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!
We’ve also carved out some additional space for three of this week’s biggest books, including Absolute Superman #1, One For Sorrow #1, and Aliens Vs. Avengers #2, so if our smaller review here piques your interest, make sure to check out the full review for a much more comprehensive analysis of all three issues. 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!
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DC
Absolute Superman #1
At first, Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval’s Absolute Superman #1 doesn’t feel like a dramatic departure from what we know. The table setting of this new Krypton, while different, has a lot of familiar elements, especially for other modern interpretations of the planet. This has been a guiding force of DC’s new Absolute titles; enough of a familiarity that the character is recognizable but using that as a means to jump into all-new realms. Absolute Batman making Bruce not wealthy but also giving him a living parent are two pillars that change who this version of the character is compared to the mainline Batman, but they don’t fundamentally alter the base nature of the character. The same can be said here, as Absolute Superman remixes much of the Kryptonian elements of his origin while still positioning the title hero as a powerful figure fighting for the powerless.
– Spencer Perry (Read the full review here)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Action Comics #1074
Action Comics #1074 is a fantastic issue. Superman is back in time and back on Krypton, but while the story does bring Clark into contact with his parents — and is baby self — the issue doesn’t fall into the trap of merely being a vehicle for him to meet his parents. There are real stakes here as he finds out not only the real purpose for the Phantom Zone projector as well as finds himself in a precarious situation when the truth about the Council and his father’s interactions with it become clear. The story with Superboy still feels like it doesn’t quite fit with things, but the Supergirl backup gets more interesting as she manages to get a brief upper hand — though that story still remains a puzzle. Still, it’s the primary story that is the real standout and Mark Waid is writing one for the ages. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Batgirl #1
Batgirl #1 hits the ground running and never breaks its stride, delivering an exhilarating and action-packed debut with the perfect dose of family drama. Writer Tate Brombal’s ability to explore the issues and baggage between daughter and mother in the midst of the chaos allows the book to never lose its quickened pace, bringing you into their unique dyanic and relationship in both emotional and humorous ways. Can’t say enough great things about the wonderful artwork, colors, and lettering of Takeshi Miyazawa, Mike Spicer, and Tom Napolitano either, who bring a stylish lethality to the action sequences and a charming wealth of expression to Batgirl and Shiva throughout the issue. The team really seems to understand what sets Cassandra apart from the rest of the Bat Family, but also retains all of the elements and traits she’s picked up from them along the way, making for one hell of an All In reintroduction. Miss at your own risk. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5
Batman #154
Batman #154 is another pretty dense issue, but there’s a lot going on so it makes sense. The investigation into the mayor’s murder is underway and it’s a mystery that is already pretty deep with possibilities including the Riddler the Court of Owls, the wife, everyone. There’s also the public unrest against Wayne Enterprises, a life-altering possible revelation for Bruce, and the interference of Commander Star. There’s a lot going on and while there are places where things feel a little disjointed, this is a strong issue with a lot of things to unpack even if it is a little light on action. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 4 out of 5
Birds of Prey #15
Between Birds of Prey #15 and Batgirl #1, Cassandra Cain is having quite the week, and while both issues shine, they shine in completely different ways. You can see Batgirl’s impact throughout the issue despite not being around the rest of the team, and that’s credit to the work Kelly Thompson has done in building up the various dynamics within the team since the first issue, particularly with Cass and Barda. Cass shines individually as well, and the undercover sequences showcase her skillset brilliantly thanks to the art of Sami Basri and colors of Adriano Lucas. That said, it’s going to be hard to top Barda just owning at video games, which is simply delightful, but the entire issue hits on every aspect of the team and the continuing mystery of the current Amazon rescue. Birds of Prey continues to be one of DC’s best, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5
JSA #1
The Justice Society of America makes its All In debut with JSA #1, and the dysfunction within the team might just be its biggest threat. Writer Jeff Lemire puts the various dynamics within the team under the magnifying glass, both in terms of individual conflicts and issues and the broader, more macro differences in approach to how the JSA should function as a whole. It’s compelling and will be recontextualized in a major way as the issue plays out too, which only adds more intrigue as the series moves forward. While the entire issue is strong, the scenes at the Tower of Fate are some of my favorites. Artist Diego Olortegui, colorist Luis Guerrero, and letterer Steve Wands really get a chance to show off the various powers of team heavyweights like Flash, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and Doctor Fate, though to be fair, there’s an opening sequence with Obsidian that will knock you off your chair too. JSA #1 brings some of DC’s classic heroes into the All In era with stellar results, and though they might not see it now, the future for the team looks immensely bright. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4 out of 5
My Adventures With Superman #6
The whole My Adventures With Superman series has been a delight and issue #6, the finale is no exception. The issue sees the final showdown as Superman and Amazo face off with DuBois, though it’s less a face-off with DuBois and more Superman and Amazo trying to find a way to stop his plan and save the people of Metropolis. Ultimately, what we get is a true Superman story, one in which Superman doesn’t give up and where his optimism causes someone perhaps unexpected to be the hero. Add in the holiday aspect of things — this is a Christmas story, after all — and you get a beautiful story of sacrifice and hope that not only fits beautifully with the animated series but speaks to the overall comic legacy of the character. This is an outstanding finale to a really strong series. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 5 out of 5
Poison Ivy #27
While getting to who exactly is behind the ecoterrorist organization that has Poison Ivy public enemy number one is taking a little longer than maybe I would like, overall the issue does a good job of getting a little deeper into the mystery of the ghost town Pamela found and, as always Janet from HR is one of the most fun and interesting characters in the overall series. Other than that, Poison Ivy #27 simply does a decent job of moving things forward and has breathtaking art. It’s a good issue, just nothing overly groundbreaking.
