Last Week's Comic Reviews 07.17.2019

               Welcome! To the brand-new Last Week’s Comics Reviewed! A small change in what I’ve been doing thus far. Instead of writing and releasing my weekly comic reviews over the weekend, they are going to be out on new comic day. Not only will this allow me to have more time to work on reviews, but it also functions as a way for you, dear readers, to get a refresher on the last week’s comics prior to reading the new ones. And boy did I need that extra time this week. I read to Issues (Supergirl and The Flash), but didn't have anything to new to say about them. But we’ve got SEVEN issues to check out and discuss, so let’s jump in!

Spoilers for: Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8, Naomi #6 Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #21, Supergirl #32, Superman #13, Event Leviathan #2, Young Justice #7, Ghosted in L.A. #1, The Flash #74

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8

Storytellers: Saladin Ahmed and Javier Garron

Colors: David Curiel

Letters: VC’s Travis Lanham

Cover: Patrick O’Keefe

               If it weren’t for End of Evangelion, this would have been the most stressful piece of media I consumed in the last week. The creative team does a great a job of making the reader feel Miles’ stress and pain. And he is very stressed after being kidnapped and turned into a science experiment for a mysterious group. The final pages, when it seems Miles has found the exit, really fooled me into thinking my sweet soft boy would be safe, but that would be too good. I, like Miles, was absolutely crushed when it was revealed that the escape was another test.

 

I want to cry.

               Ahmed wisely takes a step back this issue and allows the art to do the heavy lifting. The panel layouts here are either lower number (i.e. 4ish) or the absolutely soul-destroying torture pages seen above. The mix of troubling imagery and excellent storytelling this issue makes it an absolute gem and probably my favorite issue of the series thus far.

Verdict: Buy

Naomi #6

Writers: Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker

Artist: Jamal Campbell

Letters: Wes Abbott

Cover: Campbell

               I’m not sure what else I can say about this series that I haven’t already. Naomi beats the bad guy. It’s a little anticlimactic, but I never cared about that part of the story anyway. Naomi finally knows who she is, but also that there is more to discover. She’s going to be joining Young Justice and that’s cool. This issue also formally announces Naomi 2, but I really hope they come up with a better name before its released.

 

Looks so good I wanna cry.

               Jamal Campbell is a god. Buy this comic just for the art. You won’t be disappointed. It’s incredible.

Verdict: Buy

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #21

Writers: Ryan Parrott and Sina Grace

Artist: Francesco Mortarino

Colors: Raul Angulo

Inks: Vincenzo Federici

Letters: Ed Dunkshire

Cover: Amelia Vidal

               I’m back in on the Power Ranger comics! I’m not caught up on either series, but they are both providing great jumping on points this month, so I’ve jumped on. It definitely helps they are both good series already, but they also seem to be headed in interesting directions. Plus, my guy Sina Grace is has joined this series! If you haven’t read his Iceman comics, read them. They’re excellent.

               This issue starts with Kimberly and Tommy’s first date. It’s a very fun few pages of them in a movie theater and later in the streets outside. After initially rebuffing Tommy, Kimberly catches up to him in an alley and they have a dramatic kiss. Really dramatic. Like, there’s cherry blossoms or something falling around them. It’s all very cute and fun.

 

Is this the only time they've kissed in any medium?

               The issue then skips several months into the future and Tommy’s Green Ranger powers are failing. He can’t stand being the only one of his friend group that can’t help fight when monsters appear so he decides to move away. Also, Lord Zedd is planning…something? And a mysterious blue ranger (One of the guardians of the timeline guys from Shattered Grid, I think) appears to Jason. That last part seems very important. I think it connects to Jason’s status quo in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Ryan Parrott writing both definitely leads me to believe they’re related, but I could be wrong.

               Mortarino’s art in this issue is excellent and exactly what I have come to expect from this series while also having a distinct appearance of its own. I really enjoyed it. I do wish it was a little clearer who is on the final page reveal, but it’s a cliffhanger so I understand.

