How Times Have Changed

Last week while I waited for my wife to have outpatient surgery, I read a short story from Kevin J Anderson's anthology War Of The Worlds: Global Dispatches. It imagined Winston Churchill in South Africa meeting a character from H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quartermain novels. 

 

I also read End Of The Line, a free short story I downloaded from Book Funnel. It concerns two immigrants trying to escape certain death in Central America by sneaking into the USA via Mexico. It's a particularly vivid portrayal of the difficulties faced by illegal immigrants, and serves as a prequel to a novel Jeff Kerr will release later this year.

 

While she had surgery, and then slept in Recovery, I read three issues of Bishop War College. For more, see my review of Bishop War College #4.

 

 

During the week, and later when my wife had to spend two nights in the hospital, I read A Contest Of Principles by Greg Cox. While Kirk oversees an election on one planet, McCoy goes missing on another. Spock follows the doctor, but gets kidnapped for his troubles. I haven't finished it yet, but it's nice to read a new novel set during the period of the original series. 

In my youth, I hunted for Star Trek books in bookstores, and comics on convenience store spinner racks. I rarely found everything I wanted, and few original novels set during the original series had been published. Now I read comics online, and can read books on my phone and kindle. Maybe I'm easily impressed, but I'm still a little in awe of how radically times have changed.

 

Haunthology Vol. 1 Review

 

Writer, Artist & Letterer: Jeremy Haun

Cover Artists: Jeremy Haun & Brennan Wagner

Publisher: Image

Price: $16.99

Release Date: May 3, 2023

 

How many words does a writer need to induce fear? How many pictures must an artist use to provoke wonder or outrage? Let’s lock our doors, open Jeremy Haun’s Haunthology Vol. 1, and find out!

 

Story

The Covid-19 pandemic hit us hard in so many ways. After publishers halted major projects, Jeremy Haun had time on his hands. Restless and needing to create, he appealed to his inner voice for solace. Over time, ideas came to him. Hastur came first, but there would be many more. He wrote and drew as they came, with no plan in place. He struggled to cope with what they all meant, eventually realizing that they represented the struggles and hardships that we all faced during the pandemic. In a way, we're all still there, fighting to pull ourselves free and get on with our lives.

 

Haunthology Vol. 1 includes twenty-seven entries in what Jeremy Haun calls his Haunverse. These vignettes and short stories capture his attempt to face the horrors of that time head-on. I've tried to group them by themes, but readers will doubtless find that the stories speak to them differently.

 

Sickness & Death

I enjoyed Haun’s poetic voice in Kingdom Of Dust And Bone. All The Stars reminds us of the awe our universe can invoke. Still In Here suggests a metaphor for zombie tales that had never occurred to me before. One Summer Night speaks to facing our fears. Are the dangers imagined or real?

 

Compulsion, Inspiration, & Creativity

In Sabbatical At The Elms, a horror writer travels to haunted locations to write and wishes he saw something that scared him. I loved this story of the writer's process that tackles the age-old questions: "How do you get your ideas?" and "Where do they come from?" In The Day The Internet Died, a man finds that reading books brings more pleasure than scrolling through his social media feed: an all-too-important reminder of how we choose to relax amid our busy lives. Fever Dream in Haunthology Vol. 1 tackles a writer's concern over his creativity: is it limitless or finite? To Finish tackles the compulsion to write and the battle against perfectionism.

 

Isolation

A man hunting for supplies in The Private rejoices in finding working facilities. This story reminded me of John Wyndham's novel The Day Of The Triffids. Haun’s story The Package asks: Did Stay At Home orders prompt consumerism and materialism? A Haunthology Silent Night reminds us how holidays define our lives, even when cut off from family and friends.

 

Order Versus Chaos

The story The Coin tackles how relationships diverge and how—like Alice—we can all disappear in a rabbit hole. Rooms In The Flat House continues this story as a man searches for his loved one. He enters a house that changes and makes no sense. It reminded me of The House That Jack Built, an episode of The Avengers featuring John Steed and Emma Peel. The Importance Of Making Lists reminds us how this simple practice sharpens our focus and fends off despair. I wish I would follow this routine more, albeit not in the same way as the unseen writer.

