Items of Note (Strongly Recommended or otherwise worthy): I'm In Love With The Villainess vol 8 (not strongly recommended, but a Significant Story Point that suggests the series could get much better)
In this installment: Captain America: Brave New World, Watchmen Chapter II, Merry Witches' Life vol 1, Spider-Man Octo-Girl vol 2, Chainsaw Man vol 18, After God vol 4, Shy vol 2-3, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! vol 13, I'm in Love with the Villainess vol 8, Avengers Assembly vol 2-3, The Power Fantasy vol 1, The Comic Book History of Roleplaying Games, Fantastic Four #30-31, Moon Knight Fist of Khonshu #7, Vampirella vol 7 #1, Speed Racer #0, Gatchaman #8, Gatchaman One Earth #2-3 (of 4), Gatchaman Ryu: Scavengers, My Little Pony Rise of Cadance, Star Trek Lower Decks #5-6.
"Other Media" Capsules:
Things that are comics-related but not necessarily comics (i.e. comics-based movies like Iron Man or Hulk), or that aren't going to be available via comic shops (like comic pack-ins with DVDs) will go in this section when I have any to mention. They may not be as timely as comic reviews, especially if I decide to review novels that take me a week or two (or ten) to get around to.
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| Red Hulk needs a manicure, badly. |
Watchmen Chapter II: DC/WB/Paramount - Oops! I discovered late in the month that the second half of the animated adaptation of Watchmen came out in late November of last year, and I missed it entirely. This was shortly after my local Target discontinued sale of DVD/BluRay (other than a handful of cheapo "babysitter disk sets" of older stuff), and at a time of year I was even less inclined to go into Walmart, so even if it made it to the shelves I didn't see it. Ended up ordering it online. Pretty much everything I said about chapter I (heavy pushing of Dave Gibbons in the extras, good blending of the various elements of the comic, etc) is true here. I do have a personal peeve that it continues to push the false story about Kitty Genovese's murder (people DID call the cops and try to directly help her, it wasn't the Bystander Effect), but to leave that out or change it too much would alter Rorschach's core. Recommended. Price varies by store and format, if you never picked up chapter 1 there's a two-pack available as well. Probably also streaming on HBO Max or whatever it's called at the moment you read this. Rated R for brief nudity and some pretty graphic violence that usually involves Rorschach.
Digital Content:
Unless I find a really compelling reason to do so (such as a lack of regular comics), I won't be turning this into a webcomic review column. Rather, stuff in this section will generally be full books available for reading online or for download, usually for pay. I will also occasionally include things I read on Library Pass (check to see if your public library gives access to it), although the interface can be laggy and freeze sometimes.
Unless I find a really compelling reason to do so (such as a lack of regular comics), I won't be turning this into a webcomic review column. Rather, stuff in this section will generally be full books available for reading online or for download, usually for pay. I will also occasionally include things I read on Library Pass (check to see if your public library gives access to it), although the interface can be laggy and freeze sometimes.
Expected next month: Let's be surprised together!
Manga Collections:
Most of these are "tankobon" or collections of work serialized in a weekly or monthly publication, although some were written directly for the collection. All of them have been translated from Japanese (or maybe Korean, although I don't think I'm reading any manhwa) into English. Things with a manga aesthetic but done in English originally will go in one of the sections below as appropriate.
