The Amazing Spider-Man [2015] #30 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 30, September 2017

Selling an impressive 56,560 copies in July 2017, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, this book’s portrayal of Peter Parker as both the tough chief executive officer of Parker Industries and the ‘natural leader’ of a defeated Avengers must have caused some considerable consternation amongst Spidey’s fandom. For whilst there’s no argument that the “fictional superhero” is perfectly capable of taking the initiative in a crisis situation, the supposedly well-planned, overly confident, even arrogant, web-slinger presented by Dan Slott towards the end of this twenty-page periodical is hardly recognisable from the hesitant, street-level crime-fighter whose popularity would quickly make him become “Marvel's flagship character and company mascot.”

Indeed, the unqualified haughtiness and lack of respect Spider-Man shows his arch-nemesis, Doctor Octopus, in “Master Planning”, genuinely beggars belief, particularly when the Berkeley-born writer knows full well how dangerous a foe Otto Gunther Octavius has proven himself to be in the past, even before the mechanically-appendaged leader of the Sinister Six came to acquire all of the wall-crawler’s super-powers as well; “Don’t hold back on my account. As you can see, I now possess all your powers as well. We are evenly matched.” Unsurprisingly, such abnormal hubris ultimately ends in Web-head facing an even greater threat of his own making, on this occasion six heavily-armed spider-riders alongside Superior Octopus, and resultantly doubtless made many of this publication’s readers wonder why having had so much recent regard for his other main adversary, Norman Osborn, in this title’s previous story-arc, Parker shows so little for the man who has actually beaten him in the past..?

Fortunately, dubious characterisation aside, this “Secret Empire Tie-In” does provide any perusing bibliophiles with plenty of enjoyable cameos, starting with the lead ‘villain of the piece’ himself, the Mjolnir-wielding [Hydra] Captain America. In fact the inclusion of Quicksilver, Mockingbird, Taskmaster, Hercules, the Wrecker, Kamala Khan and Amadeus Cho at the beginning of this comic, all of which are dynamically pencilled by Stuart Immonen, actually helps provide what is predominantly a rather wordy-heavy, sedentary narrative with some much-needed pulse-pounding action, even if the super-heroes themselves are making a headlong retreat away from the invading terrorist organization so as to “get ‘em tomorrow.”

The regular cover art of "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" No. 30 by Alex Ross

Star Trek: Captain's Log: Pike #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: CAPTAIN'S LOG: PIKE No. 1, September 2010

Pitched after the events on Talos IV, “which were detailed in the classic television two-parter, The Menagerie”, Stuart Moore’s script for “Star Trek: Captain’s Log: Pike” probably proved something of a disappointment to its 6,038 readers in September 2010. For whilst the twenty-two page periodical contains plenty of action-packed excitement, both aboard the Constitution-class starship as well as in outer space, and certainly features plenty of ‘screen time’ for the comic’s titular character, it seems a pity the prose novelist elected to create a new antagonistic extra-terrestrial species for this story rather than continue his narrative’s nostalgic feel by utilising one of the many races previously encountered on the Sixties Television series.

Admittedly, in many respects the Halogians do a stellar job of providing the U.S.S Enterprise and her crew with some formidably powerful opposition. Their “suspicious” spacecraft design, which initially “matches no know configuration” within Mister Spock’s records, definitely gives the Federation vessel a run for its money in the firepower stakes, and some “twelve years later” causes almost catastrophic damage to Captain Colt’s Class J Ship due to its “radiation beam... generating intense heat.” Likewise, the tendril-covered crustacean-looking beings are clearly capable of posing a considerable threat when encountered at close quarters as their phaser-fight with Pike, Yeoman Colt, and Ensign Stevens, which is dynamically-pencilled by J.K. Woodward, attests; “Wonderful. Two more deaths… For no reason whatsoever. Maybe someday…”

But surely of all the Rim Worlds “not currently Federation-affiliated” the American freelance editor could have selected one that was a little less arguably clichéd and much more familiar to his audience, such as the Tholians, the Gorn, the Andorians, the Klingons, the Romulans, or even a ship of political refugees from the planet Chero? Perhaps then, Moore wouldn’t have had to invent such a contrived case of jeopardy in this publication’s second act, where the Halogians have somehow managed to penetrate Earth’s Solar System undetected and are about to ignite Jupiter’s core, having discovered the “giant ball of gas” is actually a failed sun twinned to our own “G-type main-sequence star.”

