This week was a landmark week for comics for two reasons: first, it's the first week of 2021! And second, it's the first week of DC's Future State event, showing the DCU at various points of the future. The following picks include two Future State comics: The Next Batman and Wonder Woman, both new characters behind familiar names. It also includes Eternals #1 by Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribic, and X-Factor #6 by Leah Williams and David Baldeon.
Continue Reading to read why these four comics are my picks of the week!
JUMP TO:
X-Factor #6 Eternals #1 Future State: The Next Batman #1 Future State: Wonder Woman #1 General Future State Week 1 thoughts
X-Factor #6
the issue starts with the team and their respective partners gathered in the kitchen for breakfast. Gathered isn’t the right term, more like congregating, like wild animals at a watering hole. The interactions are mostly hilarious, and entirely fun, like a quick behind the scenes of your favorite detective team (which, I suppose, is exactly what it is). Everyone is interacting somehow; Lorna is hungover, admitting last nights sins to Rachel while ignoring a phone call; Trevor and David talk about Prodigy’s soothing voice; Kyle and Jean-Paul discuss the morality of bagels grown on a tree; and while the phone all ends up being for the latter of that last couple, his flurry of searching for a pen to take down the message shows us a brief but very intense moment between Daken and Aurora, who’s romance has been slowly simmering, with possible recent leaps and bounds, since the first issue. This is all just the first two pages of the issue, but it sets the pace for the whole thing. The phone call was to report a mutant death, of course, and the victim turns out the be Siryn—again. She was only recently resurrected after an “accident,” but this second occurs be makes it far more suspicious. The team interacts with a human detective and her team, continually one-upping the “lesser” group at every turn. Eye-Boy is the hero of the hour, once again, finding “tiny secrets” almost immediately. His use of that term is one of several recurring jokes and particularly funny interactions between the mutants of X-Factor, one of the series’ best and most consistent factors, pun intended. But it’s not just the humor that makes X-Factor soar, it’s the relationships and characterization. Writer Leah Williams has a clear and firm grasp of this selection of heroes, writing dialogue that is both natural and effective. For example, after Northstar gives Polaris an optimistic pep-talk about her friend having lied about her death before, he immediately admits to a questioning Daken that he doesn’t actually believe what he told her. He does, however, send Akihiro to follow Siryn after this next rebirth, to spy out the truth. When the team gets a chance to speak with Siryn later about what happened, the scene ends with an honestly intriguing bit about how Eye Boy, Rachel, Daken, and Orogidy could all tell she was lying, and how. The insights to character powers throughout the issue are some of the best parts about Williams’ writing. The same kind of insight comes again at the end of the issue, when Lorna confronts her retreating friend. While Polaris is the first to show a display of power as a threat, Siryn is far more brutal, using a king forgotten Sonic Hypnosis ability to brainwash her the other mutant to leave her alone, and sabotage X-Factor if they try to further investigate her. The issue is backed by artist David Baldeon’s confident line work, hitting in the realm of somewhat cartoon-like in style. This factor is further perpetuated by colorist Israel Silva, who’s smooth, somewhat plasticy colors give great depth to Baldeon’s clean inks. I also have to admire how the team so broadly represents a variety of peoples: Akihiro’s half-Japanese heritage is clear in his hairstyling and features; Black men Kyle and David have entirely different hair styles, physical structures, and personalities; the red hair of Siryn and Rachel are nothing alike; the list goes on. For just as much physical variety on the team, there is just as much variety in X-Factor’s personalities. Reading this series by Leah Williams, I think to a Neil Gaiman quote on finding plot when you have full characters. As long as your characters are designed, your plot will make itself, because those characters will react to everything in their own way. With the way she applies her lineup to every scenario, I have to think Williams works with a similar writing theory.
