‘Hitomi’ Seeks Vengeance
October 20th, 2022 by Gregg Senko
Created and written by H.S. Tak, author of the novel Red Shift, the writer describes Hitomi, Image’s latest release, “In feudal era Japan, a drifter with no prospects begins training in secret under Yasuke, a disgraced, once-feared warrior, as she struggles to find her place in a society entrenched in discrimination and violence.” With this debut issue titled ‘Ghost’, readers will soon learn the violent memory she pursues.
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Image just released their newest series from writer Donny Cates titled Vanish. Having no prior knowledge of this series’ debut issue, I went purely on the recommendation of the fine folks at my local comic book store. First off, let me say those guys know what they’re talking about. Secondly, Donny Cates (God Country, Hulk) is the man with a plan. But what is Vanish all about?
After releasing in late July, Image’s latest mini-series titled Rogues’ Gallery has received quite the buzz since. One of the unique footnotes about the four-issue title is that it is actually not written by a seasoned vet in the comic book industry. Rather, it is penned by actress Hannah Rose May who is best known for her roles in HBO’s Ballers and Netflix’s Altered Carbon. Television does not necessarily equate to competent dialogue in a comic book, so how does May perform throughout the pages of this series? After one issue, it is obvious she can navigate the literary waters of pop culture quite proficiently. Not only that, but the actress/writer simultaneously succeeds at keeping a surprise or two under her belt here.
With one successful mini-series after another and a few volumes worth of collected stories to boot, everyone’s favorite intergalactic hunters have fully moved into their new home. Once a staple of Dark Horse Comics, Disney’s majority acquisition of 20th Century Fox has brought over some monster IP’s, both literally and in financial stature, to Marvel Comics. After making a number of cover page cameos on titles like Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man, a Predator comic book series has debuted under someone other than Dark Horse for the first time.
First off, my apologies for the sabbatical. Secondly, here’s the first issue of Iron Cat! With the recent buzz surrounding the green light given for Marvel’s Iron Heart in the form of a TV series, it seems as if the number of Tony Stark-inspired suits not being worn by Tony Stark is limitless. Thankfully, it’s not a case of a flooded market with everybody and their brother donning plasma-blasting, flight-enabled exteriors. The cautious expansion makes the reading of a new addition palatable. Such is the case here with the first issue of Iron Cat.
When strolling the vendor floors at various comic book and pop culture conventions, it is extremely easy for a merchant or artist to get lost in the shuffle of things. Such events can be sensory overload for guests and one table will ultimately blend into the next. It takes originality, some pop and a little personality to rise above the crowd and get noticed. Take the recent Cleveland Fan Expo for instance. The aforementioned area became an absolute sea of lush inks, trinkets and artist prints. It wasn’t until a stroll down one aisle caught my eye and promptly stopped me in my tracks. Enter Freestyle Komics.
Here we are about to wrap a bow on 2021 and some things have certainly improved from twelve months ago while some of this all feels the same. One aspect which hasn’t changed is the unfaltering delivery of our shows, our films and our comic books to dodge and parry the current norm. We’ve all still managed to find our escapes through these various media, and not only that, but some have gone beyond just good entertainment or solid reads. Some, such as the comic books you’re about to become acquainted with, rose to that tier for one reason or another. We can agree, we can disagree, but we can all be entertained by them.
In 2019, DC Comics released a six-issue mini-series titled DCEASED, which was, if nothing else, one of the most gripping storylines the publisher has released to date. If it was described to you simply as DC’s most famous super heroes fight zombies, you might immediately revert to the thought of Marvel Zombies. However, this couldn’t be further from the reality of DCEASED in which many DC characters transformed into the undead. Building on that age old notion of the animated post-living, DC now brings us its latest mini-series, DC vs. Vampires.
A six-part mini-series from Image Comics that began in mid-January, HAHA focuses each separate issue on one clown’s story. The approach is not conducted in the vain of something like the Joker or killer clowns, rather, HAHA brings forth what are very grounded, real world tales but still fiction. As the series is currently two issues into its run, readers have become aware that while each issue can stand on its own, they are also connected, leaving some wonderment as to how this will all end once the sixth and final issue gets released.
Image released their newest super hero title today, Black Radiant, and it’s already garnering plenty of five-star reviews, not to mention it is simply one of the most attractive comic book covers I have come across in recent memory. Appearances aside, the book itself does a great job for setting the stage of our main character while being cautious not to overflow the premier issue with too many additional characters. It also closes things out on the final page with a wide open sandbox for the writer and artist to play in. So what’s the book about, you may ask? Well don’t look at me. Comixology describes it as…
From publisher Absolute Comics comes the brand new series, Amped. With literary duties provided bywriter Brian Augustyn (The Flash, Lady Death), Amped puts a unique spin on the super hero team genre which seems to have been done time and again. Still, Augustyn finds a way to inject some much needed creativity into this realm and makes it work quite well to say the least. With effective visuals from artist Pasquale Qualano (Doctor Who, Heavy Metal), we get a cognitive effort here from the pairing which delivers a solid premier. So what’s it all about anyway?
Covid-19 may have stopped the movies in 2020, but it didn’t stop comic books. Sure, things were delayed for a bit when comic book distributors pumped the brakes in getting product from the warehouse to your local comic book shop, but that was short-lived, though it felt like an eternity when it occurred. Nevertheless, here we are in December and there were a number of fantastic titles the filled the hands of readers everywhere this year. Though most of us cannot wait to escape 2020, let us take our annual trip down comic book memory lane and see who topped the charts in each category.
A small yet potent comic book publisher, Vault Comics made its industry debut in 2016 and prides itself on publishing “original, creator-owner science fiction and fantasy comics” as mentioned on the company’s website. Vault has an already impressive array of titles which continues to grow. One of the more recent of those is an ongoing series titled Shadow Service.
Well it’s about time! Pick your poison, as chances are whatever anyone’s hobbies are, they have likely been slowed, ceased or altered in some way. Comic books are no exception as many have been left reading old back issues or even nothing at all. That has all taken a solid turn for the better during the virus lockdown. To being with, digital comics made their splash last week with print comics releasing this week. Among the first out was Marvel’s long-awaited reboot of Doctor Aphra.
New entertainment is certainly hard to come by these days, no thanks to the global pandemic we are all carefully navigating through. Film projects came to a screeching halt weeks ago, movie releases are delayed, TV shows are on repeat, and Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest distributor of comic books in North America, has ceased delivery of all titles. Despite the wet blanket COVID-19 has become, you cannot keep a creative mind at bay, even through our current circumstances. Enter comic book writer/creator Phil Falco who is the mastermind behind the new spectral series, HAUNTING.
Aftershock Comics released a new title this past week and it has been on my radar since Tuesday to get that story under my belt. Like so many around the globe, I’ve been relegated to working from home for at least a few days, which has mean no drive to work. Considering my commute is an hour each way, that time has been spent catching up on some much needed reading and Aftershock’s latest effort, Artemis and the Assassin, was destined to be part of that. Created by Stephanie Philips (Descendant), this series is already off to a heart-pounding start.
One can always rely on the smaller publishers (Image, Dark Horse, etc.) to create some of the more curious and quirky stories in the comic book world. Dark Horse is no exception with its latest effort, X-Ray Robot. As the old adage goes, you should never judge a book by its cover, but I found the sci-fi-heavy, pop culture-laden front of issue #1 to be so much in my wheelhouse, that I could not deny a chance to at least read what the book’s description was all about. Once I saw dialogue about inter-dimensional travel and the origins of the universe, I was all in to kick back and see what this title had to offer.
Looking for a break from your standard super hero tales? Tired of interdimensional villains trying to step on Earth? Dark Horse has a flavor that is off the beaten path, though not one that hasn’t been done before. Written by Matt Kindt (X-O Manowar) with artwork by Wilfredo Torres (Black Panther), we delve into a tale of espionage and cryptic novel-writing in Bang! that will throw you for a loop before you can say ‘Agent Thomas Cord’.
