Just because it's a fifth week doesn't mean we have to look over our comics this week! Two big summer events are coming to a close, and there's the most important crossover of the year to talk about! That's why it this came out late, I could barely handle myself with all the hype! And that's the excuse I'm rolling with.
Harbinger Wars 2 #4
Writer: Matt Kindt / Art: Tomas Giorello & Renato Guedes / Colors: Diego Rodriguez / Letters: Dave Sharpe
One of the major pitfalls that Valiant events face is that they often feel just a bit too short. They're always limited to 4-issue miniseries, but several of these stories feel as if they need to be a bit bigger. Not necessarily in scope, but in length, to give the writers and artists more room to flex. The ending to Harbinger Wars 2 technically doesn't come up here, but the framing device of this issue does make it seem like it's all just one big overview of the final battle that took place. Granted, that does give credence for why this feels a bit rushed, but still. With such major build-up, this event basically turned into a microcosm of a Valiant equivalent to Civil War, except only four of the major Valiant heroes really saw any action.
What this issue does best is show us that the path moving forward is going to be far bumpier than before, maybe even more so after the events of Book of Death, where one of the big Unity characters died. Well, it does that well and also the art is phenomenal, but what else should we expect out of Tomas Giorello? The guy can draw epic stories. His art was one of the main contributing factors for my putting X-O Manowar so high on my Top 10 Comics of 2017 list, and one of the big reasons that the Ninja-K release late last year got so much praise.
Giorello's characters look and express themselves at an unparalleled level in comics. Their designs are all flawless, and you rarely need word balloons to know what the characters are going to say, even for characters that wear masks like Ninjak. The main exchange between Ninjak and Palmer could've been entirely wordless and we'd still know what's going on, but Matt Kindt's excellent dialogue with Ninjak definitely gives that scene a boost. While the major confrontation between X-O Manowar isn't the most exciting and epic that we've seen Giorello do, he does frame it with an extreme level of depth and emotion and for that I can't give him any faults.
Diego Rodriguez, who has been doing the colors for the entire miniseries, once again kills it. Going back to that scene with Ninjak and Palmer, it's the color work that actually nails the emotion of the scene better than almost anything else. The establishing shot to the two is excellent and his coloring is the prime reason for it. The double-page spread is also beautifully rendered on his part. It amazes me that this comic was able to get on time so consistently given the quality of art we see. Why isn't this team on more major events?
What this issue does best is show us that the path moving forward is going to be far bumpier than before, maybe even more so after the events of Book of Death, where one of the big Unity characters died. Well, it does that well and also the art is phenomenal, but what else should we expect out of Tomas Giorello? The guy can draw epic stories. His art was one of the main contributing factors for my putting X-O Manowar so high on my Top 10 Comics of 2017 list, and one of the big reasons that the Ninja-K release late last year got so much praise.
Giorello's characters look and express themselves at an unparalleled level in comics. Their designs are all flawless, and you rarely need word balloons to know what the characters are going to say, even for characters that wear masks like Ninjak. The main exchange between Ninjak and Palmer could've been entirely wordless and we'd still know what's going on, but Matt Kindt's excellent dialogue with Ninjak definitely gives that scene a boost. While the major confrontation between X-O Manowar isn't the most exciting and epic that we've seen Giorello do, he does frame it with an extreme level of depth and emotion and for that I can't give him any faults.
Diego Rodriguez, who has been doing the colors for the entire miniseries, once again kills it. Going back to that scene with Ninjak and Palmer, it's the color work that actually nails the emotion of the scene better than almost anything else. The establishing shot to the two is excellent and his coloring is the prime reason for it. The double-page spread is also beautifully rendered on his part. It amazes me that this comic was able to get on time so consistently given the quality of art we see. Why isn't this team on more major events?
