Solid!

I knew little about the character of Bettie Page going in. As she is portrayed here, she is bright, modest, and quite charming. The comic looks lovely, and has some great banter. One double splash page from the set of the movie left me in awe. So much going on, and yet so easy to digest. The plot seems a little tentative so far, but the package is a delight.

This was a tough read. It was so dense, and involved so much protracted scene setting that it was a bit of a slog. Still, by the end, the story does finally prove to be promising. It’s nice that there seemed to be something of a unifying theme regarding the dangers of tech but it felt repetitive and frankly not that believable. Why would someone with new tech that effectively delegates mundane tasks be presenting it to at-risks teens? How would that help that demographic? Surely the target audience would be billionaires? Similarly when talking to Walt, who openly admits his knowledge is limited, Carol allows him to persuade her that she witnessed an optical illusion. It makes little sense. However, I think the writer has a flair for writing Carol, and that could be the saving grace for this book, especially as the story only really kicks in at the end. Sadly the writing for Spider-Woman is on a par for how Marvel have been treating her of late. She was an adept Spy, trained fighter, and a Private Investigator. Nowadays she’s little more than a whiny, petulant, Americanised woman-child who makes gratingly bad jokes, and is contractually obliged to allude to her absentee son so that we don’t forget she’s living the dream that “All Moms are Superheroes.” How the mighty have fallen. I expected better from Nocenti considering her previous work on Jessica’s initial run, so I am inclined to think this is an editorial choice. I might give it another issue to see if it gains momentum, because there is a small core of promise here, but can’t see me staying on board if I keep getting thrown out of the story by the stuff that rankles.

I had a lot of fun with this comic. The characters were compelling and the shocks unexpected. It felt really well thought out with some great conflict being stored up for later issues and real sympathy elicited for the various victims and/or mediators. Looking forward to Issue 2.

Okay so this is just plain cool. The second issue dials up the campy ick, the true horror, and the feels all in one unique and enjoyable package.

I expected to like this book, It had great world building, looked fantastic, and had an interesting premise. Sadly a couple of things nixed it for me. The book is heavily filtered through the male gaze. Yes, some of that is incumbent within the plot, and yes, some of it does get addressed to a degree, but it never manages to pull away from that. It felt more like it was trying to have its cake and eat it too whilst becoming deeply mired in what it purportedly questions. The other disappointment was the ending, it just did not land for me, especially the cheesy dialogue. It felt so goofball and off-kilter it wasn’t even worth a groan. Like it retrospectively tarnished the good.

This book is both completely fun and completely brutal. So far, art included, it’s all a bit sketchy though. I love the look of the different gangs but need more than basic tribalism to feel fully engaged. Still there is more than enough here to make me excited to return next time.

Crikey Moses this book has more than fulfilled its potential with its second issue. The first issue was fast paced and brutal but felt somewhat inconsequential in scope. With this issue the scope is most definitely widened, and it becomes apparent that a lot of the groundwork laid in the first issue has lead to stifling greatness. This is clever, ebullient stuff. Everything is sharper this time around; the calculated and creepy lettering, the art and colours cinematic, disorientating, and claustrophobic, and the plot is compelling, paranoid, and jangles like a shredded nerve.

This book is so lean, so mean, and so cut throat it really just reminds me of early Carpenter movies in both scope and mood. And really I can’t say fairer than that. The way that new and different fractions and elements are introduced is beguiling, it shows such a firm grasp. I am already saddened to know that this is a five parter but recognise that part of its power is in how its density and tautness combine to ratchet up the tension and the stakes.

I enjoyed this more than some it seems. It reminded me a lot of 2000AD Future Shocks which is never a bad thing in my books. I can even see how the story could be developed afterwards. I enjoyed the world building too, including the dialogue. Makes me very intrigued to see what Karla Pacheco does with Spider-Woman.

Fun, with magnificent art. There is a lot to unpack here, and I wasn’t quite as amused as I had hoped to be, but it is a refreshingly bizarre idea and the social commentary is spot on.

This is more like it. The hit rate for the jokes is high and the drama involving the characters is much more grounded than the concept suggests.

This is very much my thing. Neo Noir with an edge. Some of the art seems basic but the story telling is solid.

Fleshing our the characters is a wise move here. The mystery is still building but we have a sense of why choices are being made and the risks that they involve.

The plot slows down further to allow even more attention to the differences that drive our protagonist and the wealthy patrons she is investigating. There are two major spoilers here that propel the plot but they both cleverly lean into the central premise behind the book ensuring that the stakes are raised and the audience becomes more emotionally involved.

Having slowed down last week this issue contains a great deal of action with Ava and the Wei’s fighting for their lives, as Daher learns the consequences of her outburst. The Chases are playing to win just as hard as our protagonists. This issue ramps up the tension too as we head towards the climax next month.

Like all good Noir the denouement is, as it should be, perfectly obvious in hindsight. There is even potential for a more hard boiled sequel. If one does appear there are one or two creative wrinkles in the art and conception that I would like to see ironed out, but for now this book still provided a satisfactory ending to a different take onan old trope.

