We try to stay up on what’s going on at Marvel, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing All-New Inhumans 4, Astonishing Ant-Man 5, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 4, Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat 3, and Silk 5.
Today, Michael and Mark are discussing Superman: Lois and Clark 5, originally released February 24th, 2016.
Michael: I’m enough of a seasoned comic book reader to know that I shouldn’t be misled by/read into comic book covers. But dammit, I still get my hopes up about covers with the best of ’em. The cover for Superman: Lois and Clark 5 teases that beardy Clark will come face to face with New 52 Batman. Alas it was just a tease. Continue reading
Today, Spencer and Taylor are discussing The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 5, originally released February 24th, 2016.
Spencer: I grew up on shonen anime, so “the power of friendship” has been a beloved trope in my life for as long as I can remember. It’s nice, then, to find an American comic so willing to embrace the idea; the power of friendship is so engrained into The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl‘s DNA that sometimes that friendship even comes in the form of Squirrel Girl’s time-displaced counterparts! Yeah, this issue is a zany romp full of complicated time travel shenanigans, but its heart beats with the same moral that has come to define this series: that victory is achieved, not through violence, but by reaching out to, and learning from, others. Continue reading
Today, Drew and Michael are discussing Dark Knight III: The Master Race 3, originally released February 24th, 2016.
Drew: There are a number of reasons The Dark Knight Strikes Again didn’t attain the critical and cultural success of The Dark Knight Returns, not the least of which being the insanely high expectations of following up a genuine cultural touchstone, but I think the biggest might be what DKSA reveals about DKR. That is, while fans, critics, and the culture at large tend to believe DKR was all about injecting psychological nuance to superheroes, DKSA suggests that creator Frank Miller’s interests were ultimately in the excesses of the genre — any emphasis on psychology was incidental to Miller’s pursuit of bombast. That’s not an airtight argument, but there’s no denying that DKSA went even bigger, trading the psychology of Batman for the sociology of the Justice League. Those interests are still very much in play in DKIII, though perhaps ultimately to pare the cast down to the key players of DKR‘s final showdown. Continue reading
Look, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, we discuss American Monster 2, Bitch Planet 7, Black Hood 9, Citizen Jack 4, Lumberjanes 23, Shield 2, and Star Wars 16.
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We got us a double-header! We try to stay up on what’s going on with the Big Two, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles released by Marvel and DC Comics. Today, we’re discussing Amazing Spider-Man 8, Batman and Robin Eternal 20, Power Man and Iron Fist 1, Silver Surfer 2, and Spider-Woman 4.
Today, Michael and Mark are discussing Superman: American Alien 4, originally released February 17th, 2016.
Michael: When people ask me why characters like Superman and Batman work so well, my answer typically boils down to: they were the first ideas of their kind and in this case they were the best. The idea of Superman is incredibly simple and yet incredibly amazing. What a lofty goal it is to dream up the most powerful hero around who is a champion for good. Superman: American Alien 4 continues that trend of big dreams and hopeful ambition from all sorts of perspectives. Continue reading
Today, Spencer and Drew are discussing The Uncanny Inhumans 5, originally released February 17th, 2016.
Spencer: I can’t even begin to imagine how much fun Charles Soule is having with the Inhumans. Despite their decades-long existence as characters, Soule’s been able to rebuild their status quo within the Marvel Universe nearly from scratch; that’s an assignment full of amazing possibilities, but it’s also one that comes with a daunting level of responsibility. The amount of thought Soule has put into these characters’ place in their world (and how they’ve worked to define it) is clear throughout Uncanny Inhumans 5, which not only introduces a new layer to their society in the form of the Quiet Room, but then makes it explicit how this works to further their agenda. Continue reading
Today, Taylor and Spencer are discussing The Mighty Thor 4, originally released February 17th, 2016.
Taylor: As much as I try, I can’t escape news and opinions surrounding the Democratic and GOP primary elections. Don’t get me wrong, I like to be informed about what’s happening, but every time I log on to the internet (and social media in particular) I’m bombarded by opinions about Trump, Sanders, Clinton, Rubio, Cruz, and yes, even Jeb Bush. It’s not wrong to have a strong opinion about what’s happening in national politics, but I just don’t want to hear what everyone thinks about it all the damn time. There’s a time and a place to discuss these things and there are also a lot of subtle ways these issues can be discussed, none of which involve Facebook and the reposting of articles that support your particular belief. The Mighty Thor 4, as it always has, impresses me not only with its overall quality but, in this case, also with its subtle commentary on national politics.
Today, Ryan M. and Ryan D. are discussing Sex Criminals 14, originally released February 17th, 2016.
Ryan M.: Anyone can be charming at a dinner party. A sense of gaiety and a few well-placed bon mots, and you’re a hit! But dinner parties are not where deep connections are forged. That happens when you see beyond the public facade and get a deeper understanding of what a person is like when they don’t have anything clever to say. When they are struggling to articulate their ideas, but trust you enough to listen anyway. In Sex Criminals 14, writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky offer up that kind of vulnerability even as their characters struggle with it. Continue reading
Retcon Punch 