Star Wars: Jedi Knights #2 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS No. 2, June 2025

Rather cleverly throwing his audience straight in at the deep-end of this comic’s storyline by utilising its opening scrawl to quickly establish a sense-shattering scene, Marc Guggenheim’s penmanship for Issue Two of “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” certainly imbues the twenty-page periodical with a pulse-pounding pace. In fact, even when the American television producer does decide to step away from the action and flashback to Yoda and Vetna Mooncrest's first steps upon “the remote moon of Veeros”, the diplomatic pleasantries with the majordomo droid Blue-Tark are politely short and succinct; “Thank you for your gracious hospitality. Extend our gratitude, please, to Atha Prime."

Of course, most of the readers’ attention will probably be focused upon the diminutive legendary Jedi Grand Master actually being 'out in the field’ fighting off a horde of seriously-fanged extra-terrestrials. Impressively demonstrating that numbers “matter not” before leaping off for a one-on-one duel with this ongoing series’ leading antagonist, it is hard to take your eyes off of the green-skinned leader of the Jedi Order. However, his female human companion is also very well written, displaying plenty of wit when her comrade-in-arms leaves her alone to face a ton of murderous Xerexi, as well as vulnerability due to her congenital condition’s implants being susceptible to the local radiation.

Similarly as successful as the heroes though, has to be the New York City-born author’s use of “a never-released Kenner action figure.” Atha Prime genuinely comes across as a terrifyingly mad, homicidal maniac, who whilst not up to the Dark Lord of the Sith’s standard, still manages to dominant all of the set-pieces in which he appears. Indeed, desperate to transform the galaxy in his own image by using his deadly creations to cut away its ills, the character appears to have been cut from a similar cloth to that of David 8 – the dangerous android seen in Ridley Scott’s 2012 science fiction film “Prometheus”.

Finally, a huge amount of praise should be heaped upon the shoulders of Madibek Musabekov and color artist Luis Guerrero for bringing this “strange, fantastic and mysterious world” to incredible life. The sense of so many vicious killers encircling this publication’s Jedi is truly palpable, as are the blows poor Yoda suffers at the hands of a clearly formidably trained Atha Prime.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS" #2 by Rahzzah

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #308 - Image Comics

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO No. 308, July 2024

Contending with a colossally-large cast of characters, Larry Hama’s pulse-pounding plot for Issue Three Hundred and Eight of “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” surely shows just how well the Vietnam War veteran can provide a twenty-page periodical with an enthralling mixture of fast-paced punch-ups, strategic bombing runs and military jargon. True, this particular comic doesn’t contain all that much adrenalin-fuelled action – except for when Helix and her deadly Recon Team decide to escape the clutches of Cobra Island’s Casino. But its various dialogue-driven scenes still do a great job in largely keeping the audience hooked by bringing all the warring parties together on the outskirts of Springfield just as Serpentor Khan’s enhanced mutant, cyborg Cobra troopers crash-land upon its suburbs.

Indeed, the quiet hum of the Revanche-designed aeroplanes heading towards ground zero with their deadly payloads palpably throbs throughout all of this publication’s proceedings, constantly reminding the audience that the likes of Duke’s “whole ninja team”, as well as Destro’s beloved Baroness, are haplessly heading straight into a death-trap; “That’s a world of hurt those bad boys are bringing down on Cobra Central.”

Equally as enjoyable as this magazine’s tangible sense of events fatefully bringing all the central players together in one place, is the New York City-born writer’s sheer sense of fun. As opposed to the heavy nature of Dawn Moreno’s van ride in which the death of her parents hangs heavy in the air, Muskrat, Wet Suit and Multo’s incarceration is packed full of smile-inducing gags, as well as a genuine laugh-out-loud nod to George Lucas’ 1977 “Star Wars” film when Doctor Mindbender encounters the disguised G.I. Joes rifling through his laboratory’s papers and bemusingly exclaims “Aren’t you a little short to be a Viper?”