I’m giving this opening issue a solid 7. It was an easy, and enjoyable read with enough of a last moment twist to imply that the concept could be thrilling fun. A small moment when Derek is noted as having green eyes, but shown to have blue puzzled me and I wasn’t sure if it was a clue or a small error. After one issue there is enough to whet my appetite but not enough to make an out and out decision on if this book will resonate with me.

I am liking what I see but the “rules” are so vague at this point that I am unsure how much depth or purpose this book is striving fore. Still I am looking forward to finding out.

Stunning. Every element, writing, art, colouring, and lettering pull together to create a realistic twisting horror that builds suspense and puts its protagonists through the wringer without playing all its cards.

Wonderful. Such an involving plot, and just when you think you’ve seen the worst, there lurking in the background, is another even more disturbing detail. It is quite an intense read.

Sublime. This book came out of the blocks as a blockbuster, and three issues in can do no wrong. Powerful, gripping, cinematic, and addictive. Get on board as soon as you can, you will not regret it.

For such a lovely looking book the horrors on display are both powerful and disturbing. Here we see the family unit being broken up even more than before, and even after a few short issues, the very fact that this is painful speaks to the skill of the entire team in creating such an involving read. Highly recommended.

Oddly, even though the book starts with an almighty fight scene, this issue feels like the calm before the storm. The family unit has been separated, and are starting to all edge even further adrift. For all the disparate parties survival is beginning to mean very different things, and acceptance of the vagaries of this violent ravaged world could prove to be the undoing of some. And just as I was wondering about a seemingly abandoned plot point from an earlier issue, it comes back into focus here adding further menace to the story.

I’m not certain. The concept is fresh and has potential, but the plotting, and repetitive sexual shenanigans, made me feel as though I had read the same issue twice. The ending certainly moved things along, and I’m interested to see how the story progresses, but I’m also checking out where the exits are located just in case.

That’s more like it. This issue had a really compelling emotional core that resonated within the plot, and the story was strong. The way it ends make me feel as if that may be it for now, perhaps a break, but despite my previous concerns I l’m definitely keeping it in my pull list.

There is a lot to get through here so the pacing is a bit manic, but the set-up is great, as are the characters, the art, and the sublime colouring.

Another really solid issue. This is a fantastically good looking comic and the characters are very engaging. The plot is gaining momentum and I am looking forward to Sera’s quest.

I’m in, all the way. How this book is not one of the biggest books out there in the stands I do not know. I cannot isolate any component as the entire whole is just wondrous.

There is such a wealth of imagination here and the art remains so, so pretty.

Fantasy and magic are not my usual fare, but the beautiful colouring and unusual plot had my attention. The ending was killer though and ensured my return.

I’m still not convinced it’s my bag, but there is always something to marvel at, and a plot point that is so surprising that it keeps me engaged.

A lot more action within this episode putting the two forces driven by different faiths against each other. It’s still a slightly frustrating read at times, some of the art in the action scenes does enough to convey what is happening without giving a sense of fluidity. As ever the ending is a blinder and it looks like the next two issues will fulfil the promise raised so far.

Once again I am finding myself captivated by moments rather than the overall execution, but there was some interesting interplay of beliefs between the two opposing leads that gave this issue a bit more gravitas.

The final issue... As the series comes to a close we get a battle between the two gods which leaves a lot of collateral damage and ends decisively. The themes of faith or lack of are explored more fully in this issue which makes sense as the stakes are so high. I still find myself enjoying the moments rather than the complete production but will miss its unique plot and pretty pastel colours.

Fun but inessential. Wasn’t sorry I gave it a go, but there also wasn’t quite enough to make me consider picking up issue two.

Nooo! I love Spider-Woman and was so excited to read this but this book does her no favours at all, that’s when it is actually about her and not Silk. Jess comes over as bolshy for no good reason. The mission makes no sense. If the idea is to protect Silk from the bad guys how can Jess infiltrate their world and babysit Silk at the same time? Plus this loses extra points for sexualising Jess and having teenage characters compare themselves unfavourably to her. Yuk!

Oh no, it’s worse. At one point Jessica states that she is a feminist but the writer most definitely isn’t and surrounds her with dodgy sexist jokes, and relationships with male characters that are sexual or romantic. Horrible. And Silk is the one who actually gets the useful intel so it just makes Jessica look lesser.

I should stop thinking this book can’t get any worse. It can. This time we get more sexist gags, horrifyingly rendered violence against women, and Jessica catching her dress and ripping it off as if she is starring in the Adventures of Jane - and old British wartime comic strip.

I never thought I would say this about a Spider-Woman book but I am glad it’s over. The ending was pretty forced with Silk, Arachne, and Gwen seemingly turning up out of nowhere, and a two page spread that tries to make the events sound meaningful and historic but with really badly written narration. Then we get a coda with SpiderWoman and Captain Marvel off to visit Avengers Tower. The dialogue between these two warriors is painfully twee and reduces their status to Valley Girls from a bad 90’s movie. We get a small action scene, which after three previous issues of piddling about finally manages to make Jess look cool. And just as we think she is back where she belongs we learn she is leaving the Avengers to discover herself - a journey she already took with S.W.O.R.D.

