Each month the staff at 8th Dimension Comics picks out the best book to review.
The Fuse #1 Easily the best book in February is Antony Johnson's epic new sci fi mystery series. The story follows a new detective on a Russian space station who immediately finds himself embroiled in strange murder involving the homeless population that lives among the wiring. Detective Dietrich is a no-nonsense cop with an iron moral code who finds himself paired with the more capricious Klem. The veteran is still getting over the retirement of her old partner, and finds Dietrich's supercop routine extremely amusing up on the perversely understaffed Midway City Police Department.
Right off the bat the book grabs you with a great mystery and perfect timing between the two police officers. The space settings lends a new layer to a pretty old pulp story story of murder on the beat, bu it's Johnston's dialogue that is the most potent ingredient in gripping a reader. Justin Greenwood's art can take a little getting used to, but it's pretty clear Klem is his favorite character as she is lovingly rendered as a cross between Baba Yega, David Bowie, and the Ninth Doctor. Combined with the amazing characterization of Johnston and she's a gift of a hero.
Rating: 9 of 10
Fantastic 4 #1 To be honest, i picked up the new Marvel Now relaunch of Fantastic 4 purely to contrast it with recent statements by producer Michael Vaughan about the next film adaptation. Among comments that it won't be "a stretchy guy and a guy running around in rock that looks like it's made of polystyrene" the fandom is all a twitter that some sort of radical re-imaging of the group and their powers is on the horizon. other rumors, such as a female Dr. Doom that would involve herself in a love triangle with Reed and Sue Richards has fans flinching.
Sorry to say that the latest comic doesn't really gear me up toward being more involved in the lives of the four famous heroes. Reed remains an unlikable ass except at a few turns. Johnny Storm is still just little more than a cartoonish example of kid brotherism, and Ben Grimm gets only a tiny amount of time in the spotlight. As usual in the modern era, it's only Sue that really offers any sort of character growth, though it's still mostly along the lines of just putting up with the emotional damage her teammates inflict on each other and themselves.
If any character has ever screamed out for a solo series where she wanders the world finding herself and dropping the baggage she's been saddled with then it's The Invisible Woman. If thus series is supposed to show us the fall of the Fantastic 4, then for her sake I can't wait for that fall.
Rating: 5 of 10
Rat Queens #5 I do not read Kurtis J. Wiebe's Rat Queens for any other reason than the fact I love watching a band of women warriors go completely Wolvie-berserk style on everything that gets in their way and then celebrate in the bar later. It's an insane, bloody book that is literally every trope of the sword and sorcery genre thrown up against the wall and given a sex-change operation.
I haven't dived into the book for several months and frankly I felt like I was reading the exact same issue at times. Why are they fighting? What is the quest? I couldn't honestly tell you. It's a book of rage and arrows and blood and sex and all of it as glorious as you could possibly ask for. I can't get enough of Rat Queens.
This story continues on the next page.
