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Goosebumps: Monsters at Midnight #1

Title: Goosebumps
Writer: Jeremy Lambert
Artist: Chris Fenoglio
Letterer: Christa Miesner
Publisher: IDW

Earlier this year, horror icon R.L. Stine made his first foray into comic book writing with Marvel’s revamp of Man-Thing. Though the book sold pretty terribly, this reviewer adored its B-movie flare and gorgeous visuals. I would even go so far as to say it was one of the most fun titles I’ve read all year, and you should definitely pick up the trade when you get a chance.

Now, IDW returns to Stine’s most iconic series, just in time for Halloween. Goosebumps: Monsters at Midnight brings together everyone’s favorite creatures and settings for an all-new adventure. Writer Jeremy Lambert and artist Chris Fenoglio capture the nostalgia of the classic Goosebumps books and tv show, while also delivering an easy jumping-on-point for readers who are new to this universe.

The story follows Mia and Ginny as they stay in their grandmother’s bizarre, mothballed house for the summer. As boredom quickly creeps in, the mischievous kids find themselves thrown into a world of terror when they stumble upon the town’s eery library.

It’s as straightforward a premise as can be, but that’s the beauty of Goosebumps. Stine’s universe revels in the corny, the creepy and the weirdly supernatural. What really makes this comic is Fenoglio’s wonderfully cartoonish style. All of the characters are ridiculously exaggerated, which coincides perfectly with the book’s tone; and it’s the kind of story kids and adults can both enjoy. When you feel like taking a break from binge-watching Stranger Things this weekend, pick this one up and come by any Ultimate Comics location this Saturday for our Halloween party!

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Ragman #1

Writer: Ray Fawkes
Artist: Inaki Miranda
Colorist: Eva De La Cruz
Letterer: Josh Reed
Publisher: DC

Even for longtime DC fans, Ragman is a pretty obscure character. He showed up on Arrow in season five and is set to return in the new season, but in terms of the comics he’s remained mostly absent for a while.

This new limited series by writer Ray Fawkes and artist Inaki Miranda provides a revamp of Ragman’s origin, and could potentially lead to a more prominent role for him in Rebirth. For now though, this is a nice self-contained comic perfect for the Halloween season.

Ragman #1 tells the story of Rory Regan, an army veteran who returns home to Gotham after a failed mission to raid an ancient tomb in an Israeli desert. During the mission, Regan encounters a supernatural force which eventually transforms him into the creature Ragman. As memories of these experiences and fallen comrades haunt him, Regan faces even more demons when a new evil shows up in Gotham.

I knew next to nothing about Ragman’s origin or mythos coming into this issue, and I found it quite enjoyable. The character first appeared in 1976, and Fawkes and Miranda do a great job capturing the tonal aspects of 70s supernatural horror, while also giving the book a modern context. This issue is part war drama and part horror fantasy, with both genres nicely balanced. Fawkes does an especially good job with the pacing, allowing the readers to get a feel of Regan’s character before showing him in the Ragman costume.

Likewise, Miranda and De La Cruz deliver a subdued, grim style that feels like a John Carpenter movie. There’s a great double splash page-spread about midway through which showcases Ragman and the villain with Gotham looming in the background. If you’re into anything to do with Swamp Thing, Constantine or Justice League Dark, you’ll love this comic.

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Batman: White Knight #1

Title: Batman: White Knight #1
Writer/Artist: Sean Murphy
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Todd Klein
Publisher: DC

I love a good speculative story, and Sean Murphy’s new miniseries Batman: White Knight offers a fascinating take on the Batman mythos. Featuring a reformed Joker as the protagonist and Batman as the deranged psychopath, this comic has the potential to stand alongside iconic elseworld tales like The Dark Knight Returns and Superman: Red Son.

The debut issue sets up the backstory as Batman’s violent methods and vigilantism are called into question by Gotham’s citizens, after he nearly kills Joker while the GCPD stands by. Murphy uses this as an opportunity to draw parallels between this scenario and the problems our society faces with police brutality and race relations. Add to that a drug which Batman shoves down Joker’s throat, which thus provides a catalyst for his reformation.

