New Comic Book Reviews 12/11/24 – 12/18/24: Ultimate Universe, New Gods, Challengers of the Unknown, Nexus Scourge & MORE!
New Comics Reviews for Wednesdays 12/11 – 12/18!
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 764, featuring a one-year checkup for the new Ultimate Universe, the returns of the New Gods, the Challengers of the Unknown, and Nexus, and MORE! You still gotta download the show if you want to hear our full discussion though, so….
CHECK OUT THE FULL EPISODE HERE!
Joe’s Reviews:
12/11
Cover by Edwin Galmon
Superwoman Special One-Shot
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Edwin Galmon, Laura Braga, and Nikola Cizmesija
Colors by Rex Locus
Letters by Dave Sharpe
48 pages for $5.99
Solicit: The amazing story of how Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Lois Lane got superpowers and became Superwoman is finally told. What does it mean for the matriarch of the Super family to fly alongside her family and friends? And how long will these powers last? And who wants these powers for themselves?! Guest starring the Atom, Mister Terrific, Supergirl, and Silver Banshee!
Review: The Superwoman Special is a fun addendum to Williamson’s current Superman arc. There are lots of great character moments (love the crime-fighting “Ladies Night”). The art is pretty good throughout, though the faces, specifically characters’ mouths, get VERY weird at times. Nothing deal-breaking though, and I think this is an issue that any fan of the current Superman titles will want to check out.
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Ultimate Universe: One Year In One-Shot
Marvel Comics
Written by Deniz Camp and Chris Condon
Art by Jonas Scharf and Alessandro Cappuccio
Colors by Mattia Iacono and Bryan Valenza
Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham
40 pages for $5.99
Solicit: THE CLOCK IS TICKING DOWN TO THE MAKER’S ARRIVAL! Deniz Camp flips the narrative on ULTIMATES and takes us inside the Maker’s Council! The heroes of the Ultimate Universe aren’t the only ones who have been preparing for the return of the Maker, and the clock is ticking down… This unique one-shot sets the stage for the second year of the Ultimate line and includes the debut of the Ultimate versions of two major Marvel characters!
Review: It’s time for the new Ultimate U’s one-year checkup and this growing baby is looking pretty good. The story introduces the Ultimate version of Nick Fury Sr., Director of H.A.N.D. – the Heroic Anomaly Neutralization Directorate, and it’s pretty chilling stuff. The art throughout is fantastic and the tragic twist at the end of the main story is a punch in the gut. Amazing stuff from Camp and Scharf. The Ultimate Wolverine backup is little more than a tease for the upcoming series, but it’s a great tease!
Rating: BUY IT
12/18
Cover by Nimit Malavia
*JOE & MATT’S PERMANENT COLLECTION PICK!*
New Gods #1
DC Comics
Written by Ram V.
Art by Evan Cagle (with Jorge Fornes)
Colors by Francesco Segala
Letters by Tom Napolitano
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: RAM V AND EVAN CAGLE RESHAPE THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE DCU! An old god has died, and the reverberations of his passing are felt across the universe, setting forth the soldiers of an intergalactic army and awakening the latent powers of a mysterious child on Earth. But this has all been foreseen–prophesied by the Source and fed as enigmatic images to its agent, Metron. Now, as Metron brings word of this cosmos-shattering prediction to the residents of New Genesis and Apokolips, both worlds are thrown into chaos and conflict. On Earth, Scott Free and Barda find themselves unaware of this incoming chaos while consumed with their most daunting task yet: parenthood. Ram V and Evan Cagle bring the Fourth World to a whole new generation in this epic of cosmic proportions. An old god has died…the New Gods are born!
Review: Ram V and Evan Cagle offer a cosmic thrill ride that takes readers from the death of the old gods to the birth of the newest of the new! Evan Cagle delivers an artistic tour de force that looks like the divine love child of P. Craig Russell and Larry Stroman. This comic is so gorgeous that I almost forgot to pay attention to Ram V’s story, which is ALSO excellent. Highfather is acting screwy in the wake of Darkseid’s death, and he puts Orion in an impossible situation. But Ram V gives the son of Apokolips a moment to show his heroic side before reminding us why he’s called the Dog of War. Compelling, bombastic, heartwarming, and awe-striking…Simply put, The New Gods #1 is EXTRAORDINARY.
Rating: HUGE BUY IT
Cover by by Michael Lee Harris
The Horizon Experiment: Motherfu*kin Monsters #1 (One Shot)
Image Comics
Written by J. Holtham
Art and colors by Michael Lee Harris
Letters by Micah Myers
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: Esteemed TV writer J. HOLTHAM (Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale, Marvel’s Jessica Jones) and white-hot indie cartoonist MICHAEL LEE HARRIS (Black Hitler, Choco Leche) present an Evil Dead for black nerds—a modern spin on the action-packed horror comedy for fans of BITTER ROOT and CHEW.
Review: I really enjoyed the fresh spin writer J. Holtham put on the familiar genre. Not only does it incorporate the “demon-worshipping fraternity” trope from other horror films, but it’s also a fish out of water story about a young black man’s friends visiting him at a lily-white college campus. Holtham states in the backmatter that he became a horror fan as a youngster in the late 80s, one of the heydays for the genre, but that it was so rare to see himself represented on screen in a way that wasn’t reduced to a stereotype. This book seeks to flip that on its head and it’s a great take. I feel like the art by Michael Lee Harris is going to be divisive. He’s clearly an incredibly talented cartoonist, and his use of color is bonkers. But his figure drawing is abstract in the extreme. And his line weights are SO thick that I found it off-putting during my first reading – almost like some elements were inked with a broad tip Sharpie. But the more I looked at it, the more I liked it, especially after a reread. I also really appreciated how Harris incorporated not only a wide variety of body types, but skin tones as well. Harris is a unique talent and I can understand people having a similar reaction to what some fans had early in Jim Mahfood or Damion Scott’s careers.