ETERNALS #1
Going into this week's comics, my only knowledge of the Eternals is some loose understanding of characters' roles, their origins, and how they all killed themselves in early Jason Aaron Avengers. Their movie was delayed, as were many MCU properties, and several characters' identities were switched to reflect their movie portrayal, in the comics. But it is a new era for the Eternals, something this issue made more clear than anything else. If I could make a small prediction, Gillen is doing for the Eternals what Johnathon Hickman is doing for the X-Men comics. I don't want to just go through the plot, as I did with some of the other reviews for this first week of 2021. Instead, I'll touch on everything I learned, as Gillen set this comic up for readers new and old, with any level of knowledge. After they die, the Eternals are reborn through the Machine. They can come back in any form they'd like, such as a different gender or physical appearance. Celestials can ultimately teleport, by "disassembling" in one location, moving through the Machine, and then reassembling at another location. This is also how they change their appearance. They have three principles: protect Celestials, protect the Machine, and correct excess Deviation. Excess Deviation refers to the other side of the Celestials' creation--Deviants. Just like the Eternals, there are 100 Deviants, and just like humans, some Deviants grow up to be horribly monstrous, just in a really obvious and literal physical way, too. This would be the time that excess deviation comes into play, and the Eternals step in. We're given a map of the various Eternals locations on the Machine, six in total. The Exclusion is where Eternals are reborn, and also where they keep the unborn ones, held back from rebirth due to breaking the rules. Sprite is one of those, finally allowed back in this issue. Sprite is also one of the Eternals who chose to come back physically different than before. Sprite had been taken out of the reassembly/rebirth lineup because she had previously gone insane and tried to kill everybody. This was actual ages ago, which is told through context clues of Icarus explaining various points to Sprite, who also mentions the last time she saw Humans, they were like apes. Icarus was the last to die in the mass hysteria we saw in Avengers several years ago, so he is the last to be reborn by the Machine. When he arrives, he is given the message to free Sprite, and that is how they end up together when the Eternal Prime is murdered. Someone unknown came through the Machine transport system and killed him, a crime even though he will return soon. The last thing I learned is that the killer took to hiding in an ever-self-destructing realm on the Macine, called Titanos, and that Thanos is already back. As I knew from Avengers, the Eternals killed themselves in a mass hysteria after learning their belief of the Celestials having some grand plan for their existence was completely false, and they were an old experiment left to just continue being. With that in mind, what we're getting here seems to be a The Good Place situation. On TV's The Good Place, "heaven" was full of good people who's minds just rot, because they had literally all of eternity to just exist, doing literally anything. So, they wouldn't bother, and would just kind of be. When a smart group of people added a door to the true end of existence, the souls suddenly had a reason to continue doing things in the afterlife. The Eternal's don't have Celestials to protect, anymore. They don't have direction. In several occasions of this issue, Gillen makes it starkly clear that while they are all returned and healthy, the remnants of this knowledge will continue to do damage to their ever-living souls. Esad Ribic is the artist for Eternals, with Matthew Wilson on colors. Unlike several other artists on this week's Pick list, Ribic's linework is not solid, heavy, or cartoonlike in the least. Instead, his lines are slender, like perfected sketch-work, with often loosely defined facial features and strategically or minimally lined expressions. Wilson's colors give his work an intensely alien feel, as if the issue should take place on Mars, or somewhere incredibly dusty. If this issue sets the pace for the rest of Gillen and Ribic's Eternals, I'm already adding the series to my pull list. The temptation of reading Thanos' return is just the cherry on top.
