New Comic Book Reviews 11/6/24 – 11/13/24: Absolute Superman, G.I. Joe, JSA, Amazing Spider-Man & MORE!
New Comics Reviews for Wednesdays 11/6 – 11/13
Thanks for downloading the show to listen to us discuss (AKA argue about) these comics! But we wanted to give you Listenerds a quick way to keep track of our ratings too. Here are our new comic book reviews, ratings and our choice for the THN Permanent Collection (best of the pile) from Episode 760, featuring Absolute Superman, G.I. Joe, JSA, Amazing Spider-Man, and MORE! You still gotta download the show if you want to hear our full discussion though, so….
CHECK OUT THE FULL EPISODE HERE! (LINK COMING SOON)
Joe’s Reviews:
11/6
Cover by Diego Olortegui
JSA #1
DC Comics
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Diego Olortegui
Colors by Luis Guerrero
Letters by Steve Wands
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: THE NEW ERA OF THE JSA BEGINS HERE! Long-time fan favorite characters Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Jade, Obsidian, Jesse Quick, Hourman, Ted Grant, and Sandman are all back on the roster as DC’s first super team faces their greatest and most personal challenge yet. Will golden age ideals hold true in a world recovering from the events of Absolute Power? Or do they need a more hardcore approach to stand a chance against the new Injustice Society of America?
Review: JSA #1 is a return to form for the world’s first superhero team. Lemire’s obvious affection for the characters shines through, and Diego Olortegui art, while maybe not my personal preference, is fantastic. It’s not a perfect issue, but I’m thrilled to have the JSA back at the forefront of the DC Universe.
Rating: BUY IT.
Cover by Jamie McKelvie
*JOE PERMANENT COLLECTION PICK!*
One for Sorrow #1
DSTLRY
Story and art by Jamie McKelvie
Colours by Courtney Vokey
Letters by Ariana Maher
Packaging (whatever that means) by Tiny Onion, Inc.
48 pages for $8.99
Solicit: JAMIE McKELVIE IS BACK WITH HIS FIRST SOLO CREATOR-OWNED PROJECT IN OVER A DECADE! London, 1900. The capital hums with the energy of the new era, but something darker lurks beneath the surface. A monstrous figure stalks the city’s criminal underworld at night, leaving a trail of bloody corpses in its wake. Rumors about the mysterious killer spread like wildfire. It’s a demon. A phantom. An angel of vengeance. Nothing can kill it. Nothing can stop it. And once it picks a new target, well, he better have a coffin picked out, because he’s already dead. The only clue that a baffled police force has to work with is the black and white feather left on each corpse, leading the press to dub the killer The Magpie. Is the Magpie killing at random, or is there a pattern that no one else can see? Three individuals, strangers to each other, might together have the answer. Madame Hendrikov, the Russian medium with an upper-class clientele desperate for the secrets of the dead. Bess Turner, the East End barmaid caught up in the schemes of an organized crime gang. And Ignatious Thorn, the world’s most famous consulting detective, brought to ruin by horrific tragedy. The artistic mastermind behind THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, CAPTAIN CARTER, and CATWOMAN: ONE BAD DAY is back with a new comic unlike anything he’s created before. ONE FOR SORROW is an intensely stylish, supernatural suspense thriller, full of kinetic action, bloody revenge, and ghostly mystery.
Review: One for Sorrow #1 is another hit in the ever growing DSTLRY library. I chose it on a whim and I’m so glad I did. Compelling characters, an intriguing mystery that will keep you guessing, and hard-hitting action with a supernatural edge all pale before a game-changing twist that redefines the entire story. I absolutely can’t wait for more.
Rating: BUY IT.
11/13
Cover by Tom Reilly & Jordie Bellaire
G.I. Joe #1
Image Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Tom Reilly
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Rus Wooton
40 pages for $4.99
Solicit: SERIES PREMIERE! THE BIGGEST COMIC BOOK LAUNCH OF THE DECADE! Conrad Hauser, Codename DUKE, has assembled a special force known as G.I. Joe to battle the rising power of the mysterious COBRA in the aftermath of the Autobots and Decepticons’ arrival on Earth. But the enigmatic Cobra Commander has unleashed the power of Energon like never before! Featuring many familiar faces and the first appearance of an ALL NEW character, this is the comic that will change everything you think you know about G.I. Joe…and that’s only half the surprises in store from the chart-topping Energon Universe dream team of JOSHUA WILLIAMSON and TOM REILLY!
Review: G.I. Joe #1 is everything I hoped the Skybound revival would be. Joshua Williamson’s story furthers the ongoing narrative of the Energon Universe in an exciting way, aided by absolutely incredible art by Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire. We get the promise of new versions of even more classic Joe characters and concepts, which is bound to appeal to old school fans like me. Now you know…this issue gets a huge BUY IT.
Rating: BUY IT.
