I'm challenging myself with writing about a much longer pull list this week--here are the stats, because I'm a nerd: covering 20 comics total;
7 are DC Comics, of which there are 2 Future State, 4 Black Label, and 1 standard release; 7 Marvel Comics, including 4 Reign of X, 2 King in Black tie-ins, and 1 standard release; and 5 Indie comics, which total as 1 from Source Point, 1 is from Scout comics, 2 from Boom!, and 2 from Image. STATS. In all seriousness, there is a TON to look forward to in this week's releases, and I'm only covering those that I know I'm reading personally. Always check in with your local comic shop to see what other releases you might be interested in! And never go to Amazon for collected editions, if you can help it. There's almost always a comic shop, small book store, or other local retailer to find it from instead. Since there's so much to cover, I have the links beyond the cut. Continue Reading for everything comics this week!
Spotlights on Representation:
Mariko Tamaki writes Dark Detective Queer Black and female leads to Aquaman Other History of the DCUby John Ridley Monstress! Female, Asian creators and their matriarchal Asian lesbian society.
PULL LIST:
Mariko Tamaki writes Dark Detective:
I first encountered Tamaki on her 2016 run of Jennifer Walters Hulk and She-Hulk comics, which took Jen in an honest and relatable path we had never seen before. For a character that's notoriously hard to relate to, Tamaki lowered her to the level of us "little people," making her relatable and accessible like never before, all while keeping in touch with her roots and history as the famous Sensational hero. Tamaki recently finished her 11-issue run on Wonder Woman, which I admit felt like it was forced to follow a set of DC guidelines, but that's another conversation. While I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Bruce Wayne or his Batman, it's exciting to see and up-and-coming female comics writer get the lead on such an integral book.
Queer Black and Female Leads to Aquaman :
Jackson Hyde and Andy Curry. Andy Curry was created by Kelly Sue Decconick, who officially married the oft-star-cross Arthur and Mera before giving them a(nother) child. Their first-born was a boy, ultimately retconned in the nineties, I believe. With Andy and their marriage, Thompson has done a great job of playing the odds at getting her Aquaman run to remain relevant for ages to come. One creation is easy to wipe out; two is a lot harder to disregard. Jackson is based off Kaldur Aqualad from Young Justice. In Outsiders, the latest (and final?) season of the series, we learned the Kaldur is, in fact, queer; having a boyfriend for romantic partner in Atlantis. Andy Curry, we already know, is queer as well. In her first Future State appearance, Andy Curry was secretly on a stay-at-home dinner date with Jess Chambers, the non-binary Flash of Earth-11, and now the Justice League and our Earth. She was also confirmed queer by a DC assistant editor for this Future State: Aquaman project. With two queer leads of marginalized groups isn't just exciting, it's an industry-marking moment. I hope more than anything that this mini-series is ungodly successful, and we get to see more of these characters after Future State ends.
Other History of the DCU by John Ridley:
This issue will be following the original Teen Titans, as told by Karen Beecher-Duncan, better known as Bumblebee, and Mal Duncan. To be frank, this isn't an era of comics that I'm overly familiar with, or even a team I follow much at all. But it's undeniable the relevance and importance of characters like Karen and Mal, some of the first black Superheroes to ever appear in comics. Theirs is a history we haven't seen portrayed extensively, and I'm looking forward to broadening my comic horizons with them. These comic issues are part of a modern trend I'd love to see more of--familiar stories being told from marginalized perspectives, especially those that were marginalized through the story being told. One excellent example is Lovecraft Country on HBO. In the series, we follow a Black veteran, mid-Korean war. We see the tragic treatment of Black communities by civil servants, hospitality professionals, and the law of the period, something that is often swept under the rug for shows and movies. Similarly, I expect this week's Other History of the DCU to show that second perspective, that truth from their own eyes, that we'd never otherwise see.
Monstress! Female, Asian creators and their matriarchal Asian lesbian society:
Between artist Sana Takeda and writer Marjorie Liu, I can't decide which half of this creative team shines brighter. Monstress is the clear mind-child of both creators, relying on the artistic style and design of Takeda as much as Liu's scripting. Together, they built a matriarchal, Asian-inspired world that is unlike anything else. Plus, being a highly matriarchal society, lesbianism is not only the go-to sexuality, but women can actually produce children together. Not only does this take out the necessity of a man for procreation, it explains how this society came to be this way. Not to get all bra-burner for a minute, but it's long-since been theorized that if women didn't need men to continue the species, we wouldn't bother with them. It's as entertaining as it is relatable to see that Takeda and Liu have gone to that level, made that point. There's too much to celebrate when it comes to Monstress. Between it's respectful showcasing of Asian cultural factors (art, design, architecture, etc) and female-positive, queer story, I hope Monstress goes on or many years to come!
