WonderCon Spotlight: Dustin Nguyen

 

Yesterday, I attended a panel on Dustin Nguyen. He gave up a lucrative career in engineering because he loved comics. He got his start at Stan Lee Media, where an older artist mentored him (in return for teaching his idol how to use Photoshop and other computer programs). After working for years at Wildstorm, he pursued his love of drawing Batman at DC Comics. He's illustrated creator-owned projects, such as the Descender series with writer Jeff Lemire at Image Comics, but he keeps returning to Batman because he loves drawing the character so much.

Thanks to Boom! Studios editor Dafna Pleban for hosting this lively Q & A with Dustin!

 

If you're in Southern California, you can find Dustin at his table in the Exhibit Hall at Wondercon.

WonderCon Spotlight: Cosmic Creators: Contact!

 

Yesterday, I met artist Mimi Alves and writer Ben Crane at Wondercon. They spoke enthusiastically about their first graphic novel, Cosmic Cadets: Contact! It's a story about the children of space explorers who have their adventure. The IDW imprint Top Shelf published their story. If you're in Southern California, you can chat with these exciting creators at the IDW booth, snag a free bookmark or pin, and buy their new book for the young readers in your life!

To learn more about Cosmic Cadets: Contact!, check out their book at Amazon.com

Web Of Spider-Man #1 Review Part 2

 

Writers: Zeb Wells, Cody Ziglar, Steve Foxe, Stephanie Phillips, Greg Weisman & Alex Segura

Artists: Eleonora Carlini, Ig Guara, Eric Gapstur, Joey Vazquez & Salvador Larroca

Pencilers: John Romita Jr., Ed McGuinness & Greg Land

Inkers: Scott Hanna, Mark Farmer & Jay Leisten

Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Arthur Hesli, Arif Prianto, Matt Milla, Frank D’Armata, Edgar Delgado & GURU-eFX

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $7.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

Peter Parker's unhappy with Tombstone. A happy Hightail worries Miles. Spider-Woman moves house to escape her troubled past. Norman Osborn's heroism provides little satisfaction. With the goblins menacing and spider heroes embracing evil, might the Web Of Life and Destiny unravel? Let’s leap into Web Of Spider-Man #1 and find out!

 

Amazing Spider-Man Part 2

Story

Madelyne Pryor rules Limbo. Rek-Rap and Re-Po hunted down the Insidious Six. So why is Norman Osborn, the Golden Goblin, apprehending the Grave Goblin in Web Of Spider-Man #1? The interplay between the two goblins reveals Norman's uncertainty over who he is and where he belongs. Zeb Wells' story also hints that Madelyne Pryor’s relationship with New York City has changed.

 

Art

Ed McGuinness and Mark Farmer bring us a brief, high-octane battle. A punch sends one goblin spiraling out of control, his glider belching smoke and fire. Colorist Marcio Menyz contrasts Norman's gold and white with his adversary's purple and lavender. Yet the Grave Goblin's orange and yellow glider exhaust and the Golden Goblin's purple headlamp and purple projectiles emphasize Norman's final words to his skeletal foe. 

 

 

 

Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider

Stephanie Phillips introduces Spider-Gwen's upcoming series. Crows or ravens lend a gothic tone, while these harbingers of danger remind Gwen of bonding with her father over an Alfred Hitchcock classic. While Madame Web studies the Web Of Life And Destiny, another observer risks his job to enlist Gwen's aid. Did his actions create these horrific events? Or do they signal a growing cancer?

 

Art

As Gwen sits in a diner reading a hardcover book, life outside the windows on Earth-65 harkens back to an earlier era on Earth 616. Smoke rises from Gwen's coffee like a twisting paper streamer. Like a symbiote, the coffee leaps out of her mug. The liquid forms a hand and dives toward her, only to splatter on the floor. When Gwen leaves the diner, night has fallen, and lightning from Gwen’s head fills the darkness. Then Eric Gapstur shows her city in ruins. Gwen walks rubble-filled streets and thwips through the air, pursued by Poe's favorite birds.