This is so much better than the utter tripe that was Jess in SpiderVerse. But, for all the hype from the author that this is the story he wanted to write it’s a bit all over the shop, and I am not certain he really knows who Jess is. On the very first page he makes a school boy error about Jess’ past lovers that a quick glance at Wikipedia could have corrected. Jess comes over as a low rent Spider-Man doling out, not very funny, one liners Including one about that cover which would have been best forgotten entirely, especially considering how sexist the writer himself was in SpiderVerse. The plot doesn’t do too much, Jessica makes a rookie error because she is too keen, which is disappointing as it makes her look thick really, but the pay off scene in the jail of her being forced to play Charades is pretty funny, as Jess would absolutely hate that. The new costume is not my cup of tea, if you’re going to be a Private Eye, wearing a really noticeable leather jacket seems like a dull choice to make, it’s a bit too Jessica Jones as well so doesn’t really scream new identity. Speaking of which, if it has wing pits why does Jess need a motorcycle? And that is my worry. Too much here seems to be done because “it’s cool”, not because it suits Jess. And the art is the same. One or two images took my breath away, the rest was so inconsistent that at one point Jess was drawn looking 3 foot tall and dumpy, I was looking forward to this fresh start but am beginning to worry.

This is not the Jessica I know, she’s not exactly intelligent, rushing off to put herself in obvious danger. And I am not of fan of female characters encountering sexist men, and having them make sexist comments, it’s such a negative way to portray female superheroes. I prefer stories that show women in charge rather than having to fight for respect, especially in their own solo books. The art I think is carrying this book, there is some standout loveliness but it’s all a bit too quirky to take seriously.

Oh dear. This is really not turning out to be my cup of tea. If this was any character other than Jess I would probably be thinking of dropping this book. Jess is so bad at being a detective she doesn’t recognise someone until they have given her the perfect excuse having caught her snooping, so she’s not stealthy. Then despite her super hearing she doesn’t hear a loud mechanical forklift creeping up on her. Plus there is something I am finding a bit disturbing, all the male criminals we have seen have been aggressive and dumb, but then again so has Jess, and now we have a town full of perfect women. There is not much depth to the subtext here. I don’t know if the writer is trying to compensate for the earlier SpiderVerse series but it all feels a bit false. The art continues to be a mixed bag. Some clever stuff, and then some really odd faces and elongated limbs.

This issue actually made me angry, and probably should have come with a trigger warning from the publisher. So Jessica discovers, through no detective work whatsoever, that the women in the town are all victims of abusive spouses in one way or another and have run away and built this town by blackmailing their menfolk into robbing for them. Jessica manages to glean this from looking into the eyes of the town organiser who is beating her up and recognises the look of a victim “like herself”. So far this series has been bouncy enough fun and more than a bit dumb, but for it to take a serious subject like this and trash it so badly is shocking. It’s almost worse that the abuse suffered by Lady Caterpillar at the hands of her partner is shown so sincerely, as the abuse that has been dished out to the Porcupine (and Jess dressed as he) has been portrayed as dumb fun, with a subtext of being deserved. This issue actually turned my stomach.

I really had hoped that after the previous issues that the Porcupine and the entire tawdry storyline involving him had been left behind. And it makes no sense that, Jess and Ben, knowing that he has previously deserted his wife would agree to drag him along with them. But that is this book all over. Instead we get a “wacky” montage showing just what “fun” it is to bring the annoying character along. Then things take a sinister turn and we finally, get to see Jess in action barring her gruesome fight last issue, except it’s a nonsensical splash page where we can’t actually read the actions we just know it’s cool. Then before you know it Jess is dragged off to abattoir where she has a meaningless fight with the big bad and ends up in a cliff hanger from nowhere that doesn’t seem to relate to the rest of the issue at all.

Fine. If the cliff hanger from last week came out of nowhere then Jess’s escape is even less earned. Basically, she does some basic parkour, makes a cheap joke about her tragic past, and then runs into a load of hulked out cows. I think the writer even knows this is painful stuff as he has Jess toss off a quick gag to acknowledge it. So that makes it ok then. So now we learn why the Porcupine was dragged along, it’s so he can solve the case by “thinking just like Jess”, because just being in her company has taught him everything he needs to know. Actually he lucks out, like the other detective work in all the previous issues, by bumping into a nurse that pretty much tells him what has happened and now we understand the action taking place in an abattoir, I guess, it’s all such random happenstance it’s hard to tell. Porcupine finds out the whole town has been controlled by a gamer which doesn’t explain how they had greater moves than Jess as they were still normal humans, nor does it explain the hulked out cows, but never mind, Ben, who I had forgotten was shot in the previous issue, is still alive (as if there was the slightest doubt), and is making unfunny comments that are supposed to be jokes as everyone is laughing. Ho, Ho! And then Jess leaves to go save the World or something, it isn’t clear, and after this trivial and pointless issue I could care less.