Impressively switching between all these sense-shattering shenanigans and word-heavy exchanges is Paul Pelletier, who interestingly appears to prefer pencilling the Recon Team’s escape from something of a distance, whilst getting up nice and close and personal when it comes to drawing the various discussions. This technique really helps bring the audience right into the conversations, almost as if they were actually inside the driver’s cab of Zartan’s ‘Frozen Haggis’ lorry, or sat alongside Scarlett and Storm Shadow during their ill-fated journey to Springfield.

The regular cover art of "G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO" #308 by Andy Kubert & Brad Anderson

Nightwing #110 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 110, March 2024

For those readers who enjoy team-up titles, Tom Taylor’s narrative for Issue One Hundred and Ten of “Nightwing” should have been right up their alley, with its wonderfully penned pairing of the titular character with Jonathan Kent. Sure, the hilarious inclusion of a feline-looking Damian Wayne as Mister Mittens undoubtedly steals all the limelight once the Dark Knight’s heavily-mutated side-kick makes his appearance in the former Gotham Blades hockey arena. But it is still arguably a joy to watch Dick Grayson and Superman’s son undertake a covert infiltration of the Pit together, and show that both have brains, as well as brawn; “With your powers, you’re a magnet for the spores. If you’re down here and get slowed down, even for a moment, you could be infected.”

Indeed, rather than simply rely upon “the first Earth-born Superman” to just barge his way into the criminal fighting arena, the New York Times bestselling author instead shows the Human/Kryptonian hybrid demonstrating great restraint by listening to the more experienced guidance of his comrade-in-arms. This plot device really helps to sell the tale’s sense of danger to the audience, and makes it clear that despite all Jon-El’s incredible powers, he might actually make the metropolis-wide beast plague all the more formidable if he interferes in his friend’s plan to rescue Robin, and resultantly succumbs to the Star Conqueror’s infection himself.

Of course, Mister Mittens is by far and away the most memorable of this thirty-page periodical’s cast, imbuing its plot with an antagonist who is simultaneously both adorable and deadly. However, the humanoid cat creature provides the overall villain, Apex Ava, with plenty of impressively convincing punch too - especially when it’s made clear that the ordinarily extremely strong-willed young master Wayne could do absolutely nothing except obey the green-skinned, heavily-tattooed woman whilst he was in his feline form.

Also well worth a shout-out for making this comic’s storytelling so successful are artist Sami Basri, inker/finisher Vicente Cifuentes and colorist Adriano Lucas. The trio are easily as potent when it comes to bringing this book’s pencils to eye-catching, vivid life, as Dick, Jon and Damian are bringing an end to the murderous spectacle pf the Pit, with the sheer savagery of the place’s gladiatorial bouts almost leaping off of the printed page whenever the clawed combatants fight to the death.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #110 by Bruno Redondo

Space Ghost #8 - Dynamite Entertainment

SPACE GHOST No. 8, December 2024

For any fans of the “Hanna-Barbera Productions” mid-Sixties “American Saturday-morning superhero animated television series”, David Pepose’s introduction of the mass-murdering Metallus at the start to Issue Eight of “Space Ghost” probably did live up to young Jace’s claim that “this is like every Birthday and Christmas rolled into one.” In fact, the American author manages to cleverly establish an incredibly dark tone to this comic, by initially showing its titular character openly enjoying himself battling a supposedly nameless band of deep-space pirates, only to suddenly discover he is actually facing the former “War Captain of the Galactic Federation” who murdered Dax's entire family on the planet Vector.

This shocking revelation genuinely reverberates throughout the twenty-two page periodical, predominantly by it transforming a slightly overconfident cosmic vigilante into an arguably unthinking, reckless avenger, who just repeatedly hurls himself physically at his arch-nemesis without any plan of action. Such blind anger should really strike home to this book’s audience just how much pain and hurt the costumed crusader still carries for his lost loved ones, as well as making it incredibly clear just how different this ongoing series’ storytelling tone is from the old aforementioned cartoons shown on the CBS network approximately sixty years ago. 

