Year: 2017

Story by Chad Bowers
Art by Jim Towe
Backup story and art by Rob Liefeld
Published by Image Comics

Twenty-five years ago, young Rob Liefeld launched a comics company with an exuberant team of heroes called Youngblood. These characters were fueled by a distinctive artistic voice and the energy of a young creator. This week, another team reimagines the concept for the new Millenium. And it’s a worthy successor.

Chad Bowers, a longtime friend of North Carolina Comicon, knows his nostalgia after great work on books like X-Men ’92 and has been telling high-energy stories since Awesome Hospital. With his version of Youngblood, teen superheroes carry out vigilante justice through the HELP! app, a cute spinoff of Uber and the like. Petra Gomez is worried about a missing friend who used to work with her on app jobs, so she switches code names and joins up with the new Youngblood to investigate. But the original Youngblood heroes aren’t done with the name yet, and felon archer Shaft and lovable rock monster Badrock have a lot to say to these new kids.

The team is terrific, a collection of classic super power sets with the optimism and enthusiasm of the Millenial generation. Bowers obviously respects his history but tells a standalone story. Youngblood is one of my comic book blind spots, and I had no problem keeping up with this issue.

Thematically important, the artist on this one is newcomer Jim Towe. His panels are strong, telling the story in different ways on every page but never switching too hard as to distract the reader. His lines are classic, his superhero costumes beautiful and realistic enough to inspire a cosplayer in time for this fall’s Greensboro show. The colors, by Juan Manuel Rodriguez, click wonderfully with Towe’s linework, popping with energy but never going too 90s.

This book has firm roots in the past, but it’s going to some great new places on its own. Grab a copy at Ultimate Comics, and bring it to Chad for a signature at the next NC Comicon!

-MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics

Written by Fabian Rangel, Jr.
Drawn by Logan Faerber
Published by Albatross Funnybooks

Last year, Albatross Funnybooks brought Eric Powell’s Appalachian mythology tale, Hillbilly, and this week, they send a werewolf to war.

It’s 1970, and Marty Spencer is turning 18 as a Vietnam draftee. His first night in the jungle, his unit takes fire just as the full moon rises, and the good men around him are stunned to see the new monster within their skinny little buddy. This night, he’s able to keep his bloodlust sated with the enemy soldiers. But his crew has serious concerns about tomorrow. And his appearance on the scene is starting a chilling escalation in the Viet Cong camp.

The werewolf at war metaphor has been used recently in Si Spurrier’s Cry Havoc, which I reviewed for Ultimate Comics last year, and it’s an idea I still love. It makes even more sense this week, in the Vietnam conflict. See, I am a psychiatrist and worked with a large number of Vietnam veterans training at the VA. And the idea of a curse, some external force that takes you and turns you into a killer, that feels an awful lot like men who were History majors last month and now held rifles with orders to kill. Many of these men have been able to find meaning and acceptance, but for many, they still struggle to integrate what they’ve done and seen into the peaceful world they inhabit now. And this book, entertaining for sure and with an Archie/Lumberjanes art style that heightens the horror of it all, understands that.

I’m looking forward to where this story goes, both for the monster-on-monster action and the inevitable “What have I DONE?” moment. Hop on board at any of Ultimate Comics’s three Triangle locations!

And if you would like to support American Veterans, consider the Wounded Warrior Project at support.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate or any other qualified charity. We owe these men and women more than we can understand.

-MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Si Spurrier
Artist: Jonas Goonface
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Just when I thought I had my fill of trippy sci-fi after watching the FX series Legion, the new title from BOOM! Studios has redefined what I classify as surrealist fiction. Godshaper is the kind of comic that defies all storytelling conventions and offers a wildly engaging visual experience. Allow me to try and describe it, but do forgive me if my plot synopsis comes across as a bit vague. Given the unique world-building and bizarre nature of this book, it’s not your standard piece of entertainment.

After the laws of physics are suddenly wiped away in the year 1958, humans then find themselves accompanied by their own personal god. Often these deities are associated with money and power, but there is a select group of people who aren’t matched with anyone: the Godshapers. These are the hopeless outcasts of this world, and our main character Ennay is one of them. As he tries to navigate through this alternate reality, he’ll soon learn things about himself and the world he inhabits which will set him on an unexpected direction.

