By Molly Jane Kremer and Jarrod Jones. Happy New Comic Book Day! This is Casual Wednesdays With DoomRocket, where each week we discuss our feelings concerning the comics that mean the most to us, and the industry news that affects us all. This week, MJ & Jarrod discuss the legacy of Jack Kirby, who would have turned 100 years old this year. Then they share their Top 5 Most Anticipated Issues of the Week, and assess ‘Action Comics’ #985 and ‘Generations: Phoenix and Jean Grey’ #1.
Don’t forget to share this podcast on the social network of your choosing, and please enjoy.
MJ’s Top 5 Most Anticipated Issues:
Mister Miracle #1 — DC Comics/$3.99
Redlands #1 — Image Comics/$3.99
The Wicked + The Divine #30 — Image Comics/$3.99
Inhumans: Once & Future Kings #1 — Marvel Comics/$3.99
My Pretty Vampire HC — Fantagraphics/$19.99
Jarrod’s Top 5 Most Anticipated Issues:
Action Comics #985 — DC Comics/$2.99
The Shadow #1 — Dynamite/$3.99
Redlands #1 — Image Comics/$3.99
Detective Comics #962 — DC Comics/$2.99
Mister Miracle #1 — DC Comics/$3.99
REVIEWS FOR AUGUST 9, 2017
Action Comics #985
DC Comics/$2.99
Written by Rob Williams.
Art by Guillem March.
Colors by Hi-Fi.
Letters by Rob Leigh.
JJ: Rob Williams is a pretty great fit for a Superman book: the dialogue is light instead of ponderous and the conflicts are clear without any moral haziness. What’s more, it reads like an Eighties-era John Byrne issue, which definitely caught me by surprise. Guillem March’s work — which has always been stupendous — is perfectly tailored to not only suit Williams’ narrative, but to look and feel like a timeless Superman tale. This is for people who like a bit of hope in their books, who might want a bit of optimism in their lives.
8.5 out of 10
Generations: Phoenix and Jean Grey #1
Marvel Comics/$4.99
Written by Cullen Bunn.
Art by R.B. Silva and Adriano Di Benedetto.
Colors by Rain Beredo.
Letters by Travis Lanham.
MJ: For a series that Marvel seems to be pushing as an “event” (i.e. consequential to continuity) this felt very nonessential. Which would be fine; some of the low-key hangouts in this issue I could totally get down with (like Jean and Jean chatting on a beach or rocking out in a club together); I love small, character-driven sequences like that. But there was little bonding between the characters, any development for either of them. I would recommend this to any X-Men completist, but for everyone else? You ain’t missing much.
6 out of 10
Check back next week for more Casual Wednesdays!
Before: “Con Recovery,” here.
Subscribe to CASUAL WEDNESDAYS!
Casual Wednesdays written and edited by J. Jones, produced by M.J. Kremer and J. Jones.
Opening/closing theme: “Feels Good 2 B” by Audionautix — YouTube (Creative Commons Attribution)
Intro music: “Good Vibes” by JBlanked — Free Music Archive (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs)
Intro interview music: “Talk to Me” by Jahzzar — YouTube (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs)
Top 5 Most Anticipated Background music: “Runner Runner” Produced by Marc Dtwo — SoundCloud, YouTube (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs)
