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!
S.W.O.R.D. #4
Words by Al Ewing. Art by Valerio Schiti.
S.W.O.R.D. #4 is ridiculously good. The sheer skill of the creative team comes out in this issue’s pitch-perfect plot and fascinating character work. With King in Black ending next month, this series will inevitably begin to grow into one of the best Marvel titles out there. (9.5/10)
–Alexandra Iciek
Captain Marvel #27
Words by Kelly Thompson. Art by David Lopez.
Captain Marvel #27 is just pure fun, and it’s hard to read the issue without smiling a few times. From the cast’s chemistry to the comedy of Jessica Drew’s disastrous but well-meaning attempts to cheer up Carol, this comic is kind of like a slice of life issue after the big plot. (9.5/10)
–Lia Galanis
Iron Man #7
Words by Christopher Cantwell. Art by Cafu.
Depending on tastes, and despite the usual problems with single-issue storytelling, this is a near-perfect comic book. It has humor, incredible stakes, great dialogue, a surprise ending, and many personal character moments. You’ll need to have read the entire series to get the full scope of each moment, and this is slower, more cinematic storytelling, but for what it’s trying to achieve it works impeccably well. Iron Man #7 efficiently juggles spectacle, stakes, sharply written characters, and sci-fi. (9.5/10)
–David Brooke
Black Knight: Curse Of The Ebony Blade #1
Words by Si Spurrier. Art by Sergio Fernandez Davila & Sean Parsons.
Emotionally engaging and definitively entrenched in fantasy, don’t skip Black Knight: Curse Of The Ebony Blade #1. It’s early yet, but it’s obvious the fantasy elements are strong enough to make this the go-to fantasy title at Marvel. It’s an excellent start that will be a surefire hit with fantasy fans and those who connect with outsider characters who aren’t given a chance. So maybe all of us? Spurrier and Dávila make a case for further exploration of Black Knight and the opportunities that character has to bring. (9/10)
–David Brooke
ORCS! #2
Words & art by Christine Larsen.
ORCS! #2 is an endearing fantasy misadventure comic full of goofy jokes and lovable misfits. It is a wonderful book to hand to young readers, or to share across your gaming table. (8.5/10)
–Hugh O’Donnell
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