Where are all the black superheroes from the Golden Age? Comics have been struggling with the fact that all their “classic” heroes are white for decades, usually responding with well-meaning but quickly sidelined characters like Amazing Man or the Blue Marvel. With Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new team book Black Panther And The Crew (Marvel), however, there’s a much more satisfying and intriguing answer. They were always there, but they were seen as the bad guys.
Coates’ script starts in a surprising place: Harlem in the late ’50s. We quickly learn that a team of superheroes called “The Crew” kept Harlem as safe as they could, sometimes using lethal force. The book then jumps forward to their leader, Ezra, mysteriously dying in jail, while arrested on a minor charge. Misty Knight, our chosen protagonist, begins investigating, wearily skeptical both of her fellow police officers and Ezra’s seemingly useless protests, and quickly uncovers both a conspiracy and a ham-handed attempt to bring “order” to Harlem. Needless to say, Misty is on the case.
Butch Guice keeps everything clean with his art, with a few nods to classic ’70s Marvel, which helps pull you into the book and keeps the focus on the mystery. It’s an intriguing start to this team book, and promises to be a great addition to the burgeoning Black Panther family of books.
Redline #2, Oni Press
Neal Holman, best known for his writing on Archer, and Clayton McCormack deliver a mystery set on Mars, in the middle of Mardi Gras, as Coyle, a military hardass with a lot of regret, and his two boisterous sidekicks try to figure out why a brilliant metallurgist would commit a suicide bombing against a tycoon. There are undeniably touches of Holman’s TV work here; a dismembered penis is a running gag, and there’s a lot of dark comedy. But it’s also a well-done mystery, and McCormack sets the tone beautifully with a cramped, messy Mars. Whether you’re an SF fan or an Archer fan, this book is worth picking up.
Godshaper #1, BOOM! Studios
Si Spurrier and Jonas Goonface deliver one of the oddest fantasy worlds in comics, a world where, in the late ’50s, science stopped working, and instead there was a god for every human, and a human for every god. With the occasional exception, not the least of which is our hero, a “shaper” who can reconfigure gods but still lives on the margin of society. Spurrier’s larger theme is the mechanics of discrimination and how it works day to day, which can be somewhat unsubtle when Ennay, our hero, turns out to be a gender-bending acoustic punk rocker with godshaping as his side gig. Still, it’s well thought-out, and Goonface’s work has a pleasing touch of Gahan Wilson to it that sets the tone, making this a fresh, engaging fantasy book.
The Immortal Brothers: The Tale Of The Green Knight, Valiant
Fred Van Lente reteams with artist Cary Nord and goofs on Arthurian legend by retelling the classic story of Sir Gawain (really the Eternal Warrior) as he seeks the Green Knight. The story is a hoot on its own, with a framing device riffing on The Princess Bride, and Van Lente teaming up the three immortal brothers at the root of Valiant’s superhero universe. But it also happens to be an erudite riff on a classic piece of literature, and while it’s undeniably an oddball choice coming from Valiant, that makes this one-shot no less welcome.
Nancy Drew And The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie #2, Dynamite
The words “gritty reboot” tend to make people cringe at this point, but Anthony Del Col manages to update the kiddie detectives with a more serious tone without going off the rails. Part of that is just that Del Col tells an interesting story in its own right, as Frank, Joe and Nancy start puzzling out secrets in their little town of Bayport, which like all fictional little towns is not what it seems. But it’s also that Del Col is careful not to get too cutesy; all these characters are still recognizably themselves, underneath the grit.
Gotham Academy Second Semester #8, DC Comics: The mystery behind Gotham Academy is finally revealed, leading into this book’s final arc.
Punisher Vs. Deadpool #1, Marvel: Fred Van Lente and Pere Perez reteam to elevate the usual “Vs.” book with both humor and a genuinely interesting story.
Z Nation #1, Dynamite: Syfy’s gleefully campy series gets an equally gleefully campy comic book.
Grass Kings #2, BOOM! Studios: Matt Kindt’s story of a separatist commune and the supernatural land it lies on delivers on the promise of a strong first issue with an equally good second.
Harrow County #22, Dark Horse: The best horror book on the stands takes a new twist we won’t ruin in this issue, but it reasserts Cullen Bunn’s literary horror epic as a chilling story and a great comic.
This Week’s Best Collections
The Complete Phonogram, Image Comics ($50, Hardcover): Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s story of wizards using music as a form of magic is collected in one place.
Vigilante By Marv Wolfman, DC Comics ($30, Hardcover): The ’80s were full of grim homicidal anti-heroes in comic books, but only Marv Wolfman had the guts to ask what day after day of murder would do to a supposedly just man’s psyche. It’s a fascinating idea and remains something of a cautionary tale.
Savage, Valiant ($10, Softcover): If you missed Valiant’s bold reinvention of pulpy lost islands and feral children, now’s the time to pick it up.