Another week has come and gone and another batch of comics is upon us. A ton of books I’m reading came out this week, and somehow I found the time to review a whole bunch of them, including Absolute Martian Manhunter, Batman: Hush 2 and Amazing Spider-Man.

Comic Book of the Week goes to Absolute Wonder Woman, which shouldn’t be a surprise, because few things can touch this comic other than the regular Wonder Woman book and the other main Absolutes.

Meanwhile, I finished The Pitt last night and it definitely lived up to all the hype its been getting! Excellent medical drama. And I’m winding down on Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and am in need of another game. Possibly that Elder Scrolls: Oblivion remaster…

Double meanwhile, the Kickstarter campaign remains ongoing for The Museum of the Uncanny anthology! I’ve got a short comic story in the book and we’re doing well as we head into the final weeks of the campaign! Force me to put my money where my mouth is! I spend all this time reviewing comics, come and read one I’ve written myself!

Comic Reviews: Absolute Martian Manhunter #2, Absolute Wonder Woman #7, Amazing Spider-Man #2, Batman #159, G.I. Joe #6 and X-Men #15.

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Absolute Martian Manhunter #2
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Javier Rodriguez
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Just like with Absolute Flash, Absolute Martian Manhunter is a lot easier to understand and get a better handle on what we’re dealing with.

As John struggles to understand this new being inside his psyche, and as the Martian (not literally) tries to explain himself, he’s also led to an active shooter situation nearby that the Martian wants to stop. When he arrives, John starts talking to the shooter while the Martian dives into his brain, and they use this weird new telepathy/mindreading to assess the situation and the shooter. They’re making some progress, until local PD show up and shoot the guy in the head. John gets reprimanded by his boss and heads home, while the Martian discovers that the White Martian was behind the guy’s psychosis!

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

This issue is much more solid than the previous one, at least in my opinion. I’m just not a fan of trippy storytelling, and while this issue still features a lot of it, we now better understand the context of what’s happening. Maybe it’s all in John’s head, or maybe some intergalactic/dimensional being is possessing him for realsies, and sending him out to fight bad guys. This issue does a great job explaining the set-up so that the reader can get their feet under them. I especially liked the touch that ‘Martian’ isn’t literal and he’s just some kind of something else, using the phrase to help John better understand. I also really enjoyed the use of White Martians as an opposite, evil version. Nice use of a classic element.

I also enjoyed the story within the issue. Camp puts this whole enterprise into motion against an existing threat. I am loving this wild, freaky and colorful take on telepathy and mind-reading. Camp has really broken down the various elements of the classic Martian Manhunter — alien, shapeshifting, telepathy — and built them back up into such vibrant and fascinating ways. It’s trippy, but it works on its own unique level. And now we’ve got a foundation for what the heck is even happening — at least I think we do. The rug might be pulled out from under us at any moment.

TL;DR: This second issue provides a stronger foundation and explanation than the first, along with a compelling single-issue story.

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Absolute Wonder Woman #7
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Mattia De Iulis
Letterer: Becca Carey

The fact of the matter is that the Absolute Comics are pure fire and the best thing on the stands these days.

Wonder Woman is doing battle with a humanoid Chimera in an Underworld arena, watched over by Hades and Persephone, whom Diana has known since she was a child. Circe is imprisoned. There are two doors: one leads to freedom and one leads to death. This is based on an old fable that Hecate gave to Circe to read to Diana to prepare for this moment. It’s a whole literary thing that the issue is based around. I never understand these things because I’m dense when it comes to literary stuff.

Anyway, Wonder Woman wins the fight, fulfills the prophecy of the fable, and then reveals that Persephone once gave her a single pomegranate to eat, much like how Persephone herself was tricked into staying in the Underworld. So Diana gets to come back to Hell for one month every year to visit her mom.

Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.

Right off the bat, I’m just not very good at literary comprehension. So everything to do with this old fable, it’s deeper meaning and Diana coming to understand how it reflects her and Circe, all of that went over my head. That’s on me. And it doesn’t take away from the quality of the story. Because I think I sort of get it? I get what it is trying to accomplish, and that’s good enough for me. The various gods plot in secret to figure out a way for Diana to escape the Underworld, and set plots in motion far in advance. Because they’re gods and they play the ultimate long games. And that makes for fun issues where Wonder Woman fights a humanoid Chimera and stands up to Hades with all the awesomeness and power and grace we’ve come to expect from Absolute Wonder Woman.

