Comics Journalism?! Week of 3/13 Comics Review

This morning, I woke up, made some coffee and sat down on my luxuriously soft and ergonomically disastrous chair and read my weekly pull of comics. I’ve been a superhero fan since I was little, but I came into comics at the relatively late age of fourteen. I didn’t have a local comic store, but I discovered Comixology (RIP) and was soon making weekly trips to a local convenience store to buy iTunes gift cards that would immediately be exchanged for whatever comics had come out that week. In the decade and a half since then, my tastes have naturally changed (some less so than others), but I’ve never left the medium. Being an adult with rent to pay, I’ve had to curb my reading habits a bit and get more discerning about which books I pick up, especially living in Japan during a time when the yen to dollar rate is not great. There tends to be a lingering voice in the back of my mind while I’m reading questioning my decisions and judging the book more harshly than it probably deserves. As unpleasant as all that is, it makes it even more rewarding on days like today when the comics I read are so stellar that the voice is drowned out by the sheer quality. This week I bought four comics (about the average number of books I read per week) and finished them with the adrenaline rush of a poker player being dealt a royal straight flush (Yes, I understand that a royal straight flush is five cards, but these books are all distinct from one another, so four-of-a-kind didn’t really feel like it worked as a metaphor, so I don’t want to hear it).  I sat down to do some writing this morning and ended up struggling to focus on anything besides the comics I’d just finished, so now I’m just going to write about those instead. Does this mean I’m a comics journalist now? (Insert shrug emoji.) I’ve learned not to make promises I can’t keep in regards to this website, but if books this good are going to be coming out on the regular, I’m certainly going to have a lot more to talk about in the future. 

So without further ado, in the order in which I read them:

The One Hand #2 written by Ram V and art by Laurence Campbell and Lee Loughridge

The second (also kind-of third) issue of a five-issue (also kind-of ten) neo-noir miniseries by one of my all-time favorite writers. Any long-time reader(s?) of this blog will have seen me mention his name at least once before, likely in reference to his Swamp Thing and, currently ongoing, Detective Comics runs at DC. He’s been hopping from publisher to publisher, telling stories that push the boundaries of the medium in fascinating ways. The One Hand is published by Image Comics, the largest publisher of creator-owned comics in the industry. It tells the story of Ari Nassar, a detective living in Neo-Novena city at an indeterminate point in time. Issue one showed us Ari, a week away from retirement, suddenly dragged back into an old case when a murder occurs that perfectly matches the work of a serial killer he’d locked up years prior. Ari is a joyless man with seemingly little to his life outside of his work and appears eager to put aside his retirement both to protect the integrity of his previous arrests and to hunt down this new killer. Issue two begins with a man on fire as Ari examines a new crime-scene. There are a few moments throughout this book which convey just how bleak this world is, from Ari’s resignation in the face of horror to a small panel in an art gallery where a well-dressed man stuffs his face with burgers while onlookers cheer. The world is broken and it’s unclear whether the scenes of abandon are a cause or an effect. Issue one showed that Ari is not immune to vices either, and issue two continues that thread in the one scene in this book which reminds you that this is also a science-fiction story. 

The first issue was relatively straightforward in introducing the reader to the characters and the case, while the second begins to bend reality around both the reader and Ari. The detective is focused, but the world seems to shift around him, showing us images that could prove to be clues down the line or may just be signs of how taxing the case has been. The issue ends with both a scene of violence and a disaster, reminding the reader that catching the killer, however noble that may be, will not fix the world. 

Ram V is a fascinating writer who possesses a distinct tone of writing despite the fact that all of his books are radically different in tone. This issue is just another example of his storytelling chops and incredible grasp of character. This weird, sci-fi city is presented to the readers entirely through the eyes of the characters and learning about the world is just as compelling as watching Ari pursue a serial killer. The wildest thing about this book is that we already know who the killer is. Those coy “kind-of”s earlier were because this book is being published along side another five-issue miniseries called The Six Fingers written by Dan Watters with art by Sumit Kumar that tells the story of the apparent culprit of these recent murders. It’s another amazing book that I may end up talking about when the second issue is released next week. Despite seeing the killer’s perspective, or perhaps because of it, the story remains full of ambiguity as we watch the two books overlap. Both writers have promised that there is a third story that can only be seen by reading both books together and their work so far has given little reason to doubt them. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone in the market for a haunting, atmospheric noir, or a mind-bending science-fiction story, or anyone who just digs character-driven storytelling. 

