The end of the PCG...?

Matt C: We've come a long way since the very first post appeared here back on 2nd November 2007, and we've written thousands of words on comics, comic book movies, comic conventions and more since then. We were the Paradox Comics Group to begin with, we abbreviated to the far more catchy PCG along the way, and here we are, twelve and a half years later, ready to say... goodbye?

We'll leave that unanswered until we get a few things out of the way. Or at least, until I've had the chance to say some things.

I started this blog with several aims: to promote Paradox Comics, to provide a wider platform for the members of our 'reading group' to wax lyrical about comics and to give me a creative outlet so I felt I was contributing something to the wider conversation about the medium. And, as this is essentially an extension of a hobby (it's not a paying gig!), it's often been a struggle to keep content coming on a weekly basis but, somehow, thanks to the support of my friends and colleagues, we've managed it.

The PCG has been witness to a lot in the last twelve plus years. The New 52. Marvel Now. The rise of creator-owned work, particularly from Image Comics. The birth and incredible success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The mainstream popularity of comic book properties, from the aforementioned MCU to The Walking Dead and beyond. Comixology's emergence, and the success of digital comics. The passings of such creative titans as Darwyn Cooke, Len Wein and the legendary Stan Lee. We've visited numerous conventions, from the sorely missed Bristol Comics Expo to Thought Bubble to the wonderful Melksham Comic Con. We've followed the careers of some breakout creators, now top tier talents, like Jonathan Hickman, Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire. Oh, and we also bore witness to our beloved Paradox Comics hosting various Free Comic Book Days, providing us with endless comic book delights and moving premises, the indomitable Andy Hine constantly working hard to keep us supplied with our weekly comic book fix. Basically, we've seen a lot, and we've done our best to pass on our thoughts and enthusiasms to our readers, many who've stuck with us from the beginning.

I couldn't (and wouldn't) have started all this without the green light from Andy, so I'm eternally grateful that he allowed my ramblings to be associated with his shop. But this was never intended as a solo venture, and I had plenty of help along the way, so a big thank you to the following excellent people: James Randall, Rob Nott, Stewart Ryder, Matt Tuffin, Dan Henry, Jo Sibley, Kenny Jeffrey, Simon McLean, Andrew 'The Butcher' Butcher, Tom Pike, Mike Smith, Billy Proctor, Mike Vincent, Ian & James Utley, Ann Luce, and, more recently,  my sons Harvey and George (who were barely twinkles in my eye when the first post was published in November 2007!).

And now, in 2020, with the world sort of turned upside down, it feels like as good a time as any to say that we've done the weekly review thing now, we've done the comic book movie reviewing thing now... it's time to move on.

But no, it's not goodbye. Because we're moving to www.thepcg.uk!

Yes, we're still going to be writing, but having written about just comics for so many years, and considering our shared interests are far broader than that, we're going to be covering not only comics but films, TV, books and more. Maybe not to the same kind of routine schedule but hopefully with some reignited passion for things we love.

When will this new site go live? It already is! Click there now to see the start of something new and check back with us for lots of great articles in the future. This site will remain (we've invested too much time to close the doors permanently) but this is likely to be the last new post you see here.

So a very brief goodbye and we'll see you on the other side very soon...

On The Pull: Lockdown Edition 3

Matt C: DC's announcement last week that they're severing ties with Diamond was a shocker (although not totally unexpected) but until then Diamond are currently the sole distributor to the UK and deliveries are currently on a fortnightly basis while the Covid situation continues. So that means there are new comics this week available from Paradox, and the complete list is as follows...

DARK HORSE:     
Butcher of Paris #5 (of 5)     £3.45
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #6   £3.45
Frankenstein Unbound #2 (of 5)     £3.45
     