Spider-Man Octo-Girl vol 2: Marvel/Viz - Okay, so they're all supposed to be in middle school, even if Otoha looks like a gradeschooler and her friend Taka looks more like a 16 year old. A few more characters get added to the mix, helping flesh out the "fat friend" with some backstory tied to one of the newcomers so she has more to do than snack and snark. We also get a continuity fix, with "our" Otto being the version from around 2019 and Superior Octopus being just before Spider-Geddon in 2018, although as I noted last month this is pretty much on its own divergent continuity. The actual villain of this series also gets introduced, the shady Across Corporation (I wouldn't be surprised if they're somehow connected to Cross Technological Enterprises, but for now they seem to be new to this series) who were responsible for Taka's bad attitude and indirectly responsible for her working with Superior Octopus. This plotline does seem to be a recapitulation of another Spider-Man villain's origin, down to the motif Taka adopts (interestingly, although the author notes don't admit to it, Taka Toma's name translates into a spoiler for said motif). An important development in this issue is that Otoha and Otto find reason to keep bodysharing despite it no longer being mandatory. Well, each has their own reason. Otoha wants to pull Taka back from the brink of villainy, while Otto is very much down with inflicting some justice upon Across Corp. And, I suppose, he feels a little responsible for mixing Otoha and her friends up in this, and bailing now would leave them still involved but also defenseless. Both Otto and Superior Otto manage to display their idealistic sides, and this series gives both incarnations the hope of avoiding the sad fates they came to in the Earth-616 comics. Otto's tragic flaw is always his arrogance, he knows that he knows better than everyone else, whether he currently thinks the best way to fix the world is the role of hero or the role of villain. Now 2019 Otto's role is that of...friend? Yes, during the Superior Spider-Man years, he did have friends, but there was always the lie between them that he was Peter Parker. These middle school girls know who he is and seem to be okay with that (although their teacher is a little less okay). Otto clearly didn't have a great tweenage years himself, this might be the do-over he really needs. Recommended. $11.99/$15.99Cn/#8.99UK, rated Older Teen (as in, Otoha shouldn't be reading this, much less living it).
Chainsaw Man vol 18: Viz/Shonen Jump - Speaking of unkillable monsters fumbling their way towards friendship, this somewhat incoherent volume does seem to involve friendship, or at least camaraderie, among devils. Basically, a bunch of people end up working together to rescue Denji, mostly so they can fight him. There's a bit of an Osiris riff going on in the process, although I'm not sure it was intentional. Mildly recommended. $11.99/$15.99Cn/#8.99UK, rated Older Teen for oh so much violence.
After God vol 4: Viz Media/Viz Signature - Okay, maybe introducing one of the gods to the joys of sex in a volume otherwise hammering home that they're emotionally and ethically children was a bit too squick...and given that this is already a body horror book, being extraordinarily icky takes effort. At least Waka, the actual minor in the cast, is functionally absent for the whole volume (she appears in a single page chapter bumper bit that has does not take place as part of the story). Basically, this is all about the snake god, who may or may not be capable of character development in a comprehensibly human way. Mechanically, there's a lot of flashback sequences here, but they're all clearly set apart by the use of black gutters, so at least following the disturbing story is easy enough. Mildly recommended. $14.99/$19.99Cn/#10.99UK, rated Older Teen but I'd say it pushes the limits of that pretty hard this time.
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| "Chapter 19: Don't call me an alcoholic" doth protest too much |
Shy vol 2-3: Yen Press - The worldbuilding continues to be kind of "whatever feels cool at the time," and not particularly thought-out, but there's a lot of good moments and character bits along the way, so I can bear with it. I do think Bukimi Miki went a little far in naming the orphanage Spirit grew up in the Yuri Orphanage, though. Double entendres aside, while the series is named after Shy, she's almost an observer a lot of the time as the rest of the cast gets built up, with Stardust and Lady Black getting a lot of page time in vol 2 and vol 3 being utterly dominated by Spirit's tragic backstory and that of her newly arrived personal nemesis. Shy does get some time in civvies trying to figure out her powers in vol 2, including the introduction of a small calligraphy club (which turns out to be relevant). Still, by the end of vol 3, we don't really know who Japan's previous hero was, if any, but there does seem to be a theme developing that whatever force is picking people to be heroes is looking for people who are broken in some fashion, whether emotionally, physically, or both. Miki may be "pantsing" a lot of this, but the author is having fun and it shows. Recommended. $13.00/$17.00Cn, rated Teen LV (I suspect whatever Lady Black says is rather more crude language in the original Japanese, as people keep apologizing for her foul mouth, but it comes out pretty innocent in this translation) Note: Library Pass has up through volume 10.
