BRZRKR #10 - BOOM! Studios

BRZRKR No. 10, September 2022

Considering that a physically scarred titular character spends half this twenty-four-page periodical quietly recovering on a bunk-bed having previously unleashed his “full fury” upon the American authorities, it is difficult to imagine many within its audience feeling that Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt’s storyline is actually building “towards a conclusion that will blow fans’ minds!” Sure, the immortal warrior does eventually find his way back to his ancient birthplace in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia, so as to recover his biological mother’s mysterious “bird” artefact. But the sheer amount of technobabble and gobbledegook the reader must endure before this memorable moment occurs is incredibly off-putting; “Confirm floral formula series 2AK1. Execute new floral formula series 2AK2.”

Furthermore, this comic’s infuriatingly pedestrian-paced narrative never seemingly states what any of Caldwell’s directives are for the Machiavellian murderer’s “master plan”, or even simply what the covert government department are expecting to happen once “B” arrives at their intended destination. Instead, Unute is just told to recuperate for ten days, whilst Doctor Diana Ahuja blissfully wanders around a hydroponics garden firing black lightning from her fingertips, and then later operates a huge hyper-computer which requires so much power that “half the Western Seaboard is about to black out.”

Eventually, it does become clear that the suddenly telepathic physician’s herbal concoction is thought to be that drunk by her patient’s long-dead mother to help the ancient hunter-gatherer’s mind “make contact” with the godlike powers that created her son. However, besides sending Unute on a hallucinogenic guilt trip back to his parent’s uber-gory demise, this book’s writers don’t explain why this is particularly important nor how it causes a metal phoenix to inexplicably rise from ‘a mile deep in the desert’ and savagely skewer the supposedly undying combatant alive.

Debatably doing his best to at least provide this publication’s panels with something interesting to look at is Ron Garney. Sadly though, even the former “Daredevil” artist can’t work miracles with a plot featuring two stone-still characters sat endlessly looking at one another in a confinement cell. Yet at least he’s able to imbue the military’s climatic build-up with all the excited apprehensive a bibliophile might expect from the Armed Forces surrounding a target imbued with any number of unknown magical properties.

The regular cover art to "BRZRKR" #10 by Ron Garney & Bill Crabtree

Star Trek #400 [Part Two] - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK No. 400, September 2022

Starting with a narrative centred upon a character who “was unpopular among more than a few Star Trek fans” during “The New Generation” era, Wil Wheaton’s arguably self-indulgent storyline “A Matter Of Choice” probably isn’t as exciting a start to this comic’s second half as the actor-turned-YouTube-host probably hoped. In fact, the incredibly word-heavy narrative must surely have tested the patience of even the most ardent Trekkie, especially when at times the numerous word balloons seemingly threaten to blot out everything but the most basic-looking figure’s face in any given panel.

Disappointingly however, there’s debatably very little reward at the tale’s end either, as after an eight-page long series of dialogue-lead sedentary scenes where an omnipotent Wesley Crusher revisits several moments in his past where his shipmates have previously offered him advice, he simply decides to do what he planned to do in the first place. Such a lack-lustre conclusion may well cause some readers to scratch their heads in bewilderment as to just why “the Traveller” bothered to pull an elderly Jean-Luc Picard out of the Kelvin Universe in the first place, let alone how him doing so might irreversibly damage existence's “complex crystalline structure that only holds itself together through the most delicate balance.”

Perhaps this anthology’s most bemusing adventure though is the kid-friendly fracas between “Keyla Detmer, the Starfleeter” and an adolescent Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Written by Mike Johnson and sketched by Megan Levens, this meeting between two crash survivors smacks of the sort of juvenile humour a reader might expect in a children’s comic for young readers, and appears an odd choice of storyline to feature in a celebration of over fifty-years’ worth of serious science fiction; “Try it you shall and when you cannot stomach it, you shall declare me the superior lifeform and be on your way!”

