w0rldtr33 #1, James Tynion IV, Fernando Blanco, Image
w0rldtr33 #1 is the beginning of a new ongoing series from James Tynion IV, and as with any of them, it’s been hyped up a lot. The central story has to do with the Undernet, which is an evil cousin to the dark web. It was invented by a group of friends around Y2K, led by Gabriel. In a flashback we see that it should have been destroyed then, however, Gabriel kept it running on his own private server. He contacts his old friends to regroup to alert them of its re-emergence, and hopes to combat its spread, but as he admits, “It’s likely that it’s already too late to stop it.” Gabriel sees that the Undernet has returned when he sees a story on the news of a mass killing by a teenager, Gibson Lane, outside of Pittsburgh.
We are introduced to a character named Ph34r, who is striking in that not only is she nude, heavily tattooed and pierced, but is also seemingly, a cold-blooded killer. Having freshly murdered an older woman, she removes the laptop from her purse and logs in to Undernet, where there are multiple murders happening on live feeds. She clicks and we see her watching Gibson in real time, as he goes door-to-door murdering his neighbors. The scene is particularly disturbing and he’s using his phone to show them a glimpse of the Undernet to temporarily distract them, before each murder. Gibson is acting under the influence of the Undernet, of which Ph34r is seemingly a living vessel for.
Fernando Blanco’s artwork in this first scene is fantastic. When the victims look into the phone, the visual glitching effect is not unlike a technique used by Mitch Gerads in Mister Miracle. In the next scene, introducing Ellison, Gibson’s older brother, the artwork is significantly different (worse) than the one with Ph34r. The characters appear like a bad 80’s airbrush job. It’s jolting in the sense that we are taken from this crystal clear vision of the Undernet into reality, where life appears more mundane and crudely rendered. When this reality converges with the Undernet, as it does towards the end, we again see the world in the clarity of the opening scene.
I was impressed by the writing, as I usually am with new work by Tynion. Initially, I was really mixed on Blanco’s artwork, as the above mentioned scene was particularly off putting. However, his ability to embody these different spaces in reality, I have not seen before. All in all, w0rldt33 #1 was interesting. I wasn’t blown away to the degree that I was by other Tynion first issues, like Something Is Killing The Children, Department of Truth or Nice House on the Lake. However, I recommend checking it out based on its potential to evolve into a more interesting story.
Monarch #1, Rodney Barnes, Alex Lins, Image
Monarch is a new series from writer, Rodney Barnes, and artist, Alex Lins. The main character is a teenager named Travon, who lives in Compton. He lives in a happy foster home and has many of the normal issues that a teenager has. However, he’s caught in the middle of an alien invasion that’s destroying the world, and still, he has bigger problems. He’s got to navigate his way through his neighborhood and dodge a bully, named Zion. They have history together and Zion is not just out to steal Travon’s lunch money but to hurt him badly.
Pre-invasion, there’s a giant rainbow cloud floating over the Earth, and no one knows what it is. Travon enjoys a brief period of respite from Zion, with his girlfriend, at school, contemplating their place in the universe. A violent encounter with Zion escalates, and coincides with the beginning of the invasion. The kids in the school are no match for the alien blasts and ensuring mayhem, but Travon is a survivor. We see how he and his classmates and friends react and adapt to these dire circumstances.
This is a book about kids, but not for kids. It deals with big issues like mortality, right and wrong, the threat of real violence, and survival. Rodney Barnes expertly details how Travon navigates his real world problems with the otherworldly forces destroying his family and friends. I really enjoyed this unique science fiction story. Alex Lins’ artwork is fantastic at detailing life from a kid’s point of view. It’s the kickoff to what I think will be an excellent series and I’m looking forward to seeing how Travon perseveres through his real world and extraterrestrial problems.
Deep Cuts #1, Kyle Higgins, Joe Clark, Danilo Beyruth, Image
Deep Cuts is a new anthology series from Image which covers the history of jazz, inspired by real events, written by Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark. Issue one takes place in New Orleans in 1917 and is titled “What It Means.” It beautifully details the musical ambitions of a kid named Charles, who, wandering the streets of New Orleans red-light district, follows the music into a chance encounter with local music hero, Jack Cartier.
When Charles plays along with Jack’s band through an open window, Jack is impressed enough with his ambition with his clarinet, that he gives him a shot at playing with him. However, Jack is not the most reliable mentor, and Charles soon learns the pitfalls of the music business. Jack invites him to a marching band gig. However, instead of getting to play with the band, Jack instead has Charles hold his cornet case. Eventually, Jack lines him up with his first real gig at a brothel with an older piano player, named Professor. Jack bestows Charles with the nickname, “Ace,” so that his church-going grandmother doesn’t find out about where he’s playing. While Ace doesn’t impress at his first gig, Professor is willing to give him a shot at playing nightly. In the process of playing at the brothel, Ace quickly makes a friend with one of the women working there, Dixie. She takes him under her wing and shows him some of the ins and outs of life.