Go! Go! Loser Ranger! vol 13: Kodansha - Wow, the story is VERY hard to follow a lot of the time, beyond the "fights are inherently chaotic" theme I think Negi is shooting for. It feels like there was about a half volume's worth of story and then the rest of the pagecount is random "cool fight scene stuff" that doesn't really cohere. As I've noted before, the choice of character designs has a bit more overlap than I'd recommend for a book stuck in B&W, and unlike After God the frequent flashbacks are not as clearly delineated (although since most of them are non-combat and most of the present-scenes are combat, they're usually clear enough from context). There's some good character bits buried in the noise, but there's an awful lot of noise. It makes me wonder if there was any editing involved prior to the translation stage. Mildly recommended. $10.99/$14.99Cn rated Older Teen (pretty much all violence)
I'm in Love with the Villainess vol 8: Seven Seas Entertainment - Volume 7 ended with a big revelation about Prince Yu, the youngest of the three princes from the original game of Rei's obsession. This volume is almost entirely about dealing with this revelation and trying to make things better. Even the opening few chapters, which move the "mastermind from a neighboring kingdom" plotline that has been carrying a lot of the "Hey, reality is diverging from the game" themes ultimately ends up moving Yu's immediate arc forwards. Also, a huge character moment for Rei herself happens as a result of needing someone's help in order to help Yu. Up until now, while there's been small divergences here and there, and hints of powers moving behind the scenes that never came up in the game, this volume represents a major break. It's not the game anymore, it's not A game anymore, and the story has definitely moved past the "Pervy Rei is only a sympathetic character because of her gender, and even then it's dubious" plotlines. In short, it has taken a solid step away from what I feared the series might be, and towards something worth the time I've put into it so far. I mean, there's still some pervy girl stuff going on, but it's not just Rei doing it anymore, and it looks like she's going to be forced to stop playing a role and start being a person. (Yes, the anime version has been done for a while and I could've just looked up spoilers if I was really worried, but I've been enjoying each volume enough on its own that I figured I'd just find out the long way. Also, based on the end note, the anime has some differences in character appearances and emphases.) Recommended. $12.99/$16.99Cn rated Teen 13+ for innuendo and some serious themes (such as suicide and gender identity).
Expected next month: Kaiju No 8 vol 13, Tank Chair vol 4, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. vol 8, and probably some more Shy. I might pick up Family Force V vol 1, Infini-T Force vol 1, and Isekai Samurai vol 1 if I see them on the shelf (or LibraryPass) and like what I see when skimming. Happy Kanako's Killer Life vol 8 was going to come out in late May, but has been bumped back to next January, for an almost two year gap between volumes. I hope nothing untoward happened to the creator. Gunsmith Cats Omnibus vol 2, originally expected in June, has been bumped back to the end of July, so probably for the August column.
Other Trades:
Trade paperbacks, collections, graphic novels, whatever. If it's bigger than a "floppy" but not Manga, it goes here.
Trade paperbacks, collections, graphic novels, whatever. If it's bigger than a "floppy" but not Manga, it goes here.
Avengers Assembly vol 3: X-change Students 101: Marvel/Scholastic - Miles Morales is the diarist this time (with occasional pages by Reptil), in what appears to be the final volume since it came out in 2022. The last page of this volume suggests that the fourth volume would have appropriately involved the Fantastic Four, but I guess that never happened. Anyway, unlike volume 2, there isn't a Villain Plot that runs the length of the story, this is more of a premise story...what happens when a bunch of Avengers-in-training meet up with the different educational culture of the X-Men. There is a villain and some fighting, but it's more of an extended chapter within the overall story...and if this villain is treated as comic relief, well, that does tend to be his lot these days. (It's Sauron, whose chosen appellation was probably a lot cooler and more threatening back in the 60s when Lord of the Rings was just becoming popular...nowadays he might be best known for the panel in which he says he doesn't want to cure cancer, he wants to turn people into dinosaurs.) If anything, his original powers and threat level are taken more seriously than usual these days. The real conflict, though, involves Miles trying to befriend Reptil, who Doesn't Even Wanna Be Here. He's not a lot like I remember him from the comics, but it's entirely possible that the many years since his first appearance have led to some personality changes. Recommended. Paperback $9.99/$12.99Cn/#8.99UK (I guess UK costs went up so there's no paperback savings?)
