Spider-Girl #2 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Grønbekk

Artist: André Risso

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Nogi San; Chad Hardin & Alex Sinclair

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 16, 2025

 

Makawalu Akana, or Maka for short, is making a new start. After traveling around the world to compete in contests with Bullseye, the young Hawaiian is settling down. Maka is joining the Red Snow Dojo in New York City. She wants to demonstrate her indomitability. But her next challenge is to win friends, not trophies.

 

Even as Maka starts her first practice session with Sensei Barker, Dr Tramma paints a bullseye on Spider-Girl. After assaulting her with Vermin and the Squeak Squad, what will Dr Tramma hit the Hawaiian mutant with next? Let’s leap into Spider-Girl #2, and see, Brah!

 

Story

Like Druig, Dr Tramma wants powerful actors she can manipulate. Spider-Girl wasn’t her first choice. But after Hijack resists her chemical control, Dr Tramma fills Vermin with murderous rage and points him at Spider-Girl. Despite how Maka repels her attackers and saves the dojo, another person in the organization thinks Dr Tramma is wrong. So, while Dr Tramma continues to work on Hijack, a mysterious woman investigates Spider-Girl.

 

The world knows her as Ms Matsumoto. But when she dons her costume, the woman goes by another name. As a knife flies past her to stick in her bedroom wall, Maka gazes out the window. Spider-Girl sees the woman clutching more knives on a nearby fire escape. Maka wanted to spend the night on patrol in Spider-Girl #2, so this engraved invitation is too good to miss. But when Maka thwicks out to follow her, Lady Bullseye cuts Spider-Girl’s barbed web with a sword.

 

While Torunn Grønbekk introduces readers to Maka’s family, Spider-Girl meets Lady Bullseye. Lady Bullseye knows the difficulties that accompany enhanced fighting abilities. She may have expressed disdain for Dr Tramma’s judgment, but Lady Bullseye’s interaction with Spider-Girl seems motivated by compassion. She sees her troubled origins in Maka. The young Hawaiian had already failed to realize Bullseye was a villain who meant her harm. Lady Bullseye makes it clear that life as a vigilante will force Maka to choose her friends and allies carefully in Spider-Girl #2. 

 

 

 

Art

Orange cones and yellow police tape warn pedestrians and motorists of the metal barriers circling the broken asphalt destroyed by Vermin and the Squeak Squad. Windows glow gold and peach beneath a purple sky. Java Tartaglia makes the night glow in the city that never sleeps. As Maka enters her family’s shop, green and purple plants occupy a worktable. Then her aunt bustles into a brick room filled with shelves of boxes, trays, and vases.

 

André Risso gives Maka’s mother and aunt the same dark, edgy hair. Maka’s grandmother restrains her gray hair in a tight bun. Tropical leis hang on her bedroom door, while a Hawaiian flag adorns a pillow and a ukulele perches on a dresser. When a knife with a braided leather handle flashes past, Maka ignores the Spider-Man plushie on her bed. As Maka unzips her backpack, the metal teeth emulate Devil Dinosaur as she withdraws her costume in Spider-Girl #2.

 

 

 

While André Risso introduces us to Maka’s homelife, and Java Tartaglia helps the black-and-white villain shine, Joe Caramagna introduces Lady Bullseye with black uppercase letters in yellow narrative boxes. Maka's assessment of Lady Bullseye appears as red uppercase letters in boxes. Uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons grow bold for intonation and occasionally shrink, such as when Maka whispers to her new friend Beba. Sound effects accompany web-thwicking and sword-swishing, while Lady Bullseye's throwing knives hiss like the shuriken Maka once threw at Spider-Boy and Daredevil. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Maka Akana's mentor has let her down. Lady Bullseye knows the feeling. She doesn't want the young Hawaiian to make the same mistakes she did. Spider-Man ordered Bailey Briggs to relinquish his costume because the ten-year-old had robbed a bank. In Spider-Girl #2, Lady Bullseye delivers a warning. Drop the hero act now before life tempts or forces you to become a villain.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Spider-Girl #1 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Grønbekk

Artist: André Risso

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Peach Momoko; Kaare Andrews; Marguerite Sauvage; Nicoletta Baldari

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 11, 2025

 

Makawalu Akana, or Maka for short, wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider. Nor was she injected with an experimental serum containing irradiated spider blood. When the mutant meets your gaze, she absorbs your memories and abilities. Anything you can do, Maka can do better.

