Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artists: Partha Pratim & Federico Sabbatini

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Dike Ruani & Alejandro Sánchez; Romy Jones; Mike McKone & Ruth Redmond; Federico Vicentini

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 13, 2023

 

Like Peter Parker in writer Dan Slott’s Spider-Man series, Miles Morales’ Spider-Sense is on hyperdrive. Living with constant and directionless alerts confuses and grinds him down. Can N. Y. C. give Miles a breather? Let's thwip into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10 and find out!

 

Story

Miles meets with Doc Sampson. Life transformed the green-haired therapist into a jolly jade Bigfoot. Still, Doctor Sasquatch wants to help Miles avoid burnout. He compliments Miles on his coping techniques. When trauma and stress increase, Miles should add to his self-care skillset. The session doesn’t cure Miles but gives him concepts to process later.

 

 

 

That’s all good, as Miles’ coping skills get tested when Sandra Santos—a.k.a. Hightail--apprehends him in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10. Agent Gao, leader of the Cape Killers anti-vigilante task force, puts Miles on his watchlist. Seeing Miles swinging above the streets, Hightail decided to bring him in. But will Miles let her?

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10 highlights the need to manage stress, while laying the foundation for later events in Cody Ziglar’s Bad Blood story.

 

 

Art

Lost in thought, Miles passes the trashbag his parents asked him to take out. Despite his downward gaze, he doesn’t notice the envelopes spilling from a mail pickup slot to the floor. Kneeling before tall, muscular, and furry Doctor Sasquatch, Miles looks haggard. Yet his eyes brighten as new possibilities broaden his worldview.

 

Partha Pratim and Federico Sabbatini use diagonal lines to define panels: a gentle reminder that Miles’ life isn’t running straight and true. Yet whatever’s wrong with his life, Hightail’s is infinitely worse. While lithe and fit, she succeeds in looking edgy. Perhaps it’s the frown she wears in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10. Miles discovers what it’s like to be powerless when the speedster yanks him in her wake. Suddenly, the birds he casually disturbs while web-slinging are obstacles, not ambiance!

 

 

 

Bryan Valenza colors Miles’ apartment in calming earth tones while the trees outside his home signal the arrival of fall. Miles sees a hologram of the glowing green giant through a purple haze. Broadcasting from his green-and-blue station, interior lights—and perhaps the stars glimpsed through the transparent dome—throw shadows and highlights on Doctor Sasquatch. With his mask, blue jacket, and red backpack, Miles evokes another Spidey-Peep who's recently gone all evil and chasm-y. Yet the blue garment turns purple in some panels: perhaps another reminder of the ground shifting beneath Miles’ feet after his encounters with Rabble and Carnage.

 

Cory Petit translates Cody Ziglar’s story into white dialogue balloons, red narrative thought-boxes, yellow footnote boxes, and scraps of tan paper ripped from Miles’ journal. White uppercase letters deliver his thoughts, and black uppercase words inhabit balloons and boxes in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10. Similarly sized to those in Amazing Spider-Man, Cory’s font looks thinner, and his background fields darker, lessening contrast and readability. His subdued sound effects help us hear Hightail plow through the air, Spider-Man shoot webs, and a sword slash through the darkness. But who wields it?

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Targeted by former allies, a rattled hero struggles to cope in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10. His life life couldn't get any more crazy, could it?

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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

Cult Of Carnage: Misery

 

I haven't read any of this series, but I picked up Cult Of Carnage: Misery #5 today, and Wow! Ordinarily, I avoid the Venom and Carnage books, as they lean more into horror territory than fun, but I loved this one. It features Harry Osborn's widow and another woman grieving his loss. Both symbiote-bonded women are fighting each other for personal reasons. But as I read Cult Of Carnage: Misery #5, it struck me that they were acting out their grief over Harry. Grief can do that to you.

I'd need more time to study this issue before giving it a more considered review. Still, if Amazing Spider-Man #34 isn't enough Spidey-action for you this week, and you like action, drama, catfights, and more Cyborg Symbiote Soldiers than Kraven can shake his Goblin-cursed spear at, check out Cult Of Carnage: Misery #5!

Preview Cult Of Carnage: Misery #5 at Comic Book Dispatch.

