Year: 2017

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Mirko Colak
Colorist: Maria Santaolalla
Publisher: Aftershock Comics

Guy Ritchie and Charlie Hunnam aren’t the only ones in 2017 to tackle the King Arthur mythos. Yet whereas the recent Warner Bros. movie offered a more action-packed and swashbuckler take on the iconic story, the new comic from Aftershock is an entirely different and darker interpretation.

In “Unholy Grail,” writer Cullen Bunn offers a more bleak look at the world of Camelot and the events surrounding Arthur’s rise to power. Here, Merlin is not the wise Gandalf-type figure whom he’s often portrayed as, but rather a dark and menacing sorcerer skeptical of Arthur becoming King. Arthur’s ascension to power is marked by bloodshed and war, as the kingdom he inherits is more akin to a wasteland than a fantasy setting. And this issue is just the tip of the iceberg.

If there’s anyone who could produce a book that counters everything about the traditional view of the King Arthur legend, it’s Aftershock. In the past few months alone, they’ve put out comics about crime, artificial intelligence and even the Antichrist. Like the best of indie publishers, the company’s editors and creators are genuinely taking the medium to new heights.

Coinciding with Bunn’s dark world-building, artist Mirko Colak and colorist Maria Santaolalla create a beautifully grim and gory aesthetic. Utilizing double-page spreads that capture the sheer brutality of medieval Camelot, this team knows exactly how to deliver the perfect shock value (pun intended). “Unholy Grail” might not be the next blockbuster movie adaptation of King Arthur, but it sure does make for an excellent horror comic that’s as brutal and engrossing as one could imagine. Pick it up and be prepared to never think of Excalibur in the same way again.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Adam Kubert
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Publisher: Marvel

With “Spider-Man: Homecoming” only a couple weeks away from hitting theaters, it was a given that Marvel would put out a new, yet very old-school, Spidey book to draw in new readers. While Dan Slott’s “Amazing Spider-Man” run is still going strong, “Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man” is all about getting the character back to basics. And though I’ve read my fair share of Spidey stories over the years and there’s nothing terribly surprising about this book, I’m on board for it as long as it keeps this stellar creative team.

After Peter recounts his origin for the millionth time to his longtime friend Johnny Storm/Human Torch, the issue jumps straight to the action as muggers and super villains flood the streets of New York City. Other Marvel heroes like Ant-Man and Captain America (the Sam Wilson version) show up midway through, all the while the mystery of an encrypted Stark phone begins to unfold. Top all this off with a nice twist at the end of the issue, and Marvel has put together quite an entertaining Spidey book.

As mentioned above, what has me sold me on this comic is its creative team. Chip Zdarsky injects it with plenty of irreverent humor and energy, while still keeping it appropriate enough for younger readers. His script offers smart commentary on how Spider-Man has been rebooted dozens of times over the years, and his ability to let himself and his characters have fun definitely comes across. Not to spoil anything, but the guy manages to incorporate a Tinder joke into an exchange between Peter and Aunt May. Keep in mind that this is the same writer who’s worked on “Howard the Duck” and “Sex Criminals.”

And while the writing is a lot of fun and packed with hilarious dialogue, Adam Kubert’s art is nothing short of spectacular. Using a wide range of exaggerated and explosive panels, it’s amazing how much of Steve Ditko’s influence is apparent here. This is the kind of cinematic and cartoonish aesthetic that fans of the 90s animated series, such as myself, know and love. Combine that with Jordie Bellaire’s wonderfully bright color palette, and this is the Spidey comic that coincides perfectly with Saturday morning cartoons.

Again, if you’re a longtime Spidey reader, this book has more nostalgia than new material. Nevertheless, it’s as fun a comic as anything you’d expect from Zdarsky and Kubert, and as long as both of them stay on it, so will I.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Donny Cates
Penciler: Garry Brown
Colorist: Mark Englert
Publisher: Aftershock Comics

A while back, writer Mark Millar and artist Peter Gross explored the second coming of Christ in their critically acclaimed supernatural series “American Jesus.” Now, Aftershock Comics delivers a new title that deals with the birth of the Antichrist in a manner that’s both wonderfully horrifying and engrossing.

