Reviews for books shipping Jan. 25, 2017, including:
• ALIENS: DEFIANCE VOL 1
• DANTE #1
• DETECTIVE #949
• FORBIDDEN BRIDES OF THE FACELESS SLAVES IN THE SECRET HOUSE OF THE NIGHT OF DREAD DESIRE
• FUTURE QUEST #9
• HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: KILLER FROST REBIRTH #1
• JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #6
• KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1
• LOOSE ENDS #1
• THE MUMMY #3
• ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #1
• SLAYER: REPENTLESS #1
• SUICIDE SQUAD #10
• WONDER WOMAN #15
• PEEPLAND #3
Some 
involved. You are warned!
ALIENS: DEFIANCE VOL 1 (TPB)
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Artist: TRISTAN JONES
Colorist: DAN JACKSON
Cover Artist: MASSIMO CARNEVALE
FC • 160 pages • TPB • 7'' x 10'' • $19.99 • Age range: 14
Battling demons from her past while fighting for her life, Colonial Marine Private First Class Zula Hendricks, in the company of Weyland-Yutani synthetics, is forced to question her strength and loyalty when the discovery of an insidious alien species on a derelict hauler sends her on a dangerous journey across the stars. Collects issues #1-6 and the 2016 FCBD story “Extravehicular.”
“This is beautifully frightening: a love letter to fans that will make their chests explode in joy.”—SciFiPulse
Brian Wood has made a name for himself in a variety of genres, from horror to historical fiction. But he mostly sublimates his individuality here in a whole-hearted re-creation of the tone and style of the movie Alien -- and succeeds admirably.
Just like Alien, it takes place on a well-used spaceship held together as much by grime and inertia as bolts and welds. Just like Alien, the camerawork emphasizes the alienness of outer space -- both its sweeping grandeur and cold, implacable hostility to life. Just like Alien, our main protagonist is a tough-minded woman, this time a Colonial Marine of color. Just like Alien, a synthetic human is a major factor around whom the plot swings. And just like Alien, this story is taut thriller that never leaves you feeling safe.
The art is more difficult to describe. Only four chapters are by the artist of record, Tristan Jones. One chapter is by Riccardo Burchiello, another by Tony Brescini (who picks up the art full time after issue #6). All three are of high quality, with Jones being more textured (think 1980s Warren magazines) than the other two, who tend toward a more modern, slick style that I found more attractive. On the other hand, Jones is untouchable when it comes to the aliens themselves, whose oil-slick texture and insectoid body language varies widely from the gritty environment -- emphasizing just how alien they are. Regardless of preference, though, the great shifts in style made the reading experience a little bumpy.
Still, Wood's story carries you through breathlessly, as it mirrors the heart-in-mouth fight for survival by the crew of the Nostromo so long ago. But I don't mean to say it's the same story -- far from it. The twist here is that our little group is on the Europa by choice, to foil the plans of the Evil Corporation to weaponize the aliens on Earth. Their job isn't simply to survive; they have a mission. And both our humans and synthetics have to face and surpass their limitations -- in one case physical, in another programming. But the odds are against them, and not everyone is completely on board with Plan A.
Enemies within the group and without; hostile space outside the ship and a failing artificial environment inside; long-term plans constantly postponed by short-term, desperate fights for survival -- Aliens: Defiance lives up to its name as it explores what, exactly, it means to be human.
ALIENS: DEFIANCE #9
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Artist: TONY BRESCINI
Colorist: DAN JACKSON
Cover Artist: STEPHANIE HANS
FC • 32 pages • Ongoing • $3.99
A fledgling alien, kept alive in a deep freeze for the purpose of learning its weaknesses, wages a psychological war on Zula, Davis and Hollis. They try to keep it together, but an attack on the Europa by space pirates forces the trio to weaponize what they seek to destroy.
“The team at Dark Horse impress with an interesting and faithful rendition of a popular and familiar franchise.”—Project Nerd
The latest issue of Aliens: Defiance is out this week, so here's a little more art to supplement the review of Aliens: Defiance Vol. 1 above.
Note that this series is unrelated to the concurrent Aliens-Predator-Prometheus series of series, "Life and Death." An issue of that (Aliens vs. Predators: Life and Death #2) is out this week as well.
BATMAN ’66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN ’77 #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JEFF PARKER and MARC ANDREYKO
Art by DAVID HAHN and KARL KESEL
Cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
Variant cover by ALEX ROSS
This issue will ship with two covers.