Captain America #1 Spotlight

 

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artist: Jesús Saiz

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: September 20, 2023

 

Captain America may have saved the world from a Robot Apocalypse, but that doesn’t mean he can keep his apartment. So when the owners decide to evict tenants, raze the aging building, and sell the land, Steve Rogers assumes a new title: landlord! Now, between missions with his fellow supes, he's doing building maintenance and looking out for the less fortunate. 

 

 

 

 

Along with this heartwarming tale about caring for your neighbors, Captain America #1 looks back to Steve’s past. The story reflects on the young man in the 1930s after his mother died and the landlord evicted him from his home. We see the determined, hardworking young man before he gains his superpowers.

 

 

 

Captain America #1 boasts cinematic action scenes and art that often evokes beautiful paintings. Word size doesn't strain the eyes, and Straczynski never loses you switching between present and past. Still, this felt more like the introduction to a miniseries than an ongoing one. Nor did I feel like his origins needed further exploration. While beautifully told, Captain America #1 leaves me wishing the creator of Babylon 5 had focused more on the present than dwelling on the past.

 

 

Still, I enjoyed the issue, and plan to check out Straczynski's Captain America #2. Keep your eyes peeled for Shadows, Steve!

 

For a sneak peek at interior art and a more seasoned reviewer's thoughts, see Dispatch DCU's review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Alpha Flight #2 Spotlight

 

Writer: Ed Brisson

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3,99

Release Date: September 20, 2023 

 

Round up all the mutants and send them to Mars. That's what the Canadian government wants to do. But Alpha Flight--the government's officially sanctioned mutant superteam--has a better idea. Instead of imprisoning them in internment camps and plopping them down amid Arakko's civil war, they want to operate a Shi'ar underground railroad. Doing so will mean getting around Department H director Erika Doiron and her towering Iron Man Sentinels.

Alpha Flight #2 boasts colorful characters, heartfelt drama, and one mutant's poignant letter home. It's a beautifully drawn and colored comic that continues the Fall Of X story. The issue boasts a lot of mutant-tiny dialogue and supplementary material, making it a substantial read. I didn't quite understand the surprise ending, but it features an explosive confrontation between Erika's Box Sentinels and a mutant in Bend, Oregon.

For more:
Preview Alpha Flight #2 at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Shazam! #3 Review

 

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist: Dan Mora

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Cover Artist: Dan Mora; John Timms; Chris Samnee & Matheus Lopes; Carla Cohen; Edwin Galmon

Publisher: DC

Price: $3.99/4.99

Release Date: September 5, 2023

 

Billy Batson can't control the Captain. One moment, Shazam! is a noble superhero. Then he's acting like an obnoxious baddy. Let's leap into Shazam! #3 and find out why!

 

Story

Believe it or not, the Titan Atlas is influencing the Captain. Billy vows never to transform again. With Atlas pulling his hair out, Zeus manipulates Billy into becoming a hero once more. But can Billy--and Shazam!--prevent Atlas from taking control?

 

 

Shazam! #3 takes the Captain to Ape City and the Moon. It also features a cameo by the Tyrannosaurus in the top hat that still expects Billy to complete a mountain of paperwork. Remember the dinosaurs the Captain helped in issue #1? No good deed goes unpunished, Billy!

 

 

 

Art

Dan Mora's characters and settings are lifelike and appealing. Alejandro Sánchez colors struggle to leap off the page in Shazam! #3.

Troy Peteri's letter sizes range from small to large with attractive fonts, and won't strain your eyes.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Waid and Mora deliver a banana-load of kooky fun in Shazam! #3. Hold on, Billy! Keep on being Shazam!

Rating 9.2/10

 

 

For more, see the Shazam! #3 Preview at Comic Book Dispatch.

Marvel Age #1000: Overload Review

 

Writer:  Armando Iannucci

Artist:  Adam Kubert

Colorist: Frank Martin

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $9.99

Release Date: August 30, 2023

 

Story

Do you experience ringing in your ears? Armando Iannucci suggests that tinnitus has nothing to do with your hearing. Instead, the brain interprets nerve impulses as alarms. Even people with exceptional hearing—like Daredevil—can experience tinnitus. Having suffered from this disease for decades, I’ve yet to hear such a definitive diagnosis from a doctor. But even if Iannucci simplifies a complex spectrum of symptoms that plagues millions of people, I can relate to Matt Murdock's admission: "It's like somebody tipped a dumpster full of noise in my brain." While enduring trials, we can take inspiration from our heroes and battle on.