 

Bullseye met Maka at the Mega-Storm Energy Drink Cliff-Diving Challenge in Hawaii. He trained her to win a legendary contest. Then, Spider-Boy's spider-sense detected that the uncanny marksman planned to kill her. Maka may not have won The Dragon’s Challenge in Madripoor, but she returns to New York with a sweet crown. How will Bulleye’s former apprentice fare without his guidance? Let’s put on our karate gi, twhick into Spider-Girl #1, and see, Brah!

 

Story

Before Bullseye met her, Maka entered any contest she could find. Bullseye fueled her love of winning. But his betrayal has shaken her. Worse, Bullseye was the only person who could deceive her with false memories. So, when Maka spies a cap with a bullseye emblem, she falters mid-twhick, and her barbed webs bite her. Bullseye was her mentor. Her sensei planned to capitalize on Maka’s abilities and then kill her. What moves didn’t Bullseye teach her?

 

Torunn Grønbekk imbues Spider-Girl #1 with a breezy style reminiscent of the Hawaiian easy-going approach to life. Unlike Spider-Boy, Maka’s attitude is as prickly as her barbed-wire webs. Her thoughts interweave with the dialogue and action, while the point of view switches between her and Dr Trauma. The good (or bad) doctor is looking for a super-powered individual she can control. And like Druig, she enjoys playing with Vermin.

 

Maka trained hard under Bullseye's tutelage. Now, another challenge awaits her. In Spider-Girl #1, Maka gains admission to the best dojo in New York City. But Bullseye's teachings were a lie, while Spider-Boy taught her that winning isn't everything. 

 

 

 

Art

Maka looks lithe and agile as she thwips through the streets. What she lacks in strength, she makes up in resilience. When Maka removes her mask, her wide eyes and smile suggest excitement at the possibilities awaiting her. Yet, as Maka enters the dojo, uncertainty creases her features. Seeking friendships differs from the goal she pursued under Bulleye’s leadership.

 

Dr Trauma sits before her workstation. The industrial surroundings and her green costume evoke Doc Ock's preparations to dominate others. We catch a glimpse of Vermin behind a holding cell door. Later, he races along on all fours, surrounded by a swarm of rodent kin.

 

 

 

While André Risso fills Spider-Girl #1 with strong character portrayals, touching character moments, convincing settings, and intense action, Java Tartaglia delivers a loaded palette of beautiful colors. Red forms a dominant theme, from Spider-Girl's suit to the Red Snow Dojo sign to the red glowing eyes of the Vermin and rats under Dr Trauma's control. Red uppercase letters in white narrative boxes reveal Maka’s thoughts as she embarks on this new chapter in her life.

 

Yellow also forms a theme, from the waves of pain Dr Trauma induces to the conduit linked to her victims and the hair of a girl who opposes Maka's admission. Joe Caramagna’s giant yellow and red dialogue and sound effects heighten the drama and action, filling Spider-Girl #1 with alarms, tremors, shouts, shrieks, and Maka’s barbed twhicking. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Maka Akana can win any contest she enters. She has trained hard to succeed in the martial arts. As the young Hawaiian transitions to life without Bullseye, she wonders if she should change her approach. But as she weighs the values of victories versus friendships, a villain conspires to use her like her former mentor in Spider-Girl #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Heat Seeker: Combustion #1 Review

 

Writer: Charles Ardai

Penciller: Ace Continuado

Inker: Juan Castro

Colorist: Asifur Rahman

Letterer: David Leach

Cover Artist: David Nakayama, Tula Lotay, Ace Continuado, Lesley Li, Brao, Noobvich, Cedric Poulat,Nuno Pereira, Alain Nip, Dalmos, Karina Belous & Cosplay

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 13, 2024

 

Dr Bessemer Preiss works for unsavory people who value his biochemical research. But he doesn't want them to use his daughter to twist his arm. So, Dr Preiss calls on Dahlia Racers for help. Can Dahlia sneak Rosaline out of Venice and make her disappear? Let’s burn into Heat Seeker: Combustion #1 and find out!

