Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 Review

 

Writer: Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson

Artist: Nico Leon

Colorist: Dono Sanchez-Almara

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Goñi Montes, Ejikure, Rahzzah, Frany, Ivan Tao, The Escorza Brothers & Nico Leon

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Trini Kwan's niece Selena tracked Kimberly to her remote mountain cabin. When Kimberly refused to train her, Selena assumed Rita Repulsa's appearance and attacked her. Why would Selena want to hurt Kimberly? Or did Rita return to life to kill Kimberly? Let's grab our power coins, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3, and find out!

 

Story

After Green Ranger Tommy Oliver failed to return from the moon, Kimberly extracted a promise from the surviving Rangers. They would never draw on the Morphin Grid again. Trini kept the agreement, but Jason disappeared while fighting crime as the Red Ranger. Former Blue Ranger Billy Cranston and Black Ranger Zach Taylor told Kimberly Hart they also utilized the Morphin Grid.

 

Way to let down the ladies, guys!

 

Kimberly awakens where her old life ended in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3. Jason, Billy, and Zach are also in Bandora Palace. Selena reveals that she wasn’t Trini’s niece but Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa's daughter. Her father may have died when Billy’s Benevolator detonated, but Rita survived. Or at least her spirit did.

 

Once again, Kimberly’s fears over the power of the Morphin Grid prove correct. Billy’s invention drew power from the Morphin Grid. Rita used that conduit to send her spirit there. Now a ghost in the machine, Rita spoke with her daughter through the Morphin Grid.

 

Jason, Billy, and Zach used the Morphin Grid to help others. Kimberly avoided it to shield Earth from malignant forces. Rita Repulsa inhabited it! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 tantalizes us with a glimpse of Selena's childhood. We don't know how Selena grew up, but we know her mother influenced her. In Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson’s story, Selena says she wants power, but her immediate plans involve emotional fulfillment. While seeking revenge, Selena lets her parents' killers live. If Selena achieves her objective, will it bring the satisfaction she craves?

 

Art

Billy’s Benevolator created a crater the size of Angel Grove. The debris orbits the moon, captured by the planetoid's gravity. Outside the damaged Bandora Palace, the Putties that once battled Rangers now clean up the debris. Inside, Jason—the first Ranger captured—hovers over Kimberly. Zach and Billy linger back, doubtless still smarting from their tongue-lashing in the diner. When Selena speaks to them from her mother's throne, the former Blue and Black Rangers assume fighting stances on the flagstone floor. Energy encircles them as they face the reincarnation of their old nemesis.

 

Dynamic layouts showcase Selena’s confrontation with her parents’ enemies, while inset panels reveal how she tracked them. Thoughtful camera placement keeps the action fresh in a now familiar setting. One of Rita's former servitors survived in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3. Although ravaged by age, he hobbles with a cane as he attempts to carry out Selena's plan. Nico Leon reveals Tommy Oliver’s final moments. His final act may explain Selena’s reluctance to kill.

 

Dono Sanchez-Almara colors Jason, Zach, Bill, and Kimberly's clothing to remind us of their uniforms. White energy pulsing through the blue dome evokes sunlight reflected in the sea. After a stream of pink energy signals Kimberly's departure, Tommy spies a child sitting on the worn wooden floor. As Selena reaches toward her mother's still form, her white hair and gray dress contrast with her mother’s colorful regalia and the crystal adorning the Magic Wand’s headpiece.

 

Large, black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. Colorful sound effects help us hear Kimberly’s attempt to break free from the energy dome and Tommy's struggle to reach the Benevolator as it counts down to detonation. Ed Dukeshire’s immense letters compare the power humming through Billy’s device with the one constructed to resurrect Selena’s mother.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While providing insight into Tommy Oliver’s final moments, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 portrays the perils of social media, the allure of power, and how clinging to the past warps one’s character.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Siren’s Red Tide Diary Review

 

Writer: Thaddeus Arjuna

Price: $3.99 (free with Kindle Unlimited)

Release Date: January 25, 2024

 

Darrell Taylor thought he had everything. He had a home. Darrell had a wife. He taught at the University of Florida. But Darrell didn’t share his wife’s interest in religion, and she didn’t share his love of fishing. One day, Darrell returned home and found his wife in bed with her pastor.

