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

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #3 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 3, January 2024

Despite debatably still befuddling many within this mini-series’ audience with yet another ‘deep-dive’ into the “new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse”, Jim Zub’s narrative for “Dead To Rights” probably still pleased a fair few fans of Gary Gygax’s fantasy tabletop role-playing game on account of the beguiling duo of Bran and Gris. In fact, the unstoppable investigators are by far the most entertaining element of this twenty-page periodical’s plot, and doubtless caused many a reader to wonder why the Canadian author hadn’t simply focused his storytelling around their tongue-in-cheek exploits to track down a mystic murderer, rather than rely upon something seemingly straight out of an episode or two of the 1989 science fiction television programme “Quantum Leap”.

Furthermore, the two hunters provide the Animex Honorary Award-winner with plenty of opportunities to tell a genuinely intriguing tale packed full of murder, mystery, and humorous altercations without him having to resort to the persistent amnesiac, Finder, once again aimlessly pottering around the “floating city in the centre of the Outlands” in a desperate effort to regain their lost memory once more. This penmanship should genuinely draw in even the most disinterested of bibliophiles, as the amateur detectives bribe, barter and utilise every lucky break in the book, to track down the magical energy which they fear will soon tear “the fabric of reality itself”, and become inadvertently embroiled in Maddyknack the Hag’s desperate desire to own an enigmatic shard of power.

Helping to add plenty of exasperation to Bran’s face whenever he's dealing with the political red tape of Sigil and its corrupt officials, as well as imbue the mortician with all the ponderous, sloth-like movement one might expect of a creature inhabiting the partially-shelled body of a Tortle, is Jose Jaro. The artist appears equally as adapt at portraying emotion as he is at sketching the action-packed antics of this comic’s quite considerable cast once they all simultaneously realise just who the latest physical incarnation of the living crystal is. Whilst, alongside colorist Adam Guzowski, they also do a good job in depicting all the previously slain shard personalities, as the blue-hued spirits run as one towards the next hapless being selected to be their host; “Wait a sec, I’m juggling? That must mean I’m a … Juggler. Trying to keep it all in the air so nothing bad will happen.”

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #3 by Max Dunbar

Daredevil: Black Armor #3 - Marvel Comics

DAREDEVIL: BLACK ARMOR No. 3, March 2024

Wasting very little time in setting up this mini-series' central cast “in the battle for their lives beneath the streets of Hell’s Kitchen”, the sheer pace to D.G. Chichester’s twenty-page plot for Issue Three of “Daredevil: Black Armor” is positively palpable. Indeed, by the time Matt Murdock, or rather Jack Batlin, has thrown no more than half a dozen punches against a formidable array of the Marvel Universe’s most prestigious villains, the majority of this book’s bibliophiles will surely be physically gasping for breath; “Stay down, you fool!”

Happily however, the “legendary writer” doesn’t simply pad this publication out with meaningless fist-fights, but instead intermingles some genuinely emotional moments within the adrenalin-stacked morass of bone-breaking, jaw-cracking mash-ups. Foremost of these is probably the less than favourable fate of brave Juan and poor Randi at the horrendous hands of Tekagi. Readers will doubtless be traumatized by the well-meaning pair’s apparently fatal fortune, and this apparent willingness to cull prominent personalities by Ann Nocenti’s successor helps dangle the Sword of Damocles over everyone else’s head too.

Just as convincing is the American author’s ability to make his audience believe, albeit momentarily, that a group of hapless captives possibly might overcome Baron Wolfgang von Strucker’s squad of cold-hearted killers. Nobly led by Daredevil and ‘coached from the corner’ by Doctor Calvin Zabo, the New Yorkers enthrallingly manage to use every trick in the book to ‘eke out’ a slim chance for survival. Albeit ultimately, the group are understandably overwhelmed by the likes of Batroc the Leaper, Tarantula and Lady Deathstrike.

Of course, another of this comic’s triumphs has to sit upon the shoulders of Netho Diaz, whose layouts provide a visual feast for the eyes – whether the illustrator is pencilling the Man without Fear fending off the deadly blows from the leader of Hydra, or simply energising his fellow captives into a final show of solidarity against their murderous opponents in the ring. Furthermore, the artist includes some nice nods to the titular character’s history, such as Murdock unknowingly donning the (reversed) yellow and red colour-scheme of his original costume, or Matt’s late father shadowing his son whenever he adopts his old man’s boxing stance.

