NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (01/03/24)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*
Amazing Spider-Man # 41 
Batman # 141 
Blue Beetle # 5
Fall Of The House Of X # 1
Kneel Before Zod # 1 
Machine Girl & The Space Hell Engels # 1 
Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 # 1
Shazam! # 7
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain # 3
Thanos # 2
Vengeance Of The Moon Knight # 1
Fall Of The House Of X # 1– It’s true- The Krakoan Era is coming to an end but knowing Marvel, they’re ready to go all out with a big finale so that’s what we got with Fall Of The House Of X; Right away fans of the Krakoan Age might be ready to read a story full of triumph and tragedy but this special feels so uneven that really hurts the enthusiasm one might have about this series seeing as we’re about to say goodbye to one of the most complexed eras in X-Men history. This issue does its best to juggle many storylines such as Cyclops on trial for murder. At the same time, a brutal showdown between Nimrod and Krakoa is brewing but the mutant/human conflict is barely mentioned (relegated to just one text page) which I feel could have helped in balancing these two major storylines and making them more cohesive. Still, from the looks of things, it looks like the creative team of Gerry Duggan and Lucas Werneck are just planning to get through this and crawl to the finish line to tell their story because the results could have been better while the fans are waiting for the day when they see these characters back in the X-Mansion.
Kneel Before Zod # 1– One of Superman’s most notorious villains gets his own series. It’s a brutal soap opera that has potential and it manages to keep your attention to the very end which is rare since we’re seeing another wave of villains getting their own series but this one looks like a definite winner; The issue opens up with General Zod trying to transform the planet of Jekuul into a haven for New Krypton while dealing with threats from every corner of the cosmos but it’s his relationship with wife Ursa (I can not get used to them being a couple) and son Lor that anchors the series because of how fractured their family dynamic is (They’re not exactly the Keatons from “Family Ties”); Making his return to DC and Superman in general, Joe Casey (Who had a remarkable run on “Adventures of Superman” from 2001 to 2004) delivers a script that allows the fans to take in the authoritarian dialogue to where we get to see Zod at his best and his worst (His dealings with son Lor is a prime example of seeing him in a not-so-flattering light) but at the same time, he subtely adds in some elements of sadness to Zod but it quickly gets pushed aside due to his disgusting actions but what I find interesting is that while Zod isn’t the type of villain who needs ot wants redemption, you can see the amount of cold-hearted logic that prevents him from showing any kind of emotion so it falls upon Ursa and Lor to take on that role but it feels genuine due to Casey’s writing. This series looks like it will be spiraling into madness due to its protagonist but while that could spell trouble for the DC Universe, at the very least it’s an enjoyable read.
Machine Girl & The Space Hell Engels # 1– Machine Girl is back for a new adventure. If you’re not familiar with the character, this issue serves as the perfect jumping-on point for readers who want some eccentricity in their sci-fi stories. Machine Girl (Who’s real name is Megan) finds herself ready to take on a mission to deliver a cryptic egg to her friend’s sister while running into the Space Biker Gang; This series takes “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” along with “The Fifth Element” and mashes them up for good measure and it helps that the team of writer Matts and artist Sergio Monjes gives us a clever space adventure that keeps the action flowing with ease as well as making things lively with the dialogue but after reading this, I feel this concept would work more as an animated series than a comic but this is a series that will keep you entertained with every page.
Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 # 1 – This new weekly series finds Spidey 2099 facing off against zombies (That’s right- Zombies!) that look to ruin Nueva York while Miguel’s mother becomes a zombie herself (It’s not exactly an unexpected plot twist) but Spidey does team up with Blade 2099 to combat the living dead even though I feel this would have worked with vampires instead of zombies and while Steve Orlando (Who’s back on scripting duties) is no Peter David, he does manage to make this concept interesting while making sure we all come back for the remaining issues that will come out later on this month. Orlando’s writing is hit or miss but he did hit a home run with this new Spider-Man 2099 series so be sure to check this out.
Vengeance Of The Moon Knight # 1 – Marc Spector is dead but this is not the definite conclusion of Moon Knight but a new beginning; This issue spends most of the time building up the supporting cast to where you don’t even mind that Moon Knight is nowhere to be seen. As for the appearance of the new Moon Knight, he shows up later on (**NO SPOILERS**) but his identity is being withheld for the time being, I feel Marvel will keep us in suspense when it comes to the big reveal. 2023 saw the death of Marc Spector/Jake Lockley/Steven Grant but with 2024 in full swing, it looks like this new Moon Knight is here to stay and this series is a great reminder of why this is one of Marvel’s top books.
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
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