Author: Zach Bissett

Image Comics Writer: Rick Remender Artist: Wes Craig Colorist: Lee Loughridge Letterer: Rus Wooton In Deadly Class #55, Rick Remender issued himself, and to some extent readers, an ultimatum. The series will end in death, but who will give and who will receive? The “Marcus” instinct in Remender is grounded, nihilistic. The good guys lose. The bad guys get away with everything. Game over. But the “Maria” in Rick had to wonder, if that’s the realistic ending, what is the point of telling a story? Why spin a fiction as sobering as everyday life? His own character seemed ask, do…

Image Comics Story and Art: Luana Vecchio English Adaption: Edward Caio Lovesick is a disturbing tale of the dark web, incel culture, and violent eroticism. Luana Vecchio’s art is the ideal complement to the twisted story of Domino, the sad dominatrix and demon mother of the Lovesick Club. Vecchio’s characters are both sexy and soulless, her palette a flush of soft blues and savage red. Domino herself already feels like an Image icon, as instantly recognizable as Invincible or Spawn. Her layouts are as fluid as her work on the magnificent Bolero, each page a work of art. Musical…

Image Comics Writer: HS Tak Artist: Isabella Mazzanti Layouts: Nicoleta Bea Colors: Valentina Napolitano Letters: Rob Jones HS Tak’s tale of revenge in feudal era Japan immediately recalls to mind Shinichirō Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo. We follow a so-far unnamed protagonist (Hitomi?) searching the lands for a samurai, Yasuke, who killed her family years prior. Tak handles the familiar setup well, particularly when it comes to introducing readers to the vengeful protagonist. The young girl is tough but does not appear wholly consumed by bloodlust. She’s capable and resilient, but far from infallible; ultimately, the strength of this story will likely hinge…

DC ComicsWrite: Chip ZdarskyArtist: Jorge JiminezColorist: Tomeu MoreyLetterer: Clayton Cowles Chip Zdarsky’s work on Batman is moving at a much quicker pace compared to his recent Daredevil issues. Batman #128 is another extended action sequence featuring a number of DC heroes, and this one ends with a significant narrative escalation.Zdarksy’s knowledge of the Batman world and Bruce Wayne as a character cannot be questioned. His inner monologue is pitch perfect. Wayne, verging on death, delivers cool analytics assessments of his friend Clark’s chances of undoing one of Bruce’s greatest follies: the Failsafe program. “The x-ray once-over,” he remarks, then knowingly adds, “Useless…

Image ComicsWritten by Hannah Rose May and Declan ShelveyArt by Justin MasonColors by Triona FarrellLetters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou The first two issues of Rogues’ Gallery raise powerful, at times painful questions about fan culture. Rogues’ Gallery #2, in particular, is one of the strongest individual issues of the year. Scenes of public opinion vacillating wildly between extremes evoke genuine anxiety, thanks in part to Justin Mason’s social media-laden layouts. Maisie Wade’s profession –an actress on a popular TV series adapted from a comic– inevitably bleeds into her personal life. The former suffocates the latter until there’s no distinction. Readers are left…

BOOM! Studios Story & Art: Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky Colorist: Eros de Santiago Flavor Girls is on the verge of becoming too much fun. In Flavor Girls #3, Locatelli-Kournwsky shifts focus from Flavor Girls lore to the Agarthan invaders themselves, finally showing the inner workings of the Agartha armada. But first, the issue takes readers through Naoko’s early days as the “first born” Flavor Girl. These silent pages are suffused with action and style, while at the same time showing the story’s softer sides: Naoko at her most vulnerable, mourning the loss of her childhood friend Rumiko. The sequence also boasts…

BOOM!Studios Story by James Tynion IV Written by Sam Johns Illustrated by Letizia Cadonici Colored by Francesco Segala Lettered by Andworld Design James Tynion’s Something Is Killing the Children was intended to be a mini-series. Tremendous popularity dictated otherwise, and the story just celebrated its 25th issue. The ongoing series continues to explore Erica Slaughter’s dark, deadly world of monster hunting, escalating personal tension while naturally building out the world. House of Slaughter’s first arc, telling the story of a younger Aaron Slaughter, managed to take Killing’s success one step further, turning the series into its own multi-title universe.…

Image ComicsWriter: Rick RemenderArtist: Wes CraigColorist: Lee LoughridgeLetterer: Rus WootonDeadly Class has traveled from 1987 to the present day. Rick Remender has leveraged the occasion to speak on a variety of global topics, as well as a few clearly personal experiences. However, the penultimate issue does not lose sight of the moment, delivering one of the most gut wrenching, tragic sequences of the series to this point.The issue is split into two sections: the first is a protracted conversation between Marcus and Maria revolving around optimism, nihilism, and how art navigates the two. The latter half of the issue follows…

Marvel Comics Writer: Chip Zdarsky Artist: Marco Checchetto Color Artist: Matthew Wilson Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles Guest Artists: Rafael DeLatorre, Alex Maleev, Paul Azaceta, Phil Noto, Chris Samnee, Klaus Janson, Mike Hawthorne, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna As we enter the home stretch of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s run on Daredevil, Zdarsky continues to break new ground while paying homage to the character’s past. In an arc that is ostensibly about Matt and Elektra’s final battle with the Hand, neither Elektra nor the Hand appear. Daredevil, meanwhile, finds himself engaged in a bizarre, supernatural encounter with former classmate Robert…

BOOM! StudiosStory & Art: Loïc Locatelli-KournwskyColorist: Eros de Santiago Flavor Girls is the name of the book. The heroes are a Sailor Moon-esque group known as the Sacred Fruit Guardians. If you’re not already smiling, Flavor Girls might not be the book for you. If your interest has been piqued, prepare to dive into a world of heartwarming whimsy, alien invaders, magical fruit, and unmistakable art from illustrator and cartoonist Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky, best known for Persephone. BOOM! Studios senior editor Dafna Pleban described the book as taking “influences from bandes dessinées and manga in the best way possible.” I couldn’t agree more,…