Compared to the past few weeks, my 10-issues pull list this week is puny! 6 Marvel, 1 DC, 2 Image, and 2 Dynamite.
Some of you may note that Dynamite Comics has been in the news over the past week or so regarding "comicsgate" comics they continue to publish. Without diving into how that key term is negative, many people have moved away from Dynamite projects until they clarify their position on the subject. I myself am conflicted--my Dynamite titles are ALL female driven and female positive, so they don't suffer from the hateful anti-female mindset of comicsgate supporters, and neither do their creative teams. That being said, I will wait to see if anything on this horizon changes. Don't forget to check out this past week's comics picks list! Regardless of my sometimes petty complaints of comics cancellations and the state of the industry (alright, a LOT of that is necessary anger), there will always be something out there for me to read and enjoy. Continue Reading for this week's comics pull list!
Spotlight on Creators of Color in Comics:
Christopher Priest, Sacred Six Just two weeks ago saw the premier issue of Christopher Priest's Sacred Six comic. It's a spin-off from his ongoign Vampirella series, and the title isn't referring to what you think. While the series IS starring six characters from that shared universe, the Sacred Six of the title is actually referring to the town of Sacred, GA, where the series takes place, while the Six refers to an apparent local evil organization called The Six. Priest's world of the Vampirella comic is not the first he's expanded and improved upon. Priest is most notably known for his time writing Black Panther in the 1990's. Many casual fans of the character wouldn't know that there was a time where T'Challa of Wakanda was living as a homeless man in New York City. Today, with the blockbuster movie and surrounding popularity, it's shocking to find that out. But it's true, and Christopher Priest is the man to thank for raising T'Challa to where he is today--where his creators envisioned him.
Spotlight on LGBTQ+ in Comics:
Leah Williams, X-Factor This week marks the premier of X-Factor, from bisexual writer Leah Williams. While the series itself will undoubtedly explore the sexualities of it's varies characters, as a bisexual woman, I want to focus on the work of Williams herself. Personally, my knowledge of Williams stems from the current ongoing series, The Amazing Mary Jane. While lighthearted and flirty at it's surface, this MJ series is actually a refreshing take on the MJ we all know and mostly love (what can I say, the women of Marvel have got some serious haters). The first arc saw her back in Hollywood as a movie star--in a movie secretly written and directed by Mysterio himself. Mary Jane shows an adequate balance of distrust and compassion towards Quentin, allowing him to feel heard while keeping the situation reigned in. When the real Sinister Six arrive on set (literally) to destroy the fun, its Mary Jane who jumps in and saves the day. While this is likely what is to be expected with such a series, you can't deny the warmth and genuineness Williams brought to an otherwise lighthearted story. Williams will be writing chapter two of the upcoming X of Swords event in X-Factor #4. She has also written Domino, Gwenpool Strikes Back, and Chastity (for Dynamite).
Spotlight on Women in Comics:
Mariko Tamaki, Wonder Woman Some time ago, I wrote in blog post here how I would start reading the ongoing Wonder Woman series as soon as it had a woman writing it. Well buckle up, guys and gals, because the day has finally come! This week marks Mariko Tamkai's first issue as the ongoing Wonder Woman series writer! Tamaki is familiar to me from her 2016 series HULK (later re-titled She Hulk, and given Marvel Legacy numbering). Her Hulk was a ground breaking series for Jennifer Walters that not only addressed her PTSD and loss from recent horrific events, but the overall sense of loss of control and overwhelming rage when her Hulk persona takes over. Jen's Hulk is notoriously safer than her cousin Bruce's, having been titled Sensational for much of her solo series'. In Tamaki's Hulk, we see Jen coming to terms with the true ferocity of the Hulk, and learning how to move forward in life after such immense loss. Personally, I connected with the series on a variety of levels. Critically, the series was a slow burn, earning much of its accolades years after it's final issue. Most recently, Hasbro released a figure of She-Hulk in December 2019 designed after the 2016 Hulk run Tamaki wrote. In terms of Wonder Woman, I'm so excited I'm not even sure what else to say. It's been satisfying to see comments on the online message boards expressing their excitement for her run, as well. It's not to say that current writer Steve Orlando is particularly bad, it's just that many male writers have a hard time grasping female drive. Whether or not a reader is willing to admit that as their fault, the recent male-written Wonder Woman books have been simply lacking. For characters like Batman and Superman, there are countless runs of story known for a creator elevating, evolving, or otherwise changing the character in such a way that the run becomes legendary to that character. I'm more of a fan of Wonder Woman than Superman, and I can't name a single definitive run of the canon Wonder Woman series. With Mariko Tamaki at the helm, I'm hoping Diana will finally get a comic run that reflects the awe inspiring and complex character that she is. Tamaki has written a number of young graphic novels and stories, including Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, and Supergirl: Being Super, with artist Joelle Jones.
