Dark Knight III: The Master Race #4 - DC Comics

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE No. 4, June 2016

For those of the 143,055 readers who bought this book and weren’t actually fans of Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster’s Kryptonian creation, Issue Four of “Dark Knight III: The Master Race” must arguably have proved somewhat satisfying with its depiction of the daughter of Kent beating her father up “tirelessly”, “ceaselessly” and “mercilessly.” Certainly the ultimately bloody and seemingly fatal sequence is savagely reminiscent of Kal-El’s gory demise at the hands of Doomsday in the 1992 comic book storyline “The Death Of Superman”.

Yet whilst Editor Mike Carlin’s enormously successful plot showed the Justice Leaguer valiantly dying in order to save Metropolis from “The Ultimate”, Brian Azzarello’s portrayal of the Big Blue Boy Scout’s downfall appears infinitely less meaningful as the “shame of Jor-El” impotently allows himself be beaten to a pulp by his angst-ridden daughter, and subsequently leaves the entire world vulnerable to the homicidal machinations of Quar. Such a chillingly paternal sacrifice at the hands of one’s child may well have been a noble, even heroic, gesture on behalf of Clark Kent’s alter ego, but it hardly succeeds in ousting possibly the greatest threat to the planet so far seen in storyteller Frank Miller’s acquiescently bleak ‘alternative’ universe.

Indeed, all Superman’s end really causes is a very real threat to the titular character’s life as the triumphant Leader of the Master Race of Kandorian cultists turns his attention “to more pressing matters” and gives the people of Gotham City just thirty-six hours to hand over “your Batman” or “one of my children will cleanse this Earth of you.” A situation which is made doubly dire by Wonder Woman’s determination to stand by the disagreeable decision made by her love, humanity “collectively”, and her own daughter for the Amazonian Queen not to interfere in the affairs of the modern-day world...

Somewhat more encouraging and hearteningly less dour, is Miller’s writing for this twenty-three page periodical’s mini-comic “Dark Knight Universe Presents: Batgirl”. Featuring Bruce Wayne’s “accomplice” Carrie Kelly, this short but garishly coloured tale follows the lime-green and pink attired heroine battling her way to then end of Gotham City Pier through a horde of enraged citizens. Enthusiastically drawn by the Maryland-born penciller, this narrative once again provides the title’s audience with plenty of physical evidence as to just why the Caped Crusader has selected the young female Robin as his successor, and additionally features a nice cameo by a sea-beast riding Aquaman too.

Story: Frank Miller & Brian Azzarello, Pencils: Andy Kubert, and Inks: Klaus Janson

Conan The Slayer #2 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 2, August 2016

It would certainly seem clear from the plot to Issue Two of “Conan The Slayer” that Cullen Bunn evidently sees the titular character’s tales as having “always been a fusion of sword and sorcery and horror.” For whilst this second instalment of his “Blood In His Wake” narrative primarily focuses upon Krylo’s ambitious plot to murder his father and become the leader of some Kozaki tribesmen, it also features the disconcerting presence of a skeletal Hellspawn who literally decays before the readers’ eyes, and a pair of fantastically formidable-looking sea trolls who seemingly ‘truss up’ their victims as “a totem of some sort” in order for their stench to hang “so heavy in the air, it feels as though it slickens my skin like sweat!”

Sadly however, the simple inclusion of these differing elements within the self-same twenty-two page periodical is not necessarily conducive to creating a smooth-flowing storyline, and despite the North Carolina-born writer’s intention to “bring those sensibilities to this series in a big way”, he does so in such a choppy, haphazard manner, that arguably many of this publication’s audience probably felt almost as if they’d missed out on an issue somewhere. It’s certainly seems rather odd that this comic inexplicably starts with Taraslan’s ambitious brother bargaining with the cadaverous Ghul over the Cimmerian’s murder during the middle of the night, when the series’ previous edition ended with Conan simply being freed and his “cunning enemies” slaughtered… And just how has the Kozaki Hetman’s youngest son managed to additionally barter with the Turanian cutthroats in order for them to kill some of his father’s scouts and “plant the tracks that led” the former Zuagir warlord into an ambush?