Equally as intriguing as this publication’s plummet into the depth’s of Space Ghost’s rage is its depiction of his adolescent sidekicks - who together also provide a notable lesson in being a tad too self-assured in one’s own abilities. The notion that Robo-Trooper A-X-8’s severed head could still pose a severe threat to the children doesn’t enter the mind of Jace, who even rebukes his sister for suggesting such a thing. However, it soon becomes clear that Metallus is using his damaged droid for his own purposes, and demonstrates that just like Dax, the young wannabe heroes have acquired an unhealthy does of hubris following their recent victories; “Yes -- I’ve been aware of your clumsy intrusions ever since you reactivated my loyal soldier.”

Undoubtedly helping to add even more captivating drama to all these proceedings is penciller Jonathan Lau and colorist Andrew Dalhouse. Together, the creative team genuinely deliver some stand-out moments within this magazine, such as when Space Ghost is startled to hear the Iron General’s machines voicing precisely the same ‘mantra’ as they did when destroying his own planet, and the very evident anguish etched across the central protagonist’s face whenever he sees General Metallus.

Writer: David Pepose, Artist: Jonathan Lau, and Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

West Coast Avengers [2024] #1 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 1, January 2025

Announced at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, and promising an “iconic team with a superstar lineup of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including a seemingly redeemed Ultron”, Gerry Duggan’s script for Issue One of “West Coast Avengers” arguably lives up to all its pre-publication hype. In fact, the comic contains a considerable number of intriguing conundrums which should keep its audience well and truly engrossed throughout the ongoing series’ run; “Did you ask me to join because I have a rap sheet?”

Foremost of these hooks has to be the inclusion of Hank Pym’s homicidal robot on the super-team’s roster. Responsible for countless failed attempts to dominate the world, the mass-murdering machine understandably brings an element of menace to every scene in which he appears - including those where he is clearly saving the lives of innocent Californians. So palpable an atmosphere of deadly duplicity should genuinely convince this book’s audience that at any moment the adamantium-bodied artificial intelligence will brutally betray his team-makes, and such unease will arguably make it really difficult for any reader to put this twenty-six page publication down.

In addition, the American author is very good at sowing plenty of discontent and disharmony within the remaining squad members, despite the likes of Iron Man, War Machine, and even Spider-Woman having plenty of experience working with others. Much of this friction is undoubtedly caused by the disagreeably arrogant Blue Bolt, who seems utterly resistant to any other options than just blowing his opponents up with his Electrokinesis. However, Tony Stark too appears to be fighting plenty of other demons himself, as well as rather humorously weighing a couple more pounds than he did when he first donned his Silver Centurion armour.

Disappointingly, what does let this comic down though are some of Danny Kim’s layouts, which whilst being proficiently pencilled overall, also appear a little too rough and ready from time to time. Indeed, a considerable number of the artist’s panels contain little to no background whatsoever, and after a while this frustratingly bland-looking technique unfortunately gives the impression that the illustrator was in some sort of a hurry to get on to the next drawing assignment, rather than provide his audience with an enticing view of events as they unfold.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #1 by Ben Harvey

Absolute Batman #6 - DC Comics

ABSOLUTE BATMAN No. 6, May 2025

Enthusiastically described by “DC Comics” as concluding with a “larger-than-life story”, this final instalment to Scott Snyder’s opening story arc for “Absolute Batman” must surely have left a few fans somewhat disappointed by just how easily Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego defeated the Black Mask. Indeed, considering just how rich and powerful Roman Sionis is supposed to be, the fact that the Dark Knight simply parachutes down onto yacht to face a single, disco-bopping bodyguard (and a kid) is pretty bemusing; “You think you can stop them? You think you can stop anything that’s coming?”