Hedra #1
Hedra is a one-shot science fiction comic from Image Comics by Jesse Lonergan. It is advertised to be a ground breaking new take in making comics, stretching the boundaries of the industry. It is also supposed to be a trippy, cerebral space adventure. As a single issue story, this has the markings of a cult classic. The story is a space expedition, where we follow a single, lone astronaut and explorer as she searches for life far from her nuclear wasteland of a homeworld. If my research is to be believed, Hedra was originally self-published by Lonergan some time during or before 2017. There seem to be a fair amount of risks taken in the visual storytelling, but I wonder how far off the product we will be getting is from the original. While the original newsprint Hedra comic was 48 pages, Image has the version they are publishing clocked in at only 32. I wonder if there will be any serious changes affecting the overall effect of the comic.
X-Factor #1
Based on the Dawn of X titles we've already seen, it's safe to assume this will be what I'm calling a "meet and greet" team issue. Like the first day of school-- you get to see the team, know the members a little, what the team's goals are, and maybe a little hint of the first assignment. It's how all the Dawn of X first issues have gone, and quite frankly, I prefer it. As for the characters we'll be meeting (or meeting again, for some of us), it's a pretty fun crew: Polaris, Northstar, Eye Boy, Prodigy, Prestige, and Daken. While a few of those names are foreign to me, I'm sure the meet and greet will cover that. Prestige, Prodigy, and Northstar are classic X-Men characters, Daken is the son of Wolverine (yes, Logan has a son), and Polaris is daughter of Magneto (the one people often forget to mention). Already that's a pretty stacked crew. As for what they'll be doing, it seems they're the investigative team behind mutant death which require resurrection. So I guess...maybe this will seem like a bit much if you haven't been caught up with the mutant world, but all things make sense in time! So sayeth Johnathon Hickman, who takes that motto seriously in his writing. I definitely expect this issue to be a lot of fun, with some teases for what to expect in the series. Polaris is a character I've been getting more into lately, so I'm excited to see what she's like post Dawn of X!
Sacred Six #2
Sacred Six is Christopher Priest's Vampirella spin-off comic. While it does have six lead women, the Six in the title actually refers to an "evil" organization called The Six. The Sacred, meanwhile, refers to the town of Sacred, GA, where the story takes place. Vampirella's mother, Lilith, has used Vampi's ex-girlfriend to create a brand new vampire, Drakulina. She's taken her baby vampire, as well as a half vampire called Chastitiy, to the city of Sacred for her own agenda. She's being hunted by daughter of Chaos, Nyx, one of my favorite of Priest's characters (I know he didn't create her, but he seems to have perfected her), in revenge. That leaves Pantha, who I admit to being unfamiliar with, and Vampirella, who may not have been dragged fully into the situation yet. With a cast of characters like this, I really don't want to drop this series due to Dynamite's ideals. It would feel like removing support for women as well as people of color to take it off my pull list over a corporation's mistakes. For now, it stays. I can't hide how much I am already enjoying this series, and Priest's stories only get better as they go on! Check out this GORGEOUS variant from Meghan Hetrick!