Rounding off this publication with a blatant advertisement for the publisher’s upcoming new ongoing “Star Trek” title is “A Perfect System” by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Focusing upon the sudden disintegration of Gary Mitchell whilst the god-like entity is busily building solar systems, this pedestrian-paced piece even rather mercenarily ends with its final page featuring the former Federation helmsman’s skeleton floating in outer space with the words “To be Continued” “Star Trek #1” “Coming Soon” emblazoned between artist Ramon Rosanas’ well-pencilled panels.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK" #400 by Louie De Martinis

Star Trek #400 [Part One] - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK No. 400, September 2022

Considering the sheer scope of Gene Roddenberry’s fifty-plus year-old science fiction franchise, “this collection of minis” by “IDW Publishing” may well have pleased some Trekkies out there, particularly as it’s opening storyline set at the very end of the original series’ movie run does such a good job in wrong-footing the reader with its conclusion. But by the time “this monumental issue” hits its mid-way stage, the quality of its penmanship is debatably somewhat deficient at best; “I needed a new differential octolithium re-compilerizer, and you needed a new phase-inducted piromactal teravertarium battery!”

To begin with however, Chris Eliopoulos’ “Captain’s Log” definitely delivers a thoroughly enjoyable summary of Captain James Tiberius Kirk’s adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, and then rather cleverly hands over the baton to Hikaru Sulu commanding the U.S.S. Excelsior. Proficiently pencilled by Luke Sparrow, this nostalgic trip down memory lane contains many of the programme’s pivotal moments, such as the death of Spock, and then rather neatly leads into the senior helmsmen’s own adventures at the end of “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”.

Similarly as successful is “Soldier On” by Declan Shalvey, which rather surprisingly provides an intriguing flashback to Petty Officer Miles O’Brien’s time on the planet Setlik III during the Federation/Cardassian War. Featuring both Captain Maxwell and the U.S.S. Rutledge, as well as a young Elim Garak, this reasonably straightforward tale of resupplying, sabotage and Obsidian Order obstinance is engagingly drawn in a quirky, somewhat cartoony style by Seth Damoose.

Closing out the first half of this “equal celebration of IDW’s Star Trek comics past and future” with a shockingly short, though still disconcerting yarn, is the five-panel long “Meanwhile…” Written by Mike Johnson and illustrated by Angel Hernandez, this brief glimpse of the Kelvin Universe’s Scotty shows just how unrecognisably dissimilar the “miracle working’ engineer has become from his former-self once Simon Pegg embodied the character on the silver screen. Perfectly happy to lazily sleep on the job and leave the Constitution-class starship’s repairs to an equally snooze-happy underling, this Montgomery Scott is a far cry from the decidedly dedicated incarnation played by Canadian actor James Doohan.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK" #400 by Louie De Martinis

Moon Knight [2021] #12 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 12, August 2022

Painting an intriguingly grim picture of the afterlife for the many previous incarnations of the Fist of Khonshu, Jed MacKay’s storyline for Issue Twelve of “Moon Knight” certainly seems to provide its audience with an exciting “final struggle for Marc Spector's soul in the Battle of the Midnight Mission.” Indeed, the ensuing fracas between Zodiac’s heavily armed mercenaries and a gaggle of the Egyptian God’s mummified minions is one of this ongoing series’ most memorable moments to date; “How. How the hell was I supposed to plan for this?! Damned zombie Moon Knights!!!”

Furthermore, the Canadian author pens a disconcertingly dark aspect to the costumed crime-fighter’s vampiric secretary Reese, who momentarily appears to completely lose herself to the ‘Red Rage’ when she realises her friend, Soldier, has been brutally gunned down by Terry’s villainous alter-ego. This “monster” adds an entirely new layer to the usually somewhat stiff, self-controlled character, and ably demonstrates just how narrow a tightrope the fanged office worker walks every night to maintain her sense of normality. 

