Happy Monday! As we begin a new week we are kicking it off with another round of reviews of the latest comic books that were released by DC Comics and Marvel. This week we are spotlighting Catwoman #32, Demon Days: Mariko #1, New Mutants #19, Static: Season One #1, Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1, and X-Corp #2. How did these new comics turn out? Find out with our reviews below.
If you missed it, reviews with full synopsis went up for both Nightwing #81 and Planet-Size X-Men #1 that you can check out on the website.
CATWOMAN #32
Creative Team
Writer: Ram V
Artist: Evan Cagle
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10
The Good: Catwoman #32 is all about diving into Selina Kyle as a legend. Whether its as a master thief, fighter for the people, or sister, there is a deep history for Selina in and out of her Catwoman identity. Ram V gets that across by having several different people offer their own story about Selina Kyle. It gives you greater insight as to how Catwoman is a legend on to herself just like Batman.
With how many different time periods in Selina’s life we get in Catwoman #32 Evan Cagle does a very good job in showing how different each story is. There are adjustments made to the tone and character designs that help put over that we are getting stories from different points in Selina’s life. Jordie Bellaire’s coloring further enhances the different stories. It all goes to show how when we a writer chooses to use flashbacks in a story that the artwork plays a big part in how it gets put over.
The Bad: Even though the individual stories are enjoyable Catwoman #32 never gets beyond feeling like a filler issue. There isn’t any sort of plot progression made to with Catwoman’s current status quo or the antagonist she is facing. Which is a shame since Father Valley set a strong presence for himself to open up this issue. But his part in the greater narrative didn’t come across as important as it should even with what he did at the end of this issue.
Overall: Catwoman #32 is a solid filler issue. There isn’t much progress made to Catwoman’s story in her new status quo in Gotham City’s Alleytown. What this issue does accomplish is establishing the legend that Selina Kyle has become. Which is enough to keep interest going into the next issue of Catwoman.
DEMON DAYS: MARIKO #1
Creative Team
Story and Art: Peach Momoko
English Adaptation & Dialogue: Zack Davisson
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
The Good: From the writing to the artwork Demon Days: Mariko follows its predecessor, Demon Days: X-Men, by delivering a reading experience unique to this series. Peach Momoko does such a fantastic job building out the mythology of the Demon Days Marvel Universe, working in Japanese mythology and folklore throughout Mariko #1. Mariko as the lead character is presented as someone who has unexpected history as she grows up being taught by Kuroki, Demon Days’ version of Natasha Romanoff. As the story progresses you become more immersed in what is going on around Mariko and how her story is just beginning.
Momoko’s artwork is stunning. She does such a great job in choosing the moments of when the artwork should tell the story. Whether it is having limited dialogue or no dialogue at all, Momoko understands when her artwork should be what drives the story at certain moments. It all helps you get more into what the mindset of Mariko, Kuroki, and other characters we see throughout this issue.
The Bad: Nothing.
Overall: Demon Days: Mariko #1 is a phenomenal reading experience. From both her writing and artwork, Peach Momoko creates a world around Mariko Yashida that you simply get lost in. Tapping into Japanese mythology cements how unique Demon Days. This is a must have comic book.
NEW MUTANTS #19
Creative Team
Writer: Vita Ayala
Artist: Alex Lins
Colorist: Matt Milla
Story Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
The Good: Vita Ayala and Alex Lins present one of the better Hellfire Gala tie-in comics with New Mutants #19 even if it does not forward the progress of the crossover event. The large cast of New Mutants is a major benefit of the story being told within the Hellfire Gala setting. Each character in the New Mutants roster is given time to show how they are taking in this party. The Warpath sub-plot in particular stands out as using the setting to give some solid character work for an X-Men who doesn’t normally get the spotlight.
By utilizing the Hellfire Gala setting as well as they do Ayala and Lins are able to drive more interest around what happens at the end of New Mutants #19. Where we find Gabby at the end does make you wonder what exactly is going on in this series. Which gets you want to read both the back issues and next month’s issue of Ayala’s run on New Mutants.
The Bad: The only thing that held New Mutants #19 back is not having other X-Men involved in the story. This was a good chance to have more of the New Mutants to interact with senior X-Men. Which has been a problem with the chapters that don’t directly progress the main mission statement of the Hellfire Gala.
Overall: New Mutants #19 is a solid chapter in the Hellfire Gala. Vita Ayala and Alex Lins maximize the setting to provide the cast of New Mutants a chance to have fun and show different parts of their personality. Even if it does not progress the main story in the Hellfire Gala it gets the job done.
STATIC: SEASON ONE #1
Creative Team
Writer: Vita Ayala
Artist: Chriscross
Colorist: Nikolas Draper-Ivey
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
The Good: Static: Season One #1 is a great example of how to reboot a series without having to tell every facet of the main character’s origin story. There are details given about what happened with the rise of the Bang Babies and the impact they are having in Dakota City to make you understand the setting. This allows Vita Ayala to place a greater focus on how a teenage Virgil Hawkins and his supporting cast would be like in 2021. And as we see with how our own world is Virgil isn’t someone with just a few character traits. He is a multi-layered character who has various interest that range from nerdy to activism to super heroism.