What Bunn’s narrative does appear to be good at though, is depicting plenty of Robert E. Howard-inspired pulse-pounding action once Krylo’s trap is sprung halfway through the magazine, and the barbarian’s party start to fall beneath a flurry of deadly arrows. Indeed, Sergio Davila’s breakdowns, which up until this juncture have arguably been competent at best, suddenly leap into dynamic life and quite breathlessly convey all the savagery of the protagonist’s fight for his life as he bravely charges straight into his aghast foes, dismembering and beheading them as he implacably goes; “I had thought you were more hunters sniffing after me… But it sounds as if you had another victim in mind. No matter -- you’ve found me nonetheless!”

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

All-New Captain America #5 - Marvel Comics

ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA No. 5, May 2015

In many ways the first page to Issue Five of “All-New Captain America” probably sums up what the vast majority of this title’s 38,871 strong audience were thinking in March 2015, by depicting a nameless “stranger” in a café pointedly asking aloud just what Sam Wilson has ever done to actually deserve taking on the titular character’s mantle? This arguably cynical, potentially bigoted, hard-hitting “dismissive appraisal” is undoubtedly correct in its argument that the former Falcon hasn’t won any wars for his country, or put down many invasions either. Yet storyteller Rick Remender bizarrely seems to only take issue with the customer’s scathingly succinct assessment that all the latest Sentinel of Liberty can do is ‘fly and talk to birds.’

In fact, the entirety of this twenty-page periodical seems to have been populated by the accomplished author with whacky examples of Sam’s superhuman prowess in order to rebuke any such suggestion that Steve Roger’s “long-time friend and colleague” isn’t “the best man to stand as the embodiment of our great nation.” There certainly can’t be any other rational explanation as to why penciller Stuart Immonen draws the colourfully-costumed Avenger shrugging off Baron Zemo slowly sticking his sword into one of his lungs, or having both hands partially severed by that self-same blade as Wilson miraculously wrests the weapon free from Helmut’s grip and sends him reeling across the floor, courtesy of a blow to the face with the hilt.

Perhaps Remender’s greatest illogical innovation however is Cappy’s sudden ability to communicate with all the resident fowl of the Florida Everglades and convince them to eat “a cloud of infected fleas” which Hydra have unleashed upon the unsuspecting world “as a bioweapon to sterilize populations of undesirables.” Admittedly Gene Colan’s co-creation has previous demonstrated some “limited control over birds” in the past, and demonstrated his “empathic link with [his] pet falcon” on numerous occasions. But to have him use his “useless gift” to conduct a mental debate with the winged creatures in order to convince them that they themselves “won’t [be] hurt” by consuming the blood-sucking insects seems extraordinarily strange, even for a character who is desperately trying to fight “the forces of tyranny and oppression as Captain America”.

The 'Woman Of Marvel' variant cover art of "ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA" No. 5 by Marguerite Sauvage

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #4 - Marvel Comics

GIANT-SIZE LITTLE MARVEL: AVX No. 4, November 2015

Despite documenting the twins’ exploits with both the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Inhumans, as well as the series’ diminutively-sized titular characters, Skottie Young’s all-too familiar storyline for Issue Four of “Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX” doubtless disheartened many of the book’s 28,025 buyers with its worrying repetitiveness and over-reliance upon endless panels simply portraying Iron Man, Cyclops and their respective team-mates furiously yelling at one another. Indeed, this seemingly incessant conveyor-belt of shouting, threatening, arguing and gesticulating even appears to get too much for the Inkwell Award-winner himself, who towards the end of the eighteen-page periodical goes so far as to have an extremely agitated Zachary and Zoe scream at everyone to “Shuuuuutttt Up!” as they’ve “had just about enough of all of you!”

Admittedly such reservations about essentially reading the same plot repeatedly over the course of a couple of comics doesn’t necessarily apply to the entirety of this publication’s narrative, with the American author’s decision to incorporate the wide-ranging physical enhancements of the Attilans’ mutagenic Terrigen Mist arguably producing some of the series’ biggest laughs yet; “Ha Ha Ha! Hey we’re the Inhumans! Join us and you’ll get hit with a green fart cloud, wrapped in to a rotten egg and turned into one of these! Ha Ha Ha!” But even this sequence ultimately results in yet another round of everyone just squawking at one another after Black Bolt flattens the X-Men’s sarcastic leader with a single sound, and Zoe matter-of-factly hints she is “thinking of jumping over the zombie wall and calling it a day.”

