7/10 Comic Reviews: Monsters and Mindfulness

Dawnrunner #4 written by Ram V with art by Evan Cagle

The penultimate issue of Ram V and Evan Cagle’s Dawnrunner starts with a bang as it picks up forty-two hours after the strange, new Tetza emerged from the portal, “El Desgarron”. Suffice to say, it’s not going well. The pages are lit with fire as everything burns in the wake of this new monstrosity. For a populace that has become sedated by commodifying the Tetza battles into cheap entertainment, this is a rude awakening reminding them that they’ve always been on the precipice of death. It had never really clicked when reading earlier issues, but, based on the comments of the broadcaster, it’s been a while since anyone has actually died while fighting the Tetza. With the Iron Kings and all of their resources, humanity has done a fair job keeping the strange creatures at bay on the surface at least. As we’ve seen, the Tetza have been encroaching on humanity in subtler ways than just monster attacks. Anita’s daughter is proof that the real danger is lurking just beneath the surface. Now, the facade is shattered and any pretensions of control are put aside as the desperate desire to survive reignites itself in people’s hearts. Unfortunately, the strongest of the Iron Kings seems to already be down for the count. Dawnrunner has been demolished and pretty much everyone has written Anita off as dead. Her death weighs heavily on everyone, but there’s no time to mourn when a giant monster is heading their way. Even Andro Lestern, shady businessman supreme, seems to have given up on trying to get ahead when he promises to share every resource he has with his rivals in exchange for their help. What that means for the future is anyone’s guess, but no one has the luxury of thinking long-term at the moment. 

While all this is going on, Anita has descended back into Ichiro’s mind. He is still continuing his journey to bring his kids to a shelter in a desperate bid for safety. Overwhelmed by failure, Anita clings to the last bit of good she thinks she can do and joins him. Throughout the mini-series, we’ve seen the cracks showing in Anita’s tough exterior as the stress of being humanity’s greatest champion while watching her daughter being eaten from the inside by a strange virus wears at her. Now, brought to her lowest point, Anita is ready to give up on all of it and disappear into Ichiro’s mind for good. Of course, it’s been hinted for a while that all is not what it seems with Ichiro and Anita finally comes clean about what she knows. This realization triggers... something. Something new is on the horizon and no one can say yet what it is or what it means. It’s been a while since I’ve felt that dread of heading into a final issue knowing that it’ll be the end of the story. Even so, what a ride it’s been. This book has been an absolute blast and I can’t wait to see how it ends. 

Once again, Evan Cagle sets a new bar for comic book art in this book. From the ruins in the Tetza’s wake to the unraveling dreams of a brain in a jar, every detail feels deliberate. There’s a sequence towards the end which leans more into body horror than we’ve seen so far and it’s truly unsettling to look at. It helps hammer home that even if what comes next proves to be a ray of hope, it’s still going to be messy and not without its costs. And that’s not even talking about the splash page towards the end. If you read the book, you’ll know the one I’m talking about. In previous issues, Cagle seems to have taken a maximalist approach to the more surreal sequences, filling the pages with all sorts of deliberately placed details. In this one, however, he goes all the way into the opposite direction, focusing on what’s happening in the center of a scene which is almost biblical in how it depicts transformation.

This book has been a masterpiece in the making, and with one more issue on the way, it’ll soon be a masterpiece full stop. The themes and ideas that Ram V has had simmering beneath the surface are beginning to boil over, and there’s nothing that can stop them from taking form. It’s an example of how much comics are capable of as a medium when two creators at the top of their game smash past their limits like unstoppable monsters. An absolute standout of a comic, I can’t recommend it enough. 

Giant-Sized Silver Surfer #1 written by Mat Groom with art by Tommaso Bianchi

“In all the ways that truly matter, we are one. And thus-- we are not alone.”

What a fascinating character, the Silver Surfer. Empowered by the world-eater Galactus to serve as his herald in exchange for preserving the planet Zenn-la, Norrin Radd became the Silver Surfer and sought out new planets for his master to devour. That is, until a meeting with the Fantastic Four reawakened his conscience and set him on a mission of atonement as the “Lone Sentinel of the Spaceways”. If that description didn’t make it obvious enough, the Surfer is very very cool. Since his debut, he’s been one of Marvel’s premier cosmic heroes, constantly finding himself dragged into conflicts throughout the cosmos as he seeks redemption for his sins as a herald. Despite his incredible power, the Surfer, more often than not, finds himself at the center of philosophical contemplation as he ponders his place in the universe. His stories have a thoughtful depth to them, persisting even during the blood-soaked, hyper-violent era in the 90’s and providing a ray of hope to any reader seeking more from their stories. 