 

Story

This time, Dahlia enlisted Cesar and Sarah Claride’s assistance. That's right! The fierce bounty hunter who hunted her in Heat Seeker: A Gun Honey Series works with Dahlia in Venice. But what happens in Venice stays in Venice. When Dahlia, Cesar, and Rosaline depart, they leave Sarah behind. Still, this should be an easy job. Dr Preiss has arranged for his daughter to hide in a monastery. Rosaline hopes that the nuns won’t make her pray all day.

 

A drive into Italy’s Dolomite Mountains can make for a relaxing holiday excursion. But Dahlia has her eyes out for a tail, and Cesar reads Dr Preiss' book, The Biochemistry Revolution. Despite the cool weather, Dahlia, Cesar, and Rosaline receive a warm welcome at the convent in Montefiacco. While Rosaline envisions her future in black-and-white, Dahlia and Cesar can look forward to the pulsing nightlife of New York. Or perhaps they’ll visit the health spa further up the mountain before they leave Italy in Heat Seeker: Combustion #1.

 

Dahlia’s anxiety rises when Cesar mentions what Dr Preiss has been researching. Something that struck them as odd earlier that day connects with Dr Preiss’ expertise. Rosaline’s father claimed the monastery would provide sanctuary. But if Cesar laid a false trail, how could Dr Preiss’ employers have gotten there before them? Suddenly, Dr Preiss' words don't add up, but Dahlia is still determined to protect his daughter.

 

Heat Seeker: Combustion #1 rips along so quickly it leaves you breathless. Yet Charles Ardai forces his characters to put two-and-two together along the way. The shadow of suspicion even falls on Dr Preiss. He doesn't want his employers to use his daughter against him. Yet he shows no reluctance to continue working for them. If Dahlia doesn’t know the whole story, nor do her pursuers. They may not want to kill Rosaline, but they won't hesitate to kill Dahlia and Cesar. But then, as Cesar tells the Mother Superior, "It's a house of violence tonight, sister."

 

Art

Having introduced Dahlia Racers and demonstrated her abilities in Heat Seeker: A Gun Honey Series, Charles Ardai drops us into the heat of the moment. Ace Continuado and Juan Castro deliver furious action without blurring characters or replacing settings with direction lines. The constant camera angle changes enhance the sense of danger and the story's pace, while flashbacks at key moments feed you tidbits of backstory.

 

While Ace Continuado and Juan Castro occasionally throw in silhouettes, Asifur Rahman delivers deep and nuanced color. The characters shine during the day and night, and dramatic lighting enhances the mood. Venice sparkles with yellows, greens, blues, and reds, while Rahman dusts the tops of the gray Dolomites with white. The convent’s gray stone walls and brown wooden doors show weathering and age, while a glowing white moon illuminates the action beneath a purple and ultramarine night sky. A visit to an exclusive health spa gets the heart racing with ample flesh coloring in Heat Seeker: Combustion #1. While your heart goes to little Rosaline in her yellow and gray dress, the spotlight remains on Dahlia Racers in her green skintight one-piece and flaming red wig.

 

David Leach launches black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. The font grows bold for inflection and swells inside dialogue balloons outlined with red in Heat Seeker: Combustion #1. A lack of time/space markers forces readers to pay attention when the story dips into the past before returning to the present. Sound effects like gunfire, shattered wood and glass, and a secreted motor roaring to life power readers through Dahlia Racers' latest adventure. Thanks to Titan Comics and Hard Case Crime for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Dahlia Racers has her hands full protecting a girl who doesn’t want her help from people who don’t want to kill her in Heat Seeker: Combustion #1. While the researcher’s daughter places herself in danger, Dahlia’s new assistant gets ideas above his station.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To peek inside see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.

ThunderCats #3 Review

 

Writer: Declan Shalvey

Artist: Drew Moss

Colorists: Martina Pignedoli

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Newcomer Calica enchants Lion-O. The ThunderCats’ young ruler wishes to accompany her outside. But when Lion-O draws the broken Sword Of Omens to check if it is safe, the embedded Eye Of Thundera doesn’t grant him Sight Beyond Sight. Instead, a door of glowing light appears inside the crashed flagship. What will Lion-O discover when he steps through this magical doorway? Let's extend our claws, leap into ThunderCats #3, and see!

