BATMAN #67/ Script by TOM KING/ Art by LEE WEEKS & JORGE FORNES/ Colors by LOVERN KINZIERSKI/ Letters by CLAYTON COWLES/ Published by DC COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

Told almost entirely without words, Batman #67 is unlike anything seen by Tom King in recent memory. The action of the issue focuses on a kinetic chase-scene as Batman pursues a masked man across the rooftops and into the sewers. While this is hardly an original idea, it is a novelty from King, who is best known for his unusual dialogue.

The execution of the artwork makes up for the standard story idea. Lee Weeks and Jorge Fornes are in fine form here and the colors by Lovern Kinzierski perfectly portray the idea of Gotham through a series of blended tones. Decent, but only die-hard Batman fans need pick this one up.

 

CAPTAIN MARVEL #3/ Script by KELLY THOMPSON/ Art by CARMEN CARNERO/ Colors by TAMRA BONVILLAIN/ Letters by VC’S CLAYTON COWLES/ Published by MARVEL COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

With She-Hulk now trapped and depowered in the extra-dimensional prison created by The Nuclear Man Mahkizmo, Carol Danvers thought things couldn’t get worse. She was wrong, however, as she just learned of Mahkizmo’s plans for her and the other superheroines fighting to liberate the plane of Machus.

One can’t deny Kelly Thompson’s boldness, both in utilizing one of Marvel Comics’ most regrettable villains as a foil for Captain Marvel and in evoking the memory of the single-worst Carol Danvers storyline of all time. Doubtlessly the same dudebros who rallied against the Captain Marvel movie will be made very uncomfortable by this story, which is infused with 100% pure girl power and takes no prisoners.

The artwork by Carmen Carnero continues to impress. Animated and streamlined yet intricately detailed at the same time, every page of this book is gorgeous. If you haven’t started reading this series already, start now. No previous experience with Captain Marvel is required. It’s a perfect entry point for those curious newbies who just saw the movie and a great introduction to some of Marvel Comics’ other great heroines.

 

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 #5/ Script by HAROLD BUCHHOLZ, JOEL HODGSON, MATT MCGINNIS, SETH ROBINSON, SHARYL VOLPE & MARY ROBINSON/ Art by TODD NAUCK, MIKE MANLEY, JACK POLLOCK & MIMI SIMON/ Colors by WES DZIOBA, MIKE MANLEY, JACK POLLOCK & MIMI SIMON/ Letters by MICHAEL HEISLER/ Published by DARK HORSE COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

The hilarity continues as Kinga Forrester’s efforts to create the world’s first comic-book based riff by trapping Jonah Heston and his robot friends inside a number of public domain comics continue. Can Tom Servo survive the surprisingly dangerous life of a teen reporter? Will Jonah ever figure out that actress Linda Turner is the heroine Black Cat? Will Crow stop doing that annoying Crypt Keeper impression you can somehow hear even though this is a comic book?

You’ll either hate Mystery Science Theater 3000 the comic or love it. Personally, I love it, but I’ll be the first to admit this is very much a niche property. which is just the way us MSTies like it. The writing perfectly adapts the idea of the show into a graphic format and the artwork by Todd Nauck, Mike Manley, Jack Pollock and Mimi Simon perfectly captures the anarchic spirit of the show as well as the styles of the public domain comics utilized for the riff. To borrow a line from the show, it’s…”Weird. Yeah, I guess that is the word for it. Weird.” Weird but wonderful, if you like this sort of thing.

 

SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY #1/ Script by CHIP ZDARSKY/ Pencils by MARK BAGLEY/ Inks by JOHN DELL/ Colors by FRANK D’ARMATA/ Letters by VC’S TRAVIS LANHAM/ Published by MARVEL COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

What if Spider-Man aged in real time after his first appearance in 1962? That’s the central idea of Spider-Man: Life Story, which will explore how Peter Parker would have been shaped by real-world events had he not been kept an eternal college student for five decades.

This first issue is set in 1966 and Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley do a masterful job of copying the styles of Stan Lee and John Romita respectively. The story truly does feel like a lost issue of the classic Amazing Spider-Man, right up until the point where it becomes clear that this is an alternate timeline and nothing we think we know about Spider-Man’s story in this world is certain.

Some will probably complain about this issue’s examination of the Vietnam War and Peter’s questioning whether or not he should enlist as Spider-Man. Personally I think this is a perfectly natural thing for a young man Peter’s age to ponder at that time, though I do think he’d be too worried about the strain on his Aunt May to think of enlisting. Still, while I may quibble on that point, I would recommend this book just for the scene in which Spider-Man asks Captain America for advice and Cap gives the most Cap-like answer possible. If this is a taste of things to come, this could be the best Spider-Man mini-series in recent memory.