After a bit of a break, we’re back with another look at some of the best comics of November. This month we saw the debut of some more Dawn of X series, Batman continues to make its way towards its explosive conclusion, and Jason Aaron’s Thor run nears its close. Just be warned that there may be some spoilers involved in some of the reviews. So, let’s jump right in and take a look at some of these books!
Captain America #16
Ta-Nehisi Coates has slowly been unraveling the mystery of the Power Elite and after being framed for the murder of Thaddeus Ross, Steve Rogers and the Daughters of Liberty are on the offensive, taking the fight to them. However, Steve and the Daughters’ attention have been focused on a new vigilante on the scene who has been killing cops across Manhattan, and they believe it to be a new Scourge. As the investigation unfolds, they begin to suspect that these cops may have been planted by Mayor Wilson Fisk after he took power after the events of Secret Empire, but who is the new Scourge? If that wasn’t enough, Cap has to deal with an enraged US Agent, who ambushes Steve and Misty, thinking Steve was really Hydra all along, the effects of Secret Empire continuing to spread through this book.
Coates has been adding more and more exciting and intriguing plot points to his Captain America run and I really enjoyed this murder mystery aspect as well. Coates is joined by Bob Quinn on art who does a beautiful job. His action scenes are thrilling and kinetic and his facial expressions clearly illustrate the emotions the characters are going through, especially the confrontation with US Agent. Captain America has been one of my favorite ongoing series right now and I’m eager to see how Steve and the Daughters will be able to not only stop the Power Elite but find out who the new Scourge is as well.
Justice League #36
It’s hard to believe that Scott Snyder’s run on Justice League is coming to an end shortly and with only two issues left, we’re ready to see how the team will be able to stop the forces of Doom from reshaping the universe in Perpetua’s image. Snyder is joined by Francis Manapul and Howard Porter on art duties with colors by Hi-Fi for this issue and they all do a fantastic job of bringing this epic, cosmic-scaled story to life. Snyder and company have continued to make this series as big and exciting as possible, reminding us just how fun and crazy comics can be! The heroes are facing defeat and the Trinity finds themselves in the chapel of the Hall of Justice, trying to form a new plan to defeat Perpetua and the Legion of Doom. Meanwhile, Perpetua bestows upon Lex a gift, all seven forces have been stripped from the other members of the Legion and given to Lex, her favorite child.
The Justice League comes to the conclusion that they’ve been fighting Lex Luthor as the Lex he once was and not the Lex he is now. That they need to have faith in each other and the world needs to see them fighting even against all odds. While the issue was a bit slower than previous issues, it felt necessary in order to push the story forward for next issue and oh boy does the next entry look exciting! Manapul and Porter do an excellent job with the art, handling the quieter and emotional moments within the Hall with tact while also delivering exhilarating action sequences. Snyder’s run on Justice League is coming to a close but luckily it looks like it’ll be going out with a bang!
King Thor #3
I can’t believe I’m saying this but we’re at the penultimate issue of Jason Aaron’s Thor run. After seven wonderful years of Thor storytelling, we’re almost at Aaron’s last. While it’s sad to see his run come to a close, Jason Aaron’s run will go down in history as being one of the best takes on Thor and this issue proves why. Everything has come full circle as we saw Thor’s accursed enemy Gorr return. The universe is dying and only King Thor and his granddaughters are left from Asgard but out of nowhere, Thor was attacked by his brother Loki who was now consumed by All-Black the Necrosword. Loki made the mistake of reviving Gorr who attacked both Asgardians, drowning them in an ocean of darkness. Luckily, Thor’s granddaughters come to save the day, but their fight with Gorr is far from over and even with the help of his granddaughters, will they be able to defeat Gorr once and for all? Aaron is joined by Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina for art duties, who help bring this epic saga to life with vivid battle sequences and visuals that immediately draw you into the story. The last page, in particular, has a breathtaking visual that sets up what will most likely be a jaw-dropping finale. As sad as I am about Aaron’s time on Thor being over, at least we have one last thrilling issue left to read!
Aquaman #54
At this point, it shouldn’t be surprising to see Aquaman on my list every month, it’s just that damn good of a book! Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robson Rocha, Robson Rocha, Jesus Merino, Daniel Henriques, Vincente Cifuentes and Sunny Gho do a fantastic job of exploring one of comics’ greatest rivalries. The battle between Aquaman and Black Manta has been the focal point of DeConnick’s second arc of the series and even though it’s a tie-in to the Year of the Villain event, it doesn’t stumble by trying to connect to it. It very much feels like an integral part of DeConnick and Rocha’s run and fleshes out Black Manta’s character in ways we’ve never seen before. We see pivotal moments of Manta’s backstory with his father that helped shape him into the man we’re all familiar with. In fact, those were the best bits of the issue in my opinion and some of the moments between Manta and Mecha Manta (a.k.a. his robot dad) left me a bit heartbroken. The art team continues to deliver exciting and thrilling battle sequences as Aquaman takes the fight to his arch-nemesis. This issue is definitely Black Manta’s issue and while it doesn’t push the story forward all that much, it’s worthy of a purchase and support for the close look at one of DC’s most heinous villains.
Fallen Angels #1
The last of this first wave of Dawn of X titles came out this month with Fallen Angels #1 by Bryan Edward Hill, Szymon Kudranski, Frank D’Armata, VC’s Joe Sabino, and Tom Muller. This series looks at Kwannon who is now back in control of her own body instead of Betsy Braddock (yeah it’s complicated). With her freedom back, Kwannon must find her place in this new world of mutantdom. Taking the mantle of Psylocke for herself, Kwannon is called to action when a voice from her past calls to her, calling for her help. Without the permission of the Quiet Council, Psylocke recruits a small black-ops team in the form of X-23 and Cable to accompany her on this mission. The artwork by Kudranski and D’Armata is perfectly fitting for the dark tone of the series, and Hill’s script throws you into the story fairly quickly but gives you plenty to prevent you from being overwhelmed or lost. This is definitely Psylocke’s book and it’s a perfect opportunity to introduce new readers to who Kwannon is, especially after all of these years with Betsy in Psylocke’s role. I’m very eager to see how this story plays out and while there were a few complaints I had with the art, I believe this is going to be an exciting and captivating new series in the Dawn of X line.
You must be logged in to post a comment.