 

Story

Lion-O peers through the glowing doorway. But before he can enter, something leaps out at him. Cheetara doesn’t hear Lion-O’s cry, but she hears Calica call for help. She races through the Thundarian flagship to find Lion-O beaming. Her leader embraces a long-lost friend.

 

When they enter the chamber, the ThunderCats discover a cache of weapons. Lion-O learns that his father appointed his friend to guard the room two months ago. They find no stasis pod to explain his friend’s lack of aging. Yet Jaga piloted the ship for years. Even though Lion-O’s malfunctioning pod slowed his aging, he still grew to manhood during their trip.

 

Jaga gave his life to pilot the Thundarian flagship to Third Earth. Yet his spirit haunts Mumm-Ra in ThunderCats #3. Seated upon his throne in the black pyramid, Mumm-Ra questions the glowing figure. He alludes to their shared past. But the Thundarian spirit does not answer.

 

 

 

In Declan Shalvey’s story, Panthro should be Lion-O's rock. Yet his Security Chief grows impatient with Lion-O. When Panthro countermands one of Lion-O's decisions, the situation escalates. Cheetara intercedes but realizes she must restore order quickly to protect her people's heritage and cohesion on this alien planet.

 

Panthro’s distrust of Calica is understandable. Why would the Mu'Tants abduct the girl before they destroyed Thundera? The previous issue also hinted at a psychic link between Calica and Mumm-Ra. As Jaga once wielded the Sword Of Omens, this suggests that Mumm-Ra gained access to the sword’s Eye Of Thundera and used it to communicate with Jaga and Calica. With Declan Shalvey cramming ThunderCats #3 with hints, mysteries, and drama, Tygra’s suffering almost goes unnoticed. While Cheetara strives to return order, the contest for leadership between his friends shakes Tygra to the core.

 

 

 

Art

Drew Moss reveals the grandeur of the ThunderCats’ flagship. Calica wanders through long corridors, Lion-O meets her in an immense conference room, and Panthro studies screens projected from computers in the hangar, surrounded by vehicles and Tygra’s repair equipment. Even broken, the ship hums with a technology indistinguishable from magic. When Lion-O first peers inside, the chamber mirrors the conference room in size and shape, with a central aisle lined by empty displays leading to an elevated throne. Yet when he and the ThunderCats enter, the walls seem to hug the shelves and cases filled with weapons in this Room Of Requirement.

 

Moss portrays earnestness, determination, despair, and overwhelming joy in the ThunderCats’ expressions. He propels the Thundarians into action amid rising tensions regarding Lion-O’s leadership. Yet the most fraught scenes belong to Slythe, the Mu’Tant leader. He entered the jungle to be alone. In leaving his people behind, he may have lost them forever. His desperate fight for survival in ThunderCats #3 reveals that he was wrong to claim victory over “this pathetic world.” 

 

 

 

Cheetara cuts an electrifying swathe of yellow through the red, blue, and green that enrich this story. Whether the action occurs during the day or night, Martina Pignedoli surrounds the characters in bright, rich colors. The atmosphere of Third Earth fills the air with appealing colors that contrast with the characters. When tensions rise in the Thundarian flagship--or something unexpected occurs--a cloud of beautiful color appears.

 

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes relate character thoughts and off-camera dialogue. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts. A heartfelt cry wafts through a disembodied pink oval. Mumm-Ra’s handprinted letters dominate cloudy balloons. Jeff Eckleberry helps us hear the Eye Of Thundera open, Slythe’s failure, and a bulkhead shatter in ThunderCats #3.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Repressed anger prompts a challenge to Lion-O’s leadership, a beloved friend returns, a mysterious room showcases a Mu’Tant weapon, and a villain discovers new adversaries in ThunderCats #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more covers and preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

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.

ThunderCats #1 Review

 

Writer: Declan Shalvey

Artist: Drew Moss

Colorists: Chiara Di Francia & Martina Pignedoli

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 7, 2024

 

Lion-O entered his stasis pod as a boy. He awakened as an adult. Birth makes him the leader of the ThunderCats. But he has much to learn. Can Lion-O lead his people and wield the Sword Of Omens despite his lack of education and experience? Let's leap into ThunderCats #1 and find out!

 

Story

With their homeworld destroyed and their fleet ravaged, the only surviving ThunderCat ship crashed on Third Earth. Lion-O’s friends WileyKat and WileyKit are cubs. His journey into adulthood begins with no friends his age among the skilled and experienced adults Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara. Lion-O has no peers. Can he lead and protect his people?

