Review - Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell

While infiltrating a ring of thieves, Black Canary reluctantly partakes in a blood magic ritual that binds her to the group. When the ringleader of the operation dies during the mission, she returns as a ghost to kill Canary and the surviving members of the group. To overcome the blood magic and stop the ghost, Canary reaches out to the one person she knows who can help – Zatanna Zatara, the mistress of magic.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell is a graphic novel written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Joe Quinones.

Bloodspell is a cute little tribute to one of the lesser known friendships in the DC Universe. As members of the Justice League during the iconic Satellite era, Black Canary and Zatanna have been friends for decades. Despite this, very little has been written to reflect this. Paul Dini and Joe Quinones reimagine the pair as having met years before becoming superheroes, with Black Canary becoming somewhat of an older sister figure for the mistress of magic. We see their friendship grow over time through flashbacks, which punctuate the main storyline. This is especially useful as a developmental tool for Zatanna as it shows her going from an apprentice (to her parents and later to the League) to a confident sorceress. Given his affection for the character, it should be no surprise that Dini puts everything he has into portraying Zatanna as a multi-dimensional individual with insecurities and showing her growth. With that said, Black Canary ends up being the standout. She has more attitude than Zatanna, so her dialogue is punchier and has more humour to it. Dini seems to really “get” her voice and understands how she should be portrayed. The contrast between the two characters is evident and it really works for this graphic novel. Although, it is irksome that Dini seems a little too comfortable having his characters call each other bitches. With many male writers, the usage (or over-usage) often straddles the fence between “this is how women speak” and “this is how men think women speak.”

While I enjoyed the storyline and found the dialogue to be incredibly entertaining, what I fell in love with about Bloodspell was its art. Joe Quinones is an absolute master of expressions and dynamic layouts. I appreciate the effort he puts into ensuring each character is distinctive in how they’re portrayed visually. Black Canary and Zatanna don’t just look like the same character with different hair – consideration was put into their facial features and their body language in a way that readers understand their personality even if there isn’t a line of dialogue present. The action sequences are top notch as well. There are two major sequences, the first involves a chase between Black Canary and the ringleader of the group of thieves and the second is a showdown between Black Canary and Zatanna as they’re fighting off the ghost of the ringleader. The chase scene is actually quite campy as it features Black Canary duking it out with the ringleader as she attempts a getaway on a jetpack. It takes place in the skies above Las Vegas, so Quinones has to get creative with how he sets the scene. The end result is effective and engaging, but also kind of dark given how it ends. The other big sequence sees the ghost alternately possessing both Zatanna and Black Canary, forcing them to fight each other. It’s a neat narrative device and it gives Quinones a chance to pit these two iconic characters against each other. I also wanted to give props for Quinones’ homage to Mary Jane Watson’s famous introductory panel from her first appearance. Zatanna places a glamour on Black Canary, which turns her into a buxom redhead. There’s a joke about how she looks like Power Girl, but there’s a visual wink to Mary Jane when we see a character open a door to see the disguised Black Canary on the other side.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell is a fun, self-contained read that’s sure to please new and old fans. If you grew up reading the old Justice League of America comics from the Bronze Age, there are neat little references to that particular era throughout. If you grew up watching Young Justice, there are elements that feel familiar to that world (such as Zatanna being four years younger than Canary and there being a Miss Martian action figure featured in one scene). I enjoyed the fact that Dini and Quinones placed character above all else. Yes, there’s a lot of great action, but the friendship between these two characters is front and center. Between the gorgeous art and the impressive character work, Bloodspell had been wishing it were an ongoing series.

RATING: A-

Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 6: Venom

Upon finding a box of his parents’ belongings in his basement, Peter Parker reconnects with his childhood friend Eddie Brock. Eddie, now in college, reveals that their fathers were working on a secret project that was meant to cure cancer. When Peter investigates the product of their experiments, he ends up bonded to a symbiotic suit that makes him more powerful than ever. This time around, however, he may learn that with greater power come deadlier consequences.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 6: Venom collects Ultimate Spider-Man #33-39, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Mark Bagley.

Venom serves as the re-imagining of the “Alien Costume Saga” and introduction of the villainous Venom into the Ultimate universe. Where the original saga centered on an extraterrestrial symbiote that bonded itself to Spider-Man, this arc is more grounded and presents the iconic black suit as a scientific experiment gone awry. By linking its origins to Peter Parker and Eddie Brock’s fathers, it narrows the scope of the story and makes it an intimate character study. We learn that their fathers were initially scientific altruists search for a cure to cancer, but their experiments were subsequently co-opted by big corporations and their intentions were poisoned by greed. With this in the background, we see Peter struggling with the moral dilemmas his father had to face while also subsequently dealing with his own. Though he’s acquired a new suit that’s enhanced his powers, it’s also made him unpredictable and seems to be affecting his sanity.