Hierarchy of Power, the headliner of this book, continues that trend with a fight that is as much a debate as Terrax the Tamer, another former herald, challenges the Surfer in an attempt to prove his superiority over his long-time foe. Mat Groom is no stranger to cosmic stories which wax philosophical (see my review for The Singularity and also, READ THE SINGULARITY!), and it’s no surprise that he’s perfectly suited to take up the legacy of the Silver Surfer. That said, I had no idea what to expect going in and was surprised to find myself grinning as Terrax’s intended victims mistake him for his enemy. The Surfer is the most renowned herald of Galactus in-universe and out, a fact which burns at the power-hungry Terrax. He captures the innocent denizens of the planet and uses them as hostages to lure the Surfer into a brilliant(?) trap. The Silver Surfer arrives, unfazed and seemingly unmoved by the plight of the innocents surrounding him. As Terrax pontificates about his superiority, the Surfer tells him to get to the point and reveal his trap. All too often, we see powerful heroes brought to their knees by the dumbest decisions imaginable all for the sake of putting them in a vulnerable position. It’s an unfortunate trend that seems to stem from the idea that any superhero conflict must be physical. Every Superman villain has kryptonite because how else is Superman going to struggle in a fight? Of course, there’s so much more to a conflict than punching, and the story is far more interesting when a hero employs wisdom over power. Superheroes are meant to be role models, ideals for us to aspire towards, but rare is the opportunity to punch our problems in the face. In fact, punching our problems is usually the worst decision we can make. The Silver Surfer is a god-like being with nigh-unlimited power, but that doesn’t mean he has to use it to solve a problem. When Terrax invites the Surfer to step forward and see what he has in store, the Surfer simply says “No”. All it takes is one word to completely derail Terrax’s plan, not that it stops him from continuing to pressure the Surfer with the hostages, but once again, the Surfer employs wisdom over power. I won’t spoil what happens, but it’s another delightful dip into the vast tapestry of Marvel cosmology.

What follows the conflict is a discussion of the perspective the Surfer’s Power Cosmic has given him. Sure, it gives him the power to shape the world to his will as Terrax does, but it also allows him to see the threads of life connecting all creatures. Rather than his power removing him from everyone else, it’s given him a profound closeness to all living beings and propels him on his mission to help anyone in need. The story ends with neither a bang nor a whimper. Instead it ends with a challenge: to look past power, to appreciate life and to cultivate wisdom. The challenge is to us as much as it is to Terrax. Rather than “right makes might”, the Surfer is teaching us how to be better and overcome insurmountable obstacles not with our fists, but with our hearts and minds. 

There is an unspoken implication that a cosmic story will be a visual spectacle, a journey through the majestic beauty of the universe. Tommaso Bianchi rises to that proud tradition with some truly stellar (get it?) art. One of the things that stood out the most was the sense of scale. Terrax is no Galactus, but he feels massive as he descends upon an innocent world. Even without considering his Power Cosmic, it’s clear that the spindly civilians stand no chance against him. On the other hand, the Silver Surfer may not be as big, but he is no less imposing. His body shimmers with power that appears to actually be flowing around him at all times. It’s a really cool effect I haven’t seen used with the Surfer before, and it does a great job contrasting the two characters’ approaches to the same power. The whole conflict takes place surrounded by the profound beauty of the cosmos which, in turn, makes it clear that, for all their power, Terrax and the Surfer are just two people in an incomprehensibly vast universe. I also want to give special mention to Joe Sabino as letterer for making me laugh out loud with the various sound effects of the transponder Terrax used to call the Silver Surfer to him. It’s an understated moment and adds even more pompous flair to Terrax before the Surfer arrives to humble him. 

If I were to make one criticism of the book, it’s that it appears to be a standalone story rather than the first issue in a Mat Groom/Tommaso Bianchi Silver Surfer series. I have to believe that Marvel knew what they were doing when they put that team on this character and they’d be fools not to keep it going. This book has made me think about the Silver Surfer for the first time in a while and ignited a desire to go back and reread some of his classic tales. Thankfully, this book provides one such tale as the second half is a reprint of Silver Surfer #80 by Ron Marz and Ron Lim. It’s the first part of a multi-part story and it did a good enough job hooking me that I’m going to have to track down the volume that contains the rest of the story. The 90’s gets a bad rap for comics that put violence and hyper-masculinity above meaningful storytelling, but the era was also filled with amazing gems like this. Either of these issues is worth the price of admission which means that Giant-Sized Silver Surfer is two for the price of one! It’s a wonderful take on a classic character and further proves that Mat Groom is absolutely brilliant at spinning cosmic tales. I had a great time reading this book and I hope everyone gives it a shot. There are more stories waiting for the “Lone Sentinel of the Spaceways” and I sincerely hope this is the team that tells them.