What mysteries are hidden in the book Ra’s al Ghul hired Catwoman to steal? And why does this caper lead Batman down memory lane—to his childhood fight against actual Nazis? Witness the Caped Crusader’s first encounter with one of the greatest heroes the world has ever known: Wonder Woman!
This epic team-up is brought to you by writers Marc Andreyko (WONDER WOMAN ’77) and Jeff Parker (BATMAN ’66), with fantastic artists David Hahn and Karl Kesel (BATMAN ’66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E.). It’s a time- and space-spanning adventure unlike anything you’ve seen before!
32 pg • FC • 1 of 6 • $2.99 U.S. • RATED E • Digital first
DC didn't send a review copy of this, so no review. But here's a heads up for those who might otherwise miss what looks like a lot of fun.
DANTE (ONE-SHOT)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writers: MATT HAWKINS, JASON NING
Art/Cover: DARICK ROBERTSON
Mature • $5.99
Dante was a family man with a wife and young daughter, and also a top assassin working for an international crime syndicate. For two decades he worked hard to keep these two lives separate and was then ready to retire. Manipulated into thinking he could quit with the syndicate's blessing, Dante was betrayed and accidentally killed a young Asian boy while fighting to save himself. This act changes him forever as he is supernaturally cursed and wakes up inexplicably covered with tattoos. Dante tries to uncover the source of this supernatural curse while looking for his family that has now disappeared.
As I read this book I assumed it was the first issue of an ongoing series. As revealed in the blurb above, our protagonist is a hitman cursed to redeem himself for every murder he's ever committed -- each act that successfully evens the scales with his victims removes a tattoo, and he won't be free until all the ink is gone. That's a perfect scenario for a serial, and the ending -- such as it is -- was a perfect set-up for an ongoing.
So I'm not putting much stock in the "one-shot" designation. This is clearly a pilot for an ongoing monthly, or -- more likely -- a TV series.
And I kinda hope something materializes. I don't like Dante, but you're not supposed to. I never care for stories that humanize assassins too much, because they are, by definition, some of the lowest forms of human life extant. If they had any conscience, morals or ethics, they wouldn't be hitmen. So the less sugar-coating, the better. Dante is humanized a bit -- he has a loving wife and daughter who have no idea what his real job is -- but for the most part he's pretty loathsome.
At the same time, he's our protagonist, so you want to root for him (if, for no other reason, than for the story to continue). And the set-up gives us a way to do so: It's obvious that to figure out what action will achieve redemption for each kill, he's going to have to try to understand his victims, the survivors and the human condition. He can't, for example, just arrange a monetary compensation. He has to figure out what each victim's family really needs to feel better, and then achieve it.
So he has to learn to be a human being. That's a story worth reading, whatever the starting point.
I'm not the biggest Darick Robertson fan -- a lot of his characters look like they've been dipped in used bacon grease -- but he either took extra time with this book or has improved mightily. At times various pages had so few Robertson tics or stock poses or random filth that I forgot I was reading a story drawn by Robertson. Or maybe it's the coloring, which I assume is also by Robertson -- the added depth from the gradations and blends from whatever program he used gives the work a more vibrant (and less greasy) appearance. The art told the story attractively, appropriately and well, without distraction, which is what good art does.
DETECTIVE COMICS #949
Written by JAMES TYNION IV and MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
Variant covers by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
This issue will ship with two covers.
“BATWOMAN BEGINS” parts one and two! This special two-part interlude spotlights team leader Batwoman! In the wake of the “Night of the Monster Men,” A.R.G.U.S. has built a secret research city around the corpse of the megamonster that collapsed in Gotham Harbor…creating Gotham City’s newest and most dangerous neighborhood, Monstertown!
In #949, the mission faces a deadly complication — the Colony wants Jacob Kane back, and they’ll kill to set him free!
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
I enjoyed the second part of this interlude as much as the first, and for much the same reasons.
Some muscle is added to the bones of the Batwoman origin, but at the same time the writers don't forget who the star really is -- Batman gets his due both in the past in the present as the ultra-prepared, ultra-cool character that he is. Sure, Kate gets in a cheap shot in the preview below, but at no point is the Dark Knight not ultimately in control. As he should be.
Oliver is a new to me, but his art is strong where it really needs to be in a story like this. His expressions tell the story without dialogue, his innovative layouts keeps page after page of conversations from being dull, and most importantly, both his Kate/Batwoman and Batman just look cool.
