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Monday, March 18, 2024

Transformers #6 Review


 


Writer & Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Andre Lima Araujo; Orlando Arocena; Eric Canete; Joe Quinones

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Ratchet awakened Arcee and Jazz with power from Wheeljack and Sparky’s water turbine. Optimus Prime killed Skywarp and Frenzy and injured Starscream during the Decepticons’ attack on the dam. Believing the numbers were in their favor, Optimus Prime ordered an assault on the Ark. Can the Autobots retake control of their mothership? Let’s recharge our Energon batteries, leap into Transformers #6, and follow Sparky's transformative journey!

 

Story

Starscream rules through deception and fervor. He sways the Decepticons with his strength of personality. His lust for death and destruction inspires his followers. Soundwave carries out Starscream’s orders and dispassionately directs their forces while Starscream seeks out victims. Soundwave’s latest creation is Starscream’s ideal weapon. Or, in Starscream’s words, his new toy. Assembled from a freshly regenerated Constructicon army, Devastator is a giant-size version of the Decepticons' fearful leader. He destroys first and reasons later.

 

Confronted by Devastator’s might, Optimus Prime spurs his people toward the Ark. Cliffjumper instantly follows, but Carly argues a different strategy. Cliffjumper cares for the Human teenager but yearns to obey his Autobot leader. Like Optimus Prime and Sparky, Cliffjumper and Carly have much in common. And the Autobots do practice equality and inclusion.

 

In Transformers #6, Optimus Prime learns that size does matter. But while powerful enemies can destroy the body, hope and sacrifice renew the spirit. Starscream regards everything as disposable. Sparky knows that Optimus Prime values life in its myriad forms. It’s why he serves the giant Space Invader robot: because Optimus protects what he values.

 


 

Art

Standing before the Ark’s main hold, Optimus Prime and the Autobots fight off Starscream’s Decepticons. The wide-eyed Human soldier clutches a rocket launcher. He should be seeking a weak linkage between the Constructicons as Devastator approaches. Yet all he sees is Jimmy and his son's NASA spaceship exploding.

 

Daniel Warren Johnson employs varying camera angles to convey the size differentials between Humans, Transformers, Devastator, and the Ark. His direction lines and blurred characters convey rapid movement in Transformers #6. The characters' expressions reveal their pain, shock, fright, jubilation, and resolve. Johnson’s detailed drawings reveal that some of the Constructicons making up Devastator struggle to maintain cohesion. Scenes of the behemoth looking into the Ark and reaching for Autobots pay homage to the cinematic classic “King Kong.”

 

Johnson often inks to convey shading, leaving Mike Spicer less to color. Green and purple Devastator wreaks havoc against the gray ground, a bluish-gray Ark, and a purple sky. Carly's lavender sweater darkens to grant her camouflage at night. Yet nothing shields the Autobots from view, making it easy for Devastator to reach out and touch someone. "Puny Autobot!" Spicer also spices up the night fight by accenting panels with bright colors, suggesting the intensity of the battle.

 

Letterer Rus Wooten infuses dark backgrounds with giant, bright, colorful, and energizing sound effects. He fills white dialogue balloons with large-size black italicized letters. Soundwave remains the sole holdout. The Decepticon fills blue rectangular dialogue balloons with yellow lettering. His dialogue never swells in size or changes color, as do Devastator and Ratchet’s. Perhaps that makes him the strongest person in Transformers #6, as Soundwave keeps a cool head, and his dedication to his cause never wavers.

 

Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

A Human leads an Autobot, an ally makes the ultimate sacrifice, and when heroes hold their enemies in their clutches, they refuse to kill in Transformers #6.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Amazing Spider-Man #45 Review


 


Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Carmen Carnero & Alejandro Sánchez; Alex Maleev; Vitale Mangiatordi

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Peter Parker brought a poorly decorated cake to Anna Watson’s birthday party. Mary Jane’s enraged aunt attacked her niece, Peter’s aunt May, and her other party guests. Mary Jane's quick thinking and Spider-Man's timely thwipping landed Aunt Anna in New York’s Ravencroft Institute. Can Spider-Man cure Anna Watson and help her return home? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #45 and find out!