Told in flashbacks from the perspective of the Antichrist’s mother Sadie Ritter, “Babyteeth” #1 recounts the bizarre and otherworldly circumstances surrounding the child’s birth. While Sadie is a mere teenager at the time with enough problems and fears already on her mind, she endures even more unimaginable terrors when she goes into labor. It’s here that she encounters a mix of demonic forces, which then pave the way for the post-apocalyptic present which her adult self narrates from.

Creators Donny Cates and Garry Brown handle this material well, particularly with the characterization of Sadie. While the narration is delivered by her as an adult, it’s her teenage self that we see and empathize with as her entire world is flipped upside down. Cates’ script and Brown’s pencils go hand in hand, capturing both the darkest aspects of the story as well as the human themes that really drive it. Likewise, Mark Englert’s colors add a whole other dimension of occult horror to Brown’s already stellar world-building. This issue is as cinematic and eery as one could hope for. Just be careful if you decide to read it before going to bed.

Aftershock has been putting out some great books lately, and “Babyteeth” is no exception. It’s a great time to start adding some of their titles to your pull-list, and you can also meet some of their representatives and creators next weekend in Charlotte at HeroesCon. Come on down and stop by the Ultimate Comics table while you’re there. I’ll be there too, and am always game to talk comics!

-KEVIN SCHAEFER for Ultimate Comics

Written by Chris Sims and Chad Bowers
Art by Mauro Vargas with color by Triona Farrell
Published by Dynamite Entertainment

Longtime friends of Ultimate Comics, Chris Sims and Chad Bowers aren’t exactly stuck in the 90s. But they sure know how to get the most out of their trips there. Over at Marvel, this writing team has done X-Men ’92, a beloved run featuring the characters from that cartoon my generation loved, and Bad Blood, an original graphic novel pulling all the good stuff out of Rob Liefeld’s early work on Deadpool. And this week, Dynamite sends this pair to the video store for a sequel to that 1993 sleepover classic, Army Of Darkness.

The zero issue opens with a helpful recap for folks who may not have seen Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, or Army Of Darkness – Ash is a grimly comedic hero who lost his girlfriend and his righthand to the Deadite zombie forces attached to the hideous spellbook, the Necronomicon. At the end of the third movie, Ash tried to go back to work at a big-box store but ended up shooting a Deadite customer. Yikes.

So with this issue, HR has some stern things to say about public execution of store guests, even the monster ones, and Ash winds up home with a severance package. Swearing off the rescuer gig, he settles in for a beer and TV, but the beautiful Vice Principal of the local high school knocks on his door with some frightening news of Deadite infiltration into the town’s teenagers. So Ash is back in the saddle, and auto shop at Alan Shepard High is going to get groovy.

Fans of the original horror comedy series will love how tenderly this book feels about its source material, and new fans can just laugh at the jokes. You don’t need to see the execution to laugh at a news report quoting, “swapped blenders for a ‘boomstick’ and unleashed a hail of hot lead that has some people questioning the store’s policy of stocking fully-loaded firearms.” Sims and Bowers’ stories are usually very funny, and though they still need to establish their credibility for the horror part of the series, the brief glimpses into the haunted halls of Shepard High are a good start there, too. Ash’s character here is seamlessly part of the man we met back in 1981, and the thought of him in the public school system is already a trip.

Even better, Ulti-fans, writer Chris Sims will be at Ultimate Comics Cary (1301 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606) this Saturday from 11 to 2, so bring a copy down and see how many times this poor guy is going to have to say “Groovy” for a line of fans. You can also get copies of the Bad Blood novel at any of our locations, and ask a sales associate to help you track down his other work – I haven’t read a bad page out of this guy yet.

MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics

Writer: James Robinson
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Publisher: Marvel

Regardless of your level of knowledge about the X-Men universe, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with Cable. Although the character won’t make his big-screen debut in Deadpool 2 until next year, the time-traveling son of Cyclops and Jean is still a longtime fan-favorite from the comics and the beloved 90s cartoon. Now with the relaunched lineup of X-Men titles, it’s no surprise that Cable has a new ongoing solo series.

While this issue has a simple plot of Nathan Summers dealing with thugs and evil samurai in the Wild West, it nonetheless reminds readers just how cool of a character he is. Particularly, the newer look of his suit is what really stands out. Penciler Carlos Pacheco and colorist Jesus Aburtov do a nice job of giving Cable a modernized look, while also remaining faithful to the original Rob Liefeld design.