Oh no! If this book was about say HellCat then I think I could handle it. In fact now I think about it the way Hopeless writes Jess would be perfect for Patsy. The barely controlled temper, the gung-ho attitude, and the inability to plan her next move would really, really suit that character and poor Jess would be free for something more deserving of her unique skills. Particularly as he doesn’t even use most of her abilities. Gliding anyone? Anyone? No. That’s great! And now here she is pregnant, just like Jessica Jones, or Julia Carpenter, or Jubilee, or Tigra, or...any of 101 other Marvel Mums. But this time, unlike Jones, or Julia, or Jubilee, or Tigra it’s all about Jessica being a single mum…oh wait! I thought this was a really perverse decision until I understood how it came about. Then I knew it was. You see the Writer. Artist, and Editor had all just become fathers and were so determined to tell the world that their willies did in actual fact work that they chose to make the one female character who said she never wanted kids to carry their spawn too. No toxic masculinity here, no siree. And nor does it even slightly suggest that all those women that get treated like circus freaks for not wanting kids just need to lighten up a bit, and go with it. Things change after all! And, as everyone knows, all mummies are superheroes and much better than dirty rotten no good non-mummies. So much so that just from being in her presence Porcupine is now able to cover Jess’s maternity leave and fight in her stead, except without any of her powers. And thus continues the writers journey to making Jess as mundane and lowly powered as possible. But hey she’s no longer a Superhero she’s a Supermummy FTW. Putting aside my deep concerns about the dubious message this book sends by silencing a unique female role model it’s business as usual nothing really amounts to anything other than a few creaky punchlines, a couple of weak lines purportedly demonstrating a vague generic support of the concept of feminism, and a plot that could have been emotionally meaningful considering Jessica’s history but isn’t.

OMG Jessica confronts her worst enemies in her least capable state! Oh meh! What could have been I guess. Having set up such a powerful dilemma the script runs as far and fast in the opposite direction as possible. Giving us instead quirky old fashioned phones, and comedy villains, and brightly coloured guilt from Captain Marvel. By now this comic is so formulaic, fake plot fake outs, splash pages, inner monologue compensating when things get silly (thank goodness for pregnant yoga), that I find it incredible to see others praising its originality. And on that score we had two recent She-Hulk series with a similar tone, HellCat not being completely dissimilar, and Squirrel-Girl. As if Marvel will only let female characters exist if they are cutesy and somewhat silly.

The colouring is lovely. Some of the art is too. There is no real plot or tension though. Jessica has to swim through some pretty pictures to get some intel. Who knew pregnant ladies can swim? Go pregnant ladies or something. Sigh!

OMG just when things cannot look bleaker for our titular heroine... She bumps into the exact character she needs to help her solve everything. This time a Skrull kid, but phew, would you believe he is a friendly one who knows all about her, and her ass. Well thank goodness for that it’s not like anyone wants to forget that furore is it. And hey every ten year old in my neighbourhood talks to grown women about their asses too so it’s not like it’s creepy or anything. It’s just banter, right? The kid asks Jessica, who has forgotten to think by herself by now just like all women who need a man in a crisis, if she can use her bio-electric powers to cut a hole through a steel wall. (Reader, she cannot, they do not work that way.) Oh wait, after all these years she has a hidden upgrade. Who knew? Lucky! Maybe she is Domino in disguise? Certainly seems like it. Then she has her baby. I’m actually taking a mark off for this scene. Had it felt in the slightest bit earned then I might at least have praised the emotional honesty of the art, but it’s mawkish and contrived. Then she beats up the bad guys in yet another montage scene, it’s well drawn, but it’s another montage scene. Surely we could have something different this far into the run. Then Jess and Captain Marvel share the most obvious joke in the world. And I’m adding a point back on for depicting a lovely and natural breastfeeding scene, regardless of how hard I feel that Jess should not be a mother, I thought that was an excellent choice.

Oh dear, The art is great this issue and the first half of the comic is the prettiest public awareness information pamphlet I have ever seen. Shame we have seen it in every single film or tv show about having a new baby, and an even bigger shame that it is portrayed as a revelation here. The second half involves Jess going out and trusting Porcupine with her baby. Wait what? Doesn’t he have a wife and child of his own that he keeps deserting? And Jess keeps having visions about how little she trusts him halfway through her evening. Maybe should have thought about that before? But wait, of course Porcupine turns out to be the most domesticated father ever in the history of the entire world, just not for his own family, but who cares eh, there’s nothing even remotely pathological about that. Oh and She-Hulk worries about how many calories she has consumed with her drinking because we can’t forget to fat shame the big girl can we. Then Jess finally tells her best friend she went to a Sperm Donor and congratulates herself on becoming a working single mummy. But not like Jessica Jones, or Julia Carpenter, or Jubilee, or Tigra, or... And then the male creators take a whole page to congratulate themselves on their willies working and dude-splain how their readers should be careful before making a decision like the (not in the slightest bit patriarchal), decision they made on behalf of the fictional character because Jess had a close fictional support network, which if you work out the timeline doesn’t quite track but hey...go pregnant ladies, you show those no good rotten non-mummies just how awful they are. All women want babies. And women who keep saying no like Jessica don’t mean it. What do you mean that’s sick? Are you one of those no good non-mummies?

