Comicphiles: Retro Mystery Cowboys
It’s been a great month for comics with memorable and addictive number ones being pulled and enjoyed by many on our staff, as well as some awful duds as well. Dublin Comic Con is now past us and we managed to pick up some great issues at the event, both old and new.
This week on Comicphiles we’ll be tackling a modern version of a golden oldie, X-Men ’92, a wild west inspired issue called 1872 and DC’s Countdown to Mystery.
X-Men ’92
Written by Chris Sims and Chat Bowers and drawn by Scott Koblish, X-Men ’92 truly is a feast for the eyes.
The dialogue matched the characters really well, and although some of the speech bubbles seemed randomly placed at times, it was always easy to know who was speaking. It was so nostalgic seeing more polished versions of my old favourites, and some of the styles were particularly strange to see in a more modern format, like Rogue and Storm’s huge hair, and Wolverine’s iconic blue and yellow suit.
However, some character interactions seemed a little forced, as though the writer was very aware of the history behind certain relationships and felt the need to include past problems for the sake of interest. This didn’t work very well at times, particularly when it came to Cyclops and Wolverine.
The big problem with the issue is that the structure of the panels was confusing; it was often difficult to figure out what was happening, particularly before and during action scenes. If you have to spend time re-reading the previous page and flicking back and forth to see if you missed something, then there’s something wrong.
Ultimately, if you can get past the poor execution, then you’ll enjoy this simply because of the excellent character portrayals, decent story and fierce looking Cassandra Nova.
Will I Continue To Read? Yes, I’ll stay for the nostalgia and the fabulous costumes.
1872
Written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Nik Virella, 1872 has an intriguing cover, which was the main reason I picked it up in the first place. It features a headstone with the names Tony Stark, Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers on it, along with ‘RIP 1872’.
A comic set in the wild west featuring some of my favourite Marvel heroes? As someone who grew up with cowboy movies, it was definitely a concept I could get on board with!
The art is great and I’m a big fan of the colours used throughout; the dusky yellows and ominous, moonlight blues really set the tone.
Beautifully written and paced, 1872 is what all comics should be. As the comic itself says, it’s the story of corruption, death and vengeance in the town of Timely. There were surprising and clever odes to other characters and stories from the Marvel world, like an old-time contraption that ‘shows the future’ for a few dimes which features Vision, and a bottle of alcohol called ‘Wolverine Whiskey’, among others.
Ultimately, it’s a great story and it’s fast paced, with some really enjoyable similarities between modern day characters and their cowboy counterparts. I had a smile on my face from the first page to the last.
Will I Continue To Read? Absolutely! This is my favourite, hands down.
Countdown to Mystery
Written by Steve Gerbert and drawn by Justiniano, Countdown to Mystery was a purchase I made several years ago on the recommendation of my local comic shop. I had just become interested in comics so I was pretty open to trying new things, and with issue 1 just released, it seemed like a great series to start.
Despite my intentions, I never actually read it until now. I pulled it from the recesses of my collection and I’m glad I found it. Not only is it an intriguing story with colourful characters, it also contains seamless, stunning art that seems effortlessly crafted.
A lot of work and love went into this comic and the protagonist, Doctor Fate, as well. In just a few short pages, the reader is taken on the origin journey of a new hero and by the last page, you’re pining for more.
I’ll certainly be ordering the collected volumes as I’m dying to see where this series goes. A wonderful first issue.
Best line: “He’s not dead, is he?” “Negatory.”
Will I Continue To Read? Yes, definitely!