FORBIDDEN BRIDES OF THE FACELESS SLAVES IN THE SECRET HOUSE OF THE NIGHT OF DREAD DESIRE (HC)
Writer: NEIL GAIMAN
Artist: SHANE OAKLEY
Colorist: SHANE OAKLEY, NICK FILARDI
Cover Artist: SHANE OAKLEY
FC• 48 pages • HC • 7'' x 10'' • $17.99 • Age Range: 12
A celebrated send-up of gothic literature, beautifully adapted into a dark, brooding, and oddly comical graphic novel. Somewhere in the night, a raven caws, an author’s pen scratches, and thunder claps. The author wants to write nonfiction: stories about frail women in white nightgowns, mysterious bumps in the night, and the undead rising to collect old debts. But he keeps getting interrupted by the everyday annoyances of talking ravens, duels to the death, and his sinister butler.
Shane Oakley beautifully illustrates New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman’s satirical tale.
“It’s about what fantasy is, and why we write it, and what it would mean to write fantasy if you lived in a Gothic universe.” — Neil Gaiman
Sometimes I feel like it's pointless to review anything by Neil Gaiman. It's like reviewing Shakespeare or Michelangelo -- everybody knows it's good already, and your paltry words aren't going to add or detract from the awesomeness of the work itself.
Well, it's a living.
Gaiman's premise here is odd but simple: He envisions a writer trying to write a slice-of-life story in a world where the themes and specifics of gothic horror are the norm. In this world, stories about soccer moms and stressed office workers are considered fantasy. And our guy isn't interested in writing fantasy, which he calls "esoteric dreams written by a minority for a minority" (a bit of self-deprecating wit about Gaiman's own ouevre). No, our guy wants to write capital-L Literature, which on this world means the "real life" of raven-haired heroines in gauzy nightgowns running across moors with unseen horrors in pursuit, or finding madwomen in attics of strange old houses lit by candelabra and owned by remote gentry with cruel faces.
But he has writer's block. Hence, our story.
They say "write what you know," and a story about a writer with writer's block is certainly nothing new. But by flipping the script -- writing from the perspective of a world where demon attacks are a commonplace but filling out a 1040A form is the stuff of fantasy -- Gaiman creates a unique lens, while also offering immense entertainment in the form of both the author's "normal" life and the "slice of life" he writes.
This is ably supported by the art, which is extremely stylized but not impenetrable. At first I had occasional trouble figuring out what I was looking at, but once I mastered this particular artist's visual lingo -- candle flames, for example, that looks like construction-paper mobiles -- I had no trouble. It helps that there are a lot of familiar influences at work here, like Berni Wrightson, Tom Sutton, Rudy Nebres (maybe) and mostly Peter Kuper. Confusion is considerably allayed also by the use of B&W for the stories our protagonist writes. And since this story began life as a short story, the art has plenty of elbow room to breathe.
So here's another Gaiman story that is immensely enjoyable, which should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody. Like Ray Bradbury, Gaiman's focus is on the humanity, not the genre -- the outre trappings are the train, but the people are the engine.
FUTURE QUEST #9
Written by JEFF PARKER
Art by EVAN “DOC” SHANER and RON RANDALL
Cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
Variant cover by CARLOS D’ANDA
This issue will ship with two covers.
The future looks dark! In this issue, Omnikron, ravager of worlds, is loose in Los Angeles—and only the Impossibles stand in the creature’s way! Then, Mightor and Birdman take a very unfortunate shortcut that may never bring them back to Earth. Plus, Dr. Zin’s deeds come back to haunt him as he and Dr. Quest try to escape from F.E.A.R.’s underground base ... is their last, best hope a bunch of kids and a robot without a brain?
32 pg • FC • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
I haven't said much about this book lately, but it's not because of disinterest -- I just have nothing further to say about a book that I find outrageously fun. As I've said before, if you don't like Future Quest, you don't like comics.
I have noticed occasional complaints that the story seems to be slowing down as new characters (Frankenstein Jr., The Impossibles, etc.) continue to be introduced month after month. Well, that phase is over. The entire cast comes together in this issue: Former foes plausibly join forces, the Space Ghost team is reunited, new heroes like Mightor have learned the ropes. The last pieces are falling into place as the climactic battle approaches.
To be continued!
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art and cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“HEROES”! See the majesty and heroism of the Green Lantern Corps from the point of view of a planet in desperate need of their power. Set far in the future, this issue is packed with clues about what’s around the corner for Hal Jordan and the rest of the Corps!
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
This is a breathing-space issue, a done-in-one inserted between the ending of the last epic and the start of the next. As such, it can be easily skipped.
Not that you should. I mean, we're comics fans, which means we're completists!
