Harley Quinn #7 - DC Comics

HARLEY QUINN No. 7, November 2021

Introducing a plethora of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ new villains in the shape of the Caucus of Corruption, and tentatively tying in to “DC Comics” comic book crossover storyline "Fear State", Stephanie Phillips’ script for Issue Seven of “Harley Quinn” probably left its 29,000 strong audience wanting a bit more from the twenty-two page periodical’s plot. Indeed, for those readers blissfully unaware of Doctor Jonathan Crane’s attempt to control Gotham City using his infamous fear toxin and the rumoured death of the Dark Knight, this book’s central premise concerning the titular character taking her Clowns Support Group on a supposedly therapeutic camping trip is arguably bemusing at best.

Fortunately, things do eventually start to ‘heat up’ towards the end of this publication, once Harleen Quinzel realises that an extraordinarily lengthy, multi-panel mediation sequence is “so boring” and sets out with Kevin on a quest to recover a lost dog called Waffles. This romp through the woodland is still debatably unduly lengthy, thanks in part to the female anti-hero angrily misinterpreting her friend’s concern as to her wellbeing as being purely chauvinistic. But at least it ends with the leading cast encountering a truly formidable-looking bear and having to hilariously run for their very lives; “He’s gaining on us!”

Likewise, the American author pens an intriguing insight into the mad happenings currently occurring upon the streets on Gotham now Batman is apparently no more. The large scale looting by the metropolis’ lower end criminals makes perfect sense. However, it is the writer’s depiction of Professor Hugo Strange which really captures the utter insanity of the rioting, as the maniacal psychiatrist dons a replica Caped Crusader costume and dishes out punishment to anyone foolish enough to get within his grasp – even innocent shop owners simply trying to protect their property.

Quite possibly this comic’s main draw therefore lies within the layouts of Riley Rossmo, whose pencilling of Quinn’s aforementioned encounter with a gigantic grizzly encapsulates all the sheer terror imaginable should a street-level anti-hero confront so massive a wild animal. In addition, the stark megalomania visible in Strange’s eyes as he stands laughing out loud amidst the chaos of Gotham City is truly palpable, and leaves no doubt at all that the super-villain is completely bonkers.

Writer: Stephanie Phillips, Artist: Riley Rossmo, and Colors: Ivan Plascencia

BRZRKR #7 - BOOM! Studios

BRZRKR No. 7, February 2022

Considering that this entire twenty-four page periodical essentially comprises of little more than a conversation between the titular character and his long-time patron Caldwell, it is incredible just how utterly enthralling Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt’s narrative for Issue Seven of “BRZRKR” actually is. For whilst such a premise unapologetically relies upon a seemingly endless series of text boxes and word balloons crammed full of dialogue and exposition, the discussion’s actual subject matter arguably captures the attention straight from the start, as the bespectacled anthropologist begins a lengthy explanation as to the origin behind the immortal mercenary's latest acquisition from ancient antiquity; “You and Keever did well on the last mission. You have no idea how long I’ve been working to acquire that little box.”

This highly engaging flashback sequence rather neatly transports the reader back through time, from the nefarious, criminal underworld of the modern-day relic market to “the birth of a new religion” at the Battle of Babylonia in 2300 B.C. Such a rich tapestry of drama rather succinctly shows just what a miraculous effect upon humanity the long-lived warrior has had, and ultimately provides the publication with a somewhat disconcerting moment when it’s revealed that the unimpressive-looking piece of shrivelled, grey matter so many people have died over through the millennia is just the wizened remains of a severed hand.

Similarly as perturbing is the disclosure as to just how obsessed with his ‘old friend’ Caldwell actually is, to the point where in his younger days, the cold-hearted collector rather matter-of-factly murdered both men and woman with his bare hands so as to gain access to their knowledge and/or property. This utter obsession helps reinforce just how duplicitous the bespectacled benefactor is, and, alongside the self-centred sponsor’s insane fixation upon identifying the very birthplace of the Berzerker, rather rivetingly makes it clear that whatever experiment he recommends the immortal participate in next, is definitely not going to have the soul-searching subject’s best interests at heart.