:-)

I am so happy with this series so far. It not only honours who Jess is but it honours her backstory too. Octavia Vermis, how did I not see that costume as Hydra in the previews, is an interesting villain. Cold, and unconcerned with anything beyond her own plans. I cannot wait to see how this series progresses. It’s fun to see Jess cut lose and free of the ties that bind. For too long she’s been a sidekick, even to a degree within her last run, so it’s nice to see the spotlight on her in a solo capacity.

Hahahahahaha. That is me laughing joyously after reading this issue. This book is everything I wanted for Jess, pacy, witty, fun...plus BIG seeecrets!

No words. You’ll see.

It seems odd to declare an issue with this much action as a bit of a breather, but it is. It gives us a chance to appreciate more deeply the extreme pressure Jess has been under since the beginning of this run. It’s also fun to see tension build between Carol and Jess in a way that freaks Carol out, the stakes become higher and suggests a welcome unpredictability in their dynamic. Great stuff.

Some slight pacing issues in the book this week. Still, on the plus side Roger has gone, thank god. If the kid could go next that’d be even better.

Perfection. 🤩

Sad to see this run end, but it has been gradually losing momentum for a while. The return of Veranke should have been finger-bitingly tense but turned out to be a comedic damp squib. The Hopeless run backed Jess into such a dead end, sexist, and unfulfilling storyline, and with such a formulaic consciously wacky tone, that the character ended up bogged down and felt like she’d been replaced by a far less interesting alternate. This book spent a lot of time and effort trying to free her from that restricted viewpoint but suffered because of it, meaning it was never completely its own thing. It’s especially disappointing as when this book fired on all cylinders it soared, but when it took too many pointers from the previous run it crashed and burned. Hopefully when Spider-Woman returns Marvel will try to find a tone that suits the identity of the character, the thing that makes her unique, rather than the generic mildly wacky, mildly amusing, template that they seem to overlay onto so many of their female characters. Pacheco and Perez were talented enough to paper over a lot of the cracks but I am getting bored by the formulaic approach that Marvel seems to insist upon.

Okay, this is a mostly good. The tone, the pacing, and the look of the book are all very welcome. It feels streamlined, and grownup, and there is a refreshing lack of wackiness. Although her venom blasts are listed as bio-kinetic not bio-electric so I don’t know what that’s about. The plot is slim, but effective, and by the end of the book enough pieces are already in play for the story to progress and gain momentum. As for the central mystery, it works! Although, in truth, I’m more concerned about the disappearance of Lindsay McCabe. I never liked the decision to make Jess a Mom. Her stance against motherhood was powerful, and unique, and played to her status as an outlier. Still, here we are, and whilst it’s not the most original story, I appreciate how it is being handled here. My one real quibble is with Jessica’s voice. The scenes with Armadillo and Spider-Man were spot on, but Carol’s visit and the nightclub scene, didn’t match. The dialogue between Carol and Jess felt like it belonged in another book, it felt campy, and tonally misplaced. Similarly, Jess calling bad guys a “waste of air” and “slimy” felt redundant, it seemed too florid, and diluted the tension. It’s odd, because Foxe is nailing all the voices in Dark X-Men. I wonder if he’s doing too much in service to previous runs rather than shutting them out and fully committing to his own thing? However, minor gripes aside, it’s a solid start. It’s nice to see a more serious approach to Jess.