 

Darrell wasn't a saint. He'd had a short affair with Karen, his wife's niece. But his wife’s act—and her choice of companion—made Darrell realize the gulf between him. And when he was hurting, his friends at the university didn’t stand by him. So, Darrell filed for divorce, resigned his professorship, and started anew as a commercial fisherman.

 

Amid Darrell’s heartache, his wife’s nephew asked for a job. Nick wasn’t the most reliable worker, but he’d had a difficult childhood, so Darrell felt sorry for him. And an extra pair of hands came in handy on the boat. Hiring Nick as a deckhand also lets Karen remain in his life. Even though he’d kept his distance from the younger woman, Darrell liked her. Then he met Kyna, and everything changed.

 

Once, she had tormented seamen with her ruthless clan of sirens. But dealing out misery left Kyna empty inside. So, she abandoned her sisters and retired to the gulf near the Dry Tortugas. While beginning a new chapter in her life, Kyna noticed Darrell. She began to speak with him when he was alone on the boat. Darrell’s psychologist, Dr. Hammond, wonders if the trauma of his divorce created these hallucinations. But Darrell’s friendship with Kyna will prove a boon when Darrell discovers Nick’s plans for his boat. And Karen will defy her brother and rally to Darrell's side.

 

Abandoned in an inflatable raft with insufficient fuel, food, and water to reach shore, Darrell and Karen drift through red tides and barracuda-infested waters. They struggle to capture fish while fending off shark attacks. As Darrell and Karen lean on each other, Kyna speaks with them and helps them through their ordeal.

 

Author Thaddeus Arjuna invites readers to share Darrell and Karen's adventures through diary entries and dialogue-driven scenes. Atmospheric, transcendent, joyful, and enthralling, The Siren’s Red Tide Diary will find a home in your heart and remind you that the world contains more wonders than we can ever discover.

 

Warning: contains sex and mature themes.

 

The Siren’s Red Tide Diary is available on Amazon.com

ThunderCats #3 Review

 

Writer: Declan Shalvey

Artist: Drew Moss

Colorists: Martina Pignedoli

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Newcomer Calica enchants Lion-O. The ThunderCats’ young ruler wishes to accompany her outside. But when Lion-O draws the broken Sword Of Omens to check if it is safe, the embedded Eye Of Thundera doesn’t grant him Sight Beyond Sight. Instead, a door of glowing light appears inside the crashed flagship. What will Lion-O discover when he steps through this magical doorway? Let's extend our claws, leap into ThunderCats #3, and see!

 

Story

Lion-O peers through the glowing doorway. But before he can enter, something leaps out at him. Cheetara doesn’t hear Lion-O’s cry, but she hears Calica call for help. She races through the Thundarian flagship to find Lion-O beaming. Her leader embraces a long-lost friend.

 

When they enter the chamber, the ThunderCats discover a cache of weapons. Lion-O learns that his father appointed his friend to guard the room two months ago. They find no stasis pod to explain his friend’s lack of aging. Yet Jaga piloted the ship for years. Even though Lion-O’s malfunctioning pod slowed his aging, he still grew to manhood during their trip.

 

Jaga gave his life to pilot the Thundarian flagship to Third Earth. Yet his spirit haunts Mumm-Ra in ThunderCats #3. Seated upon his throne in the black pyramid, Mumm-Ra questions the glowing figure. He alludes to their shared past. But the Thundarian spirit does not answer.

 

 

 

In Declan Shalvey’s story, Panthro should be Lion-O's rock. Yet his Security Chief grows impatient with Lion-O. When Panthro countermands one of Lion-O's decisions, the situation escalates. Cheetara intercedes but realizes she must restore order quickly to protect her people's heritage and cohesion on this alien planet.

 

Panthro’s distrust of Calica is understandable. Why would the Mu'Tants abduct the girl before they destroyed Thundera? The previous issue also hinted at a psychic link between Calica and Mumm-Ra. As Jaga once wielded the Sword Of Omens, this suggests that Mumm-Ra gained access to the sword’s Eye Of Thundera and used it to communicate with Jaga and Calica. With Declan Shalvey cramming ThunderCats #3 with hints, mysteries, and drama, Tygra’s suffering almost goes unnoticed. While Cheetara strives to return order, the contest for leadership between his friends shakes Tygra to the core.