DC COMICS:      
Action Comics #1022      £3.45
Amethyst #3 (of 6)      £3.45
Aquaman #59       £3.45
Batman #92       £3.45
Batman Secret Files #3      £4.25
Batman / Superman #9      £3.45
Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 (of 6)   £3.45
Batmans Grave #7 (of 12)     £3.45
Birds of Prey #1      £8.40
DC Classics: The Batman Adventures #1    £1.75
Detective Comics #1022      £3.45
Far Sector #6 (of 12)      £3.45
Harley Quinn #73      £3.45
John Constantine: Hellblazer #6     £3.45
Joker: 80th Anniversary 100 Page Spec    £8.40
Justice League #46      £3.45
Justice League Dark #22      £3.45
Justice League Odyssey ##21     £3.45
Killadelphia #6       £3.45
Last God Sourcebook #1      £4.25
Legion of Super-Heroes #6     £3.45
Lois Lane #11 (of 12)      £3.45
Nightwing #71       £3.45
Scooby Doo, Where are You? #104     £2.60
Shazam #12       £3.45
Superman Giant #3      £4.25
Supermans Pal Jimmy Olsen #10 (of 12)    £3.45
Swamp Thing Giant #4      £4.25
Wonder Woman #755      £3.45
Wonder Woman #756      £3.45
     
IMAGE:      
Adventureman #1       £3.45
Bitter Root #8       £3.45
Decorum #2       £3.45
Die Die Die #10       £3.45
Ice Cream Man #19      £3.45
Nailbiter Returns #1       £3.45
Postal: Deliverence #8      £3.45
Reaver #8       £3.45
Sonata #10       £3.45
Stealth #2 (of 6)      £3.45
Undiscovered Country #6      £3.45
      
MARVEL:      
Black Cat #11       £3.45
Daredevil #20       £3.45
Deadpool #5       £3.45
Excalibur #10       £3.45
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17     £3.45
New Mutants #10       £3.45
     
MORE:       
2000AD #2178       £2.99
2000AD #2179       £2.99
Alienated #3 (of 6)      £3.45
Boys: Dear Becky #1      £3.45
Buffy: Every Generation #1     £6.75
Cimmerian: Red Nails 1#      £3.45
Cobra Kai: Karate Kid Saga Continues #4    £3.45
Dejah Thoris #5       £3.45
Faithless II #1       £3.45
GI Joe: A Real American Hero #271    £3.45
Go Go Power Rangers #32      £3.45
James Bond #5       £3.45
Jim Hensons Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #8   £3.45
Kill Lock #5 (of 6)      £3.45
KISS: Zombies #5      £3.45
Mountainhead #4 (of 5)      £3.45
Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys: Death of Nancy Drew #1   £3.45
Ragnarok: Breaking of Helheim #5 (of 6)    £4.25
Red Mother #5       £3.45
Something is Killing the Children #7    £3.45
Vampirella / Red Sonja #8     £3.45
     
GRAPHIC NOVELS:     
920 London Tp       £15.99
Mephisto: Speak of the Devil Tp     £35.99
Paul is Dead OGN      £14.99
Red Mother Vol.1 Tp      £10.99
Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed Tp     £14.99
X-Men by Jonathan Hickman Vol.1 Tp    £15.99

On The Pull: Lockdown Edition 2

Matt C: Things are far from getting back to normal yet but they seem to be heading in the right direction at least. So that means that - yes! - new comics are arriving this week.

Some of you will be aware that, during the period that Diamond closed its doors, DC used the services of a couple of newly set up distributors to get comics to places that could take them in the States, meaning there will be a bit of catching up to do on these shores (hence two issues of Justice League). Marvel are taking a more cautious approach with their scheduling.

The below will be available from Paradox Comics this week but bear in mind the shop isn't officially open for business so make sure you get in touch directly if you need any of the below.

DARK HORSE:

(Nothing this week)

DC COMICS:

Basketful of Heads #7 (of 7)     £3.45

Batman Beyond #43      £3.45

Batman Giant #4       £3.45

Books of Magic #19      £4.25

Daphne Byrne #4 (of 6)      £3.45

DCeased: Unkillables #3 (of 3)     £4.25

Dollhouse Family #6 (of 6)     £3.45

Dreaming #20       £3.45

Harley Quinn #72      £3.45

He-Man & Masters of the Multiverse #6    £3.45

Justice League #44      £3.45

Justice League #45      £3.45

Justice League Odyssey #20     £3.45

Lois Lane #10 (of 12)      £3.45

Low Low Woods #5 (of 6)      £3.45

Metal Men #6 (of 12)      £3.45

Our Fighting Forces Giant #1     £4.25

Plunge #3 (of 6)      £3.45

Red Hood: Outlaw #45      £3.45

Suicide Squad #5      £3.45

Teen Titans #41       £3.45

Terrifics #27       £3.45

Wonder Woman Giant #4      £4.25

     

On The Pull: Lockdown Edition

Matt C: As you'll probably be aware, comics due for release in the UK on 26th March have been sat in a Diamond warehouse since before that date, waiting for the first signs of life to spark back into the industry after it all came to an abrupt but inevitable standstill.