Lex Luthor/Porky Pig Special #1
Writer: Mark Russell, Jim Fanning / Pencils: Brad Walker, John Loter / Inks: Andrew Hennessy, / Colors: Andrew Dalhouse, Paul J. Lopez / Letters: ALW's Troy & Dave, Wes Abbott
If you can get past the incredibly creepy over on the front you are in for a solid treat. The first story of this comic only gets better and better the more you get into it. How a story about Lex Luthor and Porky Pig turned into a cybersecurity story filled with the real-life twists and backstabbings of major corporations is beyond me but somehow Mark Russell doesn't just pull it off, he does it it with such subtlety that by the time you catch onto what's happening you're in way too deep. But the way that he introduces this "threat" is also so intriguing and so seemingly innocent that it almost comes off as a gag.
Of course, this being a story bout Porky Pig, it's hard to think of it otherwise. He's arguably one of the more unassuming of the Looney Tunes cast. Bugs and Wile E. are creative, Daffy and Sylvester and greedy, and Porky is just...a goof. He's kind of like Mr. Magoo, except, being a Looney Tunes character, he rarely gets out of things okay. Remember that episode where he stumbles into a Psycho parody? Yeah that was horrifying.
I haven't read a lot of the DC/ Looney Tunes crossovers but I had a good feeling about this one and it definitely matched and exceeded my expectations. It highlights the strengths of both characters while also reminds everyone why Lex Luthor is so iconic, and why, in the modern day, he truly is a dangerous person. The scariest part of the story is how at every turn in Lex's story, I became more and more aware of how plausible something like what he wants to do is and actually a bit astounded that it hasn't happened yet. It hit close to home is what I'm saying.
The art for the comic didn't have to be anything spectacular, because it's a comic about Porky Pig and Lex Luthor, but I do like how Brad Walker draws Porky Pig here. It helps put Mr. Pig in a sympathetic light. He also has a solid design for Lex Luthor and draws the expressions on the character's faces very well. Lex and Porky get the lion's share of panel-time and Walker does well to bring the two of them to life.
The backup story, the one that mostly takes place in the Looney Tunes world, is cute and fun. It's more in line with what you'd expect out of something with this title. It doesn't help amend one of the weaknesses of this type of story (it's difficult to write Porky's dialogue and not make it tedious to read) but does serve as a good, fun, innocent parody of the previous story.
Of course, this being a story bout Porky Pig, it's hard to think of it otherwise. He's arguably one of the more unassuming of the Looney Tunes cast. Bugs and Wile E. are creative, Daffy and Sylvester and greedy, and Porky is just...a goof. He's kind of like Mr. Magoo, except, being a Looney Tunes character, he rarely gets out of things okay. Remember that episode where he stumbles into a Psycho parody? Yeah that was horrifying.
I haven't read a lot of the DC/ Looney Tunes crossovers but I had a good feeling about this one and it definitely matched and exceeded my expectations. It highlights the strengths of both characters while also reminds everyone why Lex Luthor is so iconic, and why, in the modern day, he truly is a dangerous person. The scariest part of the story is how at every turn in Lex's story, I became more and more aware of how plausible something like what he wants to do is and actually a bit astounded that it hasn't happened yet. It hit close to home is what I'm saying.
The art for the comic didn't have to be anything spectacular, because it's a comic about Porky Pig and Lex Luthor, but I do like how Brad Walker draws Porky Pig here. It helps put Mr. Pig in a sympathetic light. He also has a solid design for Lex Luthor and draws the expressions on the character's faces very well. Lex and Porky get the lion's share of panel-time and Walker does well to bring the two of them to life.
The backup story, the one that mostly takes place in the Looney Tunes world, is cute and fun. It's more in line with what you'd expect out of something with this title. It doesn't help amend one of the weaknesses of this type of story (it's difficult to write Porky's dialogue and not make it tedious to read) but does serve as a good, fun, innocent parody of the previous story.
Marvel 2-in-1 #9
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Artist: Ramon Perez / Colors: Federico Blee / Letters: VC's Joe Caramagna
Despite the return of the Fantastic Four in their new on-going, we're still getting Marvel 2-in-1 and I am very okay with that. Zdarsky continues to bring so much depth and nuance to the Johnny Storm-Ben Grimm dynamic, and that has never been more relevant this issue where they have to actually come together and fight off a much more powerful enemy than them. This issue highlights the strength of the Fantastic Four as a group condensed into these two: the fact that they are family, for better and worse. They will fight and bicker, but when it comes time to work together, they're unstoppable.
