It kinda feels like I'm reading less and less, especially as I watch the books stack-up in my room, which wouldn't be too bad if I had other, completed writings to show for it. I'll try to get something done about that next month.
Predator Kills the Marvel Universe by Benjamin Percy
"'Let the GREAT HUNT begin, and let Kraven be the spearhead.'"
The Predator has come for the Marvel Universe! An entire Yautja clan led by it's Predator King descends upon Earth for their most ambitious hunt yet. Armed with Kraven's knowledge of every single hero and villains' abilities and weaknesses, as well as an arsenal of Vibranium weaponry, the invasion appears unstoppable. As the body count rises, can the heroes mount a counterattack in time to prevent further casualties? And, what new weapon is the Weapon Plus program putting together, and will it be enough to turn the tides of the battle?
So, as easy as it would be to just look it up, I'm assuming Disney now owns both the Alien and Predator franchises as well as Marvel, so, yeah, why now set up a money grab with a crossover of your licenses? I know, I said I would stop buying every stupid book just because it is on sale, but, since this followed "Predator vs Spider-Man", I figured I'd take a look. Collecting the five issue series, Predator Kills the Marvel Universe tells a bloody tale as the Yautja rip through the Marvel heroes in a surprise assault until the heroes can mount a counterattack of their own. I really liked seeing The Predators use Kraven's knowledge to take advantage of their prey's weaknesses. I really would've liked an entire book written in this style as the Yautja systematically eliminate their targets using the element of surprise, their numbers, and their advanced weapons. Though, of course, the heroes need to win and save the day. What turned me off was how anti-climactic it felt to see them simply remove their three biggest threats with seemingly no resistance - no big stand-off or fight, it's just over once the heroes understand what they're up against. Meh, it was a good opening, but just a mediocre ending.
Everything Dead and Dying by Tate Brombal
"'So I do what I can to protect 'em, keep 'em fed like any other creature under my hand that moves and hungers and smiles. Because I am a good farmer. An' I can't quit. Not on this life. Not on these people I care for so much! Nobody'll take this away from me. I won't give the world that. I can't!'"
As a zombie apocalypse consumes the planet, Jack Chandler only wants to continue with the only life he knows. Immune to the virus, he farms his land and, by keeping the dead of Caverton regularly fed, they remain docile and behave almost as they did when they lived. When a band a survivors happen upon his town, it will be up to Jack to keep his dead town alive. But, as the group discovers his secrets and kills member after member of his community, a new question emerges - should he?
I picked up the first issue of Everything Dead and Dying and immediately loved the premise of a man trying to hold on to what he has at the end of the world. It didn't feel like a book I'd love to re-read over and over again, though, so I waited for the collected trade paperback release rather then continuing to pick-up the individual issues. From Jack's perspective, I was on his side at the beginning: if you found a way to live during the end of the world, why should you be forced to change when these outsiders show up? Plus, there are the obvious parallels to the prejudices he faced as a gay man in a hostile small town and as a living person living and caring for the dead. It honestly kinda reminded me of "Knock at the Cabin", at least what I read of the book summary where you can't tell if the family was targeted because they are gay or because the end of the world is upon them. In the end, Jack realizes he needs to let go of his own prejudices against those who once shunned him and see that he is clinging onto a past with no future and instead continue living his life.
Absolute Wonder Woman #15 - 20 and Absolute Wonder Woman Annual #1 by Kelly Thompson
"'You must stay open and compassionate. You must love all. Everything we've done is for naught if you can't do that ... But that leaves you dangerously open, my darling girl. Vulnerable and exposed.'
'But perhaps that's good? ... Then maybe this way I can better understand them and all they face. Without any vulnerabilities of my own, it might be hard for me to relate to them ... if I can't understand them, I won't be a very good champion for them.'"
Diana teams-up with The Batman to investigate a series of ritualistic murders in Gotham City possibly connected to her goddess. Back in Gateway City, though the people have embraced her as their guardian - the Wonder Woman - not everyone is as enamored with the demi-goddess. Director Cole unleashes her new Suicide Squard upon Diana and her friends, led by the witch Zatanna Zatara. Despite possessing a spell for every situation and unmatched strength, Diana still chooses to dispatch the villains compassionately rather than with overwhelming force. Seeing her team removed from the battle, Cole will unleash a powerful and adaptable tracker to capture Diana. Will she be able to escape GATE's grasp before they can learn her secrets?
