Jed W. Keith Comic Reviews

With A.D.: AFTER DEATH Volume 1, writer Scott Snyder and artist Jeff Lemire have crafted one of the most moving comic books to emerge from 2016.

Allen: Son of Hellcock #1 is one of the funniest launches to a comic book series I’ve set my eyes on this year. In a year packed with such books as Jem and the Holograms and Welcome to Showside debuting in comic shops, that a high bar that Tracy, Porto, and Koplowitz have hurdled. While clutching on to the funny, Allen: Son of Hellcock lovingly pokes at fantasy tropes while embracing and revering them for what they bring to the table.

ANGEL CATBIRD Vol. 1 is a beautifully-crafted tale that infuses a modern sensibility and pulpy storytelling both to entertain and to educate, a full realization that earns a spot among Atwood's best works.

The melancholic malaise that hangs BATMAN #48 is palpable, and it's a credit to how adept Snyder and Capullo are at characterization that they make readers do the nigh-impossible: feel sympathy for the Joker.

BATMAN #50 is the culmination of nearly five years' worth of stories and a shining example of what a creative team can accomplish when they both love what they're doing and understand their subject matter on an atomic level.

Batman #17 takes elements of a story we know well—the vicious circle trapping Batman and Bane—and examines it through a different lens that gives us a novel view.

Batman #44 gives a peek behind the mask (or veil) of who Selina is and her worldview, while at the same time hints at why she and Batman have played their cat-and-bat game over the years.

A Batman tale is never better than when the character is at his lowest valley because that's when we can cheer him on as he climbs out of the darkness. And with Batman #59, King, Janin, Bellaire, and Clowes are setting up for the Dark Knight for a fall that will let us marvel as he gets back up.

What is a man's breaking point? Creators over the years have examined the Dark Knight and questioned what his breaking point is, with King and the whole team on Batman perhaps being the most surgical and methodical. However, before Bruce can catch his breath from the threat of one assault, another is thrown at his feet from left field. While we don't know if the Caped Crusader will have a point of no return, it's certainly been gripping watching what King and company lob at Batman along the way.

In continuity or not, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle couldn’t have had a more appropriate and heartfelt wedding and if this is the last that fans of the characters get, then we’re lucky to have this one.

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 is the first issue of a crossover that marries two different, yet hardly diametrically opposed franchises that should prove to not only let each character shine, but give off that light in ways not yet explored.

Ahmed and Ward have made a lasting mark on Black Bolt that gives future creators avenues to build on the emotional growth the team left on the Midnight King.

The Black Cloak #1 is a perfect fusion of fantasy and mystery and highlights the best of both. Our 10/10 review.

BLACK PANTHER #1 finally gives us a T'Challa who, despite his wide-reaching achievements and abilities, is clawing his way to repair both his nation and himself. In the process, we will also assuredly see a character who will come out the other end of this hero's journey a better and more nuanced man a nd monarch.

Cyko KO #1 is proof-positive that an "all ages" label can be more than lip service to pull in more readers or viewers. In the hands of the right creator--one, like Feldman, who has an honest, genuine, passionate love for the comic book medium--a comic can appeal to a wide array of readers' sensibilities and senses of humor. That unabashed love for what they do is something Feldman and his fourth-wall-breaking baby have in common.

If Dark Days: The Forge #1 is any indication of what’s to come in Dark Nights: Metal, it’s clear that DC’s Rebirth era has firm grasp of what makes for a big, bold, high-stakes event comic yarn.

By adding emotional depth beneath her bravado and putting her goals and wants center-stage, the entire Domino series"and issue #4 in particular"has given readers even more reason to love the luck-powered hero, and the X-books and the wider Marvel Universe are better for it.

ETHER #1 is an honors class in epistemology and how we know what know wrapped in the trappings of a truly engaging tale of self-discovery.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is the perfect entry point for fans of the comics and film to jump into the action along with the heroes. If you’re looking for roughneck heroes with hearts of gold doing what they do best, search no further.

Hawkeye #5 gives readers a fun, hard-boiled buddy romp while slipping in a treatise about how we rise and fall relative to our insecurities.