Anyway, the story takes place on Xudar, where Tomar-Re and his avian race are from. Tomar-Re, for those who don't know, was the first Green Lantern Hal Jordan teamed up with, back in the Silver Age. Tomar-Re was from a neighboring sector, 2813 (ours is 2814). He's dead now, but his son Tomar-Tu is a Green Lantern.
Anyway, the story is literally that, a bedtime story from some old Xudarians to their grandchildren. They tell of a time in the past -- this seems to be set in the future -- when the Green Lantern Corps (and Kyle Rayner) arrived to save Xudar from Starro. It's a nice little tale, with clean art, and hints of big things to come.
The ending is both pat and predictable. But it's sort-of charming, if you have a high treacle threshold.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: KILLER FROST REBIRTH #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and JODY HOUSER
Art by MIRKA ANDOLFO
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Variant cover by TBA
This issue will ship with two covers.
SPINNING OUT OF THE PAGES OF JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD! What happens to a super-villain on their last day in Belle Reve Prison? Against all odds, Killer Frost is up for parole from the Suicide Squad, but you can bet Amanda Waller isn’t going to make it easy for Frost to join the new JLA.
One shot • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The other books in this series of one-shots have covered the past. This one is entirely in and of the present.
If you've been following Justice League vs. Suicide Squad -- and if you haven't, you should be -- you've seen Killer Frost take a hero turn. Batman wants her in the Justice League, both to help her along and to keep an eye on her in case she fails. Amanda Waller wants to keep her in Belle Reve.
Killer Frost can't help but be a pawn when these two master manipulators go at it, and she is. But it's her story, of whether or not she's got it in her to change. Waller tests that severely. Should she fail, it's life in Belle Reve. Should she succeed, the Justice League beckons.
How do you think it will turn out? Oh, you've guessed already? Well, as they say, it's not the destination, it's the journey. I found myself liking this character for the first time, and maybe so will you.
JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6)
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
Variant covers by TBA
This issue will ship with three covers.
Legendary JLA artist Howard Porter returns for the ultimate showdown between the Suicide Squad, the Justice League and the forces of [REDACTED]. Unlikely heroes emerge from the rubble of DC’s first major event since DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH, leaving both teams in a place they’ve never been before...and setting the stage for the all-new JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA.
40 pg • FC • 6 of 6, $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
I am really impressed.
The first four issues of this book each had a twist ending that went somewhere I didn't see coming. The fifth issue put our heroes in a no-win scenario. Could the creative team keep the awesomeness going for the final issue?
They could, and they did. Everything was tied up in a little pink bow by the end, without cheating the characters or taking implausible short cuts. And, amazingly, they surprised me again with several set-ups and reveals at the end. All of this was fun as it happened, and promises more fun in the future.
Pretty good for an "event" that I thought would be a by-the-numbers slugfest. Well done, Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter!
THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1 (of 12)
Written by DAN ABNETT and DAN DIDIO
Art by DALE EAGLESHAM, KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH
Cover by BRUCE TIMM
Variant cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
Variant cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH
This issue will ship with three covers.
Prepare to take part in one of the greatest adventures from the infinite future of the DC Universe, and join the industry’s top creative teams in a round-robin, no-holds-barred, storytelling extravaganza titled THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE!
Born from the mind of Jack “King” Kirby, the post apocalyptic Earth of Kamandi has been a fan favorite for decades, and now 14 intrepid teams of writers and artists build on this incredible foundation and take the title character on an epic quest to find his long-lost parents and travel to places seen and unseen in the DC Universe.
Each issue will end with an unimaginable cliffhanger, and it’s up to the next creative team to resolve it before creating their own. It’s a challenge worthy of “The King” himself! In this premiere issue, the Last Boy on Earth is dragged from his safe haven by a group of tigers, only to face the nightmarish threat of the ultimate weapon!
40 pg • FC • 1 of 12 • $4.99 U.S. • RATED T
Several Legionnaires have already reported liking this issue, so I like it, too!
No, that's not really correct. I think these sorts of gimmicks are ... well, they're gimmicks. Maybe it's a gimmick some people like, but I'm not one of those people.
Still, I admit it's well done. Part of the book is drawn with a fine Kirby pastiche, and part of it looked like a Mike Royer/Alfredo Alcala mix. That covers a lot of Kamandi ground! And, yes, it's good to visit with these old friends again, even in this weird way that doesn't really "count" in Kamandi continuity.
So, those of you who are enjoying the Kamandi Challenge, have at it! I'll be cheering from the sidelines. And who knows? I might find myself reading it. I'm here to have fun, and I won't be a stickler for continuity if the quality remains this high.
