Animosity: The Rise
Writer: Marguerite Bennett
Artist: Juan Doe
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Aftershock
Apparently I missed the Animosity double-feature last week. Paying for it now. Anyway, remember how in the main Animosity series, the protagonists are trying to get to Los Angeles. Well, this is the story of how L.A. became the only city to come under animal rule through peaceful transition of power. “Peaceful transition of power,” by animal definition and comparison, is 144,000 dead. Bennett brings the trademark drama and black humor that the main series is known for. Doe’s art is wonderfully evocative. While some panels are a bit obscured, Doe’s ability to enhance the dread of a scene more than makes up for any shortcomings. Despite being a spin-off, Animosity: The Rise is a near perfect exemplar of the main series’s qualities and themes.
Animosity #5
Writer: Marguerite Bennett
Artist: Rafael De Latorre
Colorist: Rob Schwager
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Aftershock
The second part of the Animosity double feature deals with Sandor, Jesse, and their attache’s journey in the aftermath from the escape from Lincoln. While the issue is short on plot progression, it is rich in character work and raising questions about the series’s lore. Bennett’s dialogue is on point this issue as well, working in quite a bit of exposition without taxing the reader. De Latorre and Schwager don’t have much to work with in the way of opportunities for stunning visuals, but their expression and body language is, as usual, exemplary, especially with a majority non-human cast. Animosity is certainly teasing something big, and it’ll be interesting when and how it pays off.
Curse Words #2
Creators: Charles Soule & Ryan Browne
Colors: Michael Garland w/ Ryan Browne & Michael Parkinson
Letters: Chris Crank
Image
In his battle with Sizzajee’s minion, Wizord did a bad thing. This issue, as Sizzajee plots and schemes, Wizord tries to fix his mistake. But not because he’s a good guy. Or is he. For a series that’s so crash and tongue-in-cheek, there’s some surprisingly interesting character work dealt with in such a short amount of time. Browne’s art is spectacular, shifting ably from the dirty, grounded visuals of our world to the chaotic, ethereal setting of Hole World. There’s a lot to love about Curse Words.
Hulk #3
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Nico Leon
Color Artist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Marvel
Things have gone from bad to worse for Miss Brewn, and it might be She-Hulk’s fault. Tamaki reintroduces a long-time supporting player to Jennifer Walters, but one might question the lack of forward movement with plot, particularly in this market. The character work is spot on and the backstory of Brewn is tragic and compelling, but we’re mostly where we were at at the close of last issue. Sure, things have gotten worse, but it feels more like a drop in the bucket at this point in the narrative. Leon and Milla’s quiet character work is great and when big moments happen in the story, they capitalize. Hulk shows a lot of promise, thanks to stellar character work and emotional heft. Now, it just needs to cash in.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Detective Comics #951
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Christian Duce
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Sal Cipriano
DC Comics
Remember how the book’s opening villains, The Colony, were actually aimed at destroying the supposed League of Shadows and Batman thought they weren’t real. Well, he might want to reassess that, as someone has begun moving in Gotham, and they’re being lead by Lady Shiva. Tynion deals with a new roster, although they don’t get much in the way of screentime as the focus appears to be shifting onto Cassandra Cain, given the nature of the story and the villain. That being said, for the most part, each member gets something in the way of a moment. Duce’s art is classic superhero, and combined with Sinclair’s dark, moody colors, makes for a great dynamic for this new arc. Detective Comics continues it’s hot streak into this story.
Spider-Woman #16
Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Veronica Fish
Inker: Andy Fish
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Marvel
Sometimes, it’s all about the love. A great end to a stellar arc.
