This Week In Comics
My Pull List for November 13, 2024
I remember talking to some comic creators about their craft and many have steered away from the individual issue and are focusing more on a graphic novel format that could be divided into issues if needed. With the rise of the trade paperback I understand this and as I pick up comic each week I am finding that some titles seem to be ones I need to read or reread the previous issues to better understand the story. Maybe it’s a new style of writing or just my old brain. Probably just my old brain.
This Week’s Comics:
Action Comics #1075 - The Milestone 1,075th issue! I’m not sure what DC is doing with multiple stories in one issue. It is very much like the original comics of the gold & Silver Age, but for this modern time, it does get to be a bit confusing. We start with Superman on ancient Krypton with his parents (they don’t know who is really is) held by the Science Councils for crimes against the Science Council. Then we bounce to Superbly and Super-Man (Conner & Kenan) fighting the Khunds for the stolen artifacts from the Fortress of Solitude. These stories are intertwines but drawn by different artists which is an interesting twist. But wait! That’s not all! Them we have Supergirl’s secret mission in space. trying to transport a wanted criminal… But wait… There’s more! We then have a story taking place at a different time (or maybe a different alternate universe) in which we focus on Perry White the night of the election as he waits for the results to come in on his race to become Mayor of Metropolis.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight The Kryptonian Age #6 - This is leading up to something big… something super big! Start with John Constantine held captive by the League of Assassins. Then Wonder Woman confronting the mysterious creature in the hold of the ship she is sailing on (Very much a Demeter vibe). While in Smallville the sheriff get’s into trouble after accepting to go out with Lois Lane and we learn about the bad guys (and girls) in the Carnival that is currently playing in town. It all comes to head as Batman confront the Wizard of OZ and that ends this series… To be continued in a new series in 2025 called… Batman: Gotham by Gaslight A League for Justice.
The Spectacular Spider-Men #9 - At the end of the last issue one of the survivors of Arcadium had turned into a puddle when she tried to talk to the person she had a crush on in the simulation. Now it’s up to Miles and Peter to figure out what happened and hopefully help Juliette (yes, she has a name) control her new found powers… OH, and my favorite part was when they suddenly realize ( thanks to the Human Torch) what may be going on (duh.)
Helen of Wyndhorn #6 - Sadly with two little words “The End” it looks like this is our last adventure with Helen. We learn more about her background, but there is still so much out there! It is a world I happily visited, and would return to even the chance.
Absolute Batman #2 - The Party Animals are causing problems throughout Gotham. As Alfred gets directions form his handlers as to how to proceed, we also get more backstory on other people and more on Bruce’s origin as a child. When the Party Animals attack Bruce in one of his “Caves” we get our first look at the Absolute Bat Mobile.
U & I #6 - Straczynski tends to be working his Resistance series in shorter arcs and with issue 6 U & I comes to an end. (Seems to be a trend for some of my favorites stories… ugh.). The bad guys want to stop U from messing around in their oppositions and use Isabelle as a way to get him. Will U be able to save the day, but at what cost? Not all comics have happily ever afters.
Huge Detective #3 - As I said in the intro, Some comics seem to work better as a graphic novel. For me Huge Detective is one of those. There is a lot going on, and since this is an introduction to a new world, getting all the rules ironed out can be difficult. I keep saying I need to go back and reread the previous issues, and just haven’t found the time. but we currently have a person in an asylum who is telepathically connected to a “huge detective” trying to solve a murder. and a fossilized Giant attacking astronauts in space…
The Domain #5 - The comics being written in another comic about comics. Confused yet? The Domain have to go against Domain Prime in order to save themselves and possibly the world. With unlikely allies will they succeed, and what next if they do? I’m curious to see how Public Domain discusses the creative process that leads up to this initial arc’s conclusion.
Black Hammer Spiral City #1 - Originally the Black Hammer series was about a group of heroes who sacrificed everything to save the world from the Anti-God. It got to be very popular and even showed that this was just a different world in the vast multiverse which included the DC universes. Now we back after the last series to a world in which those with powers have been relegated to pretty much a ghetto for the safety of normal people. We get this by following Inspector Insector as he finds his way through this strange new Spiral City. What happens next? with Detective around? there must be a crime to solve.
Ultimate X-Men #9 - Another one I need to go back a reread. Probably because it is dealing with a reinterpretation of the X-Men, a comic I haven’t read since Paul Smith was the artist. Add to that the case that it all is happening in Japan with massive amounts of cultural easter eggs. I’m just an old white guy from the midwest… I do love Peach Momoko’s artistic style and her storytelling, but It has become a title I wait a day to read so I can focus on it and try to connect the dots as to who each character is supposed to be aligned to from the Earth 616. Ultimate Spider-man is a lot easier to figure out.
Captain America #15 - Once again Cap fights Nazis… NO actually he’s trying to help Thor and the mystery of Broxton, Oklahoma. It seems that video games and asgardian magic work in a similar manner and someone decided to Save their progress before the town was destroyed. Can they battle their way to get to the restore point and bring everyone back?
The Amazing Spider-Man # 61 - So Now we have the 8 deaths of Spider-Man. Umm… really?!? How?!? I will say the first part of the story and the witty banter was great and classic Spider-Man. Soon we discover that Eight Scions of Cyttorak must be defeated or the Earth shall perish… Doctor Strange used to do this but since Doctor Doom is now the Sorcerer Supreme he doesn’t have time for it and puts Spider-Man in the fight instead. With the Reeds of Raggadorr (gotta love these names) Spidey starts his trials.
Batman & Robin #15 - When we last lefty Bruce & Damian they were at a charity function gone wrong. and we discover this is the work of “Memento” a villain from the days when Bruce was first learning about detective work while studying in London. I look at him as a Jack the Ripper type character who has a lot of urban legend tied to him.
A brief note: I have been reading the daily Flash Gordon strip by Dan Schkade which as I may have said before is really good. I like the story, but I especially love the style in which is done. Where many other artists who are given their chance at the Iconic Flash Gordon (90th anniversary this year) try to continue with Alex Raymond’s amazing style, Schkade’s style is a fresh take on the characters while still paying homage to Raymond’s character designs. Schkade is one of the artists on my list to see at a Con and maybe get a sketch or a page. I know, I know… most new comics are drawn digitally, but still…