 

Matt Milla lavishes soft pastels on the daytime diner scenes and infuses the apocalyptic night with pink, purple, red, and orange, while the observer's office-bound scenes are awash with light. The pink walls and upholstery of the diner speak to the apocalyptic sky, while the green coffee mug and floor link with the observer who acts on behalf of the Web Of Life And Destiny. 

 

 

Chasm

Story

Steve Foxe’s story picks up where Zeb Wells’ second Amazing Spider-Man story ended, with Gold Goblin delivering Grave Goblin to Limbo. Madeline Pryor accepts him, yet she's tired of being Limbo's warden. She identifies with those placed in her care, remembering how others hurt her and vowing never to let others hurt her again.

 

Like Madelyne, Chasm isn't embracing gratitude as his superpower. He also concentrates on what he has lost. After a year trapped in Limbo, his resentment has become an inferno.

Steve Foxe's meditation on how power isolates people from others burns with the promise of a Goblin Queen indifferent to the concerns of humanity and a raging Chasm intent on destroying anyone and anything that ever hurt him.

 

Art

Greg Land and Jay Leisten imbue Madelyne with glamor and poise. Her beloved Havoc looks uneasy in her presence. Chasm crouches and prepares to strike. With smoke wisping off him, Chasm attacks his guards. The artists imbue the demons with personality. Some show more humanity than Madelyne and Chasm.   

 

Colorist Frank D’Armata makes life outside the Limbo Embassy seem cold and lifeless in Web Of Spider-Man #1. With the gates, Madelyne’s hair radiates a red glow. Torches blaze yellow behind the gold-and-silver armored guards. Chasm summons power that reflects his blue, purple, and green costume. Chasm whips a green serrated power-whip through the air like a web-slinging Indiana Jones when more red demons arrive. 

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As crimelords, vampires, HYDRA, goblins, and Eternals threaten our world, Limbo’s borders weaken, and heroes from across the spider-verse unite to combat threats to the Web Of Life And Destiny in Web Of Spider-Man #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

Web Of Spider-Man #1 Review Part 1

 

Writers: Zeb Wells, Cody Ziglar, Steve Foxe, Stephanie Phillips, Greg Weisman & Alex Segura

Artists: Eleonora Carlini, Ig Guara, Eric Gapstur, Joey Vazquez & Salvador Larroca

Pencilers: John Romita Jr., Ed McGuinness & Greg Land

Inkers: Scott Hanna, Mark Farmer & Jay Leisten

Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Arthur Hesli, Arif Prianto, Matt Milla, Frank D’Armata, Edgar Delgado & GURU-eFX

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $7.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

Peter Parker's unhappy with Tombstone. A happy Hightail worries Miles. Spider-Woman moves house to escape her troubled past. Norman Osborn's heroism provides little satisfaction. With the goblins menacing and spider heroes embracing evil, might the Web Of Life and Destiny unravel? Let’s leap into Web Of Spider-Man #1 and find out!

 

Amazing Spider-Man Part 1

Story

Tombstone asked Spider-Man to help save his daughter. He claimed his life of crime was over. Like Wilson Fisk, he wanted to protect his family. Instead, after Janice consolidated control over half of New York City and Spider-Man's team engaged Madame Masque's forces, Tombstone removed his daughter and people from the Battle Of Central Park.

 

So, in Web Of Spider-Man #1, Peter Parker says, "Fair enough. You used our partnership for your gain. Now, it's my turn." Openly associating with Tombstone could hurt Peter's popularity. Tombstone could devote his vast resources to destroying Spider-Man. Zeb Wells' story suggests rising tensions between the two men in forthcoming issues of Amazing Spider-Man.

 

Art

John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna compare the sedate meeting between Kingpin and the Rabbit with Spider-Man's actions at the docks. While Spider-Man looks in his element as he's taking down villains, Tombstone looks like he expected this. The Rabbit's discomfort shows as she's failed her boss after briefly abandoning him to serve his daughter. Marcio Menyz brightens the evening raid, helping us follow the frenetic action amid the glow of the city that never sleeps. Rich coloring brings interest and nuance to the tension in Tombstone’s office.