What particularly stood out in this first issue was Virgil’s relationships with his family and friends. When it comes to Frieda and Richie, we see how they do their best to be supportive friends to Virgil as he is dealing with having superpowers. The way they try to look out for Virgil makes you more invested in Virgil’s school life as he does have two best friends that are there for him when he is ready to open up about what is going on in his mind.
Similarly, we see how Virgil has a supportive family life. Ayala does a good job making how Virgil interacts with his parents and sister come across as how one would naturally interact with their family. Changing things to have Virgil’s family know about his powers made the way Hotstreak was worked into the story a much stronger conclusion.
Criscross does a great job enhancing the story Ayala was telling through her writing with unique artwork. Criscross’ art style has more of an anime aesthetic to it, which works well to make both the action and character moments stand out. You get the sense of how Virgil is still new in using his powers with the way he uses them. Which is shown with how his battle with Hotstreak turns into absolute chaos.
The Bad: Nothing.
Overall: Static: Season One #1 does everything you want from a first issue of a new series. You are introduced to the world, characters, and story around it all in a way that gets you invested in what is going on. Virgil Hawkins is presented as a multi-layered character with a strong supporting cast. The ending pays off everything built in Static: Season One #1 that leaves you wondering how Virgil will handle his destiny as Static.
SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW #1
Creative Team
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Bilquis Evely
Colorist: Matheus Lopes
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
The Good: Kara Zor-El has been through a lot over the years. Specifically, her recent experience being controlled by Batman Who Laughs left Kara in a place where there was no clear path for her future. Tom King dives into that fact by having Kara celebrate her 21st birthday on her own away from everyone. That’s where we find a Kara in this series, as she is someone who really is lost as she in a transition period in her life where she does not know what is next in her life. When that is the focus of the story Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1 is at its best.
While the same can’t be said about the real main character of this first issue I’ll give King credit for developing the world Supergirl is in through Ruthye, a new character introduced in this issue. You get a better sense of the world Supergirl is in thanks to Ruthye being more experienced in the setting. Which allows there to be a better exploration of how we are going to have more of a cosmic-based story in this series.
Elevating everything that happens in Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1 is Bilquis Evely phenomenal artwork. Evely does such a fantastic job building the world that Supergirl is in to be unlike anything we have seen. From the world itself to the creatures and people that live there, you feel like you are in a whole new world not seen in the DC Universe before. This makes Supergirl’s own journey of being in a position of an unknown future be even at more of the forefront of the story.
The Bad: For everything that King does well in Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1 there are an equal amount of things that frustrate you as a reader. One of those is with the presentation of Ruthye as a new character. King just does not stop writing dialogue or inner monologue for the character. Even when he has Evely’s amazing artwork helping to tell the story he is unrelenting with his writing. There are times I just wished King trusted Evely’s artwork to tell the story in certain panels.
The involvement of Krypton in Supergirl’s journey also comes across as extremely forced. Especially when you consider that Krypto has never been shown to be strongly connected to Supergirl, as he is normally by Clark Kent, Connor Kent, and Jon Kent’s side. That makes what happens to Krypto at the end of Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1 make him nothing more than a plot device. If King instead had the first few issues of this series build a sub-plot around Supergirl and Krypto’s connection what happens to the latter would’ve been an impactful character moment.
Overall: Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1 built a solid foundation for the next phase in Kara Zor-El’s life. Tom King and Bilquis Evely did a very good job setting up how Kara is in a transition period in her life. Hopefully King is able to better balance out overcompensating with his writing as Evely’s artwork delivered on helping craft a world that you want to learn more about.
X-CORP #2
Creative Team
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Alberto Foche
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Story Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
The Good: When it comes to placing a spotlight on Monet and Angel X-Corps #2 works well enough. Tini Howard knows how to present both of them as leading characters as they continue to develop Krakoa’s business dealings around them. We see how Monet and Angel balance each other out as they both bring something different when it comes to interacting with major business players.
Alberto Foche’s artwork nails how the Hellfire Gala is a high-level event. The designs of the characters and setting get that across. Its overall a solid look that gets better when there is some action in this issue.
The Bad: As with other chapters that don’t involve the main story of the Hellfire Gala, X-Corps #2 never fully taps into the potential with the latest X-Men crossover event. Its even more noticeable in X-Corp #2 because of how small of a cast that is featured in this series. The story would’ve been much better if we saw other X-Men or heroes in the Marvel Universe interacting with Angel and Monet. A character like Tony Stark in particular would been fitting for the direction of X-Corp to get over the direction of this series as being connected to greater Marvel Universe.
Overall: X-Corp #2 got the job done when it comes to further positioning Monet and Angel as lead characters. Unfortunately this issue does not maximize the Hellfire Gala setting to elevate the greater narrative of this series. Its just by the books that left you wishing the Hellfire Gala setting was used much more effectively.
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