Throwing just the odd bucket of gore and bodily mutilation into the mix is artist Ron Garney, whose ability to imbue all of the numerous flashback sequences with a genuine sense of their respective civilisations and chronologies, really helps sell the sheer scale of how much time has passed since some of the events took place. Of particular note is the illustrator’s ability to pencil the sheer savagery of the aforementioned ancient battle in Mesopotamia, where limbs, entrails and organs are bloodthirstily hewn all over the place.

The regular cover art for "BRZRKR" #7 by Lee Garbett

Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons #3 - IDW Publishing

RICK AND MORTY VERSES DUNGEONS & DRAGONS No. 3, November 2018

For those readers able to wade through this twenty-five page periodical’s opening dialogue-driven half, there’s an incredible amount to enjoy in “Reality Bites (For 3D6+1)”. Indeed, once Kiir Bravian’s band of adventurers encounter their first wandering monster, Patrick Rothfuss & Jim Zub weave an incredibly entertaining narrative, which is not only absolutely packed full of some sense-shattering Fifth Edition-inspired shenanigans. But also contains some genuine ‘laugh-out-loud’ moments, such as when the party’s pointy-eared wizard successfully goes toe-to-toe with a Half-Ogre sorcerer; “You motherf****r! I’m going to rip off your d*ck and kick it into the sun! Who the f**k plays an Abjurer? Seriously!”

Disappointingly though, the same praise cannot arguably be heaped upon this comic’s first few scenes as Rick attempts to locate “a dimension where the Dungeons & Dragons paradigms are real” following Jerry’s unfortunate destruction of the fuming-mad scientist’s fantasy gaming simulator. Sure, there’s undoubtedly some fun to be gleaned from the family’s friction over this turn of events. However, there’s an incredible amount of word balloons to be navigated before a somewhat familiar-looking “smarmy little dice-deucing megalomaniac” of a Dungeon Master finally transports the central cast literally into the heat of battle.

Fortunately, this publication’s penmanship improves dramatically once Morty’s father surprisingly leads his family against a pair of truly massive Ogres, and with some satisfaction witnesses both his wife and children successfully overcome the super-strong monsters. This action-sequence really is enthrallingly written, and contains plenty of moments of genuine concern, courtesy of the alternative world’s visitors all being vulnerable to death should they tragically receive a fatal wound.

Suffering somewhat similarly to this comic’s storyline, Troy Little’s artwork inside Issue Three of "Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons" is also debatably a game of two halves. The Canadian cartoonist’s pencilling prior to the lead characters’ transforming themselves into their role-playing alter-egos looks decidedly off-point when compared to the illustrator's much more detailed panels later on in the book. In fact, there’s such a marked contrast between the quality of the drawing, that some bibliophiles may well have found themselves checking the comic’s creators to see whether someone else was responsible for the early layouts.

Written by: Patrick Rothfuss & Jim Zub, Art by: Troy Little, and Colors by: Leonardo Ito

Shadowman #6 - Valiant Entertainment

SHADOWMAN No. 6, February 2022

Strangely reminiscent, at least to begin with, of William Malone’s 1999 horror flick remake “House on Haunted Hill”, Cullen Bunn’s script for Issue Six of “Shadowman” arguably grips the reader straight from the start, and doesn’t let them go until the twenty-page periodical ends with a truly alarming cataclysmic conclusion. In fact, even this comic’s more sedentary sequences, such as when Alyssa somewhat unwisely decides to investigate New Orleans’ graveyard during the dead of night with her new crew of Abettors, are still packed full of tension due to an all-pervading atmosphere of undead awakenings and ghoulish grotesques clamouring for the flesh of the living; “This cemetery is crawling with malevolent spirits. We’re not safe here. Not safe at all. Especially if the light goes -- uh…”

Leading the charge for this book’s compelling narrative is the premise that the titular character has been drawn to a long abandoned sanatorium outside Dennings, Missouri, following reports of “innocent people” being abducted by some utterly insane surgeon who has subsequently been “offering their mutilated corpses up as hosts to Deadside demons.” This chilling concept by the Cape Fear-born writer will debatably send literal shivers down the audience’s spines and makes Jack Boniface’s battle against overwhelming odds even more petrifying, as it’s clear just what the so-called false priest’s ghastly fate will be should he be unsuccessful in his escape and have the Loa ripped from his flesh by his grisly-looking assailants.