Verdict: Buy

Superman #13

Writer:  Brian Michael Bendis

Artists: Brandon Peterson (pg. 1-19) and Ivan Reis (pg. 20-23)

Colors: Alex Sinclair

Inks: Joe Prado (pg. 20-23)

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Cover: Reis, Prado, and Sinclair

               It was a rough week for Bendis and narrative pacing. My guy put out three series (Not counting Naomi, which is co-written) and none of them make serious strides in their stories. For example, Superman is 19 pages of Jor-El revealing that he was, indeed, part of the Secret Council of Evil or whatever the group that destroyed Krypton is called. Shocking. And then Lex Luthor gives Lois Lane a box at the end. That ties into YEAR OF THE VILLAIN although I’m still not entirely sure what that means. At least Jor-El has a couple cute moments with his family.

               This continues to be an excellent looking comic book. Which is what kept my attention while Jor-El droned on about the fact he couldn’t prevent the destruction of his planet. The last scene was also beautiful and the most interesting part of the story. So that’s nice.

Verdict: Borrow

Event Leviathan #2

Script: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Alex Maleev

Letters: Josh Reed

Cover: Maleev

              

               Look, I love Bendis and I’ll look at as many stunning Alex Maleev pages as DC is willing to put in my face, but this story is lacking in forward momentum. This issue is a good “getting the band together” issue told in an interesting way. I really like that its not shown chronologically, but instead as it comes up in Batman’s conversation with Red Hood. It’s a fun way to switch up the story. I just wish there was more.

 

This moment is really cool. Nice moment for Jason too.

               The issue is almost exclusively these characters with short vignettes into other stories. The only real reveal is that Leviathan is 100% a former hero, something that had been STRONGLY hinted at previously. I’m not sure where this story is going, but I am confident in saying that Red Hood is not Leviathan. It seems like the answer is Steve Trevor, but I’m not sure. Next marks the halfway point and is almost guaranteed to feature a big twist. Can’t wait.

Verdict: Borrow

  

Young Justice #7

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Art: John Timms, Dan Hipp (pg. 2-3), and David Lafuente (pg. 4-6)

Colors: Gabe Eltaeb, and Hipp (pg. 2-3)

Letters: Wes Abbott

Cover: Timms and Eltaeb

               What a delightful comic. Bart Allen is adorable. As is Kon-El. All the humor hits in this issue. The characterization for the main crew is fantastic. Its upon reaching the Kingdom Come (I think?) universe that things get weird. Because those characters feel weird. What is the personality of this Doctor Fate? Has he ever been portrayed as a jokester? It’s unfortunate. Because this issue is a romp. Unfortunately, it ends just as it gets good, but I suppose that’s the point of the serialized storytelling, isn’t it?

 

This is cute.

               Not much progress is made in getting the crew home. Unless I’m misunderstanding the end. Just it was fun and sometimes that’s all I want. Especially from Young Justice. And the art! Hipp and Lafuente acquit themselves well, but Timms is the star here. I complained quite a bit when Patrick Gleason left the series (And company), but John Timms has proven himself to be an excellent artist I was unaware of that fits the style Gleason had established very well. An absolutely gorgeous comic book.

Verdict: Buy

Ghosted in L.A. #1

Writer: Sina Grace

Illustrated by: Siobhan Keenan with Sina Grace

Colors: Cathy Le

Letters: DC Hopkins

Cover: Siobhan Keenan

               As mentioned above, I’m a huge Sina Grace fan. That’s why I’m here, but the interesting premise laid out in this issue (Alive Girl lives with and runs errands for Dead Family) really has me intrigued. Unfortunately, that’s all this issue is: setup. Daphne has moved to L.A. for her boyfriend. He promptly dumps her, and she hates her dormmate. Then Daphne stumbles upon the aforementioned Dead Family. Boom! (Box) That’s it.

 

I'm legitimately moved.

We get hints of Daphne’s personality, but that’s it. The entire point of the issue is that she adopts the personalities of those around her. This leads to the climax of the issue: Daphne realizing this fact about herself and deciding to change. I found this to be a wonderful sequence as someone that has a habit of occasionally doing the same thing. It was very realistic to that realization you have. Mine was also around that point in my life.

The art here is exactly what I want from this book. It’s a little cartoony, but not so much so that I expect Tweety Bird to show up. The characters all look nice and distinct and the story is well told.

Verdict: Buy