 

 

 

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man

Story

Miles enjoys a night of thwipping when he spots violence in the streets. Brooklyn’s Spider-Man discovers vampires attacking people. Then he spots Hightail taking down the undead. Yet he's used to fighting her. So, instead of helping combat the enemy, Miles attacks her.

 

R'YM'R's seductive call fills Hightail's head, taunting her with memories of her brief experience as one of his vampires. The perpetually mad Hightail is smiling. Miles' attack doesn't even ruffle her feathers. Does Agent Gao's attempt to keep wielding her Cape Killers after Luke Cage disbanded the squad and reassigned her to Vice explain Hightail’s happiness? Cody Ziglar hints at the return of R'YM'R, another team-up with Blade and Bloodline, and a friendlier relationship between Miles and the speedster.

 

Art

Artist Eleonora Carlini communicates the energy of this fraught night fight. Sharp angles and thin limbs enhance Miles' arachnidian appeal. With her long braids whipping around as she runs, kicks, and (gasp) smiles, Hightail’s rounded curves, comfortable attire, and easy moves imbue her with more humanity. Colorist Arthur Hesli brings a full palette of bright colors to panels. The undead and some of the bystanders look gray and drained of color. Yet pages glow with neon-like intensity, and Hesli adds interest by painting or stippling backgrounds with secondary colors.

 

 

Spider-Woman

Story

Heartbroken about her son, Spider-Woman opted for a change of scene. San Francisco may not overflow with superheroes, but HYDRA has tentacles everywhere. The televisions in a shopfront window suggest she may soon meet others who fight crime without a badge.

 

Art

Artist Ig Guara breathes life and energy into Steve Foxe's teaser as Spider-Woman leaps off a cablecar to zap a villain. Guara reveals hints of the crowded streets. Tilted camera angles remind us that Spider-Woman isn’t on her home turf. Arif Prianto provides bold colors and brightens Spider-Woman to suggest the reflected glow from the television screens. 

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As crimelords, vampires, HYDRA, goblins, and Eternals threaten our world, Limbo’s borders weaken, and heroes from across the spider-verse unite to combat threats to the Web Of Life And Destiny in Web Of Spider-Man #1.

 

9.8/10

 

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

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Mateus Santolouco

Colorist: Marco Lesko

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Mateus Santolouco; Nikola Čižmešija; J. Gonzo; Santtos; Danny Earls & Luis Antonio Delgado

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

Oroku Karai is infiltrating Chincha Technology on Awashima Island. Why is she breaking into the underground facility, and can her people get her in and out without getting captured or killed? Let's grab our katanas, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1, and find out!

 

Story

Oroku wants to establish the Foot Clan’s status in Japan. She believes the Chincha Technology job will be easy. Stealing the handheld device her employer wants will be a quick in and out.

 

Instead, guards swarm her team when they enter the grounds. Her people tackle the Human guards while Bebop and Rocksteady engage a mutant. Worried the Chincha Technology guards will slow their progress, Oroku orders Casey and Natsu to abandon the melee. But the mutant her employer warned her about refuses to go down, forcing Bebop and Rocksteady to think outside their regular playbook.

 

 

 

When they finally get inside the underground complex, a rivalry between Natsu and Casey Jones distracts their focus. Oroku defuses the tension and keeps the two moving. But when they find the device, Oruku discovers the Dog Star Clan guarding it. Their ninja rivals won't give it up without a fight.

 

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1, Oroku Karai suffers a setback. Bad intel leads to failure and disgrace. Erik Burnham doesn’t tell us about the device she's trying to steal, although he reveals why her employer commissioned her. His story delivers an intriguing rivalry between Natsu and Casey, deadly enemies in the Dog Star Clan, and a smashing dose of Hulk-inspired Rocksteady and Bebop fun. While Oroku begins this journey with swagger, she finishes in disgrace. Still, she’s more determined than ever to succeed.

