Web Of Black Widow #5 - Marvel Comics

WEB OF BLACK WIDOW No. 5, March 2020

As conclusions go, Jody Houser’s revelation in Issue Five of “Web of Black Widow” that Natasha Romanoff knew right from the start of this mini-series that she was being watched by a woman who was somehow connected to her “missing memories”, must surely have been viewed by many of this comic’s readers as a horribly contrived anti-climax. Indeed, the very notion that the ex-KGB assassin had choreographed her confrontation with Iron Man, ferocious fist-fight with the Winter Soldier, and brutal battle against Hawkeye, all in order to simply elicit an account from her doppelgänger as to how “a special virus… made out of Epsilon Red’s own DNA” was blocking her implanted memories, makes a complete mockery of what had been a thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful ‘spy-fi’ tale.

True, the rationalisation behind Clint Barton’s wholly unlikeable behaviour in the publication’s previous instalment when he appeared utterly convinced as to the “rumours of Widow’s villainy”, makes much more sense, especially his “actually shooting her with an arrow”. Yet such a horribly convoluted narrative undoubtedly diminishes the much-lauded clandestine abilities of the titular character, by having the Russian secret agent simply play the role of a Judas goat, rather than covertly investigate her mysterious enemy’s possible connection to her past using her tactical expertise in espionage and obtaining confidential information. In fact, this veteran hand-to-hand combatant (and mistress “of various other weapons”) is depicted as even needing the intervention of Captain America in order to defeat the Headmistress in a one-on-one rooftop confrontation; “But sometimes an old man likes to feel useful.”

Perhaps this book’s only saving grace is therefore Stephen Mooney’s dynamically-drawn fight sequences, which at least provide this twenty-page periodical’s audience with an occasional thrill. Considering that the Black Widow has an arrow shaft in her side and been shot in the leg, it is somewhat difficult to imagine her being quite so athletic in her impressive backflips and somersaults as the Irish artist would have any perusing bibliophiles believe. But that unrealism doesn’t notably detract from the sheer savagery of his pencilling once Romanoff and Anya finally come to trade vicious blows, and the blood starts to freely flow…

The regular cover art of "WEB OF BLACK WIDOW" No. 5 by Junggeun Yoon

Star Trek: Year Five #8 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: YEAR FIVE No. 8, November 2019

Despite plainly containing far more action-packed space adventure than “Desilu Productions” could ever have hoped to finance for a single episode of the Sixties television series, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s script for Issue Eight of “Star Trek: Year Five” probably still disappointed the majority of this twenty-page periodical's audience, with a significantly sedentary ‘third act’ that depicts the fish-faced extra-terrestrial Ayal wooing an astonished Hikaru Sulu, and surprisingly reveals this series' ongoing Tholian threat to have been organised by no less than Gary Seven of “Assignment: Earth” fame; “There, there, Isis…We have a universe to save.” Indeed, the abrupt halt to this publication’s pacing is almost palpable, once young Bright Eyes makes its ‘choice between its human friends or going home’, and bravely rescues Captain James T. Kirk following the starship officer’s miraculous exposure “to the vacuum of space for approximately five minutes.”

Fortunately however, this comic’s opening ‘laser-beam light show’ could arguably be seen as being worth its cover price alone, courtesy of the collaborative writing duo providing the U.S.S. Enterprise’s skipper with both a truly heroic moment as he blasts through a torrent of Tholian laser fire in a desperate effort to reach the safety of the Constitution-class starship, as well as a suitable ‘demise’ at his own hands once Kirk believes his ship’s only chance of survival is blow up the  mineral-based aliens’ tractor field with him still trapped inside it. Of course, thanks solely to the super-human exertions of Doctor McCoy’s ‘patient’ breaching its containment and successfully spiriting the dying captain across the stars, the first and only student at Starfleet Academy to defeat the Kobayashi Maru test manages to live to fight another day. But that still doesn’t stop the narrative from momentarily causing a fleeting doubt that William Shatner’s character might not make it after all…