 

 

 

Art

Drew Moss reveals the grandeur of the ThunderCats’ flagship. Calica wanders through long corridors, Lion-O meets her in an immense conference room, and Panthro studies screens projected from computers in the hangar, surrounded by vehicles and Tygra’s repair equipment. Even broken, the ship hums with a technology indistinguishable from magic. When Lion-O first peers inside, the chamber mirrors the conference room in size and shape, with a central aisle lined by empty displays leading to an elevated throne. Yet when he and the ThunderCats enter, the walls seem to hug the shelves and cases filled with weapons in this Room Of Requirement.

 

Moss portrays earnestness, determination, despair, and overwhelming joy in the ThunderCats’ expressions. He propels the Thundarians into action amid rising tensions regarding Lion-O’s leadership. Yet the most fraught scenes belong to Slythe, the Mu’Tant leader. He entered the jungle to be alone. In leaving his people behind, he may have lost them forever. His desperate fight for survival in ThunderCats #3 reveals that he was wrong to claim victory over “this pathetic world.” 

 

 

 

Cheetara cuts an electrifying swathe of yellow through the red, blue, and green that enrich this story. Whether the action occurs during the day or night, Martina Pignedoli surrounds the characters in bright, rich colors. The atmosphere of Third Earth fills the air with appealing colors that contrast with the characters. When tensions rise in the Thundarian flagship--or something unexpected occurs--a cloud of beautiful color appears.

 

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes relate character thoughts and off-camera dialogue. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts. A heartfelt cry wafts through a disembodied pink oval. Mumm-Ra’s handprinted letters dominate cloudy balloons. Jeff Eckleberry helps us hear the Eye Of Thundera open, Slythe’s failure, and a bulkhead shatter in ThunderCats #3.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Repressed anger prompts a challenge to Lion-O’s leadership, a beloved friend returns, a mysterious room showcases a Mu’Tant weapon, and a villain discovers new adversaries in ThunderCats #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more covers and preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Napalm Lullaby #2 Review

 

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Bengal

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Bengal & Dave Guertin

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

A baby operating alien armor appears in a burst of light. Three soldiers also materialize and pursue him. After he kills his enemies, a Human couple finds the child and takes it home. Fifty years later, the Church Of Glokar rules our world. Sam and Sarah want to free Humanity from Glokar’s dominance. But can the teens accomplish such a monumental task? Let’s leap into Napalm Lullaby #2 and find out!

 

Story

Norfolk, Nebraska, is home to a brilliant Crystal Temple. An energy shield protects the skyscrapers surrounding the gleaming architectural beacon, while most of the population inhabits a multistory shantytown of old residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. People conform to Glokor’s religious rule in the hopes of bettering their social and economic status, while the poor feast on fried cricket stew for dinner.

 

Sam and Sarah's father once served in the temple. He escaped, but their mother remained behind. For a short time, the Crystal Temple will allow pilgrims to enter. Entrants hope to spend the rest of their lives inside. Their father doesn’t want to return, but Sam and Sarah wish to see their mother. They're also tired of the world they inhabit.

 

Napalm Lullaby #2 tackles the generation gap. Or should I say the generation chasm? Their father sends them out on missions to procure relics. He safeguards the treasures they find for future generations. Sam and Sarah see their home as a mausoleum, full of dead things that cannot make today better for anyone.

 

In Napalm Lullaby #2, Rick Remender asks: What if Kal-El used his superhuman abilities to transform Earth into his ideal society? We saw suggestions of this in Zach Snyder's Man Of Steel, where young Clark Kent read Plato’s Republic. But Glokor wasn't raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who urged young Clark to let Human society choose its path. Instead, Glokor came to Brenda and Paul, two protestors against anti-liberal causes.

 

Sam and Sarah’s childhood inside the temple granted them superhuman abilities. They’ve secured halos from murdered priests. They want to sneak into the Crystal Temple, find their mother, kill Glokor, and free the world from his religious oppression. Assuming they survive, what will Sarah and Sam do with their superhuman abilities then? Let their fellow Humans choose how they live? Or will they, as agents of change, forge a new and better society for everyone to inhabit?