This issue has a fairly standard plot, and honestly I kind of forgot where the last issue left off so I was a bit confused, but it as it picks up the pace and continues along with the duo's struggle it gets more interesting and exciting. We're left on a pretty solid cliffhanger, too, and as always I'm looking forward to the next issue as much as the last.
Perez's art is solid here. It's just as I remember it from All-New Hawkeye a few years ago and maybe even a bit better here, since he has a few more unique things to play with here, more super-powers to toy around with. His art is better when things are slower and the characters are just in still-shots, not being thrown around in action sequences. Federico Blee's colors help out in those action scenes, since it gives everything solid depth and helps keep everything solid. Since the ink-work is a bit deeper here, the rich colors are allowed to mesh with the art well and create some very-good looking scenes.
This issue has a fairly standard plot, and honestly I kind of forgot where the last issue left off so I was a bit confused, but it as it picks up the pace and continues along with the duo's struggle it gets more interesting and exciting. We're left on a pretty solid cliffhanger, too, and as always I'm looking forward to the next issue as much as the last.
Perez's art is solid here. It's just as I remember it from All-New Hawkeye a few years ago and maybe even a bit better here, since he has a few more unique things to play with here, more super-powers to toy around with. His art is better when things are slower and the characters are just in still-shots, not being thrown around in action sequences. Federico Blee's colors help out in those action scenes, since it gives everything solid depth and helps keep everything solid. Since the ink-work is a bit deeper here, the rich colors are allowed to mesh with the art well and create some very-good looking scenes.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Shattered Grid #1
Writer: Kyle Higgins / Pencils: Daniele di Nicuolo & Diego Galindo / Inks: SImona di Gianfelice / Colors: Walter Baiamonte, Marcelo Costa / Letters: Ed Dukeshire
At first I was a little unsure why this issue was being sold as a standalone one while the rest of the event had been taking place in the main Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and Go-Go Power Rangers series, but given the content, it makes total sense, though that isn't a totally great thing. This comic definitely has the scope that the rest of the series has had, bringing in so many different Rangers and Zords and going 100 mph with those characters and ideas, but then it hits a brick wall hard and it takes a while to get back going again. There's also some shenanigans going on with certain characters and it gets kind of complex, and if you weren't reading both MMPR and Go-Go then you're going to be a bit lost as to how things get resolved.
But, forgetting the story for just a moment, the characters are still amazing. Drakkon continues to be one of the, if not the definitively, best Power Rangers villains we've ever seen. I never would've thought we'd see him go as far as we have since his initial arc in MMPR but here we are. I mean, the dude was so popular that he had a character in the show practically named after him (Lord Drayvon...really?). The Rangers, the core five, are still exceptional and as Higgins's swan song with this cast, he does an excellent job with them and preparing them for the next leg of their adventure.
This is probably the most epic event comic of the year, from any industry. We haven't seen how Infinity Wars will pan out, but this is a comic that spans generations' worth of characters, each with their own unique development and designs, and all of that is paid homage to. There are interactions that in a million years I never would have thought of but am really glad we got to see. And that has everything to do with the care and effort that Kyle Higgins put into this story. Dude deserves all the praise he can get for what he's done with this comic. He's invigorated several members of the fan-base and given us a character that will never be forgotten. That's truly amazing.
Daniele di Nicuolo actually takes a backseat for most of this issue, but what we do see of her art is as good as ever. I don't want to repeat all of the wonderful things I've been saying since the event got started, but just know that all of it is well-earned. Diego Galindo instead get's the lion's share of work and it is spectacular. It carries the weight that it needs and definitely fits with the vibe of what the story was looking for. There are some moments where the art goes back and forth and while the styles are entirely different, it still flows well and helps the tone shift naturally from page-to-page.
While this isn't the finest ending to a story ever, it definitely comes as a fitting end to the story that Higgins has been telling since he first got on the book and paves the road for a new era of the MMPR comic, one that will be geared toward all Power Rangers fans.
