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Comics: Holiday Greetings

by Dee. 12/12/2019
Hello fair readers,

Dee here, with three more comic selections for the holidays: New Year's Evil, Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality, and 20XX.

New Year's Evil (DC Comics): Here are ten short holiday stories from DC to celebrate with your favorite villains! The Joker, Harley Quinn, Sinestro, Poison Ivy, Black Manta and others stomp through the pages, leaving destruction and mayhem in their paths. This 80-some page one-shot collection houses tightly controlled seasonal tales, which are delight to read.

Though there are several different creative teams on these stories, the coloring and styles are consistently high quality, there is a certain harmony that comes through all of the comics. I don't feel as though I needed to read any back issues to understand the stories, which is a relief. This is a must-read for any and all DC fans.

Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality (Marvel Comics): This is a comic that could use a little back-issue reading, but as long as you are passing familiar with Hobgoblin and/or Kraven, you needn't worry too much about that. Peter Parker has a shiny new suit, which is alien tech. What could go wrong? Cue time-travel, identity-swapping, plenty of webbing and wise-cracking.

There's lots of amusing dialogue between Natasha (Black Widow) and Doctor Strange regarding their mission. There doesn't seem to be much explanation of the connection between Spider-Man's suit and the book that Strange picks out of a crater, but I'm sure we shall see in future issues.

The lines are crisp and dynamic, while the art jumps off the page in bright chromatic glory. There are very few shadows, and the lighting is appropriate for the action. I enjoyed looking at all of the artwork just as much as I enjoyed the story.

20XX (Image Comics): Set in the far future in Anchorage, Alaska, 20XX is a dire warning: what happens when the polar ice caps melt, and a horrifying new disease is released into the environment? For those few who survive, they receive unknown telekinetic superpowers.

Since this is a black-and-white comic, the inking is dramatic, with dark and mysterious shadows and a moody atmosphere. The character design is pretty realistic, as the subject of a quasi-apocalyptic comic lends itself to a somber tone.

The setting is very detailed, including the social reactions to "syms" versus the "norms", and the propensity of gangs that arise from the division. Graffiti on an abandoned building underlines the hatred at work against the newly realized "syms". Overall, this is an intriguing comic, and I look forward to how it unfolds for our main characters.

And a happy new year,
Dee
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