Furthermore, the city-wide chaos created by the criminal mastermind which now threatens to transform Gotham City into a cesspit of mass murderers, robbers and thieves, is disappointingly largely focused upon Martha Wayne and Mayor Jim Gordon’s face-off against a trio of wannabe Party Animals. Admittedly, the comic does depict one poor citizen being attacked on a tube train. But predominantly, the American author dedicates an incredible amount of this twenty-two page periodical to solely showing the courageous couple desperately trying to talk the low-life down from shooting them dead in the street.

Lastly, a lot of this book’s pace and impact is arguably lost by a string of flashbacks to a time when an adolescent Bruce was looking at pictures in his mother’s photograph album following a bedtime nightmare. This moment is undoubtedly key in the growth of the titular character’s personality and determination to see things through to the end, even an unfavourable one. However, it debatably also gets tiring quite quickly - especially as it continues to run until almost the tale’s last panel, and resultantly keeps pulling the reader straight out from all the adrenalin-fuelled action which is taking place during the present day.

By far this publication’s biggest asset is therefore the artwork of Nick Dragotta, who rather superbly manages to imbue Batman’s battle against the Black Mask with some eye-wateringly violent moments and some truly frenetic-fighting. In addition, the illustrator surprisingly manages to provide Gordon’s aforementioned dialogue-driven stand-off with plenty of palpable suspense, and actually uses the fact that this adventure takes place in a reimagined universe to cause any onlooker to constantly second guess as to whether either Jim, Martha or both will actually die whilst conversing with Sionis' latest recruits.

The regular cover art of "ABSOLUTE BATMAN" #6 by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin

Astonishing Tales #34 - Marvel Comics

ASTONISHING TALES No. 34, March 1976

Apparently produced, conceived, plotted and drawn by Deathlok’s creator Rich Buckler, it’s difficult to imagine what more could possibly have been squeezed into Bill Mantlo’s script for this seventeen-page periodical. Sure, the seemingly never ending twists and turns of Luther Manning’s ordeal may well have threatened to confound the senses of anyone picking the book up off from their local comic store’s spinner rack. But it’s arguably hard to find too much fault with a storyline that contains such an adrenalin-fuelled concoction of laser guns, helicopter attacks, enormous explosions, and sense-shattering sonic assaults.

Furthermore, this publication genuinely shows just how complex a post-apocalyptic world the cyborg assassin inhabits, with New York City’s civilisation evolving from just a dilapidated metropolis where cannibals lurk in every shadow into a genuine war zone in which various heavily-armed, and technologically-advanced factions are fighting tooth and nail for domination. Indeed, just as this ongoing series’ audience were settling down to the simple notion of the ill-equipped Provisional Revolutionary Army rebelling against Simon Ryker’s evil military dictatorship, the Demolisher discovers both the existence of Teresa Deveraux’s Central Intelligence Agency, and the deadly Machiavellian machinations of Hellinger’s covert operation too.

Of course, in order to make so many conflicting sub-plots merge together into a single, albeit complicated, storyline the Brooklyn-born writer has to take a few liberties when it comes to highly convenient happenstances - such as the C.I.A. having the expertise necessary to rebuild a badly-damaged Deathlok, and the mind of the surgeon responsible for the cyborg being transferred into a clone of Manning’s original body. However, the creative team appear to be rather laudably trying to tie together an incredible number of loose ends, whilst simultaneously introducing their audience to a number of all-new twists and enthralling turns; “You may not believe this, Luth’… Even if you could hear me -- But I hope you’re alive!”

It’s also clear that letterer Karen Mantlo was incredibly busy on this book, with panel after panel being filled to the brim with some occasionally utterly illegible text boxes. Resultantly, there’s a lot more weight resting upon Buckler’s artistic shoulders to keep any perusing bibliophile’s eyes locked onto the action – a task he does incredibly well, especially during the scene where Deathlok has his bionic arm destroyed.

Script: Bill Mantlo, Concept, Plot & Art: Rich Butler, and Inks & Colors: Klaus Janson