August 2021 – Random Ramblings Of A Ragamuffin

X-Force #22 by Benjamin Percy

August 24, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

X-Force #22 by Benjamin Percy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This arc really hasn’t grabbed me. I find the whole telefloronics thing a bit beyond me, but on top of that this issue uses the whole “you’re unknowingly working for the very person who wronged you” trope…which is so over done that it was used in the Snake Eyes movie that I watched last night.

Also…come on…a version of Man-Thing who kills people called Man-Slaughter? Maybe I’m just too old to do anything but roll my eyes at that. I usually enjoy Percy’s writing, and this issue certainly isn’t bad…it just didn’t really do anything for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve got too used to single issues also furthering some overarching plot.

The art is also…just ok. I mean, like the writing, it’s not bad, but it could be better.

Overall this is a perfectly decent comic, I’ve just come to expect more from the X-line.

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Children Of The Atom #6 by Vita Ayala

August 24, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Children Of The Atom #6 (Children Of The Atom by Vita Ayala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There’s a question about whether or not this was intended to be a limited series or if it just got cancelled after the first story arc. It’s certainly strange to spend six issues introducing us to these characters and then not do anything with them. But this series was a victim of covid from the start, suffering huge delays to its release due to the pandemic. It got off to a rather shaky start, with some fairly rough writing, but showed a lot of promise, and that promise is realised here.

Ayala’s writing over in New Mutants has been superb, so I suspected it was just a matter of time before this book found its feet. I was right, but the downside to that is that a lot of people were put off by the first issue, and at some point, I guess, the decision was made that this would be a limited series.

Which is a shame, because it explores some interesting and important ideas in regards to identity and allyship. It also explores prejudice and how are words can lead those close to us to think we won’t accept them for who they are, even if that’s not the case.

I really hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of these characters. I can see Carmen showing up in Ayala’s New Mutants, and where Carmen goes Buddy is likely to follow. But the whole team needs to find a future in the Marvel Universe. It’ll be a real shame if they just fade into obscurity.

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Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures FCBD 2021 by Daniel José Older

August 24, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures FCBD 2021 by Daniel José Older
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Billed as “a prelude to IDW’s Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures series” this is, in fact, not that. Instead it’s set after the novel Race to Crashpoint Tower and before the second arc of High Republic Adventures, plus is reprints some of High Republic Adventures #1.

The story, such as it is, is very slight, little to nothing happens and the art is nowhere good as it is in the regular High Republic Adventures book. I’m a little disappointed. I know these IDW books are aimed at a younger audience, but the High Republic one, so far, has been a lot more grown up and truly “all ages” than the regular Star Wars Adventures comic.

This is really only for completionists, of which I’m one, and young kids who you’re just introducing to comics. Although, for them, I’m not sure they’d have any clue as to who anyone is or what’s going on.

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Star Wars: The High Republic #8 by Cavan Scott

August 24, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Star Wars: The High Republic #8 by Cavan Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is some classic Star Wars action. It’s Jedi vs Drengir with the fate of the galaxy in the balance!

I’ll be honest, I’m surprised that the Drengir have been defeated in a comic, given that they were introduced in a novel. That’s no bad thing, I’m glad that the story is crossing media in this way. That said, I wonder I this is the last we’ll actually see of the Drengir, given that they’re now in stasis at the heart of Starlight Beacon (I keep wanting to call it the Starlight Citadel, but that’s something else entirely, from a whole other fictional universe). Surely it’s only a matter of time before the station suffers a major power loss and the Drengir get free. After all, when we first met the Drengir they were trapped on a space station…

But this is good stuff. This is the Jedi in their prime, which is what we were promised with the High Republic. This arc got very dark in places, so to end it on such a note of light and hope feels good.

That said, it actually ends by setting up the next arc, and it seems like that’s going to be just as dark.

The art, as ever, is excellent, and Phil Noto’s cover is simply gorgeous.

The High Republic continues to be a high point for the new Star Wars canon.

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Defenders (2021) #1 by Al Ewing

August 21, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Defenders (2021) #1 by Al Ewing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have fond memories of sitting in a hotel bar in Inverness until the wee small hours of the morning with Al Ewing, listening to him talk about how much he loves The Defenders and Doctor Strange. That was many years ago, and I couldn’t be more delighted that he’s finally got his hands on these characters!

To be honest, I was originally going to pass on this book because a) I hadn’t realised Al was writing it and b) I didn’t know that Cloud was in it. See, I love the New Defenders run that included the character Cloud, Marvel’s earliest genderfluid character. Cloud was way ahead of their time. In fact, that whole run was brilliant, particularly #142, which tackles subjects like gender fluidity and institutional racism and discrimination.

The original run of Defenders had two distinct eras, the classic era, which featured the like of Dr Strange and the Silver Surfer, and was full of awesomely batshit cosmic and magical nonsense, and the New Defenders run, in which a number of former X-Men join the team, along with Cloud, Gargoyle and Moondragon. That second era was generally more grounded, but still included some fairly out there mystical stuff. At first glance it seems that Ewing and Rodriguez are marrying the two eras of Defenders, and it definitely works.

This famous “non-team” are thrown together to counter a threat to all creation and end up thrown back in time to the universe before our universe…the universe that Galactus is the sole survivor of.

This is epic and awesome, and it also picks off where Ewing left off in Marvel Comics #1000, so if you haven’t read that then maybe check it out before you read this. But do read this! The only thing negative I have to say about this book is that it’s a miniseries and not an ongoing book!

