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Each week, CBR has your guide to navigating Wednesday’s new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and we’re committed to helping you choose those that are worth your hard-earned cash. It’s a little slice of CBR we like to call Major Issues.
If you feel so inclined, you can buy our recommendations directly on comiXology with the links provided. We’ll even supply links to the books we’re not so hot on, just in case you don’t want to take our word for it. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the books this week in the comments! And as always, SPOILERS AHEAD!
PEACEMAKER: DISTURBING THE PEACE #1 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
While the Peacemaker’s HBO Max series may be defined by over-the-top, gross-out humor and its thick-headed hero, Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace #1 takes a shockingly dark approach to the Suicide Squad killer. This DC Black Label one-shot by Garth Ennis, Garry Brown, Lee Loughridge and Rob Steen gives Peacemaker a grim new origin bathed in bile and blood.
With only traces of his signature macabre humor, Ennis delivers an unrelenting portrait of a life defined by violence in the spirit of his darkest Punisher tales. Brown’s gritty, scratchy art and Loughridge’s colors strike the right tone for the story, leaving the goriest details of the book’s unspeakable violence to the reader’s imagination. Although Disturbing the Peace delivers a haunting dive into the Peacemaker’s history, this one-shot is a complete tonal shift from John Cena’s charming DC Extended Universe antihero that may be too harsh for fans of the show.
SAGA #55 (IMAGE)
COMIXOLOGY
After a lengthy absence, Saga is back, and Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples and Fonografiks’ epic space opera doesn’t miss a beat with its triumphant return. After Saga’s last storyarc ended with the visceral, violent deaths of two major characters in 2018, Saga #55 eases readers back into the world of the Image series with another one of the title’s signature time-jumps.
With the masterful touch of its creative team, Saga #55 expertly establishes a new status quo for Alana, Hazel, their allies and their enemies like The Will. While this issue doesn’t have enough space to catch up with every member of Saga’s expansive supporting cast, it’s still a satisfying story that effectively reintroduces the world of the series while resetting the stories of a half-dozen characters. With sublime art from Staples that’s elegant, sensual and alien in equal measure, Saga‘s welcome return proves why it’s one of the most celebrated series in comics.
X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE #1 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
With X Deaths of Wolverine #1, Benjamin Percy, Federico Vicentini, Dijjo Lima, Frank Martin and VC’s Cory Petit kick off the second half of Marvel’s latest X-Men epic. Where the complimentary X Lives of Wolverine miniseries feels like an extension of Marvel’s ongoing X-Force and Wolverine titles, X Deaths of Wolverine picks up right where the Inferno miniseries left off. This issue follows a disgraced Moira MacTaggert as she tries to escape a vengeful Mystique as a Wolverine-centric mystery emerges on Krakoa.
Where X Deaths of Wolverine continues on with key characters and ideas from writer Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men run, it casts those elements in a more action-oriented story. With kinetic art from Vicentini and the art team, the issue speeds along, turning long-simmering plotlines into the fuel for a propulsive chase. While X Deaths of Wolverine loses some of the mystique of Hickman’s architectural plotting, its quick pace and intriguing final reveal still mark a strong start to this X-Men event.
BATMAN/CATWOMAN SPECIAL #1 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
While Batman and Catwoman are the ostensible leads of the Batman/Catwoman Special, the real star of the one-shot is the late John Paul Leon. Featuring some of Leon’s final work, this comic takes a thoughtful look at Selina Kyle’s life by Leon, Tom King, Bernard Chang, Shawn Crystal, Mitch Gerads, Dave Stewart and Clayton Cowles. Like the main Batman/Catwoman series, this comic glances at moments from Catwoman’s past, present and future, and the special’s tighter focus creates an affecting portrait of Gotham City’s finest thief.
The pages completed by Leon all bear his elegant, classical style, as do his rough layouts for the rest of the comic — which are included in the book’s ample backmatter. The rest of the art team ably flesh out and capture the brilliance of Leon’s breakdowns, with Stewart’s harsh, cool colors making the transition between artists look seamless throughout the main story. In its second half, this special somberly memorializes Leon with two essays, several pin-ups by other artists and two reprinted short stories featuring Leon’s timeless work.
MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT: BEYOND #1 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
Spinning out of Amazing Spider-Man’s ongoing “Beyond” storyline, two of Peter Parker’s great loves come together in Mary Jane and Black Cat: Beyond #1. With Peter Parker still out of action, Black Cat and Mary Jane form an unlikely duo to take on some of Spider-Man’s foes in a light-hearted one-shot by Jed MacKay, C.F. Villa, Erick Arciniega and VC’s Travis Lanham.
Like MacKay and Villa’s work on the most recent Black Cat series, this tale strikes the right balance between adventure and humor as MJ and Black Cat run through Marvel’s street-level villains. While it wrings some humor from the awkwardness between its titular heroes, the comic makes a few thoughtful insights about Black Cat and Mary Jane, with MJ’s skillset presenting a fun way to deal with crime. Villa and Arciniega’s stylish art captures the peppy tone of the story well and delivers a few well-choreographed actions scenes. Although it’s not an essential part of the “Beyond” storyline, Mary Jane and Black Cat serves as a pleasant spotlight for its leads.
MARAUDERS ANNUAL #1 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
Outside of X Lives and X Deaths of Wolverine, Steve Orlando, Creees Lee, Rain Beredo and VC’s Cory Petit unofficially kick off the next era of X-Men with Marauders Annual #1. Before Marauders’ relaunches in a few weeks, this annual sees Kate Pryde and Bishop assemble a new team of mutant Marauders to take on the sadistic Brimstone Love, a villain who menaced the ’90s alternate future of X-Men 2099.
Orlando’s sharp script turns Brimstone Love and his Theatre of Pain into a fascinating threat with some surprisingly compelling motivations. Lee and Beredo’s scratchy, expressive art hits all the right notes, especially with the comic’s splash pages. With a strong mix of familiar X-Men and less well-defined mutants set for Marauders’ main cast, this issue sets up a strong preview of the X-Men next era.
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