A weekly column in which Jake gives
short blurbs about the comics he’s picked up that week. Reviewed in the order
read, which varies but generally by increasing anticipation. Disclaimer: he knows very little about art,
at least not enough to considerably honor such tremendous undertakings, so…yeh,
there’s that...
Survivors’ Club #5
Writers: Dale Halvorsen & Lauren
Beukes
Artist: Ryan Kelly
Colorist: Eva De La Cruz
Letterer: Clem Robins
Vertigo
Foes and fears are confronted in this
month’s Survivors’ Club. Halvorsen &
Beukes wisely ramp up the tension and action after last issue’s entertaining
diversion with Mr. Empty, the fallout of which is a bit more impactful than
anticipated. Kelly is back on pencils
and delivers a great performance from cover to cover. His mundane scenes are incredibly detailed
and the infrequent injection of the supernatural in them, with De La Cruz’s
smart colors, enhances both aspects of the tale. While the mysteries surrounding the
protagonists still abound, Survivors’ Club delivers enough plot and payoff to
make for a satisfying read.
The Woods #20
Writer: James Tynion IV
Illustrator: Michael Dialynas
Colors: Jose Gonzalez
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Boom! Studios
Backs against the wall, the kids of Bay
Point find themselves fighting a war on two-fronts, Taisho’s army and the
monsters at their door and a betrayal from within. Tynion crafts another solid issue, but the
resolution comes off feeling a bit pat.
Perhaps, it’s the crazily dire circumstances surrounding the conclusion,
or maybe it’s just a personal thing. The
art is fantastic, with Issac going “full Goku” amidst all the chaos. Dialynas and Gonzalez put their dues in this
issue and every aspect of the book’s visuals is great. Seemingly the end of the arc, The Woods is
once again in an interesting place going forward. Let’s hope the next timeskip isn’t so jarring.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
The Vision #4
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Marvel
Honestly, it would be a bigger surprise
if The Vision wasn’t Book of the Week each week it came out. Viv and Vin return to school after an
extended absence to unexpected reactions and the consequences of Virginia’s
actions in issue one come to a head.
Despite now knowing just what this series is about and what each issue
will entail, King still manages to make the reader feel every hit and every
brief victory like it was still the first issue. From dialogue to plot to characters
themselves, everything under King’s purvey is exemplary. On the other side of the coin Walta and
Bellaire sell every subtle nuance perfectly.
You know you’ve got something special when a fight between a giant
monster and the Avengers feels like the least incredible thing about the
book. Honestly, if you’re not reading
this book, you are missing out.
So what did you pick up this week?
Agree or disagree with anything said here? Let us know in the comments.
Labels: Boom Studios, Comic Books, Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Review, Reviews, Survivor's Club, The Vision, the Woods, Vertigo
