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!
Once and Future #17
Words by Kieron Gillen. Art by Dan Mora.
Script-wise, Once and Future‘s 17th issue sees writer Kieron Gillen in a fun space for his work. Amongst Gillen’s body of work, Once and Future exists in a tonal middle ground between the aggressive zaniness of The Ludocrats and the increasingly unsettling murder mystery of The Eternals. Gillen’s longstanding passion for exploring the mechanics and metatext of fiction is present here, and he’s clearly having a blast setting various incarnations of Arthurian mythology on a collision course with each other. (9/10)
–Justin Harrison
Batman/Superman #16
Words by Gene Luen Yang. Art by Ivan Reis & Danny Miki.
As much as I enjoyed Yang’s Future State stories, those comics were constrained by the demands of a two-month event. With a clear runway now, it’s obvious that Yang, Reis, and co. have far more ambitious designs for this book. I’m not sure where they will take it next, but one thing that’s already clear is their stories will be anything but disposable. (9/10)
–Dan Spinelli
Detective Comics #1034
Words by Mariko Tamaki. Art by Dan Mora.
Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora’s first issue of ‘Detective Comics’ is a delightful romp through Gotham’s corridors of power. (9/10)
–Dan Spinelli
Harley Quinn #1
Words by Stephanie Phillips. Art by Riley Rossmo.
Ultimately, Harley Quinn #1 is an excellent introduction to the series and its new status quo. This issue’s success is due to Stephanie Phillips’ expert approach to Harley’s characterization and Riley Rossmo’s beautiful artwork. With such an excellent first issue, we can only hope that, like Harley, the entire creative team is ready to call Gotham home. (9/10)
–Chris Showalter
Amazing Spider-Man #62
Words by Nick Spencer. Art by Patrick Gleason.
This is a solid issue thanks to its focus on the humanity and personal stakes each character has in the narrative. Gog is a ridiculous character who’s hard to take seriously, but aside from that, this book is structured well and is entertaining through the end. It also offers satisfying action and character melodrama. (9/10)
–David Brooke
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