It certainly helps that an interview with the creators at the end of the book unpacks some of its thematic material, but really you have to experience this one for yourself in order to comprehend it. Prior to writing Godshaper, Si Spurrier put out the equally surreal and innovative Image series Cry Havoc last year. Yet whereas that book still offers traditional horror tropes from a slightly different angle, Godshaper is its own beast entirely.

None of this would be possible however without the precision and merged aesthetics of artist Jonas Goonface (yes that’s his name in the book). Much like the work of Jamie McKelvie in the popular Image series The Wicked and the Divine, Goonface combines hipster counterculture with classic mythology. Yet what makes his work unique here is that it’s more cartoonish and exaggerated, foregoing the usual sense of realism that’s seen in a lot of horror and fantasy books today. Again, it’s something you’ll have to see for yourself.

Personally I’m more of an optimist and a person of faith; but nevertheless I can’t help but enjoy a weirdly cynical story such as the one here. Godshaper has all of the weird eccentricities that you’d expect from a comic like this, and if you like this kind of bizarre storytelling I’d recommend giving it a try.

KEVIN SCHEMER for Ultimate Comics

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates
Penciler Butch Guice
Published by Marvel Comics

In a month where Marvel VP David Gabriel has said that diversity won’t sell comics, it makes sense to prove them wrong. This week, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates adds a third book to the Black Panther line, and it’s his best yet. Man, I hope this sells. It’s worth it.

Black Panther’s main title has been a slow burn political book about the African nation of Wakanda, and the World Of Wakanda spinoff has given more of a personal focus on a romance story. This week, Black Panther and several other notable black superheroes unite in Harlem as The Crew for a more traditional street-level book with a keen ear for social justice.

Misty Knight narrates this first issue as she navigates the charged investigation of a longtime activist who died in a cell under, of course, mysterious circumstances. It’s a perfect choice. Besides being one of the most charismatic characters in Marvel’s lineup, Misty is a black cop who can deeply sympathize with both sides of the tension between Harlem’s citizens and their police force. She can reasonably look at the issue without losing the essence of herself.

The team hasn’t come together by the end of this issue, and Black Panther isn’t even in it, but your superhero itch will be scratched by flashbacks to a morally grey super team from Harlem’s past and by a surprise reveal at the end.

Diversity is not the only selling point for this book. It’s a high-quality product, blending textual and visual storytelling at a level Coates hasn’t delivered until now. It’s an easily accessible jumping-on issue with plenty of Easter Eggs for veteran Marvel readers. And it’s got some of Marvel’s best characters. But it is also unapologetically talking about the racial tension that is killing Americans. And if Marvel thinks that we don’t need to be reading this, they’re wrong.

Prove David Gabriel wrong. Prove him wrong by putting your money toward a well-crafted example of a great comic story that initimately explores diversity. Ultimate Comics is happy to help you do that at any of our three Triangle locations, and our staff will also gladly direct you to plenty of other great comics to showcase the breadth of representation. And let’s keep this talk going in Greensboro this September.

-MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics

Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Ardian Syaf
Publisher: Marvel

As writer Marc Guggenheim explains in the afterward of this book, X-Men: Gold is all about getting the mutants back to basics. After years of having our heroes cross alternate timelines, deal with interdimensional and intergalactic conflicts, and most recently engage in a war with the Inhumans, the folks at Marvel sought to create an X-Men comic which was more in sync with the classic Uncanny X-Men series by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

Fortunately, the debut issue succeeds in keeping the story concise and in reminding readers why we love these characters and this universe. Some will argue that it relies too heavily on nostalgia and recycling familiar territory, but there’s enough new material to make it fresh. As expected, the focus is on Kitty Pryde, and how she juggles both her new status as team leader with her own personal struggles. Now that she and her teammates are back to Earth, they’re back to a world that still sees them as something less than human. Moreover, the fact that they’ve moved their headquarters to Central Park only puts them more in the thrust of government scrutiny.

Yet whatever your feelings are toward this book and to the new lineup of X-Men titles, it’ll be hard-pressed to find a reader who’s opposed to the roster of Gold. Joining Kitty are the best of the best: Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Prestige and Old Man Logan. For the most part, Guggenheim does a good job of giving each character something substantial to do, and there will of course be more development as the series progresses. The issue does address what the future holds for Kitty and Colossus, given their romantic history; as well as Kitty’s struggle with whether or not to stay and fill the Professor X role, or abandon the team altogether. And for good measure, there are a few memorable one-liners from Logan thrown in there.

