ALL STAR COMICS RECOMMENDS: FREE
COMIC BOOK DAY 2025 REVIEW BONANZA
By Cameron Ashley
Hello! Welcome to Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)
week!
My name is Cam. I write overly long columns
for the wonderful people at All Star Comics with sadly increasing infrequency
(tiiiimmmeeee!!) but always with the message that comics are the goddamn
greatest.
First: as you probably know, it is election
day in Australia the very day of FCBD and we face the very real possibility of
having a horrible ex-cop who cozies up to mining billionaires desperately
trying to inflame a culture war in order to become Prime Minister.
Please go
and vote accordingly.
But Cam, someone says, I didn't come here for
politics!
Well too bad, buster, because comics have
always been political. Marvel comics was built on the pencil of a man who
literally fought nazis and spent most of his career exploring the struggle of
evil against fascist forces. DC has a character literally named Uncle Sam, the
personification of the country, who led a super team against the Axis. In
Japan, Osamu Tezuka, the god of manga, railed against tyranny and imperialism
in the wake of post-war Japan and loaded his work with environmental concern.
Comics fought censorship and senate enquiries.
Comics have always rebelled, always been the artform of outcasts. This is the
medium of diversity, and it always has been.
Comics are punk, comics will form your moral
core. Comics will make you a better,
kinder, more empathetic person.
As Richard Metzger said about Grant Morrison’s
comics, they are the “candy-coated bullet”. He was right, but more broadly, I
think comics are a pop art empathy bomb.
Comics will open your mind. They will change
your life. They will teach you a new way of reading and seeing. They will teach
you new cultures. They will expose you to endless heroism, kindness and
goodness. They will expose you to the horrors of the world and smarten you up
about people you should avoid.
So yes. Hello. Welcome to FCBD 2025. Woo.
Because, above all, comics are fun.
The bad: There's not much indie or arthouse
content this year. Not healthy for the medium, in my opinion. You can largely
thank tariff flip-flopping and Diamond distribution going bust for that.
The good: there is still a real murderer's row
of titles on offer - I honestly can't recall a time where I have been more glowing,
and I've written this thing for…I don't even know how many years. There's,
like, only one or two things I almost actively dislike.
So please go and vote early and then come in
to All Star Comics and enjoy Free Comic Book Day 2025. You totally earned it.
A quick note on ratings:
(A) All
Ages
(T)
Teen
(T+)
Teen +
(M)
Mature
Pretty simple right?
Also, quickly before we move on. Three titles
unfortunately did not arrive in time for me to ramble on about. I did my best
when including them below, using solicitations and promotional material.
Clearly, I cannot weigh in critically with these, but I did my best.
Everything is here alphabetically. If a title
has “The” or “A” or whatever, I choose to ignore it, so The Amazing Spider-Man, for example, is here under A for Amazing.
Cleaner than writing Amazing Spider-Man,
The, I think.
Okay. Here you go. Please enjoy the day, enjoy
your comics and read as widely as you can. This is a good opportunity to take
some chances as a reader and possibly fall in love with a title you would
otherwise possibly have actively avoided. Thanks for your time, I hope this
helps!
ALL IN
2025 SPECIAL
Written by Dan Slott / Jeff Lemire,
Illustrated by Rafael Alberqueque / Guiseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Nesi
DC (Teen)
There’s an energy and spark around not just a
few DC titles right now but virtually the entire line of comics, with writers
and artists seemingly let off the chain and given immense creative freedom. I
don’t know the internal machinations of the company, obviously, but that’s
certainly how things feel.
It’s no exaggeration to say that DC’s All In
initiative has completely reframed the way I consume comics books - I’ve not
collected ongoing, monthly periodical comics since 2003. I’ve bought a few here
and there, sure, but it’s been exclusively trade paperbacks, OGNs and omnibuses
for me for over two decades. All In
changed that, reintroducing the floppy comic back into my life in a big way.
With no sign of this creative energy stopping any time soon, regular and curious
readers both will want to get their hands on the All In 2025 Special - a flipbook, like the one-shot that launched
it all back in October.
Writer Dan Slott’s upcoming Superman Unlimited ongoing series gets
an exclusive prologue. It’s a series that’s coming with quite a bit of hype
from the publisher regarding its status quo-shifting status for the Superman
titles so I imagine there’s quite a bit of interest for this. It’s really the
climax of the story that sets this huge shift in motion, but readers curious
about Slott’s take on Superman will find the character in fairly good hands,
even if there’s a lean into perhaps being a little too campy with some
dialogue. Lines such as, “Intergang is slicing into us with its sci-fi ray
guns!” don’t overly inspire much confidence, but Slott has a solid handle on
Superman’s characterisation and a great deal of this story is Superman just
being Superman, i.e. helping people.
Albuquerque was originally the artist attached
to Absolute Superman but this change
might actually be for the best. He’s a solid fit for mainline DC’s Metropolis
and Slott gives him some great Superman action to depict to showcase his
talents.
Superman
Unlimited is good, but it is “Mirror, Mirror,” the
Absolute Universe story forming the other half of this flipbook, that's a
must-read for fans. Writer Jeff Lemire gives a good overview of the Absolute
versions of characters currently in play, as seen through the voyeuristic
narration of none other than Absolute Mirror Master. Lemire packs in Easter
eggs and conspiratorial clues as to what’s to come for the Absolute titles and
the final moment here paves the way for the two universes to actually meet.
Does this feel a little early? Perhaps, but DC has built up enough goodwill
with the patient, thoughtful, creator-first construction of the Absolute
Universe that some trust is earned.
Guiseppe Camuncoli is an artist I’ve not seen
for a while and he’s a welcome addition to this comic, providing layouts
finished by Stefano Nesi who adds a tonne of complementary polish to
Camuncoli’s work. It’s a great looking superhero comic.
In short, the All In Special 2025 builds on the momentum that DC has created and
is filled with the most overt teasing of future events that we’ve seen since
the initiative began. Highly recommended.
THE
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN / ULTIMATE UNIVERSE
Written by Joe Kelly / Deniz Camp and Cody
Ziglar / Joe Kelly, Al Ewing and Charles Soule
Illustrated by John Romita Jr and Scott Hanna
/ Jonas Scharf / Cafu
Exciting times for Spidey fans as Marvel drops
an Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate
Spider-Man and Venom
triple-header for FCBD 2025.
This is the one hardcore Marvel fans should
probably be the most excited for, as not only do readers get a new short Spidey
story by new ongoing writer Joe Kelly and artists John Romita Jr and Scott
Hanna, but also the launching point for Ultimate Incursion, which will see
Miles Morales tangling with the new Ultimate Universe.
Kelly and JR Jr turn in a nice showcase for
the Amazing Spider-Man title, with Kelly dialling up the quips and Romita Jr
providing his typically excellent work with the character. Not a whole lot
happens in “When Death Strikes,” the short story we’re given here, but it’s a
solid taster for the creators’ ongoing work with this beloved character.
Writers Cody Ziglar and Deniz Camp, very much
the writer of the moment, script the subsequent Ultimate Incursion prologue,
which, much like the Spider-Man story that precedes it, is much more focused on
establishing the character of Miles Morales and just how at home he has come to
be in “our” world than trying to blow minds with unexpected plot twists or
cliffhangers. It’s a quiet opening to the Ultimate Incursion story, yes, but
it’s a good one and invested readers should find much to be pleased with here.
Artist Jonas Scharf is a good choice, balancing the “real”, grounded NYC in
which Miles exists with some colourful superhero action.
Extra surprise bonus! Writers Joe Kelly, Al
Ewing and Charles Soule jam on a short little teaser of forthcoming Venom
shenanigans, illustrated by Cafu. The fates of Spider-Man, Venom and Carnage
remain intertwined despite various status quo shifts for the characters, and
Venomites will find this probably the most intriguing tease presented in this
comic. Solid stuff all round.
ARCHIE’S
COMICS SPECTACULAR
Written by Various, Illustrated by Various
Archie Comics (A)
Designed to give any reviewer conniptions with
its list of creators running 14 deep (and that’s excluding colourist and
letterer - sorry guys), readers are nonetheless invited to celebrate 80 years
(!) of Archie with this year’s
jam-packed FCBD issue.
We open with “Riverdale Jones and the Burger
of Destiny” by writer Adrian Ropp and artists Bill and Ben Galvan, an Indiana
Jones-pastiche featuring none other than Jughead on the hunt for the legendary
Burger of Destiny. Surely I am not spoiling anything here by mentioning that
this is a burger-induced dream Jughead has, with Betty and Archie desperately
trying to rouse their passed-out pal. Ketchup traps and ice cream floods try to
take out the intrepid Riverdale Jones and his faithful dog Hot Dog in this fun
little number from the creators.
Next up is the Deadpool-spoofing “Poolnoodle
The Backstroke”, with various Archie characters recast as superheroes and
featuring cameos from Archie’s actual superhero characters including The Fox,
The Shield and others. This one gets a bit too meta for me with its commentary
on bloated big budget superhero movies feeling a little passé at this point,
but the kids might get a kick out of this one, continuing the dream-theme of
the preceding tale.
Betty and Veronica take the spotlight next in
“Babbi’s Riverdale Beach Party,” by writer Jamie L. Rotante and artists Holly
G! and Jim Amash. Yep, “Babbi” is obviously “Barbie”, and the girls are
throwing a beach party for everyone to come dressed as their favourite
character. Oof. It's getting a bit much now.
Dr.
Masters follows, with “All About Meme,” by writer
Timmy Heague and the Galvans back on the art.
By this point I’m actually getting a little tired of all the puns and
spoofing in this comic, with Doctor Masters remaking meme after meme but
putting his own spin on them by including the Archie cast. Eh.
Don't despair Archie fans, for the legendary writer/artist Dan Parent is up next
with a Sabrina the Teenage Witch
tale, “Do You Believe in Magic?” Thankfully largely free of film reference and
puns (until the very end), this enjoyable little, short sees Archie and Sabrina
looking for hidden treasure on a magical beach treasure hunt. I found this one
to be a nice palate cleanser.
Closing us out is Young Dr. Masters (yes, he’s back) with “The Doctor Does Dating” by
writer Goldie Chan and artists Holly G! and Jim Amash. It’s probably just me,
but I also found this one a bit of a turn-off, with Doctor Masters starting a
dating advice app and discovering there are fancams about himself. Ugh.
Look, it's probably me, I get it. I am old and
grizzled and clearly all the social media and Hollywood satire in Archie’s Comics Spectacular is aimed at
readers way younger than this old fart, but this actually feels a little
desperate to me, with jokes not landing pretty much anywhere. I’m glad the
Riverdale crew is moving with the times, but this one’s downhill from the quite
amusing Jughead opener and, hey, Dan Parent everybody. Archie fans do not be discouraged but how flat I am on this, you’ll
likely get quite a bit out of it.
BEST OF
2000AD
Written by John Wagner / Peter Milligan / Ian
Edginton / Alex Di Campi, Illustrated by Jock / Jose Ortiz / D’Isreali / Silvia
Califano
Rebellion (T)
Look, if I didn't have enormo boxes full of
decades of 2000AD back issues in the garage, not to mention collected editions
aplenty on my rapidly bowing shelves, I would be all over Rebellion’s Best of
2000AD collections and, who knows, maybe I still will be. I practically defy
All Star customers to not get swept up in this FCBD showcase giveaway issue
which is chock full of not only cracking material, but excellent presentation
and editorial smarts, with an excellent back cover overview of just what
readers new and old will find in these collections - a brand new Judge Dredd
story and an “incendiary mixture of hidden gems” from the past by some
sure-fire comics A-listers like Moore, Quitely, Hewlett and many, many more.
Readers who wade through this ridiculously
long column in total may note some apparent hypocrisy on my part - “But Cam,”
you say, “You appear to hate it when publishers jam in too much stuff into a
FCBD comic. What’s the difference here?”
The difference here, my friends, is that each issue 2000AD is comprised of either self-contained stories or serials
with chapters of six pages. These comics were built for this format.
“Crossing Ken Dodd”, a Judge Dredd story by co-creator John Wagner (about to pen his final
ever Dredd story this year) and famed artist Jock launches us off. How I want
to spoil this action-packed little number, which packs its famed politics into
a final reveal panel I’ll not ruin. Dredd is arguably the most relevant comic
on the shelves (no really) and the retiring Wagner loses none of his angry,
punk attitude here, with some truly biting satire that sums up just what future
lawman Judge Dredd’s world of Mega City One is really all about. Outside of the
Mouse Guard story listed in the Boom
special below, this is the single best short story on offer this FCBD -
unmissable stuff.
A classic slice of Rogue Trooper follows Dredd, by the legendary Peter Milligan and
artist 2000AD veteran Jose Ortiz. The
Rogue Trooper character is another heavy hitter from the pages of 2000AD - the
“last genetic infantryman” has gone rogue, with biochips imprinted with the
personalities of his dead friends embedded in his weapons, as he crosses the
wasteland of Nu-Earth hunting down the Traitor General, who betrayed his men.
Some readers might find this little classic a bit too old-fashioned, but it
does an amazing job setting up character and also somehow finds room for
Milligan to go off about war, fascism, and who exactly the enemy is. I’m a
sucker for Ortiz’s classic, realistic grey wash art and hopefully you will be
too as this is an utterly killer little short.
Not sold yet? Fine, up next is a slice of Ian
Edginton and the amazing D’Isreali’s War
of the Worlds riffing Scarlet Traces.
Nineteenth Century Britain is “a bridgehead” to a Martian invasion, but
following the Martians’ defeat, the city is rebuilt with added alien
technology, but a conspiracy beats at the heart of the new Empire and it’s up
to Captain Robert Autumn and manservant Archie Currie, to get to the bottom of
it. In many ways, this is unfortunately the least effective comic here in terms
of instant appeal, but D’Isreali’s art is always welcome and ever-so-stylish
and Edginton sets things up well in the four short pages we are given.
Alex De Campi and Silvia Califano’s “The
Seer”, a Judge Anderson story,
reaches for the trippy heights of Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson’s classic work
on the character but doesn’t get there. This is not to say “The Seer” is a bad
story, far from it, but the bar is incredibly high on stories featuring the
pre-cognitive, astral plane-travelling Judge. Anderson is after an unregistered
precog, a psychic the lawmakers of Mega-City One are unaware of. What turns out
to be a simple case is complicated when Anderson discovers there’s more than
meets the eye to Mandy Jones’ abilities. A decent little short.
Armed with an excellent cover by none other
than the wonderful Hayden Sherman, you should ensure Best of 2000AD finds a home in your picks this year. Highly
recommended: this is a terrific little package with two of the three best
complete shorts on offer contained within.
BLACK
MIRROR
Written by Neil Gibson (from a teleplay by
Charlie Brooker), Illustrated by Samantha Dodge and Flavio Soares
Twisted Comics (M)
Well. This is…curious.
You would think that with Netflix’s Black Mirror and its techno-dystopias
being something of a global phenomenon that a comic book spinoff would be a
fairly natural extension with new stories, maybe tight 40 pagers, rotating
creators, that would be the way to go, right? Apparently not, as Twisted
Comics’ looks to adapt some of the more popular episodes from the series.
‘San Junipero’ (S03E04, for fans) is the
launch title with writer Neil Gibson adapting Charlie Brooker’s teleplay. This
one, according to IMDB at least, is the fourth most popular episode of the
series as a whole, and its central romance and its 80s setting make it a
logical choice for adaptation.
Readers looking for a complete package will be
disappointed by what’s presented here - a handful of inked pages that descend
into pencils and rough layouts. It’s an odd way to present such a top-shelf
property. This is not a shot at artists Samantha Dodge and Flavio Soares, whose
pages are attractive and realistic but there’s a real sense that this was a
rushed product - emphasised by Gibson’s afterword, which highlights that the
deadlines were so tight, there was no time to secure the likenesses of the episode’s
cast.
Having said that, though, process nerds and
readers interested in craft will likely find much to enjoy here watching how
these pages come together and the storytelling is always clear throughout.
Gibson, an engineer by trade, appears to write his scripts on an excel sheet,
with columns broken down into page, number of panels, art description,
dialogue, scene/location codes and more. It’s an interesting approach.
Ultimately, this one is recommended for fellow
comic craft freaks and Black Mirror
obsessives. The rest of you may prefer to wait until the finished, coloured,
package arrives later this year.
BLOOD
TYPE
Written by Corinna Bechko / Matt Kindt / Chris
Condon
Illustrated by Jonathan Case / Kano / Charlie
Adlard
EC Comics/Oni Press (T)
If you, like me, have held off sampling any of
Oni Press’ relaunch titles for EC Comics, now is the time! Blood Type FCBD features three complete
tales, each drawn from the opening salvo of titles Epitaphs from the Abyss (horror), Cruel Universe (SF) and Cruel
Kingdom (Fantasy).
Corinna Bechko and Jonathan Case kick us off
with the titular ‘Blood Type’ a vampire character who finds herself stuck on a
luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean, lucky for her she brought food...
Case’s expressive, attractive art has echoes
of Jaime Hernandez and really elevates a story in which, honestly, not very
much happens, odd for an EC story - so famed for twist endings. This short
feels like the set-up for something more, and lo and behold it is, with the
character returning in her own miniseries later this year, in what seems to be
the first of many planned spin-offs.
The stand-out story “The Champion” follows by
Matt Kindt and Kano. It's tough to put a new spin on the well-trod ground of
intergalactic gladiators, but Kindt adds elements of commodification,
commercialism and celebrity worship, making things feel pretty fresh. There is
a twist ending here and it's a clever one, but as with “Blood Type”, the artist
steals the show, with Kano turning in some truly lovely work well worth your
eyeballs' time.
Rounding things out is “Death and Pickaxes”
from Cruel Kingdom. Written by Chris
Condon, who's really turning in some interesting work at the moment, and drawn
by The Walking Dead’s Charlie Adlard,
this little number puts a grisly, obsessive spin on the story of Snow White.
It's hard to say too much more without
completely ruining things, but I will add It is worth mentioning the lettering,
by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith, which mimics that old EC typeface
beautifully, giving this entire comic a nice dose of added nostalgia for old EC
heads.
While I'm not quite as high on this as I hoped
I would be, Blood Type FCBD is a
solid sampling of what Oni has planned for the new EC line, and with three
complete, beautifully illustrated stories, horror heads should put this one on
their lists.
BOOM!
STUDIOS 20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Written by Various, Illustrated by Various
Boom (T)
Okay, let me please get this particular gripe
out of the way early because there is a lot to like here – it is crazy to me
that this Boom Studios 20th Anniversary
Special does not shout this incredibly significant milestone in the
company’s history from the rooftops. Yes, it has a massive “20” on the cover,
but the only place in this entire comic that the word “anniversary” is
mentioned is in the indicia in about, what, three-point type? There is no editorial talking about the slew
of hits the company has published over the years. No history of Boom. No
introduction to any of the comics presented here. Nothing.
I get the idea of an “All Killer-No Filler”
approach, but if you’ve read my columns before you’d know there’s nothing I
dislike more in an FCBD book than stuff just jammed in; everything can easily
end up feeling disposable when in fact it's the opposite - publishers want you
to read this stuff and love it and (in this case) you should, because so much
of it is good.
