Four graphic novels and two mysteries in May’s thoroughly enjoyable (for the most part) reading stack.
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters Vol. 3 by Chris Samnee, Laura Samnee, and Matt Wilson
This concluding book in the series collects issues #9 through 12 published by Oni Press. Written and drawn by husband and wife team Chris and Laura Samnee, it’s really designed for kids and tweens, but as usual, Samnee’s art and Wilson’s colors make for an amazing story about two young sisters on a quest to find their father in a post-apocalyptic world filled with Kaiju-style monsters. One of them—Jonna—has super-strength and battles the monster. This is a great series for kids of all ages, and Volume 3 concludes the story (with an opening for a possible sequel, natch!).
Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 4: Dark Web by Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr., et al
I’m still on the fence about this series, even though by this book, I’m like 20 issues into it. I like Romita Jr.’s art a lot (augmented greatly by the inking of Scott Hanna), but Marvel’s preponderance of special “event” series like this one (called “Dark Web,” and involving a team-up between the Spider-Clone, Ben Reilly and an X-Men villain, Madelyne Pryor), just slow down the regular Spidey series’s momentum and just generally screw things up. And when Romita Jr. isn’t drawing the book, you feel it.
I actually gave up on this about four issues in. The combination of characters I don’t care about (Venom, Ben Reilly, Madelyne Pryor), and Ed McGuiness’s overly cartoony art (not to mention the shouting word balloons that accentuate the cartoony-ness) just totally turned me off, along with the “jokey” dialogue. I’m going to give this one more TPB collection and then I fear my reading of the Zeb Wells era of Spider-Man is over.
History of the Marvel Universe by Mark Waid and Javier Rodriguez
Comics writer and historian Mark Waid does a really deep dive into the history of Marvel Comics with this collection of the mini-series. Artist Javier Rodriguez imaginatively illustrates the whole thing with splash pages and double-page spreads that tell the chronological story of Marvel. There’s a totally unnecessary conversation between Galactus and Franklin Richards (son of Fantastic Four’s Reed and Sue Richards) that bookends each issue … I guess Aunt May was unavailable (she and Galactus go waaaay back). It reminds me a bit of the History of the DC Universe by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez from almost 40 (!) years ago, but that was more of an illustrated book; these pages have a lot of action and a great flow to them. And as expected, Waid is a very thorough historian!
Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 3 by Stan Lee and Don Heck
This is pure Stan Lee and Don Heck and kind of a lame era of the Avengers, sandwiched between the Lee and Jack Kirby opening issues and the Roy Thomas and John Buscema era. This book collects issues 21-30 and features the “new” Avengers: Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye. As a kid, reading these stories as they came out, I thought they were extremely lame, but time has given me a better appreciation for penciller Don Heck, who is inked in these issues by Wally Wood, Dick Ayers, Frank Giacoia, and—in his first Marvel appearance since the 1950s—Jazzy Johnny Romita (who was quickly taken off inking and made a penciller on Daredevil, in the wind-up to Spider-Man). Story-wise, Stan the Man is as verbose as ever in most of these issues, but the highlight of this part of the Avengers saga is the return of Giant-Man (as Goliath with a great new costume, “designed by” the Scarlet Witch, which she whipped up in her spare time, just in case he ever returned) and the ever-winsome Wasp. As always with this new budget reprinting of the Marvel Masterwork series, I’m enjoying this very nostalgic trip down memory lane. Great new cover by Leonardo Romero, too
The Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Former book editor Susan Ryeland returns in the second of Anthony Horowitz’s series. This time Susan—now living on a Greek isle and managing a hotel with her boyfriend—is called back to England to help solve a missing person case that involves yet another Atticus Pünd novel by the late author, Alan Conroy, who sucks Susan into his orbit once again, even though he’s dead. As usual with this series, it’s really two novels in one: Susan’s modern-day story and Pünd’s fictional novel (Atticus Pünd Takes the Case), which takes place in the 1950s and holds some clue as to the disappearance of a young woman in real life from The Moonflower Hotel, which she helps manage with her family. The conclusion is satisfying if a bit complicated, as Susan gathers all the suspects into one room and exposes the criminal. I’m enjoying this series (dubbed the “Magpie Murders” after the first book and PBS Masterpiece series) and a third and final book is forthcoming, as is a second Masterpiece series based on this book starring Lesley Manville.
The Kind Worth Saving by Richard Swanson
This is the second book in what I hope is a series by author Richard Swanson, featuring his characters Henry Kimball and Lily Kintner from The Kind Worth Killing. There’s an interesting dynamic between the two of them—which I won’t reveal for spoiler reasons—let’s just say you need to read Killing first, and you’ll thank me if you do. In Saving, Kimball is approached by a young woman from his past, Joan, who was a student of his during the one year he taught high school. Joan thinks her husband, a real estate agent, is cheating on her with his office manager and she wants proof. But what Joan really wants is something else entirely, and Henry Kimball, private eye, will be the perfect witness to it.
I’ve only read two books by Swanson, but I will say this about his writing: You never know what he’s going to do next. I’ve been shocked in both books about what happens to his characters, and he certainly doesn’t seem to have any sacred cows amongst them. I sincerely hope there’s a third Kimball & Kintner book on the horizon, and many more after that. I know I’ll start reading them the day they come out.
Currently reading: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks
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