The art is also very serviceable, with Ardian Syaf’s pencils combining the style of a classic superhero team book with a modernized aesthetic. A few splash pages stick out well, and Frank Martin’a colors in particular capture the spirit and scope of this comic. All in all, the creators have succeeded in producing a reader-friendly X-Men title which brings the essence of these characters into a modern context. Also, a feature at the end of the book which highlights all of the major events of the franchise over the last few decades is especially helpful. Whether you’re a veteran X-Men reader or a newer fan, there’s something in this book for you.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Written by Will Ewing and Michael Grassi
Art by Joe Eisma
Colors by Andre Szymanowicz
Published by Archie Comics

At last month’s NC Comicon Oak City, everyone was talking about Riverdale. The CW’s new show takes the Americana mythology of Archie, Betty, and the gang, but updates it to a scandalous modern teen soap. Juicy plots spin murder and sex around the bones of shows like Dawson’s Creek and Twin Peaks. It shouldn’t work. But it does. I talked to so many friends about it, and we spent a lot of my Love Is Love panel on it, and we agreed, this show has gone from guilty pleasure to just pleasure.

So it’s natural that Archie Comics will want to capitalize on the show’s popularity by putting out a companion series. This is a great idea. When a new Marvel or DC movie comes out, the comics spend a few months gradually turning their characters into what people saw on screen. It often derails the good storylines, and it’s how we got the floppy mess of Civil War II. But with Archie doing it this way, the fantastic Mark Waid rebooted versions of the kids continues in a bright, funny, wholesome-but-awesome style. People who want their Archie a little… more naked? This book is for them.

The issue this week looks at Hell Week in two parallel short stories. In the first, Archie inherits poor Jason Bloom’s football jersey and has to prove himself to the team by going through the Varsity initiation with Reggie and Moose in tow. When a stunt threatens Moose’s life, Archie has to decide what’s more important: popularity or friendship? (Or, I’d argue, throwing a ball around and maybe killing somebody or focusing on guitar and being a decent human being. But I never played Varsity football. So maybe I’m off.)

The second story has the wicked Cheryl Blossom making her own Hell Week to get Betty kicked out of the cheerleaders, but she’s clearly underestimating our favorite blonde… and her best friend.

This book is a treat. The teen characters feel realistic and on-brand with the show we love, and Joe Eisma manages to make them all look sexy without making me, as a reader above the age of seventeen, feel gross. His characters aren’t photocopies of the actors, but they’re clearly recognizable and walk a sharp line between the video screen and the comic page. The book lacks the humor of Mark Waid and Ryan North’s stuff, but it’s not a humor comic, and the drama is absolutely what fans of the Riverdale TV adventures are here for.

Pick this up, watch Riverdale on the CW Thursday nights, and flag me down at NC Comicon Greensboro in September – we’ll talk!

-MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics

Writers: Marc Guggenheim, Greg Pak, Cullen Bunn
Artists: Ken Lashley, Ibraim Roberson, Leonard Kirk, Guillermo Ortego
Publisher: Marvel

It’s a period of resurgence and reimagining for the X-Men universe. Whether you want to call the new lineup of books a reboot, crossover event or something else, it’s clear that X-Men Prime #1 signifies the start of something new. This one-shot is comparable to the beginning of DC’s Rebirth last year, in that it’s a story that brings together new and classic characters for an event that will likely span across multiple storylines.

On the one hand the book is an easy jumping on point for newer readers, as the main story revolves around Storm re-recruiting Kitty Pryde and asking her to lead the X-Men. Kitty has been away from the team for a while, joining up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and later returning to Earth with the hopes of living a more simple, quiet life. That’s not to say that the creators don’t incorporate major events from the X-Men and Marvel universe continuity into this book, and use them as the launchpad for a larger narrative. Prime sets the stage for two new X-Men books in April: X-Men Gold and X-Men Blue. Gold is set to focus on a team of classic characters like Nightcrawler, Storm and Old Man Logan, all lead by Kitty; while Blue is comprised of the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Jean and Iceman), who have been time-displaced to the present.

