In a bid to broaden the number of comics we cover at ComicsXF, we give you, the reader, these one-paragraph reviews of some recent releases.
Toxic Avenger #1
W: Matt Bors / A: Fred Harper / C: Lee Loughridge / L: Rob Steen / P: AHOY Comics
In a year when it feels like there are more comic books based on licensed properties than ever — Disney comics and Thundercats at Dynamite, Star Wars kids comics at Dark Horse, Biker Mice from fricking Mars at Oni — It could be easy to overlook AHOY’s licensing of Troma Entertainment’s seminal hero. But in the hands of satirist Matt Bors and surrealist Fred Harper, AHOY’s Toxic Avenger #1 is not one to be missed. Harper was born to draw Toxie, and the background-less A cover makes that plain: The bent head, the uneven eyes, the diagonal smile, the tiny tutu and shredded pink leggings, all evidence that comics can push a property past what’s practical in live action. Bors spins a Mark Russell-ian tale of localized environmental disaster — the PR people who clean it up in front of the cameras, the corporate paramilitary strike team that tries to clean it up where no one is looking, and the townsfolk who get screwed by it all. To hear Bors tell it on The ComicsXF Interview Podcast, he is building toward a rebirth of the Toxic Crusaders, the syndicated early ‘90s cartoon that lives somewhere on the spectrum between Captain Planet and the Planeteers and … well … The Toxic Avenger. After this first issue, I want that for him very much.
— Dan Grote
Wolverine: Revenge #2
W: Jonathan Hickman / A: Greg Capullo / I: Tim Townsend / C: FCO Plascencia / L: Cory Petit / P: Marvel
Wolverine: Revenge #2 is a comic about how Dani Moonstar, after the collapse of Magneto’s empire, single-handedly (well, with Forge) created a power source capable of sustaining a small resistance of mutants in the heart of the Dakotan forest. She has not one but three Demon Bears under her thrall, implying she has not just faced her fear but conquered it entirely. In the absence of long-tenured and intransigent mutant leaders, she has fulfilled her rightful destiny as a leader of mutantkind and owner of a sweet-ass overland vehicle. Greg Capullo captures her fearless stoicism beautifully, which matches Jonathan Hickman’s uncompromising and assured tone of voice to create a Dani who is undeniably the main character of this story.
— Jake Murray
Buy Wolverine: Revenge #2 here.
Marvel Zombies: Dawn of Decay #2
W: Thomas Krajewski / A: Jason Muhr / C: Rachelle Rosenberg / L: Travis Lanham / P: Marvel
Marvel Zombies is a title that likely brings a lot of imagery to mind. Iconic Marvel heroes turning into the rotting, flesh-eating dead, ripping apart their friends, family, enemies and anyone else who gets in their way. But what if I told you there was a version that is zombies but also kind of cute and fun? Don’t scoff at me, ‘cause it exists! Marvel Zombies: Dawn of Decay is essentially an all-ages zombie hero book, ‘cause it’s got Groot and silly “dumb” Hulk at its core, a duo recipe ripe for silly jokes, smash-’em-up battles and more “I am Groot” utterances than you can shake a branch at. Muhr and Rosenberg bring the dynamic, bright, colorful boldness, Krajewski nails the balance of campy fun versus horror, and Lanham gives it all a resounding, powerful voice. It’s a reminder of just how much comic books can be fun little things sometimes.
— Scott Redmond
Buy Marvel Zombies: Dawn of Decay #2 here.
Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre #1
W: Tom Scioli / A: Tom Scioli / P: IDW
The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books of all time (tell me you’re an English major without telling me you’re an English major). But you know what this novel examining the hollowness at the center of the American dream doesn’t have? Godzilla. Until now, that is. In this first issue, writer/artist Tom Scioli renders the plot outline of Gatsby — the mysterious and wealthy Gatsby loves Daisy, Daisy is married to the boorish Tom, there’s a green light heavy with symbolism and Nick is there observing it all — in his signature style, while also inserting Toho’s famous atomic monster into the mix, a massive beast stalking first the ritzy palaces of West Egg, Long Island, then Manhattan, then London. As Godzilla’s attacks widen, so too does the cast, as Scioli works real-world and literary characters from the Victorian and Edwardian eras into Gatsby’s Roaring ’20s-set mission to destroy Godzilla, including a cyborg Jules Verne and an aged Sherlock Holmes. Faithful in the right places while deviating deliriously in others and a perfect fit for Scioli’s art style, Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre #1 had this English major grinning from ear to ear throughout.
— Austin Gorton
Buy Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre #1 here.
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Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
Jake Murray spends far too much time wondering if the New Mutants are OK. When he's not doing that, he can be found talking and writing about comics with anyone who will listen.
Scott Redmond
Scott Redmond is a freelance writer and educator fueled by coffee, sarcasm, his love for comic books and more "geeky" things than you can shake a lightsaber at. Probably seen around social media and remembered as "Oh yeah, that guy." An avid gamer, reader, photographer, amateur cook and solid human being.
Austin Gorton also reviews older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website, co-hosts the A Very Special episode podcast, and likes Star Wars. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold. Follow him on Twitter @AustinGorton