 

Lion-O seeks solitude in the desert. Instead of answers, he discovers an arriving spaceship. The Mu’Tants tracked their damaged ship! Desperate to prove himself, Lion-O unsheathes the Sword Of Omens. The Eye of Thundera, embedded in the sword, unleashes its power. The adults at his crashed spaceship, the troops aboard the Mu’Tant vessel, and a dark figure who inhabits the Black Pyramid realize Lion-O is in trouble.

 

In ThunderCats #1, Declan Shalvey introduces a cast of colorful and appealing characters. He paws lightly over their history to focus on the crucible Lion-O must pass through.

 Lion-O fled Thundara as a frightened boy. Now, Lion-O must guide and protect an endangered species. Lion-O can look to Tygra for guidance. Panthro can teach him how to wield the Sword Of Omens. But like Paul Atreides, Lion-O must discover his birthright amid a trial by fire.

 

Art

The ThunderCats leave their damaged ship to explore the alien desert of Third Earth. As Lion-O runs up a slope, a shape emerges from the darkness overhead. A beam of light streaks up from the Sword Of Omens, revealing the ThunderCat symbol to the arriving spaceship. Their leader, Lord Slythe, cringes at its intensity. In the Desert Of Sinking Sands, a giant skull perches on a vine-covered stone floor before a pit within the Black Pyramid.

 

Drew Moss packs pages with panels that convey history, character, and reactions. Splash pages and double-page spreads introduce and show the cast in action. Backgrounds give way to speed lines amid motion and conflict. Smoke rises from a battlefield when WileyKat and WileyKit surf the air currents on spaceboards and drop capsules onto the combatants.

 

Reds, yellows, and blues dominate ThunderCats #1. Chiara Di Francia and Martina Pignedoli's limited palette breathes life and drama into each page. The yellow explosions accompanying the ship’s flight from Thundara and the fiery streak of their ship hurtling through Third Earth's sky match the glow inside the stasis pod that robs Lion-O of his teen years. Highlights enrich characters with individuality, while shadows enhance the drama of this opening installment.

 

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes introduce the characters, relate their thoughts, and tell of the dangers facing them. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts but rarely shrink. Jeff Eckleberry infuses training, hunting, and battle scenes with energetic sound effects. When Lion-O raises the Sword Of Omens, his giant white-edged black shout echoes through the remaining pages of ThunderCats #1.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Robbed of his teen years, a young hero struggles to lead the hunted survivors of his race with the strength of his adult body and a mythic sword in ThunderCats #1.

 

Rating 8.2/10

 

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

Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1 Review

 

Writer: Dan Abnett

Artists: Alessandro Miracolo, Emiliana Pinna & Luca Colandrea

Colorist: Ellie Wright

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artist: David Nakayama

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $19.99

Release Date: September 20, 2023

(Previewsworld.com's stated Release Date: November 1, 2023)

 

Riding through a storm, Red Sonja spies a house in the woods. A wizened man carrying a staff offers to let her spend the night, but only if she tells him a story. The hitch? It must be true! Why did the man reject her money? Let's leap into Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1 and find out!

 

Story

Sonja has left Hyboria far behind. Compelled by a cursed shirt of chain mail, she has traveled to the land of Logres. She can't remove it until she finds someone to free the spirit from the cursed armor and let it live again as the reborn king.

 

Her host explains that the High Paindragons once ruled this land, and the last king was Arthr, son of Uthr. His nephew Mordread killed him with dark sorcery amid a devastating war. The kingdom fell, and the land became a cursed wilderness. Alas, only his house testifies to this once prosperous land.   

 

So begins Dan Abnett’s tale in Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1. The British author delves into Arthurian folklore as he pits the She-Devil With A Sword against ogres and giants, the Lady of the Lake, the Green Knight, and more. If she can find Merlyn, perhaps she can finally remove the armor shirt she’s worn for nearly a year. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to listen to the talkative spirit anymore!

 

Red Sonja action figure available at Entertainment Earth

 

 

Art

Alessandro Miracolo, Emiliana Pinna, and Luca Colandrea imbue Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1 with All Ages Appeal. Rough-hewn characters are expressive and undergo dramatic transformations. Haunting monsters wield weapons that will test our Hyborean heroine's prowess. Sonja's armored blouse suggests a night out with friends, but nightclub owners might confiscate her sword. While lacking in detail, landscapes and buildings draw you into English lands before invading Anglo-Saxons redrew its borders.

