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Comics: I Wanna Be Sedated

by Dee. 10/24/2019

It's time for October's comic reviews, before the big Free Comic Book Day Halloween Comicfest on the 31st. This month, we have Metal Men, Doctor Doom and Vampirella / Red Sonja. We also have a preview of Wellington and Dying is Easy. Let's get right to it!

Metal Men (DC Comics): Metal Men started as a comic back in the early 1960's about a group of robots who had the abilities and properties of different metals. Scientist Dr. William "Will" Magnus is experimenting again with what it means to be sentient, which leads to some interesting discussion of AI. This 12 issue maxi-series has ties to Dark Knights: Metal, as the focus of the story expands on the mysterious appearance of Challenger Mountain through the Dark Multiverse.

I don't find it necessary to read back issues of Metal Men, but it would be an interesting read for the historical ideas about AI and what is possible. There is enough reference to the origins that I feel is enough back story for the average comics enthusiast.

The shine of the metal robots is excellent, and the colors of the comic are cool on the robots, and warmer with the humans. When a scene with emotional weight to it happens, the colors get warmer for both the robots and their human counterparts. This comic communicates through the art very well.

Doctor Doom (Marvel Comics): I feel like some more back story might be good to read before reading this, to get a better picture of how Doctor Doom has been portrayed in the past. This is a very human look into his journey as a villain, but also as a benevolent ruler of his people. The script also reminds us of his humanity, as we see glimpses of his past life concurrently with the crisis at hand. Antlion is a company that has come up with a solution to global warming which is potentially risky, but seems to be working as expected. Doctor Doom predicts the ultimate failure of what everyone else is touting as a revelation in environmental repair.

The art is quite nice, as the level of architectural detail in his castle is impressive. Doom's cape swirls oh so dramatically, and his design makes sure that you get a peek into Doom's very human eyes. The lighting is dramatic in the proper locations, and overall is a very well illustrated story.

Vampirella / Red Sonja (Dynamite Entertainment): Written by Eisner winner Jordie Bellaire (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Redlands) and drawn by Drew Moss (Star Wars), this story is set in 1969, which is a change of pace for both of these characters. This also means a change in wardrobe for Red Sonja and Vampirella.

Vampirella has spent the past year on Earth as a reporter, integrating with humans in Brooklyn. She comes through Russia, hunting down a myth and looking for answers. She runs into Red Sonja in the middle of a snowstorm, and brings her to an occultist to figure out more about her.

Red Sonja has been sent through time and space by a mysterious stone, so it's most of an explanation for why she's here. Hilariously, Vampirella looks out for her, as she's found a new and sarcastic friend with which to discover the truth about the myth. This is really engaging, and I wasn't expecting it to be. I came into this book with a barest knowledge of the back stories of both Vampirella and Red Sonja. I don't feel like I need to do any other reading for this book.

The art is excellent, and it tends to lean towards a more red, blue and brown color scheme. All of the characters are quite expressive and the whole book is visually appealing.

Wellington (IDW Publishing): From the creator of the hit podcast "Lore" Aaron Mahnke comes this 5-issue mini-series about the Duke of Wellington, a decorated war hero and monster hunter. Set in 1848, this comic begins with "the Iron Duke" entertaining a lowly reporter, with regards to his travels and accomplishments.

The script feels about as proper as one might expect from a gentleman of that time period, without getting too grandiose and wordy. Though the Duke could be pompous based on his daring adventures, he is an effective and sober storyteller.

The art style is very detailed and textured, as the shadows and clouds swirl around or lurk in the corners of the panels. The house changes with the lighting, from foreboding and haunting to comfortable and intimate. I'm interested in reading more, so that tells me that this "ashcan" (aka free preview) copy of the comic worked to get me hooked.

Release Date: December 11, 2019.

Dying is Easy (IDW Publishing): Writer Joe Hill (Locke & Key) and artist Martin Simmonds (Punks Not Dead) have come together to create a book about an ex-cop turned stand-up comedian. Who may or may not get involved with a murder plot. "S**t-Talk" Homes' routine is pretty funny and grim, with the necessary black out bars.

The art is expressive for a guy doing stand-up, and looks like a watercolor treatment for the lighting. The colors are in the blue and purple tones which look good for the comedy club's dank interior.

By the end of the preview, we hadn't gotten too far into the murder plot, so I'd like to see more of that come into play.

Release Date: December 18, 2019.


What a big month!
See you next time,
Dee