DC Universe: Rebirth | Johns, Frank, Jimenez, Van Sciver
DC
A triumphant opening to arguably the most important event in DC's history. It's no secret the major comics publisher has been a little adrift in the marketplace for a long time. It's company-wide tone has been "grimdark" - the pervasive mood of grittiness and gritted teeth and 'realism' found in recent Batman and Superman movies, notably The Dark Knight and Man of Steel.
DC's reboot events - Crisis on Infinite Earths, Identity Crisis, Final Crisis, etc have often excelled at weaving a meta-commentary into the story's narrative; and Rebirth is no exception. Rebirth represents a conscious choice by the publisher to reclaim the joyfulness its books have generally lacked for the past 10 years. In this comic, a universal-level powerhouse has removed hope and love from the heroes' reality, and the Flash stakes his life on remembering how to love and how to hope. And in this story, it works. There were goosebumps, and a sense of hope about the publisher's future.
Doctor Strange (2015-), #8 | Aaron, Bachalo
Marvel
Nicely written heist caper with Stephen Strange as a Lara Croft-esque adventurer seeking to reclaim the last remnants of magic in the face of a superior foe. Chris Bachalo's art is kinetic and tactile; he's mastered his distinctive style.
Aloha, Hawaiian Dick #1 | Moore, Wyatt
Image
Jacob Wyatt's gorgeous art morphs to reflect the 1950s and the 1970s. It's beautifully observed, and looks like it could be a fun Richard Stark (Parker) style mob romp.
All-New Wolverine (2016-) #7 | Taylor, Takara, Boyd
Marvel
Tom Taylor's Laura Kinney teams up with the unbeatable Squirrel Girl for a high stakes rescue mission. A squirrel was captured by a boy during a recent Wolverine mission, and now the squirrels demand restitution! This book is so much fun! It feels heady and fun and oh gods why can't all comics be this happy?
Omega Men (2016-) #8, 10, 11 | King, Bagenda, Fajardo Jr
DC
These books made me cranky. DC often cops flak for being "continuity-heavy" - its characters have so much that its stories struggle to cope with their internal histories. Sure, that can be a problem - but ignoring a character's history robs them of depth. The writer, Tom King, writes an epic 100-day space siege in single standalone panels. It comes across as glib, like Wikipedia editors tried to summarise a war. Not recommended.
Temporary, #1 | Hurd, Smith
Origin Comics
Sometimes you pick an absolute winner out of the bargain bin at a local comics shop. Temporary is fantastic! Imagine if Dilbert were written by an emotionally-mature human being, and you've got a compelling tale of urban existential nihilism in a candy-sweet board game metaphor.
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'Six Comics' is a collection of thoughts about six comic books I've read in the past month (not necessarily released in the past month). The rules: at least one issue of an ongoing title I've never read before; at least one Australian book; and a preference for books whose creators and/or characters are more diverse than straight white and male.