The regular cover art to "DAREDEVIL" #3 by Mark Bagley & Romulo Fajardo Junior

What If...? Dark: Moon Knight #1 - Marvel Comics

WHAT IF...? DARK: MOON KNIGHT No. 1, October 2023

Described by its New York City-based publisher as being part of “a new series of stories in the classic Marvel What If? tradition…but with a darker twist”, Erica Schultz’s narrative for Issue One of “What If…? Dark: Moon Knight” probably didn’t strike its audience as being any more morbid or tragic than many of the other publications set in the alternate reality “outside the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity.” Indeed, in many ways the American author’s main premise to simply replace Marc Spector as the avatar of an Egyptian deity with a witness to his brutal demise is arguably pretty standard stuff when it comes to Marvel’s long-running heritage; “I am Khonshu, Every decision has infinite outcomes… and not all outcomes are positive.”

Happily however, that doesn’t mean that what follows the masked mercenary’s death at the hands of Raul Bushman is simply a play by numbers plot, with “the first woman to write a Spawn comic” swapping out both the now deceased schizophrenic titular character and his sinister lunar god for girlfriend Marlene Alraune, and the hawk-headed divinity Ra. This somewhat surprising switch is well-written, and actually allows the ghost of Spector to lurk in the background of everything which the female history graduate later achieves in her role as Luminary – Whether it be battling thugs in dark alleyways or holding expensive events, such as an auction selling Burundan antiquities.

Furthermore, the former art director does a great job in depicting both the small African nation’s murderous General, and his similarly abhorrent subordinates, as the book’s central baddies. Of particular note is arguably the confrontation between Marc’s successor and a lieutenant from the Burunda People's Defense Force, which has all the satisfying hallmarks of a bully getting his just comeuppance at Alraune’s hands when the braggart least expects it.

Equally as entertaining are artist Edgar Salazar and colorist Arif Prianto, who together do a great job in depicting all the high-octane action (and quite considerable heartfelt grief) Schultz’s script requires. In fact, one of the highlights of this thirty-page one-shot is the sheer chaos crafted during its opening, where guns are blazing, numerous bullets whizzing and a helicopter dramatically landing, all whilst an understandably distracted Moon Knight is fending off the colourfully-costumed Bushman.

Writer: Erica Schultz, Artist: Edgar Salazar, and Color Artist: Arif Prianto

Adventures Of Superman #463 - DC Comics

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN No. 463, February 1990

Whilst on the face of it a simple foot race between the Flash and Man of Steel might not seem enough to pad out this comic’s twenty-page plot, Dan Jurgens’ script for Issue Four Hundred and Sixty-Three of “Adventures Of Superman” certainly seems to give its audience plenty to think about as the two competitors complete a lap around the world. In fact, the American author uses the head-to-head contest to pen a genuinely fascinating insight into the heroes’ psyches, and show his readers what really makes the two Justice Leaguers tick; “Even though I have super human powers I’m not trained as a runner, and this is more physical work than flying to the moon!”

Foremost of these well-written ‘hooks’ is arguably the chip on Wally West’s shoulders that he is viewed by all those around him as being “not quite as fast as the original Flash”, Barry Allen. This ‘slight to his speed’ is repeatedly brought up throughout the twenty-five-thousand-mile marathon by a number of fellow onlooking metahumans, and persistently needles the founding member of the Teen Titans to the point where he himself actually begins to doubt whether he can defeat Clark Kent’s alter-ego in a fair sprint for the endpoint back in Metropolis.

Likewise, the Ortonville-born writer does a similarly successful job sowing reservations in Kal-El’s mind, predominantly due to the somewhat over-confident Kryptonian’s opponent somehow keeping up with him despite all the hurdles the winding ‘green carpet’ creates for the runners. This gradual decline in Superman’s ordinarily-high self-assurance makes for some truly hypnotising moments, most notably once Mister Mxyzptlk’s scheme progresses to the Soviet Union stretch, and dramatically takes Newstime magazine’s latest manager to both his physical and mental limits.

Ably assisting Jurgens’ pencils with his own finishes is Art Thibert, who together with this book’s lead storyteller, provides plenty of visual clues as to the increasingly weary condition of the pulse-pounding race’s contestants. These layouts prove especially telling as the competition reaches its conclusion, with both contenders clearly wearing their hearts upon their sleeves, as they desperately search for that final surge of energy to help them cross the goal line first.

Story & Pencils: Dan Jurgens, and Finishes: Art Thibert