 

 

Art

Bengal imbues Sam and Sarah with anime appeal in Napalm Lullaby #2. Sam and Sarah ride through narrow streets on an old motorcycle and sidecar. Children play in the dirt while workers stride past beggars and vendors manning stalls sheltered by awnings. An eyeball named Rufus greets Sam and Sarah from a panel beside their front door. After scanning their identities, the eyeball lets the brother and sister inside.

 

Art and relics clutter rooms and hallways. Space hardly seems at a premium in this makeshift future, or at least in Sam and Sarah’s home. Paintings and relics like the front of a classic car and a McDonald’s symbol adorn walls, while old TV sets, action figures, toys, and CDs fill shelves. A carved Greek statue shares a room with a bust of Marilyn Monroe and the upper half of C3PO, while books fill shelves and arise like Ghostbuster-arranged stacks from the floor. Their father awaits their return in an easy chair near a defunct arcade game stuffed with potted plants. Clad in a helmet adorned with aviator goggles and a shirt of chain mail festooned with medals, he reads an Ernest Hemingway novel by candlelight, surrounded by—yes, you guessed it—more books.

 

Reds, yellows, and browns dominate Napalm Lullaby #2, yet Bengal lavishes touches of others to suggest a spectrum of color. Bengal lavishes special care upon lighting, which streams into rooms dramatically. Sam’s powers also manifest as light. They hint at the clown mask he sometimes wears. The angrier Sam gets, the hotter the light grows. Note: don’t make this guy angry!

 

Rus Wooton fills white dialogue balloons with small uppercase black lettering. Inflection and raised voices enlarge and embolden the words. His sound effects help us hear Sam plunk his bag of stolen halos on the table and his anger erupting amid his father's lifework.

 

Thanks to Image Comics and Giant Generator for providing an issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

In a future where most of humanity lives in slums, dreams can become reality, and thought crimes can get you killed in Napalm Lullaby #2.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

TMNT Best Of Alopex #1 Review

 

Writers: Brian Lynch, Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Juni Ba, Erik Burnham & Sophie Campbell

Artists: Sophie Campbell, Juni Ba, Roi Mercado & Gavin Smith

Colorists: Sophie Campbell, Heather Nunnelly, Ronda Pattison & William Soares

Letterers: Chris Mowry, Shawn Lee & Jake M. Wood

Cover Artist: James Biggie

Publisher: IDW

Price: $6.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Once, she ran with her pack in the Alaskan wilderness. Now, the Mutant Arctic Fox dispatches her opponents not with her teeth but with her martial arts prowess. What is Alopex’s story? Let’s grab a pizza, leap into the four stories in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1, and find out!

 

 

 

TMNT: Villains Micro-Series #4: Alopex

Story

For Alopex, the mission is everything. She fights for the Foot Clan and follows Master Shredder's orders without question. One assignment awakens old memories. Alopex returns to the land of her birth. Walking through the Alaskan snow reminds her of life hunting prey and avoiding bears before the scientists mutated her. In this first story in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1, Brian Lynch forces Alopex to compare her old life with her new identity. She leaves with a less naive view of her ninja master.

 

Art

Sophie Campbell brings an Old School sensibility to TMNT: Villains Micro-Series #4: Alopex. The Mutant Arctic Fox crashes through windows, fights rival ninjas, and remembers battling the turtles. While reds and blues dominate, Sophie Campbell and Heather Nunnelly use other colors sparingly to highlight killing blows, the mutation drug, and the purple surrounding Alopex’s eyes.

 

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #66

Story

Alopex fled New York City for Alaska. She thought she could escape Kitsune’s grasp. But the witch who controls the Foot Clan refuses to let her go. Raphael and Angel pursue her in this second story in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1. The mutant reptile lacks Alopex’s fur. Yet he braves the cold to save her. He's conflicted about his feelings for her. Raphael uses two methods he learned from his fellow turtles to find her. But in Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz’s story, Alopex must discover how to win her freedom from Kitsune before returning with Raphael to New York City.

