Tuesday, July 31, 2018

This Week In Comics: 8/1


Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means another New Comic Book Day is upon us! Hit the jump to check out some of the new comics hitting the shelves at your local comic book shop this week.

Disclaimer: I received advance copies of all comics featured this week courtesy of their individual publishers.
Opinions are my own.


Go Go Power Rangers #12 (BOOM! Studios)
Shattered Grid continues, but not for long as the pieces start to fall into place and the stage is set for the grand finale. This is the final Go Go Power Rangers issue in the event, and the last one before the Spring Break special coming at the end of this summer.

In traditional Go Go style, Ryan Parrott focuses more on the characters than the action. First we see the moment where Coinless Kim had her final confrontation with Lord Drakkon that lead to her becoming the Ranger Slayer. Then we get a sad glimpse into Jason’s home life, and finally a confrontational moment between Matt and the Rangers that will change this series forever.

But that doesn’t mean there is no action at all! Rita sends not one but two giant monsters at the same time. When they prove too much for the Megazord to handle, the Ranger Slayer shows up with her Gravezord for the ultimate tag team and one of the best Megazord fights the comics have ever given us.

As we approach the end Shattered Grid it becomes clear that both of the main Power Rangers comics will be changed forever. And that’s a good thing. We could snapped back to status quo after the crossover ends, but so many things have changed these characters as a result of Lord Drakkon’s actions and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.


Steven Universe: Harmony #1 (BOOM! Studios)
As Steven helps Sadie cope with quitting her job at the Big Donut and losing Lars, Steven and the Gems must work together to deactivate an old Diamond Authority artifact called the Harmony Core before it destroys Earth.

This is not your normal slice of life, fillery, side-story that the comics have been known for. Harmony is a special, square-shaped limited series with a huge, epic storyline straight from the Gem Homeworld!

Part of the story involves a mysterious Gem Core that is activated on Earth and could wipe out all life on the planet. The emotional core, on the other hand, is about Sadie and her band with the cool kids. She’s still dealing with being unemployed and losing Lars and she’s dealing with it the only way she can.

I welcome a limited series from Steven Universe, especially one that deals with both the cosmic happenings of the Gems and an emotional, character based story the show may not have time to cover. It was a perfect choice to have Sadie as a central character.

However I’m not sure how the square-shape gimmick is going to work out, especially with 5 monthly issues. But I’m optimistic and can honestly say that even after one issue that this may be the best-written Steven Universe comic so far!


Midnight Taskforce #2 (Mad Cave Studios)
In the year 2055, Detroit is a nightmarish city in need of salvation. A series of brutal murders have taken place and schizophrenic Det. Aiden McCormick has 72 hours to solve the case.

Aiden isn’t an ordinary detective. Schizophrenia aside, he’s something of a super detective. With not clues to speak of and time running out, Aiden return to the bodies of the original victims and discovers something the coroner must have missed. This leads to the classic shakedown scene at a nightclub you see in every detective story.

What really makes this stand out from usual detective stories is the character. Again, Schizophrenia isn’t even Aiden’s most defining characteristic. He’s just a “Who gives a shit?” kinda guy who does things his own way and even if it looks like he has no idea what he’s doing - he always succeeds.

In my favorite page, Aiden attends AA and announces that he had a drink last night and then flips off the room. It comes out of nowhere and isn’t brought up again, but it’s some great character developing.

Battlecats shined with worldbuilding and while Mad Cave’s second series does have some great backgrounds and small details, where it shines the most is in its character. I’m not rooting for Aiden to catch the murderer or let him get away, I just want to see Aiden exist on the page. The mere presence of its main character is electrifying.


Scales & Scoundrels #11 (Image Comics)
This week the dungeon crawling fantasy takes a break from dragon-girl Luvander and reconnects with with Dorma the dwarf on her way home to lay her brother to rest. But her homecoming isn’t what she bargained for after first fighting with her parents and then an explosion in the mine that leads to her fighting for her very life.

You guys know I love worldbuilding so it was really cool to see the dwarf homeland in this issue. A really subtle thing I love is how Dorma carries her brother’s pickaxe wrapped in white ribbon. We never hear anyone say “This is the tradition when a dwarf dies,” but everyone who sees it reacts in a way that tells us exactly what it means.

The writing here is brilliant, but the artwork is just as amazing. The dwarf mines and temples are creative that it makes me really wish there was a video game set in this world. The next issue wraps up this short story arc and sets off an extended hiatus for the series, but I really hope we get to return to this world one day.

What comics are you picking up this week? Let me know down in the comments below!