the poor choices they’ve made to help enslave Earth-696, have badly undermined the moral legacy of their long-dead mentor. So difficult an argument could so easily have caused this comic’s creators to become bogged down in multiple panels of dialogue-heavy discourse. However, the American author quite brilliantly circumnavigates any need for that by simply having proficient penciller Greg Land sketch Warren Kenneth Worthington III seeing the way his junior self is staring at him; “And all it takes is one look to see how much of a hypocrite sellout you are.”

Similarly as well worded are the reasons needed to persuade the likes of the grey-furred Beast and infatuated Cyclops of their evil-doings in the name of ‘saving the planet’. Gage neatly emphasises the fact that this villainous take on the X-Men are still good people at heart, and that they all secretly suspect their version of Phoenix is mentally manipulating them so as to shield them from any doubts their criminal actions are causing. This means each of the team members only requires a little ‘push’ back in the right direction to cause them to repent their villainous stance and team-up to tackle "one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe."

Sadly, this book is therefore only arguably let down by its aftermath, which acts very much as a blatant advertisement for the upcoming mini-series “Weapon X-Men” – featuring ‘a multiverse of Logans banding together.’ Considering that this particular publication is supposedly a celebration of the mutant franchise’s aforementioned milestone, this unashamed incentive for bibliophiles to continue the storyline in a different title smacks of insincerity, and may well leave a bad taste in the odd fan’s mouth.

The regular cover art to "ORIGINAL X-MEN" #1 by Ryan Stegman, J.P. Mayer & Brad Anderson

Moon Knight [2021] #23 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 23, July 2023

Brazenly declaring that this twenty-page periodical depicts “Moon Knight and Venom fighting side by side”, Jed MacKay’s script for “Panic Room” certainly seems to live up to the comic’s pre-publication promise. Indeed, the story’s opening, featuring the unlikely duo battling together against the likes of Tangle, Eel, Blitz, and Thermite within the mind-bending Midnight Mansion is arguably as good a methodical lesson in collaborative crime-fighting tactics as any perusing bibliophile could want.

Disappointingly though, what then follows the defeat of the Enforcers isn’t debatably anywhere near as good, with Dylan Brock’s alter-ego seemingly all-too easily directing Marc Spector straight to the secret headquarters of Sidney Sarnak. Admittedly, the Fist of Khonshu was going to need to locate the super-villain’s hideout at some point. But the sheer serendipity involved in the alien symbiote innocuously complaining about not being up to full-strength on account of the city being plagued with a series of weird sonic frequencies, at the same time as Doug Moench’s co-creation is looking for just such a noise-based source, sadly smacks a bit too much of lethargic longhand.

Ultimately however, the greatest displeasure must surely come with this book’s conclusion, where the Canadian author distressingly decides to have “The Ghost In The Telephone” simply surrender himself to the authorities rather than provide any sort of defence against the titular character whatsoever. This infuriating finale is anti-climactic at best, especially when many a reader will doubtless have been anticipating a colossal punch-up involving Moon Knight and (an adolescent) Venom as they fight ‘tooth and claw’ throughout the mysterious criminal’s heavily-fortified centre of operations; “The Police were called as soon as you crossed the perimeter. I’m going to turn myself in. For all my crimes.”

Quite possibly also underwhelmed by MacKay’s sudden ending is Alessandro Cappuccio, whose layouts debatably becomes less measured as the action decreases, and the protagonists flee the imminent arrival of the authorities back onto the night time streets. This situation is particularly irritating as the Italian illustrator’s handling of the aforementioned fight with the Enforcers is first-rate and packed full of pulse-pounding pugilism. Yet, by the time Khonshu’s avatar has reached his final destination, the reader’s viewpoint is reduced to repeatedly looking through the darkness at a porthole into Sarnak’s safe room.

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