I Love Comics (Blah, Blah, Blah….)

NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (04/12/23)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*

007: For King And Country # 1
Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three # 4
Batman Incorporated # 7
Fantastic Four # 6
The Giant Kokju # 1
The Great British Bump-Off # 1
Guardians Of The Galaxy # 1
Miles Morales: Spider-Man # 5
Monarch # 3
Moon Knight # 22
Nemesis Reloaded # 4
Nocturra # 12
Radiant Black # 23

007: For King And Country # 1– I’ll admit, I never was a big James Bond fan but this new 007 installment, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Following up on his previous 007 series) finds the titular hero branded a traitor following a murder on British soil; On the run, he has to forge an alliance with a long-lost agent named Gwengolyn Gann aka 003 to get to the bottom of this; The thought of a James Bond left to his own devices makes for a compelling story that takes him a new direction that’s for the better. Johnson’s script makes good on putting the focus on the action and suspense to where it feels like a compelling spy story but at the same time, he delivers the big-budget elements one would find in a Bond movie (Only don’t expect Adele or Lady Gaga to sing an updated 007 theme); 007 fans will fall head over heels for this series as Johnson manages to deliver another great installment takes Bond into a new direction while once again staying true to the roots of the character.

The Giant Kokju # 1– Gerry Duggan has made a name for himself writing such superhero epics for Marvel so this new series, which reunites him with old “Deadpool” collaborator Scott Koblish for a new series that sends up Kaiju monsters in the most comical way ever!! The city of San Francisco is under attack by a Kaiju monster that causes endless rampage throughout the city but this particular monster needs three things: Food, A Restroom, and …… believe it or not, Sexual satisfaction!! (I swear I’m not making that one up); Duggan’s blend of horror and bathroom humor is entertaining for the most part but towards the end it will turn off the readers. Scott Koblish’s art is just fine (He does good work when he’s not doing any superhero stories) but Duggan’s script is all over the place with the twisted factors presented here such as the monster defecating on an entire city block (This happened within this title. No fooling!!); While this series is only three issues, it’s up to the readers if they want to continue past the first issue since Duggan is not only proud of using Adam Sandler’s brand of humor but putting it to good use. Let’s hope that he could give us a true Kaiju series in the near future where he can truly shine as a writer and not write like a frat boy. Too bad he didn’t have Brian Posehn as his co-writer as this series could have been amazing but fails in its execution. Ah well…better luck next time.

The Great British Bump-Off # 1– This series intrigues me for two reasons; One, because I have a great fascination with British culture, and Two, I do love British comedy so this series checks two off this list as it presents a murder mystery set in the world of competitive baking. The series focuses on a bright woman named Shauna Wickle who’s eager to show off her baking skill on a show called “UK Bakery Tent” but she also wants to make friends with her fellow competitors. However, things take a dark turn when a contestant named Neal is poisoned and pronounced dead. With the show’s reputation at stake, Shauna informs the producers that she can solve the mystery by the time the episode goes off the air and this is when the story kicks into high gear so to speak. Writer John Allison manages to craft a story that’s delightful despite the fact that a murder took place and I have to say that the wit and charm jump out on every page. Max Satin’s artwork has a great Chuck Jones influence on it that works with the direction of Allison’s script and the comedy aspects shine because of it. Fans of reality tv as well as British Comedy will have a joy reading the Great British Bump-Off while hopefully renewing your faith in reality tv. Stranger things can happen.

Guardians Of The Galaxy # 1– Marvel’s band of cosmic misfits, written by the team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with perfect art by Kev Walker kicks off a new era for the team; The story starts with the team doing their best to save everyone in the Town of Solitude. Along the way, we get the reintroduction of every member as they’re doing their best to move on from the recent events of the previous series. Mantis, however, benefits the most from the relaunch as Kelly and Lanzing infuse a sense of positivity in her personality making it one of the few bright spots but the feel of this book, which is “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” meets a spaghetti western is something I feel that will bring in fans who never got into the GotG but waited for a new series that will bring out the best in these characters without being boggled down with continuity issues so kudos to Kelly, Lanzing, and Walker. The Guardians get a new beginning with a creative team that shines on every level and doesn’t go with the whole “Let’s take what James Gunn made famous in his movies and recycle it in every issue” but delivers a great premise that could very well be looked at as a promising run.

Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.

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