Rating: BUY IT.
Matt’s Reviews:
12/11
Cover by Hayden Sherman
Batman: Dark Patterns #1
DC Comics
Written by Dan Waters
Art by Hayden Sherman
Colors by Triona Farrell
Letters by Frank Cvetkovic
28 pages for $4.99
Solicit: Set during the early years of Batman’s career, Batman: Dark Patterns delves into four mysterious cases as he attempts to cement his place as Gotham City’s protector while the city itself fights back against him. This is the Dark Knight Detective at his most stripped-down core, a man relying on his wits, his skills, and little else as he tackles some of the most twisted mysteries Gotham City and its protector have ever encountered.
Case 01: We Are Wounded. A series of sickeningly gruesome murders has sent shock waves through Gotham. Are these the random works of a serial killer, or is there something more sinister at play? Batman attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery before any more victims are claimed.
Review: Dan Waters weaves a disturbing story starring a young Batman still honing his detective skills. Hayden Sherman brings incredible detail to his panels and the design of the killer is truly disturbing but serves the plot too. This is excellent Batman detective storytelling featuring an incredible artist that gets better every time I see his work. Waters’s story reads like a super-powered version of the film Seven and Sherman’s art couldn’t be a better choice here. Just give this team Detective Comics already!
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Salvador Larroca
The Infinity Watch #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Derek Landy
Pencils by Ruairí Coleman
Inks by Scott Hanna
Colors by Brian Reber and Erick Arciniega
Letters by VC’s Cory Petit
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: WHO IS THE MOST POWERFUL? Sorry, Thor. Sorry, Hulk. These are the seven most powerful people in the universe, each wielding one of the embodiments of all power in existence — THE INFINITY STONES. Half of the Stone Bearers are villains, and the other half certainly aren’t hall-of-fame heroes, so what does this mean for the Marvel Universe? If Star has anything to say about it, we can start calling it the Star Universe. Can Colleen Wing or Phil Coulson possibly tilt the balance toward good?
Review: Marvel expects that you’ve been reading this recent Infinity Watch build-up, so much so they don’t bother to tell you where the story came from or bother to introduce the characters for someone picking this up thinking it a first issue. I had to check the cover for the #1 twice. The script spends most of the time making characters you may not know at all with god-like powers argue and left me wondering if there are any stakes to a story where everyone has the power of a god. Uneven art with some strange facial work certainly doesn’t help and makes it even harder to care about this overpowered team that seems to lose battles because they can’t get along and aren’t very smart.
Rating: LEAVE IT
12/18
Cover by Kelsey Shannon
Nexus: Scourge #1
Alien Books
Written by Mike Baron
Art by Kelsey Shannon
Letters by Warren Montgomery
28 pages for $4.99
Solicit: The Eisner Award-winning science fiction vigilante is back in a universe-shattering tale that’s essential for all Nexus fans! Mike Baron and Steve Rude’s Nexus enters a new era with classic characters and an all-new villain that’s destroying the universe one planet at a time. It’s a breathtaking new vision for the Nexus Universe by series co-creator Mike Baron and up and coming artist Kelsey Shannon (Batman Adventures, GI Joe). Nexus: Scourge is an all-new era of Nexus; a two-issue event by Mike Baron and Kelsey Shannon exclusively from Alien Books! Planet destroying action and a wry wit that’s perfect for fans of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and classic Doctor Who.
Review: Nexus is a classic indy-sci-fi comic that definitely falls into old-head comic nerd territory and it’s a book I’ve loved for years. Without Steve Rude’s iconic art it seemed like there was no way this return could work but newcomer Kelsy Shannon brings a style and pop look that pays homage to Rude’s work but also puts his own stamp on the world of Nexus. Mike Baron’s script is just as fun, crazy, and deadly serious as ever much to the joy of old fans like myself. Nexus is the kind of wacky sci-fi, pop madness you can’t find anywhere else and I couldn’t be happier to have it back, even if it’s just for this two-issue story.
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Mike Deodato Jr.
Challengers of the Unknown #1
DC Comics
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Art by Sean Izaakse
Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: Spinning out of Absolute Power and the DC All In Special, the terror of the Darkseid shockwave has cascaded across the DC Universe… tearing open the very fabric of time and space itself! Only one band of super-scientists have the right stuff to challenge the fate of a universe… enter: THE CHALLENGERS OF THE UKNOWN. Alongside the Justice League —where the Challengers run day-to-day operations for the massive Watchtower base in orbit above Earth — Ace Morgan, June Robbins, Prof Haley, Red Ryan, and Rocky Davis must team with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the League to seal the rifts that threaten the galaxy. But a mysterious foe from the Challengers’ past lurks in the shadows, and its connection to the godshock will put the DCU on borrowed time!
Review: Cantwell seems to be the perfect choice to write this story of amazing humans using science along side superpowered beings. The Challengers have always been DC’s Fantastic Four (EDITOR’S NOTE: The Challengers came first!) without the super powers and the story really leans into that theme, setting up a little friction between the team and the Justice League they work for, or with, depending on which Challenger you ask. Sean Izaakse has a huge art job drawing almost as many characters as Dan Mora in the new Justice League book and he does a fantastic job keeping the book moving even with a lot of dialogue setting up their new mission investigating Darkseid’s disappearance. Challengers #1 is an excellent return for these characters and I hope fans give the book a chance.
Rating: BUY IT
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