Weekly Comic Reviews - 6 April 2016

Ratings out of 5 stars. Mainstream comics available at Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura).

Old Man Logan #4

Story: Jeff Lemire

Art: Andrea Sorrentino

Marvel

Old Man Logan was one of the best Wolverine stories for the last 10 years and Marvel finally got round to exploit it further during the Secret Wars. Mark Millar may be too busy to write for Marvel now, but that is not going to stop them from using his original ideas for Old Man Logan – basically an aged alternative version of Wolverine who is out of place in a corrupt future and how he tries to make right his current reality. Now Marvel has taken a step further by plucking Old Man Logan out of his universe and placing him in the present Marvel universe. He is confused and started slashing first before asking the questions.

In this issue, he is finally stopped by Captain America and realized he is dead in this world, making him the only Logan in town. Jeff Lemire handles the characters well. What’s more amazing is Andrea Sorrentino’s art which has shades of Jae Lee. The two spreads in the middle of the book when Logan fought Capt have a sense of design not seen since JH Williams III’s art for Batwoman.

The issue ends with Logan meeting the X-Men. Intriguing.

(3.5 stars)

Black Panther #1

Story: Ta-Nehisi Coates

Art: Brian Stelfreeze

Marvel

Lots of expectations on this one as it is written by a best-selling writer not associated with comics at all. This picks up after Jonathan Hickman’s The Avengers, which had the fullest development of the character of Black Panther since Don McGregor’s run of the series in the 1970s. But this first issue reminds of the Jack Kirby issues too from the same period. Kinetic and action-packed adventure all the way.

Trouble is brewing in Wakanda when the people reject the rule of the Black Panther. To make things worse, his own scantily clad troop of female bodyguards ‘devoted’ to him, the Dora Milaje, has turned against him. The Black Panther’s masculinity is called to question. And he is trying to revive his ‘dead’ sister. Mmm… Very promising.

(3.5 stars)

The Discipline #2

Story: Peter Milligan

Art: Leandro Fernandez

Image

One of the reasons why I am doing this column is to keep in touch with the new titles and creative teams. There are tons of comics coming out every week and it is still important to track the floppies and give some support to the comic shops. One can’t just buy trade paperbacks at the big bookshops all the time.

But as much as I am giving new writers a chance to show me their chops, I am still drawn to old favourites like Peter Milligan. He suffers from epilepsy and has not been active for a while. But he has made a comeback in 2014 with Terminal Hero (Dynamite) and now, The Discipline, which is one hell of a read.

What if you are a rich but bored housewife and you discover there is supernatural world beyond our own reality? Basically that is the premise of The Discipline, which sounds so run of the mill when one tries to describe. But it is always in the treatment of the characters and the story that elevates it.  Peter Milligan is turning in gold here, aided ably by the art of Leandro Fernandez. Think Sex and Sex Criminals (Image as well) and throw in a few monsters and art history. Erotic.

(4 stars)

Empress #1

Story: Mark Millar

Art: Stuart Immonen

Marvel/Icon

Okay, I spoke too soon. Mark Millar has returned to Marvel.

The man can do no wrong for a while now. That is, if you like his formulaic and cross-media driven properties. Empress can be a fun ride if you let yourself go. And let your mind go. It’s family friendly fare (except for a couple of aliens getting killed and blown up) - a wife had a tiff with the hubby and brings the kids to her sister’s. That is basically it. Just throw in a few sci-fi elements. And oh, this was set on Earth 65 million years ago. I enjoy Stuart Immonen’s art – nice and clean. Might be a bit too sanitized for some of you. An anti-septic feel to it.

This is will be picked up for a movie adaptation and its own toy range very soon.

(3 stars)

Rough Riders #1

Story: Adam Glass

Art: Pat Olliffe

Aftershock Comics

If you have studied your American history, you would know Teddy Roosevelt was no saint. He can be a tad cruel and racist. After all, he said, “I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of 10 are, and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely into the case of the 10th.”

So now he is rehabilitated as a superhero. A Batman of sorts who hate the rich and powerful corrupting America. (but as pointed out to him, he was old money rich too) Is this a comment on the bankers who are leading us to ruin and the end of the world? But instead of fighting avarice, Teddy is fighting aliens. He recruited a black boxer (a most unlikely thing for the historical Roosevelt) and Houdini for his Rough Riders. Cowboys Versus Aliens meets The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

(3 stars)