Okay, I’m struggling a bit here. Jess is my fave, and I don’t think she’s always been well served. I hated the Hopeless run, and whilst I mostly enjoyed the Pacheco run it didn’t hold the same excitement on a second read. I’m a fan since the original days and here, we’re getting something that feels like it could deliver something special but is, imo, let down by missteps. I loved seeing Jess going Old Skool, actually conducting an investigation and going under cover, but it was all for naught when an accomplished spy unwittingly tripped a sensor. It made her look duff. I could accept that the trauma of her kid going missing had made her sloppy but there was nothing in the script to suggest that. Also I had secretly believed that Jess somehow used her bio-electric (not kinetic) powers as a form of stealth, so that’s on me. Boo, though. At another point Jess calls Logan “surly” when I would argue understandably pissed off. Jess has always been the outlier voice seeing others with empathy, so her response seemed weird. Plus, if you’re going to complain that family chit-chat is ruining the urgency of your mission, then why devise a plan that involves waiting until the next day and hiding in a toilet, when your own gliding powers and super hearing will get the job done far more quickly? In general I did feel that Jessica’s voice was clearer in this issue, less flouncy and more to the point. The art is mostly great too, capturing the dynamics of the fight with the Hydra goons, and some great “camera” angles. Yet, still, I’m not really feeling Jess’s mission. I think it’s because I don’t understand how she feels about it, or why she has focused on Hydra. If only she knows her son has gone, Carol seemingly providing confirmation that there is something stranger than a mere kidnapping, then why isn’t she questioning the mystics? I feel that there is a clue we haven’t been given and I’m hoping (we’re half way through here) that it’s not a complete info dump at the end of this limited series. What power do Hydra have to alter the memories of anyone that might remember Gerry? If they don’t, why isn’t Jess looking elsewhere? There’s too many questions surrounding Jess’s actions because she isn’t giving us squat. Like in issue one, outside the club she derides the bad men for being bad, nothing about her fears for the kid if Hydra have him. In the club she tells Diamondback that Hydra are especially nasty terrorists and yet says nothing about her son which was her reason for being there. She doesn’t seem to be very focused. Again, I could accept that, if it were presented that way. I get that we have to await the outcome of the mystery but presenting us with Jessica’s internal conflict doesn’t preclude that. The only new information we got in this issue is that Typhon are in cahoots with Hydra and Diamondback. It felt like we could have had something richer or more compelling. I’m of a mind that the clunky hints about Green Mamba better be red herrings because they’re so on the nose, but at the moment the journey is what concerns me. In her book I am able to understand the motivations of Diamondback but left uncertain of what is truly motivating Jessica. I know I have been a bit negative but I want this book to succeed. I genuinely believe we could end up with a smart and involving portrayal of Jess and it’s looking promising, but we’re not quite there. It will be interesting to see what we get once the crossover event is done with but this has some ambition that it just needs to fulfil a bit more.

If Steve Foxe ever writes a Diamondback solo it will likely be top notch, every one of that character’s scenes shine. I am enjoying the straightforward tone of the book, and the artist and colourist are doing consistent work. Okay so we didn’t have to wait until the final issue for the info-dump, but getting it here, as she is already in the process of being saved, completely destroys any sense that she was ever in danger, and positions us away from any immediate, visceral involvement with her story. Discovering her powers were fried as she fell would have covered that better. Why would Jess think Julia, or her powers, creepy? It seems the most closed minded, petty take, especially as she’d previously accompanied Magnus across the Astral Planes, and worked with the previous Madame Web to help Mattie Franklin. It devalues her. People used to call Jess herself creepy, you think she’d be a bit more empathetic. Unless, that’s supposed to explain why Jess didn’t approach Julia before, in which case, rude. Jessica’s argument that only Hydra could have organised things is too pat, any number of malevolent forces could have done the same. I guess I should be happy that we didn’t have to wait until the final issue for that info-dump but it wasn’t elegant. As for the reveal, it was too obvious to be shocking, it simply went exactly as expected, which was disappointing. The info-dump came too late. Instead we got heavy-handed clues, delivered in a clunky manner, that meant there was no chance for it to build and become horrifyingly inevitable. It’s such a shame. I love the clean, real world elements of this book, the approach is great. However, Jessica’s monologue voice has slipped back into the same wonky poetry-slam pattern as the first issue. The second issue was better. I think because there’s a lot of tell don’t show. For instance, at one point Julia says Jess is no longer on her own, and I thought we were about to get a sassy three page team-up, instead Julia sidled quietly off page, leaving Jess to assume the Basil Exposition role as she steals aboard the ship, and a bit of momentum got lost. However, in general, the pacing is better in this issue than its predecessor. I don’t know. This certainly isn’t bad by any means, but I want it to soar. Hopeless pretty much muffed up the four part Spider-Verse book that preceded his straight run, and then turned things around. Not in a way I liked, but the difference was palpable, so maybe Foxe can do the same going forward. I think I’m finding niggles because it has so much promise as a fresh take on Jess. The last time I enjoyed a portrayal of her unreservedly was in ‘Secret Avengers’ by Kot and Walsh, so I remain hopeful. In the meantime, I’m hoping this book ends big. Another bombshell? I’d like to think so. One final thing. Jess and her son appear to be using the fear element of their Pheromone powers within fights, presumably, as some form of Martial Arts “Kihap”. If that is the case, it’s a brilliant idea.