Well, the wait is finally over as those comics have now left the warehouse, are in circulation, and have arrived at our very own Paradox Comics!

Rumours are that something approaching normal service (or a new definition of normal) will resume at the end of May, with Marvel beginning to revise their shipping schedules.

In the meantime, we've got new issues of personal favourites like X-Men, Far Sector and Lazarus: Risen within our grasp and no amount of lockdown is ever going to kick the comics habit for those of us in it for the long haul.

It's worth remembering that, especially in times like these, comic shops need cashflow to keep going, so get your orders in and make sure that money changes hands as soon as it's possible to do so (they have digital financial transactions these days, don't you know)!

The PCG remains in 'quiet mode' for the interim, but our passion for this medium remains undiminished!

The PCG - Closing Our Doors... For Now

Matt C: It's getting crazier by the day at the moment and the world as we know is changing into something that would have been unimaginable a couple of months ago. We've been writing about comics here for well over a decade, mostly to a set schedule (weekly releases and reviews), but it now seems abundantly clear that various factors are going to disrupt that schedule for the next few months at the very least.

Rather than take a 'business as usual' approach until such time as that becomes an impossibility, we're taking a leaf from physical spaces across the globe and closing our doors for a while. There's going to be a period of adjustment for all of us here at the PCG as our daily lives change dramatically, so for the time being that seems like the best place to be focusing our energies.

But fear not, we're not closing down for good! It'll take a lot more than a pesky virus to kill off our passion for comics! 

We will return soon, and it may be in a format different from the one we're used to (and you're used to) but once we've figured out how to take things forward we will be back again with our views on our beloved medium.

Take care of yourselves and those around you, keeping reading comics (time to dive back into your long boxes?), and we'll be back before you know it.

As always, thanks for reading.

The Shipping Forecast: May 2020

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the March issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in May 2020.

THE UNION #1

Writer: Paul Grist

Art: Andrea Di Vito

Marvel $3.99

Andy H: While there are many, many titles spinning out of Empyre, this is the one I will be picking up. Following in the footsteps of Excalibur and Knights Of Pendragon, the UK has another superhero team; The Union! Featuring Choir, Kelpie, Snakes and Brittania, four heroes from four nations. It doesn't stop there though. We also get the return of a favourite 'old' hero, Union Jack. This new team will be part of the planet's defence as the Empyre saga unfolds. Paul Grist is series writer and I'm really looking forward to his depiction of Union Jack, a character he once submitted a story for but was rejected. He went on to rework this idea and created Jack Staff - looks like it's finally gone full circle.

Mini Reviews 15/03/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

SUB-MARINER: MARVELS SNAPSHOTS #1

Writer: Alan Brennert

Art: Jerry Ordway & Espen Grundetjean

Marvel $4.99

Matt C: The first in a series of one-shots that employs the concept of Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek's legendary Marvels by giving us a regular person's perspective on an icon, here we focus on one of the House of Ideas' originals, Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Set after the end of World War II, our way into the story is provided by Betty Dean, Namor's sometime girlfriend of the era. Never quite comfortable with his tempestuousness and aloofness, she watches him struggle with the trauma of the conflict he's just experienced, and if you're familiar with this particular Atlantean you'll know his likely method of dealing with things will inevitably involve some sort of violence and carnage. The artwork has a wonderfully retro feel - befitting of the period, but in a sophisticated fashion - and the script delivers some potent insights into a man who straddles two worlds (above and below the ocean's surface). It brought to mind Chip Zdarsky's recent Invaders series, and how that also delved into the emotional damage of war inflicted on someone who likes to present himself as above such things. It's an affecting read with some wonderfully old-fashioned action scenes (the All Winners Squad turn up and get involved, of course) and it sets a high standard which hopefully the rest of the series will meet. 8/10