Added to this problem - the excerpts from the
five comics presented here are from some of Boom’s biggest hits…so regular Boom
readers get nothing, and new readers get a bunch of contextless scenes and a
couple of shorts they’ve likely read sandwiched together that serve nobody
particularly well at the end of the day. TWENTY years, man, for what is still
considered an INDIE. I am making a
bigger deal of this than this comic or its publisher. It’s bizarre. Do you know
the number of companies that never made it to twenty years? No? Neither do I
because there are too many of them to count…
Anyway, on to the good. Sorry about that. Yes,
Boom! Gone are the days when the company’s collected editions would practically
explode in your hands when you opened them for the first time (damn you, Tag!), and here we are in 2025, with the
company able to boast about being home to a bunch of sure-fire hits and to many
creators you would imagine could find a secure home at other, previously more
prestigious, places such as Image. Again: Boom’s rise is legitimately
remarkable, really, I’ll tell you again since they won’t. Ahhh sorry again, I
promised the good. We’ll get there - there’s quite a bit of it.
BRZRKR by writers Keanu Reeves (yeah, him, that awesome Hollywood guy) and
Matt Kindt along with veteran artist Ron Garney kicks us off. BRZRKR is legitimately a pretty big hit,
and the marquee name of Reeves clearly makes this a solid choice for an opener
- except the scene presented here tells us nothing. You may well disagree;
Garney ups the grit in his always excellent artwork and the promise of the
titular Keanu-esque character leaping out of a helicopter may be enough to get
you onboard. I actually have not read BRZRKR
and here’s the thing - I’ve always wanted to. If anything though, this excerpt
has cooled that. I’m not really sure why I should care? Who is this? Why is he
sitting in the rain and then leaping out of a helicopter?
Mark Waid and Peter Krause’s
superhero-gone-bad story, Irredeemable,
is excerpted next. It’s an older title, running from 2009-2012, and as such is
an interesting inclusion here. I’m guessing it’s here to show that, hey, Boom
does capes too. Or perhaps it’s here as an anniversary nod to Mark Waid, who
was actually Boom’s editor-in-chief back in the day when their collections
exploded on you. Not his fault, I’m sure. Mark Waid loves comics. He doesn’t
want them to explode. Whatever the reason, Irredeemable
is, in this post-The Boys world, a
logical inclusion and this excerpt works a lot more strongly in isolation than
that which preceded it.
In Irredeemable,
Bad-Superman - The Plutonian - hunts down hero The Hornet and his family.
Striking in its cruelty, Krause’s work has a nice Bronze Age vibe to twist the
nostalgia knife a little more than Waid’s script already does. It’s not Waid’s
strongest work, not up to his classics or his current resurgence at DC, which
is really impressive (right?), but if you are still up for more hero-breaks-bad
comics, you could do quite a lot worse than this.
The Many
Deaths of Laila Starr is up next, by writer Ram V (of
the astounding current New Gods
series from DC) and artist Filipe Andrade. Another I’ve not read in full,
sorry, but I adore the team’s follow up, Rare
Flavours, and I highly recommend you pick that up while you’re in store.
Anyway, thanks to some handy exposition on Ram’s part we get a decent sense of
what Laila Starr is actually about -
she’s the former Goddess of Death, fired thanks to some godly bureaucratic
downsizing, and now lives as a mortal. We find her meeting a funeral crow, Kah,
and the two appear to form a bond. Clearly, I like this creative pair’s work
and the scene we get here works well as a set-up. Andrade is a wonderful artist
- figures long-limbed and lithe, able to create a wonderful sense of place -
and Ram V, ever-philosophical, fond of epic mythological structures and
archetypes, it’s hard to go wrong here, at least with what we are presented
with.
We close Boom
Studios 20th Anniversary Special with two actual complete tales, yay. And
the first one comes from David Petersen’s remarkable Mouse Guard.
Petersen’s incredible 2022 short, “The Tale of
King, Knight, Fool, Villain” is, in my eyes anyway, a stone-cold classic.
Beautiful, poignant stuff. What Petersen manages to do here in six pages should
probably be studied. Working perfectly as a slice of a much larger tapestry,
new readers will have absolutely no issue tumbling headlong into the world of Mouse Guard. Featuring a slice of some of the mouse
Midnight’s backstory, “The Tale of King, Knight, Fool, Villain” sees the
character, believing himself cursed by his dark fur, visiting a soothsayer for
a fortune telling. What follows is just absolutely exemplary comics
storytelling as the origins of mouse tarot are explored. Honestly, if you have
not read this before, it is an absolute must-have. I’ll say no more - newcomers
are to consider this essential.
Artist Chloe Brailsford is the star of our
final tale, “Afters,” from Boom’s current ongoing horror anthology book, Hello Darkness. A comic that features a
rotating line-up of very impressive creators, Hello Darkness is kind of Boom’s answer to EC’s old horror titles,
launching at the same time as Oni’s own actual EC revival (see Blood Type above). If anything, both
these experiments, as presented in isolation for FCBD 2025, prove just how
impressive those old EC books - and their virtually unmatched level of creative
talent - really were.
This is fine stuff from writer Tini Howard; a
group of friends hanging out discussing their dreams leading to a kind of
are-we-dreaming-or-not climax, but it’s Brailsford who absolutely soars here
with chunky, charcoal-like lines and shading and really gorgeous colours. Worth
a look for the art alone. Look, I’ve gone way overtime here so, why not, I’m
smuggling in a little secret. This story is about lucid dreaming. I actually could
lucid dream, regularly. I stopped because it’s too much effort and possibly
unhealthy, but do you want to know the secret? It works, I swear.
What you need to do is train yourself to write
down your dreams the very second you wake up. Keep a pen and notepad by your
bed and do it - be serious about it. Soon, you’ll be writing all sorts of
things down at all hours of the night, begin to notice patterns in your
dreaming (I was a big 2:00am guy) and then your subconscious begins to know
it's being recorded. The next thing you know, weird things start to happen in
your dreams (I had dreams tell me they were there solely to make sure I woke up
and wrote down previous dreams I didn't wake up at the end of) and then…you
begin to take control, then more control, then you’re in control. Try it. It
works, takes a while, but works, I swear. I stole this from Rick Veitch and his
Roarin’ Rick’s Rare Bit Fiends dream
diary comic decades ago. It’s tried and true.
Anyway - get this for Mouse Guard! Best thing you will read all day. Let me know if my
lucid dreaming technique works too…it will if you stick at it, I promise!
and…err…happy anniversary, Boom!
CONAN:
SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT
Written by Jim Zub, Illustrated by Ivan Gil
Titan Comics (M)
By Crom! Another Conan event story looms and fans of the days of high adventure will
want to get their mitts on this prequel tale kicking the whole shebang off by
regular Conan writer Jim Zub and
artist Ivan Gil.
Titan Comics and the creators deliver another
solid FCBD Conan offering (the third
in a row, I believe) and why Scourge of the Serpent doesn’t quite reach the
heights of prior giveaways, this one is still very much worth your time. This
is a full comic’s worth of Conan goodness, with our young Cimmerian (he’s 17
here) just beginning his early career as a thief. Conan breaks into the
luxurious home of a young nepo baby aristocrat seeking riches to pilfer and
ends up on the hunt for a piece of treasure that will lead him straight into
conflict with a foe who will be very familiar to fans…
As with the prior Conan event, “Battle for the
Black Stone”, Zub ripples his story back and forth in time, with a number of
other Rober E. Howard creations making cameos, surely leading to fuller
appearances during the event itself, and despite how convoluted this may seem,
the writer does a typically solid job of keeping things clear and accessible
for interested newbies.
Ivan Gil is a bit of a step-down from the
amazing, John Buscema-influenced work of Rob De La Torre, who made Titan’s
initial acquiring of the Conan
license such a head-turner, but he’s still a solid choice bringing to life the
city of Numalia without an artistic corner cut. An editorial by editor Jeffrey
Shanks and some process pages round out this pretty impressive freebie. Once
again, for the third year straight, Conan
impresses this FCBD. Recommended.
DIABLO:
DAWN OF HATRED
Written by Cullen Bunn, Illustrated by Daniele
Serra
Titan Comics (M)
Ah yes, from the video game I know absolutely
nothing about comes Diablo: Dawn of
Hatred.
What I do know a bit about is workhorse comics
writer Cullen Bunn, who seems able to dig his teeth into and leave his mark on
pretty much anything he touches, so we’re in capable hands here.
The seemingly Christ-like ascetic Akarat has
returned from the dead, a religion called Zakarum has sprung from his teachings
and spreads across the land of Sanctuary. Many want Akarat and his followers
dead, however, and what of the tribe of demon-fighting warriors whose ancestors
fought wars with Zakarum devotees of the past, but now need Akarat to save one
of their own?
As you can see, there’s actually quite a bit
going on in Diablo: Dawn of Hatred. I’m not sure that this is the most
compelling sequence from the comic that Titan could have included, but it sets
the series up well enough. Serra works in black and white with an ink wash,
which adds great mood to rolling clouds and extra grime to city streets.
Again, process nerds take note as Titan loads
this up with character designs and page process by Serra as well as script
pages by Bunn. That’s some Easter Egg goodness right there.
All in all, some nice intrigue is built in Diablo: Dawn of Hatred. Check it out if
you're a fan of Cullen Bunn’s work, some grimdark fantasy or, obviously, the
source material.
ENERGON
UNIVERSE 2025 SPECIAL
Written by Joshua Williamson / Daniel Warren
Johnson / Robert Kirkman, Illustrated by Andrea Milana / Daniel Warren Johnson
/ Conor Hughes
Image (T)
Dang, this Energon line is making some pretty
good-looking comics. All three of the short stories we get here, unique to this
FCBD special issue, are not just super-attractive but incredibly fun. Also,
this 2025 Special underscores an FCBD truism - three stories is the sweet spot.
