Minor Threats #1, Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Scott Hepburn, Dark Horse Comics
This story is told by the narrator and main focus of the book, Frankie. When she was younger, she was the supervillain, Playtime. She worked with her mother, Toy Queen. Frankie has done prison time for her crimes, and when she gets out a relationship with her daughter is her main focus. Frankie thinks of herself as reformed, and she wants to fully leave her past life behind. She’s trying to get any job she can find, and her mother finds her one as a bartender at the supervillain bar, the Lower Lair. There she is serving drinks to the supervillains she knows from her past. They are a sad lot, as most of their days of glory are behind them, and most probably weren’t great at their jobs to begin with.
With a job and a place to live, Frankie desperately wants to see her daughter again, but a superhero gets in the way of that. One of the most popular superheroes, The Insomniac, has turned and is now trying to kill supervillains. No one knows why he’s changed. At the same time, Stickman, another supervillain, murders The Insomniac’s sidekick, Kid Dusk. Stickman has always been unhinged but has never gone this far. As a result of this, the superheroes have cracked down and no supervillain is safe from them in Twilight City. By the end, a surprising figure tells a group of the aging supervillains a plan to solve this problem.
Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum do an excellent job in telling this story. The writing is precise and funny, and the reader becomes invested in Frankie from the beginning. Her inner monologue throughout the issue is brilliant and really ties the story together. Scott Hepburn’s artwork is equally awesome and the story really pops from the page. This is a four issue series, which means each issue will pack in a lot. I highly recommend you get onboard now.
Grim #4, Stephanie Phillips, Flaviano, Rico Renzi, Boom! Studios
Jessica, Marcel, and Eddie are “out of options.” When they jump from a tall tower into a sea of dead souls, Death’s scythe ports them directly to Las Vegas. Why Las Vegas? Well, it seems that Death has taken them there for a reason: that’s where he is. As they navigate the streets of Vegas, dodging tourists and Elvis impersonators, Jessica spots a drunk bride-to-be who’s dancing in front of an oncoming bus. Jess acts quickly and saves the woman by making contact and allowing the bus to pass through them. Immediately afterwards, Jess realizes that Death has taken over the woman’s form and is speaking directly to her, telling her exactly where he’s located in Vegas. When the group finally arrives at Death’s hotel room, they come to find something very unexpected.
Stephanie Phillips writes her best issue yet in this series. It’s concise, frightening and a lot of fun. The backdrop of Las Vegas is a welcome relief from the hell that we’re used to seeing… not to say that Vegas isn’t hell. Flaviano’s artwork continues to be incredible with each issue, and Rico Renzi’s colors are dramatic and bring the whole story to life. The reason I continue to read this series is that it’s a fun book that consistently delivers the unexpected. This was a refreshing issue, and overall, Grim comes highly recommended.
I Hate This Place #4, Kyle Starks, Artyom Topilin, Lee Loughridge, Image
This is the issue that they’ve been building up to. We ended the previous issue with an appearance by the Horned Man. He does do a pointing thing, but other than that is not so aggressive. The real horror comes from the giant spiders, centipedes, and whatever the hell the other monster is. I loved Howitzer in the previous issue, but I had a feeling that he was wound up so tight, that he probably wasn’t going to survive through issue four. Indeed, he doesn’t, but he puts up a really good fight in the process. His neck wound from the spider bite is one of the more gnarly things I’ve seen in a while.
The side story is that “Adrien”, the fake ranch worker, is getting closer to finding the money he stole by robb
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Public Domain #3, Chip Zdarsky, Image
In the third issue of Public Domain, we get a brief history of Miles’ gambling problem and how it has followed him into adulthood. His father bailed him out the first time and aims to do so again. Miles has lost his job and is feeling really low. He wants his father to get the full rights for his creation.
There’s one exceptionally funny scene where we see Dave, working at a tattoo shop. He decided to take liberties with a customer who wanted a No Fear tattoo, and instead inked a happy shark with the line, “No Fear with Understanding.” He’s immediately fired from that job, but this makes for some welcome comic relief. Miles has an encounter with Singular’s publisher, Dolores Donovan, where she tries to offer Miles’ family a modest stipend, with her “elegant terror vibe.” After all of the buildup to this moment, Mr. and Mrs. Dallas enter the room with all of Singular’s lawyers to work out a deal. Syd seems really pleased with the outcome, but I won’t spoil it here.
This issue was a bit too serious for me, compared to the first two. If not for Dave and Ms. Sockem, it would have read like a straight drama. There’s nothing wrong with mixing things up, but it fell a bit flat for me. If not for the ending, I wouldn’t be as excited to keep reading. However, Chip Zdarsky has garned a solid reputation over the years, so I’m willing to follow wherever the story takes me.
The Lonesome Hunters #3, Tyler Crook, Dark Horse Comics
This is the third issue in a four issue arc, and it does feel like we’re reaching the end. We begin with Lupe’s backstory about losing both of her parents and the effect it has on her life. She was living with her uncle, who didn’t want her around, when she met Howard. Howard is now the closest that she has to family and this issue neatly illustrates that relationship.
When they’re on the road, driving towards the queen of the magpies, Lupe tells Howard about her favorite TV show, she used to watch with her mom and he loves hearing about it. When they’re driving it’s really the first time either one has had peace since they first met. This is illustrated in the gorgeous sunset that follows them. In a quiet moment, Lupe stares at the sky as it opens up in a two page spread, and it’s truly a beautiful thing to see painted onto the page.
As they drive on into the night, you can feel the darkness foreshadowing the following events. They arrive at the home of the queen and her flock. Howard has brought the watch to trade for their safety from the magpies. He insists that Lupe stays behind in the car, and we know how that usually works out. Howard soon finds himself in a dire situation, at the mercy of the queen.
This was the best issue so far, and the most satisfying story and artwork I’ve seen from Tyler Crook. The painted artwork makes it look so different from any other comic, and it’s expertly done. It creates a tone to the story that is at once dreary and magical. The sunset is the first hint of brightness and color that we’ve seen on Howard and Lupe’s adventure, and also the first moment of joy for them. I’m really looking forward to see how this arc concludes with the next issue. The Lonesome Hunters comes highly recommended. It’s truly unique.