The beautiful artwork by Danilo Beyruth details, in brilliant color, the era and Charles’ love of music. When Ace is playing his clarinet, we see the musical notes spring to life on the page. A beautiful two-page spread details the different paths that Jack and Charles are on. Jack is willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top, while Ace is rising organically through more humble means honing his craft. Ace soon realizes that Jack is taking money off the top from his nightly gig, and quickly sours on him. Meanwhile, Jack creates problems of his own, through his back-handed intentions of unseating his rival, Johnny Two-Fingers, at the top.
Deep Cuts is a brilliantly packaged, double-sized comic. It feels like an artifact of an earlier time, and like the music inside, is put together with love and care. The artwork and color are really breathtaking and the writing by Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark is equally impressive. This the first in a series of six different stories and it’s highly recommended and a real pleasure to read.
Know Your Station #1, Sarah Gailey, Liana Kangas, Rebecca Nalty, Boom!
Know Your Station is a sci-fi comedy, murder mystery, which takes place upon the First Resort spaceship, which has escaped the climate change calamity that’s happening on earth. The ship is essentially a corporation which has selected the elite of Earth to live above the fray. In the opening pages, we are introduced to the staff in charge of the ship with an entertaining, new employee guide. In this series we follow the ship’s Security Liaison, Elise, who is responsible for catering to the elite who are able to live on board this vessel.
When we first encounter Elise, she’s hunched over, puking into her toilet. There is blood spattered against the wall. She’s hooked on a drug called “blue”, which the AI of the ship, named St Brigid, administers to her intravenously, on her command. Although it’s an ugly scene, the banter between Elise and St Brigid is hilarious. St Brigid supplies the comic relief as Elise struggles to get ready for her busy day. Elise is trying to forget the memory of the grisly murder of the CFO, Alberto Fairmilk, who was skinned alive, that she encountered the day before.
The murder itself is kept under wraps at the request of Elise’s boss. Enter Detective Sergeant Leona Pritchard, who was brought aboard the ship to quietly solve the case. In a video projection replaying the murder scene, Leona is so horrified that she becomes sick looking at it. However, Elise is more concerned with getting her next hit of blue than working with Pritchard to solve the case.
Know Your Station is written by Sarah Gailey and illustrated by Liana Kangas. I know Liana’s work from the True Kvlt, which was amazing. I loved this first issue because even though it’s dealing with addiction and murder, it’s got a really light touch and it’s endlessly funny. Elise is a relatable character and the residents and staff of the ship are all ridiculous people. It’s black humor at its finest. St Brigid is a great character as well and I would keep reading just for the banter between it and Elise, alone. Know Your Station is definitely worth checking out and because it’s a limited series (5 issues), it’s much more digestible. I will be rooting for Elise to kick the blue and to track down the murderer, whoever they might be.
Indigo Children #1, Curt Pires, Rockwell White, Alex Diotto, Image
This is a new series from writer Curt Pires, that details an American journalist’s search for a group of gifted children with extraordinary powers, seemingly from another world. The prologue opens showing four children with glowing eyes, floating towards an ancient pyramid. We are then introduced to a Russian child named Alexei, who boards a flight with his mother. Alexei becomes fixated on one nervous passenger and is able to look into this stranger’s past in order to see that he’s a threat. As an agent approaches the man, the plane explodes.
An American journalist named Donovan Price receives a mysterious video from years before, showing Alexei and his mother, along with a math professor who tutored him, describing his abnormal intellect and genius. When Alexei is questioned about how he knows so much, he talks about a past life, lived on Mars. The video is considered contraband in Russia, and as Donovan works to track down Alexei, he encounters resistance from sources, an attempt on his life and stonewalling from Alexei’s professor. Eventually he is able to make contact with his mysterious source, but not without garnering unwanted attention from authorities.
Indigo Children is an intriguing sci-fi thriller from Pires and co-writer, Rockwell White, that is heart-pounding and transcendent in its world building. The artwork by Alex Diotto is, at times, crudely rendered, but succeeds in pushing the narrative forward. The colors by Dee Cunniffe really stand out here in elevating the artwork. The first issue is really interesting and ends on a cliffhanger. I’m compelled to at least seek out the second issue to get a better sense of where the story is going. It’s recommended reading and while I wasn’t completely blown away by it, I’m curious.
Hairball #1, Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins, Hilary Jenkins, Flux House/Dark Horse
From the cover of the book, you might think that Hairball will be a cute story about a cat, until you notice the severed finger below. This gives a hint that this will be a bit darker than your average cat comic. And, indeed, it is. Hairball is a horror story, narrated by Anna, a young child adopted by a troubled couple. The same day that Anna arrives at the house, a black cat she names “Bestie” moves in, as well. That night, Bestie bites Anna’s arm, in her sleep, and implants what looks like two worms into her arm. Bestie has a habit of coughing up strange looking insects all over the house which seem to carry out the cat’s will.
Scenes with the parents arguing about infidelity and alcoholism are interspersed with Anna’s therapy sessions. Anna’s father disciplines her because she doesn’t talk. Bestie observes all of this and reacts to protect Anna. The cat communicates with her, telling Anna about what will happen. At one point, she tells the therapist that she can’t speak to him any longer, because “Bestie told me not to.” What follows is truly horrifying.