But, forgetting the story for just a moment, the characters are still amazing. Drakkon continues to be one of the, if not the definitively, best Power Rangers villains we've ever seen. I never would've thought we'd see him go as far as we have since his initial arc in MMPR but here we are. I mean, the dude was so popular that he had a character in the show practically named after him (Lord Drayvon...really?). The Rangers, the core five, are still exceptional and as Higgins's swan song with this cast, he does an excellent job with them and preparing them for the next leg of their adventure.
This is probably the most epic event comic of the year, from any industry. We haven't seen how Infinity Wars will pan out, but this is a comic that spans generations' worth of characters, each with their own unique development and designs, and all of that is paid homage to. There are interactions that in a million years I never would have thought of but am really glad we got to see. And that has everything to do with the care and effort that Kyle Higgins put into this story. Dude deserves all the praise he can get for what he's done with this comic. He's invigorated several members of the fan-base and given us a character that will never be forgotten. That's truly amazing.
Daniele di Nicuolo actually takes a backseat for most of this issue, but what we do see of her art is as good as ever. I don't want to repeat all of the wonderful things I've been saying since the event got started, but just know that all of it is well-earned. Diego Galindo instead get's the lion's share of work and it is spectacular. It carries the weight that it needs and definitely fits with the vibe of what the story was looking for. There are some moments where the art goes back and forth and while the styles are entirely different, it still flows well and helps the tone shift naturally from page-to-page.
While this isn't the finest ending to a story ever, it definitely comes as a fitting end to the story that Higgins has been telling since he first got on the book and paves the road for a new era of the MMPR comic, one that will be geared toward all Power Rangers fans.
X-O Manowar #18
Writer: Matt Kindt / Pencils: Trevor Hairsine / Inks: Brian Thies / Colors: Diego Rodriguez / Letters: Dave Sharpe
Throughout this arc I've been a bit curious about why exactly it was called "Barbarians" but never is that more relevant than the heart of this issue. Aric's development as a character is essentially summed up in this one comic and it's done brilliantly. And while all of that is going on, we're being set up for an incredibly interesting wildcard getting his introduction into the Valiant Universe, one I hope continues to be explored (since, it's implied, he may have majorly influenced the events of Harbinger Wars 2).
The majority of the issue deals with Aric and Sabbas's struggle in the Roman Coliseum and it's all good stuff, but I've never found Trevor Hairsine's art all that amazing when it comes to fight scenes. He's more of an artist that can capture your heart with set-pieces and character moments. Or, if he is doing a fight scene, he needs a ton of room to play with. The battles in Divinity are matched, artistically, by the brilliant dialogue scenes or the scens were characters are openly expressing themselves and their emotions. There are a number of scenes like that here, and Hairsine's art is matched by Kindt's excellent handling of Arric and Sabbas's dialogue and banter between one another.
Kindt and Hairsine prove once again to be Valiant's strongest team. The two just can't make a bad comic together. But, they have major help in the form of Diego Rodriguez's colors. His coloring work is different from what he had to do with the above-mentioned Harbinger Wars 2 and complements Hairsine's style very well, keeping things in the background just a bit out of focus to put the characters present while also maintaining a good level of detail and not just having houses or trees in the background be a bunch of color splotches.
The majority of the issue deals with Aric and Sabbas's struggle in the Roman Coliseum and it's all good stuff, but I've never found Trevor Hairsine's art all that amazing when it comes to fight scenes. He's more of an artist that can capture your heart with set-pieces and character moments. Or, if he is doing a fight scene, he needs a ton of room to play with. The battles in Divinity are matched, artistically, by the brilliant dialogue scenes or the scens were characters are openly expressing themselves and their emotions. There are a number of scenes like that here, and Hairsine's art is matched by Kindt's excellent handling of Arric and Sabbas's dialogue and banter between one another.
Kindt and Hairsine prove once again to be Valiant's strongest team. The two just can't make a bad comic together. But, they have major help in the form of Diego Rodriguez's colors. His coloring work is different from what he had to do with the above-mentioned Harbinger Wars 2 and complements Hairsine's style very well, keeping things in the background just a bit out of focus to put the characters present while also maintaining a good level of detail and not just having houses or trees in the background be a bunch of color splotches.
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