Potentially of far more interest is Young’s ‘last gasp’ suggestion that perhaps the twins would actually prefer to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants rather than one of the superhero teams. Swiftly attired in black capes and cowls, courtesy of the speedster Quicksilver, and surrounded by the villainous ‘cutesy’ likes of Magneto, Loki, Doctor Octopus, Ultron and Venom, this plot development seems a far more likely source of inspiration and levity than the Fairbury-born writer’s mundane re-treading of old ideas. Sadly however, such a diabolically intriguing opportunity is infuriatingly never actually explored on account of the mini-series ending without warning or resolution on that very splash page…

Words and Art: Skottie Young, Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Letters: Jeff Eckleberry

All-New Captain America #4 - Marvel Comics

ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA No. 4, April 2015

Featuring brutal brawls between the titular character, Armadillo, Cobra and Baron Zemo, Rick Remender’s narrative for Issue Four of “All-New Captain America” certainly doesn’t lack for pulse-pounding action. But whilst these dynamic sequences, enthusiastically illustrated by Stuart Immonen, provide Steve Rogers’ “long-time friend and colleague” with plenty of opportunities to demonstrate just how different an incarnation of the Sentinel of Liberty Sam Wilson is, doubtless many of this comic’s 41,222 readers also thought the former’s Falcon’s battles with Hydra’s more exotic henchmen equally proved how frustratingly inferior a fighter the Harlem minister’s son was as well.

Indeed, despite being an Avenger, the supposedly “skilled martial artist and gymnast” actually fails quite miserably to best any of his foes, and instead has to rely entirely upon a change of heart by Antonio Rodriguez in order to thwart Klaus Voorhees from snapping his neck and ‘eating the bird for breakfast.’ Such pugilistic inadequacies and superhuman shortcomings hardly suit a comic book figure supposedly destined to succeed the superhero “IGN Entertainment Inc.” voted as its publisher’s ‘second best’ of all-time in 2014.

Unfortunately, Cappy’s heavy reliance upon a man “bonded with that suit in order to save your dying wife” is dishearteningly just the first of many such disappointments the American author has in store for both Wilson and this twenty-page periodical’s audience, as the colourfully-dressed crime-fighter soon has to entrust Misty Knight with defeating both the Viper in Madripoor, and a Moscow-based Hydra Cell, just so he can quite spectacularly fall before the sword of Baron Zemo somewhere within a Florida-based secret Hydra headquarters.

Admittedly this final confrontation does at least depict the “newest” Captain America (finally) beating the “expert military tactician” and “skilled hand-to-hand fighter” Crossbones. Yet even this victory is decidedly hollow on account of Sam somewhat cowardly dispatching Brock Rumlow with his shield, having secretly thrown it at his surprised opponent from the safety of some shadows... An act which sadly falls far short of the openly honest rematch between the two combatants the majority of this magazine’s bibliophiles would arguably have expected or wanted, and certainly one which is soon forgotten on account of Stan Lee’s co-creation subsequently being battered behind the ear by Helmut’s blade and conceivably even cold-bloodily murdered; “Your mind is unfocused. Emotions dictate your actions. And your greatest sin -- you failed to finish your opponent. Unfortunately for you -- I am a soldier.”

The variant cover art of "ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA" No. 4 by Phil Noto

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #3 - Marvel Comics

GIANT-SIZE LITTLE MARVEL: AVX No. 3, October 2015

Containing an astonishing number of cutesy cameos including Devil Dinosaur, Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Fin Fang Foom and Lockheed the Dragon, Skottie Young’s humour-filled narrative for Issue Three of “Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX” must have absolutely delighted its steadfast 32,003 followers in August 2015. Certainly, the twenty-page periodical’s script would have pleased fans of both “The X-Men” and “The Avengers” alike with its inclusion of the “Beast’s Science Lab”, “The Danger Room”, “Asgard”, Captain America’s “Boot Camp U.S.A.” and Jarvis’ reimagining of the Hulk-Buster into “The Iron Twinz!”