Mini Reviews 08/03/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

STRANGE ACADEMY #1

Writer: Skottie Young

Art: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado

Marvel $4.99

Mike S: Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos present a not-quite original but nevertheless wholly enjoyable first issue set in Marvel Comics’ very own Hogwarts. Throw in a dash of Wolverine And The X-Men and you have Strange Academy, in which the next generation of magic wielders are gathered in New Orleans to learn the art of spell-casting from such faculty members as Doctor Voodoo, Magik and the Scarlet Witch (which might be an interesting mix if current X-Men continuity applies). The first issue introduces a diverse cast, an interesting premise and some stunningly rendered artwork. Young has a knack of writing young characters here while Ramos revels in the fantastical elements of the setting, with wondrous artwork juxtaposed with some creepy moments to provide a visually stunning book. Offering something a little different to the run of the mill Marvel Teen books, Strange Academy #1 is a promising debut with a huge amount of potential as we explore the magical mythos of Marvel, and is guaranteed to bring me back for #2. 9/10

On The Pull 04/03/2020

New comics are due to hit the shelves on Wednesday so here’s a look ahead at some of the books we’ll be picking up this week along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: It's time for Strange Adventures #1.

Over the last few years Tom King's star has risen dramatically in the creative community through creator-owned work like Sheriff Of Babylon and his epic stint on Batman, but it's with the critically acclaimed, award-winning maxi-series The Vision and Mister Miracle where he's really made his mark. Both had bold, unique takes on 'lesser known' characters that were as intelligent as they were inventive. Now he's tackling Adam Strange at DC in what the spiel describes as "a story of blood, war, and love that readers will be talking about for years to come". I was already sold the moment the project was announced, and with Mister Miracle artist Mitch Gerads along for the ride, this will no doubt be bothering end-of-year lists come December. Basically, don't leave this one on the shelf.

Over at Marvel we have, ah, Marvel #1. In the tradition of the seminal series Marvels, artist Alex Ross is bringing us an anthology series that will have us once again looking at popular characters in new ways (or so we're told). I love Marvels, and revisit it regularly, so I'm expecting good things from this (original Marvels writer Kurt Busiek's presence in the credits bodes well).

If you want an ongoing that requires your attention, look no further than Daredevil, which reaches its nineteenth issue this week. Chip Zdarsky has been on fire with this book; if you've ever enjoyed the adventures of Matt Murdock at his most tortured and angsty, this is for you.

Mini Reviews 01/03/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: JEAN GREY AND EMMA FROST #1

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Art: Russell Dauterman & Matthew Wilson

Marvel $4.99

Matt C: We seem to be getting a bunch of these 'Giant-Size' issues from Jonathan Hickman to spotlight various integral characters to his 'Dawn of X' initiative, and if the rest are as good as this one, they'll all be essential purchases. Here we have Jean Grey and Emma Frost entering the mind of a fallen X-Man in an attempt to save them and, once inside, we get an almost entirely wordless extended sequence which serves as a tremendous example of the power of the artform. Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson pull out all the stops for a dazzling display of visual ingenuity to tell the story via pictures alone, conveying emotions through expression and action only, and it's beautiful, inventive and regularly breathtaking. Of course Hickman's presence is still felt throughout thanks to the pacing and intelligence of the narrative, which is tangible in every panel. An exceptional issue where you really get the opportunity to linger on the artistry of the medium at its best and just how adept it can be at sequencing static panels to create a moving and exciting experience. 9/10

Mini Reviews 23/02/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

WOLVERINE #1

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Art: Adam Kubert, Frank Martin, Viktor Bogdanovic & Matthew Wilson