It may sound a bit heavy-handed, but Murphy does a great job producing a gripping narrative, and weaving in the political themes naturally. Ultimately this book is a character study from Joker’s point-of-view, examining what would happen if he were reformed and whether or not Batman exhibits a sort of co-dependency toward their conflict. The writing is a sort of poetic noir, while the art combines the grit of Brian Bolland’s style with the best aspects of the classic animated series. A splash page of Jack Napier (Joker’s original alias) in his room even features images of the cartoon designs from the 90s.

White Knight is a must-read for any Bat-fan. Balancing superior storytelling with a provocative socio-political message, Murphy knocks it out of the park once again.

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Harley and Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1

Title: Harley and Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 (of 6)
Written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko
Art by Laura Braga, Tony Avina, and Arif Prianto
Published by DC Comics

Riverdale, the CW’s sexy soap opera take on America’s iconic teens, comes back next week, and DC is getting in the mood by sending two of their most popular characters out of Gotham for a visit!

Hiram Lodge, the richest man in Riverdale, wants to build a combination university and shopping center, but the only available real estate is the protected Sweetwater Swamp. To promote his plans, he’s got his daughter, Veronica, arranging a Heroes and Villains costume gala with the begrudging help of classmates like her nemesis, Betty Cooper. Even worse, the only costumes left on the rack are going to mean these two have to spend the evening as one of crime’s most iconic couples!

Meanwhile, in Gotham, Poison Ivy is livid about the ecological destruction Lodge has planned, and Harley Quinn sees a field trip to Riverdale as a great way to effect change… and maybe dodge a few loan sharks. But when the thoughtful Powerpoint about environments fails to sway the mogul, it’s on to Plan B – let’s hit the gala and kidnap Lodge’s daughter!

This comic is a ton of fun, showing that the team understands both the oddly timeless mythology of the Archie gang and the violence just under the humor of the Gotham Sirens. But it’s also a great example of the range of female friendships. Harley and Ivy can criticize each other, but deep down, they’re together forever, and they like it that way. They may not keep each other out of trouble, but they know they can face anything they get into side-by-side.

Betty and Veronica? They’re stuck together, too, but they’re too focused on their differences to really coexist. For decades, the Betty-Veronica relationship has dipped too far into the love triangle, fighting over Archie in unflattering stereotypes. But since Dan Parent brought the line into modern times a few years ago, and since Mark Waid gave the property the realistic upgrade that paved the way for Riverdale’s onscreen adventures, writers have found much more interesting stories in this pair as frenemies. They don’t hate each other, and they aren’t waiting for Archie to pick one. They just know each other well enough that the opposite parts stand out.

I think this miniseries is set up for a fun romp – we’ll get an issue or two of the supervillains enjoying quaint Americana, and once Harley and Ivy kidnap someone (inevitably the wrong kid), we’ll get the sweetest teens over their heads in Gotham’s muck. But I think this book is going to truly shine if it can keep up the comparisons of these two female friendships.

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Marvel Legacy #1

Title: Marvel Legacy #1
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artists: Esad Ribic, Steve McNiven and various others
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel

 Rebooting a long-established universe is a tricky business. On the one hand you want to imbue the story with plenty of mythology and cater toward longtime readers, but you also have to entice newer fans to give it a shot and make it an easy jumping-on point. Marvel Legacy #1 is admittedly less successful in the latter, but it remains a rich celebration of the Marvel universe that sets the stage for the post-Secret Empire era.

Now, there’s no denying that many of this issue’s story beats are based on DC’s widely acclaimed Rebirth one-shot from last year. Old characters who have either been dead or absent for a while return, generations of heroes collide and new cosmic elements are added to the universe which have the potential to alter everything from here on. Yet whereas the Rebirth one-shot revealed Wally West as the point-of-view protagonist a few pages into the story and told a more personal character piece, in this book Jason Aaron waits until the last page to reveal the narrator. The reveal itself is quite satisfying, as it serves as a kind of meta-narrative for how the Marvel universe has evolved in the decades since Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created these characters.

