Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.
These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.
Logan
Cruel Kingdom #3 (Oni Press) – Cruel Kingdom continues with its blend of horror and fantasy with the anthology having a mainly food-related or political bent. In the lead story “Just Desserts”, satirist extraodinarie Mat Bors and artist Valeria Burzo serve up a most cathartic culinary-themed fantasy yarn about an aspiring chef named Alethea, who wants to please the new emperor with a special dish. I love the detail that Bors’ script goes into setting up the cuisine of this fictional universe, and how he and Burzo spin a story of how the oppressed becomes oppressors in an endless cycle of death, exploitation, and well-prepared fantasy creature. Seriously, Valerie Burzo makes the food in this story simultaneously enticing and disgusting. Cruel Kingdom‘s culinary through-line continues with Christopher Cantwell and Kano‘s “The Feast of Arthur” where the legendary British monarch deigns to visit some local peasants with gruesome results. Cantwell’s script make Arthur utterly elitist and disdainful of his subjects, and he has fun giving the peasants their own dialogue as the lure the wielder of Excalibur into their trap. Throughout the story, Kano demonstrates his range as an artist going from a glorious Prince Valiant style to something more on the disgusting side. If you like your Arthurian legends with a side of class warfare, then this story will be a yummy meal for you. Cruel Kingdom #3 wraps up with ifs weakest story, a plodding Ice Age-set sword and sorcery tale about a hired sword protecting a caravan from various prehistoric beasties. I love artist Andrea Mutti‘s takes on the snowy wastes as well as the different dinosaur and sabretooth tigers that harass the characters. However, Corrina Bechko‘s plot lacks momentum and remembers it has to do a twist ending really quickly at the end. Two bangers and one mediocre story isn’t bad for an anthology, and for the most part, Cruel Kingdom #3 transforms “eat the rich” from theory into praxis. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy
Secret Six #1 (DC) – If you like heroes on the anti- and/or queer side, then the new Secret Six series by Nicole Maines and Stephen Segovia is worth picking up. I didn’t follow the Absolute Power event so I was lost at some parts, but enjoyed the scenes where Jon Kent and Gossamer were having boyfriend spats. Maines gives Black Alice the best one-liners, and the new team composition is a nice balance between superhero, villain, and anti-hero. Add an interesting hook and some high energy pencils from Segovia, and this is a decent start to the series. Overall: 7.7 Verdict: Buy
Mothra: Queen of the Monsters #1 (IDW Publishing) -The Queen of Monsters gets her own comic, and Sophie Campbell and Matt Frank start the story with Mothra being utterly defeated by some creepy insect monsters. Seriously, if bugs make you squirm, this might not be the book for you. Campbell’s script connects the traditional Mothra/priestess mythos to the relational trauma between two sisters, but also throws in fun things like evil doppelgangers and time travel. Frank’s visuals are suitably epic and centered around duality while Sophie Campbell pinch hits on some key sequences like when the main characters commune with Mothra’s priestesses for the first time. The color palette in that scenes is so beautiful that it made me want to start a kaiju religion. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy
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