Marvel $7.99

Jo S: In these days of big Marvel events and multiple high quality Hickman-led X-books, a $7.99 cover price on a late-joining 'Dawn of X' title is going to make your local comic book store owner wince - especially when it's on a big standard like Wolverine - so is it worth the doubled price and should you fork over the cash to hop on this new addition to the Krakoa project? Let me try to convince you... Ben Percy has Wolverine chops: having penned the Wolverine: The Long Night and The Lost Trail podcasts, he followed up the former with a comic book version, and it's clear in this new outset already that he 'gets' our cross-Patch protagonist, opening with a scene of devastation in the Alaskan snow, where Logan is agonising over slaying his own friends and yet is still compelled to chase after the last survivor. A giant side effect of the 'Dawn of X' stories is that Krakoa's regeneration protocols have altered the concept of death for mutant-kind: we know as comics readers that death is rarely final but now it's explicit that 'they will come back' - and yet Percy still manages to give us the full sense of Logan's despair, something of an achievement in this new world. The (first) story is a 'here's the penultimate scene, let's look at how we got here' approach, and each additional piece of backstory we see twists the knife in Logan's heart a little further: Krakoan 'product' is going missing, diverted to feed a growing drugs trade managed by the Flower Cartel, and multiple parties are getting involved, for nefarious reasons or otherwise, in the growing spread of mutie drug Pollen. If that wasn't complex enough a storyline, add a cult of vampiric mutant-worshippers and you have yourself a festival of flower-related infamy. Kubert's art is magnificent - well, I would say that, the Alaskan snow scenes alone are worth it for me, but his fabulous page structure has me hooked throughout as well... But that's just the first story! This is a true double issue, with the staples neatly marking the delineation between 'The Flower Cartel' and 'Catacombs'. Both are issue #1, both penned by Percy, but Bogdanovic now picks up the pencils, as Omega Red, covered in blood which may or may not be his own, storms through a Krakoan portal requesting amnesty - having escaped a nightmarish Paris overrun with the aforementioned vampire cult - to a very mixed reception. Vampire stories are a bit so-so for me generally but Percy pitches this one perfectly, with vampire hunter of the 'nightguard' Louise making a welcome debut, and Bogdanovic and Wilson creating the ideal underground gloom with gory bat-fest atmosphere. So, yes, all in all, this is more than a double issue, the fat cover price may be a little gasp-inducing but the content is much more so, and for all the right reasons. 9/10

The Shipping Forecast: April 2020

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the February issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in April 2020.

CATWOMAN 80TH ANNIVERSARY #1

Writers: Various

Artists: Various

DC $9.99

James R: The latest icon to get the anniversary treatment from DC is Selina Kyle, the infamous Catwoman. I’ve always loved Catwoman as a character; not quite one of Batman’s rogue’s gallery, but never someone who could be described as a hero either. She’s Batman’s equal and opposite in every way - most recently, Tom King rightfully realised the power of her character in his Batman run. King makes an appearance here along with a truly phenomenal cast of creators to celebrate 80 years of Ms Kyle. DC have done a brilliant job so far with these celebratory issues (both the Action Comics and Detective Comics ones were must-reads) and with that talent roster, I’d argue that this one looks purr-fect (sorry)!

Mini Reviews 16/02/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

THE MAN WHO F#&%ED UP TIME #1

Writer: John Layman

Art: Karl Mostert & Dee Cunniffe

AfterShock $4.99

Jo S: If you've followed my short career in comics reviewing so far, you may be aware that time travel is one of my little bugbears BUT, in my defence, my only real problem with it is where it is discovered at the eleventh hour and used to solve an otherwise unsolvable plot problem. Here, in John Layman and Karl Mostert's new outset, the time-scrambling shenanigans are in place from the start, with the opening page featuring the titular 'man', in trainers and a backpack, being chased through streets of folks wearing stovepipe hats by what appears to be a Mongol warrior riding an armoured stegosaurus. Which is not a sentence I expect to use twice in my life. To anyone who has read John Wyndham's short story collection The Seeds Of Time, especially, 'Chronoclasm', this story rings familiar: Sean Bennett, cruelly undervalued lab assistant, hops into the time machine created largely based on his own work, whizzes back in time a little way, and returns, having made only the tiniest of adjustments, to a world which is clearly very much more different than he intended. Mostert's art reminds me very strongly of Martín Morazzo's work, crisp and fine-lined, with lots of nice detail in historical costume but, combined with Cunniffe's bright daytime colours, it conspires to feel a bit flat and empty in places. Couple that with a distinct feeling of 'I know where this is going', I'm not totally sure this one hit home for me as fully as it might. I'll give it a second issue though - who knows what a small adjustment in the time stream will bring. 6/10

On The Pull 12/02/2020

New comics are due to hit the shelves on Wednesday so here’s a look ahead at some of the books we’ll be picking up this week along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: The Image books delayed from last week's shipment across the Atlantic arrive on Wednesday, so for me that means I get my hands on the latest instalments of Gideon Falls and Manifest Destiny, both proving they have significant staying power many issues into their runs. Correctly on schedule is Ascender #9, the follow up to Descender, where magic has replaced technology, and Dustin Nguyen's watercolours continue to astound.