 

 

Art

All the art in Haunthology Vol. 1 is Black & White. Haun’s linework is precise and enthralling. He rarely paints or shades except through inking. I appreciated the realism of his imagery.

 

In Probable Moments, the writer's creativity, and alertness to the outside world, remind us how interconnected our lives are. It reminded me of Roger Zelazny’s 180s illustrated novel The Changeling. The Monday After Monday tackles the disconnectedness of isolation and how the pandemic seemed like the world was ending. It reminded me of the 2010 movie Monsters and H. G. Wells' classic War Of The Worlds. By The Sea, From The Sea brought to mind Nevil Shute's 1957 novel On The Beach and Leo's graphic novel Aldebaran. Kit-Cat reminded me how iconic those old-fashioned black and whites were. The Arsenal speaks to how fear of civilization breaking down can lead to stockpiling food--and yes--weapons. Finally, Haun invokes the Cthulhu mythos in two stories: Shoggoth In An Alley Behind A Bar In A Small Town and Hastur. Did these stories suggest the cover?

 

The lettering is on the smaller side, but it's all uppercase. Only one story, The Class Of 1894, did I struggle to read. The flowing script of the diary entries stressed my eyes, even when magnified. Still, how could I not like a story that reminded me of a favorite GRIMM episode and John Wyndham's classic novel? Curiously, Haun departs from his usual precise penciling in this story. The portraits seem more painted—or perhaps ink washed--albeit in Black & White.  

 

 

Final Thoughts

In Haunthology Vol. 1, Jeremy Haun struggles to cope with the pandemic that threatens to destroy everything he loves and values. These brief tales of terror grab us like Hastur's slimy tentacles and force us to face our fears and live each day to its fullest.

 

Rating 9/10 

 

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

Ghost Rider #14 Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Pencilers: Cory Smith & Brent Peeples

Inkers: Oren Junior & Brent Peeples

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

 

Bonus Story: Memories Of The Tide

Writer: Jon Tsuei

Penciler: Tadam Gyadu

Colorist: Brian Reber

 

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Bjorn Barends, Rod Reis, In-Hyuk Lee

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date:

May 10, 2023

 

Johnny Blaze and former F.B.I. agent Talia Warroad found devastation in Savannah, Georgia, and charred bodies in an Occult nightclub in Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. Talia determined the perpetrator was Danny Ketch. Can Johnny and Talia prevent his brother from committing more atrocities? Let's hop on our motorcycles, roar into Ghost Rider #14, and find out!

 

Story

Infernal Labs got 20 million dollars for signing Danny. Dr. Diyu promised Danny peace by freeing him from the spirit. But what does she--and those backing her--expect in return?

 

Johnny discovered Danny's whereabouts. Infernal Labs responded with a knock-out punch of hellacious sound. When Johnny awakens in a budget motel, three days have passed. Talia's worried about their chances of rescuing Danny and taking Infernal Labs down. So she helps him get his mojo back. I don't want to spoil your hellfire readthrough, but Johnny will be surprised when he leaves the motel room.

 

Dr. Diyu shares her troubled past with Danny in Ghost Rider #14. Now he knows what drives her but not what she plans to achieve by severing him from the spirit. Nor does he seem conscious of all those who've died from his actions recently. Does he even realize what his Ghost Rider is doing once they place the helmet on his head, supercharge his powers, and send him off on mission

s?

 

While Benjamin Percy's brought us up to speed with Dr. Diyu and Danny in this issue (and the last), I didn’t understand the timeline of Danny’s missions given in this issue. Still, he's made this story arc easy to follow for a series newby. I appreciate that.

 

 

 

Art

The pencilers and inkers deliver panels with sharply drawn characters and fully realized backgrounds. Nothing's clean or pristine in Ghost Rider #14. Like Johnny and Talia's motel room, their world could use more than a quick clean and polish. Surfaces and fabrics show wear and deterioration. Johnny's features show that continually flaming on and off has taken its toll. Talia's pants are wrinkled and ripped. Tattoos cover her skin, and piercings puncture her nose and lips. Walls, workstations, and equipment in Infernal Labs manage to look dirty, yet walls and workstations show reflections. Or perhaps they're singed from their experiments on Danny? There's a lot of inking going on here, but it gives the characters and settings drama.