All in all, the creators do a fantastic job of keeping the story here both self-contained, as well as a prelude to the aforementioned new titles. When Marc Guggenheim isn’t busy with his showrunning duties on Arrow, he crosses over from DC to write books for Marvel. He’ll be scripting X-Men Gold, while Uncanny X-Men writer Cullen Bunn will take on Blue. Meanwhile, the other writer on Prime Greg Pak is writing a new Weapon X series. Pak does a particularly good bit with Lady Deathstrike in this issue which is easily one of its highlights.

I also really commend the art team on this book for making the transitions so seamless. Prime brings together multiple pencilers and colorists, all of whom work well together to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. Whether or not you’ve read the recent Inhumans vs X-Men crossover event or are just looking for a solid jumping on point, Prime has a lot to offer for both new and old readers. In many ways it’s a solid love-letter to the X-Men universe, and it definitely has me excited for the new titles in the coming weeks. If nothing else, it puts Kitty Pryde at the forefront of the book, and the prospect of her leading her own team is pretty exciting.

-Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

Script by Frank Tieri
Art by Michael Walsh
Published by Archie Comics

Archie’s Horror line has been putting out some of the best comics on the stands, be that the zombie epic Afterlife With Archie or the 70s-style occult Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina. This week, Frank Tieri gets a turn at making good kids go bad with a little werewolf adventure starring the lovable Jughead Jones.

The Riverdale Ripper has claimed four victims, including poor Miss Grundy, and everyone is freaking out. As the gang tries to drown their fears at an all-you-can-eat buffet, they notice Jughead is even hungrier than normal… and maybe a little feral. This leads to a night of vicious murder, shocking secret identities, and impossible moral decisions. Who would ever want to shoot good old Jughead full of silver bullets?

God, Michael Walsh’s art is tremendous. He had a killer run on Secret Avengers, and his superhero style translates well to the Americana-Horror mashup of this book. Some of the Archie stunts, like Archie Meets The Ramones, squeak by on good-hearted parody, but what makes the Horror line books so impressive is their ability to tell scary stories without stopping to wink at the camera. Betty facing down a werewolf isn’t funny; we connect to Betty as an American legend, and we fear for her because she could be the girl next door. And Walsh nails that, the realism only bending to stylization enough to connect this woman to the classic Betty Cooper look.

Frank Tieri also turns in some of the best work of his career, tossing out gruesome scenes but emphasizing how awful this is in the context of usually innocent children, not getting caught up in the provocative joke. When Jughead stands up for himself against Reggie’s bullying, it’s a subtle buildup toward the animal transformation, not a cheeky fanboy wish-fulfillment.

I can see why this is a one-shot instead of its own series, but man, it holds its own against the best issues of Sabrina and Afterlife With Archie. Pick up a copy for the Horror fan in your life at any of the three Ultimate Comics locations.

-Matt Conner

Written by Fabian Rangel, Jr.
Art by Warwick Johnson Cadwell
Published by IDW

I don’t know about you, but I could really use a cup of coffee. After the intensity of last weekend’s NC Comicon Oak City, with all that IDW and the other indie folks brought in, I have been exhausted. So today’s new series could not have come at a better time.

In the future, the environment is so bad that growing coffee has become impossible, and possession of this rare bean is now illegal. Helena Crash is the toughest courier in town, and for a price, she’ll pick you up a little bag of the good stuff. But this job has run her afoul of masked street gang, Los Fantasmas, and she’s going to get sucked into a gang war if she’s not careful. And no, Helena is NOT careful.

This is the perfect little book to pick up after a con. The art is kinetic and vibrant and weird, just like those books you got from the self-publishers on Artist’s Alley, but it keeps an internal logic that makes it more readable than most. The writer lets the setting get weird, with mutants all over the place and a Blade Runner tone, but Helena herself stays grounded and relatable. I love when creators push envelopes, but I’m buying a comic to read it, and this book doesn’t lose that in the celebratory cacophony of its first issue.

The backmatter suggests a playlist for reading this issue (while, of course, sneaking a cup of coffee), and yes, Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” is an eery, wonderful fit to the tough, self-aware aesthetic of this book. I wish I’d seen that before reading it, and now you can be prepared.

Okay, rest up however you need to after whatever your Con experience was. You’ve earned it. But when you crawl back into the real world, let Helena smooth that transition out for you. And hey, we’ll see you in September for the Greensboro edition of NC Comicon. Be prepared.

-MATT CONNER for Ultimate Comics