James Robinson’s script also effectively captures the stoic, militant personality of the character. With a sparse amount of dialogue and no kind of narration, Robinson allows the visuals to convey the story, and rightfully so. Whereas a character like Deadpool loves to talk and take readers inside his head, Cable is the direct opposite. It’s what makes their interactions so entertaining, and I look forward to seeing how Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin will portray them in the movie next year. But in the meantime, the new Cable comic is another fun addition to the semi-rebooted X-Men universe. Check it out.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Adam Glass
Artist: Dennis Calero
Colorist: Adriano Augusto
Publisher: Aftershock Comics

What if your entire life was fiction? What if you woke up one day to learn that everything you knew was a lie? This is an idea a number of other writers have explored in the past, and it’s the basis of the excellent new title from Aftershock Comics Normals. I review a lot of comics and especially a lot of first issues, but this one very well may be my favorite new series of the year so far.

The story opens with parents Jack and Mary, and their three kids. The family lives a peaceful, suburban lifestyle in which nothing out of the ordinary happens. Yet that all changes when their son Aidan falls out of his treehouse and wakes up with a glowing light on the back of his head. Desperate to find out why this is happening, the family returns to Jack and Mary’s hometown in Liberty, New York. Upon arrival though, they discover that not only does no one in the town remember them, but there appears to be no record of Jack and Mary ever existing.

What makes this book so intriguing is that it’s a good mystery story that manages not to be convoluted. Not to downplay a lot of the indie comics I’ve read, but too often I see an excessively complex story with amazing art. I’m all for creating narratives that are less traditional and non-formulaic, but I still need to have a sense of what’s going on. Here, writer Adam Glass does this beautifully, telling a straightforward story with great characters and an amazing twist at the end. Having been a writer/producer on TV’s Supernatural for several years, he clearly has a knack for engaging sci-fi mysteries. I also quite enjoyed his Suicide Squad run during the New 52.

Penciler Dennis Calero and colorist Adriano Augusto make for a dynamic duo, giving Normals a top-tier cinematic quality. Arranging the panels in such a way that makes the reader feel like he or she is actually viewing the story through Jack’s lens makes for an electrifying experience. In many ways the issue feels like a pilot episode for a TV show, which isn’t a bad thing. There are numerous creator-owned comics that I would love to see adapted for TV and film, this being one of them. Again, I read a lot of comics, and there are plenty of quality ones that I either lose interest in or just forget about. Normals however has me hooked, and I absolutely can’t wait for the second issue.

KEVIN SCHAEFER for Ultimate Comics

Written by Victor LaValle
Illustrated by Dietrich Smith
Colors by Joana LaFuente
Published by Boom! Studios

In modern times, Frankenstein’s Monster has generally been seen as a sweet-natured guy who doesn’t know his own strength. He was a family man in The Munsters, a hero in the recent Dean Koontz novels and comics, and a stalwart friend in Marvel and DC comics. But in the original book, he was a scary dude, and this week, Victor LaValle brings that horror back to life using the lightning of police violence.

In LaValle’s story, the Monster has been hanging out in Antarctica, a gentle loner who loves animals and quiet. But the modern world breaks in, he responds with violence, and he returns to civilization to hunt Victor Frankenstein’s last known heir. Meanwhile, that heir has been using family recipes to recover from the pain of losing her 12 year-old son to a scared policeman’s bullet.

The second half of the book is great, the art blending the alchemical and technological into arresting visuals. Dr. Baker is a thoughtfully-constructed character, and her story carefully explains the madness of her grief. But the first half is an art mess, a jumble of stiff characters and inconsistent proportions – the Monster is maybe person sized or maybe whale sized, characters teleport around set pieces, people wake up without any indication they’d been asleep… I guess it makes sense for a story about Frankenstein’s Monster to feel a little stitched-together at this point. The saving graces of this half are the phenomenal colors by Joana LaFuente and the commitment of LaValle’s script to the horror of Mary Shelley’s original work.

This book is going to be awesome, on track to blend the antique atmospheric horror of Frankenstein with the too-real modern culture of fear and tension between citizens and police. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, make sure to check out next weekend’s Resistance Con, ResistanceCon.com, at the Durham Convention Center, put on by Ultimate’s own Brockton McKinney and with a comics panel including your favorite employee, Marta Mickelson.

-MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Christina Strain
Artist: Amilcar Pinna
Colorist: Felipe Sobreiro
Publisher: Marvel

I’ve been pleased so far with the revamped lineup of X-Men titles, particularly X-Men: Blue. Yet one thing that the books have lacked up until now is a focus on the mutant students who are training at the Xavier Institute in Central Park. With Gold, Blue and Weapon X, there’s no shortage of exciting missions and bombastic action, but I’ve been craving more scenes at the school and more adolescent banter. Fortunately, Generation X provides exactly those elements.

Aside from Jubilee as the team leader, this group is comprised of all C-listers: Bling!, Kid Omega, Nature Girl, Morph, Hindsight and Eye-Boy. If you want to know more about these characters, come by the store and talk with Ultimate X-Men guru Jeremy Tarney. The good thing though is that writer Christina Strain makes this book an easy jumping on point for any reader, regardless of how familiar you are with them. All you really need to know is that they’re misfits, and Jubilee is anxious about leading her own team.

Strain does a particularly good job with the interactions between these characters, from the rebellious teenagers to a fun scene between Jubilee and Kitty. Likewise, the art is consistent with the upbeat and energetic tone of the story. Amilcar Pinna’s pencils and Felipe Sobreiro’s colors create a vibrant aesthetic that really jumps out at the reader. There may not be a ton of plot in this first issue, but it’s a great setup with fun characters which has me excited for this series to continue.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Renato Guedes
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Publisher: Valiant

Eternal Warrior: Awakening is one of four one-shots to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the titular Valiant hero. Given that there is no current ongoing series for the character, the idea behind these one-shots is to capture the mythological aspects and significance of Gilad through short stories. So far it’s a great idea, as Awakening is particularly stellar.

The story opens in a prehistoric era in which Gilad is a mere farmer with no memory of his past. Yet as new enemies surface, he must come to terms with his destiny and reemerge as the immortal warrior we all know. What’s even more interesting is that this book is also a throwback to the very first issue of Eternal Warrior from the 1990s by Jim Shooter and John Dixon, as it draws heavy inspiration from that story’s plot elements and overall style.

If you’re like me and loved Robert Venditti’s work on both X-O Manowar and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, you’ll be equally impressed by his storytelling here. His script not only tells a captivating adventure tale, but it also elevates Gilad’s character beyond the status of being an immortal killing-machine. Like his work on Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, Venditti incorporates themes of loss, identity and family into this story.

Likewise, Renato Guedes’ pencils and Ulises Arreola’s colors merge together in a beautifully cinematic fashion. You might be familiar with Guedes’ work from Bloodshot: Reborn, and here he brings the same kind of glorious blockbuster action movie flare. Both he and Arreola are able to create bombastic action sequences as well as quiet moments of character development. All in all, if you’re a Valiant fan there’s no reason not to pick up this book, as it offers a heartfelt portrayal of one of this universe’s most iconic characters.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Written by Kirsten Smith and Kurt Lustgarten
Illustrated by Naomi Franquiz
Published by BOOM! Box

Hands up if you love the Goonies. Good, good, we’re on the same page. And have I got a great new read for you.

In a seaside Oregon town, the local economy has dissolved into harvesting oysters and milking the tourists who want to see where cult adventure film, The Gloomies, was made. Four young women pass time working unfulfilling jobs and playing poker while whining about the obsessive fans. But one night, a local eccentric leaves a mysterious locked trunk to the town’s museum, and the girls find a treasure map inside. So it’s time to start an adventure of their own!

Writer Kirsten Smith has a pedigree including Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, so it’s no surprise that the book moves like a film, with immediate character distinction and a rich pacing. The sense of these women as discouraged townies who hate faking smiles for entitled preps hoping to recreate their favorite movie – that’s real and different, and it never breaks the heartfelt Richard Donner optimism of The Goonies. Queer illustrator Naomi Franquiz gives these women a range of realistic bodies, always maintaining the innocent thread that hooked us as children with our worn-out VHS copies.

This book is only going to get better as the girls embark with their new map. If you are a fan of Lumberjanes, or The Goonies, or adventure, or your own childhood, this is the new book you have to read. Ultimate Comics has plenty of copies, so come on down! (They’ve also got some leftover Free Comic Book Day supplies if you act fast.)

MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics