Comic of the Day 19/4: "Detective Comics" #51

Detective Comics #51 is a solid, satisfying and entertaining read throughout, mixing things up by setting the story in the desert wastelands of Afghanistan instead of the Gotham's concrete jungle. 

Jim Gordon, hunting down a mystical power he encountered once before and which is now killing all men from his former Marine Corps, works particularly well in this new environment. Peter J. Tomasi's portrayal of Gordon is full of grit and determination here, and Fernando Pasarin particularly excels in giving his facial expression a remarkable range and depth, as the former Commish tries to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death's of his former combatants.

However, there is one glaring issue with Detective Comics #51, and that's Batman himself. Seeing Jim Gordon being the Caped Crusader again after he gave up the "job" in Batman #50 is not necessarily faulty, as the two comics' timelines have never been completely synchronized. But it feels that the inclusion of Batman at all is more of an afterthought here, as the few times Gordon does put on the costume are unnecessary, not forwarding the plot or adding anything of interest. 

Nevertheless, it's still a splendid and varied story that I cannot wait to be concluded.

Comic of the Day 18/4: "The Fix" #1

The Fix #1 is very much like its two anti-heroes: perfectly aware of the time and zeitgeist they are in, but deciding they couldn't give a shit. It's two corrupt policemen disgusted by the state of modern-day crime who want to make it big the old-fashioned way (ski masks and retirement home robberies included). 

Drawing heavily from TV shows and movies from the 80's and 90's, Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber create a story that is always light in tone, but never shy of going all in for bad taste. So, The Fix is first and foremost what you'd probably least expect it to be: a comedy masterpiece with one great punchline after the other. 

And it's not even the two main characters who shine the most here. It's the superb cast of supporting characters (the completely over-the-top Donovan is a guilty pleasure, Josh the kind of villainous crime boss that you won't have seen in any comic before, and Pretzels...well, I won't tell you). 

It's hilarious, violent, witty, and defying expectations on all levels. A definite must-read.

Comic of the Day 14/4: "Deadpool" #9

This comic is fun. A lot of fun. And then some.

Even though the last couple of Deadpool comics have all been entertaining in their own way, none of them ever really clicked with me. Deadpool was either trying too hard, or took a back seat to other characters. 

Gladly, the Merc with a Mouth is back to full strength in this one. Particularly, it's the full-blown fight against Sabretooth that has it all: Gerry Duggan's spot-on dialogue and bon mots paired with flawless pacing and execution by Matteo Lolli, who gives the scenes a great sense of scope by using full page panels. It's definitely quality over quantity and one of the most hilarious comic rides of the year so far. 

But credit should also go to the depiction of Sabretooth. He's not just simply a villain, but a compelling antagonist with nuanced character traits and a moving backstory that (despite some common tropes about the freak child) gives this comic more depth than you would probably expect from Deadpool. 

This issue simply has everything you could want from a Deadpool comic, hoping there is more like this to come when #10 hits the shelves.

Comic of the Day 7/4: "Black Widow" #2

To say that Black Widow #2 does not match the series' first issues is by no means meant as a criticism. It was just so phenomenal in its simplicity, sturdiness and pacing, that it would have been foolish to expect the same again.

But fortunately, Black Widow #2 does not try to just duplicate what it so skilfully mastered the first time around. It is slightly more traditional in its storytelling, but never conventional about it, heavily drawing from classic spy tales (the funeral, a betrayal, the lion, the torture chair) with an art style that is retro without feeling old. Samnee and Waid pay an aesthetically fascinating tribute to the 60's and 70's and thus create an environment that probably fits Natasha Romanova more than any other could.

Black Widow is on its way to become one of the defining comics of 2016, and I can't wait for #3.