Hawkeye #6 is the perfect alchemy of private sleuthing and freaking dragons—who doesn’t love Sam Spade-style groundwork injected with fire-breathing metaphors?

Hawkeye #7 demonstrates once again that the creative team has a keen grasp of who their characters are and where they want those characters to move narratively, while never forgetting to keep a balance of propelling action and character development.

It's a testament to creative teams like the one on Immortal X-Men that make us wish [this chapter] of the X-Men [lasted] a little longer.

INDOCTRINATION #1 is a book that doesn’t make me feel good about myself or the times that fear overtakes me. I don’t read it and feel good about the world about me. But it’s a book that makes me confront certain truths about myself and the world. I’ll be picking up the next issue, even if it takes me a few days to get through it.

Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe #1 gives readers everything they could ask for in a meeting of DC's heroes and villains and He-Man's companions and foes, as well some beats they didn't. It's not every creative team that can bring thoughtful political commentary to a yarn about magic swords and alternate realities, but they stick the landing beautifully.

The Invincible Iron Man #1 is the perfect jumping-on point for new fans of Tony's exploits, while still respecting the long history in which past readers have invested themselves. Our 10/10 review.

The Invincible Iron Man keeps proving to be a compelling read month-in and month-out, and this upcoming paradigm shift with so many of Marvel's four-colored players impacted will continue to keep readers coming back to see Tony knocked down, but not out. Our review.

Jem and the Holograms #11 demonstrates once again why the series month-in and month-out is one of the most enjoyable and most pertinent books on the racks. Brimming with emotional impact, solid characterization, visually ebullient art, and just bald enjoyment, Jem is a shining example of creators who know their craft and aren’t afraid to make bold choices to serve both the story and the readers.

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS #24 is a phenomenal, if bittersweet, kickoff to the final arc of a consistently pitch-perfect series.

Jem and the Holograms #25, even with so many plot threads that are coming to a head, manages to be connected with a theme of insecurity and gives readers positive and negative examples as to how to handle that insecurity.

Jem: The Misfits #5 is a gorgeous concoction of the sweet and the salty, just like we like our Misfits, and the creative team could not have let the rockers belt out a more glorious and rebellious song to cap off the series.

Justice League/Power Rangers #2 is an ebullient yarn for folks who want a comic that is a breezy tale filled with fun character moments and want to know what happens when the Flash watches from afar when it’s “morphin time.”

Justice League of America #1 is a proper introduction to the types of stories we’ve been promised in the Rebirth prologue, a book promising the bombast of we’ve come to expect from the Justice League franchise coupled with thoughtful allegories and messages layered underneath.

Justice League of America #7 once again shows that a successful superhero tale knows how to balance the action and the pathos, which the book’s creative team has down to a science.

In Justice League of America: Rebirth #1, Orlando and Reis have revealed their mission statement for the upcoming Justice League of America title, one that reflects the hope and diversity of the America part of the book’s name.

The Justice League comic franchise has experienced an embarrassment of riches in creators and tight, character-defining stories worthy of its heroes. The team of No Justice has taken that baton and doesn’t look to be slowing down, offering the beginning of a larger-than-life epic that will stand tall with the iconic tales that came before.

Klaus #1 imbues fresh magic into a legend that’s been told and told and told again. As Morrison has shown with similar larger-than-life characters such as the Man of Steel, however, he’s more than adept at making all that’s old and staid feel new once more.

LEGEND #1 is a slow burn and, largely, is stage-setting, as many number one issues are. However, in a scant 21 pages, Sattin and Koehler have made me care more about a new cast of characters those than long-established series on the newsstands in quite some time. And I want to know “what’s next.”

LEGEND #3 stands apart from other animal-centered stories in that the creators allow their creations be animals, resulting in a tale that’s equal parts familiar and disturbing.

LEGEND #4 proves that apocalyptic tales can comment on a variety of social issues without lecturing or talking down to readers.

If you’re looking for a creative team that take the best parts of Tennyson and WATERSHIP DOWN’s Richard Adams, look no further than to Sattin and Koehler.