 

Story

Shay Marken wears a brave face as she carries out her duties. Yet the inmates at Ravencroft Institute frighten her. Chief among those is Anna Watson. Sure, the kindly senior citizen projects an air of sweetness and gentleness. But when Anna’s Krakoan Derangement Syndrome manifested last year, she hurled her party guests around like a supervillain. Anna unleashes a torrent of abuse upon Shay as the young nurse arrives to feed her. It's a good thing the Ravencroft staff keep Anna in a straitjacket. Were Anna to get Shay in her clutches, there’s no telling the violence she could unleash.

 

Peter Parker feels sorry for Anna when he sneaks into her cell. He promised Mary Jane he would carry her out of the Ravencroft Institute after delivering the antidote, but Anna objects. The woman’s manipulative and malicious ways vanish. She remembers hurting the people she cared about. In Amazing Spider-Man #45, Anna Watson refuses to leave until the Ravencroft staff releases her.

 


 

 

Norman Osborn has led a troubled life. The businessman has spent far more time as a villain than a hero. Peter hasn't seen Norman much lately, as his boss sat out the Gang War to protect Oscorp. In their last interaction, Peter fears how Norman will react to his latest proposal. It could cost him his job and livelihood, but Peter believes it's the right thing to do.

 

Like leaving Aunt Anna in the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane until the staff and the city of New York release her. 

 


 

 

Art

Lights reflect off the transparent cell walls and floor, leaving the hallway in Ravencroft’s residents’ wing awash in light. While the blue in Spider-Man’s costume blends with the light blue ceiling, the red webbing seems impossible for Nurse Marken to miss. Norman looks far more interested in his food when Peter visits his office. Norman seems more remote than before he freed Peter from the sins that turned Peter into Black Spider-Goblin. Is it just business concerns that cloud Norman’s mind?

 

Marcio Menyz enhances Stormbreaker artist Carmen Carnero’s institutional scenes with cool blues, beiges, and grays. Menyz imbues Carnero’s realistic faces with warm skin tones. Foliage casts dappled shadows across Spider-Man’s red and blue suit as he peers through the orange-and-yellow sky at the Ravencroft Institute. Mary Jane’s vibrant hair and red, white, and black Jackpot attire stand out amid the surrounding greenery as the two friends meet, then turn away.

 


 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The font grows bold for inflection and rarely shrinks. Enlarged colored letters and colored balloon borders enhance sentences. Zeb Wells’ story doesn’t give Caramagna much license for sound effects. Yet a crunch and resultant yowl could hint at future developments in Amazing Spider-Man #45.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this essential chapter of Peter Parker’s life for review.

 


 

 

Final Thoughts

Former villains remind Spider-Man that no one is above the law, Dr. Curtis Connors has something on his mind, and a new coalition threatens to give Peter Parker nightmares in Amazing Spider-Man #45.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Red Sonja Vol. 2: Mother Review


 


Writers: Mirka Andolfo & Luca Blengino

Artists: Giuseppe Cafaro

Colorists: Chiara Di Francia

Letterers: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou & Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artist: Mirka Andolfo

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $19.99

Release Date: February 7, 2024

 

Baroness Drang threw Red Sonja in her dungeon. A thief named Kebra took Sitha under her wing. Will Kebra help Sitha rescue Red Sonja before the Baroness executes her? Let's hack and slash into Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother and find out!

 

Story

Baroness Drang holds her village—The Feud Of The Seven Gallows—in a reign of terror. Her soldiers regularly arrest people for unspecified crimes. No one survives more than seven days in her dungeon.

 

Kebra steals food for the children orphaned by Baroness Drang’s cruelty. While planning the ultimate heist, Kebra chews grass and leaves for sustenance. If Sitha helps her, Kebra promises to help Sitha rescue Red Sonja. Can Sitha trust the thief to do as she’s promised?

 

The She-Devil has refused food or water for seven days in Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother. Soldiers bring her to Baroness Drang’s Playroom. The tyrant suggests Red Sonja accept death meekly. Yeah, like that’s going to happen!

 


 

 

In Red Sonja Vol 1: Mother, Setubai told Sonja and the carpenter Samosh that the demigoddess Xamul lived inside Sitha. Fear and anger allow Xamul to burn anyone nearby. Kebra demands Sitha use Xamul’s power to break into Baroness Drang’s vault. But the more Sitha draws on Xamul’s power, the more power the girl gives the god.

 

Sitha hails from a mountain village in Kithai. No one’s paying Red Sonja to bring Sitha home. The girl’s not asking Sonja to transport her halfway around the world. Sitha would happily remain by the She-Devil’s side. But Red Sonja knows what it’s like to lose a family. She won’t let Sitha miss a chance to meet her kin.

 

In Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother, Sonja, and Sitha will board a Shahpur freighter and sail across the Sea of Vilayet. Red Sonja allows Captain Beylab to store her sword in his armory. But is Beylab more than a trader in oil and textiles? Can Sonja and Sitha trust him to protect them on a sea where the veil between worlds is as thin as silk?

 


 

 

Throughout this series, Mirka Andolfo & Luca Blengino have discussed the importance of family. While Red Sonja clings to the past, Sitha looks forward. The girl decides who she can trust and assigns them familial roles.

 

In Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother, the authors show how her father shaped Baroness Drang’s character. Sitha declares Samosh is her father, and one sailor becomes her uncle. After Sonja brings her home, Sitha insists that Sonja remains her mother. Is family restricted to blood and marital relations, as Sonja claims? Or is the term sufficiently malleable to include others? And if so, how do we differentiate between family and friends?

 


 

 

Art

Giuseppe Cafaro’s carefree, fluid style captures the energy of Red Sonja’s adventures. Scenes convey the natural beauty of the Hyborian world, the mythical landscapes and creatures of the Vilayet Sea, and the grandeur of a city perched on the slope of an active volcano. The drama never suffers, thanks to a wealth of vibrant characters imbued with warmth and charisma. While Red Sonja rarely lowers her guard, Sitha transforms in an instant. Flames erupt around her, and Xamul’s personality burns in her eyes.

 

Chiara Di Francia fills panels with soft, appealing colors. The She-Devil's eye-catching hair and the rivers of blood flowing through Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother contrast with the backgrounds. Anger fills Sitha’s white hair with red as yellow and orange surround her. Such vibrant colors energize negative silhouettes, coloring the characters and direction lines but leaving all else black. Blue and white speckles suggest the ethereal nature of the Vilayet Sea.


 

The large, uppercase black letters that inhabit white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou & Jeff Eckleberry's energetic, colored sound effects enhance swordfights, bear attacks, arrow strikes, falls into the deadly waters, and the awakening of an ancient god. Yet what lingers is how Xamul’s dialogue balloons turn yellow, orange, and red.

 

In addition to an extensive cover gallery in Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother, inked drawings introduce each issue in the collection. Stylized borders and geometric imprints impart a historic feel, aided by the brown coloring that evokes leather. Splashes of blue adorn the lower portion of each character, while yellow lines near their heads suggest the elemental nature of Red Sonja and Sitha’s power.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Entertainment for providing a copy for review.

 


 

 

Final Thoughts

As they battle mad magical monarchs, meet savage sailors, get carried away by winged wonders, and discover a city of women, Red Sonja and Sitha explore the boundaries of family and how it confuses, distorts, and enriches us in Red Sonja Vol. 2.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 


If you missed my review of the first volume, or wish to refresh your memories of Sitha's early adventures with Red Sonja? Read my review of Red Sonja Vol. 1: Mother.


Friday, March 15, 2024

Give Me Shelter Review


 


Writer: David B. Seaburn

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Paperback: $19.99

Kindle Unlimited: Free

Release Date: December 15, 2022

 

In his novel Give Me Shelter, David B. Seaburn whisks readers back to 1962. As air raid sirens rock Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, eleven-year-old Willie cowers behind the couch, clutching his dog Smoochy. Fears that the Cuban Missile Crisis will fan the flames of war incapacitate the boy. Perhaps he wouldn't suffer panic attacks if his parents still lived or his brother Denny hadn't gone to college. But then, Willie is hardly alone in his fears of nuclear war. His neighbor, Robert Ashwood, has followed the advice in government pamphlets and dug a pit in his backyard. Once his bomb shelter is complete, Robert can fill it with his stockpiled supplies and wait for radiation from any blasts to subside before returning to the surface.

 

Willie doesn’t remember how his parents died. His grandfather Hal never speaks of it. After their death, Hal traded his job at the car dealership for a custodial position at school to be closer to Willie and his older brother. But now Denny is off at college, overcoming his shyness around girls, leaving their house quiet in the evenings, as losing their daughter brought his wife to an early death. Most nights after supper, Willie does his homework, and Hal drinks beer while watching cartoons, the news, and his favorite TV show, "The Twilight Zone."

 

Everyone struggles to hide a secret pain in Give Me Shelter. Willie's friend Lucy dreads the periods between her mother's jobs, believing she's why Trish can never hold a job. Willie and Lucy's friend Preston looks forward to his father returning from military service, not realizing how the stresses of war afflict him. Robert Ashwood's painful upbringing led him to overeat. At least Denny seems capable of coping with college life, even if he struggles to leap the academic gulf. But then a girlfriend enters his life, and the difficulties she faces each day soon complicate their relationship.

 

David B. Seaburn marches his characters down a difficult road. In doing so, he risks creating a meltdown into a soap opera. Yet, as Seaburn gradually reveals aspects of the characters’ repressed past, their intersecting lives help them to find a way forward and help each other heal. Give Me Shelter reminds us of the dangers of giving into fear, the power of uniqueness, and the importance of treating others—and ourselves—with dignity and respect.

 

Thanks to Black Rose Writing for providing a copy for review.

 

Give Me Shelter is available at Amazon.com

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Spectacular Spider-Men #1 Review


 


Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Humberto Ramos

Inker: Victor Olazaba

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Sean Galloway; David Marquez & Romulo Jr. [Foil]; David Nakayama; Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg [Homage]; Dike Ruan & Marte Gracia

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 6, 2024

 

New York’s Gang War brought the spectacular Spider-Men together. Miles Morales signaled he’d like to spend quality time with Peter Parker. What happens when Manhattan and Brooklyn’s webslingers gather for coffee? Let’s grab our lattes, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #1, and find out!

 

Story

Miles Morales is in therapy. Queen Goblin and Kraven the Hunter revealed Peter Parker’s anger, and the Jackal probed his fears. So when times get tough, New York’s Spider-Men stick together! 

 


 

 

In the Spectacular Spider-Men #1, a man risks Contempt Of Court for refusing to tell the truth. Singers perform a heartrending opera. Two people profess their love in Venice, unmenaced by a crazed Water Elemental. While teasing us with these introductions, Greg Weisman gives us a hulked-out smashfest. Or should I say, a Jackal-Hulk Smashfest?

 

Past and present alternate as Peter and Miles break the ice. Laying the framework for a new relationship takes time, especially between two men who have suffered as much trauma as Peter and Miles. The Spectacular Spider-Men #1 gives the webslingers three months to do this. What links Peter and Miles’ meetups at an Empire State University coffee shop with their Jackal-Hulk battle is Dr. Seymour Krepps' discovery. The Jackal's brother, Raymond Aaron Warren, stops by to help. And then there are the leaflets tacked up across campus, offering money to beta testers. University students always need pocket change. 

 


 

 

After seeing Peter and Miles combat Crime Lords, A.I.M. soldiers, Cape Killers, D-Listers, and Z-Listers, it's great to see the two webslingers struggle to subdue such a wild and unrestrained monster. Spider-fans will enjoy seeing Peter and Miles lower their guard and find common ground. Beyond the teasers, relationship dynamics, and the rampaging Jackal-Hulk, the mystery behind the Jackal-Hulk's creation and the discovery of a body in the laboratory promises more Arachnobatic action in the next issue!

 


 

 

Art

Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba portray Peter and Miles with Arachnobatic flair. The spectacular Spider-Men twist and turn with muscles as strong, supple, and balanced as the opera singers' voices. The Jackal-Hulk roars like a green King Kong as it claws and pounds the spider-men, smashes signs, and crashes through walls. Panels stretch across pages, imbuing battles with cinematic appeal, while Miles saves Peter from becoming Jackal-Hulk’s plaything. Puny Spider-Men!

 


 

 

Edgar Delgado lavishes a loaded palette on Ramos and Olazaba’s whimsical coffee shop scenes. The light streaming through the coffee shop windows highlights and shades Peter's interactions with Miles, acquaintances, and laid-back, loveable Kenny. Crosshatching adds aging to Delgado's brown courtroom walls, while the waxed floor resembles glass. Orange, pink, and yellow fill the sky as a woman prepares to board a gondola in Venice. Street lamps glow beneath dark gray clouds at E.S.U. Yet Peter, Miles, and the Jackal-Hulk remain visible on this fraught night in The Spectacular Spider-Men #1. 

 


 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips black, uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons with adequate spacing between lines of text. The appealing font is Spiderifically sized and sufficiently Arachnobatic that shrinkage proves rare. Large-size music notes accompany the lyrics floating across the stage. Colorful roars escape Jackal-Hulk’s T-Rex teeth, permeating his tirades, undaunted by the red, white, and blue Thwips produced by his spider-men adversaries. While early enlarged red words reveal Peter’s frustration, later ones reveal his joy.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 


 

 

Final Thoughts

The Spectacular Spider-Men #1 honors webslinger history as Peter Parker and Miles Morales explore the age gap, find common ground, discover acquaintances old and new, and uncover the Jackal’s legacy at Empire State University.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Last Mermaid #1 Review


 


Writer, Artist, Colorist, Letterer & Cover Artist: Derek Kirk Kim

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

The wind howls across the dunes, uncovering a vehicle in the sand. Beyond rises the ruins of the Golden Gate Bridge. Inside the car’s glass dome, a young woman lays curled up on her side. Bubbles escape her mouth. What is her story? Let’s dive into The Last Mermaid #1 and find out!

 

Story

Amber light colors the cloudy skies. Dunes cover the straight that once connected San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. Yet water fills the vehicle’s transparent cockpit. Wherever the woman hails from, it’s not here.

 

A salamander named Lottie awakens her. An instrument indicates rising water toxicity. After sleeping through the sandstorm, the woman struggles to get her bearings in The Last Mermaid #1. She knows she must change the water in the cockpit soon.

 

She revs the engine. The wheels spin. Still, the dune holds the vehicle fast. So she rises in the cockpit, and the rover follows suit. It stands on its legs and sprouts its arms. Now, in her walker, she can leap clear of the dune.

 

In The Last Mermaid #1, Derek Kirk Kim introduces us to an explorer. She travels to an abandoned or sparsely settled land. The outside environment is toxic to her. Yet her rover cannot sustain life much longer. Haunted by the urgency of her situation, we watch rapt as the unnamed woman searches for fresh water. We wonder where she comes from, why she is here, and hope that despite the odds against her, she will survive.

 

Art

Aside from the broken and tilted bridge, no sign of human civilization rises above the dunes. The woman’s innocent features mirror her pet’s childlike expression. Dark hair frames her face, and her lower body sports a tail. As her eyes open, close, and reopen, the digital water toxicity readout rises from 86% to 87%. As she sits up, her dark hair wafts off her shoulders. Bubbles rise from the gills in her neck.

 

Light pierces the thick tangerine sky and bathes objects in yellow. Rust turns the brown metal and concrete bridge red. The cockpit’s interior ranges from light to dark green. The yellow light illuminates the woman, tinting her skin light blue. In the immersive and compelling reality of The Last Mermaid #1, scenes reveal character and convey grandeur.

 

Uppercase black letters float in white dialogue balloons. An alarm scatters Beeps across panels. Lottie nibbles our explorer's face. Big letters rise, crest, and fall as the engine roars and the wheels spin. A white oval and a large Bump suggest the salamander's hunger to travel.

 

 

Final Thoughts

A mermaid and her pet roam a world that once belonged to us in The Last Mermaid #1. As they hunt for the water they need to survive, a cloaked figure without a face follows their progress in this mesmerizing and atmospheric debut.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11 Review


 


Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Dan Schoening

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Dan Schoening & Luis Antonio Delgado; Jack Lawrence & Gigi Dutreix

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 6, 2024

 

When Leonardo shattered the replica of the Forever Blade, he and Shredder landed in feudal Japan. Shredder used Eddiku Yuri’s original sword to travel Back To The Future. Time-traveling Renet helped Donatello open a dimensional portal to get Leonardo home. Can Donatello use the replica’s fragments to track the energy signature of Shredder’s original? Let's order a pizza, tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11, and find out!

 

Story

The artist Kai Eddiku used alien ore to forge his replica sword. Donatello tracks the ore in Eddiku Yuri's original sword and determines Shredder’s general vicinity. But until Shredder opens another dimensional portal, Donatello can't pinpoint his location. Thankfully for Donatello, Shredder opens a doozy to bring a new Technodrome from Dimension X. How will the turtles reach him before Shredder uses the battle fortress to unleash destruction on Earth? Say, might Michelangelo have the answer?

 

The final story in The Two Swords Meet trilogy brings the turtles to Long Island. It’s a gobstopper of a read, flavored with furious action and witty banter as the turtles battle to prevent Armageddon. Better yet, Erik Burnham gives each character a significant task that propels the plot to its epic conclusion.

 

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11, Raphael is our viewpoint character, translating Donatello's technobabble and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking. Hard work and determination bring the turtles to the fight. From there, they've got to work together to prevent Shredder from accomplishing his plans. Michelangelo's wacky brilliance demonstrates the pluses and perils of playing with power irresponsibly, and Leonardo reminds us why he's the leader of the “Heroes in a Half Shell.”

 

Renet’s role in the trilogy approximates that of the White Guardian in the Doctor Who series The Key to Time. Expect a few cameos, including one from another popular IDW franchise. But don’t be like Bebop and Rocksteady. Bring snacks as you ponder the paradoxes in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11!

 


 

 

Art

Dan Schoening welcomes readers into Donatello’s underground laboratory with perplexed turtles and a sad emoji. Krang’s classic lowrider adds a touch of class to a barren plot in Long Island. As Shredder raises his sword and opens a transdimensional portal, his cape lifts to embrace the spherical Technodrome. Bebop and Rocksteady's mouths gape while Krang smiles as his long-desired Battle Fortress emerges from the angry void that slowly devours the sky.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado contrasts Shredder’s blue portal with Leonardo’s yellow one. Fern green bushes, brown dirt, and an aqua sky form the backdrop for Eric Burnham's "The Two Swords Meet" story. Shredder slashes the Forever Blade and fills Long Island with colorful Foot Soldiers and white robots. Delgado colors Shoening’s Deathstar-like Technodrome in shades of purple. Its centerpiece—a glowing red eye—evokes a villain from another popular film series.

 

Ed Dukeshire’s uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons are a sight for sore mutant-lovers' eyes. Energetic and colorful sound effects help us hear Donatello's devices, Raphael skewer Foot Soldiers, and Leonardo delivers his master stroke. Immense silver letters herald the entry of Renet’s Little Weirdness. Let’s hope the surprise guests stick around longer than she estimates, at least until the next issue!

