BOOK POST | COMIC ROUND UP | SEPTEMBER

 

The nights are drawing closer and darker and it is time for another comics round up.

I have got to admit, I have been a little pre – occupied with reading a load of Wonder Woman stuff this month and delving into the background of the Amazonian princess. However, I have read a few more comics besides Wonder Woman.

 

PUNCHLINE: THE TRIAL OF ALEXIS KAYE

James Tynion IV, Sam Johns (Illustrator), Mirka Andolfo (Illustrator),

The Joker War’s breakout star takes center stage, get ready to meet Punchline!

Spinning out of the pages of “The Joker War” comes the first solo book starring the blockbuster new character Punchline. As she faces the consequences for her role in “The Joker War,” the story of how Alexis Kaye became Punchline will take Leslie Thompkins, Harper Row, and Cullen Row on a harrowing journey that reveals a fringe teenager’s radicalization to the ideology of a madman.

This incredible hardcover collects Punchline #1 and stories from The Joker #1-15 and The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1!

I can’t say that I was overly enamoured at this one. Punchline is garnered as the breakout star of The Joker War.

Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Harley Quinn, but Punchline differs in that she does not have that chaotic element that Harley has and is instead more cold and calculating in her delivery of the deaths that she meters.

The story starts off interesting enough, giving a background on how Punchline came to be and how she experiments with the Joker’s laughing gas, but then it becomes a vehicle for Harper Row, otherwise known as Bluebird and member of the bat family.

For the most part, both the story and the characters were pretty flat and it just didn’t hit home with me at all.

 

THE LEGENDARY LYNX

Alex Segura

EXPERIENCE ONE OF COMICS’ MOST-BELOVED “LOST” STORIES – 1970s SUPERHERO CLASSIC ‘THE LEGENDARY LYNX’ IS FINALLY BACK IN PRINT

The influential street-level superhero saga is available again for the first time in 50 years – remastered and featuring essential bonus material!

Welcome to Triumph City. A city plagued by corruption and crime, where every alleyway and dark corner holds a deadly secret. The lone figure, standing against the onslaught of crime, is a savvy crimefighter known as the Lynx – sworn to protect the city that forged her.
By day, she’s Claudia Calla, a quiet secretary at Triumph City’s biggest paper. A woman haunted by a dark tragedy that has pushed her toward taking on the mantle of the Lynx – to prevent others from experiencing the same pain she’s dealt with. But when a specter from her earliest days returns, asking for her help against a cabal of dark forces, the Lynx must choose between her heroic responsibilities and her debt to a dear friend.

THE LEGENDARY LYNX was created by writer Harvey Stern and artist Doug Detmer, two creators who died under mysterious circumstances before and shortly after the series was first published. Though originally credited solely to Stern as the writer, diligent research has uncovered that Stern co-created the script and story to the Lynx’s seminal debut by renowned novelist and writer Carmen Valdez. For the first time ever, she is given proper credit in this volume.

(But in reality, “The Legendary Lynx” is no reprint. Crafted by LA Times Book Prize-winning novelist Alex Segura in his 2022 work, “Secret Identity” – a story that continues in the follow-up, “Alter Ego,” - and brought to life by artist Sandy Jarrell’s masterful artwork, this series blurs the lines between fiction and reality in the best way possible - the remastered pages of this forgotten gem, restored to its former glory and presented anew for readers hungry for adventure.)

 

The Legendary Lynx is a tie in comic with Alex Segura’s novels Secret Identity and its sequel Alter Ego. The books are a tie in with the novels which are murder mystery novels set in the world of comics and this is one of the comics that is mentioned in the books.

The art in the book harks back to the silver age years.

Unfortunately, this one was another miss for me. I wasn’t particularly struck on the meta - ness of it all with its fictional backgrounds etc.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck

Writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Zeck craft the ultimate tale of revenge in this groundbreaking and legendary collection! Kraven the Hunter has stalked and killed every animal known to man. But there is one beast that has eluded him. One quarry that has mocked him at every turn: the wall-crawling web-slinger known as Spider-Man. And to prove that he is the hero's master, he will pull on his costume and become him... after he shoots and buries him six feet under! Collects Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294 and Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132

This is a classic Spiderman story. The story revolves around Kraven’s obsession with Spiderman, and what he will do to get his revenge on him.

This is a dark and twisted Spiderman tale, with one of the villains of the story, Vermin, being a cannibal, Spiderman getting buried alive and the ending of the book (which I will not give away, but it’s a bit of a shocker)

It’s years since I originally read this one, and had forgotten most of it, but it was really good revisiting it.

