Jody Houser, over the last six issues of Mother Panic (DC Comics), has been disassembling the Batman mythos and looking at its parts. Violet is in some ways a funhouse mirror for Batman, her power and heroic drive coming from a lifetime of abuse instead of one traumatic moment, her shallow socialite facade more acidic and brittle than playboy Bruce Wayne. But with its seventh issue, still looking through that lens, she turns to her own hero and starts taking her apart to see what makes her tick.
The Batman ideas are still very present, of course: In fact, this issue opens with a child, in this case a young girl, watching her parents senselessly murdered in front of her. It gets under Violet’s skin in some fascinating ways, not least because the little girl in question is happy to see her, happy, in some sense, to know somebody cares and wants to help. Violet, for her part, struggles with being a hero as opposed to just a vigilante. John Paul Leon helps matters with a thick-lined, moody style that amplifies both the tragedy and the emotional moments, and makes the villain, still something of a cipher, creepy on his own terms.
Mother Panic consistently pulls off the rare feat of being both a fun superhero book and questioning the tropes behind what makes them tick, and this new arc brings both aspects to the fore without planting a metaphorical elbow in your ribs. If you like your superhero comics with a dose of postmodernism, Mother Panic is a shining example.
Die Kitty Die: Hollywood or Bust #1, Chapterhouse Comics
Dan Parent is best known for his work on Archie, bringing Dan DeCarlo’s house style forward artistically. But there’s only so much wholesome Americana anybody can do, one supposes, and Parent and his collaborator Fernando Ruiz have been darkly spoofing Archie with Die Kitty Die, which is Sabrina The Teenage Witch as a raunchy dark comedy, with more than a little of DeCarlo’s cheesecake work mixed in. And now Parent and Ruiz are going after the comic book movie craze, as Kitty attacks Hollywood. If you’ve ever wondered why Sabrina never put somebody into the cornfield, this is the book for you.
I Am Groot #1, Marvel
Everybody loves Baby Groot, so really getting his own series was an inevitability. But Christopher Hastings and Flaviano don’t just coast on Groot’s adorableness in this book. Instead they draw on the full-bore wackiness of Marvel’s cosmic books and dump the little guy smack in the middle of a bizarre planet full of threats, and with a purple cyborg pug sidekick. It’s a book that’s for all ages in the best sense; everyone can enjoy it and it’s got a frothy spirit we need on the stands these days.
Rebels: These Free And Independent States #3, Dark Horse
Brian Wood and Andrea Mutti’s rigorously detailed historical drama continues with John Abbott getting embroiled in the War of 1812. Abbott is an interesting character by himself; autistic to some degree, patriotic, and deeply attached to the ships he builds. So attached, in fact, he’s willing to go to war just to get on one. It’s a fascinating take on America history, told from the perspective of grunts, and a welcomely unique book on the stands.
James Bond: Service Special, Dynamite
One of the fundamental struggles of any Bond story is that they’re inherently political. Bond is the sword used to cleave the Gordian knot of cold wars, be they against the Soviets, against drug dealers, or against religious extremists. But how do you tell a Bond story in an age where nationalism is on the rise and Britain itself is withdrawing from the world. Kieron Gillen never explicitly mentions Trump or Brexit in his story of where patriotism crosses into terrorism, but his script is pointed, nonetheless, helped substantially by Antonio Fuso’s moody and noirish art. It’s a fine thriller on its own, but Gillen’s thoughtfulness elevates it beyond simple action scenes.
Rapture #1, Valiant: Ninjak and Shadowman have to reluctantly team up yet again in a comic that’s as much fairy story as it is metaphysical superhero brawl.
Star-Lord Annual #1, Marvel: Peter Quill crash-lands in an unusual town, as Chip Zdarsky signs off Star-Lord and even offers a Marvel hero a measure of peace in a way you won’t expect.
Victor LaValle’s Destroyer #1, BOOM! Studios: An interesting take on Frankenstein, it asks just how the monster would handle the modern world, and how Frankenstein’s descendants would handle a vicious injustice visited on them.
Shirtless Bear-Fighter #1, Image: Let no one accuse this book, which balances its silliness with deadpan delivery, of false advertising, although “Pantsless Bear Fighter” might be a more accurate title. Hey, don’t judge the naked man punching bears.
Detective Comics #957, DC Comics: This issue moves away from the team book focus to look at one member, Spoiler, and it’s an interesting take, as Spoiler critiques Batman’s taste for theater and going public.
This Week’s Best Collected Editions
Harrow County Vol. 5: Abandoned, Dark Horse ($15, Softcover): Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook’s literary horror comic just keeps getting better, and this latest volume underscores what makes it so deliciously creepy.
No Mercy Vol. 3, Image Comics ($15, Softcover): Alex DiCampi and Carla Speed McNeil’s aptly named thriller series has sprawled from a story about a bunch of privileged teens stuck in the jungle to a much more cutting look at how and why we litigate, sensationalize, and of course monetize, tragedy.
Silver Surfer Epic Collection: The Infinity Gauntlet, Marvel ($40, Softcover): Before the Avengers go up against Thanos, learn what all the fuss was about with this collection of Marvel’s beloved crossover.