 

 

 

Art

Within their highrise headquarters, the Foot Clan kneels before a coffee table. A hologram shows their desired prize. Oroku regards them from her throne-like recliner. Her people regard her with determination, while Oroku smiles down at them.

 

Spotlights rise above the chain link fencing, illuminating the fraught battle between Oroku’s team and the armored guards. Amid the fighting, a rhino hurtles overhead in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1. Rocksteady clenches his hands, climbs from the small impact crater, and trots back to engage a whale mutant slamming a warthog with a pink mohawk into the concrete. Puny Bebop!

 

 

 

Marco Lesko brings eyecatching colors to Mateus Santolouco’s art. The Foot Clan and the nearest guards stand out amid the gray yard, buildings, and sky. Battle closeups receive yellow, orange, and pink backgrounds. Oroku, Casey, and Natsu travel through aqua-green tunnels until they reach the blue-gray chamber. Suffused by a circle of pink light, the imposing gray and turquoise Dog Star soldiers regard them through orange visors.

 

Shawn Lee fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black, uppercase words in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. Emotions and volume enlarge and color words, influence balloon shape, or burst free of their confines. Energetic, multicolored sound effects enhance the battles, threaten to detonate panels and pound home the Dog Star Clan’s ferocity.

 

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

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bad intel from Oroku Karai’s mysterious employers leads to tragedy and sacrifice in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

 

 

Army Of Darkness Forever #6 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs

Artist: Justin Greenwood

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Cover Artists: Francesco Mattina, Arthur Suydam, Tony Fleecs & Chris Burnham

Publisher: Dynamite Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

In 2093, Ash’s quest to reassemble the Necronomicon Ex Mortis has taken him from devastated England to the ruins of the American heartland. He’s battled Skeleton Deadites, Droidites, and even an Evil Shark. (Sadly, the latter occurred between issues). The Hologram Wiseman sent Ash back to the cabin where Ash lost his girlfriend, and the infectious evil forced him to hack off his hand. Can Ash find the final page so the wizard can send him home to work at S-Mart? What's going on in 1993 in Ash’s absence? And how about Lady Shiela? How is she faring in 1300 A.D.? Let's grab our shotguns and chainsaws, leap into Army Of Darkness Forever #6, and find out!

 

Story

In 1300 A.D., Ash killed his evil twin and eradicated the Deadite army. Then Lord Arthur’s wiseman gave him a potion. Ash slept in a cave, hoping to awaken in 1993. In Ash's absence, his evil twin returns. This time, without the people's champion to lead them, Evil Ash converts everyone in Lady Shiela’s life. How do you react when you lose everything and everyone you care about? In Army Of Darkness Forever #6, Lady Shiela vows to go down fighting.

 

As in Sam Raimi’s movie, Ash returned to S-Mart in 1993. Yet he's not quite himself. Ash thinks murderous thoughts. When he looks into a mirror, he sees Evil Ash from 1300. Lookalike Ash kills a customer who wants a chili dog and devotes his attention to learning about computers and the internet. He repeats history when he breaks a mirror, allowing a horde of miniature evil twins to cause havoc. The police bring Ash down to the precinct for questioning, but they don’t reckon with his little friends.

 

In 2093, Ash returns from the basement of the destroyed cabin with the final page of the Necronomicon. Ash flubbed the incantations before, but he’s memorized the words now. Ash grabs all the pages and thrusts them up before the wizard. But in his haste to escape the ruined future, Ash doesn’t wait for the wizard to reassemble the Necronomicon before he utters the incantation.

 

In Army Of Darkness Forever #6, Lady Shiela follows Ash’s example. In 1993, evil Lookalike Ash uses his diminutive doubles to perpetrate his plan. In 2093, the Real American Hero Ash discovers that, once again, he’s flubbed up. Tony Fleecs’ story channels the manic wackiness of Sam Raimi’s movie to interlink stories in three time periods. Will Lady Shiela prove as effective as Ash? Has Lookalike Ash completed or just begun his mission in 1993? The results of Ash's mistake in 2093 especially intrigue.

 

Still, things could be worse. Ash could be a street vendor of pizza balls who can't stop slapping his face on an alternate Earth!

 

 

 

Art

Insect droids peer down the stairs in 2093, awaiting their master’s return. Ash emerges from the basement—all that survived of the cabin—splattered with blood. Overwhelmed with reminders of Yesterday, Ash can't face the wizard as he thrusts out the final page. Yet when Ash braves a look, Lord Arthur's wizard has turned away.

 

Lady Shiela confronts Deadite Lord Arthur in 1300. Spying the hovering Necronomicon, she grabs it and leaps out of the upper story room. Deadites fill the castle yard. She backs away from the people she loves, who now resemble corpses. Grabbing a horse’s reins, her words to the horse reflect her desperation. The horse looks at her, snarles, and speaks.

 

Ash’s Evil Lookalike leans back in his chair in the interview room. One detective places gruesome Polaroids of corpses found in S-Mart on the table. Lookalike Ash looks bored, casually turns to the two-way mirror, and sees his 1300 undead version staring back at him. Nearby, the Miniature Ashes smile as they turn up the heat in Army Of Darkness Forever #6.

 

Brad Simpson applies a limited color scheme to Justin Greenwood’s quirky, edgy, and yet endearing 2093 art that heavily favors blues, reds, and browns. Interview scenes focus on gray and beige with hints of green, while the Miniatures' mischief turns everything yellow, orange, and red. Simpson's palette for the 1300 A.D. scenes offers the most color options, with scenes ranging from between night and day, inside buildings, caves, and tents, and beneath the sun and the stars.

 

Troy Peteri casts large black uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Army Of Darkness Forever #6. Words grow bold for inflection and enlarge or shrink to convey volume. Sound effects help us hear Ash's exhaustion and the Miniature Minions’ mayhem and feel Ash’s distaste for his most personal battle yet.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While Lady Shield fights to reclaim her kingdom in 1300 A.D. and Lookalike Ash hatches his evil plan in 1993, Ash’s impatience in 2093 could doom our world for all time in Army Of Darkness Forever #6.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To see another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Man’s Best #1 Review

 

Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote

Artist & Colorist: Jesse Lonergan

Letterer: Jeff Powell

Cover Artists: Jesse Lonergan; Trish Forstner; Frany; Jae Lee & June Chung; Dustin Nguyen; Ivan Tao

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

After wars and environmental crises devastated Earth, the Tomorrow Corporation charged Captain Patel with preparing a new home for Humanity. Captain Patel brought along Dr. Winters, an inventor overseeing the terraforming equipment. Can Captain Patel and Dr. Winters reach Epsilon 32 and convert its ecosystem to save Humanity from extinction? Let's climb aboard Starship Horizon, take a giant leap into Man's Best #1, and find out!

 

Story

Dr. Winters' devotion to her education and career led to awkwardness with others. She brought her pets along to keep her company on the voyage. They guard her terraforming equipment from curious crewmembers during the day and keep her company at night. Dr. Winters also directs them through simulated battles in the holo-chamber. We don't learn why Dr. Winters feels her pets might need to defend their new home. Still, it makes sense to have people—or pets—prepare for the unexpected on an alien planet.

 

Captain Patel regards Dr. Winters’ experiments as little more than entertainment in Man’s Best #1. But then, Captain Patel doesn’t believe in his mission. Humanity’s cruelty and rapaciousness seem incurable. A family death further isolates him. He allows Dr. Winters to conduct her experiments, even if they drain the ship’s resources and detract from her duties. Still, Captain Patel has a more pressing concern. The ship's sensors no longer detect Epsilon 32.

 

Athos wasn’t Dr. Winters’ first pet, but the longhaired white cat leads her pack. At least, he tries. Porthos—an affable Golden Retriever--is his enthusiastic right-paw dog. Or should I say, his bionic right-paw dog? The problem pet in the pack is Lovey. The jowly terrier does what he pleases when he pleases, which inevitably dooms their simulated missions.

 

Pornsak Pichetshote fuels Man’s Best #1 with interesting character dynamics. Dr. Winters wishes Captain Patel would return her affection. Some crewmembers share Captain Patel’s disbelief in their mission. Yet Prichetshote primarily focuses on Dr. Winters’ pets. Lovey distrusts his owner and feels disinclined to follow orders. Porthos' exuberance diminishes her focus. Athos wishes he were a decisive leader who inspired his team to greatness.

 

Dysfunctional relationships are the least of their worries when Epsilon 32 suddenly reappears in their path. Captain Patel and his crew struggle to slow the ship’s momentum. After a turbulent blackout, the pets awaken in a wrecked spaceship. Where did the crew and Dr. Winters go? What happened to the terraforming equipment? The Incredible Journey has just begun!

 

Art

Starship Horizon propels an immense storage container between the stars. Captain Patel’s black eyepatch evokes the pirates of yore, while Dr. Winters' immense round glasses compliment her bouffant blonde hair. Jesse Lonergan’s loosely drawn characters give Man’s Best #1 a low-key appearance that lulls readers into this epic tale.

 

Lonergan packs pages with panels that provide insights into the characters without slowing the pace. From the simulated southwest landscape to the grid-like holo room, Starship Horizon’s crowded control room, and finally to Epsilon 32, Athos, Porthos, and Lovey travel through interest-provoking settings. Surgical implants allow Athos to control an exoskeleton, Porthos to generate a forcefield, and Lovey to fire weapons while hurtling about with his jetpack. Or at least when the well-fed terrier feels like it. Then there’s their simulated foe, a Klanker that punches projectile fists and fires lasers from its neck at our canine and feline heroes.

 

Man's Best #1's limited color palette provides contrast in small and large panels. Lonergan imbues characters and backgrounds with a sponged or speckled appearance. The weathering and patinas lend the story a distressed, lived-in appearance that evokes how George Lucas differentiated Star Wars from the idealized futures of earlier sci-fi films.

 

Jeff Powell places large, uppercase letters in colored backgrounds and white dialogue balloons. Words grow bold for inflection and occasionally enlarge or shrink. Sound effects help readers hear the animals purr, howl, hiss, and bark while the Klanger pops its top. Powell shakes the reader when the klaxons blare and the crew of Starship Horizon brave the perils of bashful Epsilon 32.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When a terraforming mission goes awry, a bionic Golden Retriever, a flying terrier, and a cat clad in exoskeletal armor must brave the dangers of an alien planet to save their Human masters in Man's Best #1.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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

Helen Of Wyndhorn #1 Review

 

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Bilquis Evely

Colorist: Matheus Lopes

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes; Lula Lotay; Elsa Charretier; Massimo Carnevale; Clay Mann; Walt Simonson and Laura Martin; Greg Smallwood

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Readers continue to discover Christopher Krieger Cole’s fantasy adventure stories and even undertake literary pilgrimages to his resting place in San Antonio, Texas. Scholars argue over the meaning behind the inscription on his grave marker and how it relates to his work. A journalist interviews the former governess of C.K. Cole's daughter, seeking new insights into the author's life and work. Can Lilith Appleton enhance his understanding of the man who wrote such memorable classics as "The Red Death of Othan the Vanquished”? Let’s grab our pens and notepads, leap into Helen Of Wyndhorn #1, and see what we can learn!

 

Story

In 1935, Lilith traveled to an inn near San Antonio to retrieve C. K. Cole's daughter Helen and bring her to her grandfather's estate. Upon arrival, Lilith discovered the staff had thrown her out. Lilith rescued her from a jail cell, procured the alcohol and cigarettes she desired, and funded a memorial to the author.

 

After a long train journey, Joseph greeted the women and drove them to Helen’s grandfather’s estate. Joseph and two cooks would attend to Helen and Lilith’s needs until Barnabas Cole’s return. While prim and proper, Lilith finds the butler cold and officious in Helen Of Wyndhorn #1. She seeks to tame Helen’s wild instincts, while Joseph is appalled by Helen's behavior and regards the young woman as little better than a beast. Lilith worries what Barnabas will say when he meets his granddaughter and discovers Lilith cannot control Helen.