 

Ellie Wright loads her palette with a wide range of colors. Grey mist rises from the cursed land. Sonja's cloak and hair match her Chestnut horse, while the opponents she fights are often green. White haze often mutes battle and light sources, but objects and people glow at night.

 

Black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons in Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1. Smaller lowercase white words in black narrative boxes convey the cursed armor's conversation. While eye-catching, Jeff Eckleberry’s first three chapter titles demand concentration. But his colorful sound effects enliven clashes between monsters’ weapons and a sword that emerged from a pond. 

 

 

 

An extensive cover gallery featuring artists like Joseph Michael Linsner, Junggeun Yoon, and Jae Lee proves a treasure trove in Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1.

 

Final Thoughts

The She-Devil With A Sword hacks and slashes through the worst that Arthurian folklore can throw at her and learns the surprising nature of curses in Immortal Red Sonja TP Vol. 1.

 

Rating 8.3/10

 

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

Amazing Spider-Man #29 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Inker: Mark Farmer

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Marco Checchetto & Richard Isanove; David Nakayama; Giada Perissinotto

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 12, 2023

 

Peter Parker opens his eyes to find he’s flying the friendly skies. Only he’s not enjoying a United Airlines flight. J. Jonah Jameson's carrying him from a great height. Using Doc Ock’s old legs, J.J. scampers above the street while Ock’s got Osborn strapped to a seat. Will Amazing Spider-Man #29 make you jump and shout? Let’s peer inside. We might find out!

 

 

 

 

Story

The Beyond Corporation has a lot to answer for. Peter Parker ended up in a coma while their scientists messed with people’s minds. Like Ben Reilly, Doctor Octopus wants to reclaim his memories. As he can't, his anger drives him to hurt anyone who's ever opposed him. And now Norman Osborn's going around, telling people he's a reformed person—that he's better than his former supervillain buds? Angry Otto can't have that!

 

Thankfully, with great power comes great opportunities. Embracing those could change Peter Parker forever. But to achieve that gain, he must endure the pain.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #29 reminds us how destructive envy can be. I like J. Jonah Jameson's concern for the man, employee, and superhero he once ridiculed. I love that—for the second issue in a row, the story features a cameo of a fan-favorite character. But most of all, I love how smoothly this story flows. It seems like the natural evolution of events and is a ride worthy of those rare E-tickets.

 

No worries, Disney fans: Amazing Spider-Man #29 includes a Fastpass, so you need not wait to enjoy this rock and roll attraction.

 

 

 

 

 

Art

Packed with muscle and menace, Doc Ock never looked meaner. His new tentacles attack like enraged pythons. Yet when not following orders, this gestalt companion detaches into individual mini-legs that exhibit a childlike fascination with their creator. Each sports glowing eyes like Ock and four octopus-like mini-mini-legs that scurry across workstations to see whatever he's doing. Bubbling tanks, glowing square monitors, and pipes dominate Otto's new digs. His Mad Scientist hideout contrasts with Norman's seamless, ultramodern Oscorp labs.

 

While murderous Doc Ock seeks affirmation, Norman Osborn shows his newfound heroism. He reasons (and yes, pleads) with Ock while battling the cold, crippling tentacles of terror. Although powerless and scared, he remains dignified.

 

 

 

 

Situations may momentarily shock him, but once Peter finds his feet, he's thinking and determined. He's the Spider-Man I want to see and not the fear-driven wreck of Amazing Spider-Man #23.

 

Like Doc Ock’s new legs, a rich blend of individual colors weaves together, making each page of Amazing Spider-Man #29 a beauty to behold. Spider-Man's scream and the gwarbling mini-legs shout their presence, while red uppercase words enhance the dialogue, and a rooftop billboard honors a series luminary. Older readers shouldn't sweat the smaller-sized dialogue and Nick Lowe's editorial note: the larger-sized dialogue will carry you through, and the sound effects will delight you.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amazing Spider-Man #29 reminds us how uplifting and fulfilling partnership can be and that memories should be celebrated instead of mourned.

 

9.6/10

 

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