This week’s main review is Standstill #1, which goes all in on double-page spreads. Plus, the Wednesday Comics Team has its usual rundown of the new #1s, finales and other notable issues from non-Big 2 publishers, all of which you can find below … enjoy!
Standstill #1
Story and Color: Lee Loughridge
Art: Andrew Robinson
Lettering: Rob Tweedie
Publisher: Image Comics
Review by Beau Q.
Gimmicks can really make or break an issue or even a series, but often drive sales or at the very least browsable interest. Standstill is full of gimmicks: an oversized first issue full of 30 double-page spreads? Enticing. The first time writer credit for industry veteran/colorist extraordinaire, Lee Loughridge? Eight issues of time travel schlock you can’t wait to flip through? You betcha. All great selling points and I am a fan of gimmicked selling points in today’s competitive comics market. But beyond size and value, why is this and how is this Loughridge’s first written comics?
The story is a fairly prosaic pulp adventure with hard spy-fi time travel mixed in; two main characters, a string theory inventor and a power fantasy anti-hero. But mostly, this is 60 pages of a sociopath prattling on factoids from Wikipedia before the 1-2 punchline with little scope on the horizon. While Andrew Robinson’s lineart and environmental storytelling constantly blow me away, the gimmick of only double page spreads wears thin when every spread is averaging 4 panels.
It’s a manga sized first chapter with somewhat manga styled pacing, but even then that’s a knock on manga. If the spreads are to widen the widescreen panels similar to changing a 16:9 aspect ratio to that beautiful Panavision anamorphic 2.76:1 where the composition’s sides are used to reinforce the narrative, that would make the most sense, but there’s little play in that aspect in Standstill #1. Loughridge’s colors fade this pallid attempt at pulp into a drained world, but there’s a fun tackle at how color would freeze in a time stopped reality; blues overtaking skin color and all that.
Where Loughridge lacks in narrative pacing he more than makes up for it in palette choice and the subtle temperature changes that dictate the atmosphere of a scene. Maybe I’m not in love with Rob Tweedie’s seemingly randomized thick-to-thin balloons with the fat tails that sharp turn for no vocal reason. Or maybe the inventor plot receives such sparse run time in #1, it feels unintentionally challenging to engage with half the story beats. Whatever the case, if factoid monologues and big, luxurious, breezy reading is your deal, then this here’s a gimmick for you!
Night Club 2 #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Art: Juanan Ramírez
Colors: Fabiana Mascolo
Letters: Clem Robins
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Review by Clyde Hall
The first volume of Night Club came out late 2022 as an Image title with a $1.99 cover price. It seemed like one of those ‘too good to be true’ deals, but it wasn’t. Instead it was both a good read and a great holiday bargain. Reminiscent of his Kick-Ass title, with Night Club writer Mark Millar applied a classic vampiric veneer to a tale of three youths, the best of geeky friends, who shared a fondness for superhero stories and comics.
Millar has the band back together with Juanan Ramírez,
Fabiana Mascolo, and Clem Robins on Night Club 2 #1, now part of the Dark Horse line. The price is $4.99, but when you consider it’s the same killer creative team continuing the adventures without so much as missing a beat, it’s still a bargain.
Friends Sam Huxley, Danny Garcia, and Amy Chen were once everyday teens going through transitions and trials of young adulthood. That is until one of them became a vampire. A real sunlight dodging, hemoglobin craving, creature of the night. What many would consider an undead curse, the trio embraced as ways of becoming metahuman crime-smashing superheroes they’d always dreamt about. Soon, all three were brought over, making costumes, taking down criminals, and even filming their exploits for online subscribers.
The team quickly learned all advantages the undead hold over normal mortals comes with a set of new problems. Not the least is how older and more powerful vampires despise the spotlight these newcomers shine on their kind. Most viewers attributed the superhero feeds to young filmmakers with digital effects skills, but not everyone.
As volume two begins, the crimefighting trio has become a duo. In the aftermath of a falling out over Amy and Danny’s budding romance, Sam has left their Fellowship of the Fang. While money from their YouTube monetization rolls in for the young crime busting couple, Sam uses his abilities on the basketball court, drawing the attention of college scouts.
Except for this rift, the sort which would seem dire for teens but might be worked through as a step toward young adulthood if the teens weren’t preternatural predators, things are going well. Superheroes Starguard and Yellowbird enjoy some level of police tolerance and even cooperation. Hoops marvel Sam has career prospects, newfound respect of classmates, and a hot girlfriend. But whether dealing with vampires, superheroes, or both, feuds can take a darker path. The kind littered with archnemeses who were former teammates.
The second volume launch comes with impressive momentum carried straight from the first. Fans of classic Peter Parker high school drama will feel the stir of teen angst echoes. The raw and turbulent undercurrent of best friend betrayal coupled with street crime ruthless as the real world, executing troublesome kids an accepted price of doing business, establishes the modern setting. And city police detectives espousing superheroics based on the same comics Danny and Amy love should bring a smile.
