We end our nearly weeklong stint of boycotting the money grab lenticular cover to keep an eye on the Lex-Ticular Lex Luthor Comics #1 at Action, and check in on two awesome creator owned books from Image and Dark Horse.
Zero #1 is a buzzworthy future super-spyfi action tale and Buzzkill #1 showcases a hero that appropriately loads up on booze to get powers. Knock back The Calamitous Black Devils over at ComiXology Submit to avoid the DTs.
LEX LUTHOR COMICS #1 (ACTION COMICS #23.3)
WRITER: Charles Soule
ART: Raymond Bermudez
Publication Date: September 18, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131809723321
Buy it HERE
We were a bit disappointed with what Bizarro #1 had to offer us for Superman bad guys but decided to go back to the well this Villain’s Month for the Lex Luthor in a title you associate him with, Action Comics.
Heck, things ain’t been the same for old Supes since Morrison’s departure on the title, and lots of people have been given a shot at writing him. Charles Soule (27, Swamp Thing, upcoming Superman/Wonder Woman) is a rising star, and what better challenge than to take on Superman’s greatest foil, Lex Luthor?
This story focuses on Lex’s ability to ruin someone’s day, in a conniving way that exonerates him from blame, because the super genius plays his life like a game of chess, five moves ahead of everyone else. We see him get released from prison, get the reverse Nicholson-Joker face surgery to fix his scarred face, he ruins a small business, launches a space mission and suits up in his famous War Armor suit. All seemingly before lunch. The whole time, he’s trying to trap Superman, somehow but Clark’s alter-ego is no where to be found.
Soule gets to the heart of the smartest man in the New 52, in much the same way Abnett & Lanning did in Adventures of Superman #4. There’s not a moment or synapse wasted in Lex’s waking moments. He’s thinking about destroying the alien. He may well do it, too. Looks like this is a continuation of the Bizarro #1 story. Another iteration of a cloned Bizarro takes bullets from the War Armor.
Great art harkening to the clean look established by Rags Morales here from Raymond Bermudez as well.
ZERO #1
WRITER: Alex Kot
ART: Michael Walsh/Jordie Bellaire
Publication Date: September 18, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985301439300131
Buy it HERE
The debut issue of this soldier spy comic is quite good, but like most debuts on a hot book you may have to wait an issue or two for more of the pieces to gel together for a cohesive understanding.
That is not to say this is a slow burn, quite the opposite.
Non-stop action here in Zero #1.
Fans of Who is Jake Ellis? and the past and present volumes of G.I. Joe: Cobra Files should rush out to get this one before the speculators grab all from your shelves.
Edward Zero works for The Agency, killing on direct orders on an exfiltration job that involves some serious weapon tech. Meanwhile in London, his two Agency bosses argue and have intimate relations all the while deciding Zero’s fate.
There is a lot to chew on here, spy stuff, changing uniforms, blood, bricks to the face. This is a super cool book, and I’m sure it makes it to the top of many comic review lists this week.
BUZZKILL #1 (of 4)
WRITERS: Donny Cates, Mark Reznicek
ARTIST: Geoff Shaw
Publication Date: September 18, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Buy it HERE
Apropos of nothing really is the fact that this is co-written by Mark Reznicek, drummer for The Toadies.
The concept here is that we have a hero that gets his powers from the drink; bestowed upon him freshman year of high school after binge drinking out of a keg.
With newfound powers, he is is able to survive a drunken car accident with his friends. He dries up for five years before hitting college and another series of unfortunate events that trigger the powers again.
The comic is centered around an AA meeting, where ‘Ruben’ (he gives a fake name to the group) recalls all of this.
What we don’t see until later in the issue is that there are other forces out there, keeping an eye on what he says in the anonymous meeting.
Our guy may be a hero, or he may be as terrible as a drunk driver. That has yet to be determined, but we will tune in next month to see if Ruben can hold on to his 24 hour chip or if dark forces are at work to take it away.
THE CALAMITOUS BLACK DEVILS #1
Writer/Artist: Joseph Paul Schmalke
Price: $1.99
Imprint: Newboy Comics
Page Count: 38 pages
Digital Release Date: 9/18/13
Age Rating: 18+ Only
Buy it HERE
Our ComiXology Submit title this week combines so many genres it will make your head spin, but that’s not a bad thing.
Fans of the occult underworld and supernatural experimentation by the Nazi’s will have a lot to chew on here. Part Hellboy, part The Fifth Element, part Sgt. Rock, The Calamitous Black Devils follows an internationally assembled military team into the heart of Lybia in 1943. A soldier, a shaman and a Night Witch take on ancient gods and Ratzis and ghosts in non-stop action.
The nearly double-sized comic ends on a cliff-hanger, making you beg for more.