In terms of the story itself, Aaron opens in the Stone Age, where it’s revealed that some of the world’s greatest heroes have their ancestral roots here. Mjolnir and the Asgardian mythos play a big role here, which is befitting given how beloved Aaron’s Thor run is. The original Cap however only makes a brief appearance, as Steve finds himself wandering the countryside following the events of Secret Empire. Likewise, Tony Stark only gets a brief mention, stating that he’s been off the grid for a while. We also get glimpses of Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm wondering if the world still needs or remembers them, Deadpool apparently seeking redemption, Doctor Strange and Iron Fist conversing about dreams and the return of an iconic hero. If all this sounds overtly expository, it’s because this issue is the exposition of the new Marvel era. The only major character absent is Spider-Man, but the Spider-Man Generations book also came out today.

There’s little I need to do to convince you to buy this comic, especially if you’re a hardcore Marvel fan or are just interested in reading any of the new titles this fall. It may come across as a bit convoluted if you haven’t been following Marvel for a while, but nonetheless Aaron handles the material with the skills of a master storyteller. Couple that with the book’s team of superstar artists ranging from Steve McNiven to Ed McGuinness, and you’ve got yourself a nice collector’s item here. Pick it up this week at any Ultimate Comics location and you’ll get it for half off, as well as a free copy of the Marvel Previews magazine. Excelsior!

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Realm #1

Title: Realm
Writer: Seth M. Peck
Penciler: Jeremy Haun
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: Thomas Mauer
Publisher: Image

The Realm is possibly the best genre mashup book of the year. It contains orcs, dragons and
goblins reigning in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. If that doesn’t make you excited I don’t know
what will.

Set years after these aforementioned creatures have laid waste to Earth and taken over, the last
of the humans must fight to survive. Among these is Will Nolan, an ex-military personnel who
now carries a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. As new threats emerge and a dark
sorcerer lurks in the background, what happens from here on in this story is anyone’s guess.

Creators Seth M. Peck and Jeremy Haun provide readers with a whirlwind of an adventure that
seamlessly combines sci-fi, fantasy, horror and western elements. It’s just as big and bombastic
as The Dark Tower novels (and significantly better than the movie), and also features the kind of
protagonist who you’d want to hang out with. Based on the first issue I think Nolan has the
potential to be the next Malcolm Reynolds.

Artist and co-creator Haun is no stranger to high-concept sci-fi. His and Jason Hurley’s book
The Beauty weaves together a futuristic sociocultural premise with high-octane action. Here, he
further demonstrates his skills as a multifaceted storyteller. Each panel builds perfectly upon the
next, and with the always stellar colors by Nick Filardi readers are in for a real treat. Go ahead
and add this one to your pull-list, as it has all the tenants of the next great creator-owned title.

–Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

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Runaways #1

Title: Runaways #1
Writer Rainbow Rowell
Artist Kris Anka
Colorist Matthew Wilson
Published by Marvel Comics

The Runaways are back! Hulu is THIS close to launching the live-action adaptation, so Marvel is taking a popular Young Adult novelist and one of their best artists and getting the band of teenage heroes back together. And not a moment too soon.

About fifteen years ago, Brian K. Vaughan dropped jaws across the comic world with the original Runaways series: a group of teenagers find out their parents are a secret cabal of supervillains and team up to take them down. They were an instant hit, and teen witch Nico Minoru became a breakout star, going on to join mainstream superheroics on teams like the last two iterations of A-Force. But not all of the original teens made it out of the series. Gertrude, who preferred the name Arsenic, died in the arms of true love Chase. And this series starts out with him trying to fix that.