Bendis maintains a focus on Peter and Eddie almost exclusively from start to finish. Without the distractions of subplots, this really helps to encourage character development and makes their eventual conflict (because of course Eddie becomes Venom) that much more impactful. With that said, I still find myself gravitating most towards scenes that involve Gwen Stacy. She continues to be a dynamic character that defies convention. There’s a particularly memorable scene where Eddie attempts to get Gwen to hook-up with him, but she rejects him. His previously sunny demeanour sours and this is where we see his true colours show. He berates her and states that her previous actions are proof that she wants him. Beyond what this does to show readers that Eddie is a jerk, it also shows us Gwen understands the predatory nature that men have.

With this arc, Bagley is tasked with being darker and more sinister than before. With the symbiote, we see him indulge in a creepier aesthetic of inky goo, long tongues, and sharp teeth. There’s a Lovecraftian vibe to it, which is really neat. With that said, I did have issues with his portrayal of Eddie Brock. Eddie is a college student, but you really wouldn’t know that from Bagley’s work here. Eddie is given a receding hairline and wrinkles that make him look twice as old as he’s intended to be. It’s incredibly distracting and takes me out of the narrative.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 6: Venom does a great job of bringing the “Alien Costume Saga” into the more grounded world of the Ultimate universe. Bendis and Bagley smartly concentrate on giving readers a story that means something. Venom never wanders too far into the theatrics typical of the superhero genre as it’s character-driven and connects the central conflict to the past of those involved. Still, there are issues with pacing due to lengthy exposition and an epilogue that is entirely devoid of action. I like the concept overall, but the issues with execution hindered the arc from reaching its full potential.

RATING: B

Review - Black Widow: The Name of the Rose

Following a brutal attack that left her on the brink of death, Black Widow is hospitalized. When a data storage device containing classified information is discovered inside of her, she is declared a traitor. Knowing that she’s being framed, Black Widow must escape and uncover the truth in order to clear her name.

Black Widow: The Name of the Rose collects Black Widow #1-5, written by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Daniel Acuña.

The Name of the Rose is an elaborate espionage thriller that digs deep into Black Widow’s past. She is nearly killed, framed, and has a hit put out on her life by an unknown force. The key to unraveling this mystery is a single black rose, which is an obscure reference to something from her past. Black Widow must evade the government and overcome attacks from the world’s deadliest assassins (like Lady Bullseye!), so that she can find the puppet master who is pulling the strings. In some ways, this narrative feels reminiscent of a lot of prior stories starring Black Widow. It relies upon her past to build intrigue and to fill out the supporting cast. It reads like a more sophisticated version of Deadly Origin, but isn’t quite as intriguing and meaningful as Homecoming.

Despite the somewhat predictable narrative elements, Marjorie Liu proves herself to be incredibly adept at writing Black Widow. She’s still the icy spy that we know her as, but Liu also adds in some humour to the character and allows us to see her vulnerability. What stands out to me is that, for much of this story, Black Widow is gravely injured and she pushes on regardless of that. There’s a particularly memorable sequence where she and Elektra get into a physical altercation. Black Widow holds her ground and maintains her steely façade, but after Elektra is gone we see just how much pain she’s in. While Liu employs figures from Black Widow’s past to act as supporting characters, she doesn’t strictly rely on former lovers like most other writers do. Wolverine plays semi-important role in the story, which gives us an opportunity to see the unique dynamic that exists between the two. They have a mutual respect for one another that’s built on friendship rather than romantic feelings. It’s refreshing.

Daniel Acuña’s art is a perfect match for this story. The paint-like quality to his work gives the story an almost vintage feeling, which suits this world of espionage and intrigue quite well. In fact, it almost gives the story a noir kind of aesthetic. This is especially evident in how Black Widow is depicted. She looks like a film noir femme fatale, complete with a variation of the Veronica Lake hairstyle. There are a lot of characters featured in this arc and he does them all justice, with some standouts being Elektra and Wolverine. Beyond that, it’s worth highlighting the gorgeous usage of colour. There’s a lot of red and black throughout, which seems to be an obvious reference not only to our lead heroine but also to roses (the black rose being a pivotal plot element). The vibrancy of the red that reoccurs offers a lot of punch to the otherwise muted palette, while there’s some really neat contrast due to the shine placed on Black Widow’s iconic catsuit (since most of the colours used are matte).