 

Careful readers may notice that Brent Peeples' pages look less clear and detailed. Still, it's not a glaring difference that'll inflame fans. Given the richness of Cory Smith and Oren Junior's art, I can understand their need to draft in a replacement now and then. I'm more troubled by the difference between a childhood photo in Dr. Diyu’s office and a flashback from her brother's life. But then, I've never been all that hot at guessing people's ages.

 

Bryan Valenza’s rich and nuanced coloring shows light sources, highlights, and shadows. His shading enhances Ghost Rider #14's lived-in appeal. The flames wreathing Danny's Ghost Rider skull look cinematic and remind me of the Terminator movies.

 

Travis Lanham makes the story easy to read with uppercase black lettering. His dialogue balloons are easy to follow. He shares Dr. Diyu’s off-panel dialogue in orange-tinged narrative boxes. Thankfully, his sound effects enliven the action without making us hear frequencies that'll sicken us, drive us mad, or melt our faces off. 

 

 

 

 

Memories Of The Tide introduces Ghost Rider fans to Taegukgi, who's traveled from South Korea to Santa Cruz, California. The police don't want his help, but Johnny Blaze does. Tadam Gyadu’s art in this Tiger Division story looks more like Brent Peeples' than Smith and Junior's. It's fresh and clean and communicates the story effectively. Brian Reber’s bright, vibrant coloring suits the sunny beach community. The villain looks suitably frightening, and the flashbacks are dark and dramatic. Jon Tsuei enhances his haunting story with a buddy cop vibe. Still, I'm not sure the Santa Cruz tourist board will thank Marvel for publishing this story.

 

Final Thoughts

Infernal Labs holds Danny Ketch in thrall. Dr. Diyu swatted Johnny Blaze down in the last issue. As Johnny and Talia Warroad mount a rescue, Dr. Diyu threatens to unleash the ultimate result of her research. Great art, strong-yet-fragile characters, and family drama build to a cliffhanger ending in Ghost Rider #14.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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

Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1 Review

 

Writer: Mike Mignola

Artist & Colorist: Jesse Lonergan

Letterer: Clem Robins

Cover Artists: Jesse Lonergan; Mike Mignola with Dave Stewart

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 17, 2023

 

In 1883, Tefnut Trionus, the Queen of the Heliotropic Brotherhood, asked Miss Truesdale to attend her. She understands that the men of their order—dedicated to preserving the secrets of a long-forgotten age--are making Miss Truesdale's life difficult. But how can Tefnut—the reincarnation of Eugene Remy, who founded the Heliotropic Brotherhood—force Victorian gentlemen to accord her more respect? Let's unsheathe our swords, leap into Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1, and find out!

 

Story

Tefnut claims to be the reincarnation of Eugene Remy, who founded the Heliotropic Brotherhood. She wishes to relate a dream to Miss Truesdale. In the late 19th Century, Miss Truesdale would have traveled from London to the Heliotropic Brotherhood's headquarters in Paris. While that's a hundred years after Percy Blakeney rescued aristocrats from Madam Guillotine during the French Revolution, the methods of travel likely wouldn't have changed much. Miss Truesdale would have traveled by stagecoach from London to Dover. Assuming the tides favored her, she would have boarded a ship heading across the English Channel. (If not, Miss Truesdale would have spent the night in a local inn). After arriving in France, she would board another coach and travel to Paris. We don't learn why Miss Truesdale traveled there or how long she’s been in Paris. It seems a long way to ride in jolting wooden carriages and across a choppy sea if it's just to hear about someone's dream.

 

Tefnut’s dream concerns two women. Both were slaves. The first—I’m assuming her name is Anum Yassa, as that’s what the Hyperborean spectators chant—fights in the arena, using an axe that belonged to her father. The second—a woman taken from the river people of Gerrona--brings her food and drink after her battles. Neither Anum’s hair nor her figure reminds me of Red Sonja. Still, her origin story is similar, and her outfit seems like a cross between Red Sonja's and that of Gilad Anni-Padda, also known as the Eternal Warrior.

 

The women discuss Tefnut's dream, and then Miss Truesdale returns home. She seems to draw strength from it, but I suspect it also troubles her. Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1 may be a five-minute read, but I look forward to seeing what comes next. Hopefully, Mike Mignola will give us more to sink our teeth into in issue #2.

 

 

 

 

Art

Jesse Lonergan's carefree, hand-drawn imagery doesn't glamorize his characters, but he does give them personality. Most Hyperboreans look large and roughly shaped in Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1. They certainly contrast with Tefnut, the prim and proper Miss Truesdale, and the Victorian gentlemen of the brotherhood. Perhaps nature or the divine grew more refined as time went on. I especially enjoyed the London scenes: the cobblestone streets and Miss Truesdale's cultured and well-appointed flat. She seems quiet, respectful, erudite, and reverent.

 

Lonergan employs a limited color palette in Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1. Yellow, red, brown, and gray are his primary colors. His coloring appears blotchy as if he's dabbing darker tones—or another color—to provide depth and interest. Despite the heavy use of brown and gray, vibrant colors provide strong contrast. His faces remind me of Roman frescoes assembled from tiny clay tiles.

 

Letterer Clem Robins’ uppercase black lettering is easy on the eyes. He uses colored sound effects during the gladiatorial games and fills the air with the crowd's chant. They may not be shouting Thulsa Doom's, but you can imagine how hearing her name, echoing across the arena, would empower Anum to conquer her opponents.

 

Final Thoughts

Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1 marks a new entry in the ever-expanding Hellboy universe. I look forward to discovering how Tefnut's dream about an undefeated female gladiator influences Miss Truesdale’s future in her close-knit male-dominated society.

 

Rating 7.3/10

 

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

Immortal Sergeant #5 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist & Cover Artist: Ken Niimura

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 17, 2023

 

Michael's accompanying his estranged father, James Sergeant, on a road trip. His wife, Val, can’t understand why the mild-mannered internet game designer would help his uncouth, irascible father apprehend a suspect in a case so cold it’s icy. Is what they’re doing even legal? Let’s ignore police regulations, investigate Immortal Sergeant #5, and find out!

 

Hey, don’t taze me, Bro. I'm just the reviewer!

 

Story

The suspect: Aaron "Crusher" Birdsall. Drug dealer, scumbag, murderer. Accused of killing his child, the judge let him walk. After he left the court, James never saw him again. Aaron’s brother Harold likewise disappeared. That is until James spotted him in a bar in issue #3. James kept the victim's shoe in his glove box for 35 years. Suddenly, days before retirement, he's got a shot

 at justice for 1-year-old Lateisha.

 

Instead of attending his retirement dinner, James follows a bus into Mexico. While he doesn't want to admit it—even to himself—he wants his son by his side. Perhaps he hopes that this trip will bring them closer together. But the gulf between them will take a long time to cross. 

 

Racial profiling, cultural and gender stereotypes, white cops versus the black community: it’s all grist for the mill in Immortal Sergeant #5.

 

Art

Ken Niimura delivers a hard-hitting story that tackles broken families and politically incorrectness as a thirty-five-page Black-and-White cartoon. You can feel the tension rise when James shows Michael Lateisha’s shoe. You smile as Michael bonds with a sombrero-wearing clerk over his game. Fireworks enliven Michael's confrontation with his father over police ethics. Scenes at Michael's mother's house, where Rhoda tells Val why she divorced James, draw you in.

 

The uppercase words in spherical dialogue balloons are easy to read and follow. Music notes accompany alerts from Michael's phone. Lowered voices for smaller letters infrequently appear. Occasional sound effects enliven this offensive and controversial comic. As unsophisticated as the art (and the story's primary character), the lettering eases you through Immortal Sergeant #5.

 

Final Thoughts

This issue takes a bold and unapologetic look at how police relate to their families and the public. It tackles corruption within the American justice system and reminds us how the generation gap often becomes the Grand Canyon. There’s a lot wrong with James Sergeant, as the remnants of his family will readily attest. But there’s not a lot wrong with Immortal Sergeant #5.

 

Rating 8/10

 

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

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 Review

 

Writer: Danny Lore

Artist: Karen S. Darboe

Colorist: Cris Peter

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Karen S. Darboe & Cris Peter; Betsy Cola; David Mack; Joshua “Sway” Swaby

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 17, 2023

 

The teen years can be rough. But no one's life has changed more radically than Brielle's. Thankfully, her father has entered her life and explained her dhampir heritage. Can Blade help her hone her newfound powers to become a legendary monster hunter like him? Grab your wooden stakes, leap into Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 with me, and let’s find out!

 

Story

Who hasn’t lost someone important to them and wanted them back? In Brielle’s case, it’s a father she’s never known. Suddenly he’s there for her when she needs him most. He trains her to use her new powers and gives her presents. (Well, warrior presents). She can even hug him, and he'll hug back. Now she's got a real family like everyone else. Only she hasn't. Someone abducted her mom!

 

Blade plays the responsible dad and sends her to school the next day. Her friends Jay and Rebecca are there for her, but New Girl Whitney provokes her. Catfight! Meanwhile, Blade’s got his knives out at a cemetery. He may have more experience than Brielle, but neither fight goes according to plan in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4.

 

I had trouble understanding the events following Brielle and Whitney's fight. One aspect concerns Whitney. The second is how the school enforces the principal's decision. There's also a mention of cloning. Huh? Tell me more about how that works, please! Still, the biggest mystery is why Blade—a dhampir or Daywalker—wears his Sunglasses At Night.

 

What’s that? So he can keep track of the visions in his eyes? Thanks for that, Corey Hart!

 

 

 

 

Art

Karen S. Darboe certainly likes her inks. Instead of drawing fully-realized backgrounds, she often delivers black splatter. Some panels remind me of watching an inker apply inks mixed with varying amounts of water to paper at a recent convention. The effect suggests shadows, dirt, and smoke. She often centers smaller panels on pages. I found this distracting on one page, as Brielle’s black boot frames the left side of the page, and Whitney’s yellow tennis shoe stands out on the right. Still, showcasing the latter allowed her to capitalize on it in the bathroom scene.

 

Jay and Rebecca are Brielle's friends and her primary support group. Yet their features always look a little blurry to me. Likewise, Blade and Brielle's battles often blur, as if vampires and monster hunters move too fast to capture. Still, I liked how Darboe shows Brielle's emotions in the opening scenes as twinkling stars, an ellipsis, and a dragonfly. I also enjoyed how she shows Brielle's reflection in Blade's sunglasses.

 

 

 

The coloring in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 is fiery, feisty, and fun. You’ll see that immediately with Brielle’s purple and pink hair. Cris Peter paints scenes and characters in appealing colors and disguises all-too-many blank backgrounds with a textured color wash that seems like a colorist's response to an artist's love of ink blotting and spattering. Perhaps the white tears on Brielle's dark face aren't realistic, but they communicate.

 

Joe Sabino’s uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons is easy to read and follow. He displays Brielle's thoughts in pinky-purple narrative boxes that contrast with the black lettering. I particularly enjoyed how he expresses Brielle's shock at the damaged, blood-splattered kitchen.

 

As with the story, I didn't understand the art in a few panels in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4. These chiefly involved Blade. I don't want to throw out any spoilers, but twice he screams (or yells—sorry, Real Vampire Hunters don't scream). I'm not sure why. Was Blade in pain or merely trying to distract Deacon Frost?

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 delivers a teen-friendly story of family, empowerment, and the supernatural in an appealing, all-ages package. With a new Blade series hitting comic shops this July, there’s never been a better time to discover the world of Marvel’s night-stalking Daywalker.

 

Rating 8/10

 

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

Monarch #4 Review

 

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artist: Alex Lins

Colorists: Luis Nct & Mar Silvestre Galotto

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Cover Artists: Alex Lins & Luis Nct; Chris Visions

Publisher: Image

Price: 3.99

Release Date: May 10, 2023

 

Kurt’s mother walked out on him. His father found solace in alcohol. So where does that leave Kurt? And how are Travon and Daysha faring amid the alien invasion of Earth? Let’s leap into Monarch #4 and find out!

 

Story

Kurt’s never fit in anywhere. Other kids at school—and on social media—seem happy. Yet he doesn't desire that. Anger sustains and drives him. With aliens destroying society, he can’t afford to weaken. He can't trust friendship. He can't give in to sadness. He needs to protect himself, which means protecting his anger.

 

Although he was integral to their plans, the aliens now realize Travon has turned against them. He races toward the school, focused on saving Daysha. In the previous two issues, writer Rodney Barnes defined Travon more by his relationship with Miss Wilamae and Marli, his foster mother, and sister. Now he neither mentions nor mourns them. I wish I’d seen more of Travon’s relationship with Daysha. Perhaps then I'd understand why he's turning his back on his kin--an entire species--solely for her.

 

I like how Barnes interweaves story strands involving Travon and those he left behind at his school. While he begins in the past with Kurt, I never confused flashbacks with scenes currently taking place in Monarch #4.

 

 

Art

Alex Lins grounds us in Kurt's home life. Kurt occasionally emerges from panels that show his neighborhood, how he dresses, and his expression and body language as he moves through his house. The boy cooks and dines alone. Left to his own devices, he discovers his father's weapons. As he sits on the front porch, his father’s features hide in shadow, only emerging when a tear trickles down his face.

 

Unlike the last issue, Monarch #4 feels newly born. While we recognize Travon covered in alien technology and the giant walkers, the art looks invigorated, and the panels are fleshed out. More than any previous issue, this seems more a tale for adults than designed for children. In addition to the walk-through of Kurt's home, I especially liked Travon’s battle with the walkers, a view inside the alien ship, and the new weapons it produces to bring Travon down.

 

 

 

 

We see Kurt's home in greens and browns. Travon's battle with the walkers leaps off the page with blues, yellows, oranges, and reds. Unlike the invading aliens, few of Travon’s panels show pink anymore. This issue seemed more nuanced colorwise than its predecessors. I especially liked a panel that shows Travon in shadow, emerging as a silhouette amid fiery destruction. Amoeba-like tech covers his dark body, and his glasses are colored orange. He may not be a liquid metal T-1000, but Travon looks badass thanks to artist Alex Lins and colorists Luis Nct and Mar Silvestre Galotto.

 

Marshall Dillon relates Kurt's story in orange narrative boxes. The first time I read Monarch #4, I would have appreciated time/place/person markers: I got a page into Travon's story before I realized that I was no longer reading Kurt's thoughts. While green narrative boxes showcase Travon's thoughts, I was tired after my Free Comic Book Day revels and didn't notice the switchover. But then, who doesn't read comics at the end of a long day? Isn't that when we need them most?

 

That said, Marshall Dillon does a fine job relating thoughts and dialogue. Despite several large—or even one-page—panels, Barnes and Lins pack nearly 120 panels into 22 pages. We encounter narrative boxes, uppercase lettering in dialogue balloons, and sound effects in most of them. Thanks to Barnes' concise writing, he and Dillon deliver a story that doesn't bog down in unnecessary dialogue or exposition.

 

Final Thoughts

Amid a Wellsian tale of planetary invasion, this series has highlighted problems such as inner-city poverty, gangs, and the foster child system. Filled with compelling art, Monarch #4 asks why people act out their pain by hurting others. And why can't we, as a society, reduce the frequency of such acts? In an era when mass shootings regularly dominate the news, these may prove the most difficult to answer.

