If youâre here in the Panel Discussion programming block, you might be a lapsed comics reader, trying to find a way back to the JLA Satellite. Or you might someone killing time until you pick up your weekly Wednesday pull list. Or maybe youâve said goodbye to dozens of longboxes to embrace the promise of digital comics. Whichever it is, youâre still interested in the good stuff.
Welcome, then, to the Panel Discussion Dozen. This weekâs shorter on quantity, but not on quality. Chime in with what you think everybody needs to be reading in the comments below .
I, Vampire #7 It just hit me that Joshua Hale Fialkovâs vampire drama can be read as a sort of weird inverse version of Joss Whedonâs Buffyverse. Youâve got the vampire whoâs also a slayer, his evil ex-girlfriend that he turned into a bloodsucker and a crew of human vamp fighters that help him out while being scared to death of him. Thereâs not been any singing yet, though. If youâre a fan of post-modern nightstalker fiction in the Buffy vein, go on and get this book.
Justice League Dark #7 You might not the characters in the occult adventure title superheroes, but they are a team however unlikely as that may be. In the last story arc, Peter Milligan does a great job of showing how magic gone awry turns the world to crap. And when itâs a place thatâs pretty crappy to begin withâlike a Gotham City taken over by vampiresâthe best parts of Deadman, John Constantine and Zatannaâs chemistry with comes to the fore. Iâm hoping we get more gross-out magical perversions as this series goes on.
This single issue preview the conflict between Marvelâs two biggest hero factions, focusing on the women at the center of the cosmic drama. Iâve always been a fan of the Scarlet Witch and am glad that sheâs back as a major player in Marvel events. Her one-time android husband The Vision makes a return, too, and itâll be interesting to see just how digestible Marvel editorial tries to make the last few years of plots for this mega-event.
FF# 16 Iâd been skeptical of Jonathan Hickmanâs tenure on the Fantastic Four at first, getting annoyed at what felt like a stunt death for the Human Torch more than a year ago. But his run on the main Fantastic Four book and this spinoff have proven to be an intricate clockwork design that brings the focus back on to family dynamics and cosmic happenings. Itâs been a beautiful, incredibly heartfelt ride so far.
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #8 After telling readers that everything they thought they knew about mutants was a lie, the reboot of Marvelâs Ultimates imprint has re-invented the concept of homo superior. Several sovereign nations of secretive superhumans now threaten global security. Jonathan Hickmanâs been delivering not just a great superhero team story in these pages, but also a crackling geopolitical thriller, too. Highly recommended.
Rachel Rising #6 Terry Mooreâs been quietly building awesome runs of creator-owned comics for more than a decade now. His long-running Strangers in Paradise told an unlikely love story that endured absurd amounts of craziness, earning him a loyal fanbase won over by his goofy yet insightful cartooning. Rachel Rising rotates around a much darker premise. The title character emerges from a shallow grave after being murdered, with no idea how or why she was killed. You mightâve seen similar plots elsewhere but what makes this version work is the slow burn Moore applies to the proceedings. Thereâs a sense of dread and menace that finds a complement in the artistâs loose pencilwork. Donât let the cute noses of Mooreâs art style fool you: thereâs powerful mojo in this book.