The Power Fantasy vol 1: Image - This was recommended to me, so I picked up the first trade. One way to describe this, in the spirit of another review from this month, is "What if there were several supers with Doctor Manhattan level powers?" Called Atomics after the presumed source of their abilities, the so-called Superpowers among them exist in a tense balance, as any one of them could lay waste to a continent or even the entire world if pushed too far. This volume is mostly setting up the Present Day of 1999 after a generation or so of the Superpowers shaping (or trying to avoid shaping) the world. A lot of stuff we get in offhand references, with Kieron Gillen trying to build as much by implication as explication, and it mostly works, especially in TPB format where some of the teasing only lasts as long as it takes to read the next few dozen pages...I can see some of it being a bit annoying were I reading this in floppy form, though. I do wonder if this is going to be a dozen or so slow-burn issues followed by an orgy of destruction as the balance finally shatters, because stuff that should Change Everything shows up and then gets shelved at least once, perhaps more. The next volume is due in September, whether I get it is going to depend on my mood at the time, I think. It was okay, but I've generally not liked Gillen's work as much as other people I know do. Mildly recommended. $9.99/$12.99Cn
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| Troubleshooter in DND Sector |
Expected next month: Nothing Special vol 3 is due out late in June, but since it's probably gonna make it to the shelf I will pick it up in person rather than ordering online and hoping it shows up before July.
Floppies:
No, I don't have any particular disdain for the monthlies, but they are floppy, yes? (And not all of them come out monthly, or on a regular schedule in general, so I can't just call this section "Monthlies" or even "Periodicals" as that implies a regular period.)
No, I don't have any particular disdain for the monthlies, but they are floppy, yes? (And not all of them come out monthly, or on a regular schedule in general, so I can't just call this section "Monthlies" or even "Periodicals" as that implies a regular period.)
Moon Knight Fist of Khonshu #7: Marvel - Rather clever sting to move the plot along, giving 8-Ball multiple chances to shine and finally paying off some of the relationship sword of Damocles hanging over Marc's head (they find Hank Pym at the end of it and Greer has it out with him, which I ordinarily wouldn't give away but I really wanted to use a quote from it at the end of the review). Recommended. $4.99
Vampirella vol 7 #1 (Legacy #676): Dynamite - Vampi has her son back and is finding motherhood is gonna drive her more insane than anything else in her life lately. Of course, most new mothers don't have to also deal with the future version of their baby wandering around in a trenchcoat and making her think there's a new plot against her, as seen last issue. So, you know, complicated. She's trying to go back to some nice simple bounty hunting to keep blood in her stomach and baby food on the table, but life just refuses to be simple around her, eh? Doc Chary certainly wishes HIS life could be simple again, but that's a big negatory there too. Recommended. $4.99
Speed Racer #0: Mad Cave - This was the only Free Comic Book Day book I picked up, but at least I'm back to having a local retailer who participates. Speed Racer was one of the first media things I remember seeking out episode to episode, watching it on the local UHF station when I was five. That said, I've never really gotten into any of the comics adaptations over the decades, perhaps in part because whatever age of audience a given comic was aimed at was not where I was interested in being at the time. This version is definitely a "for grown ups" adaptation, creating an excuse for all the potentially lethal mods to the Mach 5 in the world of illegal and extremely dangerous street racing. Meanwhile, Racer X gets the second story, with his whole "secret agent" deal from the original cartoon fitting pretty well into the feel Mad Cave is going for here. I'm still on the fence about whether I want to pick up Speed Racer #1, but I'm not really interested in Racer X. Free.