 

Daredevil statue available at Diamond Select Toys

 

 

Art

Adam Kubert works across pages as Daredevil battles villains, argues in the courtroom, and swings through the sky. The pain Matt experiences transforms his features in Marvel Age #1000. Even wearing his mask, the agony he endures is apparent. Frank Martin's coloring shows these sonic explosions wash through him. Joe Caramagna's skills prove especially powerful here.

 

To preview interior art for Overload and other stories in Marvel Age #1000 see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Godzilla by James Stokoe Deluxe Edition HC Review

 

Writer, Artist, Colorist, Letterer, & Cover Artist: James Stokoe

Color Assistant: Heather Breckel

Publisher: IDW

Price: $39.99

Release Date: September 13, 2023

 

Lieutenant Ota Murakami had served the Japanese Self-Defense for nearly two years when he arrived in Tokyo in 1954. Instead of supplying disaster relief, he found a monster demolishing Japan's capital city. What can he and his platoon do against a dinosaur that breathes energy beams at its attackers? Let's leap into Godzilla by James Stokoe Deluxe Edition HC and find out!

 

Story

Ota and his friend Kentaro watch Godzilla take out the rest of their platoon. The energy blast damaged their antenna. After “Old Ken” fixes it, they receive orders to assist with the civilian evacuation. Despite Ken’s reservations, Ota orders him to delay the monster any way they can. They rumble through the debris-filled streets in their banged-up Sherman tank, playing Mouse to Godzilla’s Cat.

 

 

 

In Godzilla by James Stokoe Deluxe Edition HC, Ota and Ken battle the monster as the decades pass. They serve under Colonel Schooler of the A. M. F. or the Anti-Megalosaurus Force. Their travels take them to Vietnam in 1967, Ghana in 1975, Bombay in 1987, and beyond. Despite the scientists’ ingenuity, Ken increasingly views Godzilla as a force of nature. No matter what weapons the A. M. F. deploys, Godzilla and his menacing companions fail to die.

 

Oops! Did I mention other monsters? Sadly, not all scientists prove as ethical as Ota and Ken. One invents a device that summons kaiju, which causes chaos wherever the A. M. F. goes. Monsters wake up or even arrive from other planets. Despite the increasing threat—or perhaps because of it--Ota and Ken forsake family, advancement, and financial security as they devote their lives to planetary defense. It’s Monster Versus Humans and Monster Versus Monsters in Godzilla by James Stokoe Deluxe Edition HC. 

 

 

 

Art

No artist packs more detail into pages than James Stokoe. Panels show a cast of thousands fleeing Godzilla on foot and in vehicles. The original kaiju reigns supreme, showing every tooth, claw, and scale as he demolishes buildings with little effort. Stokoe’s quirky characters are expressive, and the scientist’s inventions feature fun designs.

 

No colorist makes pages come alive like James Stokoe. Some panels ring with manifold color, while others glow with just a few. Although he’s not afraid to use gray, Stokoe’s images exhibit psychedelic appeal. He often provides good contrast, such as when Ota and Ken's green tank races through lavender streets, hoping to escape the storm of yellow and red chasing them. Others work less well, such as when Colonel Schooler tries to evade falling debris bathed in red.

 

 

 

No letterer creates white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes like James Stokoe. Although he places letters and rows close together, his uppercase black letters are easy on the eyes. Sound effects explode across panels to enhance the action, as over-the-top as the Godzilla film franchise. Chapter titles reveal ingenuity, and the giant block letters for the silent story “Godzilla In Hell” would make cinema-goers cheer.

 

The Godzilla by James Stokoe Deluxe Edition HC includes covers for each issue and examples of his penciled and inked art.  

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While delivering the city-destroying action movie fans expect, Godzilla by James Stokoe Deluxe Edition HC honors the original film's symbolism by framing a half-century of kaiju devastation through the eyes of Humanity's staunchest defenders.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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

 

Marvel Age #1000: Earth's Greatest Weapon Review

 

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Michael Allred

Colorist: Laura Allred

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $9.99

Release Date: August 30, 2023

 

Story

When rocket scientist Walter Lawson asks why NASA moved up Orpheus One's launch, Colonel Carol Danvers is tight-lipped. So the Kree spy Captain Mar-Vell—known as Captain Marvel on Earth—tells his superior he failed to discover the rocket’s payload. Colonel Yon-Rogg connects Mar-Vell with Supremor, and the Supreme Intelligence orders him to prevent the launch.