 

Art

Campbell's art lends a softer, feminine appeal to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #66. Raphael's love for Alopex knocks his confidence for a loop, leaving him open and hesitant before Angel. Ronda Pattison paints the Alaskan land and sky in gray and white, while red dominates Kitsune's scenes. Campbell's atmospheric art and Pattison's limited colors bathe Alopex’s battle with Kitsune in mysticism.

 

 

 

TMNT: The Armageddon Game: The Alliance #3

Story

Alopex’s life grows more confusing when the turtles ally with Shredder to combat the Rat King. She now blames Shredder for experimenting on her and ripping her away from her home and family. Although it hurts, she turns her back on Raphael and the turtles in this story in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1. She helps Angel take on Ravenwood’s Earth Protection Force squad and entertains an offer from Oroku Karai. Juni Ba and Eric Burnham address how our circle of friendships and our concept of family adapts to changes life throws in our path.

 

Art

Juni Ba's art in the first story in TMNT: The Armageddon Game: The Alliance #3 features sharp angles and fraught action. Ronda Pattison's limited coloring electrifies scenes where characters often revert to silhouettes or negative silhouettes, visualize Alopex's scent, and limbs resemble lightning bolts. Roi Mercado's characters approach photorealism in the backup story, while backgrounds often fade. Ronda Pattison fills null backgrounds with brilliant colors that evoke the aurora borealis from the land of Alopex’s birth.

 

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #140

Story

After the Rat King's defeat, everything is different. Leonardo tries to keep the group together, but the turtles can't even agree on whether patrolling the neighborhood is necessary. Raphael glimpses Alopex and texts her. But the Mutant Arctic Fox doesn't answer. Alopex has left the turtles behind. She leads the Claw Clan in this final story in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1. Despite her pack’s enthusiasm, Alopex strives to find a purpose in their activities. Sophie Campbell’s story places the turtles front and center, with Alopex limited to one scene. But a series of mutant murders and a cliffhanger featuring Raphael suggest the Arctic Fox's return.

 

Art

Gavin Smith packs this final story in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1 Review with breathtaking reality. The turtles and other mutants convincingly (if not always harmoniously) interact with their Human neighbors. Ronda Pattison enhances Smith’s inked shading and illuminates her characters under the city lights and a full moon. Pattison's loaded palette and nuanced coloring portray a community rocked by change. 

 

Final Thoughts

From ferocious arctic fox to streetwise ninja leader, the mutant Alopex has endured the trials and hardships of modern life. She navigates a maze of twists and turns, pulling Raphael into her struggles before leaving the mutant turtle behind. TMNT Best Of Alopex #1 showcases her struggles with change and her unending search for a home.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview TMNT: Villains Micro-Series #4: Alopex, the first story in TMNT Best Of Alopex #1, see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Review: Second Death by Jeff Kerr

 

 

Author: Jeff Kerr

Cover Artist: Cheynne Edmonston

Paperback: $9.99

ebook: $0.99

 

 

 

After serving his country in Afghanistan, Adam Cash wanted to join the police force in his hometown. Instead, he got blamed for the sheriff's murder. While clearing his name and finding the killer, Cash brought down a human trafficking ring. Will life get less dangerous for the new deputy in Pinyon, Texas? Let’s leap into Second Death by author Jeff Kerr and find out!

 

When an explosion rocks a gas station, Deputy Cash discovers a hidden tank in an incinerated truck. The driver, Ralph Spencer, was smoking while stealing diesel fuel. Cash finds a gold coin in his pocket. Learning that Ralph had a regular income but no job, Cash smells a mystery. Fellow deputy Keisha Hodge, another recent addition to the Pinyon Police force, is keen to help Cash investigate. But even after Ralph’s girlfriend Alissa goes missing, Sheriff Gabe Santos insists Ralph's death was due to Ralph's greed and carelessness, nothing more.

 

But then, Gabe Santos has a lot on his mind. After inheriting the job from his predecessor, a local rancher forced the county commissioners to hold a special election. Santos hates all the paperwork his new job brings. Still, he never wants to work for a corrupt sheriff again. So he asks Cash’s girlfriend, Edie James, to help run his campaign. But the rival candidate’s offer to purchase Edie’s services endangers Santos’ poorly funded campaign.