Most first issues of team books spend time introducing all the cast members; most first issues of new volumes spend time recapping the story thus far. Rainbow Rowell takes a very different approach: the only Runaways in this issue are Nico, Chase, and Gertrude. Nico is down on her luck, living in a crummy apartment and mourning the end of her last superhero adventures. When Chase shows up in a time machine with a dying Gert in his arms, Nico flies into action with her magic powers. But because her powers only let her cast a spell once ever, and because she’s done this for a few years, she can’t go to spells like, “Heal,” or “Stop bleeding and get up, okay?” So the tension of the issue comes from two friends trying to find creative ways to do the kind of surgery this girl needs.

No supervillains. No guest stars. No velociraptors or mutants or aliens or any of their other former teammates. And it’s absolutely perfect.

Rowell doesn’t waste time with a huge recap. You don’t ever need to have read a Runaways issue to get this. Nico’s powers are explained in the story when you need them to be, the dialogue reminds us that Gertrude was stabbed to death, Chase has a time machine, we don’t need more. It’s still nostalgic, and original series fans are going to eat it up. But if the series is just about sitting back and talking about how amazing the first volume was, it’s worthless. Instead, we get something new, built on a clear foundation but original, tense, smart. And Kris Anka’s art fits this tone seamlessly, keeping the readers interest up in an issue that’s largely two teenagers yelling to each other, in one room, about how to fix this enormous problem on the floor.

I’m on board. This is the most promising version of Runaways since the first issue, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

And I really want to get the velociraptor back on the team soon.

–Matt Conner for Ultimate Comics

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Star Wars: Mace Windu #1

Writer: Matt Owens
Penciler: Denys Cowan
Colorist: Guru-eFx
Inker: Roberto Poggi
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel

As we edge closer and closer to The Last Jedi this December, Disney and Marvel continue to
put out a ton of Star Wars comics and other extended universe material. The latest spinoff book
to hit comic shops is Mace Windu, which is set between Episodes II and III at the start of the
Clone Wars.

The Jedi Council is caught in the midst of a crisis following the Battle of Geonosis. Wrestling
with their desire for peace while also knowing that they must protect the Republic, the Jedi
Knights must answer the call to become warriors. Chief among them is Master Mace Windu,
whose superior force abilities and experience make him the ideal person to help lead the newly
formed Republic army.

As Mace and three other Jedi set out on a covert mission to investigate separatist activity on the
jungle planet Hissrich, their plan is to go in and out quickly. Yet as tensions rise and the droid
army there discovers them, a fierce battle ensues.

Now, there is a very specific formula to the Star Wars solo character comics. With the exception
of Poe Dameron, which is an ongoing, each solo character book is a five-issue miniseries which
involves some sort of mission on a planet not featured in the movies. We’ve seen it with Darth
Maul, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan and Anakin and several other titles. Granted, it's a formula that
works and opens doors for creators to do fun spinoffs, but just don’t go into this comic expecting
it to shake the foundation of the Star Wars universe.

That said, writer Matt Owens does a nice job keeping the focus on Mace while also delivering a
fun action story. The exposition takes place on Coruscant as Mace talks with fellow council
members like Ki-Adi Mundi and Yoda. From there, Owens transitions to the Outer Rim as our
heroes set out on this mission. One of the Jedi accompanying Mace is Kit Fisto from the
movies, who’s basically the Aquaman of the Star Wars universe; and the two younger Jedi with
them are nice additions to this ensemble. One of them is a youthful, Ashoka-like padawan who
idolizes Mace, while the other is a quiet and meditative character who is quite intriguing as well.
Penciler Denys Cowan also brings his A-game here, capturing the mythic status of Mace as
both a great warrior and a wise leader. Between opening with a splash page flashback from the
Geonosis battle to an action-packed sequence at the end of the issue, the style here is appropriately cinematic.
Mace Windu is no doubt a solid title to add to your Star Wars collection, if for no other reason than Mace is the
coolest Jedi in the universe.

–Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

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Nightwing: The New Order #1 Review

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Penciler: Trevor McCarthy

Colorist: Dean White

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Publisher: DC

 

Coming off the heels of the controversial Marvel event comic Secret Empire, now DC is toying with the concept of turning one of its heroes into a fascist symbol. Yet whereas Secret Empire is a canonized book, making the idea of an evil Captain America all the more difficult to swallow, the new Nightwing title is a self-contained miniseries that exists outside the main DC continuity.

In Nightwing: The New Order, writer Kyle Higgins imagines an alternate future in which Dick Grayson is hailed as a hero for ridding the world of superpowers. To him, metahumans have become nothing more than an unnatural threat to humanity’s existence; and as such he becomes part of a “Crusader” organization to hunt down the last of the supers. Told from the perspective of Dick’s son Jake, the debut issue is less interested in the origins of this new world order, and is more about how it affects Dick’s character and his relationship with his son. Also set up here is the mystery of who Jake’s mother is.

If there’s any book to compare this one to, it’s the Mark Millar graphic novel Superman: Red Son. Both are speculative superhero stories, with Red Son imagining what it would be like if Superman had been raised in the Soviet Union instead of in America. Even the art in this Nightwing comic by Trevor McCarthy and Dean White is reminiscent of the subdued linework in Red Son. The look of Gotham here is a pretty classic neo-noir aesthetic, with Dick commanding an army of Bat-robots to hunt down the remaining metahumans.

What’s interesting though is how Higgins gives this version of Dick more nuance than you might expect. Rather than portray him as a cold, heartless villain who’s betrayed all of his old allies, Higgins emphasizes the conflict in him, particularly in scenes with Alfred and his son. At his core, all Dick wants is to create a better and safer world for his son than the one he grew up in; yet it’s that single drive that’s clouded his judgment.

I was initially pretty skeptical about this book when it got announced. DC and Marvel have both been obsessed at times with turning their heroes into villains, and at a certain point it just becomes one big gimmick. Especially in this day and age with the political climate being what it is, the last thing I need is for my superhero comics to be drenched in cynicism. However, Higgins and company do a nice job of making this title a fun “what if” story, while also making the social commentary in it come across organically. It helps that these creators have worked on Nightwing in the past, and are merely experimenting with this series. Give it a shot, and then balance it out with the variety of more optimistic titles from the DC Rebirth line.

 

–Kevin Schaefer for Ultimate Comics

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Dark Nights: Metal #1 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Publisher: DC

 

Normally I’m able to write fairly nuanced reviews with a critical lens, but for this one I’m just going to geek out. Dark Nights: Metal #1 has Hawkgirl, Red Tornado, the Justice League in a gladiator fight coordinated by Mongul, an entirely new dimension of the DC multiverse and a mouth-dropping cameo by a certain Neil Gaiman character. This book gives new meaning to the term “nerd-gasm.”

As the first major event from DC’s Rebirth, this debut issue hits all the high notes. Reuniting the superstar New 52 Batman creative team of Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia, it’s as bombastic and dynamic as anyone expected it to be. Snyder’s text culminates perfectly with the art to create an epic, mega-blockbuster comic. Am I geeking out enough for you to go buy this book?

The concept behind Metal is that instead of just 52 dimensions making up the entirety of the multiverse, there is actually a whole other “dark multiverse” which will have a profound impact on the world as the Justice League knows it. This event is about these worlds colliding, and about what terrors stem from the dark multiverse. While the main series is only six issues, there have already been two prequel issues and there are many more spinoffs and tie-ins to come in other DC titles. This issue provides a comprehensive reading list in the back, but you can also ask the folks at Ultimate Comics to add all Metal titles to your box. This way you won’t miss a single chapter in this monumental saga.

I know DC has struggled with some of their event books in recent years (cough cough Convergence), but Metal is off to a stellar beginning. This is the kind of comic that veteran readers and newer fans can collectively drool over. Pick it up today, and prepare yourself to venture into a new dimension of DC’s vast mythology.