Cable #2
I love how delightfully interconnected Johnathon Hickman's X-Men universe is already becoming. This past week in Benjamin Percy's Wolverine #3, Logan uses the Cuckoo Sisters (powerful clones of Emma Frost) to flirt with Kid Omega until he agrees to help Logan on another mission. Kid Omega has been killed a number of times since the beginning of Dawn of X, so I can't blame him (unsure of his fate at the end of the issue, but that's why they have resurrection protocols!). In any case, we learn the Cuckoos agreed to help Logan in exchange for setting them up with Cable---who hasn't been de-aged, just replaced with his younger, friendlier self from another timeline. That's what happens when you spend your life time travelling, shit gets confusing. And here, we see Cable with the Cuckoos on the cover of this week's comic! Though I have to say, not all of the sisters look pleased. Still, continuity! The solicitation for issue #2 doesn't offer much, except a hint at missing mutant babies, and confirmation Cable will be trying to date all five sisters at once. No matter how close they are, even these sisters are bound to get jealous. There has been a few hints floating around the X-Men universe the the "original" Cable might not be dead. Remember when this young Cable killed him because he was going old and crazy with the techno-organic virus? Well, rumor has it he's still kicking, and he's probably out for blood. Watch out, young Cable! Also, this Cable is living, at least part time, in the Summers Complex on the moon. Other inhabitants are his technical mother and father, Scott and Jean, his uncle, Havok/Alex, and several other summers family members, including his sister, Rachel. I'm hoping at some point in his series we get to see some fun family interaction, as until now, that has been pretty much impossible for the Summers clan to accomplish.
Empyre #3
In this issue, I'm most hoping for the trend of continually getting better to continue. #1 was alright, but some plot details were fudged for sake of time/length. #2 was better, with room for improvement. It's fairly surprising that Empyre isn't hitting as hard as expected. It surround the Avengers and Fantastic Four, bringing in legacy characters and those we just haven't seen in the comics for a few years. And, supposedly, it changes things for good in the Marvel universe with the uniting of the Kree and Skrull Empires. Yet it feels as if possibly writes Dan Slott and Al Ewing are stretched a little thin over at Marvel. Both have multiple ongoing titles, and now Empyre titles to add to it. While they are writing comics today that are stellar examples of the industry, Empyre just hasn't hit that bar for me yet. All of that could change in this issue! The Avengers and Fantastic Four are teaming up in Wakanda to help the fight on that end. The solicitation brags a long lost Avenger returning to turn the tide, and my guess is Mantis. This might be a very interesting development if true, because Mantis is also the mother of the so-called "Celestial Messiah" and cult-like leader of the Cotati. Will she back up her former team mates, or side with her son and his people's painful history?
Mercy #4
Mirka Andolfo's Mercy is a dark fantasy mini-series good for anyone with a taste for murder in their fairytales. Andolfo's stylized art is perfect for drawing the deadly creatures just as much as the Victoria era characters. Her story is unfolding in a way that leaves the reader still uncertain what the main characters' intentions are, or which character is the real villain. So far, we've been following a smattering of townspeople from a small village in what appears to be the Victorian age. A newcomer has arrived in town, mysterious as she is strikingly beautiful. It isn't long before horrible, monstrous deaths start popping up at night, and no one seems sure who to blame. As the reader, we've been given the knowledge that this beautiful newcomer and her butler are, in fact, behind the killings, but it doesn't seem as simple as that. All the while, we've seen a small girl with dark hair who seems convinced that the newcomer is her mother--something that she and her butler both insist are impossible. Why does this little girl think this woman is her mother? Are they body-snatchers, and that's where she got hers? Why are they in this village, aside from feeding, I assume?
Vampirella/Red Sonja #9
In the last issue of Vampirella/Red Sonja, our favorite ass-kicking pair was dumped on Drakulon! A lot of people think Vampirella is a vampire, and while you'd be partially correct, she's actually an alien from a planet called Drakulon, where the inhabitants have wings and feed off of something chemically identical to human blood. As it turns out, this run of Vampirella/Red Sonja by Jordie Bellaire will be ending with issue 12. A little sad, since it feels like all my favorite comics are being cancelled, but at least we have a few more issues, and it looks like it was planned as a 12-issue run. This plot-line with Red Sonja having to save Drakulon by becoming a vampire herself (whaaat?) will be the last arc of the series. I've had a monstrously fun time with this series, which is the only thing you can hope to have with such a bonkers team up. I'm sure Bellaire will finish it off with a beautiful bow, but it will still be bittersweet. Lets enjoy this last story arc while we can, and celebrate the series for what it is!