Somewhat disappointingly however, so very many ‘guest star appearances’ and swift location changes, aren’t particularly conducive to constructing a terribly elaborate storyline. Thus, whilst the Fairbury-born writer manages to keep things moving along swiftly enough, courtesy of giving the reader a tour of “The X-Tree Mansion” and The Avenger’s not-so secret Headquarters, it probably isn’t until the twins encounter both Galactus and his equally cosmic-powered companion, Thanos, that the former “Marvel Mangaverse” illustrator’s script finally gets interesting. In fact, apart from “the blue X-doggie-cat-thing” transforming Zachary and Zoe into a humanoid mouse and hulking brute respectively, both tours of the two super-teams’ clubhouses and their accompanying “all-out brawls” are actually pretty clichéd.

Fortunately, once the “giant kid with a very impractical headpiece” and “the flying kid sitting in a flying recliner” do make an appearance, Young’s ‘Little Marvel’ (Battle)world suddenly becomes an infinitely more intriguing place to visit on account of its most recently-arrived inhabitants discovering that the place is ‘protected’ by an all-encompassing unbreakable force barrier. This potential hint at just where the cartoon series tangibly sits within Emperor Doom's multi-title Battleworld is just the sort of ‘hook’ the Inkwell Award-winner’s storyline arguably needed, and of course, the magazine’s cliff-hanger panel featuring Star-Lord offering the twins a place alongside “the Guardians of the Galaxy” rather helps ramp up the publication’s pleasure factor too.

So crazy a comic book will always rely upon colourful, well-articulated visuals in order to help carry its audience along with the zany antics on show, and Skottie Young’s incredibly dynamic breakdowns, portraying a fast-moving ice-made roller coaster one moment and then a Sentinel-invading Savage Land double splash the next, more than succeed with just such a task. Indeed the America illustrator’s drawings of Nick Fury being ‘splatted’ by Hawkeye, and Thor subsequently ‘smashing’ an ice giant in the head with Mjolnir are arguably worth this publication’s cover price alone.

Words and Art: Skottie Young, Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Letters: Jeff Eckleberry

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #2 - Marvel Comics

GIANT-SIZE LITTLE MARVEL: AVX No. 2, September 2015

Absolutely crammed full of some genuine, belly-laugh inducing quick-fire gags and comical set-pieces, Issue Two of “Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX” doubtless had its 36,019 readers heartily chuckling to themselves with each and every turn of the page. Indeed, considering this publication’s opening groan-inducing “Dodgeball” sequence, which starts by depicting team captain Cyclops boldly declaring “Eye pick [those on my side] first” and ends with Spider-Man asking the blind super-hero Daredevil “Did you see who won?”, it is hard to recall “Marvel Worldwide” printing a more pun-filled publication this side of their Late Sixties title “Not Brand Echh”.

Somewhat fortunately however, Skottie Young doesn’t just rely upon a seemingly endless series of unrelated corny gags with which to fill this twenty-page periodical’s script, and soon introduces two new students to Marville Elementary in the shape of the dour-looking Zachary and Zoe. Not being mutants, “lost in a time not of your own”, “bitten by any insect or animal”, or interested in visiting a homicidal Arcade’s “house after school to play my own indie game Murderworld”, the twins soon become the subject of a secret clubhouse tug-of-war between “the astonishing, amazing, uncanny, super-dope X-Men” and “the mighty, ultimate, super-fresh Avengers.”

Perhaps predictably, such a titanic tussle provides the Inkwell Award-winner with plenty more opportunities with which to demonstrate his witty waggishness, and Black Widow’s needling of Scott Summers, after the X-Men’s leader has had a “Welcome” (to our not-so secret headquarters) banner made from macaroni and glue, is a good example of this. Although even the subsequent mass-battle involving a cutesy Sentinel blasting the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier doesn’t compare to the belly-laugh caused by Namor feeding a pet goldfish which is simply waiting for ‘the World to soon be covered in water once again’ so he can have his “cousin Toothy” eat the Sub-Mariner; “Heh heh.”

Featuring a somewhat more sedentary storyline than its previous edition, Skottie Young’s ultra-cartoony and brightly-coloured breakdowns still manage to instil this comic’s narrative with plenty of pace and energy. In fact, the children’s book illustrator somehow even succeeds in imbuing Professor Xavier’s “few minutes to get to know each other” classroom question & answer session with some much-needed dynamism, simply by over-exaggerating the facial features of each character concerned.

Words and Art: Skottie Young, Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Letters: Jeff Eckleberry