Well, that was just weird. Instead of Gang War they should have called it Jessica Drew and the Case of the Over-Complicated Info-Dumps. I mean props where they’re due, Jess being called out for being a poor mother isn’t undeserved, and her cleverly getting Carol not to follow Gerry by demanding her attention showed Jess still occasionally has the smarts. Sadly, overall…the plotting made little sense, beyond setting up the obvious, and mundane, ending. Jess came over as histrionic rather than emotionally believable, mostly because the script bent over backwards to justify her feelings that it had to be Hydra, instead of allowing her to solve the mystery, and uncover the truth organically. Ultimately, it all felt hollow and trite, like painting by numbers. Honestly, this mini-series has generally ended up being quite hokey. Roger had already been replaced by Lindsay at the time of the End of the Spider-Verse story, so why was he suddenly back on the scene unannounced? Is Marvel scared of a potentially queer relationship or simply terrified by continuity? Also, even if Roger didn’t know Gerry, or why he himself was there, why would he leave a cot-bound child alone? Bonkers. I guess the denouement goes some way towards providing a half-way reasonable reason for why she suddenly decided, with no prior inclination, to become a mother, in that it was ill conceived, but honestly it felt that way at the time. I’d always thought Hydra had pulled a deeply hidden trigger as it never truly felt honest to Jess to suddenly have a kid out of the blue. Speaking of blue, Jess’ eyes should be green, and her powers bio-electric. It’s like Marvel literally don’t care any longer. Still, at least Gang War is over. I’m happy to forgive and forget so long as the writing turns the corner it needs to. I’m less convinced than I was at the start of the run, but fingers crossed…I really don’t want to have to abandon another Jess series, but this has not been that fulfilling so far. When, even though the pacing works, the most exciting moment in Jessica’s solo comic is Julia setting up Carol’s return, something has gone horribly wrong. Shame, as I liked the mostly serious approach.

This one issue was more fun, and worked better, than all the Gang War issues combined. Finally, it felt that Jessica’s voice worked, and worked well. I’ll never be a fan of the decision to make the one woman saying “No!”, a mother, and could care less if the next time we see Gerry he is found dead behind a dumpster, but I actually empathised with Jessica for the first time. How much of that is connected to Bailey’s sadness I don’t know, but it actually turned out to be an inspired team-up, and one I wouldn’t mind seeing again. I might have rated this issue higher but think that the editorial team are letting Steve Foxe down. Jessica’s eyes should be green, her powers bio-electric. Whoever is responsible for the lack of detail checking, and launching Jess yet again in the middle of an event that didn’t serve her well, needs to have a word with themselves. Overall, I am glad to see the writing pick-up but worry that the damage has already happened to potential sales. I hope not, based on the promise of this one issue, but then again one swallow does not make a summer. Let’s see where we go from here.

Hmm! I liked this book more for its potential than enjoying its actual execution. It just seemed a bit clunky and to rely on too much unexplained backstory, which never makes for the best jumping on point for a first issue. I liked the ideas, a lot, but felt that nothing really stood out overall beyond vignettes. Having said that I think if things pick up it could become a solid fave. The core cast is interesting, although some of the voices seem off with worst offenders being Bucky and Spider-Woman. Bucky seemed little more than an emo Hawkeye. Spider-Woman had odd linguistic quirks like “dude”, a term that only really arch hipster Brits use which undercuts the nascent cool of the character, and goes on to say “taken here” not “brought here”, “taken here” suggesting something a bit sexual when filtered through transatlantic ears. Plus Jess stating her kid needs bathing and she just wants to get home and then forgetting all about him to head off to Indonesia just compounds why I loathe the decision to make her character a mother. So far, I have not seen one writer manage to make it work as anything other than a gimmick, a footnote, or a cliche, and unfortunately here we have yet another example. Retcon. Someone. Please. Angela shone, and Blade was solid, even if I wanted someone (Jess) to mutter the word “prick” under their breath after he told everyone not to split up having been the one to do that in the first instance. It was little moments like these that took me out of the story, and made me want more from the dysfunctional team book. The art and colouring were similarly compromised, sometimes wonderful and awesome, sometimes muted and pedestrian. But for all the negatives there is still an air of an uncut diamond that has the capability of shining very bright indeed, and more than enough charm to suggest that it will.

Hrrmh! The second issue is certainly more linear and has a greater pace than the debut but something is still not quite clicking for me. I’m certainly not giving up on Strikeforce as it is fun and has a great premise but it just feels inconsequential. Nothing wrong with it being just a bit of a romp per se, but we have been advised within the story by Blade, and by the marketing team for the book, that this is terribly important end of world stuff and that the stakes are excruciatingly high, and sadly that element is mostly conspicuous by its absence. For example, Jessica Drew has some great one-liners this time around which are fairly funny, but this approach coupled with Blade’s later rebuke about her not paying attention conspire to make her look pretty vacuous, undercut her supposed detecting skills, and strip away even the slightest hint of danger. Her gift of snark was always self-depreciating and a way to deal with her own trauma, but she was always highly empathic to underdogs and victims. Here, the look at him line towards Billy positions Jess as part of the group being “antagonistic” towards him, whereas old Skool Jess (at least up to and including Kelly Sue) would have found a way to be kinder. The Angela/Satana match up is fun and works because it’s also integral to the plot, and is character based in a believable, even heartfelt way. The sharp team up between Monica and Bucky, who get the best action scenes this time around, is also great as it brings out the best in the both of them. Blade seems a little saddled with the Basil Exposition role but looks badass at all times so carries it well. The plot doesn’t advance too far, but does pick up some traction once the team lose one of their own, and the stakes suddenly seem marginally higher. If the book continues in its inoffensive jokey way then I shall just get onboard with that and take it as it comes. But I am still hoping for something with a bit more bite. I want to feel the terror, not just be told in story that it exists. We shall see.

