Thor, By Night, The Magic Order & More in Required Reading: Comics for 6/13/2018
Main Art by Mike Del Mundo
Hear that thunder rumbling in the distance? A New Comic Book Day approaches, and with it arrives Marvel’s mead-drinking, lightning-slinging Odinson, in an all-new Thor #1. The blond beefcake isn’t the only big release this week, though—the long-awaited Michel Fiffe Bloodstrike series debuts, John Allison kicks off a new original series at BOOM! Studios, Hawkman takes flight, Mark Millar’s Netflix comic partnership begins in earnest, Nancy Drew takes a new case, and Oni Press’ sex-education and erotica imprint teaches us all about they/them pronouns just in time for a more respectful Pride Month. Hop in a chariot pulled by two goats and get thee to your local comic shop for these titles and the rest of this week’s Required Reading.
Bloodstrike: Brutalists #0
Writer/Artist: Michel Fiffe
Publisher: Image Comics
If you had told us a few years ago that we’d be recommending a Bloodstrike comic in the year 2018, we’d have replied…“Oh, so Rob Liefeld finally let Michel Fiffe relaunch the book, eh?” Liefeld is a common punching bag for cooler-than-thou comic critics, thanks to his tenuous grasp on anatomy during the ‘90s, and his fondness for pouches and big-ass guns, but his impact on the industry is undeniable almost 30 years after his debut. Just look at the continued popularity—and cinematic success—of Deadpool for further proof. Liefeld’s massive ‘90s output was often bold, fun and utterly incoherent, which makes his willingness to turn over his intellectual property to newer talents deeply appreciated. Prophet and Glory became must-read sci-fi sagas thanks to the talents of cartoonists like Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis and Sophie Campbell, and now Copra auteur Michel Fiffe is taking the reigns on Bloodstrike, one of Liefeld’s best-loved team creations. Fiffe, beyond having an impeccable grasp on visual storytelling and a singular approach to coloring and lettering his own work, has a completely unironic respect for the excesses of ‘80s and ‘90s action cartooning, which makes Bloodstrike: Brutalists a match made in longbox heaven. Steve Foxe
By Night #1
Writer: John Allison
Artist: Christine Larsen
Publisher: BOOM! Studios/ BOOM!Box
With years of webcomic work under his belt, John Allison wasn’t exactly an unknown quantity when Giant Days launched as a print comic in 2015. Online audiences and readers who prefer monthly issues aren’t necessarily the same however, and it wasn’t a guarantee that Allison would find an audience in a different market, but Giant Days has gone on to gain critical acclaim, awards and persistent fan affection thanks to a careful combination of emotional storytelling and spot-on comedic timing. So it makes sense that Allison and BOOM! are expanding their relationship to include a new story, one of the few that Allison is involved in that doesn’t revolve around his larger Tackleford universe. Allison’s skill and soft hand when it comes to writing female friendships and coming-of-age stories should serve him well in By Night, a fantasy adventure involving an aspiring documentarian and a portal to a world full of monsters. Artist Christine Larsen has contributed to several cartoon tie-in comics including The Regular Show and Samurai Jack. Much like with Giant Days’ art teams, Larsen has a fairly realistic style that can become fluid and imaginative with exaggerated features, and it works well with colors by Sarah Stern, whose past work includes the Giant Days Holiday Special. Caitlin Rosberg
Hawkman #1
Writer: Robert Vendetti
Artist: Bryan Hitch
Publisher: DC Comics
Dark Knights: Metal feels like it came out ages ago (thanks, abstraction of time during our current political climate!) but DC Comics is still very much responding to its multiverse-altering events. One of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s biggest Metal moves was the recentering of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. The latter features prominently in Snyder’s new Justice League while the former gets his own adventurous series from frequent Green Lantern and Flash scribe Robert Vendetti and former League writer/artist Bryan Hitch. Hawkman in infamous for his confusing continuity, which Hawkman #1 addresses head-on by making that long history of reincarnation integral to Carter Hall’s quest for understanding. Hitch, the master of wide-screen action, is a perfect fit for Vendetti’s approach—think the video game Uncharted, but with wings. Hawkman has traditionally been a difficult sell, but with a Metal boost, a clear mission and two steady creative hands at the helm, Hawkman might finally be the book to get Carter Hall back in flight. Steve Foxe