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Avengers (2018-) #47 by Jason Aaron

August 21, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Avengers (2018-) #47 by Jason Aaron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Avengers illegally invade Russia in a bid to rescue She-Hulk, who’s been kidnapped by the Winter Guard, and it’s balls to the wall action from the first page to the last.

People get SMASHED!

There’s really nothing subtle about this book, no nuance, just rage. I mean, it starts out with Steve and Tony being all sneaky and infiltrating the facility in which She-Hulk’s being held, but things very quickly escalate. And just when you think things can’t possibly get more intense, Jen gets lose…

I honestly don’t have a huge amount to say about this issue. It’s just awesome. Great writing, fantastic art, and a last page reveal that will leave you reeling.

Check it out if you can.

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Silk #5 by Maurene Goo

August 21, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Silk #5 by Maurene Goo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This great miniseries reaches an all too early end this issue.

I say this because, as good as it is, this series really needed to be six issues, not four. The confrontation with the final “boss,” for want of a better word, feels so ruched that I’m honestly not sure how Silk defeated it (in fact, I just went back to check if I missed something, I didn’t…the big cat demon thing just disappears off panel when Saya makes Kasha’s head explode). Despite this, though, this is still an excellent book and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series.

Where this really shines is in the small character moments, and the moments shared between characters, particular the subtle flirtations between Cindy and Saya. I also really like the art. It’s not the typical flashy, over rendered, Marvel style people are used to. But the storytelling is solid and it’s a lot of fun.

If you haven’t caught this series then I’d definitely recommend checking out the trade.

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Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #5 by Simon Spurrier

August 21, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #5 by Simon Spurrier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“What an appallingly ugly piece of furniture. Let me guess: It seethes with the dark and eldritch power of having a nice sit-down?”

I love comics and I love Elsa Boodstone.

Simply put, this is epis. Spurrier manages to tie everything together beautifully in this final issue. After the last issue I was left wondering if Marvel were really going to kill off Dane Whitman just as he’s about to make his MCU debut. Of course, they weren’t, but Spurrier manages to not kill him off in a way that is quite simply inspired. And funny. And there’s really nothing better than having a villain interrupted mid-flow when he’s revelling in how much smarter than the hero is…with the hero outsmarting him.

This book sets up a new status quo for the Black Knight…or Knights…and then promises to return to explore that new status quo further. I’d really love to see a Spurrier penned Black Knight ongoing series off the back of this. There was BIG revelation in this issue that I won’t spoil, but if you’ve been paying attention you can probably figure it out, and I’d like to see the ramifications of this explored more.

The art in this is also great. I’ve not encountered Davila’s work before, but he really shines here (especially on that final page reveal) and I hope we see more of him in the future.

This mini series has been absolutely brilliant. The Black Knight has always been a character with a lot of potential that’s never really been realised before, but in the hands of Spurrier he’s great.

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Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters – 4-Lom & Zuckuss #1 by Daniel José Older

August 17, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters – 4-Lom & Zuckuss #1 by Daniel José Older
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was, indeed, correct in my assumption that the events of this one-shot take place before the events of Bounty Hunters #15, despite what the official reading order for this event says. Not that this spoils the book in any way, and the fact that 4-LOM and Zuckuss end up fighting is spoiled by the cover art.

Of course, what makes this interesting is why they end up fighting. And in explaining that Older also takes time to establish the closeness of their relationship, and the 4-Lom is Zuckuss’s only friend. Which is kinda’ sad. Older very much establishes Zuckuss as something of a tragic figure here, someone who deserves our pity. 4-LOM is given little to no characterisation, and in the “present day” part of the book is reduced to a mindless drone, programmed to kill Zuckuss in revenge for a hit they pulled off together, in which it turns out they killed the wrong person.

Ultimately this is a lot of fun. Well written and well drawn, and while it does nothing to further the plot of the War of the Bounty Hunters, it’s well worth a read.

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Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020-) #15 by Ethan Sacks

August 17, 2021Ian SharmanLeave a comment

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020-) #15 by Ethan Sacks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an improvement, even if the cringe inducingly badly named Deathstick is still here, with her ridiculous font. Do vowels sound different if they have dots under them? I don’t think so…

I mean, this is still a confusing mess, made even more confusing given that the events reading order places this before the 4-Lom & Zuckuss one shot, the events of which it clearly references. There’s the usual cast of indistinct, unmemorable characters, all doing something or other…I’ve honestly found it impossible to keep track of who is who or what they’re all doing. And, of course, Dengar and Valance continue their weird buddy cop routine.

Oh, and Tasu Leech turns up, the future leader of Kanji Club, and his depiction once again bears little resemblance to the actor who played him. I know he’s a lot younger here, as these events take place between episodes five and six, and we only saw him in live action in episode seven…but I don’t think he’s likely to have changed race in that time.

A rather welcome appearance, however, is The Punishing One, Dengar’s ship from Legends, which makes its first canon appearance here (although I believe it was mentioned in the short story collection From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back.

The art on this book is still superficially flashy while being difficult to read. I don’t know if the issue is Villanelli’s pencils or Prianto’s colours, but Prianto’s dark palette is certainly not helping things here.

For all that, this comic isn’t a bad comic, and I enjoyed seeing Zuckuss out of his mask, and the whole “putting a team together” part of this comic was fun (don’t ask me the name of the character that’s putting a team together or why they’re putting a team together though). This issue is an improvement over the last and a definite step in the right direction for this title. That said, past experience doesn’t give me much hope that this is a trend that will continue with the next.

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