Somewhat less perplexing, though similarly frustrating, is this comic’s lack of Number One and Spock. Both bridge officers prominently appear in the tale’s opening moments, yet are then conspicuous by their absence throughout the remaining tome as Captain Pike suddenly selects to take J. Mia Colt with him on a boarding party instead of the half-Vulcan, and the entire book’s script unexpectedly shifts to arguably focus more upon the “pert and shapely” Yeoman from Operations Division, and her sky-rocketing career to becoming a Starfleet Captain…

‘First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Writer: Stuart Moore, Art and Colours: J.K. Woodward, and Letters: Robbie Robbins

Kong Of Skull Island #8 - BOOM! Studios

KONG OF SKULL ISLAND No. 8, February 2017

Doubtless on paper, James Asmus’ idea of spending an entire twenty-two page periodical on a “Kong verses Kong” battle “as they tear through Skull Island, fighting to the death” seemed like a good one. But whilst the pair of battering and biting giant-sized hair-covered heavies must have provided this comic’s audience with more than a modicum of pulse-pounding enjoyment, the two towering apes’ bout of fisticuffs soon arguably becomes something of a pugilistic bore, which even the bizarre introduction of a flock of screeching Pteranodons can’t help spice up. In fact, it’s quite frustrating as to the contrived lengths the Harvey Award-nominee’s narrative seems to go in order to keep the combatants persistently swinging at one another, or at the very least attacking something.

For starters, having seemingly concluded that Valla’s infinitely more savage opponent has the upper hand, especially once armed with the sharp-pointed rib-bone of a previously fallen foe, the script has the facially-disfigured brute’s baby primate suddenly scamper away in terror and inadvertently attract the hungry attention of some flying reptiles. These pterosaurs, quite understandably take flight after their prey, and in doing so fortuitously distract the Exile’s ‘victorious’ adversary just long enough to allow Ewata’s trained Kong to kick the heavily-scarred beast into a nearby fast-flowing river and allow their 'gladiatorial match-up' to be significantly lengthened. Such coincidental happenstances downright plague this pyblication's drawn-out storyline, and even go so far as to have artist Carlos Magno dynamically pencil the huge leather-winged lizards swooping down upon their petrified little fur-ball of a meal with outstretched talons, simply to provide the two “enormous gorilla-like” apes something with which to swat aside in their grisly gusto to pummel one another to death. 

Quite possibly the most disconcerting sub-plot to Issue Eight of “Kong Of Skull Island” though, is the utterly bizarre decision made by four natives, including their clichéd hook-handed leader, to leave the relative safety of their settlement and scout out some new land which “will be our liberation from those beasts”. Just what makes Aguul believe he can build “a stronghold from where we can tame this place -- for our children” in the middle of the behemoth-infested jungle is anyone’s guess, but the decision appears as incredulously stupid as his later conviction that attempting to kill the baby Kong in front of its mother won’t result in the maternal monster effortlessly ripping her son’s would-be murderers apart with her bare hands. Of course, in saving her child, the furious parent once again momentarily takes her eye off of Valla, and inauspiciously pays the penalty by falling down “another mine collapse… or rather, a further cratering of the same faulty tunnel.”

Writer: James Asmus, Illustrator: Carlos Magno, and Colors: Jeremy Lawson

V-Wars #4 - IDW Publishing

V-WARS No. 4, July 2014

Firmly focusing upon the tragic events at Pepper Grove, where scores of Beats and Bloods massacred one another with stakes and teeth, Jonathan Maberry’s disturbingly thoughtful plot for Issue Five of “V-Wars” may genuinely have rattled some of its readers’ faith in Mankind’s decency towards those who look or believe differently to them. For whilst the American suspense author’s twenty-page periodical undeniably deals with the prejudices of humans, vampires and blood-drinking extremists, these people’s immoderate views towards one another’s right to life, freedom and basic dignity, are clearly simple replications of modern-day society’s bigotry, religious intolerance and inequality.