Black Widow: The Name of the Rose is a worthy addition to any Black Widow fan’s collection. It’s visually stunning and features some incredibly strong writing from the award-winning Marjorie Liu. Though the story itself may not be the most original, the quality of the character work and action sequences are more than enough to make up for it.

RATING: B

Review - Aquaman Volume 4: Underworld Part 1

Aquaman is dead and the throne of Atlantis has been usurped by the terrorist Corum Rath. After imposing an isolationist and extremist regime on Atlantis, Corum has targeted the poorest and most vulnerable Atlanteans in order to further homogenize the kingdom. With his dictatorial reign in full effect, small contingents of rebels have formed to oppose him. Former royal advisor Vulko, the disgraced Mera, and a mute Atlantean named Dolphin each work towards ending Corum’s regime.

Aquaman Volume 4: Underworld Part 1 collects Aquaman #25-30, written by Dan Abnett and with art by Stjepan Sejic.

After a stellar introductory arc on his Rebirth run on Aquaman, Abnett and his creative team stumbled with a collection of mediocre stories that culminated in the Crown of Atlantis trade. While the series started out with a political tinge by tackling the subject of diplomacy, Abnett and co fell back on a more traditional approach to superhero storytelling for a handful of issues. Underworld brings readers back into the world of political intrigue. Abnett and artist Stjepan Sejic immerses readers in an Atlantis that is in the midst of a dictatorial reign as a result of a coup by the terrorist Corum Rath and his followers. It feels very topical, especially considering how classism and racial discrimination become central themes in this story arc. Abnett and Sejic re-introduce classic Aquaman supporting character Dolphin as a mutated Atlantean who lives in the poorest section of the kingdom. It is through her narrative that we see the danger that the Atlanteans live in under Corum’s regime. Those who live in the Ninth Tirade, like Dolphin, are mutated and live in severe poverty, thus becoming scapegoats for those in power. Dolphin must not only survive the crime in the Ninth Tirade, but she must also deal with the persecution she faces from Corum’s followers. It contrasts starkly with characters like Mera and Tula, whose adjacency to the throne afforded them certain privileges that Dolphin does not have.

This arc is filtered through the perspectives of four primary characters – Corum Rath, Mera, Vulko, and Dolphin (and her very familiar companion SPOILER ALERT - it's Aquaman). Corum is desperately trying to hold onto his power, barking orders at whoever will listen. Meanwhile, Vulko strikes an alliance with an unlikely benefactor and sets out to undermine Corum’s rule. Mera returns to Atlantis with the aid of Aquaman’s one-time sidekick Tempest to destroy the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom. Finally, Dolphin convinces a vigilante operating in the Ninth Tirade to oppose Corum. The plot is structured in such a way that each character’s narrative never gets lost in the shuffle, though Corum does seem to be the most inessential character to be following (despite his important role in the events). The pacing works quite well as Abnett and Sejic perfectly manage to balance action sequences with character building exchanges. One of my favourite moments blends both of these together. While Mera and Tempest attempt to destroy the barrier around Atlantis, Tempest confides in Mera by telling her the reason why he gave up using magic. It’s a poignant moment that adds to the impact and high stakes of the action occurring around them.

One of the most impressive elements of Underworld is its art by Sejic. There’s a storybook-like quality to his work that elevates the material outside of the traditional superhero aesthetic. The painted style truly suits the underwater setting and gives readers some of the most beautiful backgrounds possible. I’m also incredibly impressed by the appearance of the female characters. Mera and Dolphin are especially striking. Both Mera and Dolphin are rendered in a very elegant way. Additionally, the mutation on Dolphin’s legs and arms has a certain level of realism that provides a kind of tangibility to her appearance. With that said, the quality does tend to vary from panel to panel. The colours are applied imprecisely in some spots and Sejic seems to be less consistent with men than women when it comes to proportions.

Aquaman Volume 4: Underworld Part 1 is a satisfying return to form for the Rebirth Aquaman series. Abnett’s refocusing on the intrigue of Atlantean politics gives this trade a unique quality in comparison to other superhero books. There’s a ton of action, but there’s some substance there as well. Abnett and Sejic give us plenty of touching moments between the characters, for instance, while also adhering to a set of topical themes that feel relevant to what’s currently going on in the world. Though I’ve never considered myself an Aquaman fan (like others might), Abnett’s run has impressed me and this collection in particular is worth a read.

RATING: B+

Review - Black Widow: Deadly Origin

After the apparent death of her mentor Ivan Petrovich, Black Widow uncovers a decades-long plot known as the Icepick Protocol. This protocol initiates a series of events that could kill everyone Natasha has ever cared for if she doesn’t save them on time. To do so, she must look into her past and question the veracity of her origins.