 

After Dan Abnett reminded readers of this Silver Age character in his recent Groot series, Spider-Man writer Dan Slott portrays him as a recent emigrant to Earth. While I didn’t understand the secrecy surrounding Orpheus One, Captain Marvel’s response to Supremor’s orders, or why he called the rocket's payload precious, his story reminds us of 1960s fears of another world war and the U.S.S.R.'s rapid industrial and military growth that prompted the space race. 

 

Captain Mar-Vell action figure available at Amazon.com

 

 

Art

Michael Allred honors Captain Marvel’s origins with 1960s superhero depictions, period interior design, and pop culture portrayals in Marvel Age #1000. The Supreme Intelligence dominates scenes, and characters seem approachable and relatable. Laura Allred’s colors brighten this tale about overcoming our fears and embracing the unknown.

 

 

Genis-Vell (son of Mar-Vell) action figure available at Amazon.com

 

 

To preview interior art for Earth's Greatest Weapon & other stories in Marvel Age #1000 see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #33 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Patrick Gleason

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Giada Perissinotto; Joey Vasquez

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 6, 2023

 

Kraven The Hunter cornered Norman Osborn in his laboratory. But when he thrust a cursed spear at the Golden Goblin, Spider-Man got in the way. Will the injury turn Peter Parker into an unfriendly neighborhood Goblin? Let’s fwip into Amazing Spider-Man #33 and find out!

 

Story

After the Sin-Eater removed Norman Osborn's sins, the Beyond Corporation used them to transform therapist Ashley Kafka into the Queen Goblin. Her occult rituals transferred the Green Goblin’s sins into Kraven’s cursed spear. Thanks to Spidey’s insistence upon saving the endangered, Kraven stripped Peter of pity and compassion. 

 

 

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #33, Peter doesn’t visit the Emergency Room to get his chest sewn up. We don’t learn how Ashley Kafka fares after freeing herself from Norman’s sins or glimpse Rek-Rap’s latest exploits. Nothing breaks the tension as Peter contemplates Kraven’s actions and decides the world is better without him. In injuring Peter, Vladimir roused the beast. Now, he is the prey.

 

Zeb Wells draws inspiration from fan-favorite stories “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and “Grim Hunt” to forge a new direction for our favorite wall-crawler in Amazing Spider-Man #33. This time, Peter Parker vows, things will be different!

 

 

 

Art

Whether it's Norman arriving at Peter's apartment building, Vladimir Kravinoff studying a portrait of his father Sergei, or water spilling from a pipe into dark sewers, Patrick Gleason peers into Peter’s world from above. He’s no stranger to ground-and-floor views either, whether looking up at cobwebs binding Peter to his chair, Kraven clutching a rifle as his nemesis crawls across the ceiling, or black-clad Spidey raining webs upon his fleeing prey. Gleason scatters panels across scenes to showcase running feet, a knife falling through fingers, and eyes bulging from a squeezing hand. It’s the flight of Kraven’s life, conveyed in all its grandeur by penciler Patrick Gleason.

 

Shorn of compassion, the color leaches from Peter's world in Amazing Spider-Man #33. Even before he abandons his familiar red-and-blue, moonlight chills the blue-tinged darkness of Peter's apartment. Norman's flesh turns to ice as he leaves the lit stairwell to survey his friend’s unlit rooms. Kraven’s mansion glows with yellow and orange as all his hopes and dreams burn away. As he trades illuminated neighborhoods for the sewers, depth, and perspective fade in and out. Darkness encroaches and threatens to envelop him completely.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna delivers Zeb Wells’ narrative-driven story as a series of narrative boxes. Peter’s are alternately white or red and feature dialogue-sized letters. Norman's thoughts appear in greenish-white and green boxes with similar-sized words. Kraven’s thoughts switch between orange and black with smaller lowercase letters. Shouted words swell to epic proportions, and the laughter that rumbles through the chasm of Peter’s soul threatens to shake the Earth. Ambition and fear create one terrible nightmare that severs each character in two.

 

 

Final Thoughts

A lack of confidence provokes desperate measures, and a hero’s failure returns to haunt him in Amazing Spider-Man #33.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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