 

Rating 9.5/10

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

 

 

Star Signs #1 Review

 

Star Signs #1 Review

Writer: Saladin Ahmed

Artist: Megan Levens

Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Megan Levens & Kelly Fitzpatrick; Colleen Doran

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 3, 2023

 

A woman stands on a snowy hilltop. While others peer through telescopes, she gazes at the sky. Then she slams down another woman’s laptop and dismisses the Lieutenant and his troops. After the others depart, she climbs the hill with another man, who asks if she’s ready to become more than she’s ever been. No, we’re not seeing Jane Foster, Darcy, and Erik Selvig. No, it's not an MCU movie. So, who are these people, and what’s about to happen? Let’s break out our astrological charts, study Star Signs #1, and see what we can divine!

 

Story

Instead of New Mexico, the action takes place in Northwest Canada. Tatiana and Mister Duke witness a unique conjunction of the stars. More than anyone else, she understands how much he’s sacrificed. All his plans will finally achieve fruition. Together they will watch the stars die.

 

Unlike in Robert Charles Wilson's novel Spin, only constellations relating to the zodiac vanish in Star Signs #1. Yet life goes on. For Lebanese caterer Rana Fawaaz, it's not a fulfilling one. While her father travels the world, playing his oud with famous musicians, she smokes a joint and dreads serving “rich art world jerks who are going to yell at her.”

 

Still, now she dreams of glittering fire. When she awakens, she remembers the stars that vanished. Today, when Rana grows angry or irritated, a startling metamorphosis will occur.

 

It’s too soon to say how this series will compare with Jon Tsuei and Audrey Mok’s comic series Sera and the Royal Stars, let alone Stan Lee and Stuart Moore's Zodiac Legacy novels. Still, Star Signs #1 has its charms. I like how her roommate Tyler records people's feelings about the stars' disappearance before the media and the internet tell him how to remember it. I also like the cameo from one of the most legendary bands in rock music history. Ultimately, I'm left wondering how new new-found power relates to the cliffhanger ending. 

 

 

 

Art

Clad in her insulated pants and parka, Tatiana leaves her short-cropped hair uncovered. She strides purposely, stares intently, and snaps orders. She never draws the gun from her holster, yet people obey her instantly. She affords the Lieutenant a knowing smile as she says, "We can take care of ourselves." Yet when Mister Duke appears, her gaze softens, and her expression grows subservient, even reverent.

 

Wearing an extralarge knitted hat over his long hair, Rana's roommate Tyler is relaxed and unpretentious. He believes he's doing important work. Rana's father smiles and overflows with effervescent joy. I enjoyed comparing glimpses of his fellow musicians with photos of these legendary rockers. Sadly, only Rana—the central character in this issue—lacks appeal as she struggles to cope with her life.

 

Artist Megan Levens brings us the pristine beauty of a snowy mountaintop, the sky showing through the window-filled walls of a modern airport, Rana and Tyler's homey apartment, the sterile confines of a commercial kitchen, and an austere art gallery. Yet it falls to Rana to inform us that she lives in New York City.

 

All the snow drifting through the green, blue, and purple sky gives these opening pages a three-dimensional appeal. The first page showing the zodiac seemed simplistic, but the coloring in the double-page spread showing the missing constellations invokes awe. Throughout Star Signs #1, Kelly Fitzpatrick contributes bright and attractive colors. Walls receive texturing, marijuana smoke resembles billowing clouds, and characters wear eye-catching clothes. What little we see of NYC in the early evening appeals. Rana's transformation reminds us of her dreams.

 

Letterer Shawn Lee delivers big, black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons and rectangular narrative boxes. Big white lettering locates us in time and space. Perhaps the lack of sound effects gives the colorful dialogue in the final panel more punch. But my favorite lettering moment in this easy-to-read comic comes when Rana's unwinding after work. As she puffs away, the classic lyrics of David Bowie drift through the smoke-filled apartment. I wonder if his song inspired writer Saladin Ahmed's new series.

 

Final Thoughts

Are you feeling overwhelmed today? The strong characters, appealing art, and intriguing premise of Star Signs #1 will converge to bring you joy. Despite the slow-paced introduction, you will look forward to seeing how Tatiana and Rana's lives align and how they adapt to the changes destined to rock their worlds.

 

Rating 8.5/10

 

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