Welcome back to the February edition of Monthly Marvel Muster. I already have my tickets to see Captain Marvel in a week, but right now I’m taking a brief break from advanced squeeing to talk about those other, less-popular Marvel properties: the comics. This month we have a diverse array of new ongoing series, the…
Monthly Marvel Muster – Closing Out The Old Year
Welcome to the first Marvel Muster of 2019! Let’s take a look back at the last couple months of 2018, and forward to see some of what Marvel has planned for 2019. The big story in November was the return of the Uncanny X-Men. Starting with a big ten-part storyline coming out weekly, the new…
John, Dear is a Stunningly Well-Crafted Comic about Abusive Relationships
John, Dear Laura Lannes Retrofit Comics September 2018 Content warning: This comic depicts an abusive relationship and abuse is discussed in the review. John, Dear by Laura Lannes is not an easy comic to read. In terms of construction and artistry, it should be; Lannes uses holes and a physical body’s literal descent into emptiness…
My Ideal Librarian: A Review of Bug Boys
Bug Boys: Volume 1 Laura Knetzger Czap Books 2015 Critics often ask ourselves how we can approach a review with as little bias as possible. Can you truly be unbiased about a piece that hits on themes related to your own identity? Regardless of how your views fall, I’ll warn you now: this is an…
Monthly Marvel Muster – Everything Old is New Again
Hello, and welcome back to Monthly Marvel Muster. It’s been a while, and rather a lot has happened since my last post in February. There’s too much to go into in any detail, but I’ll try to hit the high notes.
Under the Sea with Ether: The Copper Golems #1
Ether: The Copper Golems #1 Matt Kindt (Writer), David Rubin (Artist) Dark Horse May 16, 2018 Ether: The Copper Golems, a continuation of Kindt and Rubin’s earlier Ether series, came out recently and found its way into my hands and eyeballs. Ether follows scientist-adventurer-detective Boone Dias as he explores and studies a fantastical dimension called “The…
Dangerous Curves Ahead: Backways #5
Backways #5 Justin Jordan (co-creator, writer), Eleonora Carlini (co-creator, artist), Silvia Tildei (colorist), Marshall Dillon (letterer) Aftershock comics May 2018 In the final installment of its “All the Forgotten Things” arc, Backways answers the question of whether newly-discovered whisperer (someone who can talk to the dead) Anna will rescue her girlfriend Sylvia from the grasp…
Two Sports Comics Knocking It Out of the Park … and One Striking Out Miserably
Sports stories, no matter the medium, seem to fall along a continuum. On one end, you have the stories where the sport serves as a backdrop for character-driven conflict, while the other end boasts complete immersion in the sport, with minimal concern for storylines outside each match’s or season’s results. Dodge City, Fence, and We…
Resident Alien #1: More Than Meets the Eye
Resident Alien: An Alien in New York#1 Peter Hogan (Writer), Steve Parkhouse (Artist) Dark Horse Comics April 2018 An alien stranded far from home, Harry Vanderspeigle works as a doctor in Patience, Washington. Harry also investigates crimes freelance to keep himself occupied. With four positive outcomes under his belt, he finds himself on the case…
Reefer Madness is a Harsh Buzz
Reefer Madness Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Jerry Robinson, and more (Creators), Craig Yoe (Editor) Dark Horse Comics March 29, 2018 Do you miss the days when the devil’s lettuce was demonized and illegal everywhere? Love getting lit and laughing at just how misunderstood marijuana was, and still is in much of…
Sisco #1: You’re in the Danger Zone
Sisco #1 Thomas Legrain (artist), Benec (writer), Peng Weng and Studio 9 (colorist) Europe Comics June 2017 In an era when comics are becoming more diverse and the stories told more creative, I find it fascinating how some cling ever tighter to the same stories of the past. With Sisco, I hoped for something new. Instead, I…
Prism Stalker is a Kaleidoscopic Sci-Fi Story
Prism Stalker #1 Sloane Leong (words, illustration, colors) Image Comics March 7, 2018 Let me tell you something: Prism Stalker #1 is visually unlike any comic book I have ever read. It is rich, fresh, intriguing, mysterious, and vibrant. Artist, writer, and colorist Sloane Leong introduces us to a rainbow universe where the daily grind…