And, in an extra story, Diana sets out to bargain with the goddess Athena in order to change the story and fate of Medusa and her gorgon sisters.
First off, I bet your wondering where this write-up has been all this time? Well, let's just get that out of the way. So, Absolute Wonder Woman #15 was the first crossover issue between DC's Absolute characters, and that made it sell very, very well. A downside to that, unfortunately, was that every comic shop I visited had run out of copies and, online, the secondary market was selling individual issues for upwards of $15 - three times the cover price! Eventually, a second printing was released, which I ordered online, and then spent two months waiting for it to ship - so, that's where I've been at with this series.
Well, enough of my personal problems. Absolute Wonder Woman continues with Director Veronica Cale (basically a mix of Lex Luthor's jealousy and Amanda Waller's ruthlessness) setting her version of the Suicide Squad upon Diana and the people of Gateway City in order to not only capture the Wonder Woman, but also destabilize her fan base. I really like the flashbacks we get into Diana's childhood in the Underworld and how it affects and informs her present day. I also like that even as the villains become stronger, Diana still doesn't rely solely on violence to stop them. From the beginning of this story arc (maybe even since the beginning of this series), Diana is shown to be in a class all to herself in terms of combat of abilities. She can outmatch any of her opponents in physical feats and, given enough time, able to best them in magical capabilities, too. It isn't that she defeats the Suicide Squad (or how effortlessly she does so) but that she does it without killing them, even freeing a few from their bondage in the process. It's what makes her escape at the end so heartbreaking, because she could've done so, but wasn't willing to pay the price. What will be the consequences for abandoning her friend to the machinations of Director Cale?
Absolute Batman: Ark-M and Absolute Batman #16 - 19 by Scott Snyder
"'I took Falcone's money, but I didn't just bet it on you. I bet it on all of us. Understand? One of us wins, we all win. I save you, you save me, we all keep saving each other until we all make it out. Crime Alley for life.'"
In a special issue, the secrets of The Asylum are revealed, along with a brief glimpse into Grimm's plans for The Batman.
Bruce Wayne created The Batman as a symbol to terrorize those who would prey upon Gotham and its people. After his public defeat of Bane, he has instead turned himself into the city's champion - a figure bigger than the already hulking bruiser imagined becoming. Seeing the pain The Batman caused to his Crime Alley friends, Bruce Wayne sets out to make things right, traversing The Underworld to do so. Meanwhile, with Bane defeated, Jack Grimm V lets loose the experiments of Ark-M upon Gotham, as well as starts a task force for the sole purpose of apprehending The Batman. Can Bruce survive these new threats as he is now, or will he need to evolve into something more?
You sung the praises of this book from its release, yet you haven't been talking about it. What's going on? Well, DC did its first Absolute Universe crossover with a two-part story split between "Absolute Wonder Woman #15" and Absolute Batman # 16. And, well, I missed picking-up "Absolute Wonder Woman #15", so I waited, and waited until I finally got my hands on the second printing. Meanwhile, all these issues of Absolute Batman piled up as I refused to read them until I got the full story.
In the aftermath of Bane's defeat, the people now see The Batman as their champion - a role Bruce is ill-prepared to play. Meanwhile, more Ark-M residents begin to sow havoc in Gotham while Jack Grimm V puts together a new plan to take down The Batman. As The Batman is knocked on his heels, more troubling news finds Bruce Wayne, all leading to one of the biggest Batman questions - What if there was ONLY The Batman? As twisted and unexpected as this arc has been, this chapter felt more like a set-up for something bigger coming to Gotham. The previous story arcs had established "Big Bads" in Black Mask and Bane. This one, though, focuses more on Jack Grimm V's hold on Gotham. I'm really hoping for something big in the next arc as it looks like The Batman may finally go head to head against The Joker. And, what do Martha Wayne and the Court of Owls have planned for Gotham? Will The Joker's team of orphans aka The Robins be able to capture The Batman? Can Bruce adopt his new persona full-time and abandon who he is? So many questions left unanswered makes me excited for the next chapter.