X-Men #10
The solicitation for the book is so damn simple, it'd be a crime not to include it: The Summers family has grown a Krakoan home on the moon. Now some new neighbors have moved in. After the founding of their mutant nation of Krakoa, Scott Summers helmed the project to create a paradise for the Summers family on the moon. Those with rooms there include Scott Summer, Jean Grey, Logan, Gabriel Summers (Vulcan), Alex Summers (Havok), young Cable, Rachel Summers, and various rotating guests.You can see the room setup here, and make your own assumptions about that connected trio of rooms for everyone's favorite love triangle. This issue is the first X-Men crossover with Marvel's Empyre event. The base plot of Empyre is that the Kree and Skrull Empires have united under one Emperor due to the threat of the Cotati, moon-based plant controlling people attacking their ships as well as any plant life on Earth. The Savage Land was one of their targets, now it looks like the Moon home of the Summers Family is, as well. Now, it seems like a selection of the Summers family and their allies will be in charge of fighting for their home on the moon. I love the recent comics Hickman has done surrounding various family aspects of the mutant community. He truly understands their histories and their relationships, which makes them a delight to read. I expect nothing less of brilliance in X-Men #10!
Captain Marvel #18
This issue follows the events of Empyre #2! ICYMI: Emperor Hulkling is in possession of a sword that is the only thing that can hurt their mutual enemy. Because Carol's powers involve absorbing energy, it was decided that stabbing her with the sword and allowing her to absorb it's energies--it worked, and Carol was able to use the sword's energy to destroy the invading portion of the army. Due to her Kree lineage and her clear abilities as a soldier, Carol was given the hammer of the Accuser, and named Supreme Accuser! What this means: Carol works for the Kree/Skrull Empire, now. Will this affect her ties to the US Government? I forget where we left with those, after she was kicked out and then invited back in, I think....this will also affect any relationships that come between the Kree/Skrull Empire and their goal: victory. Last week on twitter, Kelly Thompson teased a new development for the Carol Danvers story: a Kree hlf sister! Since Carol's mother was full Kree and lived most of her life on Kree planets, she must have had plenty of time to have another daughter before Carol. I can't imagine she's younger. This revelation also came with some discussion about Carol's Kree name, Car-Ell. I was outspokenly against this name when I first heard it, but now I see that it just wasn't explained right the first time. Carol's mother named her Car-ell for the Kree and Carol for humans so that she basically has the same name in either language Her sister's name will be fully Kree, and therefore not sound as directly human as Car-Ell. If I am right in assuming this newfound sister is the first mission teased at in this solicitation, we'll be meeting her sister in this issue, and Carol will have to make some difficult choices about loyalty.
Wonder Woman #759
What can I say about Mariko Tamkai's first issue of Wonder Woman that I haven't already? Oh, plenty, don't worry. Tamaki inherits a Diana coming off a battle with some version of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. It seemed like an odd story, as Apocalypse and the four horsemen are totally Marvel's thing, but I digress. The Orlando Wonder Woman just didn't have the OOMPH that I look for in comics about the Princess of Themyscira. Based on the solicitations for upcoming Wonder Woman issues, Dina is going to be teaming up With none other than Maxwell Lord. For those of you who don't know, Wonder Woman publicly executed Maxwell Lord on television during the 2000's Infinite Crisis. I'm not sure when or how he's come back (and let's face it, DC isn't known for their continuity), but I want to say it's bad news for Diana. Want to, because she seems to end up as partners with him! This is something I'm sure no one was even considering doing with Diana before, so I'm excited to see what her motives are to drive her to team up with such a heinous former enemy. As I mentioned before, I'm hoping for a legendary run of Wonder Woman that is memorable and is marked by drastic improvement of an otherwise lame duck series. I feel like in this day and age of comics, with the resources we have and the history they have to pull from, that shouldn't be too big of an ask. With a seasoned, female comic writer in charge, I'm thinking maybe that's what we'll get! Go forth and spread the good word of comics!
someones gonna get mad at me for that
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