Helen of Wyndhorn #1 written by Tom King with art by Bilquis Evely

Definitely the biggest oddball in my pull-list for this week. Even after finishing the first issue of this six issue miniseries, I’m still not sure what this title is going to be about. Created by the powerhouse duo behind the recent (fantastic) Supergirl series and published by Dark Horse whose website describes the book as a “...[g]othic sword and sorcery epic that’s Conan the Barbarian meets The Wizard of Oz”. It is only the last couple of the book’s thirty-two pages that give us any hint of that premise, but I don’t consider that a negative in the slightest. Tom King does an excellent job giving us a set-up issue set in the mostly mundane world that still manages to be a compelling introduction to these characters. Even if the book didn’t end with a breathtakingly gorgeous display of fantasy violence, I’d have still been onboard to see how the story unfolds. Of course, that’s also owed to Bilquis Evely’s art. An artist with a style unlike anything else I’ve seen in comics, every page could be a painting that I’d happily hang on my wall. 

The story begins with an elderly woman named Lilith Appleton speaking to what appears to be a journalist, recounting a story from her younger years when she was hired by the grandfather of the recently orphaned sixteen-year-old Helen Cole to be the girl’s governess, to pick up her new ward, and to bring her to the grandfather’s estate. Lilith discovers Helen in a jailhouse drunk-tank, something which proves to be a trend with the girl. Lilith escorts her to the estate, the titular Wyndhorn, and Helen wastes no time availing herself of the wine cellar and spending her days running around the manor until she drinks enough to pass out. However, each night Lilith finds Helen at her door claiming to have seen monsters, something Lilith dismisses as grief-induced nightmares. Of course, as the premise indicates, the nightmares prove to be anything but. Much like Supergirl, the story is presented to us through the perspective of someone who is with the protagonist throughout their journey, in this case the narrator is Lilith. The minimalistic dialogue contrasts with the formal and at times flowery narration, adding a flavor of prose not often seen in comics, but even without words, I’d still pour over every page, taking in the art. Each page is full of life and detail and, considering some of the peaks of Supergirl, has me excited for what the next five issues will bring. If the above premise sounds like something you’re looking for, check it out! If not, still check it out. (Seriously, this book is amazing.)

NO/ONE #8 written by Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato with art by Geraldo Borges

Published under Image Comic as part of the ever-expanding Massive-verse (another oft-mentioned topic on this blog), this series moves away from the mystical and cosmic drama and tells a gritty noir set in modern-day Pittsburgh. The book is so modern, in fact, that each book takes place on the same day it’s published. The comic is accompanied by a real-life podcast starring Rachel Leigh Cook and Patton Oswalt voicing two journalists from the comic, reacting to recent events in the story. The novelty alone is worth the price of admission, but it’s back up by a compelling drama examining current issues like “hacktivism”, “Stand Your Ground” laws, and the systemic abuse of power which brings them into existence. The series follows the titular vigilante who has moved from doxxing city officials and icons whose power and privilege have helped them escape the law to actively running across roof tops, stopping murders, and sharing information with people who might actually be willing to use it. However, the readers know very little about NO/ONE, no name, no face, not even if they are a single individual or not. We’re given much more of a look at the major players in the recent events, mainly Ben Kern, a retired police detective with one son convicted of multiple murders and the other son struggling with drug addiction. As Ben’s personal life unravels, a new serial killer copying his son’s MO has appeared, calling everything he thought he knew into question. Given that this is issue eight of a ten-issue miniseries, I won’t go too deep into the plot of this one, but the story is clearly ramping up towards it’s conclusion. Earlier preconceptions of characters are turned on their heads and it’s becoming clear that there may not actually be any heroes in this story. Once the dust has settled, NO/ONE may be left standing. 

The Immortal Thor #8 written by Al Ewing with art by Ibraim Roberson

Last and certainly not least, the eighth issue of the thematic sequel and counterpoint to Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk. Taking a page (and a verse) from the Norse eddas of eld, Ewing and Roberson have crafted an epic to stand alongside them. The first arc of this title involved Thor confronting an elder storm god who had ripped open a hole in the sky and this issue has him following up on the secrets revealed in the aftermath of that battle. Thor travels deep into Midgard to speak with his mother, the goddess Gaea. Gaea has appeared plenty a time in Marvel’s history, but never has she appeared like this. The warm, nurturing, mother has been replaced by a giant who has begun to bend under the way in which her children are mistreating her. The result has turned her wrathful and ready to unleash a reckoning on the human race which puts Thor firmly in her crosshairs. The issue is mostly her recounting her past with the elder gods, potentially setting up threads to pull on in the future, while being intercut with a brutal battle between Thor and his mother. After the recent years having Thor question his own worthiness, The Immortal Thor gives us a hero who has proven himself in his own eyes. Not even his mother can shake him from his role as “Midgard’s Avenger”. Thor is a champion of humanity, and Ewing’s narrative shows us just how much he struggles. The burden of responsibility, the weight of a task which demands more than we think we can give, the reckoning with our own mistakes, these are things every person struggles with and Thor overcomes them the same way every one of us does, by rising to the occasion. Despite fully committing to the epic scale of Thor’s mythology, the narrative grounds him and makes him as human as any of us. The issue finishes with a lead-in to the next arc, pitting Thor against a long-time foe. The next arc may be more grounded than the last, but I have no doubt that it’ll be epic.