Marvel have two third chapters for Hawkeye: Freefall and Thor: I feel that the former freewheels rather than freefalls, but I kind of like it for that, and the latter has a brilliantly engaging universal scenario, with the Thunder God acting as the new herald of Galactus.

Not all of the 'Dawn Of X' launches have quite held my interest (I'm down to three series now) but after initially looking like it would be left behind, X-Men is right out in front of the pack again, exactly where it should be.

DARK HORSE:

Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out #3 £3.45

Stranger Things: Into the Fire #2 (of 4) £3.45

Tales from Harrow County - Deaths Choir #3 (of 4) £3.45

Mini Reviews 02/02/2019

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

AVENGERS OF THE WASTELANDS #1

Writer: Ed Brisson

Art: Jonas Scharf

Marvel $3.99

Mike S: I was little sceptical approaching this title: I am not a fan of the over-saturation of a market but after enjoying both Old Man Logan and Old Man Hawkeye (but swerving Old Man Quill because – well, it’s Quill!) I was both looking forward to and, perhaps, a little wary. However, Ed Brisson provides a debut issue that introduces our key players well, albeit with some necessary exposition to fully establish the world we’re inhabiting. We have a new Thor, a thoughtful young Hulk, a new Ant-Man and a Doctor Doom to provide the necessary menace, along with a final page that promises even more shocking developments. The art from Jonas Scharf is expressive when focusing on characterisation and suitably epic when we’re immersed in the action scenes. It has a kind of raw grittiness in places, which is apt considering the title’s location. Particularly noteworthy, as a fan of Jane Foster’s tenure as Thor, is the treatment of Dani Cage as the new Thor, especially in the way Brisson seems to be clearly establishing the fundamental division between Dani’s opinions on the Doom situation and that of her Asgardian alter-ego: an interesting divide that might (or might not) foreshadow later development and conflict. An enjoyable read that certainly promises much moving forward. 8/10

On The Pull 29/01/2020

New comics are due to hit the shelves on Wednesday so here’s a look ahead at some of the books we’ll be picking up this week along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: After the magnetic intensity of the previous issue, with a heist going wrong in dramatic fashion, the latest issue of Criminal deals with the aftermath. The various plot threads that have been weaving in and out of each other will finally come together in an undoubtedly violent conclusion that should underline why this series remains a cut above its contemporaries.

Marvel have the sophomore issues of two books that really impressed with their debuts: Hawkeye: Freefall and Thor. The latter was fairly majestic and showed that Donny Cates has a few tricks up his sleeve for the Thunder God while the former met expectations following some advanced drum beating from us (check out our interview with writer Matt Rosenberg if you haven't already). Jonathan Hickman's X-Men reaches its fifth instalment and here's hoping it doubles down on the terrific fourth issue which provided a potent reminder of why House Of X and Powers Of X were such a welcome shock to the system.

Over at DC is a Black Label book that perhaps isn't getting the attention it deserves. I'm not usually swayed by the sword and sorcery genre but Last God has the chops with a gritty atmosphere and some stupendous artwork. Definitely worth moving beyond preconceptions to check it out.

Mini Reviews 26/01/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

BIRDS OF PREY GIANT #1

Writers: Various

Art: Various

DC $4.99

Jo S: I've developed something of a soft spot for DC's compendium format books, they seem somehow to have captured the near impossible skill of drawing together a collection of mini-stories in a way that allows each the space to shine in its own right whilst also hanging together nicely on a theme. The six stories here are a neatly tessellated fit: there's variety between big name writers like Gail Simone and Robert Venditti and those perhaps less well-known, such as the Benson sisters, whose story 'Gotham City Limits' is a perfect blend of wholesomeness, heroing, heritage and campfire horror stories, and the artists for each story are clearly carefully chosen - Isaac Goodhart's facial expressions in 'Disguises' are exquisite, for example; Harley's cringing smile as she tries to deal with her old friend's humble-bragging made my toes curl. The upcoming Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) looks set to ensure that the aforementioned two-tone trickster will be absolutely everywhere again, having been one of the few good things about the Suicide Squad movie, but here she (and Poison Ivy too) demonstrates the complex attitude to good and evil that makes her appealing. In Simone's 'Fight or Flight', she talks about how everyone's a little bit grey, not fully in the light or fully in the dark (although her 'Mistah Jay' she accepts is "like, dark dark") and her behaviour throughout is complicated, caught between wanting to do right and her perpetual taste for mayhem. Huntress, Batgirl and Black Canary get to take leading roles in their own stories too - Layman gives a nice twist to Huntress' duel with Deathstroke - and I was especially pleased to see stories from my two favourite writers side by side, with Matt Rosenberg moonlighting on a Black Canary story which must surely draw on his music business experience, and Joëlle Jones helping Harley mastermind a breakout from Arkham - as she says: "Safe is boring. I'd rather have an ADVENTURE!" 7/10

The Shipping Forecast: March 2020

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the January issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in March 2020.

SPIDER-MAN NOIR #1

Writer: Margaret Stohl

Art: Juan Ferreyra

Marvel $3.99

Jo S: Obviously, from my point of view, all the best one-liners in 2018's excellent Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie went to His Royal Porkness, Spider-Ham, but he did get a run for his money from the deadpannest of deadpan characters, Spidey Noir. It's great, then, to see a character who takes all the shiny goodness of the Spider-Verse and all the gritty darkness of Crime Noir and crams them together in the kind of crossover which, like peanut butter and marmite, shouldn't work but just… does, getting his own series after a while in the shadows. Margaret Stohl has listed a series of tasty elements we can hope to see in this compact five-parter, including all the classics we would expect from a crime noir series - but as that list includes 'punching Nazis' I probably need say no more...

Mini Reviews 19/01/2019

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

IRON MAN 2020 #1

Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage

Art: Pete Woods

Marvel $4.99

Matt C: A pure nostalgia purchase for me. I remember fondly the reprinted Barry Windsor-Smith Machine Man miniseries (appearing as a back-up in the UK Transformers comic in the 1980s), set in 2020, when 2020 was a not-too-distant sci-fi future rather than the comparatively humdrum present day. The links to that series and this one turn out to be pretty tenuous at best; Machine Man is involved and the Iron Man of 2020 - Arno Stark - is the lead character, but beyond that it's got nothing to do with his original appearance, instead spinning out of events in the current Tony Stark: Iron Man title. Having not followed that series there was some catching up required: current Tony Stark is an A.I. apparently, while Arno Stark is attempting to quell a robot rebellion. This isn't a new concept of course - the sci-fi genre is packed with tales of artificial lifeforms attempting to prove themselves sentient beings and free themselves from slave labour (a strong recent example was the short-lived Magnus reboot by Kyle Higgins and Jorge Fornes from Dynamite). There's not much going on here beyond the expected beats, and pretty much all the characters are unlikeable to some degree, so unless you're already invested in the current Iron Man status quo then this can be easily skipped. 5/10

Mini Reviews 12/01/2020

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the not so good, and those that lie somewhere in between.

STAR #1

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Art: Javier Pina, Filipe Andrade & Jesus Aburtov

Marvel $3.99

Jo S: Anyone thinking "oh, new female Marvel superhero, she's called Star, that'll be cute, girly, inspiring, aimed at kids etc" has a whole new think coming with this opening issue, a spin-off from Thompson's Captain Marvel series. Ripley Ryan is the most damaged of damaged supers, deeply traumatised following her kidnapping by Nuclear Man, she is the repository of a Reality Stone and, before the start of this, her first solo story, has already used it, almost destroying the whole of New York - helluva debut! Captain Marvel stopped her (by punching a hole in her chest) but, as we begin this story, Ryan/Star is somewhere between powered dropout and evil supervillain; pretty much everyone has an axe to grind with her, and every time she is pushed to use her powers the result just makes the situation worse. Thompson's wisecracking monologues balance the utter desperation of Ripley's situation: getting to write Loki (loved his li'l horned baseball cap, very low-key Loki) must have been a treat and she 'gets' Jessica Jones' black sarcasm perfectly (using mind control on Ms Jones proves exactly as ill-advised as you might suspect knowing her history). As her pile of poor decisions grows, things are looking bleak for any possibility of Star's redemption, and it seems as if the slippery slope towards villainy is becoming yet further greased. Of course, hope appears at the final moment, in the form of a character who knows more than a little about redemption from villainy. A fascinating first issue for a genuinely new leading character, with lots of potential to break the mould: I'm truly excited to see where Thompson takes this. 8/10