Happy new comic book day! It’s another major week in comics, and the SocioLayers staff have come together to break down and review as many of the big comics releasing this week as possible. Now obviously this isn’t every single comic on stands, but we’re breaking down new releases from Marvel, DC, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Oni Press, IDW, Mad Cave Studios, DSTLRY, and more!
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We’ve also carved out some additional space for one of this week’s biggest books Laura Kinney: Wolverine #1, so if our smaller review here piques your interest, make sure to check out the full review for a much more comprehensive analysis of the issue. As for ratings, we keep things simple with a whole or half number out of five, and you can check out some of our previous reviews right here. With all that said, let’s get to this week’s new comics!
DC
Action Comics #1079
Action Comics #1079 sees things go from bad to worse for Superman after he saved Earth last issue and it’s a turn, while not exactly surprising, ends up being pretty thrilling. All of the Kryptonians in the Phantom Zone now have powers thanks to the yellow sun and are wreaking absolute havoc on Earth. Superman is nearly killed by them and things seem like a lost cause, until the Els are joined by their allies for some creative fighting. The issue is fast paced and packed with action, plus throws in a few emotional notes and another dramatic turn at the end. This run has been fantastic, and this issue is definitely a high note. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Batman & Robin #16
Batman & Robin #16 introduced complications into every aspect of the story. In his hunt for Memento, Batman finds himself investigating a new set of killings but now with the addition of a foreign detective who doesn’t share his theory meanwhile Damien is still dealing with the trauma of the little girl’s death which is causing a rift between father and son. While there is a lot going on in the issue, it’s well-executed and makes for an issue that is both interesting on its own and that ups the intensity for next issue. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 4 out of 5
Batman: Dark Patterns #1
Batman: Dark Patterns is off to a very strong start. Not only has Watters crafted a story that feels like a classic Batman tale, but it brings a new narrative to the table that allows fresh readers to arrive and enjoy. Dark Patterns doesn’t require reading any other Batman comics to track what’s going on or to become aware of its new characters, everything it has is introduced in its pages. This, along with the fact that it’s a refreshingly low-key tale, makes this a perfect jumping in point for new readers and (provided it sticks the landing) an easy recommendation for new readers. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 5 out of 5
Black Lightning #2
Black Lightning #2 feels like DC trying to do an X-Men comic with it’s “anti-metahuman” sentiment as a core element of the story and fractured interpersonal relationships ships. Anissa is all sorts of resentment towards her father, citizens have resentment toward the heroes and there is a budding subplot about a new meta as well. There is a lot going on here and it is a little challenging to figure out what the big conflict really is. But it’s a good story that does what DC does well: digs into the humanity of its characters. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 3 out of 5
Green Lantern #18
It’s a bit absurd how much is being done in Green Lantern at the moment, as last month’s issue had all the makings of an oversized one-shot in the space of 22 pages, and somehow the team managed to deliver another blockbuster back to back. Civil Corps Part III dives right into the cosmic chaos that has the world on the brink, and despite all the players on the board and the massive ramifications of every move they make, writer Jeremy Adams makes it all look effortless. As Dark Star and Varron are so powerful it makes every decision the Lanterns make a matter of life or death, and the stakes are extremely palpable throughout as a result. The cosmic scale of it all is beautifully brought to life by the dynamite team of artist Xermanico, colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr., and letterer Dave Sharpe, weaving swaths of green, red, yellow, purple, and white light with otherworldly creatures and ring slinging squirrels and somehow keeping everything steering in the same direction. It’s an impressive feat, and that’s on top of everything that’s being built on the outskirts of the main battle that will become main factors in the future. Green Lantern is hitting on all cylinders at precisely the right time, and it rarely gets better than this. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5
Superwoman Special #1