Now that I have learned to temper my expectations I am having a fun time with this book.

I was a little picky when this series first began, but no more. This is such a fun book, and I really enjoyed the little vignettes which demonstrated, even with the eventual reveal, just how well the Vridai had inveigled their way into the psyche of our heroes. In some ways it’s worse, if you cannot trust your own memories then what can you trust? Tini Howard promised this denouement in her mission statement at the back of issue one, not only has she pulled it off, but I suspect is still holding more back. Brilliantly cunning, with great jokes, all supported by wonderful art and inventive lettering. You need to be reading this series.

Hmm, just when I had gotten fully on board this issue takes an unexpected, and not intensely interesting turn. It’ll probably be fun to see how the two disparate plots will combine further down the line but it feels a bit jarring at this stage. It also threw me that Jessica never offered advice on how to take down Ghost based on her previous history with the character. In fact it came over like she had no knowledge of him at all, and there were no clues to suggest this was on purpose rather than an oversight, which is disappointing either way. The new artist wasn’t too distracting but I hope we get back to Peralta as I like consistency.

Whatever is going on in this story has yet to be fully explained by the end of the first issue. Which in lesser hands could be irritating, but there is enough intrigue and care for both character and world building that it remains compelling.

Great second issue that managed to build upon the reckless confusion of the first. The world building is stellar, and the rabbit hole is getting deeper and deeper. The strength of the creative team is in navigating our fragile minds through the virtual landscape whilst asking big questions, and teasing our perceptions of both the main character’s purpose and morality. It’s artful stuff.

Issue 3 is just as twisty as previous issues but as some elements are now familiar reads with greater clarity. Just as Aleph believes them-self to be autonomous and in control they finds them-self in need of rescue, and that then places them back in a position of debt, and this time the cost is higher than just being part of a whole. There is real wit threaded through this book which makes it a very welcoming read.

Aleph digs their heels in and finally begins to find answers and an emotional anchor within all the turmoil. The art, letters, and colouring really shine in this issue as they perform some heavy narrative lifting. As things finally become clearer to us and for the titular character they also become darker and nightmarish, until the final reveal. The ability to make these scenes shine brighter than the more colourful pages filled me with awe.

Test ends on such a sublimely bittersweet moment as we realise the full import of the title. The titular character having finally grown into their own and found their place in life is made to feel as if they were nothing more than a means to an end. Their own ravenous desires having been sated they are forced to watch how that spark has traveled and become greater than themselves.

Brilliant. This book does not mess around; Every single element, writing, art, colours, and lettering are top notch. The characters and the story are involving from the very first page. The stakes are already set high, and the rules have not yet been fully established, which is both clever and very, very disturbing. I could carry on praising this book endlessly, instead I’m just going to dive back in again for a re-read. Pray for my nerves.

The outright shock of the first issue does not carry over into this issue but that is by no means a bad thing. Instead we get plenty of small creepy moments that invade the story playing with our expectations of where this tale will take us. It feels not so much that mysteries are being uncovered but that secrets are showing themselves and dragging our protagonists into their clutches which is deeply unnerving as we do not yet understand the intent behind the hauntings.

This is great stuff. It might seem like an odd comparison but this feels like how a horror version of Brubaker and Eptings Criminal might play out, and by anyone’s standards that is a serious compliment. The human drama is what drives the action and increases the depth of the horrors on show. There are subtle almost filmic touches that infiltrate the art work that amplify the sense of unease and provide motifs that suggest an inevitability that will hound these characters.

I don’t think I ever reviewed an issue of the Moon Knight run that preceded this but it was likely my favourite comic. Dependable, rich, and involving. Vengeance issue one takes time to look at the supporting cast and prepares us for a shake up for the titular character. It works well and provides a nice emotional connection that will no doubt be tested over the coming months.

Oh ye gods! What an ending to the second arc. Menace and comedy combine to set the stakes even higher. How long Billy can keep making the lowest possible call until he learns his lesson or burns off everyone around him is anyone’s guess. Cannot wait until this book returns.

How does my favourite comic just keep managing to outdo my already high expectations? It must be sorcery! There can be no other explanation for a team being this in synch. It’s crude, erudite, funny, philosophical, troubling, and just so magnificently bonkers. Do yourself a favour and get on board.

It’s okay. Hard to judge one way or the other. So far, it’s business as usual for a Black Widow book (barring one or two exceptions) we are about to delve into Natasha’s murky past, whether this excursion brings up anything new or interesting remains to be seen. At this stage there is not really enough to go on to be able to decide one way or another. The one big splash page is pretty enough but the acrobatic and balletic moves within it do nothing to convey the action of the actual scene so, like the story so far, it’s all a bit vague.

Between the first issue and this there has barely been any plot movement at all. The art is great, the action this time around being far more readable. But the story is leaving me pretty cold so far.

Finally the book kicks up a gear, and we begin to get a lot more, pertinent action, and a few more answers.

Gah, my previous review was way too long. I didn’t like it, at all.