A Sense of Doubt blog post 2546 - Ka-Zar, Venom, Black Panther, and Nightwing - COMIC BOOK SUNDAY for 2202.06
I am ill, and it might be Covid, probably Omicron. As I am a day late getting this entry posted, I can report that I am getting tested today in a few hours (Monday morning January 17th).
For this post, I wanted to just select some of the comics that I have been really looking forward to and why not necessarily the best things I am reading as well as two long-life favorites.
I have tagged my "List-Fave Marvel Heroes" category because two of the three characters from the first set of comics I described above -- Ka-Zar and Black Panther -- are among my favorite "non-franchise" heroes at Marvel. When I made the list back in 2013, the Black Panther movie had not yet come out and the character was still not a franchise hallmark, like Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, or Captain America.
MARVEL TOP TWENTY NON-FLAGSHIP SUPERHEROES - MEN
Yes, here it is, the list you have been waiting for. It was difficult to make this list. I had to confine myself to male Marvel heroes who either did not have their own books or who had/have solo books but are not considered the pillars of the Franchise (like Spider-Man and Captain America). Doctor Strange heads the list.
- Doctor Strange - wiki
- The Silver Surfer - wiki
- The Black Panther - wiki
- The Vision - wiki
- Adam Warlock - wiki
- The Black Knight - wiki
- Daimon Hellstorm - Son of Satan - wiki
- Iron Fist - wiki
- Killraven - wiki
- Falcon - wiki
- Ka-Zar - wiki
- Deathlok - wiki
- MOON KNIGHT - wiki
- Black Bolt - wiki
- Nova - wiki
- 3D Man - wiki
- Machine Man - wiki
- Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu - wiki
- Quasar - wiki
- Captain Mar-Vell - wiki
FROM - Saturday, July 8, 2017
No Venom (because I have never been a huge fan of the symbiote) but Black Panther and Ka-Zar.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1439 - "Comics Are Going Downhill" - NOT!
ENTIRE SERIES URL:
FIRST ISSUE URL:
Review: Marvel Meets Eco-Horror In ‘Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land’ #1
by Scott Redmond
10/10Overview
Every so often there is a new comic book series that just hits all the right spots and takes the reader beyond where they ever expected and just leaves them craving far more, and right now ‘Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land’ is that series. Great depth of character, gorgeous mood setting artwork that stands apart from all the rest, deep messages about real-world issues, and a bunch of comic book superhero-like fun.
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Despite the long-time relationship that real-world issues/concerns/politics/etc and all forms of art have had, it’s not always easy to find a way to marry tackling of those events and the other demands that are often made of particular mediums. Such as in superhero and superhero adjacent comic books, where a certain level of action/heroes taking on villains is expected from much of the audience. Some books are able to balance that superheroic action, lots of great character work, and also tackle looking at some of the big issues that we face in our own world.
Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 is most assuredly one of those comic books.
Billed as an “eco-horror revival of Marvel’s mighty Jungle Lord” by series writer Zac Thompson, the first issue of this series lives up to all the hype around it. The Savage Land is one of the most unique and richest story areas in the Marvel Universe that is still so ripe for exploration. Using it as a means to look at ecological issues of the world with a horror tinge while still bringing all the action and character is perfection.
It helps that the book is truly gorgeous and unique thanks to the stunning work of Germán García, Matheus Lopes, and Joe Caramagna. Right away there are some really nightmarishly horrific scenes that are sure to stick with the reader just because they are so wonderfully bizarre and frightening but just stand out so well because of the amazing art and coloring.
García and Lopes’ work is almost dream-like in so many ways, which is fitting since the Savage Land is such an otherworldly like place that we could only dream of ever visiting. Everything from Ka-Zar (along with Shanna, Matthew, and Zabu) to a compromised T-Rex, to even the issue end revealed ‘being’, and all the nature around them are drawn so distinct and uniquely. Everything has personality and a spark, just as one would expect from such a place as the Savage Land.
There is a really warm yellow filter-like glow that is found across the pages, that never once mutes the other bright pops of colors that can be found in the issue. Rather than being all shadowy or dark, which is one way to convey horror, this series takes the other route. It showcases the horror right away but also brings you in with this warm and welcoming feeling because the land it takes place in is sunny and welcoming but also vastly dangerous at the same time.
Along with the wonderful lettering work that Caramagna does across the board with the mood-setting captions on the first page as well as the beyond solid dialogue work across the book and the SFX that seamlessly blend into the same style as all the other artwork. One could just hear when the Fall People scream out Ka-Zar’s name or nod your head and go “Yep that is definitely what flowers hitting a rampaging T-Rex in the face would sound like.”
Even the dialogue/caption boxes have the same gold/yellow comfort warmth feeling of the artwork, helping draw one even deeper into Ka-Zar’s thoughts and feelings at this moment. Just all-around amazing work that feels so unique and different from so many other books on the shelves.
On the character end, it’s great to see a follow-up on Ka-Zar’s death and resurrection from last year’s Empyre event series. While at the same time we get an actual bit of time to follow around the Plunder family and their lives and struggles in the Savage Land as Ka-Zar deals with his new powers and their son Matthew pushes back against his parents and their ways. Previously we had just gotten told that Matthew grew up at some point to become a teenager, but here we get to see what that means when one lives somewhere like the Savage Land.
