Every week, comic fandom is gifted with a slew of fantastic stories from a slew of fantastic creators. These days there’s just so much good stuff out there that it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re new to comics. Thus AIPT presents to you, Fantastic Five! A weekly column where we pick five fantastic books released during the week and tell you why you should take a chance on them via a snippet from our reviews.
Enjoy, and happy reading!
Future State: Nightwing #2
Words by Andrew Constant. Art by Nicola Scott.
This quick series ended perfectly and showed me a fantastic dynamic duo, but I really hope this future gets another chance to be seen again as the creative team did a good job of showing a darker world saved by Dick Grayson. (10/10)
–Christopher Franey
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #2
Words by Tom Waltz, Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman. Art by Kevin Eastman, Esau Escorza & Isaac Escorza.
All in all, Last Ronin feels like a real “last Batman story” for the Turtles. Even only on its second issue, there’s so much here to chew on that I’m still thinking about where this could possibly go by its end. The book pays loving tribute to Mirage, but stays true to its theme of moving forward while still honoring the past, not getting lost in its own nostalgia. It marches forward, focusing on delivering a good and memorable story before anything else. (10/10)
–Reg Cruickshank
Immortal Hulk: Flatline #1
Words and art by Declan Shalvey.
Immortal Hulk: Flatline is a triumph of an issue. Every aspect of it works perfectly in tandem with the rest for a totally engaging story. Shalvey has truly crafted an exceptional entry worthy of the prestige associated with this series. Flatline offers a breath of fresh air not only for the series for sequential storytelling as a whole. (10/10)
–Ben Morin
Iron Man #6
Words by Christopher Cantwell. Art by Cafu.
Iron Man #6 effectively puts Tony Stark in a darker place, making this an exciting first issue in a story arc that has firmly established this is an Iron Man we have never seen before. Above all else, Iron Man is enduring something that feels incredibly important to his legacy and may change the character forever. It’s also a story about a superhero being pushed to a limit we don’t often see, which is at once exciting and frightening. (9.5/10)
–David Brooke
Future State: The Next Batman #4
Words by John Ridley, Vita Ayala & Paula Sevenbergen. Art by Emanuela Lupacchino, Aneke & Laura Braga.
The best set piece in this story involves Rover, Ivy’s plant pet (pet plant?) who gets—shall we say?—a bit of a glow-up, courtesy of artist Emanuela Lupacchino. Scenes like this are what I love most about superhero comics. Sure, it would be cool to understand how the Magistrate is funded. But this is a visual medium and if there’s ever a chance to draw a plant dragon, you got to take it. (9/10)
–Dan Spinelli
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