Night Club 2 has more of what made the miniseries fun and exciting, without really catch new readers up on what’s come before. A readthrough of the six issues in volume one will definitely increase appreciation for the story’s continuation here.
When the Blood Has Dried #5
Writer: Gary Moloney
Artist: Daniel Romero
Letterer: Becca Carey
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review by Jared Bird
Fantasy is a genre near and dear to my heart, and one that all too often gets neglected in favor of other more consistently profitable genres. However, fantasy has seen a major comeback in the last few years, making big splashes across many mediums. Comics have been benefiting from this as well, and one such title making a big splash is When the Blood Has Dried from Mad Cave Studios, ending this week.
Across five issues, When the Blood Has Dried has told a powerful story about former adventurer Meabh attempting to run from her past, and the past coming back to haunt her. Its characters are its strongest element, with some of the most well-handled character writing I’ve read in comics this year courtesy of writer Gary Moloney. Creating both loveable, sympathetic characters and utterly detestable ones, some characters move between the two polarities issue to issue. Moloney’s skill with dialogue is a highlight, with the series never succumbing to the clunky exposition that often befalls the fantasy genre. With a climactic conflict, Meabh’s story comes to an explosive end, and nothing will be the same for her ever again.
Daniel Romero’s artwork has been a consistent highlight of the series. Romero has an excellent knack for character expression and portraying small emotions, but also is incredibly strong at conveying energetic action sequences. The climactic fight is a sight to behold, one of the most satisfying and heart-racing comic moments I’ve read all year, with absolutely top notch artwork. I can easily imagine that Romero will be scooped up for another title soon after this, as he has the type of balanced skillset many artists in the industry aspire to have.
Taking cues from classic westerns, dark fantasy, and Irish history and culture, this series has felt unique from start to finish, and the ending left me shocked. It feels organic and conclusive, yet I doubt that many would’ve been able to predict just how events turn out for the main character. It’s a testament to the ability of the creative team that such an ending doesn’t feel out of left field, but instead like a natural and tragic end.
Gary Moloney and Daniel Romero’s excellently crafted neo-western fantasy comic comes to a huge finish, satisfying readers with an incredible finale that proves the series is undoubtedly one of Mad Cave Studios’ strongest ever, standing out as one of the most unique titles on the shelves.
Wednesday Comics Reviews
- Patra #1 (Dark Horse Comics): A bloody mysterious time, Patra #1 sets up quite a bit of intrigue and horror. There’s clearly some supernatural power at play, heightening the serial killing plotline. Writer James Robinson is methodical, taking us from the cops and their notes to our protagonist, Patra, the sole survivor of the grizzly murder of her family. While the art of Scott Kolins nails the tone and grounds us in the supernatural horror here, I did not love seeing a Black family be brutally murdered, especially by a (presumably) white serial killer. It’s a bit heavy. I am, however, really interested in Patra as a character, she’s endearing and I’m rooting for her even though she’s in a terrifying position and the circumstances are triggering (though I think that undersells it). The letters of Jim Campbell tie everything together between different conversations and perspectives. The dialogue is interesting and one conversation made me think about how normalized it is to use terms that alienate and dehumanize people. Ultimately, the book looks fantastic, having a traditional feel to the linework, cool approaches to the gutters to complement the supernatural horror mystery. —Khalid Johnson
The Prog Report
2000AD Prog 2396 (Rebellion Publishing): This week’s Prog is a bumper issue, delivering continuations of the current ongoing stories, along with a new Future Shock and a self-contained short. The latter is All Aboard the Nova Express by writer James Peaty, artist Steve Roberts, and letterer Jim Campbell. It’s about a cosmic band (hilariously named The 400 Blows) who are having a rough go of it, not getting great the gigs they want. Essentially, this story is a bright sci-fi canvas to play out a tale of a struggling band. It kind of lives and dies by the gags it manages within that frame, of which there are many, ranging from broad outsized visual humor to insider-y music nerd bits, like a fancy music machine that just says “Can.” It’s all good fun, not quite that novel, but bright and enthusiastic in a satisfying way. The Future Shock, title Just Stop Evil, is written and drawn by Alan Kerr with letters by Annie Parkhouse. And to be blunt, it’s a total banger. It’s a parable about ignoring the risks of energy generation for economics, plus also there’s a giant demon god and mutations. It’s exactly what you want from a short comic. As always, you can nab a digital copy of this week’s Prog here. —Zack Quaintance
Read more entries in the weekly Wednesday Comics reviews series!
It’s worth noting that Standstill isn’t the first writing credit for Lee Loughridge. He made his writing debut with MidState from Comixology.
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