Black Widow: Deadly Origin is a four-part mini-series, written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by John Paul Leon and Tom Raney.

At its core, Deadly Origin is a standard espionage thriller that feels remarkably like an old school James Bond film. It starts off fairly grounded, with Natasha investigating the death of Ivan Petrovich and searching for clues about what the Icepick Protocol is. She learns that she was injected with deadly nanotechnology decades ago and she’s been slowly infecting everyone she’s come into contact with. The Icepick Protocol activates this technology and turns the infected into murderous drones. As the narrative progresses, it becomes a little more outlandish as our titular heroine ends up facing off with the mini-series’ big bad on an abandoned space station above Earth. In terms of tone, it basically goes from From Russia With Love to Moonraker. It’s a bit jarring since writer Paul Cornell had kept much of the story within the realm of espionage, but abandoned that for a more traditional superhero style finale.

Despite what its title may imply, Deadly Origin is not an accessible retelling of Black Widow’s origins. While we do get glimpses into her past through flashbacks (gorgeously illustrated by John Paul Leon), they’re mostly filtered through the perspective of Ivan Petrovich. As such, there’s a bit of a disconnect between Black Widow and the reader. It’s not quite as character driven as some other Black Widow stories because of this. The brief vignettes set in the past do an adequate job of detailing some of her past relationships, but they don’t provide much depth. The events set in the present similarly lack the layers necessary to endear the reader to Black Widow and give us a clear sense of who she is as a character. At just four issues, the story wasn’t given enough room to breathe and had rushed pacing that didn’t allow for adequate development.

As mentioned previously, this mini-series straddles a line between spy thriller and superhero adventure. There’s no greater example of this than with the art. As mentioned previously, John Paul Leon handles the flashbacks. His work is moody and emotive, beautifully capturing a Cold War era aesthetic. Tom Raney illustrates the present day events, which take up a bulk of the narrative. Raney’s work has an edge to it, but it’s still very much within the realm of what you’d expect of a superhero comic. In fact, his art has a bit of a ‘90s vibe to it. The difference in style between the two artists creates a schism that may be disappointing to some readers. For me, I’d have preferred it if John Paul Leon had been the sole penciller.

Black Widow: Deadly Origin is an entertaining read, though not one I’d actively recommend to anyone looking for a great Black Widow story. The covers by Adi Granov are gorgeous and iconic, but the contents don’t quite live up to that level of quality. I’m not particularly a fan of the direction Cornell took the characters in (especially Ivan Petrovich) and Raney’s art isn’t especially impressive.

RATING: C+

Review - Spider-Man: Blue

On Valentine’s Day, Peter Parker reflects upon his life and the story of how he fell in love with Gwen Stacy. He records these past events in a tape recorder, recounting his greatest heroic and romantic triumphs before one of the greatest tragedies in his life.

Spider-Man: Blue is a six issue mini-series written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale.

Though sometimes regarded as a Gwen Stacy story, Spider-Man: Blue is truly a love letter to Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.’s historic tenure on The Amazing Spider-Man. It captures the exuberance and dynamism of the Silver Age Spider-Man stories, something which changed drastically when Gwen Stacy’s death brought the world of comics screaming into the edgier Bronze Age. In Blue, our titular hero reminisces about how he fell in love with Gwen Stacy and reflects on the impact she had on his life. These past events also coincide with his first encounters with Mary Jane, giving readers a glimpse into the early days prior to her maturation into Peter’s loving wife. This narrative is peppered with battles pulled from Lee and Romita’s run. This action helps to break up the otherwise introspective slant to the series. Loeb and Sale do a beautiful job of paying tribute to the classic Spider-Man stories with Blue. There’s something familiar about it in a way that’s sure to rustle up feelings of nostalgia in its readers.

For those who might be fans of Gwen Stacy and may be expecting her to be a central figure in this series, Blue is likely to be a bit of a disappointment. While it does a spectacular job of capturing the essence of the Lee and Romita era of stories, it ultimately fails to actually pay tribute to Gwen Stacy. Despite being positioned as the subject of Peter’s tape recordings, Gwen has very little panel time. She has no autonomy as her identity is defined solely by her relation to others – as a love interest to Peter and as a rival to Mary Jane. This is further emphasized by how Peter discusses Gwen. She doesn’t come across as a fully-formed human being with her own personality and life, but rather as an object that Peter must acquire (if he should choose her over Mary Jane that is). Loeb and Sale don’t do an adequate job of showing us why Peter loves Gwen or what it is about her that’s actually special. In this regard, they fail her. In contrast, Mary Jane practically bursts out of this series. She’s a truly dynamic presence on the page with electric dialogue and colourful outfits. Through her dialogue and actions, we have a better understanding of who she is and a better sense of why Peter eventually falls in love with her. Even still, there’s something very disturbing about how the women are actually framed in the story. The way they’re discussed is almost as if they’re possessions and that none of their hopes, feelings or aspirations matter as their sole purpose is to be Peter’s love interests. It also doesn’t help that Gwen and Mary Jane are so obviously placed in opposing roles. This is done so obviously that we even see them (Gwen primarily) making catty remarks. It’s immature and beneath both characters (especially Gwen).