– Nicole Drum
Rating: 3 out of 5
Marvel
Aliens vs. Avengers #2
Captain America and the Avengers receive a distress signal in outer space. Hopping aboard a Quinjet, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fly to save the day, only to encounter the Xenomorphs. Maybe, they encounter face bursters that infect Wolverine, giving us a Xenomorph with an adamantium skeleton and a massive healing factor. For the most part, this seems like the making of a traditional crossover between Marvel’s premiere superhero team and some of cinema’s scariest creatures. Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic have not taken this route and in creating a story that is so unexpected and against the grain, have perhaps created one of the greatest crossovers for either franchise.
-Evan Valentine (Read the full review here)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds #1
Making her debut in the second season of Marvel’s What If…? Kahhori may just be the best new character Marvel has created in a long time and with Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds #1, she’s finally the leap from the MCU to the pages of comics. The special one-shot Marvel Voices issue features three stories that all weave together to tell one tale: an alternate reality version of Loki shows up in Sky World to take power and Kahhori finds herself on a journey to stop him. This journey takes her to not only to Earth-616 where she teams up with Daredevil and Echo, but she also ends up working with Moon Knight as part of the journey as well. The overall story works really well and has a solid message about part of having power is understanding and respecting its limits, but in terms of the overall execution, it is just slightly lacking. Kahhori starts the chase against Loki from a position of “I need to stop this guy” only for it to turn into a “he’s just going to burn himself out so it’s about damage control” in the end. While both reactions make sense, it just feels like somewhere across the space offered in the three stories — and the page count — we miss a transition or even a moment that would make things a little more logical. That said, a real standout of this issue is the additional material — there’s an essay about the origin of Kahhori that is a genuinely lovely read so don’t miss it. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #4
Like most anthologies, Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #4 comes with its highs and lows, though its lows aren’t very bad at all. At worst, this set of stories is mildly interesting. At best, it’s fantastic. The black/white/red coloring really brings the story of Peter’s struggles with his Venom suit to the forefront, creating a tone we don’t often get from Spidey stories. G. Willow Wilson’s issue-opening story is far and away this book’s highlight.
– Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #4
There’s only so much you can squeeze into a small window of time inside a much grander story that we already know. The Battle of Jakku isn’t doing nearly enough with that precious amount of time to make it compelling. Instead, it acts more like a highlight reel of deleted scenes for beloved Star Wars characters.
-Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 1 out of 5
The Avengers #20
Jed MacKay’s Avengers run hasn’t shied away from heady concepts, and a living prison contained within one of the Ashen Combine certainly qualifies as one of those particular concepts. That said, MacKay does a wonderful job of finding the baseline thread underneath all of the bigger concepts and hits the gas, keeping you moving throughout a gripping tale of rebellion that lives in the grey. It’s also a bit revitalizing for Black Panther on an individual level and a reminder of just how much of a force of nature the Wakandan icon continues to be. The people Panther meets along the way provide the opportunity for much-needed introspection, though when the fists start flying, artist Farid Karami and colorists Federico Blee and Andrew Dalhouse take full advantage and deliver gorgeous battles that can’t help but stun. It will be interesting to see where this goes from here, but if more Panther rebellion stories are in the mix, count me in. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Ultimates #6
The Ultimates #6 is the issue of the series most in tune with the original The Ultimates run in terms of being chock full of big, gorey superhero action. And, like the original The Ultimates series, it is also underpinned by subtle and relevant subtext meant to shine a light on these Marvel icons that are outside of the typically uncomplicated norm. Here, the current Ultimates creative team marries the atomic themes inherent in the concept of the Hulk to the Eastern philosophy typically reserved for Iron Fist, creating a frightening avatar of the realpolitik concept of peace through strength, and an avatar as absurd as the concept it represents, as laid bare by the brutal violence he and his disciples inflict in the name or order within a few pages. Despite his obvious villainy, the Hulk’s words pull on a new thread in The Ultimates narrative, questioning whether Tony Stark and his allies are encouraging a revolution or pushing the populace further into the corrupt establishment’s arms by threatening the comfortable status quo. It’s heavy and thoughtful for sure, but also, there’s lots of punching. Beautiful, impactful punching, making for a comic that readers can enjoy on multiple levels. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Venom War #4