Cover by EdMcGuinness
*MATT’S PERMANENT COLLECTION PICK!*
Amazing Spider-Man #61
Marvel Comics
Written by Joe Kelly
Pencils by Ed McGuinness
Inks by Mark Farmer
Colors by Marcio Menys
Additional art by Niko Henrichon
Letters by VC’s Joe Caramanga
32 pages for $4.99
Solicit: THE 8 DEATHS OF SPIDER-MAN BEGIN! The world has changed, Doctor Doom is Sorcerer Supreme, but he has no plans to spend his time like his predecessor… Each year, Doctor Strange would use every ounce of his power and experience to save the world from an evil god and his scions. This year, Doom is delegating this task to… SPIDER-MAN?! The leader of Latveria has given Spider-Man a new, magic-powered suit and EIGHT EXTRA LIVES with which to save the world?! True Believer, they won’t be enough…
Review: Amazing Spider-Man #61 kicks off The Eight Deaths of Spider-Man with style. Both Kelly and McGuinness are at the top of their respective games, and the dream sequence by Niko Henrichon is breathtaking. The story has great Cosmic Spidey vibes but with a magical twist. I’m definitely looking forward to the next time Spider-Man gets horrifically murdered.
Rating: BUY IT.
Matt’s Reviews:
11/6
Cover by Rafa Sandoval
Absolute Superman #1
DC Comics
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Rafa Sandoval
Colors by Ulises Arreola
Letters by Becca Carey
44 pages for $4.99
Solicit: SUPERSTARS JASON AARON AND RAFA SANDOVAL UNLEASH A SHOCKING NEW TAKE ON THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON! Without the fortress… without the family… without a home… what’s left is the Absolute Man of Steel!
Review: Between Uncle Scrooge, TMNT and now getting his own take on Superman no one is writing a wider array of comics than Jason Aaron and it seems to be paying off. His take on Superman, like the other Absolute books succeeds by bringing a fresh new take on the character for new fans with just enough touchstones to interest old fans too. Rafa Sandoval and colorist Ulises Arreola reinvent Krypton, the Superman suit still manages to pack the back half of the book with action and panels that crackle with power. Of the three Absolute books so far this one might play it the safest while still reinventing Superman but it’s an excellent read with stunning art.
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Caitlin Yarsky
Living Hell #1
Dark Horse Comics
Story and art by Caitlin Yarsky
Letters by Clayton Cowles
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: Meet Jerome Jameel — husband, father, demon. Hell is not just a place; it’s a prison, a realm where demons have lived in exile for eons. A few of them find a way back to the human world, where they hide in plain sight. Jerome was one of the lucky few to escape and start a new life, and for the sake of his daughter — Jerome is determined to stay out of trouble. But when he comes face-to-face with one of Hell’s bounty hunters, his plans go awry. Caitlin Yarsky’s creator-owned debut!
Review: Caitlin Yarsky’s first foray into writing and drawing her own story proves to be a winner within the first few pages of this charming new series that blends family drama with fantasy. Yarsky’s cartooning does a wonderful job balancing both themes while she sets up a very convincing story of an Indian American family dealing with money issues, taking care of an again parent, and the paranoia that comes with feeling out of control of your destiny framed around a demonic secret. Living Hell is an excellent first issue that does some huge world-building along with character development but never gets bogged down in either thanks to excellent pacing paired with beautiful cartooning.
Rating: BUY IT
11/13
Cover by Mahmud Asrar and Matt Wilson
Psylocke #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Alyssa Wong
Art by Vincenzo Carratù
Colors by Fernando Sifuentes
Letters by Ariana Maher
40 pages for $3.99
Solicit: SHE WAS MADE FOR VIOLENCE! Trained to be an assassin since birth, Kwannon chose to be an X-Man. But there are still some jobs too dirty for the X-Men. And some paths have to be walked alone. When the mission is brutal, Psylocke unsheathes her blades to punish those who prey on mutants. Exploding out of the pages of X-MEN, Alyssa Wong and Vincenzo Carratù take Psylocke into the underbelly of the Marvel Universe, carving out her own place in a world that would rather see her under control!
Review: Kwannon isn’t a character I’ve cared about in the past and I still think calling her Psylocke is short shrift for her and Betsy Braddock but Allison Wong gives the character a side mission that kept me interested. Some of the storytelling is a little generic but it does set Psylocke up with a compelling side-mission complete with her own person in the chair coaching her through tight situations. Carratù’s kinetic art is the real star here and it brings huge mutant-ninja-lady action. Psylocke #1 looks like it’s building some character and direction for the current varsity X-Men’s only Asian representation and it was much better than I was expecting.
Rating: BUY IT.
Cover by Ryan Smallman
Arcbound #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri
Character development by Tom Hardy
Art by Ryan Smallman
Colors by Frank William
Letters by Buddy Beaudoin
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: In a future where Earth has become a barren wasteland, Zynitec harnesses the unmatched energy of Kronium to assert its dominion across the stars. When Kai, a rising star Mediator in Zynitec’s army, gets an unexplained message from a mysterious entity, everything he thinks he believes is thrown into question — and leaves him to explore what it truly means to be human in a world where the boundaries of technology and identity blur. The first comic developed by Venom and Mad Max’s Tom Hardy!
Review: At its core, Arcbound is a sci-fi examination of corporate greed mixed with dark humor and sarcasm that sets up a lot in the first issue without feeling overblown. Ryan Smallman’s art packs the issue with cartoony violence that’s almost humorous as the two main soldier characters worry about losing their jobs to a robotic killing machine that murders innocent colonists faster than any human can. It’s all in the name of profit. Profit and fear of an enemy that no one has seen for years. There are plenty of parallels to today’s political climate and a twist you might see coming but still effective. Arcbound is a solid first issue featuring and stylish up-and-coming artist which does a lot to push Hardy’s general idea but he was smart to let Snyder and Tieri handle the writing.
Rating: BUY IT
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