The issue itself is a blast! We get an exciting fight scene as Wonder Woman takes on a classic Greek monster, albeit one transformed into a humanoid form, which is awesome. We’ve got some sweet flashbacks as we set up the literary stuff. And we get to meet this world’s Persephone, who just looks cool as all heck, and very godlike. Lots of moving pieces all come together to make a full issue. And I’m loving the artwork. De Iulis is such a strong departure from what came before, but it’s so perfectly suited to this comic that I can’t believe DC found two perfect artists for Absolute Wonder Woman. De Iulis is killing it with the mighty Amazon warrior taking on fantastical Greek myth creatures and gods.

TL;DR: Big, exciting and full of character and developing depth, all of which makes for another super fun issue of this stellar comic.

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Amazing Spider-Man #2
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna

And just like that, I’m already losing interest in another Amazing Spider-Man revival.

Spider-Man has been poisoned and he goes on an angry rampage, while hallucinating a super-villain attack. But he’s also got blackouts, and wakes up at his new job at Rand with his old buddy Brian Nehring. He keeps blacking out until he’s found by Norman Osborn, who helps him understand what’s happened. Spidey suits up and heads to Ravencroft to interrogate Rhino, and gets inside with the help of Peter’s date, Shay. But Spidey starts freakin’ out again, especially when he discovers Hobgoblin’s secret new partner: Itsy Bitsy!

Who?

Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.

So Itsy Bitsy is a villain that Joe Kelly created when he wrote a Spider-Man/Deadpool team up, where I guess she’s got the powers of both Spider-Man and Deadpool. And I can’t tell you how little I care. I’m going to try not to be harsh as I try to find the words for how disappointing this second issue is. For me, personally, it’s all the ways the issue pulls away from the interesting, character-building stuff in order to focus on the far far far less interesting superhero plotline. I want to get to know these new characters and get a feel for Peter’s new job. I want Peter to actually get settled in this new job. Kelly has done great in setting up this Brian Nehring fellow as an interesting supporting cast member, and I just hate hate the idea that Peter keeps having weird blackouts instead of actually settling into this new job.

I know Marvel loves to have Peter Parker screw up his life, but can he at least attain a new life before he screws it all up? Jeez louise.

Also, personally, I just don’t like stories where the hero is having a drug trip or hallucinations. It just leads to extended moments were nothing really happens, where it’s all in his head. And that happens a lot in this issue. It’s Peter freaking out about stuff that just isn’t there. And the stuff that is there…I dunno. I do not fault Kelly for bringing back his own OC, even if I don’t know them myself. And while I think “Itsy Bitsy” is a terrible name, I’m willing to give her a chance. But as a last page reveal, she landed like a dead weight. She seems overly designed and just…I dunno. I just don’t care.

TL;DR: This second issue is torn between its plot and its characters, and mostly choosing the former, while I want to read more about the latter.

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Batman #159
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Jim Lee
Inker: Scott Williams
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Richard Starkings

This is where I compare why I’m enjoying Hush 2 and not Amazing Spider-Man.

Batman rushes the injured Joker to Leslie Thompkins and she’s able to stabilize him, but he needs better medical care. So Batman takes him to the Batcave to recover and perhaps study — but Jason Todd shows up to “finish the job”. They get into a fight and Jason knocks out Batman, who eventually wakes up to find Jason, Joker and the Batmobile gone. Is Jason working for Hush?!

Meanwhile, the Riddler approaches Batgirl and Nightwing to help them. And he knows everybody’s secret identity!

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

I liked this issue, what can I say? I don’t know what the internet’s reaction to Hush 2 has been so far, but I’ve been pleasantly pleased with both issues. There’s a comfortable familiarity at play, as well as a feeling of being at arm’s length away. Like, this doesn’t feel like an ongoing Batman comic. This feels like a special story where we’re just going to skate along the surface and touch on the classics and have a good time. And that’s working for me. Batman and Jason Todd have a really good fight over the fate of the Joker, allowing Loeb to work his magic on Jason. And it’s especially wild when you consider that Loeb using a Jason tease in the original Hush is what eventually led to Jason coming back for real. So this issue is almost meta. And then I also enjoyed how Loeb is going to move the Riddler forward after making the character a key part of the finale of the first Hush.