LOOSE ENDS #1 (OF 4)
IMAGE COMICS
Writer: JASON LATOUR
Art/Cover: CHRIS BRUNNER, RICO RENZI
Mature/$3.99
SERIES PREMIERE
No one seemed to notice Sonny Gibson as he stepped back into "The Hideaway," a dusty little honky-tonk nestled off the Carolina highway. But before the night was over, Sonny would be on the run-from the law, from the criminals, even from himself.
LOOSE ENDS is a gritty, slow-cooked, Southern crime romance that follows a winding trail down Tobacco Road, through the war-torn streets of Baghdad, and into the bright lights and bloody gutters of South Florida. From JASON LATOUR, the Eisner-winning co-creator of SOUTHERN BASTARDS and the writer of Spider-Gwen, CHRIS BRUNNER (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight), and RICO RENZI (Spider-Gwen, Squirrel Girl).
This is a crime noir, so the first issue isn't going to tell me much -- it's all set-up, where we have to intuit a lot. Moreover, we have to guess if we think the eventual pay-off will be worth following the book.
I'm hopeful on all counts. I'm not usually thrilled by stories set in the South -- either they romanticize poverty and poor education, or they're more realistic, reflecting a reality I grew up in and have tried to escape. But this issue finds a nice middle ground, taking place almost entirely in the kind of low-class honky-tonk I instinctively avoided in my barfly days. The events in this issue are appropriately violent and appalling -- this is a crime noir, after all -- which sets up the real story, a road trip, which begins next issue.
The art is appropriately gritty, with my one complaint being that the faces of the men are all similar enough that if you don't see their clothes you can easily mistake one for another (and I did). That's not a problem with the women, as there are only two and they are of different races and are morphologically different.
As noted, we can only guess when we read a set-up if we think the trip is worth the cost. In the case of Loose Ends, I'm encouraged enough to read the next issue.
THE MUMMY #3 (of 5)
Writer: PETER MILLIGAN
Artist: RONILSON FRIERE
Colorist: MING SEN & DIJJO LIMA
Letterer: SIMON BOWLAND
Cover A: JOHN MCCREA
Cover B: TOM MANDRAKE
Cover C: DAVID HITCHCOCK
FC • 32pp • $3.99
Having escaped from the insidious clutches of the Sect of Annubis, Angel now finds herself lost and alone on the streets of London, as she struggles to overcome the burgeoning power of the ancient Egyptian Priestess Nebulah's soul as it fights for control of her mind. Meanwhile the Sect of Annubis and the Pyramid Club race against time to find her before the other can. For the Sect of Annubis, failure to find Angel will mean their most violent deaths at the hands of Ammit, the demon dog, while for the Pyramid Club, their failure could result in something far, far worse...
I don't want to beat this series up too badly, because the story is pretty good and the art, most of the time, is OK. (See preview below.)
I'm just distracted whenever the artist draws the full figure of the lead female character, because he seems to suffer from what I'll call "Jim Balent Syndrome." And that means drawing a girl as if she's a teenage boy, with large water balloons somehow attached somewhere in the chest vicinity (not always in the same place, but always too high). Yes, her breasts are large -- "fan service," it's called -- but they're drawn so artificially and so resistant to gravity that they look detachable, especially since they're located just below the clavicle. It's a look that varies from "Ha, ha, that's funny" to "OMG, that girl has been in some sort of terrible accident." Which is to say, not a good look.
And as long as I'm here, I should mention that the blurb above misspells both Anubis ("Annubis"), and the ancient Egyptian princess, Nebetah ("Nebulah"). And the books themselves occasionally misspell "Palimpsest" as "Palimpsist." Evidently copy editing isn't much prized in England any more.
THE ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #1 (of 6)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by KEVIN GREVIOUX
Art and cover by RYAN BENJAMIN
Variant cover by YASMINE PUTRI
This issue will ship with two covers.
Don’t miss the start of this new miniseries set in the world of Wonder Woman from writer/actor Kevin Grevioux (New Warriors, Underworld). Years before the birth of Princess Diana, a group of Amazons set out on a globe-spanning quest to find others of their kind, encountering legendary creatures and beings along the way. But their journey soon turns into a rescue mission as two of their own are captured by the legendary Storm Giants of Norse mythology. It’s up to their leader, the stalwart Hessia, to keep them together through the many trials that lie ahead.
32 pg • FC• 1 of 6• $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
I wanted to like this, I really did. If for no other reason, I'd like to know the New 52/Rebirth history of the Amazons. Are they immortal? Can they be killed? Where are they from?