The Next Batman:
The clearest reaction I had to Oscar winner John Ridley’s writing in this issue is that it is stupendously appropriate. Ridley being an award winning Black American director, his voice is undoubtedly “non-white,” and something that’s been an overarching theme of Batman since as long as I can remember is his whiteness. Bruce Wayne, and Batman in turn, gets away with far more in his worst moment than Gotham’s people of color do in their best moments, a struggle Ridley portrays fluently. The relationship between this new Black Batman and the police, street gangs, even his family are all entirely different than if his predecessor was still under the mask. The panels are laid out to be super simplistic, which fits well with the line work and coloring. It also makes for a cohesive reading experience when Ridley takes a step back from dialogue, and lets the story play out through the art of several pages. Nick Derrington’s art lives squarely between traditional comics and animation, giving the panels a uniquely satisfying quality. Tamra Bonvillain’s colors are equally satisfying, filling in the city of Gotham, giving it neon lights and deep shadows that remind me of something that might come out of an indie comic, rather than classic Cape. Together with Derrignton’s line work, the pages are bright and eye catching even when the night is dark. There isn't a whole lot to spoil in this issue, if you've been keeping up with the news. It was previously confirmed that the Next Batman is Tim Fox, brother to Luke Fox, a former Bat himself. The Fox family have been in the main DC eye for the past year or so, since Alfred died and Lucius Fox became a closer assistant to Batman and Bruce Wayne, then received the bulk of the Wayne fortune during a lame Batman plot. This money, however is what put a member of the Fox family on the table to be Batman again. The way the issue plays out, it's hard to tell how much his family knows about his being a Mask. They speak of their sister, who is in the hospital in a coma, and the private security force which ultimately rules Gotham that pout her there. The one thing that is made clear for certain is that Tim isn't on good terms with any of his family, but especially not his brother, Luke. Their encounter at their sister's hospital bedside was harsh, short, and painful. Tim does struggle with being Batman, to an extent. He struggles with he balance of personal life and life under the Mask; with who to help and who to turn in; with time and energy and saving anyone, even if it's just one person, before it's too late. These things aren't explicitly stated, necessarily, but they're communicated through Tim's narration, and plot subtext, AKA, good writing. When he encounters a carload of wannabe criminal teens, it's his goal to get them to remove their masks and get off the street before the privatized military arrives with kill on sight orders for anyone in a mask. Batman's body is entirely covered, including his face, presumably to keep anyone from getting close to discovering his secret identity, but I also wonder how much race will be involved in his being Batman. The issue ends with the street kids being picked up by what appears to be yet another gang, who Tim's Batman will no doubt have to rescue them from in the next part of the story. Ridley's writing on this is phenomenal. His characterization of a new, younger, and experienced but in an entirely different way Batman is clear and vivid, a determined new face under the familiar cowl. His relationship with Bruce Wayne's Batman isn't clear, yet, but something tells me they wouldn't get along. Tim's motivations are for as much stopping crime as they are keeping people out of prisons and graves, the hardest things to avoid in Gotham, whereas Bruce always seemed to be more about "justice' and what is fair or right. I'm not sure how long yet we'll have Tim Fox as a major Bat-family character, but this was a fantastic start to what I hope is a legendary run of Batman comics.
Future State: Wonder Woman:
In short, I’m delighted. Yara is a Wonder Woman who is youthful, spirited, and refreshing, but very much still the same determined warrior of her fellow Amazons. Joelle Jones writes AND draws these pages, creating panels so ridiculously stunning, all I can think of to describe it is perfection in comic art. Her script fills in Yara’s world without unnecessary memos, choosing instead to let the information flow naturally through the comic events. Jordie Bellaire joins as colorist, giving Jones’ swirling, seductive inks brilliant life. The story itself doesn’t falter for even a moment, either. We’re dropped into Yara Flor’s world, are introduced to a few other characters, and witness her fighting skills, humor, and values—all in one fell swoop. The writing is natural, and characters unique and well developed. Reading the issue felt like a compete crash-course on Yara’s world, leaving me undoubtedly satisfied but desperately excited for more! It leaves no doubts of the effort, care, and love Jones poured into her creation of Flor and these pages. (spoilers to follow) In the first few pages of the issue, we're introduced to Yara's mighty Pegasus steed--called Jerry. Unlike Jane Foster's flying equine over at Marvel, Jerry doesn't speak back to Yara, but they do seem to have a deep connection, especially during battle. Jerry comes to her aid in the killing of a rogue hydra dragon, each creature drawn just as exquisitely as Yara herself. After the fight with the hydra, we meet Caipora, a forest