Conan The Barbarian #9 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 9, April 2024

Casting the titular character back in time some eighty thousand years, Jim Zub’s penmanship for Issue Nine of “Conan The Barbarian” seriously seems to walk a terrifyingly taut tightrope between fan fiction and something seen in the Seventies comic book anthology series “What If..?” by “Marvel Worldwide”. True, the surprising plot twist undoubtedly provides the Canadian author with an opportunity to involve the Cimmerian in a truly savage, sense-shattering sword-fight against the legendary King of Valusia – something which would excite many a devotee of Robert E. Howard’s writing. But this confrontation is manufactured in such a bemusing, irrational manner, that many fans of both sword and sorcery heroes will surely be wondering just what is going on..?

Foremost of these disappointing doubts is surely the logic behind just how the adventurer has time-travelled to Kull the Conqueror’s era in the first place, having previously been depicted killing himself with a sword rather than continue on as a blood-soaked zombie. The fact the heavily-muscled thief simple steps from out of a destroyed black stone statue set upon a hill-top with all his physical faculties intact, at least once he’s slept, is as mysterious as it is arguably absurd. Whilst Brule of the Borni Tribe’s willingness to accept the stranger as a fellow comrade-in-arms, and subsequently take him straight to the very heart of his civilisation’s power unrestrained, appears to have been manufactured purely to quickly place Conan in the presence of the “Exile of Atlantis".

Disconcertingly however, the Animex Honorary Award-winner also appears unable to resist the chance to have the barbarian encounter a younger incarnation of Yag-kosha. Such a meeting is debatably dubious at best, due to the elephant-headed creature now presumably knowing that a horrible, lingering fate (and eventual death) awaits him in Yara’s evil tower in the Zamorian city of Arenjun. Indeed, so abrupt is this reunion’s end, that many a bibliophile will probably feel even Zub himself suddenly thought better of exploring such “wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff" too much.

What does undeniably work throughout this publication though, are “ravaging” Rob De La Torre’s layouts, which genuinely whisk the reader away to pre-cataclysmic Atlantis with just a few strokes of his pencil. Of particular note has to be the aforementioned battle between Conan and Kull, as its intensity quite literally leaps off the printed page, and is most certainly worth the cover price of this comic alone.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #9 by Mike Deodata

Dune: House Corrino #1 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO No. 1, March 2024

Described by its Los Angeles-based publisher as “unveiling a closer look at the rising conflict between beloved characters and bitter villains”, this first issue of “Dune: House Corrino” is arguably a comic book adaption which will only be understood by bibliophiles already heavily familiar with the science fiction franchise created by Frank Herbert, and later expanded upon by award-winning novelists Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Indeed, without such prior knowledge it's genuinely hard to imagine any reader successfully navigating their way through this thirty-three-page deep-dive into the very heart of the dystopian future’s incredibly complicated universe; “We hatched this plan decades ago, Hasimir, after we tricked father. It has been too long!”

Of course, there are times when the periodical’s authors do attempt to provide any new readers with something of a recap – most notably when Leto Atreides holds a celebratory banquet at Castle Caladan for his now almost completely cybernetic companion, Prince Rhombur Vernius. However, even this update doesn’t provide much in the way of actual detail as to how “the last true Earl of the planet Ix” received such life-changing injuries, nor that it was actually the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen who was ultimately behind the failed assassination attempt which lead to them.

Happily however, probably due to this comic’s substantial size, its narrative does still contain some attractive action-sequences which will surely ‘hook’ those within its audience who are ignorant of the sweeping storyline’s wider context. Foremost of these is probably Duncan Idaho’s mission to destroy a scurrilous Tleilaxu contingent who are deplorably attempting to recover DNA on Beakkal from long-dead war veterans. This attack is both planned and executed with the confines of just the book, and resultantly should provide an enthralling, adrenalin-fuelled act of self-contained defiance by the Red Duke against the disagreeable race of genetic manipulators. Likewise, this eight-part mini-series' pulse-pounding opening involving Stilgar destroying a hidden Harkonnen spice storage facility on Arrakis needs little explanation or build-up.

Perhaps this periodical’s greatest attraction though, lies in the layouts of Simone Ragazzoni. The Italian illustrator does a first-rate job of imbuing all the cast with plenty of emotion and personality, such as Leto's heart-wrenching haunted look whenever he recalls the murder of his infant son, Victor. Whilst he also provides the mechanically-enhanced Rhombur with a fitting and highly memorable (re)introduction, as Doctor Wellington Yueh's rebuilt patient quite literally stomps his way to a triumphant feast in his honour.

The regular cover art of "DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO" #1 by Raymond Swanland

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #5 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 5, March 2024

Whilst some within this twenty-page-periodical’s audience might find Jim Zub’s ability to tie his mini-series’ central plot to a comic he penned way back in June 2018 quite clever. The revelation that Finder’s “true nature” actually stems from a momentary chance encounter with the mage Delina may well prove a bit too contrived for those readers anticipating an origin story much more enigmatic or precocious from the “Dungeons & Dragons fan favourite” author. In fact, the notion that all the gruesome deaths, hapless mind-swaps and head-scratching chaos contained within this mini-series are simply as a result of the Moon Elf’s fast-declining magical powers inadvertently leaking into a Modron and altering its basic programming is debatably underwhelming at best.

What does arguably work though, is the Canadian writer’s wonderfully enthralling flashback sequence of unit F1R’s “tour of the great wheel of the planes to refresh [the] information archives and take inventory of reality.” This lengthy quest genuinely appears capable of capturing many a bibliophile’s imagination, as the rotund walking sphere witnesses dragons fighting against one another in the sky, learns some basic spells, and encounters a giant, multi-tentacled plant monster – which disappointingly signifies the increasingly sentient automaton’s sad demise.