Perhaps this publication’s biggest draw however, is the return of the “British magic-user” Punk Mambo, who quickly makes her mark upon the adventure by momentarily outwitting Shadowman’s all-powerful adversaries with the spectral smoke from a Ghost Lantern. Smart-mouthed and as sassy as ever, the Mohawk-sporting rocker with a penchant for Voodoo magic not only helps show just how out of their depth the likes of Alyssa and her friends are with their “fancy torches”, but also strongly suggests that Boniface himself may well be unlikely to succeed against the personification of the Deadside alone.

Undeniably helping all these terrifying trials and tribulations with his top-tier pencilling is Pedro Andreo, whose sketches of the sewn-up victims of the aforementioned homicidal physician are genuinely the stuff of nightmares. In addition, the artist somehow manages to imbue Victoria Greaves-Trott with all the physical feistiness fans of Peter Milligan’s co-creation would expect, especially when a supposedly disinterested Mambo is cajoled into helping Jack by the ghost of Marie Laveau.

The regular cover art of "SHADOWMAN" #6 by John Davis-Hunt

Shang-Chi [2021] #8 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI No. 8, April 2022

Rather succinctly concluding both “the story of the true origin of Shang-Chi’s family”, as well as Lady Iron Fan’s ill-planned assault upon the House of the Deadly Hand, Gene Luen Yang’s penmanship for his finale to “Family Of Origin” surely must have pleased the majority of its audience. Indeed, the twenty-page periodical’s plot not only does a good job in rapidly explaining Zheng Zhilan’s shocking betrayal of her brother into the hands of the murderous Iron Eighty Eight. But also spends plenty of time depicting just why Jiang Li ended up in the Negative Zone, and how the Master of Kung Fu’s pitiless grandfather so badly wants revenge upon the Five Weapons Society.

In addition, the Alameda-born author manages to provide each of these scenarios with a shock twist, whether it be Sister Staff ultimately revealing she was working alongside Esme to protect her organisation’s supreme commander, or Zheng Zu’s admission to his wife that he first came to Qilin Island “all those years ago” to steal her technology so as to build his own dimensional gateway to Ta Lo. These revelations are marvellously disclosed and add some extra layers of complexity to all of the characters involved, especially Chieftain Xin – who clearly feels betrayed by his daughter and an infant Shang-Chi; “You’re the very image of your father, boy! The very image of evil!”

Perhaps therefore, this book’s sole disappointment comes with the mystery surrounding just why Hydra attacked “Fu Manchu”. According to Jiang Li this surprise assault by the Neo-Nazis is the single event which caused her husband to become such a truly despicable, deadly overlord and suddenly turn his back upon a family he clearly was taking joy in building. However, the Thule Society’s mysterious motivation for the attack is disappointingly just written off as having been something which occurred “before your father and I met.”

Nit-picking aside, Dike Ruan’s layouts should also be praised as they deliver plenty of punch to all of the blows being thrown. Zheng Zu’s fisticuffs against his aging father-in-law is an excellent example of this top tier pencilling, with magical energies pouring off of the two determined combatants. Plus, Sister Dagger’s fist-bump with her duplicitous older sibling once the pair have delivered the Iron Eighty-Eight into the custody of the Warriors of the Deadly Dagger is superbly sketched.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI" #8 by Leinil Frances Yu & Sunny Gho

Moon Knight [2021] #4 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 4, December 2021

Proudly proclaiming “a guest appearance” by Tigra in both its pre-publication press release and stunning cover illustration by Steve McNiven, Jed McKay’s script for Issue Four of “Moon Knight” arguably lives up to its promise of providing the ex-Wackos with plenty of ‘screen time’ together. Yet whilst Greer Nelson’s character is definitely central to the main plot behind “Blackmail” by helping Marc Spector finally “look myself in the face” following his recent betrayal of “every friend I had on the Avengers on the say-so of an insane Moon God”, it is arguably a little disappointing that the pair don’t actually get to kick much ‘butt’ together during the adventure.