So why did I enjoy this issue and not Amazing Spider-Man? Again, it all comes down to character. Loeb is playing with all the familiar characters and using them in interesting ways. The superhero story is built on the pre-existing relationships between all of these characters. Batman saving the life of the Joker. Jason being upset at that fact. The Riddler getting involved. We know and love these characters, and he’s telling a fun story with them so far. Whereas in Amazing Spider-Man, the story mostly features brand new characters that we don’t know, and then doesn’t give us a chance to get to know them. That story is focused more so on just the action of Peter having some hallucinations. Whereas Hush 2 is focused on characters we already like engaging each other in interesting ways.

It’s just a better comic right now.

TL;DR: Hush 2 is fun so far. Loeb is taking familiar characters and swirling them around together in a fun story, while using the original Hush to inform this sequel.

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G.I. Joe #6
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Tom Reilly
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Rus Wooton

I decided to finish off this opening arc, but I am definitely checked out of the Energon Universe. Transformers has gone way off the deep end for me and I’m way behind.

Duke and Cobra Commander do battle after Cobra Commander sets off the Brainbomb, until Duke gets the upperhand and uses some reverse psychology to convince the Commander to kill the doctor and stop the bomb. CC then grabs a device from inside the bigger device and makes his escape, while the Joes come back for Duke. As both sides lick their wounds, CC prepares to tell Destro about the Transformers, and Clutch meets one in person…whichever one is a military jeep.

Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.

The best part of this series remains the characterization of Cobra Commander. He’s just so damn cool! He’s dry and witty and smart and operating several steps ahead of everyone else, with plans within plans. I dig it! He has a great fight with Duke that makes up the bulk of the issue, so we’ve got all the action we could want. And I like the clever way Duke stops the Brainbomb. Solid conclusion. It’s just that the overall series leaves me a bit wanting and I’m not sure why. It’s fun, has good action, and the characters are cool when they get the chance to be. But the overall comic is a bit shaky. And, if I may be a downer for a moment, I definitely do not like the coloring choice.

Foregoing actual color and instead making everything these homogeneous earth-tones has become a distraction. The Joes and Cobra are colorful characters. Why take away from that on purpose? It’s not like this issue is going for some sort of specific style. It’s a big, action-packed finale issue, full of characters and explosions and all the good stuff. But then it’s all dulled by that purposeful but unappealing artwork choice. But maybe that’s just me.

TL;DR: Entertaining action issue is let down by some questionable artistic choices, at least in my opinion.

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X-Men #15
Writer: Jed MacKay
Artists: Ryan Stegman and C.F. Villa
Inkers: Stegman, Villa, JP Mayer and Livesay
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

This was another fun issue of the X-Men.

So Piper Cobb absorbed her twin in the womb, but that twin was a mutant with the power to warp flesh, and now she has taken over the biological alien spaceship that crashed a couple of issues ago. She’s a kaiju now, and Cassandra Nova (also twin womb thing) is pushing her to be a bad guy. The X-Men do their best to flee/flight until Wyre sends in his own squad of X-Men to fight them.

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

Good stuff, all around. Cassandra Nova has been an ongoing threat in the series so far, so I see nothing wrong with partially recreating her origin. Twins get absorbed in the womb all the time, and the idea that the absorbed twin was a mutant and not the surviving twin is a neat one. It works for the story, and MacKay makes good use of other elements he set up ahead of time to give the X-Men a dangerous new threat. And then the issue responds with some fun and entertaining X-Men comic bookery. The characters banter, they worry, they fight, they run; all good stuff you’d like to read in a comic like this one. And the artwork is more than capable of keeping up with all the craziness.

TL;DR: Good X-Men comic that keeps things entertaining and continues all ongoing stories.

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The comics I review in my Hench-Sized reviews are just the usual comics I grab from Comixology any given week, along with a few impulse buys I might try on a whim. So if there are any comics or series you’d like me to review each week, let me know in the comments.

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