 

 

 

Lilith may not like Joseph, but the butler’s disdain for his young charge is understandable. On their train journey, Helen enthused about being rich. But confined to the house and grounds, Helen steals wine from the cellar, finds a secluded nook, and spends the days drinking and napping. Night terrors often drive Helen from her lavish bedroom to Lilith’s small, plain chamber in the early morning hours.

 

Tom King shares insights into C.K. Cole's life through Helen's words and actions in Helen Of Wyndhorn #1. Christopher laughed off his brushes with death and likely spent any funds he earned on alcohol and cigarettes. Christopher let his daughter choose her amusements, even taking up smoking at age eleven. Once ensconced in the family mansion, Helen likens her father leaving home to a prison escape. Yet, if Christopher preferred life outside, why did he commit suicide? If he was unhappy, why didn’t he return home? Was it merely that Wyndhorn House lay three hundred miles from the nearest town? Or did Christopher suffer from the same night terrors as his daughter? 

 

 

 

Art

The curly-haired man writes on his notepad while recording Lilith’s recollections on his portable cassette player. Lilith stares at the hardcover volume of Astonishing Stories of Mystery! Strips of tape adorn the spine of the book's creased paper cover. The floral pattern on the tablecloth echoes the barren tree limbs glimpsed through the kitchen windows. Yet neither equals the intricate web of wrinkles etched into Lilith’s face.

 

Bilquis Evely sketches Lilith’s recollections as Old Time magazine illustrations in Helen Of Wyndhorn #1. Steam trains rumble through the desert and cross bridges. Children play near fields guarded by barbwire fences, while dirt roads link the scattered buildings in San Antonio. Helen gazes at the angel adorning her father's memorial, then rises to caress its head. A turbulent sky greets a palace rising above the trees. The 1200-acre estate's gnarled and twisted trees invite Hobbits to nap between their exposed roots. 

 

 

 

Matheus Lopes brings a vibrant color selection to Lilith's interview. While some colors of her recollections shine brightly, others have faded. Helen and Lilith gaze out of the train at a turquoise night sky, yet a gray-green cast falls upon darkened rooms in the family mansion. Brown woodwork merges with grey stone, gilded frames, and architectural features in Wyndhorn’s entry hall as yellow sunlight from the immense windows brightens the long, wide staircase, and the candelabra stands on the green-gray floor. Helen's red hair brightens chambers in the 173-room mansion, while brown woodwork and tan stone fill the labyrinthian hallways in Helen Of Wyndhorn #1. 

 

 

 

Clayton Cowles brings large uppercase black letters to white dialogue balloons during Lilith’s interview in her kitchen. Dialogue from her past haunts ivory balloons, and the lowercase italicized transcript of her recollections fills pink scraps of paper. Abrasive sound effects help us feel Joseph’s distress when Helen breaks the end of a bottle to chug the fine wine. Immense roars overtake the final pages, revealing the source of Helen's Fright Nights.

 

Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Scarred by her past, a former governess recalls caring for a pulp-era author's daughter, meeting her rich and powerful grandfather, and discovering the monster that terrorized the family estate in Helen Of Wyndhorn #1.

 

Rating 8.5/10

 

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

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2 Review

 

Writer: Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson

Artist: Nico Leon

Colorist: Dono Sanchez-Almara

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Goñi Montes, Ejikure, Inhyuk Lee, Ivan Tao, the Escorza Brothers, Nico Leon and Santa Fung

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Kimberly Hart changed her name. She abandoned her friends to live in obscurity. Kimberly returned to Angel Grove to celebrate the opening of the Trini Kwan Memorial Park and Youth Center and lay flowers on Tommy Oliver's grave. Yet the past refuses to remain buried. Poor decisions imperil Kimberly’s remaining friends, while the next generation of Power Rangers threatens to awaken the horrors of yesterday. Can Kimberly avert the catastrophe she worked so hard to prevent? Let's grab our power coins, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2, and find out!