 

In his sequel to Blunt Force Trauma, Jeff Kerr throws many obstacles into Adam Cash’s path. He’ll battle a doubting boss, threats to his love life and family, and attempts on his life as he follows a trail of financial breadcrumbs across state lines to find Alissa and discover Ralph Spencer’s killer. Plus, there's also an alligator named Jeremiah. He's always hungry for his next meal!

 

Warning: Second Death contains racism, sex scenes, and religious themes.

 

Second Death is available at Amazon.com

Visit Jeff Kerr's website

Revisit Jeff's first Adam Cast novel with my review of Blunt Force Trauma 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man #47 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Todd Nauck

Colorist: Sonia Oback

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Peach Momoko; Alessandro Pastrovicchio

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Mary Jane’s Aunt Anna has been having the time of her life since Peter cured her of Krakoan Derangement Syndrome. Anna has been hanging with Hippo and sharing the greenhouse with Sandman. What is she doing at New York’s high-security Ravencroft Institute now? And how might it impact Peter Parker’s awkward social life? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #47 and find out!

 

Story

As Peter hurries toward a restaurant, he chats with Mary Jane via cell phone. Mary Jane is settling down for an evening with Paul. She wonders why Ravencroft or her aunt didn’t contact her about this meeting. The penny drops for both as Peter reaches Shay Marken and sees the disappointment in the caregiver’s eyes. Peter may excel at thwipping villains, but as he readily admits, he often fails in social situations.

 

Shay may have ordered Peter to leave Ravencroft when he upset William Baker, but she warms over his unease during dinner. She's no longer tasked with protecting her troubled patients and knows what it’s like to feel out of her depth. Whether Shay finds Peter's penchant for suddenly abandoning dinners—and leaving her to pay the bill—remains to be seen.

 

 

 

Betty Brant stands by her man in Amazing Spider-Man #47. Mary Jane sought her aunt's release. Now, Betty refuses to rest until she clears her husband's name. She hunts for the Winkler Device that Roderick Kingsley used to brainwash Ned Leeds. But Hobgoblin doesn’t take kindly to people poking their noses into his business.

 

Aside from Peter's awkward dinner date with Shay, the big talking point in Zeb Wells' story involves Chasm and Hallow's Eve. The lovebirds may never win an award for New York City's Most Balanced Couple, but both demonstrate that life apart hasn't aligned their mental wheels. Intriguingly, they partner with someone who exhibited remorse over a previous contretemps with Spider-Man. But that's why they're supervillains. Because they hold grudges and channel negativity.

 

 

Art

Todd Nauck pairs dark and gritty settings with violence in Amazing Spider-Man #47. Whether it's a machete-wielding thug or gunmen kicking down doors, these encounters hum with intensity. Spider-Man's thwip yanks a villain through a window. Then he leaps into the room between the man's still feet and whips another man to the floor.

 

Nauck readily transitions between violent encounters and heartwarming moments. Hallows Eve's transformations from menacing monsters to her familiar costume reveal Janine's youth and vulnerability. Nauck also imbues panels with a timeless quality, grounding scenes in abandoned warehouses and historic architecture. Peter wears an old jacket over his Oscorp polo shirt. Shay wears a pendant over her turtleneck sweater and skirt. Neither wears the latest fashions. Peter and Shay seem open with each other and share a refreshing optimism at the wonders of everyday life.

 

 

Sonia Oback steeps backgrounds in shades of gray and brown. Aside from Mary Jane's hair and Shay's blouse, few colors emerge from their surroundings. These links with the red of Spider-Man's costume remind us of Peter's past and hint at another potential love interest. Even the red in Spider-Man's costume seems subdued. The red reflects light and darkens in shade. Yet Chasm and Hallows Eve's costumes blaze like beacons at night, suggesting the power they'll unleash to take Spider-Man down.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Amazing Spider-Man #47. The font grows bold for inflection and occasionally shrinks or gets italicized. Sound effects help us hear Peter’s cellphone alerts, a window shattering as Spider-Man swings into action, and a “dog” with glowing eyes snarling in a dark room. And no, no one named this “dog” Indy.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amazing Spider-Man #47 reveals an intriguing link between the living brain in Oscorp and New York City restaurants and hints at who arranged Peter's date with Tombstone's lawyer. After his great fall, Chasm finds a new champion. But can anyone put Ben Reilly together again?