We actually do get quite a bit of that in the first issue, where we find a group of Amazons traveling the world in search of more Amazons, which apparently can be born into any culture. (Hopefully the hows and whys of that will be revealed.) In this first issue we meet an African one, a Samurai one, an Aztec one, a Germanian one and so forth.
Hippolyta is back in Theymyscira, who is pretty much the only Amazon I know, so this is mostly a new cast (or an old one I simply can't remember, as most Amazons are pretty interchangeable). Have we met Hessia before? She's the boss. Demetria? Narkissa? Rayja? Chriselda? Imani? Cymone? Demetria? Tisiphone? I don't think so, which means none have Plot Armor to survive to the modern day.
Speaking of which, this story is clearly set in the past, but "when" is hard to figure. The Vikings and their religion are apparently contemporary, which means it has to be set before the year 1,000, when the last Scandinavian country (Iceland) converted to Christianity. But there's a samurai, and those didn't really didn't come into prominence until the 11th and 12th centuries. And there's an Aztek Amazon -- and the Aztec Empire is believed to have thrived in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. There's a Roman-era Germanian, but the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. The story establishes that the Amazons have only been recruiting for five years, so this just doesn't add up. It's almost like someone who doesn't know anything about history just selected the coolest part of each ancient culture's past and snatched up a character. That can't be true, right?
Right. So let's just say that they're sailing around in never-never land. Because they're clearly not in the real world.
Anyway, we do get a little knowledge about Amazon history in this first issue, and bringing the Amazons into conflict with the Jotun of Norse mythology (which this issue does) is an interesting gambit. Those are the pluses.
As to the minuses ...
I won't condemn the art, even though it's kinda bland. I know I've been spoiled by Liam Sharp and Nicola Scott in Wonder Woman, and this isn't even in the same category. But it's serviceable storytelling, and I can actually tell the various Amazons apart.
That's not as easy a feat as it seems. I loved me some John Buscema, John Romita Sr. and Dan DeCarlo, but all of their women were identical to each other, except for hair style. The artist here avoids that trap.
So it's all good. Well except for the script. That part is where I hit a wall with Odyssey of the Amazons. The writer seems to be trying very hard to be Roy Thomas circa 1970s Conan, and failing miserably. Thomas, a former English teacher, was able to manufacture an archaic-sounding patois through the use of old-fashioned terms and phrases. It worked, mostly, for him. Here, not so much.
I'll give the writer this: He uses the archaic terms like doughty, puissant and youngling. But there's plenty of words and phrases that are story-stoppers for me. For example:
"... Southron women ..."
Southron is a noun, not an adjective, meaning a person from the south of whatever area we're talking about. This phrase means "Southern people women."
"... the true sistern ..."
OMG. Richard Pryor had a routine where an uneducated preacher would begin with the phrase "Brethren and Cistern!" Cistern is an object that holds water. Spell it Sistern and it's not even a word. "Sistren" is an archaic term I would have accepted, but that isn't what was used. What's wrong with "sisterhood," which has been used in reference to the Amazons since the 1940s?
"... I present to the good people of Zhu'Kara a largesse that symbolizes ..."
Largesse is NOT a synonym for gift. It is a synonym for generosity, which is the spirit in which you might bestow a gift.
"Everywhere they stepped -- either with sandaled foot of peace or swung-sharp sword of war -- they left a devastating wake of of honor, respect and blood."
Since swords don't step, this construction is nonsensical. But then, "swung-sharp sword" is high-sounding jibber-jabber anyway.
"Hessia's pantherine prowess ..."
OK, pantherine is used correctly. But it shouldn't be used. Ever. Comparing people to panthers was something Robert E. Howard did a lot, but he did it well. This is not done well.
"Ignore orders in the stead of pleasuring games at your peril."
Since pleasuring is a verb, I only understood this sentence because of the context. ("Do your work instead of goofing off or you'll be in trouble.") But I had to read it three times before I figured it out. The word the author is looking for is "pleasurable" ... which is redundant with "games" anyway. The sentence works best without any adjective at all. But then it doesn't sound faux-highbrow, does it?
"Nary a clang of steel nor a splash of blood is harked in the cool of the African night."
Hark means to listen intently. I think the word wanted here is plain old heard. Of course, splashes of blood don't make any noise, so that doesn't make much sense, either. Just say it's quiet, pal.
"The warmth of the morrow breeze finds the Amazon sistern a hive of buzzing bees ..."
Once again, a noun (morrow) is used as an adjective to sound hoity-toity. And we have sistern again. And as written, this sentence means that the wind found a hive of bees. Which it didn't. The Amazons were as busy as a hive of bees, and there was a breeze. That's what was meant, but that's not what was written.
