dept h | Geekscape

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 10/19/16

by KarsonOctober 19, 2016

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Honorable Mentions

Ok, I’ll come out right away and admit that I’m kind of fudging my answer a bit this week. Amazing Spider-Man #20 is by far the book I’m most excited for this week, but this article will get pretty boring if every week you are seeing Spider-Man titles in the Most Excited For slot, so alas, it is only getting an honourable mention. If you aren’t in the know, THE CLONE CONSPIRACY has begun, and Doctor Octopus is back (and not as Spider-Man)!

Speaking of villains becoming heroes, Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev are introducing a new Iron Man and his name is Doctor Doom in Infamous Iron Man #1 . We don’t know what happens to Tony Stark in Civil War II’s conclusion, but it looks like he is going pretty far off the map.

Mark Waid and Chris Samnee are killing it on Black Widow, the seventh issue comes out today and the other six are definitely worth checking out! You’ll probably see this book on a lot of Best of 2016 lists.

In the DC Universe, the Batman titles are moving into the post NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN event, Bane is moving into the spotlight in the newest Batman book and we are about to learn a whole lot more about Raptor in this week’s Nightwing.

Now let’s move on to the publisher responsible for the book I’m most excited for this week…

Most Excited For

We haven’t spoke of Dark Horse in awhile and it turns out this is a perfect week to do so. This week we have new issues of three of their greatest ongoing series’. We have a new issue of Cullen Bunn’s Harrow County, which has fallen into a bit of a slump after the first couple of story arcs, but it still makes for great reading. I’ll read this over his recent X-Men work any day 😊. A new issue Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer is out, this is the complete comic book package; tight writing, sick art, and captivating characters. And finally…

Dept. H #7
📝 Matt Kindt
🎨 Sharlene Kindt

From New York Times best-selling MIND MGMT creator Matt Kindt comes an exciting new undersea sci-fi mystery. Mia is a special investigator hired to uncover possible sabotage taking place at a deep-sea research station. What she finds is a mind-blowing crime scene filled with suspects with terrible secrets, strange deep-sea creatures, and an impending flood!

This is comic books at their finest. Matt Kindt’s love of the medium bleeds through the pages. Each issue drives the story forward and teaches us more about the characters, growing our attachment to them. The water colours in this book are absolutely gorgeous, some of the best art you’ll see in a comic book this year. The back issues are only $1.99 each, you gotta read this series!

Best Bet

No best bet this week. Seriously consider checking out Dept. H.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by KarsonAugust 31, 2016

DC

New experiment this week; instead of breaking down my thoughts on each issue, I’ll talk about what I feel is worth talking about then just give a rating to everything else.

💪 Action Comics #962

The conclusion of Path To Doom is mostly a gratifying one. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises in how the battle plays out. Segovia does a great job of making the action fluid throughout the issue as well giving the battle an appropriate sense of scale. An interesting twist at the end, could have large ramifications for the DC superheroes, but I think we’ll have to wait awhile before we see any sort of payoff.

👌 Blue Beetle – Rebirth #1

Another DC property I have no knowledge of. The book has Spider-Man-like feel to it in that Blue Beetle jokes around a lot during his battles. The series is pretty easy to jump into, so if you’re looking for something new this might be up your alley. Not sure if there is enough there for me to want to keep up with it though.

👌 Titans #2

We currently have Abra Kadabra taking credit for taking ten years from Wally West’s life, let’s hope this is just leading up to some more Doctor Manhattan or Ozymandias references…

👌 Detective Comics #939

Really enjoying this series but don’t feel like writing about it currently ☺️

👌 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #3

Readers beware, if you aren’t familiar with the Green Lantern universe, this book will be hard to pick up and follow.

👌 The Flash #5
Spoiler: Barry’s day off goes bad

👌 Batgirl #2
👌 Deathstroke #1
👌 The Hellblazer #1
👌 Wonder Woman #5

Marvel

👌 Captain America – Steve Rogers #4

Well, this series is getting darker by the issue. Seeing Cap hail hydra was one thing, but seeing him mutilate his foes is a whole new level of disturbing. Spencer is leaving no stone unturned in this exploration of a darker Captain America. Speaking of dark, this Mrs. Sinclair of Cap’s is frickin terrifying, they are doing a great job of making her presence felt. This issue was a little dialogue heavy, but I’m still intrigued by the storyline and excited to see where it will go.

Image

💪 Lake of Fire #1

Our first Best Bet and I’d say it was a winner! While the oversized issue might have been a lot of world and character building, I think the world and it’s characters are awesome so it was sweet getting to know them. Let’s not get too serious when analyzing this book; it’s knight vs. aliens, it’s supposed to be fun, not literary gold.

💪 Snotgirl #2

Briefly, this book is really interesting. It’s unlike anything I’ve read and I’m surprised by how interested I am by the plot developments, if you’ve liked previous work and don’t think this is up your alley, maybe give it a try.

