The new year hangover is still alive and well, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get new comics to enjoy this week! I tried to keep up with all the released and share my thoughts on some of the biggest titles from Marvel, DC, and some of the indies.

As always, I hope you enjoy any book you picked up for this week’s NCBD! Let me know what you read and which ones were your favorites!

MARVEL COMICS

DAREDEVIL: GANG WAR #2

Erica Schultz’s story may be a low-stakes affair in the grand scheme of Gang War and beyond, but that doesn’t take away from how much I’ve been impressed by her ability to write a well-paced and balanced book. Elektra really gets a chance to show off her non-lethal assassin skills and its all captured beautifully by Segio Dávila’s art. Dávila appears to be growing by leaps and bounds since his work on Captain Marvel. Elektra's battle looks wonderful, though the continued tease of the her main antagonist is a bit of letdown since there are strong indications as to who this person is. It also continues to feel like the stepchild of all the Gang War tie-ins given its loosest of threads to the other ongoing conflicts. Other than those two drawbacks, this was a really fun read that kept me captivated from cover to cover.

Rating: 7/10

LUKE CAGE: GANG WAR #3

Things are quickly deteriorating in this miniseries. As we move further away from the person-on-the-street type of story that was present in the first issue, we’ve now quickly devolved into a wild and unintelligible battle that sees Luke in a new, Hulkbuster-inspired machine. None of it made particular sense, his version of the Defenders randomly appear and add nothing to the story, and the art is uninspired throughout the book. This has quickly become the weakest Gang War tie-in and isn’t doing its characters any justice.

Rating: 4/10

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #15

After being critical of Uncle Aaron’s usage in this story in recent issues, I was pleased to see his actions given more context and explanation. I don’t think it means things were executed well, but at least now I can understand why he was doing what he did. I thought the interactions between Miles and Kamala were some of the issue’s best moments. The two of them are a joy to see in action together and it really makes me wish we could see this relationship portrayed in the MCU. Federico Vincentini continues to make anything Miles does look amazing. The art in this book make this a weekly must-read even when the story may be at a low point.

Rating: 7/10

RISE OF THE POWERS OF X #1

I….didn’t love it. At this point the concept of Dominion feels so complex and convoluted that the writers are finding it harder and harder to talk about it in any way that makes sense. And then Sinister Prime randomly shows up after onnly being introduced as a concept to take control? he should’ve been introduced well before this to give us as readers any connection to the character. Nimrod becoming a further fluff character by joking and singing? No. Why can’t some villains be pure villains? Not every one of them has to have a campy, hardy-har-har side. While there was some visually stunning panels, there were also some really weird character designs (e.g. Omega Sentinel and Mystique’s smiles in the first few pages were SO jarring and felt out of character) that took me out of the moment. I’m not going to give up on the story at this point, but I certainly have my reservations on how this half of the event will play out.

Rating: 6/10

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1

YES! Jonathan Hickman’s debut issue of the first on-going series in Marvel’s new Ultimate universe (spinning out of Hickman’s Ultimate Invasion mini & Ultimate Invasion one-shot) did not disappoint in the slightest. The introduction of a powerless, middle-aged Peter Parker, now married to MJ with two kids, was such a refreshing take on all the various incarnations of Spider-people we’ve seen over the years. We’re not just looking at a mirror- or alternate-version of Peter Parker and the world around him. Hickman does a tremendous job of showing us the mental struggle Pete’s facing due to a lack of meaning in his life, without ever knowing what was missing. It makes him a very tragic and sympathetic figure, especially given how it is impacting his relationship with MJ. This is a character who will feel instantly relatable to superhero/Marvel/Spider-Man fans who were children of the 90s and have no aged into a point in their lives where its not too early for a reflection on one’s life, but its also not too late to make a major change. Outside of the kids, it was so easy to see myself in this version of Pete.

Marco Checchetto continues to trend of top-notch artistry on these new Ultimate universe titles, following Bryan Hitch and Stefano Caselli’s past work. His detailed panels make you feel like you’re an onlooker, not a reader, fully present in each scene, as Peter’s life unfolds before you. It’s a masterful visualization of Hickman’s character-first story and puts a beautiful bow and the already wonderful script. It’s not going to be easy to follow this up at the same level consistently, but I have full faith in Hickman and Checchetto to give us their all for as long as Marvel lets them.

Rating: 10/10

WOLVERINE #41

First off, I found it strange to see the editor’s note specifying this issue takes place in between X-Force #50 and the FofHoX/RotPox event. The last X-Force released was only #47, which means we’ve now jumped ahead 3 issues there even though FofHoX/RotPox has already started. Perhaps this will make more sense as things unfold across the board, but this made me wonder if something got jumbled on Marvel’s release schedule and things were meant to release in a different order originally.

Other than that, this was one of the best issues of Percy’s Wolverine run in a long time. While I had my reservations about another Wolverine vs. Sabretooth showdown, this blew me away in every way possible. Marvel’s solicitation didn’t lie when it said this would be the most violent Wolverine story ever told. Sabretooth isn’t messing around with his plans for Logan and he’s laying the groundwork for what will be a BLOODY confrontation once these two come to blows. Even beyond the gore, there was some great character moments for Wolverine as he interacted with his kids (some for the potentially the last time). It was all so well paced and balanced, kudos to Percy and Victor LaValle. Even more kudos should go to Geoff Shaw and Cory Smith who took this story took the next level with some truly gritty and gruesome visuals. We’re may be in for a treat with this event!

Rating: 8.5/10

DC COMICS

ACTION COMICS #1061

The "Superman Superstars" initiative kicks off with a bang, courtesy of writer Jason Aaron and artist John Timms’ debut story featuring Superman vs. Bizarro. Aaron’s take on Bizarro isn’t just a goofy, backwards version of Superman. This new version of Bizarro has powers fueled by a source of power that truly makes him the mirror opposite of Superman and presents a whole new threat level. Unfortuantely, it’s dealt with rather quickly in the story but the cliffhanger ending indicates there may be more than meets the eye. Timms's art is phenomenal. He brings Metropolis to life with vibrant detail and dynamic action sequences. His Bizarro is monstrous and expressive, while Superman retains his iconic look that’s both classic and modern. This was a great read that felt like a timeless Superman story even if it wasn’t groundbreaking.

Rating: 7.5/10

GREEN LANTERN #7

This issue offered quite the curveball in the best way possible. Jeremy Adams rips back the curtain on so much of the story that happened before his Green Lantern #1 occurs, without making it feel like he was trying to pull wool over the reader’s eyes. It was a really well crafted and timed unveiling of what Hal’s been through and the trauma he still deals with because of it. Adams also fills gives context to explain Sinistro’s present-day motives. I really enjoyed all these new details which gives us a brand new perspective on the story Adams is telling. I wouldn’t be shocked if we got a few more twists and turns along the way. Amancay Nahuelpan steps in for Xermánico on art duties on this issue and does a standup job, especially giving us a variety of character designs when the United Planets calls the Lantern Corps together to reassign their responsibilities. I understand wanting a different artistic approach to visualize past events, but Xermánico’s style has become so symbiotic to Adams’ story that it felt like I was reading a different book and it took away from the issue’s full impact.

Rating: 9/10

SKYBOUND

TRANSFORMERS #4

Read my full, spoiler-free advance review here.

There are certain issues in every comic book series where you have an “aha” moment and fully realize a creators vision. I’m pretty sure Transformers #4 was that for me and I am now fully on board with where Johnson and Spicer are taking me. These characters are now ones I’m invested in emotionally and the stakes immediately feel raised. This was a payoff issue in the truest sense and we, as readers, hit the jackpot.

Rating: 10/10

DARK HORSE COMICS

USAGI YOJIMBO: ICE & SNOW #4

What a fun culmination to the set up of the past three issues. Stan Sakai’s artwork is a dream as always, though the fight sequence on the ice wasn’t quite as intricate and well choreographed as some of his previous ones. Either way, the action was intense, the characters were well-developed, and Sakai’s art is so welcoming and endearing to any reader who picks up his work. The ending wrapped up a bit too fast but that’s just me nitpicking. Even though this is the pentultimate issue, the next one will be an epilogue to the main story which concluded here. With 2024 being the rabbit ronin’s 40th anniversary, I can’t wait to see where Sakai takes us next!

Rating: 9/10