"paradisiacal breeze" followed by "paradisal African coast."
Both are real words, and both are used correctly, but no one outside of Byron has ever used either in a sentence. If you must use this construction, pick one. Using both looks like a mistake.
"To call this atmospheric conflagration a storm is a perverse understatement that would drive a man insane."
Understatement has never driven anyone insane. The storm might, but that's not what's written. And no one says "atmospheric conflagration." No one. No. One. It's not wrong, but it's unnecessary and odd, like a seventh-grader showing off the vocabulary he learned for a test.
Now, maybe this script is painful to me because I'm an editor at heart. Maybe mentally healthy people, unburdened by years of correcting bad grammar, don't mind this at all. But pretentious claptrap like this makes Kirby look like a poet, and it turns me off.
Words matter. They're a writer's tools. If a craftsman uses his tools poorly, I don't have confidence in his work.
SLAYER: REPENTLESS #1 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE COMICS
Writer: JON SCHNEPP
Art: GUIU VILANOVA
Cover; GLENN FABRY
$4.99
The planet's most badass metal band takes control of comics! The ultimate thrash juggernaut, Slayer has dominated stages and destroyed audiences for over thirty years, with their latest album, Repentless, showing no signs of slowing down or showing mercy. Based on the brutal Repentless videos, this expansion of the video story lines drives deep into the darkest heart of America, a raging road trip down a bloodstained highway, a tale of the doomed, the damned ... and the repentless!
I liked this crime noir set-up even better than Loose Ends #1. It's got American Nazis and biker gangs and racists and drug dealers and all kinds of badness. Maybe it had to introduce a lot more a lot more quickly, since Slayer is only three issues and Loose Ends is four. But it seems a lot more immediate than a story set in an out-of-the-way Southern roadhouse.
What's it got to do with the band Slayer? That's not rhetorical. I'm not familiar with the band, and I have no idea how any of this might connect to them or their music. There are no bands in the comic book!
Anyway, the usual rule to set-up issues applies: You have to guess, with scanty information, if you think the pay-off will be worth the effort to follow the book. Surprisingly, I think so.
Even though "Repentless" isn't a word. 
SUICIDE SQUAD #10
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art and cover by GIUSEPPE CAFARO
Variant covers by LEE BERMEJO
This issue will ship with two covers each.
A “JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD” epilogue! She’s lost a prisoner, her darkest secrets have been revealed and she’s unwittingly unleashed a major threat upon herself and Task Force X. It’s one very bad day for Amanda Waller as she tries to tie up loose ends and clean up her mess. But some sins can’t be undone in this special epilogue to JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD.
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T+
If you read and enjoyed JL vs. SS, then you definitely need this issue. We learn a little about Amanda Waller's past, something that, I suddenly realize, I had never wondered about. I figured Amanda just leaped from the brow of Satan fully realized, but it turns out she had a family and everything. Good stuff, as our favorite monster both wins and loses at the same time.
This book isn't necessary to enjoy JL vs. SS, but it does inform our understanding of Waller, and therefore her actions in that series.
WONDER WOMAN #15
Written by GREG RUCKA
Art and cover by LIAM SHARP
Variant cover by JENNY FRISON •
This issues will ship with two covers.
“THE TRUTH” part one! Diana has finally seen the full scope of how her life and history have been transformed … unfortunately, the knowledge has driven her completely insane!
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
Usually the hero-goes-insane storyline is a dodge, but not this time. It seems Diana's sense of self has been well and truly shattered. That seems ... condescending. Diana's mind collapses? Really? Would that happen to, say, The Flash? Or any other male hero?
But that's how it's written, so that's how it is.
Mostly this story is "The Adventures of Steve and Candy" as they try to avoid getting caught by Godwatch. That's the organization that's been trying to find Themyscira, BTW, and includes Veronica Cale, the robot Sasha Bordeaux, Maru's squad ("Poison") and, once upon a time, The Cheetah.
That part of the book is good. And with the ever-awesome Liam Sharp art, I could read it twice. In fact, I did!
Replies
I *loved* the brick motif for the first few pages of this week's Wonder Woman. Sharp outdid himself here. I'm starting to feel like I should reread the various strands of this series in order, though, to get a better grip on where it's been before we move forward. (And I don't have the same qualms about Wonder Woman's break from reality as you do, Cap -- one of my favorite Flash stories is Flash 300, where Barry was gaslighted into believing his life as the Flash was a lie. This is pretty much the same deal, only with 2017 pacing instead of 1981's done-in-one ethic. And even that one issue was 3 issues long!)