Artist Stephen Thompson also manages to imbue this pulse-pounding passage with plenty of dynamism and break-neck speed. The Irishman does an incredible job pencilling Costume Designer William Ware Theiss’ somewhat clunky environmental units, and provides the silver lamé space-suits with a practical fluidity the actual fabric helmet with screen mesh visor props never had. Whilst his simple technique of sketching a few droplets of sweat upon Mister Spock’s brow, speaks volumes concerning the emotional effects the Vulcan is experiencing in the Command chair following his mind-meld “with a panicking adolescent volcano…”

Writers: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly, and Artist: Stephen Thompson

Web Of Black Widow #4 - Marvel Comics

WEB OF BLACK WIDOW No. 4, February 2020

It’s not hard to envisage that some within this twenty page periodical’s audience were secretly wishing for someone to shoot Clint Barton well before this comic reached its cliff-hanger ending. For whilst the former chairman of Earth's Mightiest Heroes has arguably always been portrayed as being a somewhat imprudent and frustratingly headstrong individual, it’s difficult to imagine him ever disbelieving his ‘old flame’ Natasha Romanoff to the point where he’d actually straight-up shoot her with an arrow; “You know you’re supposed to stop when someone fire’s a warning shot, right?”

Sadly however, that is precisely what Jody Houser’s cocksure version of the “golden archer” does in Issue Four of “Web Of Black Widow”, having surreptitiously snuck up upon the ex-KGB assassin so as to blindside her on a deserted rooftop. Of course, those readers well-versed in Barton’s separation from his ex-wife, "Bobbi" Morse, following her role in the death of Lincoln Slade’s Phantom Rider, will know of his supposed ‘unswerving’ belief that heroes don’t ever kill in cold blood. Yet even so, it’s still disconcerting to watch the misinformed Avenger resort to such a catastrophic choice without at least a final warning or an attempt to fire a second disabling net arrow.

In addition, Romanoff makes it pretty clear to Hawkeye that she is being set-up by a woman who “was wearing my face”, and that her duplicate “has taken my list of targets and is pushing my mission further than I ever planned to.” Despite this ‘plausible’ explanation of events though, the non-super powered “dude with a bow” infuriatingly still decides he’s entirely in the right and therefore gets to tell the femme fatale precisely how she can (and can’t) behave, even after Stephen Mooney’s dynamic artwork makes it abundantly clear that Natasha could have eradicated him rather than simply knock him cold in their all-too brief fist-fight.  

Resultantly, Clint arguably comes across as an utterly arrogant and unlikeable individual, who despite having all the facts at his disposal, makes a disastrously dire decision which not only causes him to be shot in the stomach by the Black Widow’s murderous doppelganger, but momentarily also seems to place the ‘hapless’ Alla Zolotov in mortal danger. That’s hardly the sort of popular behaviour which made Barton be ranked by “Imagine Games Network” at number forty-four in their Top 100 Comic Book Heroes list…

Writer: Jody Houser, Artist: Stephen Mooney, and Color Artist: Triona Farrell

The Immortal Hulk #17 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 17, July 2019

Trapped deep inside Shadow Base Site A with a potentially fatal gunshot wound to the stomach, and hunted by a homicidal mutant “outfitted with a cybernetic arm by the C.I.A.”, it probably must have crossed the minds of some “Hulk-Heads” that Al Ewing may well have penned himself into something of a corner concerning the fate of puny Bruce Banner. But whilst the sickly thin nuclear physicist does eventually transform into the "Immortal Hulk" at this comic’s somewhat grisly conclusion, the British writer surprisingly shows in the meantime that there is far more to his incarceration of the mild-mannered boffin than his green goliath alter-ego; especially when the mind outmanoeuvring Agent Carl Burbank actually belongs to “Joe Fixit.”

Indeed, this twenty-page periodical is absolutely packed full of well-written examples of brains outmatching brawn, with the highly dislikeable Bushwhacker persistently being bested by the likes of “radioactive ants in yer eyes”, smashed aquariums, and some impressive close combat fighting techniques; “Guess those ain’t plastic. You havin’ fun yet?” Fortunately, none of these antics are particularly unbelievable either, as the former “2000 A.D.” author makes it abundantly clear to this book’s 87,444 readers that despite his quick wits, Banner’s physical exertions are taking a hefty toll upon his increasingly injured physical form.