spirit in the form of a young, indigenous-cherub-like girl with manga-esque eyes and enormous, fire-engine-red curls. We also discover Yara's quest is not just forest predator management, but one step in a mission to return a lost sister to her from the underworld. It isn't explained if the sister is blood related or just a fellow Amazon warrior, or if she died from Earthly causes or was stolen, but the seeds of curiosity are deeply implanted. As Yara speaks with Caipora, we're given a clear idea of their playful, somewhat-annoying-at-times dynamic before the petite spirit agrees to help, and rips at the fabric of reality, opening a doorway directly to the Underworld. When the page turns, the world is completely different. The Amazon forest in which Yara seems to live was full of lush greenery, natural tones, and the ever-unique lines of the plants of Earth. When Yara and Caipora step into the Underworld, they enter a lime green room with pale blue marble flors and ornate golden banisters; all smooth, patterned lines with predictable beginnings and endings. They've entered into a sort of rail station, destination: Gehenna-- the biblical resting place for the souls of the wicked. Yara, Caipora, and Caipora's wild hog friend pass a massive, Clifford-sized Cerberus sleeping on the cold floor, and the smaller girl addresses a chibi-like demon at the station's entrance, while Yara breaks through the turnstile--literally, showing her strength, spark, and impatience to help her sister. They avoid getting kicked out, and continue through the station packed with all manner of deceased person, and more little black demon's running around doing various tasks. Immediately, this is unlike anything we've ever seen at DC before. Caipora explains this place is a hub, like Limbo, where souls will wait before heading to whatever eternal resting place they believe in. The idea is creative and somwaht calming, until the trio arrive on a dock to the boat across the river Styx. Yara doesn't have payment, and att hebacl of the line, accidentally starts a fight with a few spirits over stealing their death coin for payment. SHe shouts a traditional "alala!" before the issue ends with Cerberus waking and looming dangerously over Yara and her friend. All through the issue, the art takes my breath away. Yara's Wonder Woman outfit is a long-sleeve, blue-and-red leotard, with golden plating on her forearms, left shoulder, chest and stomach, then golden knee-boots and her golden bola, a type of Brazilian wrangling weapon, much like the American lasso, but with two balls at the ends instead of a loop. The only skin showing aside from her face are her legs and fingers, and the way Jones draws her fighting, it only makes sense to have her powerful, kicking legs free to move--or admire. And she is drawn as powerful; her legs are clearly drawn strong, her walk confident, her blows with a sword deadly. This is no dainty Amazon princess interpenetration, this is a hardened warrior who has earned her place, and continues to fight for it. Across every character on the pages, Jones captures incredible senses of emotion and thought. Her faces are always beautiful, but she also draws uncannily accurate expressions for what each character is saying or doing, even the disproportionate Caipora and the many matte black miniature demons, somehow. It's this incredible effort of facial expression and body language that allows us to get to know and fall in love with Yara Flor a little more in each panel. Additionally, the faces of each character were also consistent from panel to panel, regardless of expression. Some artists tend to draw the same person looking totally different due to rush, effort, etc, but in Wonder Woman, Jones is able to remain consistent with each face across the board, even more impressive when you see how many original and unique people and creatures there are in this one issue. We won't have the second and final issue of Yara Flor's Wonder Woman until February, but check out Future State: Justice League and Superman/Wonder Woman for more Yara Flor--let's just hope she's characterized half as well as Jones has her, here.
Other Future State Notes:
Reading both these comics this week, it occurs to me that once again, DC has dropped the ball. Some months ago during an online convention interview shortly after the initial announcement of Future State projects, Joelle Jones reported that she had originally started work on Yara Flor's Wonder Woman some time ago, and that she had been a part of the mythical "5G" reboot DC was planning. With this statement, Jones not only confirmed that DC had been planning another total reboot, but that Yara Flor had been meant to be a major part of it, and likely the Superman of Metropolis and other new or aged-up characters. After having read these issues this week, I have to assume that DC dropped the ball on what could have been the biggest changes in their history, and we could have had a whole lot more Yara Flor. But, with that being said, Joelle Jones did announce that she has more Yara Flor projects planned after Future State, presumed to be a Wonder Girl comic showing her rise to power, so to say. IF that is in fact true, and Flor is going to be a character in main DC continuity even after Future State ends, I'll be appeased far enough. Click here for my Pull List for the coming week, including Future State tie-ins!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
What you'll find on the SSG Blog:*Yancy St. PODCAST NOTES! Categories
All
Archives
September 2023
|