Eighth Immortal #1
Eighth Immortal is advertised as a scandalous fantasy tale, in which a long-time protector of an ancient prophecy must bend against her sacred duty. To be frank, I have no idea what any of that could mean, but it's interesting enough to get me wanting to find out!
Stake #1
Stake is the story of a woman getting revenge on vampires, in a world where vampires' roam free and known. I haven't heard too much about this one yet, so I'm on the fence, but it might be a fun one to check out!
Future State: Aquaman #1
There's a lot of reasons to be excited for Future state: Aquaman! I have to ask, though, why they called it that, since the book seems to be mostly following the future Aquawoman, Andy Curry. This first issue follows a young Andy, daughter of the rulers of Atlantis, daughter of Aquaman, running around apparently with Jackson Hyde, the young-adult Aqualad. My assumption as of now is that we'll see him pick up the trident before Andy, to let her parents spend more time in their kingdom. Don't forget, this is a super queer book! Andy herself is queer, dating a non-binary Flash on the Justice League, and so is Jackson--he's based off Kaldur from Young Justice, who dated an Atlantean man at one point in the series. In the second issue of the mini, we'll see Andy as Aquawoman, and Jackson as an older mentor, I assume .
Future State: Dark Detective #2
More Bruce Wayne mystery written by Mariko Tamaki! Artist Dan Mora added some kind of serious flair to her script in the first issue, and I'm excited to see him on this one, too. While the first story will be mainly filling in on what the hell happened to Bruce, the second story will hopefully answer another question--where is Jason Todd in all of this? We know there is a Red Hood gang, but does he run it, or are they wannabes? What his his dynamic with the other heroes? All this answered and more, let's hope!
Batman: Black and White #2
Creative teams: Tom King and Mitch Gerads; Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko; David Aja writes and draws; Sophie Campbell writes and draws; Dustin Weaver writes and draws.; Becky Cloonan cover. I count half a dozen reasons to pick up this issue!
The Other History of the DC Universe #2
The first issue of John Ridley's Other History of the DC Universe set a stark and stunning pace for the rest. This week, we'll be seeing him tell the story of the original Teen Titans, from the perspective of Bumblebee and other "firsts" for black superheroes. I'm not very familiar with the era, to be honest, but I expect the issue to play out a lot like Lovecraft Country--a familiar story, told from a new but very real point of view.
Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4
After the events of the last issue, I have one major theory: Hector Quimby is the killer. But the killer is a woman!, you might argue. Yes, I think Quimby is cross-dressing. See, my original theory is that Quimby is desperately obsessed with dear Harley, and would end up having his own moment of insanity at some point in the series. But after learning his own mother is a black-and-white film star (of the like who've been murdered on this killer's spree), I'm convinced it is Hector, himself. We've all seen Psycho, we know what an Oedipal complex is. I totally believe, now, that Hector Quimby, although infatuated with Harley, is taking out his frustrations and jealousies by dressing as his mother in her prime, and killing her fellow actors. Who knows, I could be so far off base, but isn't it fun to guess?
An Unkindness of Ravens #5
Just as I felt this series was getting off it's feet, I learn it's only five issues long! Which means this week's fifth will be the last. If I was to re-read this series, I think I would get a lot more enjoyment out of the first three issues than I did originally. But looking back, I think the problem I'm facing, now, is that I expected this to be an ongoing series, not one that was only just not climaxing. It does make sense to be doing so, I'm just sad and bitter. The story is, as I've said before, a cross between Sabrina the Teenaged Witch, other Archie comics, and Mean Girls. But there is also a background involving dark history of the town, such as the Witch Trials and the unseemly people who've lived there. I hope this last issue is packed with information, and I end the series as satisfied as I hoped when it began.
We Only Find Them When They're Dead #5
The last issue of WOFTWTD was one of the most frustrating endings I've ever read--and Captain Malik felt it, too. After all their journeying, risks, fights, and loss, the ship finally found a living god! A female, larger than they'd ever seen before, and damn alive! In a brutal miscalculated attempt to sabatoge the villain, the remaining ship-mates accidentally sliced the god's throat open, killing her. WHAT. My frustration and disbelief was only matched by that of Malik, who let loose his feelings on his crew. Everything they did was for nothing, now. They had it, she was there. Then they killed her. Beyond that frustration, I still have my curiosity, and Malik's team did learn new information. I'm very interested in what they'll do next, and if they'll get any answers to their new questions before winding in prison, or dead.
The Department of Truth #5
How is it, consistently, that Tynion writes terrible--and I mean tragic, horrifyingly bad--DC comics, but pretty good indie ones? While I don't read any of his other works currently, I know his indie books are doing far better. His Batman is one of the honest to god worst cape comics I've ever had the misfortune to read, though. Take this as you will.
Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #7
Kami Garcia continues to do a marvelous job with her alt-reality Harley Quinn story! We're getting to the point, now, that Harley is starting to get too close to the Joker, if in a totally different way than we're used to seeing. She still wants to take him down, right now, but he's got her goat--he knows how to get under her skin, and it doesn't look like he plans on quitting that anytime soon. As Harley scratches ever-closer to her target, she's going to have to admit to herself that she's getting to deep, before it's too late. I can't wait to see how Garcia ends this twisting road.
Strange Adventures #8
I've been touting my theory of Strange Adventures for weeks, now, but after the last issue, my theory has changed. Where I once suspected Alanna is the true culprit behind the Rann deaths and supposed invasion of Earth, not it seems almost certain that Adam Strange himself has done something horrid. It's possible his daughter is still alive somewhere, or he traded her life for Rann. Either way, he's definitely keeping some kind of secret from everyone, and letting his wife take the heat of publicity.
Wolverine #9
To be honest, I might be dropping Benjamin Percy's Wolverine series, if this issue doesn't totally thrill me. I thought the last one was a bit boring, after a really exciting start. We'll see how this goes.
Deadpool #10
I won't lie, forcing the Deadpool series to tie-in to the King in Black event didn't have to suck this much. I think part of the problem is Thompson and her team already had issues planned for during this period, but they had to sideline their ideas for this event. Comics are never very good when they end up happening this way, and unfortunately Thompson's Deadpool doesn't seem to be an exception. The last issue was honestly entirely forgettable, but this one is supposed to feature King of the Monsters versus King of the Symbitotes, AKA Deadpool versus Knull. Since Knull probably won't be able to (or feel like bothering with) kill DP, this will probably just be a humorous side-quest for the Merc with a Mouth.
New Mutants #15
When they were about to premier the first issue of their team-up for New Mutants, I wrote a lot about how Vita Ayala and Rod Reis are undoubtedly going to kill it. Unsurprisingly, I was right, and New Mutants in in excellent hands. This week, we'll start to see the direction the team of highly varied characters will start to go post-X of Swords, into Reign of X. We saw teases of the Shadow King in the last issue, so I fully expect that to be picked up on soon, as well. To be honest, this is just a really good series, and you should expect to see me reviewing is most weeks it premiers.
Excalibur #17
Post-X of Swords, I'm finding myself getting a lot more interested in Tini Howard's Excalibur. Maybe it was Apocalypse holding the team back, as they themselves kind of discovered in the last issue. Moving forward, I think we'll be getting into a little of the original Excalibur team, with Meggan and the others. Excalibur is getting moving quickly after X of Swords, so I'm excited to see what Howard brings us, next!
X-Men #17
Classic X-Men fans rejoice! This is the Storm, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl team-up of your dreams! These characters are some serious fan favorites, so this issue will undoubtedly be a hit. Hickman has already proved himself on writing these characters, as well, and I have full confidence in his writing for this issue.
Captain Marvel #25
One more issue to go in this arc, she'll be home by 27. And in issue 28? Carol turns to magic, the one thing she isn't capable of fighting alone. The solicitation for 28 also mentions Carol fails to stop Ove, which seems to be tied in to why she wants to learn magic. I just hope she gets some killer teachers! We've seen Carol use magic before in an earlier issue of Thompson's Captain Marvel run, but it was because she and Doctor Strange flipped power-sets during War of the Realms. I have to admit, that was one of my single favorite issues of Thompson's series so far, so a magical plot has me seriously intrigued. It's also going to be the issue she gets a new suit! I have to assume, not, that the suit is tied in with magical wards and whatnot, hence needing a new look. Still, I'm overly excited to see how this arc ends, and get going with the next! Only have...three months to wait...
Daredevil #26
As I've said over and over again, Chip Zdarsky is doing incredible things with this Daredevil run. The last issue ended with the reveal that Elektra would be posing as Daredevil in Hell's Kitchen while Matt Murdock (under the guise of the Man without Fear) is in jail. This month's issue is a King in Black event tie-in, so I'm honestly not sure what's going to happen. Other series' have had their plot plans sidelined awkwardly already, but hopefully Daredevil won't be among that group. And, yes, Elektra being Daredevil is hardly going to be permanent. Comics are notorious for their lack thereof, but I'll be glad to watch her play nice (or at least pretend to) for a little while.
Monstress #31
We're back with a new story arc! Monstress was one of my favorite comic book discoveries back when the series started, and it remains one of my ongoing favorites still today. The world is full and thought out, the characters are driven, realistic, and relatable, and art is gawkingly beautiful, the writing is natural. The themes are heavy, but there is often humor thrown in for good measure, though it's usually fairly dark humor. Monstress is the perfect series for fans of Manga looking to get into mainstream comics, or fans of high concept fantasy worlds of gaming, books, and other entertainment. I had thought, some time ago, Monstress would end at 30, and I've never been happier to be wrong. Long live Monstress!
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