While regular readers of GI Joe, Transformers and Void
Rivals will find much to enjoy here, I’m the kind of reader this thing was
built for - I am the rare Gen X kid with no attachment to these Hasbro
properties. I read comics instead of watching GI Joe and Transformers
and, as fondly remembered as the old Marvel comics are, they never really
clicked with me. So, I come to this a relatively blank slate - I can’t pretend
to understand everything happening here, but with just three stories, there’s
room for each to breathe and really give new readers a flavour of how each
series functions.
Joshua Williamson and Andrea Milana open
things up with a GI Joe story that’s
actually a straight-up crossover with Transformers. I don’t know how much I
should say as I might blow things for regular readers, so I’ll just say that
this is good fun, with a solid cliffhanger that regular readers will really
dig, great action and just excellent art on every page. This short directly
follows events of GI Joe #6 apparently, so fans be forewarned!
Daniel Warren Johnson fans please be advised
that he returns to art duties, as well as continuing scripter, on the Transformers short presented next. This
one’s a complete little short, with no real prior knowledge needed at all to
enjoy. Johnson’s art is typically effervescent, heightened by some vivid
colours by Mike Spicer. Focussed solely on autobot Jazz and his love of music,
this is again another really fun ride. Light on plot, but big on character,
this is really good stuff - unsurprising given the creator.
Finally, Void
Rivals brings us home with a story that’s the most confusing of the three
for newer readers, but writer Robert Kirkman brings the intrigue and the
Sharkticons (!), all brought to excellent life by artist Conor Hughes. This one
leads directly into the next arc of the series, and as such should probably be
considered unmissable by Void Rivals fans,
as the entire package should be, really, for those following this little shared
universe.
I thought this was excellent and may very well
be the tipping point to finally getting me onboard these titles. Can’t
recommend things much more highly than that. Great stuff, don’t miss it.
FANTASTIC
FOUR / GIANT-SIZE X-MEN
Written by Ryan North / Jackson Lanzig &
Collin Kelly / Chip Zdarsky
Illustrated by Humberto Ramos / Iban Coello / Chip Zdarsky
Marvel (T)
Writer Ryan North has been doing terrific work
on Fantastic Four, turning in
single-issue story after single-issue story month after month, each overflowing
with ideas. North, who has very quickly made FF one of Marvel’s stand-out
titles, sees his pretty amazing effort on Marvel’s First Family get a big
upgrade just in time for the arrival of the Fantastic
Four feature film, with a new #1 coming in July and the arrival of A-list
artist Humberto Ramos.
Ramos’ work on “Strange New World,” the
stand-alone FF short we are given here, is typically excellent - his lithe
figures and bouncy characterisation (Johnny Storm hasn’t looked this good in
ages) and this introduction to the new creative pair is a winner. When the FF
arrive somewhere they are not supposed to be following a teleporter test gone
awry, they find themselves in the company of some alien kids playing with the
occult and who have accidentally opened a portal to all sorts of beings from
all sorts of worlds, and not just the friendly foursome freshly arrived.
This is a great little short, with North
packing in the characterisation and Ramos getting the chance to flex his
artistic chops on these classic characters - he nails them all perfectly too.
Here’s hoping for a run on the title as long as Kirby and Lee for these two.
Good stuff.
North’s former artistic partner on Fantastic
Four, Iban Coello, looks a lot more at home illustrating the X-Men than the FF,
and in a prologue to Giant Size X-Men, writers Lanzig and Kelly give him all
the flashy mutant action he can handle.
We’re back in the past with this story, “The General”, right around the
time the All-New, All-Different X-Men first formed and Cyclops is pushing his
new team of very familiar faces through some intense…uh…sparring…
The hook at the end of this I’ll not spoil,
but it’s one that may polarise readers. However, if you’re looking for a
handful of splashy X-Men pages where powers are well and truly shown-off, this
will be for you.
“Popularity Contest,” written and drawn by
Chip Zdarsky rounds this FCBD issue off. It’s honestly a bit of an odd
inclusion, but as Marvel have listed it as a “surprise” let’s just keep it that
way for now and I’ll stop typing.
In summary: for Fantastic Four alone, this one’s a winner. If you’re a new or
lapsed FF reader, or a regular reader keen to see what the team of North and
his cracking new artist are cooking up for the title, this is an easy pick-up
for you.
GODZILLA:
THE NEW HEROES
Written by Tim Seeley / Ethan S. Parker &
Griffin Sheridan / Chris Gooch
Illustrated by Nikola Cizmesija / Pablo Tunica
/ Oliver Ono
Kaiju fans rejoice! Not only is IDW
relaunching a whole slate of Godzilla comics, we are generously allowed to
sample all three of them in this solid FCBD offering.
Tim Seeley and Nikola Cizmesija kick us off
with a look at their new ongoing Godzilla
series that sees the super-powered Jacen, determined to kill Godzilla, join an
American version of G-Force that also includes a perhaps a surprising Godzilla
character who dates all the way back to 1973 (!). Seeley gets readers up to
speed quickly with this new kaiju-infested world, with “the walled city of
Manhattan” as this story’s central location. There’s a lot packed in here, but
it's a good set-up for the new series and Seeley gives Cizmesija a lot of room
for some monster-sized action which the artist handles stylishly, depicting the
immensity of Godzilla a clear focus of the work.
A preview of Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone is next, set in the now-ruined and
kaiju and mutant -infested former Pacific Northwest. Featuring a mutant
character named The Wanderer, readers get a glimpse of the dangers lurking in
the Deadzone. It’s a few short pages, not much to get a real sense of how the
series will unfold, but the highlight here is the art by Pablo Tunica, who
clearly enjoys drawing a monster or two. An intriguing start with some really
eye-catching art.
Finally, it’s just tremendous to see
Melbourne’s own Chris Gooch in these pages as he’s landed the writing gig on Starship Godzilla - may he have all the
success in the world as this absolute standout of the Australian indie scene
transitions into work-for-hire assignments. Readers find themselves on an alien
world in the middle of a kaiju egg heist by a crew of intergalactic mercenaries
who also happen to be piloting Mechagodzilla. That’s a synopsis I never thought
I would write.
Ono’s energetic, manga-inspired art is a great
choice for this space romp and it will be fascinating to see how Gooch, usually
quite restrained in the character-focussed storytelling of his wonderful indie
work, brings the over-the-top action and (surely) inevitable space kaiju fights
to Starship Godzilla. Judging by the
splash page we get here, he’s going to be more than fine as the real pilot of
this oddball title.
I appreciate a good editorial in FCBD books, I
think they add extra context and clarity to the work presented, especially when
sandwiching in three separate tastes from three wildly different books. Godzilla editor Jake Williams provides a good
one here, giving tight synopses of his three Godzilla titles and managing to
whet the appetites of readers with genuine enthusiasm. Recommended.
HULK
TEACH
Written and Illustrated by Jeffrey Brown
Marvel/Graphix (A)
When Bruce Banner’s alter-ego causes a little
too much damage on his well-intentioned rampages, Banner finds himself saddled
with community service, teaching maths and science at Lowell Middle School.
Featuring a cast of Avengers, an unreliable
Watcher as narrator, She-Hulk being not particularly great as Bruce’s lawyer,
an obnoxious Tony Stark, and the most hilariously tweaked-origin of the Jade
Giant that you’re likely to find, Jeffrey Brown’s latest, Hulk Teach, looks great. This is a generous preview of the
forthcoming graphic novel from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint (why does Marvel
continually outsource all of this stuff? It’s befuddling), showcasing Brown’s
fun artwork - in black and white and grey tones, with the only colour being the
green of the Hulk - and his genuinely amusing dialogue as poor Bruce just tries
to do his best.
There are some really good gags here,
particularly for longtime Hulk fans and hopefully we get more of the bickering
pair of Watchers, Uanu and Edmu, who act as our guides through this…unique…Hulk
adventure. The school staff, including the officious Stan Museler (“Educator
and adventurer”) seem poised for some hilarious interactions with Bruce. Can
Hulk control his anger in middle school of all places? Unlikely!
Hulk
Teach is terrific fun for all ages - grab this one.
I HATE
FAIRYLAND
Written by Illustrated by Skottie Young with
special guest artist Derek Laufman
Image (M)
Skottie Young fans rejoice for I Hate Fairyland returns soon, with this
handy FCBD issue recapping the entire series to date and hinting at what’s to
come for this wild, wild series. Readers curious about Young’s cult hit (as I
have been) are given more than enough to make their minds up about in this
generous issue detailing everything we need to know to get us up to speed.
Gertrude, once a “normal little girl” achieves
her wish of being taken away to another world, ending up in Fairyland, a
magical place overseen by Queen Cloudia. The Queen informs Gertrude that kids
who find their way to Fairyland must go on a quest to find a hidden key, a map
and a guide (in Gertrude’s case Larry the fly). The hidden key will unlock a
magical door and send the children home.
Young spitfires the madness of the series at
readers, with sentient moons, barbarian assassins, big-nippled giants, zombie
fauns, and more, so much more.
This is an absurdly energetic comic, packed
with a Looney Tunes sense of humour and a Lobo-esque zest for cartoonish
violence. Regular readers may be
disappointed to not get a brand-new story, but don’t despair as Young lets the
series’ new artist, Derek Laufman, loose towards the end of this on a pair of
double-page spreads that tease future events. Laufman’s a perfect fit for the
title and its mash-all-the-genres together approach, and fans of the title have
much to look forward to with his arrival and the return of the series.