Superman has knocked its last few specials and annuals out of the park, and the same is true of its latest one-shot Superwoman Special #1. After the events of Absolute Power, Lois Lane suddenly had superpowers but no one knew how. Now answers have arrived, though not every mystery is solved, and that’s actually a truly wonderful thing. A staple element of Joshua Williamson’s Superman run has been turning small threads into major ones over time and then paying them off in grand fashion down the line, and that seems to also be the case with Lois, who does reveal the events that led to her powered-up state without giving away the farm in the process. The core of Lois remains the same, and it’s a delight to see Lois interact with Lana, Kara, and even Clark in a truly different way, but it never feels as if Lois moves off of centers despite the bigger than life elements now present in her life. Artists Edwin Galmon ,Laura Braga, and Nikola Cizmesija team up with colorist Rex Lokus and letterer Dave Sharpe to deliver bombastic action sequences that can’t help but impress, though some of the best moments are simply moments of shock from the family at Lois’ new part time gig. There’s also a last moment hook that can’t help but get you hyped for what’s coming next, adding another stellar special to the Superman Family’s tremendous run. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Marvel
Alien: Paradiso #1
In concept, Alien: Paradiso is pretty great. Bring the Xenomorphs to a space resort where everything is sunny and beautiful. The execution just isn’t there; at least not yet. The final pages feel like there may be hope in the second issue, but we’ll have to wait to see if that actually delivers. This debut just takes entirely too much time to get anywhere, and where it goes isn’t all that engaging. – Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 2 out of 5
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #1
Laura Kinney has been a fan-favorite for a long time now, buy it’s been a minute since she’s had a clear path forward. While she continue to be a welcome asset to any team she’s a part of, it’s felt like she hasn’t had a real place within the world of X-Men and mutantkind to call her own over the past year. Enter Marvel’s Laura Kinney: Wolverine, a new ongoing series which sets about changing that and ultimately succeeds. By issue’s end Laura has a compelling end goal that plays into her strengths with some welcome mystery in the mix as well, getting this next chapter off to a stellar start. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Read full review here)
Phoenix #6
Phoenix scribe Stephanie Phillips spends the latest issue getting Jean prepped for what seems like a major climactic moment to follow, but its the exploration of both Thanos and new character Adani that make Phoenix #6 a worthwhile read. Artist Marco Renna (collaborating with color artist David Curiel) delivers some great linework between panels that give this a unique kind of fluid movement that sometimes gets lost in comics. Renna also delivers some iconic takes on Marvel villains which are damn near Kirby-esque.
– Spencer Perry
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Scarlet Witch #7
It was apparent that Scarlet Witch #7 was going to deliver the very moment Russell Dauterman debuted that absolutely wicked cover, and it turns out that’s exactly what happened. What starts out as a relaxing stroll though a hidden festival swiftly shifts into mayhem, and part of what makes it so eventful is the company. Steve Orlando doesn’t miss a beat with the banter between Wanda, Amaranth, Wiccan, and Speed, but takes things up a notch by finding ways to isolate them and Scarlet Witch while leaning into Wanda’s parental and mentor role with each one of them. That said, some of the best moments of the issue are simply Wanda being Wanda and all of the magical chaos that brings with it. Artist Lorenzo Tammetta, colorist Frank William, and letterer Ariana Maher are sincerely brilliant, providing Wanda with a welcome edge to her movements and combat and a wealth of creativity in the magical battle that ensues with her mystery opponent. I won’t spoil who it is, but MCU fans will surely want to take note, and the seeds continue to be sewn for even more explosive moments to come. Scarlet Witch continues to find a way to highlight the most intriguing aspects of the character while simultaneously introducing new elements to keep things fresh, and overall Scarlet Witch fans should be over the moon.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Spirits of Vengeance #4
Some exciting, and awesome, splash pages make Spirits of Vengeance the kind of book that fans of these characters are always itching for, but the problem of course is that they make up a small portion of the entire thing. Series writer Sabir Pirzada works his way through an elaborate flashback to set the stage for the current story, but the connectivity feels tenuous when the characters themselves are so uninteresting. Spirits of Vengeance features a team of artists that includes pencilers Sean Damien Hill & Brian Level, inkers Brian Level, Jay Leisten & Aure Jimenez, and color artist Andrew Dalhouse, who all manage to deliver a visual fidelity across most of the issue. Though the big action beats look great, the slower dramatic ones don’t offer much. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #4