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Transformers #7 Review

 

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson

Artist: Jorge Corona

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer; Karen S. Darboe; Caspar Wijngaard; Taurin Clarke; Mike Del Mundo; John Giang; Tiago Da Silva; Alex Milne; Redcode; Jonboy Meyers; John Gallagher; Livio Ramondelli; Adam Gorham

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Optimus Prime’s advance on the Ark succeeded. Yet defeating Devastator and sending the Decepticons packing came at a terrible price. Can Optimus parlay his victory into an Autobot conquest? Let’s recharge our Energon batteries, leap into Transformers #7, and follow Sparky's transformative journey!

 

Story

While Daniel Warren Johnson opens with a rescue mission on Cybertron and the mobilization of the U.S. Navy, the spark that kickstarts his story is Soundwave's challenge. The quiet and composed Decepticon has had enough. Starscream treated his troops like pawns and rewarded the survivors with the ignominy of defeat. Now, it's time to reassess their strategy. Perhaps a change of leadership is called for?

 

While the Decepticons resolve dissent through confrontation, the Autobots seek to heal their wounds in Transformers #7. Cliffjumper had Starscream in his sites, yet couldn’t kill the Decepticon that murdered Carly's father. Sparky gave his life to heal Optimus Prime, yet Spike can barely look at Optimus. Optimus Prime feels guilty over the whole affair. Still, Spike would be dead if not for Optimus' sacrifice in the hospital. Relationships can get complicated at the best of times. It's hard to forgive and forget when people are in the trenches and hungry for justice. Or should I say revenge?

 

Daniel Warren Johnson packs this issue with talking points. Thankfully, he doesn't stint on the action. In some ways, Transformers #7 resembles the second issue. Only this time out, Cliffjumper, Carly, Spike, and Optimus are all hurting. Although he puts a brave face on it, Optimus knows he—and his people—must get their act together. He may not know what’s happening with the Decepticons, but his brief exchange with Soundwave helped him realize what readers likely suspect: that the quiet and composed Decepticon is the real threat to the Autobot cause.

 

At least, until Mega--

 

Oops! Sorry, Starscream! What was I thinking?

 

 

 

Art

Fire burns amid a maze of raised metal panels on Cybertron. Huffer, Elita, Kup, and Warpath shoot at their pursuers as they advance through a firestorm toward their objective. Overwhelming odds exact an explosive toll, and victory yields less than Elita hoped.

 

While fighters streak overhead, the Captain of an aircraft carrier receives a phone call on the bridge. He returns the receiver to the cradle on a packed control bank. A handswidth away sits a framed photograph of his family.

 

A new artist often brings a bold new vision to a series. While readers will spot minor differences in Transformers #7, Jorge Corona puts the fans first with his seamless takeover. Corona captures Soundwave’s determination, Starscream’s paper-thin bravery, Carly’s simmering anger, and Arcee’s hesitation to intrude on the girl’s trauma. Corona blurs characters less than Johnson while conveying the speed, violence, and fury of battle. While portraying the size differentials between the Autobots and their squishy Human companions, compositions reinforce their unity of need and purpose.

 

Mike Spicer paints Cybertron with bright pastels that fade to blue, green, and gray indoors. He colors the mountains orange and the smoke-choked air gray to enliven Soundwave’s meeting in an active volcano. The pink of Arcee’s armor and Carly’s sweater underline similarities in their tragic pasts. A vision in pink and blue sends Optimus careening offroad.

 

Rus Wooten portrays Human speech with large-size black letters in white dialogue balloons. Transformers use italicized black letters in rectangular balloons with lightning bolt arrows. Vibrant and abrasive sound effects infuse a taut contest for leadership, while immense red chants surround the victor in Transformers #7.

 

Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While war rages on Cybertron, the Decepticon and Autobot battles escalate their conflict on Earth even as both sides struggle to rebuild in Transformers #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For six more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.