 

Thanks to my compadres at IDW for providing a copy of this cowabunga issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

The Turtles must use all their strengths to prevent the Technodrome from striking back in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17 Review


 


Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artists: Partha Pratim & Federico Vicentini

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Federico Vicentini & Richard Isanove; Ario Anindito; Mateus Manhanini

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 28, 2023

 

Despite Hobgoblin’s help, Rabble still struggles to talk to machines. She scavenged technology from A.I.M. and Beyond but can't repair what Spider-Man broke. Can the talented weapon designer find the key to restoring her powers?  Let's ignite our venom-sabers, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17, and find out!

 

Story

Rabble invades her next target: Roxxon Tech Depot #32-B. Searching the company’s records alerts Security to her presence, and they send guards to apprehend her. If only Rabble's ability to talk to tech wasn't so wonky!

 

Shift and Ms Marvel help Miles fight the new D-Lister Zip Zephyr. The Olympian revels in his ability to channel wind. Unlike Gust, Zip has yet to comprehend the consequences of his actions. The Gang War prompted New York citizens to overturn Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Law. Don't expect the blowhard baddie to repay the city by joining Agent Gao’s Cape Killers. 

 

Benjamin Rabin killed Miles’ friend, Ms. Marvel. Rabble destroyed Miles' home and threatened his family. After two Body-Shaming remarks about Shift in two issues, Miles and Ms Marvel work to boost Shift's ego. Helping others with their mental health reminds Miles he's late for his therapy session. So it's time to thwip the friendly skies in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

The Gang War cost Agent Gao her job. The voters spoke, and superhero Mayor Cage can do what he wants. Agent Gao knows that for every superpowered individual who tries to help others, a dozen like Zip Zephyr revel in their power and seek to better their own lives at the expense of others. She deployed superpowered people in a supervised and responsible manner with her Cape Killers crew. Don't expect Agent Gao to accept being seconded to Vice quietly in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

The biggest story in this issue is Miles' ongoing battle with stress. Trauma affects our psyche in countless ways, and Dr Kwan reminds Miles that there are no cures for mental health. At least this time Miles patrols the city while sharing his concerns instead of hiding in Misty's headquarters. Managing his stress and priorities gives Miles an idea. His plan may be unrealistic, as Starling points out. Still, Miles is an optimist. If he can help another soul in torment, Miles is going to try!

 


 

 

Art

Electricity crackles around masked Rabble as she swoops through the Roxxon Tech Depot on her glider. Bullet casings fly as fire blossoms from rifles. Energy swords slash. Blood sprays. Lights glow from the silhouette of her weaponized exoskeleton. Clouds frame Rabble's return to the sky, her drones in close pursuit.

 

Partha Pratim & Federico Vicentini’s loosely drawn double-page spreads feature sharp angles and convey movement. Zip Zephyr's windy backpack hurls a car into the air. Miles thwips webs at the Olympian that evoke throwing stars. Shift may not ace Ms Marvel's exercises. Still, her joy shows as her enormous fist raps against that of Miles’ clone in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

Bright foregrounds dazzle while backgrounds fade. The sky outside compliments the shoulders of Agent Gao’s white jacket, shirt, and slacks. The distant light-yellow skyscrapers compliment Luke Cage's shirt, a reminder of who rules this city. Dr Kwan’s blue and yellow clothes suggest that, like Luke Cage, she’s more concerned with effectiveness than adhering rigidly to a rulebook. Curiously, Brian Valenza casts Miles’ memory of Rabble in yellow. To what extent did Fisk’s law propel Raneem Rashad down her dark path?

 

Cory Petit thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17. The large, thin font grows bold for inflection and turns lavender during Rabble’s tetchy Tech Talks. Miles' thoughts appear as white letters in red narrative boxes. Roaring rifles and swishing swords accompany Rabble’s ruckus in Roxxon. Displaced air and brutal takedowns remind upstart Olympians that New York City is not their playground. Shift and Ms Marvel's fist bump likely pumps up Miles. Isn’t it great when your friends get along?

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 


 

 

Final Thoughts

Heroes decide to convert a supervillain, and a public servant decides the ends justify the means in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.