Writer: Dennis Hopeless (Tini Howard)
Illustrator: Serg Acuña
Colorist: Doug Garbark
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Boom! Studios
The fall from the top is a hard one, and the climb back up infinitely moreso. Fresh off the injury that knocked him out of the World Title picture, Seth Rollins struggles with the loss and the will to get back up in the best issue to date. Hopeless’s character work is really starting to shine through in this series and his enhancement of real life events into cohesive storytelling is a triumph. Also, there’s a moment in this book where as of yet unseen characters show up and it’s the best moment of the series. Acuña pulls double duty this week, supplying art for both the main story and the back-up, the original of Finn Balor written by Tini Howard. The choreography and expression are excellent, particularly when it comes to three cartoonish new arrivals, who Acuña fits seamlessly into his style while keeping their outlandish qualities. Engaging and entertaining, this issue again shows there’s such a wealth of storytelling potential in WWE that far outstrips what could have been a simple rehashing.
Hulk #4
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Nico Leon
Color Artist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Marvel
Jennifer Walters finally confronts Maise Brewn in the depths of her apartment. Emphasis on finally. Maybe I’m wrong about this, but it definitely seems like some of the fat could’ve been cut from this arc and it wouldn’t feel so decompressed. The character work is still great, but it just feels like the plot has been moving slower than it needs to, particularly for a series about a new take on a fan-favorite character. Leon and Milla put on a clinic, beautifully shifting the tone of Jen’s day as she gets closer to Brewn’s apartment. Hulk’s got a lot of potential but stretching out the story over so many issue’s appears to be stymieing it.
Curse Words #3
Creators: Charles Soule & Ryan Browne
Colors: Michael Garland w/ Ryan Browne & Michael Parkinson
Letters: Chris Crank
Image
Wizord’s lost his mojo, and it doesn’t look like it’s coming back. You know who does though: Ruby Stitch, Wizord’s ex-lover, who’s probably going to kill him. This issue goes more into Ruby’s side of the story and it is equal parts eye-opening and mysterious. The art continues to be both dirty and wonderful, particularly the over-use of reds in Ruby and Cornwall’s realms. Curse Words is fun and the build to the first arc’s climax is moving nicely.
The Ultimates2 #5
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Travel Foreman
Color Artist: Dan Brown
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Marvel
Hooo, boy. It’s the Ultimates vs the Troubleshooters. For an issue that’s primarily about superhero fights, there is an astonishing amount of character work boiled into this issue. And it’s all golden. Ewing nails all of these characters perfectly. We also get the reveal of the actual Big Bad this issue, an event that primarily succeeds thanks to Travel Foreman’s stellar use of perspective and imagery and Sabino’s lettering direction. It’s a moment that could've fallen flat in the hands of a less capable artist and letterer , but the moment works wonderfully because of the talent this book possesses. The Ultimates has always been great, but now its a must-buy.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Detective Comics #953
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artists: Christian Duce & Fernando Blanco
Colors: Alex Sinclair w/ Allen Passalaqua
Letters: Sal Cipriano
DC Comics