Perhaps therefore this comic’s sole disappointment arguably comes at its conclusion when the Cowled Avenger surprisingly stops himself from killing his latest nemesis by swapping his current murderous personality for that of the much less aggressive Steven Grant. Sure, there’s an unwritten rule within comic book writing that super-heroes don’t intentionally kill their opponents, even ones as disconcertingly dark as MacKay’s current manifestation of Moon Knight. But to simply leave an astonished Zodiac impotently squirming on the floor after all the mayhem he has caused is debatably rather anti-climactic.

Minor quibble as to this publication’s ending aside however, a lot of its storytelling success also lies in the lap of Alessandro Cappuccio and the artist’s incredibly dynamic layouts. The sheer chaos depicted in the Italian illustrator’s splash pages depicting Khonshu’s former agents savagely shredding the cartel are absolutely breath-taking, and well-worth the cover price of this twenty-page periodical alone. Whilst, Zodiac’s infuriated body language as he watches his well-laid out plan for Spector go catastrophically awry is equally as captivating, and even manages to squeeze in some moments of humour during an otherwise ultra-intense fracas.

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

DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War #2 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR No. 2, October 2022

Sporting more grisly beheadings than a history book about the French Revolution, the sheer savage violence on show throughout Issue Two of “DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War” must surely have made this twenty-four page periodical a huge hit with its audience. Furthermore, the gratuitously bloody nature of Alex Paknadel and Matthew Rosenberg’s narrative isn’t simply present just to appease the gore fans either, but rather to reinforce just how desperate the plight is of this comic’s surviving cast following the “horrifying vampire attack” upon them in the previous instalment.

Such dire despondency is particularly typified by the beleaguered super-heroes' evident terror at having to face one of their deadliest foes in the shape of an entirely homicidal Wonder Woman, who effortlessly begins whittling down their already low numbers just as soon as she enters the fray. Seldom has the Amazon’s Lasso of Hestia been shown slicing through the necks of her opponents with such utterly lethal abandonment, and yet that is precisely what William Marston’s co-creation does whilst confronting a couple of Talia al Ghul’s guards in a blatant demonstration of the blood-drinker’s sadistic nature; “I only ever need to follow him from a discreet distance and a banquet always presents itself.”

Helping to make the sacrifices, slaughter and ever-growing body count even more memorable are Pasquale Qualano’s delightfully intense layouts, and Nicola Righi’s disconcerting penchant for splattering every possible panel with as much claret as the colourist can muster. Such eye-catching visuals genuinely help reinforce the brutally grim carnage occurring, and also adds an extra dramatic element to the genuinely sad demise of “the most dangerous… fella in Metropolis”, when Jimmy Olsen is suddenly bitten by Diana Prince’s alter-ego completely out of the blue during the heat of the battle.

Far less as ferociously fast-paced, though just as enthralling, is Emma Vieceli’s dialogue-driven short story “Dark Birth”. Well-drawn by artist Haining in a Manga-like style, this tale rather intriguingly features a pre-apocalypse Dick Grayson inadvertently stumbling upon the vampiric plot by the Acolytes of Shadow to assassinate Mary, the False Queen, and seemingly sets up just how Nightwing would surprisingly be revealed as this limited series’ shock central antagonist.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR" #2 by Alan Quah

Dungeons & Dragons: Legends Of Baldur's Gate #4 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: LEGENDS OF BALDUR'S GATE No. 4, January 2015

Despite actually promoting Issue Four of “Dungeons & Dragons: Legends Of Baldur’s Gate” as containing “less talk, more fight!”, Jim Zub’s narrative for this twenty-page periodical regrettably doesn’t really get going until the comic is half-way over. Sure, the Canadian author manages to whip up a modicum of mystic mischief at the very start of the publication by taking its audience back to when an adolescent Delina first realised her rare aptitude for magic “without any training”. But this glimpse into the young Moon Elf’s backstory is fleeting, and arguably is included more to show the angry resentment stored up within her jealous brother than to provide any injection of dynamic action.

