Welcome to another edition of Last Call Comics. Here, as we continually bolster AIPT’s weekly comics coverage, we catch any titles that might’ve fallen through the cracks. Or those books that we might not cover but still deserve a little spotlight. Either way, it’s a chance to explore more comics, generate some novel insights, and maybe add to everyone’s to-be-read pile.
Once more, happy New Comic Book Day to everyone.
Green Lantern: War Journal #7
Courtesy of DC Comics.
The first arc of Green Lantern: War Journal was truly a resounding success. Creators Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos used those first six issues to craft a whole new legacy for John Stewart, delving into the ideas of family, legacy, and service at the heart of his very superhero career.
Now, though, comes that sometimes unenviable task of a follow-up, and while there’s plenty of evidence for further success, there’s enough spinning plates here that could make overcoming the “sophomore slump” a most harrowing challenge.
But, I’m happy to report that things are off to a strange and intense start for Stewart and company.
At the end of issue #6, Stewart got sucked through some tear in space/wormhole by the Revenant Queen. In issue #7, then, Stewart finds himself totally alone in this deeply alien place, and he meets some locals who are locked in a war surrounding a star (not to mention other challenging odds) that are keeping Stewart trapped. It’s maybe not the most inventive idea — even as the larger lore and big event/battle that they’re building to feels like it could be novel enough — but it’s executed rather effectively while serving as a neat enough spin for this series.
From a visual standpoint, I think the move to very deep space is a boon for Montos. A big part of what made the first arc so great is how he developed the Revenant Queen, the Radiant Dead, and the general “space stuff,” offering a kind of gothic horror spin to some Jack Kirby-esque cosmic delights. Here, we get even more of that, and from the design of the gravity star itself to the pops of monster/body horror and just the truly dark and unsettling vibes, it’s a really harrowing situation for Stewart. And I love that we can feel the deep history and emotional heft of this place through the design; it sets certain expectations or perceptions without forcing us to learn everything we would need to know via some giant blast of exposition.
There’s real intensity and terror baked into the very ground here, and we’ll likely have quite the time as this chunk of space reveals its many twisted layers with a marked efficiency. It’s a strange slice of the universe, indeed, but it’s built with ideas and landmarks that feel familiar enough to inform Stewart’s journey across this place (and just how much the Builder may have to be a soldier this time around).
At the same time, pushing Stewart into this new place has a lot of value from a narrative standpoint. This whole series so far has been about building expertly to this moment — to push Stewart back into action and to take him away from the place he wants to be most (home). And through that, he will learn about his fiery sense of commitment and his role as a protector and maybe even reevaluate his relationship with the rest of the Lantern Corps. Isolation may not be novel, but it’s not just that he’s stranded away from his home — he’s got new problems that demand other sides of himself and his diverse skillset, and that can be the scariest thing of them all.
That will inevitably force his hand, and after the first arc, it’s about seeing just how committed he truly is and what happens when he’s really in the thick of it. This is a Stewart that’s already quite different from the first arc, and yet he’s still this familiar figure trying to be the best son/hero/champion he can be. There’s a more chaotic, slightly savage element he’s facing now, and Stewart’s response already speaks volumes about his compelling struggles and his path forward.
And some of this is even extended to the rest of the cast. Lantern Shepherd, for instance, now must find some new Lanterns to save Stewart, and that should force him to reevaluate his own relationships with Stewart and the Corps. Even Ellie, Stewart’s “sister” (really, a super Lantern projection of sorts), is forced to deal with some troubles at home with his mother. That little bit not only maintains the important familial stuff but gives us something neat to explore around John’s own disconnect and sense of powerlessness (with a really gut-wrenching twist, too).
Ultimately, it’s all about keeping the many story parts alive even as this book grows ever wider, and it’s really heartening to see that this book’s core remains as strong and robust as ever. Stewart really needs this nougat of humanity as he journeys into an increasingly bonkers universe.
It’s early into this second arc, but it’s already giving us exactly what we need. Which is to say, the same emotional colors and hues, bigger stakes (dare I say of the universal variety), more tests and questions being tossed at every character, and a story that doubles down on big ideas of family, heroism, and what we do to be human when that’s not always the easiest prospect. I’m excited (and maybe a touch nervous) for the rest of this arc, but it’s damn likely going to be insightful and transformative for everyone involved.
Final Thought: In space, everyone can hear you become a better person.
Score: 7.5/10
Blade #9
Courtesy of Marvel Comics.
Thanks to the creative team, Blade’s been through hell across these first eight issues. In the case of issue #8, that’s quite literal, as the Daywalker had to recruit some help in his final battle with The Adana. But while we have to wait till issue #10 for that extra bloody confrontation, the ninth and penultimate issue is still important enough in our hero’s ongoing development.
Without revealing too much, Blade has to devise a way to lure The Adana from her interdimensional hiding spot, and what he comes up with is really interesting for a few different reasons. One, it’s that proper mix of insanely stupid and totally cool, and just another inventive way in which writer Bryan Hill has helped to further define and enhance Blade’s efforts. At the same time, I think the decision comes at an important time in Blade’s own development arc.
Blade has spent the bulk of this series’ run trying to learn how to be a more well-rounded vampire-smashing badass. Hill and company have taken a slow, methodical pace to let us see Blade struggle with his own perceptions and deeds as a monster hunter, and through that we’ve gotten a whole new understanding of what makes him tick. This brazen act, though, comes in direct opposition to this increasingly savvy and thoughtful Blade — an act that only a man with nothing to lose would employ (and it’s clear that Blade may no longer be that man).
But rather than feel counter to this larger story that the creators have lovingly crafted, I think it’s kind of a last gasp for the “old” Blade, and the only way he can really win (or live, if we’re being honest) is to find ways to be that prior version of himself and then pivot in a major way into someone less self-destructive and needlessly careless. Maybe that won’t make him a “better” person, but this book has been about baby steps for Blade, and this final brazen plan would certainly give Blade the chance to either stick his new approach (and show growth) or fall victim to his same kind of overt violence and nihilism.
My only real issue is that, aside from a few brief appearances, this plan mostly ignores the friends/allies that Blade has made across this run. It’s been these relationships — especially with Rotha — that have been most responsible for further grounding and humanizing Blade. To ignore them now seems to make sense only for the sheer stupidity of the Blade plan, but I’d like to see that connection played out more as it informed the scope and stakes of this plan. Sure, the hell ghost — Rotha’s own father, Draven — Blade recruited does play a small part in this, but it just didn’t feel like enough. It’s a really inventive and novel approach to the final battle, but it just lacks some of that emotional oomph you’ve really come to love and expect by now.
Luckily, the art team (artist Valentina Pinti and colorist KJ Diaz) once more deliver to help us fully feel the nuances and subtext of all these happenings. Pinti’s been a big part of this run’s more standout issues (including #3 and #7), and having her back feels important as we enter the finale.
In some ways, I think the Pinti-Diaz combo just works really well overall. In this latest issue, especially, we get as close to the “definitive” feel of this run and that balance of deep emotionality, EC Comics-referencing horror, and endlessly kinetic and energetic vibes. It’s not just good looking but effective — the faces of Rotha and Tulip, for instance, give us that connection to Blade and also allow his plans and actions here to really land and resonate even when the narrative seems more interested in just moving onward. But I think it goes deeper still, and there’s bits with Blade specifically that feel really important. As he launches his plan, for example, there’s some solid body language and even angles/perspectives that show a kind of duality between Blade’s actions and his words. As he’s clearly getting his badass on, I got the overwhelming sense that there was a more joyous and playful tinge to Blade, and that little poke of sentiments is hugely important.
It shows that maybe he does have some master plan, and that his whole idea may not be as ill-informed as we might think. And from that, we get the best kind of teasing into how things may land, and without spoiling a damn thing, there’s a sense that Blade has elevated in some truly significant ways. That he’s not just confident in his skills, but maybe he knows or feels something like he never has, and that means he can leap head first into his biggest battle because he’s not alone and he’s not just another monster struggling for purpose or a sense of peace.
Again, it remains to be seen if Blade has truly changed. And while the finale promises to test him like never before, I think Blade already deserves heaps of genuine praise. Through the work of his deeply dedicated creative team, he’s much different from how we first met him, and while he still struggles in some aspects, he’s now a man who fights not solely out of bloody vengeance but something more. He’s as sharp and brutal than ever, but with a little depth and levity as he’s undergone some important revelatory moments. Even if he doesn’t “win,” he’s a better hero for having been through this important story.
Final Thought: The road from hell is less about intentions and more meaningful character work.
Score: 7.5/10
Black Panther #10
Courtesy of Marvel Comics.
I’d describe my relationship with Black Panther as being a little fluid. Because while I liked the grounded start — T’Challa relocating to Birnin T’Chaka to re-discover himself — there’s no denying that the book went in some rather strange directions. But now we’re at the grand finale, and it’s this book’s last chance to decide just what kind of story it wants to be overall.
And, as it turns out, it mostly tries to check all the boxes for an slightly uneven but mostly satisfying enough final chapter.
After issue #9, we found out Kivu’Ma’s master plan: it basically involved space travel and stealing souls. If I seem a touch unconvinced, it’s because the sheer weirdness of it all has left me grappling between hating the sudden departure from the realm of grounded superheroes into actual deep space and being generally impressed by the sheer vision of writer Eve L. Ewing. Because even if the whole premise was really out there, at least it all was genuinely building toward the T’Challa/Kivu’Ma battle royale that would add definitive stakes to our hero’s sojourn.
As far as winning me over, it was the art team (penciler Chris Allen, inkers Craig Yeung and Oren Junior, and colorists Jesus Aburtov and Andrew Dalhouse) that really helped assuage some of core my doubts. Because issue #10 really serves as a full-on battle across the whole dang isuse, and it’s the art that helps our immersion (even without entirely overcoming that sense that things have truly taken a turn for the extra weird).
In some ways, the space station stuff and Kivu’Ma’s metaphysical shtick feel connected to the afrofuturism that defined the book’s early chapters, and that feels important in fostering a greater sense of cohesion between the book’s promising start and it’s more kooky turns. So when said battle gets into some really bizarre territory (machines that suck and/or deposit and store souls, for instance), at least it hums with enough familiarity to feel as if it’s a (slightly more) logical step. But even if that weren’t a concern, there’s just so much damn action and intent in this issue, and that visual heft does a better job than ever of roping in our eyeballs at a time when this book’s really trying to stick a more complicated landing. The art has always been solid across this series, but here it felt like it was in some slightly avante-garde and hugely magical territory, and that felt like a much deserved development and evolution for this book.
I keep talking about idea of disconnect between the book’s start and its more celestial turn. And while I couldn’t fully overcome those sentiments, the story does try to reconcile its start with its larger plans and the massive space in between. It’s a small and mostly subtle effort, but it does still work in the way you’d mostly want.
Without spoiling too much of how the day is saved (and how T’Challa connects deeply with the city and his neighbors), there’s enough emphasis placed on ideas of memories and how communities share these bonds and connections. And not only does that prove to be the downfall for Kivu’Ma, it’s also a really great way to just bring it all home. It may have taken some time — and I may not be entirely satisfied — but it’s ultimately been a way to make this town matter beyond just a temporary thing for T’Challa. He’s not so much changed by the experience — he’s always been a good, community-oriented leader — but he has seen just what happens when he gets involved in smaller stakes, and how he can forge this vital connection with the people he hopes to better lead in the future.
It’s more like a streamlined T’Challa, and he’s really more cognizant about being a person with his “subjects” and trying to engage in a way that emphasize their robust shared lineage. In that way, I think it brings it all back down to something that feels earnest and real — a winding journey that took us some places but ultimately scratched the most important itch of this book: telling a story that could move T’Challa forward. Even if it wasn’t miles forward, I feel satisfied enough by the small, intimate landing of this book, and how it got weird for a second just to really give T’Challa a chance to learn what he needed the most.
To some extent, my larger relationship with this title remains unchanged after issue #10. Yes, I think it accomplished its goals, but it took maybe some uneven steps (and more than enough time?) to really do so. And while I may still feel some type of way about the “whole exodus to space” thing, it was done the right way, and with a focus on making weird things resonate in the most human ways possible. So, let’s call it a mixed but mostly positive final score — a recognition that while this book hasn’t always been fully cohesive and/or efficient, it has been a good enough chapter for Black Panther.
I’d love to see what else this team could do, and what new lessons T’Challa might learn as he makes his way through other, unseen parts of the Wakandan empire. But for now, I’m warmly shaking my head for a novel enough slice of relevant, insightful superhero comics.
Final Thought: A solid, if slightly uneven finale for a solid, slightly uneven book.
Score: 7/10
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