The Battle of Jakku is bringing together its main players, both on the light and dark sides of the Force, as the latest Star Wars crossover events ramp toward its grand finale. While the light side of things seems par for the course, General Adlehard finds himself on the receiving end of a betrayal that has been in the works for some time. Ultimately, Republic Under Siege has quite a few chinks in its armor but there are a few shining moments in this latest chapter. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 3 out of 5
Storm #3
The pacing of Storm is becoming a distraction to the overall story. Every challenge that arises is solved with little meaning — the illness that seemed to be the crux of her journey is magically (literally) brushed aside, her meeting with Doctor Voodoo proves unremarkable, and her reunion with the X-Men only serves to highlight how odd it is that’s apart from them and hanging with the Avengers instead. Now she’s off to visit Doom. It’s a lot of legwork for little payoff thus far, and the artwork is veering into uncomfortably photo referenced territory. The series has quickly lost its iconic stature and reached for melodrama as a narrative crutch, a symptom of its need for a firmer identity and focus.
– Jamie Lovett
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The Amazing Spider-Man #63
Amazing Spider-Man hands over a couple of Spider-Man’s eight deaths to the creative team of Justina Ireland and Gleb Melnikov, who reconnect the drawn-out gauntlet structure with the themes established by the earliest issues. The battle between Spider-Man and the latest of Cytorrak’s brood to come calling is concise and cleverly resolved, with Melnikov putting his touch on certain milestone moments from Spidey’s history. The rest of the issue sees Peter Parker applying the lessons Spider-Man learned about the inevitability of time and taking some friendly advice to find joy where he can. Some of the dialogue verges on therapy-speak that has become, but it’s a minor flaw in an otherwise solid issue.
– Jamie Lovett
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Incredible Hulk #20
Werewolves are a great addition to a run that’s already been packed with vicious monsters and terrifying creatures. The Lycana lore is also a wonderful new layer to Hulk and Charlie’s journey, though this new story doesn’t yet appear to be quite as strong as previous arcs. The bar has been set unreasonably high with this series, though.
– Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 4 out of 5
Ultimate X-Men #10
Another Ultimate X-Men issue arrives and my same complaints remain, in that this doesn’t feel like it should be the premiere mutant book in the new Ultimate universe. That being said, this is the strongest issue of the series to date thanks to the terrifying tale of Natsu’s powers run amuck. Peach Momoko’s art can be rather hit or miss and the same can be said of the characters here as well. Honestly, the series still feels quite discombobulated and considering it’s being sold as a “team book”, you would think that many of these elements would be congealed already ten issues in. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Uncanny X-Men #7
The Raid on Graymalken continues as Gail Simone and her team take the reins in this mutant crossover. While the reasoning behind why Scott Summers is hesitant to add Rogue’s team to the mix is a little shaky, it makes for a dynamic action beat when the mutant civil war kicks off. Simone continues to have both a firm grasp on the tried and true X-Men along with the new youngster added to their roster. David Marquez is joined on art duties by Edgar Salazar, who has a style comparable to Marquez here, making the transitions seamless. This crossover event is a strong one though not as strong from what Uncanny has given readers so far. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 4 out of 5
Image Comics
Witchblade #6
With much of the larger “new origin” side of this fresh take on Witchblade out of the way, series scribe Marguerite Bennett can continue to explore the character and her new identity even deeper. The series manages to find a fun balance of both internal and external plot, with the latest issue no expectation. A key highlight of the series so far and which remains true is the line art by Giuseppe Cafaro (aided on colors by Arif Prianto) due in large part to his unique paneling and the huge splash pages. Once again this remains an accessible and timely reboot of a classic character. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 4 out of 5