Dark Horse

💪 Dept. H #4

Ok, ok, I’m an issue behind, but if you wait a couple of weeks you can get the issue for half the price! This is still one of my favourite series’ of the year. It is a slower story than I thought it would be but that’s ok because this is a ride that I don’t want to end. Kindt’s watercolours are absolutely gorgeous, every issue is a piece of art!

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by KarsonJune 29, 2016

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

A lot of great reads this past week, most of which weren’t from the big 2 publishers.

DC

DC’s Rebirth takes a week off but we did see the continuation of Action Comics and Detective Comics, as well as #1’s of Aquaman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. All these stories are solid but none of them have earned must-read status.

👌 Action Comics #958
This is perhaps the most intimidating book if you are new to the DC Universe. We have a new Superman, a Lex Luthor Superman, and a Clark Kent who apparently isn’t a Superman. However, not a lot of that matters this issue because it’s mostly one great big battle with Doomsday!

👎 Detective Comics #935
In my opinion, this is the least interesting of DC’s new offerings. This book in particular starts out with something super exciting but then pulls the carpet out from beneath us and leaves us with a relatively uninteresting story that is struggling to find any identity.

👌 Aquaman #1
This may be my favourite of DC’s releases this week. Walker’s art on this is stellar. I was worried an Aquaman title could get weighed down by too much politics but so far Abnett is balancing the politics with equal parts action. The action sequences at the end of this issue were gorgeous, as the characters battle isn’t separated by panels but by the way the water flows.

👌 The Flash #1
This may also be my favourite of DC’s releases this week, I just can’t decide! Williamson is really focusing on the theme of despite the Flash’s speed, he isn’t able to be everywhere at once, and therefore can’t help everyone. For me this premise is interesting enough to explore for a few issues, but much like last week’s Batman #1, this book takes a twist at the end that leaves me wondering what the heck is going to happen next!

👎 Wonder Woman #1
It may not be a popular opinion but for whatever reason, this book just hasn’t worked for me yet. I don’t think it’s any fault of the creators, Rucka and Sharp, I think it’s just my unfamiliarity with the character of Wonder Woman. There are times during this issue where I feel completely lost and the story isn’t interesting enough to drive me to do any further research.

Marvel

More Civil Snore…

👎 Captain America – Sam Wilson #10
Another title that I read because of the Civil War II stamp on it, another title that I’m let down by. Aside from Rhode’s funeral, I’m unsure how this ties in at all. Don’t spend your time reading Spencer’s Marvel stuff, checkout The Fix instead!

👎 Civil War II – Choosing Sides #1
This book isn’t worth your money. I don’t have anything else to say.

💪 Power Man and Iron Fist #5
Is it any coincidence that one of Marvel’s only books that isn’t a part of Civil War II is awesome? The fifth issue serves as more of a transition from the last arc to the next one. If you didn’t read this issue, you wouldn’t miss much but there are enough laughs in here to make it worth while.

Archie Comics

💪 Archie #9
If a comic book has Mark Waid’s name on it, you ain’t going to regret reading it. I’ve discussed how great Archie is in previous Weekly Reads and the series continues to gain momentum. Archie Comics is doing such a great job with it’s IP right now, I don’t think they’re making anything that isn’t awesome!

Dark Horse

💪 Dept. H #3
Another title I’ve gushed over previously. The comic is as good as ever. This is a must read if you’re looking for a non superhero comic. Instead of gushing over the issue, I’ll talk about how awesome of a moment it was to see Cullen Bunn (writer of Harrow County, Uncanny X-Men) wrote into the letter page. Note: I only read the letter page of books that I love. Guys, what else do I have to say, this book is a must read! Matt’s writing is awesome, his love for comics comes through the pages, Sharlene’s watercolours are unlike anything else I’ve seen in comics. Love, love, love this book!

BOOM! Studios

💪 Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers #4
This series is better than I ever could have imagined. Perhaps I shouldn’t be giving it strong status because if you aren’t a Power Rangers fan this might not be up your alley, but I think you’d be surprised. Sure, this is a Power Rangers story but the themes of team building, trust, insecurity are something anyone can relate to. If you’re a Power Rangers fan, this book is a no brainer, if not, I think you still might be able to find something to love here.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by KarsonMay 25, 2016

Welcome to Weekly Reads! It’s your little dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my comic book reading!

Ongoing Reads

Power Man and Iron Fist #4 concludes the story’s first arc. This issue is the weakest offering from the series so far. It lacks the humour and easy-going vibe that was so prominent in the previous issues. The absent humour is replaced with excessive amounts of backstory relating to the book’s current villain, the Supersoul Stone possessed Jennie Royce. While the backstory serves to help us understand the character’s plight, it really takes away from the action. The conflict is resolved in an unsatisfying way as Power Man and Iron Fist have very little to do with it. By the end of things though, the Heroes for Hire are back and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble they get into with issue #5!