While Blue is largely a rehash of events we’ve seen play out in classic comics, Tim Sale does a beautiful job in making everything feel fresh and new while also respecting that source material. Sale’s art is notable for its noir slant (see Batman: The Long Halloween), but he does manage to really capture the ‘60s vibe with this Silver Age inspired series. I really appreciate the effort he put into matching the clothing and styling of that era, as well as the work that went into making each character look distinct (though Gwen and Mary Jane basically look like the same character with different hair colours). In fact, it’s Sale’s art that truly sells this series. That said, I do have a bone to pick with his recreation of Mary Jane’s iconic first appearance in that he didn’t draw her wearing the same outfit. He drew her in a dress rather than the iconic black tank top and tan pants. It’s arguably one of the most enduring pieces of comic book imagery yet it’s not replicated in a way that matches it in any way.

Spider-Man: Blue is a cute mini-series that plays on the nostalgia surrounding the “good ol’ days” of Spider-Man stories. It’s perfectly paced, features gorgeous artwork, and possesses an unironic sentimentality to it. While I found many elements to be somewhat underwhelming and lamented the lack of panel time afforded to Gwen and Mary Jane, I can understand why Blue lands on many best of lists for Spider-Man fans.

RATING: B-

Review - Aquaman: The Waterbearer

When Aquaman is sentenced to death following a regime change in Atlantis, the enigmatic Lady of the Lake rescues him. In exchange, he is given a mystically empowered aquatic hand and becomes her champion. Upon his initial misuse of his powers, Aquaman sets in motion a series of events that could harm his benefactor.

Aquaman: The Waterbearer collects Aquaman #1-6 and material from Aquaman Secret Files 2003 and JLA/JSA Secret Files & Origins #1, written by Rick Veitch and art by Yvel Guichet.

The Waterbearer picks up in the aftermath of “The Obsidian Age,” a storyline that ran in JLA that dealt with the disappearance and reappearance of Atlantis. As such, it demands a certain level of working knowledge of the preceding events. Without it, readers may find themselves desperately trying to fill in the blanks. Still, writer Rick Veitch and artist Yvel Guichet don’t dwell too long on it. Instead, they keep the narrative moving forward by introducing new lore to the Aquaman mythos. The creative team opts to borrow from Arthurian legend (apt considering our hero was a king named Arthur) and the concept of the watery hand is absolutely brilliant. As the ousted ruler of Atlantis, Aquaman’s given new purpose as the champion of the Lady of the Lake and he finds himself having to learn how to use his new gift. True to his hotheaded nature, he makes mistakes and he has to deal with those consequences.

Despite its inclusion of Arthurian legend and some interesting narrative choices, The Waterbearer isn’t as attention grabbing as it could be. It lacks direction due to a meandering storyline that delves into a plethora of subplots. There are so many plot threads, but the end of this collection ties none of them up. In fact, the trade itself is a massive disappointment due to the fact that it effectively ends on a cliffhanger. It makes little to no sense that the collections department at DC Comics opted to collect the first six issues of Veitch’s run rather than the entirety of it. It wouldn’t have been a big deal to have this trade run the full twelve issues.

I like a lot of the concepts and ideas introduced in Aquaman: The Waterbearer, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Yvel Guichet’s art is an undeniable asset, especially in capturing the more whimsical elements of the story. The scenes involving the Lady of the Lake and her handmaidens are gorgeously illustrated, standing out as some truly distinctive work. Unfortunately, Veitch’s narrative direction and dialogue choices don’t match the high quality of the art. He has a firm grasp on Aquaman, but the other characters seem to suffer from neglect and floating plotlines. For instance, Mera is catatonic, Dolphin is trapped in Atlantis, and the Lady of the Lake is nothing more than a plot device. While my opinion would likely be different had this collection included all twelve issues of Veitch’s Aquaman run, The Waterbearer failed to capture my interest and was a bit of a chore to get through. Had the women been given more of a prominent role, I’m certain I’d have felt a little differently.

RATING: C