Fortunately however, “Red State” isn’t simply a piece exploited by the “New York Times bestselling author” to vilify any number of civil unrest cases across the world over the past fifty or so years, and is instead additionally used to shift this comic’s focus upon the leader of Victor Eight, Big Dog, and his highly unpalatable, intemperate views. Indeed, besides this book’s particularly unlikeable Army of the Vampire Nation, a gang of shade-wearing hoodlums who fervently believe that vampires “living in sin with Beats” are like shepherds “fornicating… with their sheep”, the story’s actual ‘villain’ is arguably the Vampire Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism Field Team’s commander himself; “Okay. You want the truth? Here it is. These Bloods -- These vampires – I think they’re evil. Actual evil. Like from Hell evil. I think they’re the Legions of the Beast. I think this is the Apocalypse and I’m scared the Devil’s going to win.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean Professor Swann’s ‘comrade-in-arms’ isn’t without his merits, as the foul-mouthed soldier proves when an elderly, unarmed female vampire is struck in the head by a rock, and he instantly orders his team to leap to her defence in the face of numerous “villagers with actual pitchforks and torches.” But the “American and a marine”, emotionally imbued by artist Alan Robinson's highly detailed pencilling, only seems to have been galvanised into action by his overriding sense of duty rather than any modicum of morality, and shockingly goes on to show he most certainly isn’t “one of the good guys” when towards the end of this book he’s offered a daisy by an infant vampire girl in thanks for stopping “the bad men” and, having venomously sworn at the child, angrily tells her to stay “away from me, you little parasite.”

Written by: Jonathan Maberry, Art by: Alan Robinson, and Colors by: Jay Fotos

Dark Knight III: The Master Race #5 - DC Comics

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE No. 5, August 2016

The sixth best-selling title of June 2016, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors, Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello’s script for Book Five of “Dark Knight III: The Master Race” finally provided it audience of 139,919 readers with a glimmer of hope that the "dystopian near-future version of Gotham City" would not become irreparably ravaged by the recently restored inhabitants of Kandor. Indeed, for a narrative partially penned by a writer “noted for combining film noir and manga influences in his comic art creations”, the plot to this twenty-three page periodical arguably contains an incredible amount of optimism, faith and just the occasional moment when one can almost hear the opening notes of John Williams’ theme to “Superman”…

Foremost of these marvellous moments must undeniably be Robin’s miraculous voyage to the dark depths of the ocean floor, some “twenty thousand leagues under the sea”. Accompanied by Aquaman riding a gigantic Hammerhead shark, a cohort of squid-riding Atlanteans and a whole posse of Anglerfish, Carrie Kelley’s successful search for Superman’s black matter tomb and the Man of Steel’s subsequent escape proves to be a genuinely uplifting experience, especially when it transpires that as far as Kal-El is concerned “it seemed centuries had passed” since he allowed his daughter to best him in a fist-fight and that "was all the time I needed to search my soul. Do you want to save the world?"

Equally as heart-warming is the Palme d'Or nominee’s conclusion to this publication. With the re-emergence of Clark Kent’s alter-ego, alongside the appearance of the Flash, Wonder Woman and Atlantis’ King, it is potentially all too easy to forget that this mini-series is actually the continuation of Miller’s story concerning an “aged Bruce Wayne.” This reality truly bites home when Batman squares off against one of the Kryptonians, who despite being robbed of his super-powers due to being drenched in synthetic Kryptonite, quickly shows the Caped Crusader why the old man “shouldn’t physically engage” as he is “not really in the shape to.” Fortunately however, an armour-encased Superman suddenly appears at the Dark Knight's side, informing his elderly friend not to worry, as “I got your back.”  

Disappointingly, far less enjoyable, or even understandable, is this comic’s mini tie-in “Dark Knight Universe Presents: Lara”. Focusing upon Baal’s childish attempt to woo Wonder Woman’s daughter by murderously hurling a car of humans into the air and then ‘stealing’ a kiss from her, the dislikeable killer perhaps unsurprisingly receives a foot to the mouth for this troubles. But then seems to win her heart despite the terrorist clearly standing for everything which the girl’s parents passionately stand against…

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

Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #2 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: THE FOURTH DOCTOR No. 2, May 2016

Having previously gone on record during an interview with “Downthetubes.net” (in February 2015) that “it still bamboozles me that I’m not writing one of the new Who comics that are out now”, Gordon Rennie’s script for Issue Two of “Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor” perhaps shows just why the Scottish author wasn’t initially considered to pen a “Titan Comics” publication. For whilst there are times when the twenty-two page periodical’s narrative does a fairly competent job of replicating the atmosphere of a “Hammer Film Productions” silver screen feature, the Diamond Comics Award-winner’s plot involving laughably large cyclopean monsters serving a moderately fossilised Victorian widower in her quest to escape the curse of a Gorgon, probably has more in common with Graham Williams’ derisory flop “The Invisible Enemy” than one of producer Philip Hinchcliffe’s highly-regarded Mid-Seventies ‘horror stories’.