Similarly as successful as this publication’s ‘cat and mouse’ narrative, is Ewing’s portrayal of Burbank as a truly deranged member of General Reginald Fortean’s U.S. Hulk Operations team. The one-time catholic priest is initially clearly having the time of his life chasing down the skinny scientist “who sent me to Hell”, and simply drips barbaric sadism as he callously allows a ‘bleeding out’ Bruce to run for his life just so the assassin can “have my fun” before trying to chop his prey’s head off with a hand-chainsaw…

Joe Bennett is equally up to the task of making the seventh best-selling comic in May 2019 highly memorable too, courtesy of some fantastic pencilling. There’s a genuine manic dynamism to the artist’s depiction of an emaciated Joe Fixit desperately fighting for his life in an ill-fittingly feeble body against a hardened super-powered combat veteran. Plus the illustrator even manages to give a nod to “Incredible Hulk” predecessor Dale Keown, by placing the Canadian’s surname on the pencil Banner uses to hack into the installation’s computer system.

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

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" No. 17 by Alex Ross

Leave On The Light #2 - Antarctic Press Comics

LEAVE ON THE LIGHT No. 2, August 2019

Delving “deeper into the history of the Butcher”, Bradley Golden and George Aguilar’s story for Issue Two of “Leave On The Light” must have gone some way to convince this comic’s audience that this title was a far cry from the usual knife-wielding slasher romp most horror-based writers churn out in the modern age. Indeed, straight from its rather gory opening, which depicts Thomas Lassey’s sickening execution “for the murders of five men, nine women and six children”, the twenty-two page periodical makes it clear that the book’s main antagonist most definitely isn’t going to stop slaughtering people in cold blood simply because some electrical current has coursed through his body to the point where his eyeballs explode…

Such a memorable ‘death scene’ really does stick in the reader’s mind, and makes the maniac’s subsequent haunting of Detective Sarah McKinney all the more tense as he noisily scratches a note to her in an adjoining cubicle’s door when the police officer briefly visits a garage restroom. At any minute it seems likely the undead apparition will strike her down as he did the Maxey family, and this tension is truly palpable even after a clearly disconcerted McKinney pulls her firearm out on a hapless old woman and teddy bear carrying grand-daughter; “Oh. We’d better leave, Mindy.”

Gary Marshall’s investigation into the killer’s final days on death row are no less troubling either, as Doctor Lupin discovers his supposedly deceased patient was secretly receiving satanic “popular best-sellers” shortly before his demise. This revelation genuinely chills the soul, and makes Sarah’s ensuing enquiry into “French fired” Lassey’s only living relative even more terrifying as she blunders into the man’s dark and seedy apartment building.

Also greatly adding to this publication’s perturbing ambiance are the breakdowns of Stan Yak, whose ability to pencil the sheer insanity behind Thomas’ mad eyes alone is arguably enough to convince any passing bibliophile that his illustration work is worthy of perusal. Coupled with some excellently thought out perspectives, such as McKinney looking in through the spyhole of a front door, or Lupin glancing up to see Lassey’s reflection in his bathroom mirror, the Russian artist does a great job of bringing Golden and Aguilar's collaborative narrative to spine-tingling life.

