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. This feature doesn’t have a name yet; turns out a lot of online comics people like naming their blogs The Spinner Rack. But if we keep doing this and anyone has a good idea for a name, let us know!
Aliens vs. Avengers #1
W: Jonathan Hickman / A: Esad Ribic / C: Ive Svorcina / L: Cory Petit / P: Marvel
When this was announced, I scoffed. Aliens vs. Avengers immediately sounded like yet another example of brand acquisition synergy a la What If Donald Duck Became Wolverine? And even up until last week, when Wolverine: Revenge turned out to be an alt-timeline artist showcase for Greg Capullo, I wasn’t really thinking that the creative team of Hickman and Ribic would bring the powerhouse energy of Secret Wars to what could have amounted to an IP cash grab. I am so glad to have been wrong! Hickman proves that not only does he understand the assignment, he’s going to push the envelope with an apocalyptic, Aliens-conquer-the-universe scenario with some notable Marvel twists on the franchise canon. Ribic and Svorcina bring the artistic gravitas, adding elements of realism and weight that can be missing in a story like this (See the recent, very busy Predator vs. Black Panther for an example). This couldn’t have dropped at a better time for Alien fans like me who’ve likely just rewatched a few of the movies in anticipation of Romulus. And seeing how Hickman plays with the Shi’ar, The Weyland-Yutani Corp. and an absolutely brilliant reveal involving a facehugger is very entertaining for all you horror sicko/comic book nerds out there. The only downside here is that we have to wait three months for the next issue, so it might be the perfect time to enter cryosleep until mid-2025 when all four issues are finally complete.
— Adam Reck
Buy Aliens vs. Avengers #1 here.
Ultimate X-Men #6
W/A: Peach Momoko / Script Adaptation: Zack Davisson / L: Travis Lanham / P: Marvel
With issue #6, Momoko concludes the first arc of her genre-bending, expectation-rending foray into X-Men. This issue sees Hisako Ichiki, aka Armor, finally conquer the 6160 Universe’s Shadow King, a lost and lonely boy drawn in and controlled by the Children of the Atom cult. The kid turns out to be an incel, trying to control her by preying on her guilt over her friend’s death, and throwing a huge fit when she resists. There’s some amazing metatextual play here, with Hisako fighting against losing her agency by tugging at the shadow in a way that looks like pulling apart the scenes of the comic itself. Overall, it’s a little confusing though, and leaves a lot unresolved. Some of this is by design, including a rather ominous cliffhanger suggesting the Children of the Atom are a little bit more than a community organization. Others, like the source of Hisako’s guilt, are cast aside for the final fight. The untidiness of this final issue, and the sheer amount it tries to do, are a direct consequence of the decompressed storytelling in the first five issues. It’s clear that Momoko’s comfort zone is within her characters, exploring their state of mind and emotions through her magical watercolor art, which is rich with symbolism and body-horror surrealism. She stayed in this space a little too long to tie up the arc effectively, but I’d still firmly recommend checking this book out.
— Jake Murray
Universal Monsters: Frankenstein #1
W/A: Michael Walsh / C: Toni Marie Griffin / P: Image/Skybound
Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin) is the third creator to tackle a Universal Monsters property for Skybound after James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Dracula last year and Ram V, Dan Watters and Matthew Roberts’ Creature from the Black Lagoon this year. Walsh’s new Frankenstein is a clever spin on the classic monster movie that shifts the perspective from the mad scientist to a grieving boy whose dead father’s hands have been grave-robbed and ended up on the arms of the famous monster. Walsh adds some real pathos to the boy’s desire to reconnect with his dad only to find a horrific lab filled with unused limbs and, of course, Frankenstein’s monster. Walsh’s high-contrast inks cast deep shadows across every page, while Toni Marie Griffin’s palette of washed-out blues and purples and bold neon greens complement Walsh’s vision and bring the book to life. The issue ends on a cliffhanger that makes me want to come back for a second issue. Fans of Walsh’s work or Frankenstein stories in general will find a lot to love with this latest adaptation.
— Adam Reck
Buy Universal Monsters: Frankenstein #1 here.
The Pedestrian #1
W: Joey Esposito / A: Sean Von Gorman / C: Josh Jensen / L: Shawn Lee / P: Magma Comix
This comic, from new publisher Magma Comix, takes a swing: A silent, skintight suit-clad Samaritan swishes his way through Summer City, foiling muggers, rescuing children from a drunken driver, even helping a depressed pizza delivery driver parallel park, all while obeying the rules of the crosswalk. It’s an interesting concept, but the first issue offers simultaneously too much and not enough. It’s structured as a series of vignettes, introducing us to the residents of Summer City — your standard small town where opportunity lacks and everyone regrets their life choices — as they encounter The Pedestrian. Because it’s such a slight first issue, we spend very little time getting to know each of these people — the mugging victim, the mugger, the detective, the pizza delivery driver, the twins — before The Pedestrian swish-swishes to the next scene. Narrative captions whiz past us to dump as much life story on us as possible before moving on. Who The Pedestrian is, where he comes from, why he wears that ridiculous outfit are all appropriate mysteries for future issues, but when you can’t sink your hooks into any one particular POV, it makes it harder to get invested, even in a concept as peculiar as this.
— Dan Grote
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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.
Adam Reck is the cartoonist behind Bish & Jubez as well as the co-host of Battle Of The Atom.
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.