IDW:
FIND YOUR NEW FEAR
Written by Patrick Horvath / Rodney Barnes /
Gavin Fullerton and Sean Peacock, Illustrated by Patrick Horvath / Chris Shehan
/ Gavin Fullerton / Sean Peacock
IDW (not rated but let’s go with M)
Time moves so weirdly at the moment (right??) that it feels like forever ago that IDW unveiled its awful, widely ridiculed new logo and announced plans to put a special focus on horror titles. Whenever that was, we have arrived at the impending debut of IDW Dark and there’s quite the variety of scares on offer.
We open up with the return of Patrick Horvath’s fantastic ‘What If Richard Scarry Books Had a Serial Killer Bear?’ comic, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees. Round two of this excellent book is titled “Rites of Spring.” I’m not sure that “Cozy Horror” is the right way to describe this comic, but whatever, Horvath’s work looks as strong as ever here, with a relative of one of the aforementioned murder bear, Samantha Strong’s victims, desperately seeking answers to her brother’s disappearance eight years earlier.
For her part, Samantha appears to have settled back into her regular life following the conclusion of the original series, if choosing victims more carefully, but, clearly, her peace is about to be shattered by the arrival of this armchair sleuth, desperate for clues and hunting for closure. Horvath’s water colours remain as striking as always, and he has a real gift in depicting the emotional range of his menagerie of anthropomorphic characters, each of whom takes things deadly seriously.
I’m sure there’s quite the sense of anticipation for the title’s return and fans of the origins will not be disappointed. If you’ve not read the first series, I heartily encourage you to pick up the first volume of Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees while you're in-store for FCBD. You won’t regret it.
Steve Niles’ vampire hit, 30 Days of Night returns in a new series titled “Falling Sun.” Rodney Barnes scripts this one, with Niles acting a story consultant, and Chris Shehan provides some atmospheric but overly murky artwork. Our presumed protagonist, unnamed in this preview, arrives in the remote Alaskan town of Barrow, apparently on the run and desperate to leave his home of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, in Romania, a cabal of vampires prepares to resurrect a face very familiar to fans of the original series.
“Falling Sun” is the fourth in the 30 Days of Night series, and one has to wonder how much juice there is left to squeeze out of this. I encourage readers to be curious about this return, but have expectations tempered, particularly with an overwhelming amount of top shelf material to choose from this year.
Writer-artist Gavin Fullerton presents the debut of his Tuatha next. We get a fairly rollicking battle scene from this dark fantasy series, but here is where a little bit of written context would assist mightily as, curious as to what this actually about, I looked Tuatha up. Here’s a very brief description which I stole from the always trusty
Comic Beat:
Tuatha “follows a princess who is on a journey throughout the land with her king’s head, braving warring clans and forgotten gods that cross her path.” If that’s not enough, we meet our princess (and her wolf companion) as she battles the tribesmen of a warlord riding a gigantic moose whose massive antlers are festooned with dangling skulls. I mean, that’s pretty awesome.
Tuatha is quite the curiosity and grimdark fans take note. I doubt Fullerton will be your favourite artist, but there’s real energy here and, clearly, some mad creativity powering Tuatha. Absolutely worth a look.
Finishing things off is Sean Peacock’s Blood Honey, unfortunately the weakest entry here. Thanks once again to The Beat, here’s a description - Blood Honey “centers on school sweethearts at a gothic prep school navigating betrayal and murder plots to avoid breakups.” What we get here is some set up featuring deadly fencer Edgar St Claire and the cheerleaders vying for his affections. Perhaps with more room to breathe, Blood Honey might shape up to be something special as the murderous intrigue sets in, but Peacock’s unpolished art combined with a lack of context as to what this is actually about make this probably the least appealing preview here.
Still, IDW: Find Your New Fear, especially with its headline act of the returning Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees is absolutely worth a look.
IRON
MAN AND HIS AWESOME FRIENDS/SPIDEY AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS
Written by James Eason-Garcia / Steve Behling,
Illustrated by Alberto Alberquerque / Roberto Poggi & Craig Yeung /
Giovanni Ragano, Antonello Dalena, Cristina Girogilli and Cristina Stella
Marvel/Disney Jr (A)
Ahhh lucky kids! Once again they get to pick
up another super sweet, smartly packaged, well-made comic featuring the crew
from the Spidey and his Amazing Friends
TV show, with the bonus inclusion this time around of Iron Man and his Awesome Friends, featuring Iron Man, Ironheart and
Iron Hulk.
Iron Man
and His Awesome Friends kicks this double-header off
in “Enter The Iron Pup,” after an opening page teaching kids new to comics how
the heck they read these things and another introducing the characters, who
they are and what they do. It’s this
kind of clarity and clever thinking that often gets lost in FCBD comics and
it's always appreciated - kudos to editors Lauren Bisom, Nick Lowe and Tom
Groneman.
Eason-Garcia scripts a fun little number that
sees Iron Man, Ironheart and Hulk adopt a stray dog and then end up fighting
Ultron. That’s a lot to jam into ten pages, but artist Alberto Albuquerque and
his inkers are given plenty of room to deliver some really attractive pages of
fun superhero action and the Iron Pup reveal is pretty great.
Two Spidey
and His Amazing Friends stories, “Looking for Clues!” and the two-page
“Popcorn Problem” finish off the comics section of this great little package.
“Looking for Clues!” sees Spidey and Spin (Miles Morales), following a trail of
clues left by Ghost-Spider (Gwen Stacey) that lead to a fun day out. In
“Popcorn Problem”, Ant-Man and Wasp visit the crew to watch a movie, but the
gang has run out of popcorn. Thankfully, Ant-Man is there to devise a solution
only he could pull off. Both stories are bright, lively and easy to read for
younger readers.
But that’s not all! “Let’s Sizzle Electro!” is
a mini board game readers can play over a double-page spread. All you need is a
die and something to use as counters. My son absolutely went nuts for this and
we played it multiple times every evening for like a week straight, making this
comic easily the most revisited by him of the bunch. A colouring activity
finishes us off, challenging readers to make Sidey, Spin and Ghost-Spider’s
costumes as bright as your kid’s imagination and pencil sets can make them. Great
stuff.
Highest possible recommendation for wee ones!
KAGURABACHI
/ BORUTO: TWO BLUE VORTEX
Written by Takeru Hokazono / Mashashi
Kishimoto (listed as ‘creator/supervisor”), Illustrated by Takeru Hokazono /
Mikio Ikemoto
VIZ (T)
Takeru Hokazono’s Kagurabachi gets an intriguing excerpt from Viz this FCBD and it’s
not hard to see why the publisher is giving this particular property a big
push. Takeri Hokazono isn't the best artist on the block, you can see him
reaching for the heights of Chainsaw
Man’s Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work and while he’s not there yet, the promise is
very much in the premise of his Kagurabachi
and the action and over-the-top violence of this revenge epic should make many
take notice. I certainly have after this. Sigh. Like I don’t have enough manga
to read…
Chihiro Rokuhira wields one of seven magic
swords made by his father, “the most famous swordsmith in the land.” The are
six have been stolen, his father killed. Chirhiro, proudly wearing a gnarly
facial scar left in the wake of the theft of the swords and assassination of
his dad, hunts down those responsible. In this preview, we arrive in a city
ruled by the cruel yakuza gang, the Korogumi. This gang is connected to the
death of Chihiro’s father and, well let’s just say the katana comes out of its
scabbard pretty quickly, extensively and bloodily. I don’t know about you, but
I am a total sucker for a revenge epic and this one might have to go on my own
personal pull-list. Pick this up, and you may well agree: Kagurabachi’s tagline
of “Six stolen swords, one final blade, and a relentless quest for vengeance,”
sums it all up really.
Boruto, son of Naruto, returns to shelves
everywhere with Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.
I have easily read a read a hundred thousand pages of manga, but have never
touched Boruto, or the adventures of his father, Naruto by creator Masashi
Kishimoto (the extent of whose involvement seems a little suspect here with no
writer credit for anyone) and artist of the original Boruto spinoff Mikio Ikemoto.
There’s simply too much of it. However, Ikemoto delivers an interesting and
energetic clean line to this tale of young superpowered next-generation ninja
and there’s a really nice flow to these pages. I’ll not say too much about the
plot as, 1. There’s not much of it and 2. I’ll not risk spoilers for fans, but
if you dig Naruto and family, you probably don’t need me to tell you to get
this.
In short: If you’re looking for a new
action-packed manga to pick up, come for Kagurabachi.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is a nice
little bonus. Recommended.
KANGA-U
/ DC’S MISFITS OF MAGIC
Written by Sholly Fisch / Matthew Dow Smith,
Illustrated by Yancey Labat / Matthew Dow Smith
DC (8+)
Really, it’s about time the kangas of Paradise
Island got a little time to shine. In Kanga-U
by Sholly Fisch and Yancey Labat, we finally do, as we learn all about Kanga
culture, how they hold showcase tournaments just like the Amazons, how they
bond with a single Amazon for their lifespan, and just how special the
relationship is between steed and rider.
There’s a tonne of world-building underpinning
this story and Fisch weaves it in very well, never losing focus on his target
audience of younger readers and ensuring that this stays fun and fully engaging
at all times. Labat does an excellent job here with not just creating a large
cast of distinct kanga characters, but also with the depiction of a very young
Princess Diana, future Wonder Woman. Honestly,
I thought this was excellent and it also gets the thumbs-up from my son who
will surely be after the full graphic novel come July.
Bonus! We get a few pages of writer/artist
Matthew Dow Smith’s DC’s Misfits of Magic.
As I am on record multiple times over multiple years of doing this column,
throwing three pages of any comic into the back of one of these FCBD titles is
mostly an overwhelmingly terrible idea. There are happy exceptions to this,
however, and man is this one of them. I haven’t seen any work by Dow Smith in
years and his wonderfully angular art has grown even more so, with even more
detail stripped out, leaving his cartooning wonderfully spare. I can see how
many will actively dislike this art style, but I find it tremendously appealing
and certainly suited to its desired base of younger readers.