Gatchaman #8: Mad Cave - Yeah, Mad Cave hits my nostalgia pretty accurately, Battle of the Planets was my second "gotta see the next episode" series after Speed Racer. Unlike Speed Racer, though, it hasn't gotten nearly as many revival attempts in the intervening four decades (really just some DVD box set releases and a new dub of Gatchaman which I got about 20 years ago). I'd say I've been in a better place to appreciate this revival than the new Speed Racer, at least. Anyhoo. The hate gas monster plot started last issue gets resolved, and the Mark/Jason fight comes to a reasonably satisfying conclusion, actually dealing with their personal issues rather than just "called on account of antidote." Also, after the better part of a year just sort of spinning their wheels, the B-team gets their own real plot thread. Like most issues of the core title, this is okay, but the good stuff seems reserved for the side stories. Mildly recommended. $4.99
Gatchaman Only One Earth #2-3 (of 4): Mad Cave - While the original series came out in the early 70s, it occurs to me that despite the more modern (for the time) trappings, Gatchaman is very much a pulp setting. Hidden civilizations, alien intelligences manipulating mankind a la Lensman, loads of strangeness without ever leaving the atmosphere. In many ways, it's far more fantastic than the spacefaring Battle of the Planets dub, and this series really drives that point home. After #1 I was kinda dreading a bit of a doleful slog through an environmentalist homily, but Tommy Lee Edwards swerves through a nicely pulpy turn without losing the environmental message. Looking forwards to the resolution. Recommended. $4.99 each.
Gatchaman Ryu: Scavengers (one-shot): Mad Cave - Whether you know him as Ryu the Owl or Tiny, you probably know him as "strong guy pilot" and that's about it. This story is about Tru dealing with that identity issue, is he really just the pilot? There's a few bits of unclear storytelling, one is writer Steve Orlando's sole fault (a completely new character is introduced whose connection to Ryu seems important but is unexplained) and another might be the artist's or could have been unclear instructions in the script. The overall story works well enough, though, as Ryu has to deal with the consequences of improper disposal of Galactor war machines...it kinda makes sense, as neither Galactor nor the ISO have the resources or coverage to pick up after every mess, and someone's gonna go after the remains. Anyway, the Joe one-shot has been solicited and Jinpei is pretty inevitable at this point, but with the first TPB collecting three one-shots that suggests a sixth solo spotlight is coming. Dr. Nambu, perhaps? One of the B-team? Anyway, this book is recommended. $6.99
My Little Pony Rise of Cadance (one-shot): IDW - Gen4 stuff does slowly keep trickling out, as it's one of the few licenses IDW seems to have left. And yes, her name is Cadance, not Cadence. Cadance's status as an alicorn princess never got established in the cartoon canon, but this is the second deuterocanonical origin (the first being a YA novel, which I read, but remember almost nothing about...so I guess it didn't really grab me). This new origin does keep the idea that Cadance was a pegasus first (her daughter being the first known to be born as an alicorn, so every other alicorn started as another type), but gives her a bit more reason to have been made ruler of the Crystal Empire (it always kinda felt like "I gotta get this alicorn outta Equestria before people start to think there's a succession happening" to me) and gives her a more solid "portfolio" of her own. Gen4 did get a pretty solid send-off between the animated season 9 and the IDW season 10, but this shows that there's still bits and pieces of the world worth exploring, even if Gen5 retconned it as being magically nuked. Recommended. $5.99
Star Trek Lower Decks #5-6: IDW - And here's one of the other licenses IDW still has. This two-issue arc has fun with time travel and its consequences. Consequences first, then time travel. It might be an understatement to say that Ryan North likes this sort of story, from the sometimes flickeringly fast alternate timelines of #5 to the Big Reveal and solution in #6. Both recommended. $4.99
Expected next time: Probably a skip month for floppies.
Dvandom, aka Dave Van Domelen, is an Associate Professor of Physical Science at Amarillo College, maintainer of one of the two longest-running Transformers fansites in existence (neither he nor Ben Yee is entirely sure who was first), did read one comic this month with Optimus Prime in it, is an occasional science advisor in fiction, and part of the development team for the upcoming City of Titans MMO.
"I'm a GHOST, Greer. I have a MISSION, not a LIFE. I can't do any more for the people who loved me than HAUNT them." "Oh my God. She sure has a TYPE." "Shut up." - Hank Pym, Reese, Moon Knight, Moon Knight Fist of Khonshu #7
Dave's Capsules for May, 2025
Reviewed by Dvandom
on
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Rating:
Reviewed by Dvandom
on
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Rating:
