Summer is finally here, so why don’t you stock up on some great comics while you’re off on vacation! We’ll take a look at some of the comics that really stood out during the month of June. Beware, there may be spoilers!
Invaders #6
The finale of Zdarsky, Guice’s, and Magno’s first arc in Invaders came to a close this month and oh boy, is it a huge issue. Time is running out for Captain America to save his old friend Namor from the dark path he’s taken, and with the pressure from the Avengers and the government, Steve is running out of options too. The bombs that Namor had launched at the end of #5 strike the surface, but instead of killing the citizens…it’s transforming them into Atlanteans! Being the Aquaman fan that I am, I couldn’t help but think of the brilliant Aquaman story, Subdiego, while reading this issue. That’s not a criticism at all, by the way, I think it’s a fantastic idea and it’s a twist I didn’t see coming for this book. I can’t wait to see what the fallout of this issue will look like in the next installment. What will Cap do now that he realized he failed? What will the Avengers do? What will NAMOR do? Zdarsky’s thrilling writing is complemented by breathtaking artwork by Carlos Magnos and Butch Guice who illustrate the present and past stories respectively, with art by Alex Guimarães. Magnos’ art truly shines in this issue with incredible, energetic, and highly detailed action sequences. There was one double splash page in this issue that literally made me gasp out loud! I’ve been saying this for months now, but this is a series that you definitely need to try. You will not be disappointed!
Justice League #25
The conclusion to Scott Snyder and Jorge Jimenez’s exciting story arc “Sixth Dimension” came to a close this month in dramatic fashion. The Justice League makes a final stand against The Forger for the fate of the entire multiverse! If you wanted to see how Scott Snyder handles Superman, this is the issue for you and oh buddy…does he do phenomenal work. Jimenez’s dynamic art paired with Alejandro Sanchez’s beautiful colors makes this book come alive with thrilling action sequences. There’s a stunning splash page featuring Superman, Jon, and Jonathan Kent that will bring a tear to your eye. This was a fantastic issue that illustrated why Justice League is one of the best books on the shelf right now and its message about hope and redemption is inspiring and beautiful. James Tynion IV and Javier Fernandez set up the Year of the Villain with a back-up story as well, making this upcoming initiative even more exciting! Comic fans will want to check this one out!
Daredevil #7
Chip Zdarsky’s fantastic run on Daredevil continues with the next installment of the “No Devils, Only God” story arc. Matt Murdock is moving his life forward and putting the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen behind him. After having suffered a life-threatening injury and dealing with the trauma of (possibly) killing someone, Matt realizes he’s more of a danger than a hero. Now working as a parole officer in Hell’s Kitchen, things seem to be looking pretty good for Matt. He’s hanging out with his best friend Foggy Nelson and he’s found a librarian who could potentially be someone special for him in the future (we’ll see!). What’s interesting is how Zdarsky has also made a new transition for Wilson Fisk as well as the shocking news of his departure from the criminal underworld was completely unexpected! Lalit Kumar Sharma is on art duties for this arc and while it’s not quite as detailed or energetic as Checchetto’s, it doesn’t need to be. It fits perfectly for the calmer, more emotionally driven scenes of this arc and not so much the high-octane action of the first arc. If you’ve been looking to get into Daredevil’s book, I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s easily one of the best books I’m reading right now.
Aquaman #49
I’ll admit…I was really nervous about this issue. I had heard that this issue was going to be a hard read and being a huge Aquaman fan, I was understandably nervous. Oh, it’s a hard read that’s for sure, but for different reasons. But what we get in this issue is nothing short of masterful. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s script is emotional, thrilling, heartbreaking, and even humorous. This issue takes you through every emotion you can think of as we learn what happened to Arthur and Mera. In the present, Arthur is still retrieving his memories from Mother Shark and we see a flashback of Arthur and Mera together in Atlantis before the events of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run. This sequence takes up the majority of the issue and it’s a beautiful conversation between Arthur and Mera as they try to sort their lives out. Viktor Bogdanovic’s artwork is astounding in this issue, and while there aren’t many action sequences in this issue, the power he puts into the emotional scenes and facial expressions is absolutely wonderful. The art team of Bogdanovic, Jonathan Glapion, Daniel Henriques, and Sunny Gho is putting together one of the most gorgeous looking books on the shelf right now, and it’s hard to not just stare at the pages! Aquaman readers will love this issue and I highly recommend those who haven’t been reading this book to jump on. This creative team is putting together an Aquaman series that will be talked about for years.
Guardians of the Galaxy #6
The conclusion to Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw’s first arc on Guardians of the Galaxy, “The Final Gauntlet” arrived and it was just as epic and thrilling as you’d imagine and expect from this killer creative team. The Guardians have tracked down the new host of Thanos who turned out to be his own brother, Eros. Hela, surrounded by the Black Order, seeks to transfer Thanos’ consciousness into a new body and the newly formed alliance between the Guardians and a few other cosmic heroes like Gladiator are there to stop Thanos from being resurrected. I know I’ve said this before, but this run of Guardians of the Galaxy has been the most exciting series with these characters since the Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning era. It truly feels like a cosmic epic with incredible scales, emotional storytelling, and truly lovable characters. The fast-paced plot pushes the story forward in a way where things feel dire and urgent without giving you a feeling like the story is being rushed. Geoff Shaw and David Curiel craft a beautiful issue where they really get to shine as it’s a huge battle between the Guardians and the Black Order. For too long, it’s felt like the Guardians of the Galaxy were just treated like an MCU copy, which made their books a little hard to get into in recent years. I can safely say that this run puts those fears to rest. While there are certainly moments of levity, this series is by far a more serious take and characters like Star-Lord and Gamora feel far more developed than they have in the past. This series is by far my favorite team book that I’m reading so I would definitely recommend this series to everyone!
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