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!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #3
Words by Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman, & Tom Waltz. Art by Kevin Eastman, Ben Bishop, & Esau Escorza & Isaac Escorza.
The book is fantastic, stylized, and full of that pure Turtles heart and soul. While I would have preferred letting this story bask in the ambiguity of its history a bit more, it still does a fantastic job building this unique amalgamized take on Turtles continuity. The book is a breezy read that flows naturally from panel to panel, with well defined and realized versions of the characters we know. Last Ronin continues to knock you flat with all the grace, style, and coolness that made these characters first leap off the page in 1984. All in all, fantastic. (10/10)
–Reg Cruickshank
Specter Inspectors #4
Words by Kaitlyn Musto. Art by Bowen McCurdy.
This is easily my favorite issue so far. Now that the mystery has been well established, this issue slows down just a bit (in a good way) and gives us some of the best character moments of the series. (10/10)
–Nathan Simmons
Abbott: 1973 #5
Words by Saladin Ahmed. Art by Sami Kivela.
The issue and series overall deliver stellar art and story that is captivating, compelling, and cognizant of our times. It continues to explore the themes of power, love, and truth through a host of new characters and historical themes, with Ahmed weaving the supernatural with its core messages with extreme poise and clarity. (9.5/10)
–Madeleine Chan
X-Men #20
Words by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Francesco Mobili.
The penultimate issue of Jonathan Hickman’s “X-Men” series is a tour-de-force about family, grief, and killer robots. (9.5/10)
–Dan Spinelli
Made in Korea #1
Words by Jeremy Holt. Art by George Schall.
Made in Korea is a really, really good comic. Schall’s art is beautiful. Holt’s script is intriguing. Their near future is an interesting one that reflects on the dreadful normality of horrible things that we grapple with in our own present. Chul and the Evans are dimensional, compelling leads. Jesse’s only just been activated, but what Schall and Holt have crafted for her so far suggests that A: Made in Korea will ultimately be her story and B: It’s going to be a story well worth reading. (9/10)
–Justin Harrison
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