Ben Oliver's worked for DC before -- he was the original artist for Batwing, and he did some work with Grant Morrison on Action Comics, particularly the fill-in where Superman gave a kid his cape. I think his work is getting more defined with experience, and I'm liking it more and more.
As for Suicide Squad, I liked it too -- though not as much as last issue's flashback crossover. I like the insight it gives us into Amanda Waller, a character who's more often than not a Machiavellian cypher in most appearances. Ostrander created her with more depth than that, and we're getting some of that here, too. And I like Rustam, too -- his new setup as originally a good guy who was betrayed by Waller and wants revenge is a great one, and I think he's a great addition to the DCU. I'm not going to be a regular Suicide Squad reader after the crossover, but I got my money's worth from the two issues I picked up.
Hey, I got a couple of DC books this week!
Blue Beetle #5 - Jaime's mother is attacked at her clinic by an alien named Mordecai in order to lure out Jaime. Mordecai is after the scarab and wants to take it from his body, most likely killing him in the process. The Posse, Sugar and Spike and Ted Kord get involved.
This was...okay. If the original creators of the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle need to be involved in this series, I'd much rather it was John Rogers than Keith Giffen, but at least it's better than grim and gritty Blue Beetle.
Doom Patrol #4 - The story moves forward. Something happens with Negative Man. We find out what's going on with Danny. Casey gets powers, and Casey's partner's son is having problems.
I'm not fascinated by this, but I can't say it was bad either. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading, but I'd like some payoff soon.
Avengers #1.mu - The Avengers travel to Boston to take down a Maggia rebirth, then have to fight monsters falling from the sky.
This was fun. Old school heroics, heroes fighting villains and saving lives, the sort of thing I really enjoy in my superhero stories. It's a crossover, but so far so good.
Daredevil #16 - Daredevil fights Bullseye and talks to a Catholic Priest who's a little bit...different.
I've been disappointed by Charles Soule's run on Daredevil so far for the most part, and this issue didn't help a whole lot. There are some good moments--the fight scenes are well drawn, for instance--but really very little happens. I'd like to see this story move forward without rehashing all of the same old tired Daredevil tropes--maybe it will next issue, as apparently we'll finally get an explanation as to how Matt got his secret identity back.
Doctor Strange #16 - Doctor Strange has a showdown with Dormammu.
This could be a much better comic--unfortunately, the artwork really hurts it. It's imaginative, yes, but it's also wild and chaotic, making the story difficult to follow. Thre's a lot of confusing things going on, and it just hurts the storytelling.
Prowler #4 - With the help of Julia Carpenter, Hobie makes it back to New U in time to get his medication. However, he's caught in the crossfire when the sonic attack happens.
I've always liked Hobie Brown, which is why I'm reading this series. This is another comic that didn't stink, but I can't really say it was good either. The Clone Conspiracy isn't really working for me as a big deal, plus I just think it's dragging on for far too long.
Totally Awesome Hulk #15 - Hulk teams up with Ms. Marvel, Silk, Shang Chi, Jimmy Woo and Agent Jack Oh of SHIELD to entertain sick children. Afterwards, they spend a a night on the town together.
This is both fun and not fun. I like the attempts to celebrate Asian Americans and what these specific heroes mean to their communities. On the other hand, this is coming off a two-parter that was pretty gosh-darned cheesy and really didn't require the Hulk. The story is good, but the timing isn't the best.
Thanks, Randy!
I'm enjoying Doom Patrol -- I think the inviting art is a large part of the reason why. But man, the 3 Bane coloring pages in the back were *wonderful*. It's too much to say they were worth the price of admission, but I laughed really hard at the one where he's flipping pizza dough.
I'm glad to see you liked Alien: Defiance, Cap. Definitely, one of my favorite new series from last year. A great yet, very small, cast of characters.
Wish I could help you on the Slayer comic. I'm at least familiar with them, but I've never been their biggest fan. Now how the comic you describe ties into Slayer, the album Repentless, or the song by the same name? I have no idea. Although I do like the song.
Randy Jackson said:
Daredevil #16 - Daredevil fights Bullseye and talks to a Catholic Priest who's a little bit...different.
I've been disappointed by Charles Soule's run on Daredevil so far for the most part, and this issue didn't help a whole lot. There are some good moments--the fight scenes are well drawn, for instance--but really very little happens.
I'd like to see this story move forward without rehashing all of the same old tired Daredevil tropes--maybe it will next issue, as apparently we'll finally get an explanation as to how Matt got his secret identity back.
Hopefully, not involving Mephisto.