Happily however, that doesn’t mean for a moment that this comic’s titular character is in any way shy of throwing a punch, or hurling his deadly crescent moon blades single-handedly. Indeed, this twenty-page periodical’s highlight is debatably Moon Knight’s ferocious attack upon William Russo’s headquarters, and his subsequent battle with the facially-disfigured Jigsaw’s gun-toting henchmen. This action sequence is tremendously well-pencilled by Alessandro Cappuccio, and within the space of just ten panels aptly demonstrates just how acrobatically formidable the former West Coast Avenger actually is.

Likewise, the Canadian writer is very good at fleshing out the villain of the piece, and making Stuart Clarke actually appear capable of defeating Spector simply by ridding the costumed vigilante of the millions he has squirreled away to finance his “crime-fighting stuff.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rampage’s hold over the priest isn’t anywhere near as strong as the one-time hi-tech designer believes, as Marc genuinely doesn’t seem to care that his entire fortune is disappearing with every press of a button an increasingly panicky Clarke makes. But for those readers more invested in their personal wealth, the prospect of losing everything you’ve worked towards in an instant appears a truly terrifying situation. 

Helping add an extra notch of tension to this publication’s proceedings is Cappuccio’s aforementioned artwork, and ability to inject this comic’s cast with plenty of emotion. The genuine joy of Tigra’s face when she first encounters her old comrade-in-arms, as well as Reese’s pleasure at her mysterious bosses evident discomfort, are palpable. Albeit, it is almost certainly the loss of arrogant superiority across Clarke’s face when he realises he is completely at his opponent’s mercy, which truly shows how well the Italian can draw.

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

Battlestar Galactica #4 - Marvel Comics

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA No. 4, June 1979

Containing a distinctly energetic comic book adaptation of the “Battlestar Galactica” television episode "Lost Planet of the Gods – Part One", there’s arguably a strong sense of pace to Roger McKenzie’s “Into The Void!”. For whilst much of this seventeen-page periodical focuses upon Captain Apollo’s wedding plans with Serina and a mysterious alien virus which swiftly causes the vast majority of the fleet’s viper pilots to slip into a coma, there’s still plenty of action on show in the shape of a somewhat deadly magnetic abyss and a pulse-pounding attack upon a Cylon asteroid base.

In addition, the sheer suddenness of Boomer and Jolly’s potentially lethal sickness and the disease’s rapid infectiousness really seems to catch the Galactica’s medical staff completely off-guard, and shockingly leaves the humans virtually defenceless with two-thirds of the publication left to read. Coupled with the almost obsessive curiosity both Commander Adama and Count Baltar have with the aforementioned void and its link to reaching the fabled planet Earth, and the American author’s penmanship genuinely projects an enthralling sense of intensity; “Do I dare risk the safety of the Galactica and the ships she has sworn to protect on what may be no more than a myth..?”

Likewise, the fact that Blue Squadron’s attack upon their robotic enemies is spearheaded by simple shuttle pilots, as opposed to experienced Colonial warriors, adds an extra element of excitement to its proceedings - especially when an understandably concerned Apollo is forced to team-up with his untested future wife during the heat of the battle. It is repeatedly made clear that this hastily cobbled together mission is absolutely crucial to the existence of the Galactica, so those bibliophiles unfamiliar with Glen Larson and Don Bellisario’s broadcast storyline may very well have been worried as to whether any of the new pilots were actually going to survive the decisive assault or not.

Perhaps this comic’s greatest asset however, are the layouts of Walt Simonson, which go an incredibly long way to helping move the drama unfurl at a sense-shattering speed. The Knoxville-born artist does a tremendous job of imbuing all the fighter craft with a palpable sense of flight and firepower courtesy of some rapid, tightly-pencilled panels. But also makes it easy to discern one pilot from another by taking up series editor Louise Jones’ suggestion to have the names of “the newly trained cadets” stencilled upon the brow of their helmets.

Script: Roger McKenzie, Art: Walt Simonson & Klaus Janson