Script: Bradley Golden & George Aguilar, and Pencils: Stan Yak

Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day Issue 2019 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY ISSUE, May 2019

Described by “Titan Comics” as the “perfect introduction to the hit new series from Eisner-nominated comics writer Jody Houser”, this ‘free’ sixteen page periodical must have quickly provided any perusing Whovians with a crystal clear clarification that the American author was going to maintain the somewhat controversial tone set by executive producer Chris Chibnall during the BBC Television programme’s divisive eleventh season. For whilst the short(ish) script contains a semi-intriguing plot based upon the premise that the penalty for losing at a fairground stall is to be indefinitely short-range teleported into a prize pool, it also includes a few examples of Jodie Whittaker’s contentiously arrogant incarnation acting all holier-than-thou, despite the fact she lies her way into the amusement park in the first place…

This disconcertingly duplicitous attitude of moral superiority by the titular character arguably starts to grate upon the nerves right from the publication’s very opening, when the Time Lord decides to simply use her psychic paper so as to award the TARDIS crew an “ultimate supreme class multi-guest package” rather than legitimately pay for their tickets. Such flagrant dishonesty seems an entirely unethical abuse of the ‘blank, white card that has special properties’ and debatably sends entirely the wrong message for a book supposedly penned for readers of “all-ages”.

To make matters worse, it is as a direct result of the Doctor’s deceitfulness that Graham O’Brien is suddenly placed in danger, due to trying his luck at a Bevivian game of chance whilst the others run about the funfair like demented adolescent loons. Admittedly, “the game is most definitely rigged”, but if the time traveller had bought her “fam” tickets legitimately, then they would all have been aware of what rules they were agreeing to as multi-guests upon entry; “I violated no laws here! They chose to play! No kidnapping!”

Unsurprisingly, the Gallifreyian herself cheats in order to win both her companion’s freedom and “whoever else may have been roped in by your shiny ball.” However, having aggressively threatened the alien carnival worker to “find a new line of work”, the dislikeable Doctor still has time to sanctimoniously lecture him (as well as the audience), and actually goes as far as to unconvincingly justify her fraudulent entry and deceitfulness simply because “this is what we do.”

The variant cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY ISSUE" 2019 by Jessica Martin

Geek-Girl #5 - Markosia Enterprises

GEEK-GIRL No. 5, October 2019

Successfully funded by 175 backers in 2019 as part of a much larger “Kickstarter” project to get this comic book series’ earlier editions available as a trade paperback, this “extra-sized jump on issue” must most assuredly have opened the eyes of its readers to the significantly larger world “Geek-Girl” creator Sam Johnson was planning to populate following his decision to make the title an ongoing publication rather than just a limited run. For whilst this ‘Markosia monthly’ still provides plenty of focus upon Ruby Kaye and her ‘best friend forever’ Summer James, the twenty-five page periodical also literally introduces a planeload of brand new super-powered characters for its fans to wrap their brains around.

Foremost of these intriguingly different ‘capes’ has to be the Whupper, whose introduction, courtesy of a long haul airline flight sat alongside one of the most irritatingly talkative passengers imaginable, cleverly causes this book’s audience to immediately sympathise with the incredibly patient stubble-faced man. Such pathos is then quickly turned into likeability when the unassuming gent does all in his power to save the life of the overly-chatty lady sat beside him following their aircraft’s sudden mid-air destruction; “Holy c%$p on a stick!!! Put this on!”

Somewhat less heroic looking, though equally as interesting, are the disconcertingly named Minger, Digger Mensch and two of the doomed plane’s other occupants, Guano Guy and Mister Marvellous Man. Apart from helping to re-build Acorn Ridge Main Street Police Station, embarrass Ruby with her dorky secret headquarters introduction video, and seemingly selflessly flee the burning airliner whilst someone else saves the day “for free”, this quartet of gaudily-costumed oddities aren’t admittedly given enough of this publication’s finite sheet space to properly develop or sparkle, yet still manage to make a positive contribution to the comic's creation of the "newly-formed Kaye Foundation".

Equally as strong an asset is the excellent illustration work of Carlos Granda, whose dynamic pencilling really helps imbue Johnson’s slightly dialogue-driven script with plenty of visual pace and dynamism, even when simply sketching some of the scenes aboard the aforementioned doomed aeroplane. In fact, this book’s opening sequence, featuring a chanting Satanist being brutally gunned down at his flat’s front door, generates an almost palpable air of mysterious menace to the book's proceedings, which the artist then maintains throughout the rest of the magazine.

Writer: Sam Johnson, Artist: Carlos Granda, and Colorist: Chunlin Zhao