Indeed, considering that this second instalment to “Gaze Of The Medusa” is based upon the premise that “the sinister Lady Emily” supposedly needs to “break through the barriers of the Chrono-stream” so as help a snake-headed entity escape her cavernous prison and subsequently heal the partially-petrified woman as a sign of gratitude, arguably appears too absurdly convoluted a narrative even for “the longest running on-screen Doctor of the series”. Certainly, the ability of the Machiavellian Madame’s one-eyed manservants to be able to use their singular sight to record and then two-dimensionally project what they can see like the cameras of a closed-circuit television set-up must have struck some of this comic’s 8,521 readers as an incredibly incongruously contrived device to forewarn this story’s antagonists that “there’s still some Englishmen left with a bit if backbone to them.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that this comic is without any merit whatsoever. The book undoubtedly contains a wonderful replication of Tom Baker’s dialogue and mannerisms, professionally pencilled by artist Brian Williamson, which makes it especially easy to imagine the actual actor rushing through the adventure with his well-documented wit and vigour. Plus the rather cowardly “expert in chrononautology”, Professor Odysseus James”, also increasingly manages to shake off the disagreeable egotism of this mini-series’ opening instalment and delightfully replaces it with some much-needed humour, predominantly at the stiff-back scientist’s own expense; “Hmmph. You’ll have to forgive my daughter, Doctor. If I were some dashing young army subaltern called Henry, I doubt she’d disapprove so strongly of my intemperate ways!”

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: THE FOURTH DOCTOR" No. 2 by Brian Williamson

Moon Knight [2016] #13 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 13, June 2017

Selling some 24,287 copies in April 2017, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, it’s not hard to see why this title was only the ninety-third best-selling book of the month. True, Issue Thirteen of “Moon Knight” does contain a harrowingly engaging re-imaging of Marc Spector’s downfall as a mercenary “some years ago” near the Sudanese-Egyptian border, but the majority of Jeff Lemire’s tediously tiring plot unfortunately focuses upon the Fist of Khonshu’s contemporary exploits, rather than the exciting ones from his past.

Indeed, for much of this twenty-page periodical the Canadian cartoonist simply depicts the titular character wandering back through the self-same hieroglyphic-infested brick tunnels Mister Knight has tediously trodden down since the story-arc “Death And Birth” initially started three editions ago, and even spends a laboriously lengthy time battling his way through his own brain’s cerebrum, only to find himself back at the skeleton-infested underground station the hooded crime-fighter fought his way through when this comic book series first started; “I’m home. And I’m coming for you, Dad.”

Fortunately, the soldier of fortune’s deadly encounter with the Bushman at a remote archaeological site makes for a far more gripping read, especially when it becomes clear to both the audience and Spector that the ‘white-faced’ murderer will actually kill everyone at the dig if they don’t show him where the Tomb of Khonshu’s treasure is buried. In fact, this comic’s most shocking moment comes at the turn of a page, when the muscled mercenary cold-bloodedly stabs Peter Alraune straight through the stomach and out his back with a large combat knife, simply to intimidate the elderly man’s daughter, Marlene and the rest of the young woman's native colleagues.

Interestingly, Greg Smallwood’s pencilling for this book also seems to favour the Joe Shuster Award-winner’s flashback sequences rather than those progressing “Marc’s last and most difficult fight”. Sedentarily paced, with plenty of negative space either being coloured black or left simply blank, Marc’s journey back to the modern-day Moon God genuinely appears to have been designed in order to utilise as many sheets as possible in as short a time as possible. Whilst, the Will Eisner Award-nominee’s superior work illustrating the vigilante’s much earlier escapade is packed full of small(ish), dynamically-charged panels with plenty of movement taking place with which to hold the attention.

Writer: Jeff Lemire, Artist: Greg Smallwood, and Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire