Thursday Morning Superhero

I hope you all had a wonderful and spooky Halloween and were able to hand out a lot of comics to your trick-or-treaters!  In honor of the holiday this edition of TMS will focus on a special issue of Wytches that debuted yesterday. It has been quite some time since we have had any Wytches material, but Scott Snyder said that we can expect two arcs in 2019 and that this one-shot serves as a prequel to the first arc and introduces us to a new character who will play a bigger role in 2019.

Wytches: Bad egg Halloween special - Wytches are creatures that have been around for centuries. It is not known if they are unique creatures of their own or are genetic mutations of humans. They live underground in burrows and feed on human flesh. They thrive with the help of humans who incubate their young in holes in the ground in exchange for tinctures that can cure disease and offer other benefits.

Sebastian learns early on that his parents are part of a group called Irons, who have been attempting to stop the wytches for generations. His mom specializes in younger wytches and his dad specializes in the old wytches that are burrowed deep beneath the earth.

This story thrives because of the relationships that Snyder develops. In order for horror to be effective you have to care about the characters and feel genuine concern for their well being. Snyder hits the nail on the head as we see the story through the eyes of a child trying to make sense to the world in which he is born. It is hard enough on a kid when you are the new person at school, but for Sebastian, this is a common occurrence due to the lifestyle of members of the Irons.

This one-shot focuses on a brief stint in a small town in the Midwest in which Sebastian develops a bond with the kid next door despite instructions not to make friends. At moments this book feels whimsical due to the friendship the two possess, but we are frequently reminded of the horror in which they dwell.

Co-created by the extremely talented Jock, I can't think of an artist more appropriate to set the mood in this series. One of the scariest elements of the wtches is that Jock never gives you a clear glimpse of what they look like. Not knowing and seeing the reaction of the kids when they first see them is what makes this book genuinely creepy.

After reading this one-shot I am very excited about the prospects of returning to this series in 2019. This has always been a very personal story from Snyder and you can sense the care he puts into the narration.  Hope you all had a happy Halloween!

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

Another week of comics and another week of all really good titles. It was a struggle to select one title as pick of the week when all of them were so good. The intrigue from Sex #1 leaves me wanting more (easy there tiger), Snapshot continued the fast pace of the first issue, and Age of Ultron was simply great. In the end only one title can garner top honors and that goes to the one with vikings.

Pick of the Week: Helheim #1 - The creative team of Cullen Bunn, Joelle Jones, and Nick Filardi sure manage to cram in quite a bit into one issue. The pace is frantic, the action is fierce, and the art from Jones captures the fear and intensity that these vikings possess. I challenge you to read through this issue and not be clamoring for the second one. It hooks you early and delivers an ending that will bring you back.

In the story we learn that Rikard and his fellow Vikings have a common foe in the witch Groa. They are returning from an unsuccessful attempt to kill her in which many vikings were lost. It seems that the witch is interested in Bera, Rikard's special lady friend, who Rikard's father isn't afraid to sell out. In this debut issue we see prophetic visions, humans rising from the grave, magic, and a hero that appears invincible while his enemies are still alive. Who doesn't love a good nordic tale involving witches and magic penned by a mind the likes of Bunn. It looks like the Oni Press has another hit on its hand courtesy of Bunn and his crew.

The Rest:

Sex #1 - Simon Cooke seems to be a Bruce Wayne with more flaws as he returns home to Saturn to take over the family company and remain retired from his role as the armored saint in this new Image title with great potential and interesting characters established in one issue.

Snapshot #2 - The pace of this comic does not slow down in issue #2 as Jake escapes and finds an ally in Callie, the daughter of the man who was supposedly dead in the photos, and tries to uncover more information in this web of deceit he is now knee deep in.

Age of Ultron #1 - Stunning first issue that just barely missed pick of the week honors from Brian Michael Bendis as the Avengers seek to merely survive in a post apocalyptic New York controlled by Ultrons.

Thursday Morning Superhero

Not a bad book in the bunch this week.  For the first time on this blog I delve into a new Monkeybrain Comic that is a great deal of fun and was treated to three new projects from three of my favorite creators.  Needless to say I had a smile on my face as I read this week's haul.


Pick of the Week:

Snapshot #1 - When Andy Diggle and Jock work together on a project, I will happily blindly throw my money at them.  Snapshot had me hooked very quickly and managed to leave me absolutely begging for more.  A comic book store employee finds himself in the middle of a murder plot simply by finding a cell phone on his bike ride to work.  For whatever reason, the killer sees value in him, but we will have to wait for issue #2 to see what is in store for Jake.  Diggle's brisk pace and knack for moving a complicated story forward with ease paired up with Jock's unmatched visual style and stunning use of black and white put this book on another level.  Not surprised my LCS was sold out and I had go the digital route with this one.

Runner-up:

Red Team #1 - Not surprisingly, Garth Ennis has created a franchise that is original and likely to be gripping and disturbing.  Red Team is a group of detectives that are very good at what they do, but like many crime stories, the drug lord that they want to take down is above the law.  It seems every time a witness is ready to testify they disappear or that his attorney gets him off with a technicality.  The Red Team does what you want the police to do in this situation, murder him.  Told through the perspective of a team member confessing his crimes, this book is smartly written and really sets the stage for what seems like a great new endeavor.



The Rest:

Phabula #1 - This week we are treated to a new title from Monkeybrain Comics, Phabula.  Written, drawn, colored, and lettered by Dalton Rose, Phabula is an exciting tale about a young sorceress who appears to be questing to rid herself of a deadly curse.  In issue one, filled with buckets of blood, she slaughters a horde of demons and Ogai, child of Gods, in her attempt to locate a map.  Rose's unique whimsical art creates a juxtaposition to the violence that is taking place on the page.  Throw in a dash of humor and you are left with a one-of-a-kind book that is sure to be highly entertaining.  Go buy it now on ComiXology for the low price of $.99!

Fearless Defenders #1 - Anyone who reads this blog knows that I greatly enjoy the writing of Cullen Bunn and the Fearless Defenders continues this tradition.  On the surface you are treated to a comic that feels like a summer blockbuster full of good looking women who kick a lot of ass.  Asgardian artifacts are stolen, vikings rise from the dead and Misty Knight, a bionic bad-ass, knocks out countless teeth.  When you dig a little deeper you see a story involving the destiny of Valkyrie and the return of the Doommaidens. With Bunn's skillful hand with wit and action and the phenomenal art of Will Sliney, Fearless Defenders should be quickly added to your pull list at your LCS.


Batman Detective Comics #17 - John Layman wraps up his Merrymaker plot as Batman uncovers the truth behind who the Merrymaker is and what his motivations were.  Layman's sense of humor shines through and his ability to script some of the most punishing panels is evident.  Reading almost like a standalone, the overarching plot involving Emperor Penguin is moved forward slightly.  I would guess that issue #18 would be a great leaping on point, but this one is enjoyable on its own accord.