Thompson not only fully gets the characters and the struggles they face but writes them in a way that despite how they butt heads and differ, you can feel that they are a family, and also you aren’t left feeling that any particular one is more right than the others. Which is a situation that most of us are likely very familiar with.
This series will most certainly go down as a classic and definitive Ka-Zar/Savage Land story when all is said and done.
Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 is now on sale in print and digitally from Marvel Comics.
https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/marvel-comics/venom-(2021)
Mike Eakins
Emotion, passion, tenacity. These are just a few words that come to mind when talking about Venom. Venom has been a Marvel mainstay for the past three decades, seeing both ups and downs in popularity. Fast forward 31 years to the remarkable run of Cates and Stegman, who completely tore Venom down and laid the foundation for a new direction. Marvel found the right team to lay the foundation. Now they need to find the team to build and bring along the next era of Venom.
Enter Al Ewing and Ram V. As Marvel continues to search out that iron-clad team to take their beloved symbiote to new heights after Cates and Stegman. As the saying goes, Marvel spared no expense on getting Ewing, V, Hitch, Currie, Sinclair, and Cowles to lead the charge in this new era of Venom. And as Marvel spared no expense in their search, this symbiote super-team spared none in their first offering of Venom, and I must say…I’m here for it!
Everything about this book is pretty stellar or interstellar (that was a space joke). I’ll be honest; I wasn’t sure how Ewing and V would be together on Venom. As two of my favorite writers, I was stoked, but I wasn’t sure if we needed them both. Similarly, when Pearl Jam and Neil Young got together when I was a teenager, I wasn’t sure if I needed them both together on a project. I was wrong then, and I was wrong now.
We catch up with Eddie, Dylan, and Venom in their post-Knull roles and a world still reeling from the former King in Black’s brutal clutch. As the story unfolds, we realize something else is at work, and it’s working against Eddie, Dylan, and Venom. To add insult to injury, Dylan is still at odds with his dad and with life in general. It feels like his only time of salvation is when he’s with Venom, and he’s dealing violence like a dealer deals blackjack.
Final Thoughts
It’s rare for lightning to strike twice, but in Marvel’s case, it has not only struck twice but with the impact of a ten-ton hammer. When you reach the end of this issue, you will need to pick your jaw off the floor and a scotch.
https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/marvel-comics/black-panther-(2021)
ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Black Panther,’ Issue #1
Black Panther #1 is written by John Ridley, illustrated by Juann Cabal, colored by Federico Blee, and lettered & designed by VC’s Joe Sabino. It is published by Marvel Comics. Part one of “The Long Shadow” explores T’Challa’s many roles; he serves as king of the nation of Wakanda, leads the Avengers into battle, and expands Wakanda’s reach into the stars. However, a violent attack reveals one of T’Challa’s many secrets. Prior to opening Wakanda to the world, he integrated ten Wakandan agents into society with the orders to attack if anyone posed a threat to Wakanda. However, those agents are in danger, and the Black Panther’s bonds of family and friendship will be tested.
Any comic fan or creator can tell you that it’s a challenge to follow up on a critically acclaimed run for a beloved character; this is especially true of the Black Panther. Ta-Nehishi Coates’ run not only introduced grand concepts such as the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, but it also helped shape concepts in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther film. Ridley, who is also currently revamping the Batman mythos with I Am Batman, wisely makes the decision to shift from a sci-fi tale to a spy caper, exploring how T’Challa’s secrets affect his relationships. At the beginning of the issue, the Panther promises Captain America that he’ll focus his efforts on Avengers leadership; later, that promise is broken as he embarks on a mission with one of his agents. T’Challa’s sister Shuri also correctly points out that his plans border on paranoia, and it’s not hard to see her point.
Cabal has previously illustrated a variety of Marvel titles including Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. He finds the perfect balance between those extremes in Balck Panther #1. The book opens with a fight scene featuring Panther, Cap, Thor, and Doctor Strange battling a horde of stone creatures in Iceland. The end result is superpowered mayhem as the Panther cuts the creatures into shreds, with Cap’s shield and Thor’s hammer whizzing around him. Another sequence focuses on a pair of T’Challa’s agents fighting a group of white-suited agents, with a series of intricately constructed panels featuring them transforming into jet-black sky suits. Another panel takes the literal shape and form of a countdown when a bomb is activated, thanks to Sabino’s intricate design and Cabal’s attention to detail.
Rounding out the artistic team is Blee on colors. Blee manages to make each location feel unique, from the snow-white mountains of Iceland to the shining silver skyscrapers of Wakanda. But most importantly, Blee remembers to differentiate between various skin tones, especially when it comes to the Black characters in the book. He previously came under fire when coloring Marauders, as Storm was depicted with significantly lighter skin than she usually has. The very last page of the issue corrects this oversight. T’Challa himself sports a variety of outfits that have black as the primary color, from Wakandan garb to street clothes.
Black Panther #1 shifts the King of Wakanda’s focus from interstellar matters to a spy adventure, as John Ridley and Juann Cabal take over the title.
Black Panther #1 is available wherever comics are sold on November 24, 2021.
If the Fantastic Four is my favorite team, heroes, and Marvel comic, the Titans is my favorite team, heroes, and comic at DC with Nightwing being my favorite hero, all followed closely by The Legion of Super-heroes.
This is the kind of comic in which I am all like "wow, I am not sure I could have done something this good."
ENTIRE SERIES URL:
https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dc-comics/nightwing-(2016)
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2202.06 - 10:10
- Days ago = 2410 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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