Anyway, DC’s
Misfits of Magic sees the young trio of Blue Devil, Zatanna and
Deadman…err…Dead Kid exploring the potentially haunted library basement, ending
on a great little cliffhanger given how short this sample is. As I said, this
is a very rare case of less-is-more in an FCBD book, showcasing Dow Smith’s
work wonderfully.
Compelling, fun and attractive comics all
round here - highly recommended.
MARK
SPEARS MONSTERS #0 / KIDS THESE DAYS
Written by Mark Spears / Ethan Page,
Illustrated by Mark Speers / Brett Murphy and Wilson Gandolpho
Keenspot (T)
I was not aware that Mark Spears Monsters was something of a cult hit, with the first
issue about to enter a fifth printing. Fans of the series will clearly want to
get their hands on this special #0 issue that stars ‘Creepy cannibal carnival
clown.’ Mr Fun E. Bones (think Pennywise from It) attempting to take a little girl to Clown Town, which does turn
out to be as horrifying as it sounds.
I’m not sure that this issue does a great job
of outlining exactly what this series is, but as a showcase for Spears’ art
it's a success…assuming you like highly computer-generated art that has the
unfortunate whiff of AI about it. I’m no expert on that subject, but Spears’
work is certainly not for me, which makes this an honestly difficult comic to
be objective about. Spears (I looked this up) says he paints over 3D models he
creates based on sketches he initially makes, but the overall result is figures
that look artificial and overly posed - fumetti
with an overly slick computery sheen - and a bilious colour palette.
So, not for me, but possibly for you? If you
like creepy clowns, this is your jam. Oh, and the cover, with its menagerie of
retro monsters looming over the reader is admittedly pretty cool - easily the
artistic highlight of the book, shame none of them are found between the
covers.
If you do pick this up and are curious about
the series, Keenspot has included QR code that enables you to download the
first issue - that’s a savvy move more publishers should employ.
Finally, wrestling fans take note (or not) -
‘All Ego’ Ethan Page, along with co-creators Brett Murphy and Wilson Gandolpho
give us three pages of Kids These Days,
their comic about “aliens versus robots shit.” Yep. Keenspot may have been
better off leaving this out and making this an all-Spears affair for FCBD. I
can’t imagine there will be a tonne of crossover appeal between these two
properties, but, hey, another QR code is here for a full issue, so please enjoy
and prove me wrong!
MARVEL
VOICES
Written by Various, Illustrated by Various
Marvel (T)
Five diverse stories from across the Marvel
Universe are crammed between the covers of this year’s Marvel Voices FCBD issue, led by a brand-new Ironheart tale, “Hot
Cha”, by writer Justina Ireland and featuring the striking artwork of Julian
Shaw.
Ironheart faces off against Wormhole, a
villain who opens portals to “anywhere and anywhen”. Ironheart, hot on
Wormhole's heels, finds herself sucked through one of these portals to late
1800s Chicago in a fun little showcase for both character and, especially,
artist.
Next, we visit a future Wakanda in “The World
is Not Ready” taken from the pages of the Marvel Voices Legends anthology.
Sheree Renee Thomas scripts and, lucky us, it’s more Julian Shaw art, who is as
at home in future Wakanda as in nineteenth century Chicago. In this future,
T’Challa and Storm are grandparents to a pair of super-powered five-year-old
twins. T’Challa playing grandpa is a great set up for a short story,
particularly as grandfather to a pair of overly rambunctious superpowered kids.
A fun little short.
The wedding sequence from X-Men: The Wedding Special is up next, featuring the nuptials of
Mystique and Destiny by writer Keiron Gillen and Rachael Stott. Free Keiron
Gillen is never a bad thing, and legendary X-Men scribe Chris Claremont is
seated in attendance at the ceremony (a great little nod of respect and
appreciation) for yet another comics wedding gone awry. Perhaps only in
professional wrestling do more weddings go awry than in comics, but with Gillen
and the great art provided by Stott, readers are in good hands…even if the
X-Books have been completely relaunched since this story took place…
It’s here that things begin to slide a little,
not through quality of material but due to the simple fact that there are only
so many pages for so much material. This problem is inevitable for a comic that
tries way too hard to cram in as much as it can and it’s a shame as our
remaining two excerpts seem, based on what’s here, solid.
A handful of pages from Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes Special by writer Melissa Flores and
artist Juan Bazaldua are next, giving us some demon-dog fighting action. Hard
to say much more than that, but the action looks decent.
A final three-page excerpt wraps us up here,
this time from Kahhori: Reshaper of
Worlds, by writers Ryan Little and Arihhonn David and art by Todd Harris
and David Cutler. If you’re unfamiliar with Kahhori, she’s apparently
originally from the What If…? Animated series. We find ourselves in Sky World,
“Mohawk place of power outside time and space” and Loki has come to steal an
object of particular power. Kahhori, attempting to stop him, gets sucked into
“our” Marvel Universe, the 616 Earth. Three pages is nowhere near enough to
properly hook a reader, but this sequence does a decent job.
Marvel
Voices FCBD is solid stuff overall and Marvel readers
looking for something a little different should take note.
MEGA
MAN #0
Written by Travis Maiden, Illustrated by
Andrew Dickman, Kenny Ruiz, Edwin Huang and Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz
Udon (A)
Capcom fans! If your annual free Street Fighter comic isn't enough (see
below for that), you are spoiled this year as publisher Udon drops a special
zero issue for battlin’ robot Mega Man. First things first: this is a very flashy-looking
comic book, with all four artists turning in some slick, highly-polished work.
Scripter Travis Maiden turns in a fun little story about former foes of Mega
Man, Wind Man, Cold Man and Skull Man who now operate food trucks at
Boing-Boing Amusement Park and reminisce about the times they got “this close”
to besting our hero in battle.
This is surprisingly charming stuff, ramen and
ice cream and...whatever Skull Man serves up, if anything, almost as important
to the story as the energetic battles with Mega Man. Honestly, this is some
really lively comics, filled with action aplenty all energetically delivered by
the artists each of whom (no offense) I am surprised is not working on
something more higher profile than this.
While a little bit of history about this
enduring character placed somewhere would really help newcomers, Udon at least
wisely lay out its Mega Man publishing plans for 2025, with no less than five Mega Man one-shots, each detailing a
different era of this fighting robot,
launching between now and September. That’s a lot of Mega Man to come in
a pretty short space, but if those titles are half as good as this, fans are in
good hands. Quite the surprise package, this one - a solid little actioner for
younger readers.
THE
MIGHTY NEIN: ORIGINS / BLACK HAMMER: TO TOMORROW!
Written by Sam Maggs / Jeff Lemire,
Illustrated by Leonardo Cino / Letizia Cadonici
Dark Horse (T)
By now, you really would think I would have a
solid handle on Critical Role, which
is apparently “a multiplatform entertainment phenomenon.” But hey, there are only so many hours in the
day and I am not much of a gamer (sorry!).
I understand that it’s pretty big in the gaming world, has an animated
series that people seem to dig (again: no time), and also this comics spin-off The Mighty Nein. Pretty impressive for
something that started as a bunch of voice actors playing Dungeons &
Dragons on the internet…
As one might expect for something that spins
out of gameplay, there is quite a bit of complexity to the world of The Mighty
Nein, a group of adventurers. Thankfully, writer Sam Maggs refuses to bog
readers down in any of that, preferring instead to throw newbies into the deep
end. This is all well and good, but I’m pretty sure neither of our protagonists
is named at any point during this story - just as well that artist Leonardo
Cino is more than up to the task of keeping everything visually clear and distinct
throughout. Given that we have a male and female lead, this actually isn’t the
biggest accomplishment ever, but Cino deserves some praise for the work on
display here.
Much of this story is played totally for
laughs. With our intrepid pair arriving at, of all places, a Theatre Restaurant
to meet a contact who will lead them to an excavation site of some sort. Much fun is had at the expense of the Theatre
Restaurant experience, relatable to us all I’m sure, and with many surely
familiar characters being played by stage actors, regular readers are sure to
get a chuckle or two out of this. Again: I know nothing and thought that this
was fun and really well drawn, so fans should get a kick out of this.
Our Dark Horse double-header concludes with
Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer: To Tomorrow!,
the continuation of this long-running creator-owned superhero work. I am
extraordinarily behind on Black Hammer
which, combined with my total lack of
Critical Role knowledge, makes me the worst reviewer possible for this
entire comic. Thankfully Lemire and artist Letizia Cadonici have my back,
presenting a great little retelling of the Black
Hammer world. Colonel Weird recalls his time spent tumbling through various
ages, beginning with the first age of heroes, The Pulp Age, quickly working his
way through The Golden, Silver, Grim and Lost Ages, before teasing readers with
what’s yet to come for this love letter to superheroes. Newcomers should find
themselves intrigued by Lemire’s clever, very quick, recapping of events -
giving glimpses of just enough to intrigue but not enough to spoil - and
Cadonici’s art has echoes of the series’ first artist, Dean Ormston, to it
creating a great sense of continuity. Recommended for fans of either title.
MINECRAFT:
THE MANGA / BEYBLADE X
Written by Kazuyoshi Seto / Homura Kawamoto
& Hikaru Muno, Illustrated by Kazuyoshi Seto / Posuka Demizu
VIZ (A)
Let’s preface this by saying that I have very
little knowledge of Minecraft. My kid occasionally plays a really old version
of it and I dig its ambient vibe, but other than that - clueless. I’ve not seen
the movie, nothing. What’s interesting to me in reading this free sample of
writer/artist Kauyoshi Seto’s Minecraft:
The Manga is just how different it feels from the chill,
settle-in-relax-and-build mindfulness of the game (at least the ancient one we
have). Clearly Jack Black and Jason Momoa aren’t chilling out and having a
stress-free time in the film, but Seto’s energetic, fast-paced manga is yet
another thing entirely.