Hairball is expertly written by Matt Kindt and Tyler and Hilary Jenkins artwork work perfectly together to illustrate this dark tale. The pages are bordered in black and Anna’s therapy sessions happen in the dark, Bestie is a black cat, and darkness pervades the story. The pacing of the story is slow and menacing. It would make for a great horror film. I really enjoyed it, meaning that I was surprised by how frightening a story about a girl and her cat could be. If you’re into horror comics, you should pick this up. If you don’t, then beware of the cat in your life.
Peacemaker Tries Hard! #1, Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, Jordie Bellaire, DC Black Label
Peacemaker Tries Hard! is a new mini-series that springs to life in its first issue which is amazingly hilarious. Peacemaker is a member of the Suicide Squad, who were brought to life in James Gunn’s film of the same name. Peacemaker was then featured in his own TV series, following that film, and this series picks up where that left off.
This first issue finds Peacemaker working on his own, first to get the right ingredients for a cake at the grocery store and then to bust up a terrorist squad plotting to bomb S.T.A.R. Labs. He is desperate for recognition and friendship. Peacemaker has to explain who he is to the cashier at the grocery store and a shopper asks if he would eat poop for peace, for which he gives the affirmative. The Suicide Squad does not want to go to his party because they say the last time they went to his house he showed them his collection of VHS porn.
Peacemaker busts a terrorist group and the banter during the fight scene is priceless. He punches one of the guys in the crotch and the accompanying graphic says “Flawless Dicktory!” He finds a dog at the crime scene (who he names “Bruce Wayne”), takes him home and is then promptly stolen and held for ransom. By the end of the issue Peacemaker encounters The Brain who sends him on a mission in exchange for the return of his new dog.
Kyle Starks is a comic genius. There are so many amazing one-liners in this book that I had trouble picking out the best ones to mention. This first issue was so much fun. Peacemaker is the perfect mixture of potty humor, f-bombs, and brawling. DC Black Label rules and I dare Marvel to say “fuck” in any of their books.
The Ambassadors #1, Mark Millar, Frank Quitely, Image
This is the first issue of six from a new mini-series by Mark Millar. There are super-powered beings around the world, including a beer guzzling ape who loves Simple Minds and a South African man who can crush skulls with his mind. There is also a super scientist from South Korea who is in prison for life, but who has created a real-life avatar with super powers. She’s out for revenge against her ex,who put her in prison, but also has an offer to make. She’s looking for six people from around the world who are the most altruistic, to be blessed with super powers to join her rescue squad.
While it’s a serious story, there are laughs to be had here. When trying to remember the name of Willy Wonka, she asks her assistant, “What was the name of that British character that fetishized over consumption?” When Jamie, the super ape, is telekinetically holding a truck in the air, he agrees to put it down in exchange for a bag of Skittles. When Choon-He, the South Korean super-woman broadcasts her intent to exact revenge upon her ex on television, he reacts by saying “Still a drama queen.”
It’s a fantastic first issue, with an equal mix of awe and humor. Mark Millar’s writing is really strong, but the standout is Frank Quitely’s art. It’s really immaculate and breathtaking. It’s hyper detailed and spare at the same time, from the scene in the clouds to the dark room at the Pentagon. Quitely’s colors are also amazing and jump from the page, especially the contrast between Choon-He’s white costume and the red background during her presentation.
The Ambassadors is a really nice surprise. The premise is the flipside to Eight Billion Genies. It’s a perfectly executed first issue. I highly recommend reading it and can’t wait to finish the rest of the series.
Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1, Che Grayson, Kelsey Ramsay, Ronda Pattison, IDW Original
Good Deeds takes place in the universe that Scott Snyder created with Dark Spaces: Wildfire. There is a new creative team on this particular book with Che Grayson and Kelsey Ramsay. The series takes place in St. Augustine, FL and features two intertwining stories.
Jean McKnight is a disgraced reporter from Atlanta who is haunted by a story she wrote five years earlier that went horribly wrong. She’s been sent to St. Augustine to write a puff piece celebrating the 450th anniversary of its founding. However, she stumbles upon a much more sinister story during her trip.
Rebecca and Cheyenne Rite are a mother and daughter who have moved to St. Augustine to take over an old diner to fix up and reopen. It’s purchased from a certain Mr. Foster who gives off strong scumbag vibes. Cheyenne’s first day at school is predictably terrible and although some of the leaders of the town seem to think that this is a great place to live, she soon learns that the horrors she has experienced at school run even deeper.
This was a really well written first issue by Che Grayson and although it has nothing to do with Wildfire, it has equally good potential as a story. The standout for me, though, was the artwork by Kelsey Ramsay and colors by Ronda Pattison. The drawing style is loose but expressive and the characters are full of life. The colors are muted but spring from the page in purple and red. It’s a very unique look and I dig it. It’s a story about a city that seems wholesome and historic as an outsider, but is grimy and insidious just below the surface. I recommend checking it out as a unique take on horror in a state that’s, in reality, truly terrifying.