 

Story

Twenty-two years ago, the Power Rangers led an assault on Bandora Palace. Finster ordered his army to defend Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s fortress. Red Ranger Jason Scott reminds his comrades they don't have to win this war, but Green Ranger Tommy Oliver and Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart need time to carry out their mission.

 

Blue Ranger Billy Cranston’s plan was elegant and heroic. His Benevolator would draw energy from the Morphin Grid. Instead of killing their enemies, it would sap the dark energy from their souls. Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart snuck into the moon palace, searching for a room steeped in dark energy to detonate it. What place could be more steeped in Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s evil than their bedroom?

 

If only Rita hadn’t discovered them, forcing Kimberly to shoot the witch amid her vicious attack on Tommy. If only Tommy hadn’t damaged the Benevolator during the fight. If only Billy’s timer had worked instead of instantly detonating the damaged device! Presumably, that's why Tommy didn't teleport back to Earth in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2. All Kimberly knows is the explosion left her without Tommy to wrap her arms around and with Rita’s blood on her hands.

 

Perhaps Jennifer blames Billy for the Benevolator’s fragility. Billy, Zach, and Jason’s decisions to break their pact and draw power from the Morphin Grid put all their lives in jeopardy. Someone discovered Jason, who resurrected his Red Ranger persona to save others. After returning from her visit with Billy and Zach, Trini Kwan's niece Selena arrives on Jennifer’s doorstep. How did the girl track Jennifer down to her remote log cabin?

 

In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2, Pink Ranger actress Amy Jo Johnson and co-writer Matt Hotson relate the Power Ranger’s final, tragic battle. Jennifer tells Selena that she won’t train her. Unlike her surviving fellow rangers, Jennifer believes the best way to protect Earth is not to draw upon the Morphin Grid. Will Selena bow to Jennifer’s superior wisdom? Is Selena all she claims?

 

 

Art

A two-page spread reveals the scope of this final battle. As the Power Rangers' zords attack, Finster’s forces march out to meet them. The Earth rises behind Bandora Palace, sunlight reflecting off its atmosphere while stars punctuate the surrounding void. A second double page makes clear the overwhelming nature of Finster’s forces as the glowing Earth emerges behind the massive moon palace. Shard-like panels reveal the fractured nature of the Ranger's bold offensive and compare the revelry inside the palace with Kimberly and Tommy sneaking in via the sewers.

 

A vast window replaces the exterior wall of Zedd and Rita’s cathedral-like bed chamber. Nico Leon conveys the intense fight between Rita and her Putties versus Kimberly Hart and Tommy Oliver in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2. The couple's cozy sitting area, desk, bedroom furniture, bookcases filled with books (and more stacked on the floor), and architectural detail ground the frantic action, making it even more poignant when Kimberly kills Rita in the villainess’ lovely lair.

 

Dono Sanchez-Almara fills the opening panel with gold, silver, and red as Rita and Zedd drink a toast to Zordon’s death and their inevitable rulership of Earth. Green and Pink Rangers shine amid the brown tunnels beneath the regal moon palace. Rita’s Magic Wand leaves pink contrails as it flashes and crashes into green-clad Tommy, casting yellow sparks and summoning white lightning. Blue, pink, red, yellow, and purple fill the air as the Power Rangers teleport back to Earth in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2. Kimberly remembers this heartbreaking victory as she stares out the window of her log cabin. The glass captures the glowing moon rising above the forest, as the yellow-orange fire burning in the hearth symbolizes the triumph that devoured her life.

 

Large, black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. A thick-colored border celebrates a familiar rallying cry. Thin-colored balloon outlines make radio transmissions ranger-specific. Ed Dukeshire helps us feel a selfless ranger's pain and the empty end of a woman devoid of virtue.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Kimberly Hart’s friends break their agreement to shield Earth by not drawing power from the Morphin Grid, a villain arises to menace them all in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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