Also: it is pretty fun stuff. Seto’s blocky
characters are packed with chibi-style expressiveness, all big rectangular eyes
and mouths extending and contorting crazily to achieve maximum expressiveness.
The plot is pretty solid too, building in the classic adventure trope so
relatable to youngsters…or anybody truthfully: the boredom and stagnation of
routine shattered by the call to adventure.
Nico White has adventuring in his blood - his
dad, Icco, is an adventurer, exploring the world beyond the confines of the
walled village in which the family live. Nico’s been exploring the outside
since he was five, riding creatures that explode called Creepers and basically
doing anything remotely dangerous that he possibly can, giving his parents
conniptions. Nico says, “Adventures are the greatest!” and, not only is he
right, he is marked by a family rune that not only gives him special powers,
but forces him to answer the call of adventure whenever he hears it. The
problem is, he’s only 10 years old…
Minecraft:
The Manga is surprisingly good stuff. Everything is
set up perfectly in this opening slice of the manga for readers to grab onto as
we prepare to join Nico, armed with his “expert crafting skills” when he
inevitably leaves the village to face the outside world.
I found crumbs in the creases of the pages of Beyblade X, which clearly means that a
seven-year-old who lives in this house has been at this comic. Sure enough,
over he wandered ad i was reading this, staring at a page of this manga about
dueling Bladers, he pointed at main character Robin Kazami and said “I felt bad
for that kid because his broke.”
It must be a week since Edgar got his
toast-filled mitts on this comic and his immediate recall of events in this
means he did much more than a cursory flip through. Anyone as clueless about
the Beyblade franchise as I am and potentially worried that this thing involves
knife-fighting multicultural youths straight out of a Peter Dutton wet dream
(again, happy election 2025 - vote wisely!) can relax.
Beyblades, from what I can tell, are like
spinning tops with bladed edges. I probably sound like I’m a hundred years old
right now and you’re all laughing going, “Grandpa doesn’t know what a Beyblade
is,” so I’ll shut up about the “sport” itself and focus on the story. The
aforementioned Robin is an amateur Blader, determined to turn pro. Yes, his
blade gets destroyed in a battle with a ten-year veteran, and things get worse
when his team disbands (you need a team of three to fight Beyblade
battles).
Like Minecraft before it, Beyblade X has a nice call to adventure, a real Hero’s Journey vibe
about it thanks to the story by Komura Kawato and Hikaru Muno and some really
lively artwork by Posuka Demizu. Salvation comes in the form of a mystery new
teammate and the duo prepare to climb the ranks in the Amateur Arena and go
pro. It’s good stuff.
This Minecraft
and Beyblade team-up totally
over-delivers. I feared some of the laziness we have seen in various Pokémon
titles from Viz, creators and publishers clearly artistically coasting on the
fame of the property, but this is not the case here. Recommended - especially
for young adventurers.
PHANTOM
#0
Written by Ray Fawkes, Illustrated by Russell
Olson
Mad Cave (T)
DID NOT ARRIVE IN TIME FOR REVIEW
There’s a really nice (of course) Greg Smallwood cover to this, the kick-off to Mad Cave’s rebooting of classic pulp hero, The Phantom. This one did not show up in time for review, so here’s Mad Cave publicity copy to pump you up!
The Phantom, Lee Falk's highly influential superhero, is back in an all-new adventure series!
The first story in an exciting publishing plan that is sure to satisfy both new and returning "Phans" of comics’ beloved Ghost Who Walks. In true Phantom fashion, look forward to pulpy storytelling focused on justice, honor, mystery, and mythology—all told with heaps of action!
POST MALONE’S BIG RIG #0
Written by Adrian Wassell, Illustrated by Nathan Gooden
Vault Comics (M)
DID NOT ARRIVE IN TIME FOR REVIEW
Man, I actually kind of wanted to check this out. Our pal (his words) Posty has (sort of) made a comic because….hey, why not right? He seems pretty pumped about it too,
look!
What on Earth is this, I hear you ask. Well, this did not arrive in time for review (boo), but here’s some Vault Comics hype WITH CAPPPSSSS:
THEY PRAYED FOR A MIRACLE. THEY GOT 25 TONS AND 18 WHEELS OF HOLY WEAPON. BIG RIG, created by Post Malone. The Dark Ages…Demon hordes plague Europe as Hell invades Earth. The Six Petals, a secret sect of The Knights Templar, are in desperate need of a means to drive back the scourge and turn the tide of the onslaught. What crashes to earth is The Rig, a fully loaded tractor trailer. In the aftermath of its arrival, the only man left standing is an enigmatic former priest excommunicated from The Six Petals. He will become Trucker and lead the fight against Hell behind the wheel of a demon-slaying machine.
Sounds bonkers. Admit it, you’re curious too…
POWER
RANGERS PRIME / VR TROOPERS
Written by Melissa Flores / Mairghread Scott,
Illustrated by Trish Forstner / Sebastian Piriz
Boom Studios (A)
Boom Studios revives the old Power Rangers/ VR Troopers flipbook
format for FCBD 2025, something that I didn't even know existed back in the
heady funnybook days of 1995. Fans of the prolific Dan Mora should take note
that this one not only provides a Power
Rangers cover by the artist, but also updated character designs for both
properties, which are included here.
We’ll kick off with Power Rangers Prime by writer Melissa Flores and artist Trish
Forstner. Essentially told from the perspective of an abandoned puppy, Doobie,
adopted by (I assume) a pair of Power Rangers,
“Be Brave” is a pretty polished piece of work from the creators that
will, unfortunately, confuse any reader new to the title (about to release its
seventh issue) - myself included. This is a cute and well-drawn story, but it’s
a pretty terrible onboarding point for new readers. I cannot explain what’s
happening here at all. For the faithful and lovers of cute puppies.
Writer Mairghread Scott does a much better job
introducing readers to the world of VR Troopers in “Blindspot.” Sure, it’s a bit of a paint-by-numbers intro
- good guys show up, banter a bit, foil some bad guys and drop some exposition
to explain just enough to get readers on board - but it’s effective especially
considering the page count restraints.
Artist Sebastian Piriz (who I believe was
drawing Jonny Quest this time last year?) turns in some solid action. A good
taste of what’s to come this June.
A final note: an editorial here spills the
beans that our new Power Rangers are going to come into conflict with the VR
Troopers at some point soon, so crossover fans be alerted.
SPEED
RACER #0
Written by David Pepose / Mark Russell,
Illustrated by David Tinto / Chris Batista
Mad Cave (T)
DID NOT ARRIVE IN TIME FOR REVIEW
Mad Cave has the keys to Speed Racer’s car. I would have like to review this, but alas. Here’s some publisher hype:
David Pepose and David Tinto have the storytelling keys to the featured story in issue #0, which ignites Mad Cave's ongoing Speed Racer series. Meanwhile, Mark Russell and Chris Batista drive a backup tale that leads directly into a Racer X spin-off series.
One part Drive, another part Baby Driver, and another part Fast and Furious—with classic anime/manga inspiration throughout—fans new and old are given a front-row seat to exciting tales of action, adventure, overcoming challenges, and family.
STAR
WARS
Written by Alex Segura / Charles Soule /Mark
Guggenheim, Illustrated by Phil Noto / Stefano Raffaele / Madibek Musabekov
Marvel (T)
According to the cover, it’s been 10 years
since Marvel gained back the rights to publish Star Wars comics, and the House
of Ideas celebrates with a FCBD book with three stories - the first of which
previews a new #1 set after the fall of the Empire with the pretty cracking
creative team of writer Alex Segura and artist (and recent All-Star visitor!)
Phil Noto. Noto’s painted cover gives readers a glimpse of what they will find
inside, with a post-Jedi Luke
Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Vader and Kylo Ren all featured. Marvel is
clearly keen to explore various Star Wars time periods and when you assemble
this much talent to lead the comics, why not?
“Past is Prologue” by the aforementioned new
creative team kicks us off, with Luke Skywalker freshly arrived on a former
Imperial space station, on the hunt for a murderous crime syndicate raiding New
Republic vessels, destroying ships and killing “innocent traders.” Noto’s a great pick for Star Wars. He nails Mark Hamill’s likeness perfectly and this new
series is off to an intriguing start under Segura’s solid scripting.
Things get even better in Charles Soule and
Stefano Raffale’s “Legacy of Vanee,” which follows former Vader
bootlicker/servant Vanee, mourning the loss of both Vader and the emperor and
who, aging, rebuilds himself into…something pretty bizarre actually…as he
searches for a potential successor. He finds one, one readers will be very
familiar with, and so begins Legacy of
Vader. The reveal will surprise no-one (I’ve already kind of ruined it),
but this is executed really well, with Soule building immense intrigue into a
short space and Raffaele’s inky work bringing some real SF noirishness to this
short story that hypes up the Legacy of
Vader series. Interesting stuff.
“The Moon of Death,” previewing Jedi Knights #3, is the last comic here.
Qui-Gon Jinn and “Padawan learner” Tensu Run find themselves on the Moon of
K’shar - a place filled with innumerable criminals and cutthroats - on the
trail of someone called Corlis Rath, who is fated to kill Qui-Gon. I enjoyed
this quite a bit, actually, Marc Guggenheim scripts a place of real criminal
grom for artist Madibek Musabekov (who I am completely unfamiliar with) to
depict and Musabekov clearly has some fun bringing these dingy back alleys to
life. Intriguing stuff once again, perhaps only marred by the talented Padawan,
Tensu’s unfortunate resemblance to a young Annikin Skywalker. I do appreciate
the diversity found in the Star Wars universe, but surely we have had enough young
blonde male Jedi? This gripe aside, this is pretty strong Star Wars stuff.