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, it seems like forever since we have discussed Bendis and Pichelli’s Spider-Man! Be careful what you wish for. I wanted a book that focused on the personal problems of being Spider-Man and I am getting it in spades here, the only issue is that it’s kind of boring. This book spends the better half of the story at a high school cafeteria where Ganke confesses to Miles that he likes Goldballs because he is a fast super hero… Wait? What? Am I the only person who never once thought to themselves “damn, that Goldballs guy is fat.” When they finally meet the character, a starstruck Ganke probably reveals more about Miles than he should have. The frustrated Miles takes off as Spider-Man where he is chased by heat seeking missiles… 😴

I was pleasantly surprised to discover Matt and Sharlene Kindt’s Dept. H #2 hit shelves this past week. This book will be contending for my favourite comic book at the end of the year. I can’t gush enough about Sharlene’s watercolours enough in this book, it’s unlike anything else in comics right now. If you’re reading digital, this book is worth picking up a physical copy. I’m not convinced Matt is leaving me clues to solve this murder mystery yet but I’ll find out in due time. The creators love and appreciation for the medium bleeds through on every page and makes this book a joy to read. I’m loving every panel.

New Reads

Well, Civil War II kicks off and reading the first (well, 0th) issue I felt clueless. This book would definitely benefit from some sort of introduction to what is going on with these characters right now because I had no idea… I guess I should have been reading Iron Man? That said, I stuck it out and so far I am intrigued by Marvel’s next big storyline. We have She-Hulk defending a retired super villain who is being arrested for merely mentioning that he has thought of returning to a life of crime. The President of the United States wants James Rhodes (War Machine) to run for president. Then some random feeling stuff with Captain Marvel and some new Inhumans. Do I have high hopes for this arc? Not really. It feels to me like they are just trying to drive up revenue by tying in with their cinematic universe (and I guess who can blame them). Fortunately, it’s usually series that I have the lowest expectations for that end up wowing me the most so we will see where this goes.

Soo I’m prepared to lose a lot of geek credibility with this one because I’m unfamiliar with why Future Quest #1 has so much hype. I picked it up because a) I don’t read enough DC and b) the art is right up my alley. I enjoyed the first issue but felt like I was missing some backstory as we are thrown right into the action from page 1. That said, the story is pretty easy to wrap your head around if you don’t think about it too hard. It has a sweet 80’s cartoon vibe to it. I really don’t know what else to say, you probably already know all you need to about this book because you’re smarter than me? 😊. Fill me in! What’s all the hype about?

Next Time

The DC Universe is reborn!

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by KarsonApril 27, 2016

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

Ongoing Reads

Power Man and Iron Fist continues to gather momentum with its third issue. Not much to say, this book is hilarious, easy to read, and Greene’s art pops off the page. This should be on your pull list. Extraordinary X-Men suffers a bit of a lull with its 9th issue as we watch the young, wannabe X-Men wander around different worlds. The art is awesome but the story lacks substance. I have a feeling Apocalypse Wars is going to be a run not worth reading until it comes out in trade. Captain Marvel continues to be a treat every month, if you haven’t been keeping up I assure you it’s worth it, otherwise be sure to check it out in trade!

New Reads

Dept. H is everything I want in a comic book. I could stare at Sharlene Kindt’s watercolors all day. The water, the sky, the flashback sequences, everything she does has its own unique flare. You aren’t going to find comic book art much better than this anywhere right now. Matt Kindt does an excellent job pacing the issue, by the end of it, the world and it’s character feel established but it never felt like things were being set up. Even with the science fiction elements of living in an underwater base, the story feels grounded in reality. It’s a good sign when you have these futuristic elements in play, that it is the characters that drive the narrative forward. I love this world and I love this book. Start reading this now guys, you won’t be disappointed.

Robert Kirkman’s Outcast was tough to get into. Honestly, if I would have picked this up issue by issue I don’t think I would have made it to #3. The first couple of issues were confusing. The art was at times was difficult to understand, the characters were slow to be introduced, and if it didn’t have Kirkman’s name on it I probably wouldn’t have continued… but it does and I did. The series gathered momentum the last half of the trade and concluded with a pretty cool world built and a semi-interesting cliffhanger. Am I dying to read more? No. Will I? Maybe. Anyone recommend it?

Kloos-Frontline-01-19787-IN-2 — Frontlines Requiem #1

I tried another space book this week, Frontlines Requiem #1. This book looks and feels like a classic science fiction novel. The story is basically your typical humans in a war against an alien race that is more powerful and advanced than them. The art is a little simple for my liking but I think that may be by design if they’re going for a classic sci-fi feel. The book’s artist, Gary Erskine, struggles to give his characters a strong sense of emotion but that’s only noticeable during the more political portions of the story. If you like science fiction, this doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means, but it does a good of being it. Can I even say that? I don’t know. I just did. 😊

Next Time

The Amazing Spider-Man #11
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #4
And who knows what else!

I almost forgot; I tried reading Tokyo Ghost #6 without reading the first five. Big mistake. I knew I was in trouble when the first page of the issue was what seemed like a letter page worth of backstory. The concept sounds cool but if you want to read it I recommend starting at issue #1.