One issue into Lucifer and I’m already eager to see what winding road Black, Garbett, and the Morningstar are going to take us down, knowing Old Scratch and his world are in phenomenally-talented hands.

Lucifer #15 continues to show that not only is the series a worthy successor to Mike Carey’s seminal 75-issue run in the book’s previous iteration, but that its current stewards understand Lucifer in a way that allows them to open new doors into the character’s world.

Mister Miracle is about family. It's about growing up. It's about finding purpose in a seemingly purposeless world. And it's about refusing to give in to the darkness when it threatens to swallow you whole. And how King, Gerads, and Cowles craft these themes under the auspices of a cosmic superhero framework is why it stands tall as one of the best comic stories of not just 2018, but the last decade.

Robin War #1 is a fast-paced start to a storyline that promises to explore the high points and lows of the idea of civic duty and how it fits into law and justice as a whole. Also, the fact that it’s filled with a ton of ass-kicking Robins doesn’t hurt things, either.

Rogue & Gambit continues to be one of the best X-books on the stands, not just for its mining of past X-Men history, but for making a concerted effort to push characters to do something about their longings and wants, come what may.

SAVAGE AVENGERS #8 is the definition of "breakneck action," while allowing for smaller character moments that stay true to the mission of the book. Our 10/10 review.

SHE-HULK #6 is wonderful entry point to the world of the Jade Goliath, as well as anyone who likes a healthy mix of fun, character, and high stakes in their superhero stories.

One issue down and we're all in for Space Ghost; not just for the quality, although that's top-notch. The first issue is obviously a labor of love for the entire creative team, and that love beams through as intensely as a blast from one of the hero's gauntlets. Our review.

STAR WARS Annual #2 doesn’t work just as a commentary on the price of war, but also a character study of how ideologies about war can be so conflicting, depending one’s point of view.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #18 is one of the most engaging and enlightening Star Wars tales in the franchise’s four-decade history. Since their first issue of the relaunch, Charles Soule and the entire creative team consistently bring nuance and depth to the character of Vader in a way that’s both surprising and rewarding, demonstrating that there are plenty of layers to the Dark Lord of the Sith—and his allies and enemies—to be explored.

POE DAMERON #1 does a lot in terms of backstory and set-up for what’s to come later down the line in the series. However, that heavy lifting seems incredibly light and accessible in Soule and Noto’s capable hands.

With THE FLINTSTONES #3, Mark Russell and Steve Pugh prove once again that the modern Stone Age family’s tales are in the more-than-competent hands of creators who both respect the source material and aren’t afraid to use satire to inject a story with heart and message.

THE GODDAMNED #5 is the natural, yet perfect, conclusion to a tale of a fallen world, a world that might have always been fallen and might always be destined to be fallen. However, Aaron, Guera, and Brusco give us a tale that’s not unrealistically hopeful or oppressively heavy. In a yarn filled with biblical myths and cannibalistic giants, we get a story that embraces humanity and takes it for what it is, light and dark, warts and all.

There is a sense that releasing The Sandman Universe #1 as its opening act is a cue to readers that Vertigo is committed to a rejuvenated concept that respects what came before, but digs deep to grow something new.

There is a sense that releasing The Sandman Universe #1 as its opening act is a cue to readers that Vertigo is committed to a rejuvenated concept that respects what came before, but digs deep to grow something new.

The Sheriff of Babylon #1 is one of the brightest spots among a host of bright spots in Vertigo’s new series rollouts. Regardless of whether King and Gerads’ tale makes you think, creates anger, or leaves you longing, it is sure to stay with you long after you’ve set the book aside.

THE VARIANTS #3 has everything you could want in a superhero tale: quiet moments, bombastic fare, and nimble characterization, all worthy of one of the Marvel Universe's most complex and compelling characters.

Anyone who's excited for what's to come with Kang needs to give TIMELESS #1 a read.

Anyone who’s excited for what’s to come with Kang needs to give TIMELESS #1 a read.

Piskor’s loving reverence for those elements is beautifully displayed on every page of the each issue he’s gifted readers thus far, and his care and craftsmanship only ramp up anticipation for his opus’ future installments.