Marvel’s Star
Wars titles have been a bit hit-and-miss over the past decade, but when
they hit, they are really strong. Arriving at the tenth anniversary of the
return to the publisher, the Star Wars
comics appear to be in very sure hands across the board. The real surprise is
perhaps just how good the titles you could easily perceive as being a bit
“B-List”, Legacy of Vader and Jedi Knights, are - giving the main
title a real run for its money. I never thought I would be intrigued to read a
Qui-Gon Jinn comic, for example, but I very much am now.
In short: really good comics for Star Wars fans.
STAR
WARS: YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES / AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
Written by Dave Scheidt / Brandon Hoang,
Illustrated by Andy Duggan / Bellbessa
Dark Horse Comics (A)
Wholesome padawan adventures await readers in
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, with the cast of Yoda’s “younglings” on a
quest from the Jedi master to find, “something sweet, something that connects,
something that shines and something that sings.” Off on the hunt in the swamps of Tenoo go
Nubs, Lys and Kai in this colourful little adventure for little Star Wars fans.
Artist Andy Duggan is the show-stealer here,
nailing the likenesses of the cartoon’s characters and imbuing this little
story with a real spirit of adventure as readers see weird fruit, alien
turtles, explore hidden caves and meet all manner of weird creatures. A fun
little story.
But that’s not all! Stick around for the
amazing artwork of Bellbessa in “Ramen Rumble”, an adventure from the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I apologise
in advance, as I know absolutely nothing about the world of Avatar. However, I did enjoy this
short featuring Samurai Appa and Ronin Momo (quite beloved characters, I’m to
understand) quite a bit, thanks largely to Bellbessa’s immersive work.
Appa and Momo are practically starving when
they come across a ramen house in the forest. Sadly, they have no coin, but
when the owner of the restaurant is about to get shaken down for free food by
Fire Nation Officers, a full-on brawl with our heroes ensues and cleverly paves
the way for some full bellies by story’s end.
This is overall a good pick up for younger
readers, but don’t be heartbroken if you miss out, unless, of course, you’re a
big fan of either property. Good stuff.
STREET
FIGHTER VS. RIVAL SCHOOLS
Written by David Lunsden, Illustrated by Tovio
Rogers / Royce Southerland
Udon (T)
Ahhh, it wouldn't really be April without
reading a free Street Fighter comic and the tradition continues with Street Fighter vs Rival Schools for
2025. Props to the team at Udon comics for somehow managing to seemingly
reinvent the video game property to keep things fresh, with de-aged versions of
the characters placed in feuding high school clans.
Featuring everything from fist fights to
chopstick battles, this is a colourful and lively entry in the Street Fighter franchise, thanks largely
to the vivid colours and art supplied by Tovio Rogers.
All the best of these comics seem to revolve
around Blanka, that’s my experience anyway, and this story continues the streak
for all you Blanka-heads out there.
Backing up the main Street Fighter vs Rival Schools story is a short story, “A Shot at
Freedom” scripted again by Lunsden with art by Royce Southerland. This one’s
Chun-Li focussed, set in Hong Kong’s “Interpol Headquarters”. It’s a short one,
and has a bit of a twist ending, so I'll just shush myself and say that this is
fine stuff all round for Street Fighter fans, and in my opinion
is perfectly fine for an audience a bit younger than labelled, should any
parents be on the fence about this.
SUPERMAN’S
GOOD GUY GANG / AQUAMANATEE
Written by Rob Justus / Ben Clanton,
Illustrated by Rob Justus / Cassandra Federman
DC (A)
More Superman fun this FCBD, with a great
preview of Superman’s Good Guy Gang
by writer/artist Ron Justus. Designed
for readers 5-7 years of age (good job, DC!), this got some good chuckles from
my seven-year-old, which is a much more solid recommendation than anything I
will offer here.
Superman and, of all companions, Guy Gardner,
are attempting to stop what they believe to be a new villain, but who actually
turns out to be Hawkgirl just trying to rescue some dogs. Justus’ art is fun
and lively, his pages open and uncramped, his storytelling crystal clear for
the desired age range. This is good, amusing stuff which, again, cracked my kid
up quite a bit with a very silly action sequence involving Superman getting a
butt injury. Yep, that might increase interest a bit.
As a bonus, we get a few pages of Aquamanatee, in which Marlow the manatee
becomes an underwater superhero. Written by Ben Clanton and with art by
Cassandra Federman, there’s sadly not too much here to actively critique, but
it’s suitably cute stuff. Recommended.
TOWER
DUNGEON / ISSAK
Written by Tsutomu Nihei /Shinji Makari,
Illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei / Double S
Kodansha (T+)
I don't know how this will go down with many,
but I'm of the opinion that Tsutomu Nihei's work isn't what it used to be. The
insane, intricate world-building, the obsessive level of detail seems long gone
and I have struggled to find my way into his last few works. Having said that, Tower Dungeon may finally mark my return
to his bizarre worlds.
With Tower
Dungeon, Nihei turns his attention to dark fantasy, this time morphing his
endless, labyrinthine urban nightmares and ecological ruins into a single
titanic space: an enormous, multi-level Tower, filled with monsters, evil
sorcerers and ‘malformed creatures.’ A princess is locked somewhere within, and
a young farmhand named Yuva, along with a small army, are tasked with her
rescue. In this preview, we see levels 60 and 80 of this endless Dungeon Tower
and, while Nihei’s art is not what it once was…damn, this has quite the hook to
it. Sigh. See you in July I guess, Nihei…
On to what, judging by the cover, Kodansha
would have us believe to be the main event of this double-feature with Shinji
Makari and Double-S’ Issak. It's 1620, we’re in Europe with Protestants
and Catholics slaughtering each other all over the place (yay, religion!). In
wanders a lone Japanese warrior, on a mission to kill the man who murdered his
master.
I cribbed most of that from a short blurb on
the front cover. Thankfully Kodansha put that there or I would have no idea
what this is about. To be fair, I could mostly say the same for Tower Dungeon, but that managed to get
its hooks in me through a clear demonstration of Nihei’s insane concept and
boy, does the man like to draw weird buildings.
From what we can see here, Issak will be violent and decently
constructed. It does feature a sexual assault as a catalyst for its hero to get
involved, however, and I can't help but think that the publisher may have been
better off showcasing a different scene for its massive give-away book?
However, Issak was quite the digital hit apparently. It has awards nominations
behind it, and an effusive quote from manga legend Ryoichi Ikegami, so there
may be quite a bit more here than initially meets the eye. Don't write this off
because of my grumblings.
Despite what the cover may look like, let's
invert it: come for Tower Dungeon
stay for Issak. Oh, Tsutomu, just
when I think I’m out, you pull me back into your…uh…dungeon. Ew. I should
probably go to bed at this point.
TRANSFORMERS:
WORST BOT EVER / FAMILY FORCE V
Written by Brian “Smitty” Smith / Matt Braly,
Illustrated by Marz Jr. / Ainsworth Lin
Skybound/Image (T)
New from Robert Kirkman’s Comet imprint of his
Image imprint Skybound (that's a lotta imprints), comes this extended preview
of Transformers: Worst Bot Ever,
backed up by a short little shot of Family
Force V.
Transformers:
Worst Bot Ever features Ballpoint, easily the most
annoying and useless Decepticon to ever transform into anything. As his name
suggests, Ballpoint is a pen. He can write and…..that’s about it. Hero in his own mind, Ballpoint believes
himself to be super-important to the Decepticon’s ongoing war with the
Autobots, but given his best friend is an actual blender he thinks is a fellow
Decepticon, he’s clearly not the most reliable of narrators.
Brian “Smitty” Smith and Marz Jr. chart
Ballpoint’s journey. I didn’t find any of this particularly funny or amusing,
and Marz Jr. is certainly no Daniel Warren Johnson, but hopefully the gags ramp
up in the final product, available in July, as a comedic Transformers book for younger readers is a really good idea.
Family
Force V packs family drama into its Power Ranger-infused action. In short:
aliens called Mazoku attack Earth, five Japanese siblings are given special
powers and go by the name Moon Troopers. Years pass and with the spread of
alien attacks now global, descendants of the Moon Troopers (each located in a
different part of the world) continue the fight. In this short little segment,
we meet Maise, a young artist in LA balancing her personal life with her secret
alter ego. It’s a solid set up for a YA actioner and artist Ainsworth Lin seems
more than capable of handling the personal moments as well as the alien
battles.
WILL
EISNER: A COMICS BIOGRAPHY
Written and Illustrated by Stephen Weiner and
Dan Mazur
NBM (A?)
Oh, what a nice surprise this is! NBM gifts us
a preview of the forthcoming Will Eisner:
A Comics Biography, and check your skepticism at the door, because this is
immersive and compelling stuff for fans of not just Eisner but the history of
comics itself.
Weiner and Mazur (no division of creative
labour is given by publisher here, so I will refer to the duo in all aspects of
the work) take readers back to New York in 1936, with young artist and future
comics icon, Will Eisner, pounding the streets with a portfolio and a dream of
illustrating comics strips for a living. Very quickly encountering knockbacks
and antisemitism, Eisner’s hardscrabble early career is brought to vivid life
by the creators, who get readers very quickly up to speed on the realities of
early 20th century publishing.
There’s tonnes to soak in across these breezy,
brisk, scratchily-cartooned pages, from production schedules to a breakdown of
the printing process for comics in the 1930s and some clever little visual
Easter eggs for fans of Eisner’s work. It feels like a missed opportunity to
not include an editorial here somewhere to add some context about the project
and its subject for those unfamiliar with Eisner and his legendary body of
work, but this otherwise exceeded expectations all across the board.
This is highly recommended and I for one am
curious to see the finished product come July.