The Me You Love in the Dark

Skottie Young, Jorge Corona (Artist)

An artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an old house in a small town. She hopes for solace and inspiration, but the muse she finds within is not what she expected.

This was a strange one. I knew Scottie Young from the brash and over the top I Hate Fairyland. This one is a different ball game all together.

Artist Ro, wants to get away from the fast city life to find new inspiration for her next art project. After some deliberation, she soon finds the perfect retreat. What she doesn’t bargain for is the addition of a ghostly spectre who she falls in love with.

What starts out as Haunted House cum ‘Ghost’ kind of story (and by ‘Ghost’ story, I mean the Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore film from the ?Nineties) soon turns into something else.

Now, I have read that the themes of the story aren’t particularly ‘subtle’ or ‘give enough background’, but I thought it would be difficult in a five issue story and for me, why make the themes of the story subtle when it is about quite an emotive subject. Now I know I have alluded to the fact that there is something else going on, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else.

The art by Jorge Corona is just chef’s kiss fantastic and I really enjoyed this one.

Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty

Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Michael Lark (Illustrator), Lawrence Block (Introduction), Kano (Illustrator) 

Collecting the first ten issues of the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning series.  Written by Ed Brubaker (Captain America) and Greg Rucka (52, DETECTIVE COMICS), this series pitted the detectives of Gotham City’s Special Crimes Unit against the city's greatest villains — in the shadow of Batman himself.

I’m sorry, a comic written by two of the best names in comics, what’s not to love?

Gotham Central is about the night and day shift of the Special Crimes Unit of Gotham PD. The story revolves around two cases but interlink. The first is when Mr Freeze kills a cop on a routine call and the aftermath of that. The second deals primarily and the outing of Renee Montaya (otherwise known as The Question) as being gay. In between these two storylines there are some crime stories that run through the comic, such as a young girl who is murdered on the way home from a baby sitting job.

Whilst this is set in Gotham, Batman only makes a brief appearance as the comic.

To be honest the art does take a bit of getting used to, but it does fit the story so well.

A great read

Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Gods and Mortals

George Pérez (Writer and Penciller), Len Wein (Writer),

Collecting WONDER WOMAN #1-7, featuring the young Amazon's origin and her introduction to "Man's World." Before she has a chance to fully assimilate into her new home, Wonder Woman must battle the chaos of the Greek god Ares, as he plans to bring upon World War III! This collection, the first in a 4-volume series reprinting the first two years of George Pérez's run on WONDER WOMAN, also features an introduction, rare art, and a new cover by Pérez.

There’s a reason that this is a classic!

Captain America: White

Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale (Illustrator)

Journey back to the Big One as Captain America recalls one of his most incredible missions. It's 1941, and the Howling Commandos are enjoying a respite from the ordeal of World War II — until Cap and his faithful partner, Bucky, lead them into the hands of the enemy! As the Nazis unleash their latest deadly soldiers, an old ally lends a hand — but an even older enemy will threaten America's greatest hero like never before. Will the Sentinel of Liberty gain his freedom in time to rescue Paris from the clutches of a monster? The Eisner Award-winning creative team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (DAREDEVIL: YELLOW, HULK: GRAY, SPIDER-MAN: BLUE) reunites to deliver another colorful exploration of the early days of a Marvel icon! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #0-5.

Yeah, it was alright! For me, it was nothing to write home about to be honest.
The story revolves around Cap and Bucky's relationship during WWII and has them on various adventures.
It's set before Cap finds out that Bucky is alive and he is lamenting about the death of his sidekick
There's Nick Fury in there, and Submariner makes a guest appearance and well that is about it.
Whilst the art is good, it wasn't my favourite to be honest.
So there you go!

Wonder Woman: Diana Prince: Celebrating the '60s Omnibus

Dennis O'Neil, Mike Sekowsky, Dick Giordano

Now collected in its entirety for the first time ever: Wonder Woman--a super-hero no more! As secret agent Diana Prince, she takes on international crime with the help of her new mentor, the mysterious I-Ching.

In these stories from the late 1960s, Wonder Woman leaves her super-powers behind to become an ultra-mod, globetrotting secret agent. With a new costume and a new attitude, Diana Prince fights crime like never before! These adventures, from such comics luminaries as Dennis O'Neil, Robert Kanigher, Mike Sekowsky and more, have remained uncollected for years until this oversize omnibus edition!

No Wonder Woman collection is complete without this legendary part of her deep history, Wonder Woman, Diana Prince Omnibus (50th Anniversary Edition)! Collects Wonder Woman #178-204, Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #93, The Brave and the Bold #87 and #105 and World's Finest Comics #204.

I did a whole thing on this, just  click on the link