Instead, this book’s audience must first negotiate a series of conversational pieces between “The Fist of Truth” and “Ugly Walrus Face”, as well as the evidently evil Deniak’s unsurprising betrayal of his naïve sister. These dialogue-driven scenes are somewhat necessary to explain how Minsc, Krydle and Shandie can quickly navigate the legendary city in the hope of thwarting the cultists’ dark ritual. However, it’s not until some thirty-six text-laden panels later that any bibliophile will actually see Boo explode onto the scene atop his ranger’s formidably sized shoulder; “My hamster speaks truth, ugly ones! Surrender or face huge justice!”

Enjoyably though, once Zub’s penmanship does finally get things going, it’s easy to imagine most of this publication’s 4,602 strong circulation thoroughly enjoying its jaw-cracking concoction of powerful pummels to the face, well-aimed arrows and deadly attacks by a certain miniature giant space rodent. Furthermore, the pace of the already frenzied action is ramped up every so often by the clever inclusion of Deniak feverishly working his dark magic upon his immobile, sacrificial sibling to become imbued with all the dread power of a dragon.

Ably aiding any reader through this comic’s sedentary start, and then gleefully hurling them face-first into the sheer carnage of Minsc bludgeoning a basement full of Bugbears, is Max Dunbar, whose artwork does a tremendous job in depicting the emotions of this mini-series’ considerably sized cast. Indeed, besides the sheer ferocity on show during this book’s climatic fight sequence, one of its highlights is just how well the concept artist manages to etch the venomous envy upon Deniak’s face and the genuine concern upon Delina’s for her beloved brother’s wellbeing despite everything he has done against her.

Written by: Jim Zub, Art by: Max Dunbar, and Colors by: John-Paul Bove

Star Trek: The Mirror War: Troi #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR - TROI No. 1, September 2022

Turning the recently concluded Mirror War mini-series spotlight upon Deanna Troi and the supposedly dramatic course of events which lead to her becoming the much-feared Inquisitor aboard the I.S.S. Enterprise, “this one-shot set in the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation” probably didn’t please as many fans of the science fiction franchise as perhaps its publishers hoped it would. In fact, Marieke Nijkamp’s backstory arguably doesn’t make all that much sense, as the Betazed Administrator appears to double-cross everyone, including her planet’s population, apparently just to show Jean-Luc Picard that her murderous obsession with power would make her a useful ally for his “ruthless ambition.”

Admittedly, the fact the cold-hearted killer is perfectly happy to personally disintegrate her closest confidant, Lwesi, after the ill-fated advisor is ordered to take “charge of our Plan B” by infiltrating the Stargazer’s Cargo Bay Two, certainly shows the extent to which the mass-manipulator will stoop to attain the potent mix of “triumph, vengeance, [and] power” which she so greatly desires. But having repeatedly demonstrated such disloyalty, treachery and duplicity to the bald Terran Empire officer, including an attempt to have her world’s dissidents assassinate him, it seems rather unconvincing anyone would see such an untrustworthy person as being an essential piece of their own grand scheme for domination.

Furthermore, there are so many twists and turns to the Dutch author’s twenty-page plot, that by the end of the comic some within its audience may well be completely confused as to just which attacks upon Picard and his crew were planned by the titular character, and what was merely unexpected happenstance. It certainly seems likely that one of the Stargazer’s crewmen telling his captain that Lwesi and her handful of rebel fighters were actually in need of the Empire’s help came as much as a surprise to the Betazoid leader as it did Jean-Luc; “Are all your officers so weak to be easily control--” 

Setting aside such quibbles as to its narrative, Megan Levens’ layouts for Issue One of “Star Trek: The Mirror War – Troi” certainly bring some enjoyable phaser-fights to eye-catching life whenever the book requires them. Indeed, there’s a palpable sense of dynamic action to the “Buffyverse” illustrator’s pencils when she first depicts the insurgents enthusiastically blazing away at their planet’s ‘honoured guests’, which helps carry any perusing bibliophile through some of the script’s more mundane, dialogue-heavy sequences.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR - Troi #1 by Megan Levens & Charlie Kirchoff