The Weatherman Vol. 1 by Jody LeHeup
On the 7th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on Earth, weatherman Nathan Bright entertains the citizens of Mars with his over-the-top reporting and on-camera antics. It's nearly impossible to see Bright as anything more than a beloved, zany TV weatherman. Nearly impossible isn't the same as impossible, however. Caught between two factions attempting to capture him, Bright learns they believe him to be one of the masterminds behind the tragedy which claimed 18 billion lives. On the run from not only those looking to prevent or carry-out another attack, but even those seeking revenge and profit, Bright will need to decide quickly who he can trust - and what the truth of his past may be.
Chosen as this month's Graphic Novel Book Club book, The Weatherman was a fun and entertaining read, proving once again that Book Clubs don't need to be filled with pretentious texts and can be just fun stories. Looking back on all the books I've read for the Book Club, this is the first book which I wasn't already at least a little familiar with in some way or form (yeah, I consume a lot of media). Based on the blurb at the back of the book, I assumed it would be similar to either of the two "Total Recall" films - Hidden/ Manipulated memories, Man on the run, Identity Crisis, Terrorism. While the premise felt similar, the style was completely different with vibrant colors and a much less grounded approach to the characters - things done a lot better in comics vs film. I really liked the story and already added Volumes 2 and 3 to my "To Read" list since I couldn't find either at the comic shop nor at the website I've been ordering books from. The only gripe I have is the large cast of characters to keep track of over these five collected issues as I found myself flipping back to previous pages to remember who these characters are. Also, if you're wondering about the Book Club discussion, sorry, but I missed it this month.
Author Immortal by Frank Barbiere
"'Never forget young Mage -- magic awakens when you dare to believe in yourself. The brighter you shine, the more the world must change to meet you.'"
"'You only see your story.'"
Professor and struggling writer Hector Ramirez receives the opportunity of a lifetime when he is offered the chance to reboot his beloved childhood novels and bring them into the modern era. Traveling to the deceased author's home along with his teenager, Al, the two are pulled into the fictional world to find it no longer resembles the story they once knew. Inside a crumbling realm tainted from the outside survives a desperate king struggling to keep his kingdom alive and a transformed heroine who was never meant to live for as long as she has. Father and child will need to confront the truth of the fantasy world and the lies they've told themselves in order to escape.
I picked up the first issue on a whim based more off of the title (Author Immortal sounds pretty cool) and the promise of a critique on the stories we hold dear, than the plot (I mean, "Fictional Land is Actually Real" has been done countless times). The first issue held enough promise that I kept the title in mind for when the trade paperback was released. After reading a couple very action-oriented stories in a row, I figured I'd give a more character-driven story a read next. As promised, I did like the critique the story presented on the worship we have for the stories and people that changed our lives. Though I did read it for the characters, I also appreciated that the characters were also in several "fight for your life" situations as no childhood fantasy story would be complete without a bit of danger. At times, however, plot took a backseat to critique - an almost insulting amount of it. Overall though, maybe not one I'm willing to continue if Image Comics does decide to release more issues (so far, it appears to have stopped at Issue #5).
So, I know one of the biggest problems people have with today's media is being "too woke" and focused more on heavy-handed preaching rather than story-telling, and, honestly, I haven't really understood that. Maybe it's because, as an English major, I'm always looking for some sort of meaning or message in stories. Maybe I'm just not consuming these particular stories folks are complaining about so loudly. Maybe I'm just so fucking dense that I don't see what everyone is complaining about. With Author Immortal, that was not the case. I definitely picked-up on it from the very first issue. The tainted and twisted fantasy world Hector and Al wake in shows how we, as readers, pervert these realms from the outside with our own agendas and opinions rather than simply letting them be. Holding tightly onto this beloved world is Hector who also appears slow to adapt to the changing reality. Sheila's love and adoration for the famous yet clearly problematic Luckwell represents how we worship celebrities while dismissing their negative traits. What I really found insulting though was the very obvious J.K. Rowling stand-in of Luckwell, who Barbiere didn't even try to hide or be subtle about. I can understand making her a horrific character because you don't agree with her views, but I do take offense to depicting her as a hack writer who only became great thanks to a Deal with the Devil. Though you may not agree with her opinions, you can still acknowledge her talent as a writer. With every single other character having clearly negative traits, that Al simply represents the outcast minority righteously lashing out at a society that bullies their people reeks of an agenda. As I mentioned, when studying for my English degree, I was used to looking for meaning in texts, and I do try to include some of that in these write-ups to prove (mostly to myself) that I actually read the books and earned that piece of paper, but this was just too much.