For every fun little twist found in Venom War, pulling from the larger tapestry of what Ewing has been doing with the character, there’s another that feels like it’s trying too hard to connect to everything else. Elements of the larger Venom War event come into play, one of the fun twists, which makes this feel fun but the setting for the main book here in this event is starting to get stale. Series artist Iban Coello continues to do fun work here though, making the goopy and wild look of the symbiotes and their varied design still engaging despite the other shortcomings. Venom War’s end seems to be on track for something cool, but can they please get out of his arena? – Spencer Perry
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
X-Factor #4
X-Factor #4 takes a couple of fairly simple premises — a rescue mission to the center of the Earth, and a complicated romantic relationship — and intertwines them. The execution is hardly flawless, mostly down to the visual storytelling being a bit muddy and not doing a great job of establishing a sense of space — the cavern the team winds up in seems alternative massive and pretty cozy depending on the panel. That said, while it’s light fair, it’s an enjoyable read. There are a few solid gags about X-Factor having to clean up their image, and while some elements of the storytelling are lacking, the character’s expressiveness is a high point, emphasizing the humorous undertones of the entire enterprise, and Havok getting to cut loose with his powers a bit is appropriately impressive. It seems like X-Factor has settled into a comfortable groove, offering light-hearted satire while building up readers’ emotional connections to its characters and building up bigger conflicts in the background. It’s a solid approach, and one readers will likely look forward to seeing pay off in the long run. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 3 out of 5
X-Force #5
A lot is going on in the current X-Force series, and little if any of it is having any impact. The previous issue ended with Forge’s X-Force team meeting an alternate universe’s Avengers team led by a version of Storm called Lady Tempest. X-Force #5 begins with the two squads fighting one another but then renders these alternate Avengers irrelevant to the story’s plot almost as soon as all their names have been listed. Man-Thing’s involvement in the series (Remember how this book was supposed to involve new guest stars in each issue? What happened there?) is similarly pushed to the side as X-Force continues to bounce around the globe on a piecemeal, poorly explained mission that ends in a grand sacrifice that might be more meaningful if the narrative weren’t so cluttered as to bury its emotional core. It seems to want to play with the tension inherent in calling out the difference between sacrifice and self-sacrifice, but the narrative’s focus is too scattered to make that point land properly. The artwork is clean and attractive enough, but the series continues to be mostly noise and too little signal. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 2 out of 5
X-Men #7
Jed McKay’s approach to writing X-Mend has thus far been okaying Grant Morrison’s hits poorly. That doesn’t change in X-Men #7, where we discover the relatively mundane truth about “The Iron Night, which has only been alluded to through the series’ first six issues. Having a dejected Scott Summers donning his New X-Men-era black-and-yellow jacket and talking about Wild Sentinels makes it another deliberate homage to Morrison’s work that lacks the spark or meaning of the original work being referenced. There’s nothing particularly wild about this “Wild Sentinel,” and the conflict plays out no differently than the X-Men’s countless other run-ins with Sentinels, leaving readers to wonder why they deemed this incident worthy of such an ominous name. This flashback is paired with revelations about what happened to Magneto that left him levitating in a metal chair. The reveal involves Krakoa’s legacy and sours the hopeful note that the creators of that era exited on in a way that feels unworthy. Guest artist Paco Diaz doesn’t do much to enliven the situation, with figures that defy anatomical standards, being muscular to the point of becoming unsettling to the reader, and fumbling what should be exciting moments with compositions focused on the wrong aspects of said moments. This all makes X-Men #7 an issue built on an underwhelming idea, further executed poorly. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
Image Comics
I Hate Fairyland #17
This return to Fairyland has been a lot of fun so far. While the second issue of the arc doesn’t quite live up to the heights of the first, it does an excellent job at setting the stage for a massive conflict without ever feeling like an exposition dump. We get some emotional stakes for the now-undead characters coming for revenge, and the last few pages set up an extremely enticing premise for the issues ahead. – Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 4 out of 5
Public Domain #10
Public Domain #10 is primarily a flashback issue revealing what transpired between Syd, Candy, and Cynthia in the late ’80s and early ’90s, which Syd is only becoming fully aware of in the present day. Chip Zdarsky does an impressive job of writing a dramatic issue that paints a complicated picture of three individuals struggling through the middle chapter of their lives, finding solace and comfort in each other, and wounding each other along the way. It’s an issue that manages to put each character’s flaws on full display without casting judgment on any of them. These are humans — frail, complex, imperfect humans — not the paragons and archvillains from the comics their lives revolve around. As strong as Zdarsky is with his dialog, much of the drama can be found in his compositions, particularly a pair of shots showing characters who are being walked away from, isolating them in their moments of confused, lonely, desperate realization. To see the lessons learned from these revelations in real-time as the narrative eventually returns to the present day makes for a perfect ending. Public Domain #10 is one of the best comic book issues of the year.