Indeed, it’s probably a pity that the Eisner Award-nominee didn’t use this approach to his storytelling straight from the start, rather than trying to confusingly combine the mystery surrounding Finder’s origin with a disconcerting headlong descent into the recently released “Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse” role-playing sourcebook instead. Such a stance may well have made far more sense to those who were bamboozled by this tale's persistent body-exchanging premise, and allowed them to supportively share the wide-eyed construct’s wonder at the much larger world it was journeying into; “I didn’t just record data like the others. I was actually curious. Curious and eager to see and do as many new things as possible."

Impressively managing to give the central Modron a life of its own though, has to be Jose Jaro, whose ability to transform one of many identical machines into so endearing a central character with just a few pencilled lines here and there is positively breath-taking. The frustration, excitement, fear, and pain of F1R’s escapades are so plain to see on the inquisitive adventurer's face, that few purchasing this publication will be able to stop themselves giving a little jump for joy when it concludes with the reassembled ‘immortal’ back in the city of Sigil, and once again teaming-up with Notitia Never-Lost.

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #5 by Max Dunbar

Moon Knight [2021] #24 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 24, August 2023

There should probably be little argument that Jed MacKay’s storyline for Issue Twenty-Four of “Moon Knight” is somewhat different from the norm, considering that it quite neatly intermixes a number of hallucinogenic visions with the former West Coast Avenger’s exploration of a multi-storey building in the real world. But sadly, when the central premise of a book is to have the Fist of Khonshu basically just climb up a few stairs and then find a dying “old enemy” curled up in a dark corner, these psychedelic trips can debatably be seen as being nothing more than mere padding to help fill out the twenty-page publication; “You’re insane, you know that? How about this? Endless violence. Does that make you happy?”

Indeed, by the time Marc Spector’s alter-ego encounters a nightclub in which a surprisingly happy Jake Lockley is holding a big party, the more critical minded members of this comic’s audience may well be thinking that the Canadian author had already run out of ideas for Morpheus’ day-dreams, and was simply throwing notions against a wall to see what successfully stuck. Certainly, there appears to be little rhyme or reason to some of the subsequent visualisations, such as when the “Lunar Legionnaire” savagely smacks Captain America straight in the mouth following the First Avenger illogically welcoming him back to the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Perhaps therefore the most fun to be had out of “Ill Met By Moonlight” comes with the zany, tongue-in-cheek interlude featuring the Mighty Mail-Man and his short-wearing sidekick, the Precocious Postie. Apparently determined to deliver the post through a demon-infested, post-apocalyptic landscape, this mirage would surely have made a much more fascinating, pulse-pounding plot than the numerous hollow intermissions which surround it, had it been given much more sheet space.

Bringing a little Anime-like animation to parts of this comic’s layouts is Federico Sabbatini, who seemingly does the best he can with what little the script provides. The Italian illustrator definitely delivers an eye-catching Moon Knight, resplendent in his white cape and cowl. However, a lot of his backgrounds, such as the sequence staged at Grant Manor are rather bland and lack-lustre, and do little to hold the attention as the panels progress.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Federico Sabbatini, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #4 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 4, February 2024

For a brief while there’s probably plenty of fun to be had with Jim Zub’s storyline for “Lawful Uph-Evil”, regardless of whether the reader be a devoted disciple of Dave Arneson’s tabletop role-playing game or not. Indeed, Finder’s journey through the chaotic cogs, winding wheels, and spiralling sprockets of Mechanus should still ensnare even the most uninformed of bibliophiles, courtesy of the pink-hued succubus’ desperate attempt to escape the diabolical clutches of Missy Maddyknack, and her subsequent heartwarming meeting with the well-mannered, tinker orc Crundlespike.

Frustratingly however, these intriguing exploits are soon replaced with a tremendously tiresome court room trial, which sees the colourfully-costumed ‘crystal shard’ attempt to reason with the mechanical logic of the Modrons. Admittedly, the computer-like behaviour of this particular race of robotic immortals is arguably quite endearing at first, especially when they march about their kingdom like human-sized, wind-up soldiers. But by the time the aforementioned Maddyknack has inexplicably returned as the titular character’s dubiously-qualified defence counsel, it debatably appears that even this mini-series’ Canadian author has somewhat lost the will to pen anything moderately understandable; “Council, your insipid, incoherent, and insulting display is a mockery of our esteemed judicial process!”

In fact, what follows Finder’s predictable capture appears to have been written simply so the lead protagonist can once again demonstrate their propensity for both dying quite horribly, and then being reborn in a completely different physical guise. This sequence sadly smacks of the author badly needing to find something long-winded to help pad out the twenty-page-periodical’s plot, and simultaneously cause the creation of a cliff-hanger conclusion which sees the “agent of chaos” sensationally transformed into a winged Modron.

Nobly assisting Zub in his endeavour to pack Mechanus with all manner of gearwheels and bone-grinding machinery are Jose Jaro’s layouts. The “Filipino American” designer appears particularly adept at greatly expanding upon any modicum of action found within this book’s script, such as when Finder takes a seriously long tumble through numerous giant gears, or Maddyknack does her best to keep the two trespassers out of the ultimate law’s sight. Furthermore, the illustrator is evidently a ‘dab hand’ when elongating a reasonably straightforward conversation, as seen when the “plane hopping” adventurer just asks the fortress of disciplined enlightenment’s guardians for help and spends an unnecessarily long ten-panelled piece to do so.

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #4 by Max Dunbar

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