-Jamie Lovett
Rating: 5 out of 5
Other Publishers
Conan: Battle of The Black Stone #3
Conan is at its best when the weirdest and most supernatural elements are introduced, so this Battle of the Black Stone arc is automatically up there with the best of tales in this Jim Zub era of the character. It could do with a little less time-hopping and a little more character interaction, but it’s a great ride nonetheless. – Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cruel Universe #5
There’s a lot to like in this fifth issue of Cruel Universe. Every story in the anthology brings something unique and exciting to the table, even if not all of them are on quite the same level. From start to finish, though, Cruel Universe delivers an issue that’s both entertaining and easily readable. – Charlie Ridgely
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
FML #1
FML makes a major first impression, though I’m still rather conflicted after the much-anticipated debut. The team of writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, artist David Lopez, colorist Cris Peter, and letterer Clayton Cowles set the tone right away with a mix of surreal rocker fantasy and a quick slap back to reality, and the character of Patricia (aka Patty Cake) is a chaotic and hilarious treasure that immediately grabs your attention. By the way, this book is simply stunning, whether it’s tackling the real world, the art of Riley’s notebook, or the various witchy stories being spun throughout, every ounce of this book looks exceptional, and the colors and lettering make it feel as if it were alive. As for the characters, the book feels most alive when Riley and Patty are at the center of it, as their relationship and dynamic with each other and with everyone else makes for some of the most memorable moments in the book. Also, Glory for life…I mean, nothing to add, just a statement of fact. Unfortunately, the pace is a bit off overall, as the book slows to a crawl when it’s just the group interacting. Some of these moments are great, and others just feel too drawn out before getting to the next major milestone. Also, the biggest swerve is saved for the very end, and while that’s certainly great for interest in issue #2, with the increased page count of this issue, I wish more of that had been tackled in the series’ initial issue. Overall though I’m still hooked on where this goes next and intrigued on what happens to this entertaining group moving forward, and that’s still a big win. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
One For Sorrow #1
Ultimately, One For Sorrow #1 is a really solid, intriguing start for a series. It has interesting characters, a unique setting that feels worth exploring, and the central mystery – or more accurately, the motivation of our unifying character – is a fascinating one. With strong art that conveys a lot of subtext and emotion, this is a story with plenty of layers to be peeled back. Once you get past some of the parts that feel dense and perhaps a little disconnected, the result is a story that makes you eager for the next issue so you can keep reading and it will be interesting to see where things go from here.
-Nicole Drum (Read the full review here)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Something Is Killing The Children #0
After 40 issues, it’s impressive to see a series unearth a piece of the past that recontextualizes what you’ve seen play out over the course of the series o this pint, and that’s what James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto, and AndWorld Design have done with Something Is Killing The Children #0. Fans get to see the events that led to Erica’s trip to Archer’s Peak, which would be interesting enough, but Tynion also presents new information that adds additional intrigue to those original events while also painting a portrait of someone trying to simply help others within an order that seems to care less and less about accomplishing that goal. Dell’Edera and Muerto have delivered a number of powerful scenes over the years, but there’s one page here that is easily one of their all-time best, and it absolutely wrecked me. Something Is Killing The Children has set a high bar for itself since its debut, and it continues to meet and surpass it time and time again.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #3 raises the question of whether becoming a mutant also imbues you with enhanced physical abilities and knowledge of martial arts — there’s a central character who seems to at the least learn parkour skills after becoming a mutant, but I suppose it’s possible they acquired those skills in the pre-mutant life? — but setting that aside, the issue leverages mutation as a metaphor for marginalizing people cast off by the healthcare system. In this case, it’s easiest to draw a parallel to those discriminated against for sexual or gender identities, though the history of healthcare inequality concerning racial identity means the symbolism that Juni Ba is drawing out should resonate far and wide. Once again framing the story through social media and so-called “news” videos both emphasizes how distant we often are from others facing such struggles, and also reminds us of how much context can be missing from the bits of online information we glean from the constant internet noise. Fero Pe’s artwork helps frame the story from a high-level view while Luis Antonio Delgado’s colors add a painterly finish, something different from what readers may be accustomed to in Pe’s work but that works well here. Nightwatcher is turning out to be a series that redefines what it means to be a “street-level” hero. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 4 out of 5
