The Pull List: 5 September 2018

The saga of Esther and Ed's awkward will-they won't-they romance hits that stage where Rachel finally decides she loves Ross, but then he comes back from China with Julie in the Season 1 Friends finale. We all know how that ended, and I'm sure there will be a similar resolution here. Giant Days is that kind of comic book, after all. It has the familiarity of a old, worn blanket, and is just as warm.

We don't praise John Allison's writing enough. He develops superb characters, feeding on archetypes, but he also allows them to gradually mature and develop. He tells funny stories that are often done in one issue, but they all feed into longer-term dramatic arcs as his characters fall in and out of love, make mistakes, have little victories, and so on. It feels effortless, but I suspect it's a much trickier job than most of us realise.

Max Sarin's expressive, cartoon-like artwork simply increases the appeal, as do Whitney Cogar's very effective colours. It looks sweet, and that's the perfect tone for these sweet, enchanting stories. A specific shout-out to the Babylon 5 advent calendar: this is a comic with broad, populist appeal, but Allison's a proud nerd at the core. (4/5)

Giant Days #42. Boom Studios. Written by John Allison. Art by Max Sarin. Colours by Whitney Cogar.

Under the cut: reviews of Avengers, Batman, Green Arrow, Immortal Hulk, Justice League, and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra.

The Pull List: 22 August 2018

These reviews, thanks to work pressures and international travel, are ridiculously far behind. There may come a time when I cut my losses on 2018 comic book reviews, but until then we shall continue plugging along. Here are titles read from 22 August, starting with the new miniseries Batman: Kings of Fear, from Scott Peterson and Kelley Jones.

There have been so many Batman comic books published over the decades that it really can get difficult for writers to find new angles and story ideas. Kings of Fear certainly doesn't kick off in the freshest of fashions: Batman recaptures a runaway Joker, and then has to enter Arkham Asylum to defeat him again. It's standard stuff for the character, although it does dangle some intriguing criticism of Batman's methods at one point that could lead somewhere if writer Scott Peterson is bold enough to extend it fully.

Visually there are some inventive panels and pages, but ultimately how much one likes it will come down to how much one enjoys the art of Kelley Jones. A noted Batman artist of past years, Jones has a distinctive and exaggerated style to which I've never quite warmed. Your taste may vary. (3/5)

Batman: Kings of Fear #1. DC Comics. Written by Scott Peterson. Art by Kelley Jones. Colours by Michelle Madsen.

Under the cut: reviews of Action Comics, Daredevil, Detective Comics, Justice League Dark, Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, and The Terrifics.

The Pull List: 8 August 2018, Part 1

Imagine the thinnest of stories draped over a sales catalogue; that is essentially what you get from Sandman Universe, a fairly expensive launch for DC Vertigo's new line of fantasy and horror comic books based on Neil Gaiman's famous series The Sandman. In the Dreaming, the mystical world where everybody from humans to gods go to dream, something is going terribly wrong. The search to find Daniel, the Dreaming's immortal ruler, takes Matthew the raven across worlds and to the set-ups of a raft of new stories and adventures.

I completely understand DC's desire to revisit and expand the world of The Sandman. They are launching with a couple of new and old series: The Books of Magic, The Dreaming, Lucifer, and House of Whispers. To be honest, all four look fairly promising in a 'could swing either way' fashion. Also being honest: each little prologue feels exactly like the sort of five-page preview that DC releases online every week. So is there entertainment value here? Absolutely there is. Does it also feel like a bit of a cheap rip-off. Absolutely it does. A hell of a lot like one. How desperate are you to read these new books? (2/5)

Sandman Universe #1. DC Vertigo. Written by Neil Gaiman, Simon Spurrier, Kat Howard, Nalo Hopkinson, and Dan Watters. Art by Bilquis Evely, Tom Fowler, Dominike "Domo" Stanton, Max Fiumara, and Sebastian Fiumara. Colours by Max Lopes.

Under the cut: reviews of Star Wars: Darth Vader, Suicide Squad, Superman, and Sword Daughter.

The Pull List: 1 August 2018

Seven to Eternity returns after a break with its 10th issue. I am happy for the book to take its time, because the intricately detailed artwork of Jerome Opeña must take an absolute age to compose - and I'd rather it look great that come out on a monthly schedule.

We pick up where we left off, with Adam Osidis having betrayed his companions to rescue the Mud King. Now they travel towards the mysterious Springs of Zaal, where Adam may finally receive a cure to the disease that is slowly killing him. That journey is interrupted by pirates who descend upon them from balloons.

It isn't just the artwork that makes this book so strong; it's the rich and distinctive fantasy world that Rick Remender has developed with which to tell his story. It's familiar in many respects, but peppered with superb original concepts and cultures. Want a great fantasy comic book? Look no further. (5/5)

Seven to Eternity #10. Image. Written by Rick Remender. Art by Jerome Opeña

Under the cut; reviews of Batman, Delta 13, Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor, Giant Days, Green Arrow, The Immortal Hulk, Justice League, Mister Miracle, and Scales & Scoundrels.

The Pull List: 25 July 2018, Part 3

Fergie is a Northern English teenager who doesn't know his own supernatural history. He's currently being haunted by a ghost who appears to be Sex Pistols vocalist Sid Vicious, and being hunted down by a distinctive British secret agent who is a victim of supernatural forces herself.

Punk's Not Dead is a great comedy-drama comic by writer David Barnett and artist Martin Simmonds. It feels like a late 1990s DC Vertigo book, which is a near-guaranteed winner for me. I love that period of American comics history, where my favourite books tended to be by names like Morrison, Milligan, Ellis, and Ennis. The English setting, the intricate back story infused by history or pop culture, the mature tone, and the great art all make for a wonderful throwback. This sixth issue is one of the best so far, and provides a lot of much-needed backstory and context. It also wraps up the first story arc, with a collected trade paperback coming out in October.

That's why I'm praising it now: if you haven't been following this book already, and you're of a similar comic-reading vintage to me, it is well worth heading to your local comic shop and pre-ordering the paperback now. It's a fabulous book, and one of my new favourites for 2018. (4/5)

Punk's Not Dead #6. IDW/Black Crown. Written by David Barnett. Art and colours by Martin Simmonds.

Under the cut: reviews of Action Comics, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, and The Terrifics.

The Pull List: 18 July 2018, Part 2

Aisha is not expected to survive in her hospital bed for much longer, but before she can get to her Medina has to survive escaping the apartment building. This is a rocket of a horror comic, sprinting at breakneck speed with everything brought up to a terrifying climax. It caps off a sensational five-issue miniseries.

Aaron Campbell nails the artwork in this finale, shifting style and tone from page to page to match the requirements of the script. As for that script, Pornsak Pichetshote absolutely perfects the ending. This has been a tremendous story about racism, religious intolerance and nightmarish surreal horror. Horror is a hard genre to do in comic book form: it relies so much on the unknown, yet unlike film - which can flash moment of fear at a viewer - or prose - which forces the reader to imagine the nightmare - the comic book delivers still images which can be stared at and examined for as long as the reader chooses. It's a challenge that the writing and art absolutely meet. If you like horror, you need to put the impending trade paperback onto your to-read list.

This has been a fabulous debut for Pichetshote. I cannot wait to read what comes next. (5/5)

Infidel #5. Image. Written by Pornsak Pichetshote. Art by Aaron Campbell. Colours by Jose Villarrubia.

Under the cut: reviews of The Avengers, Justice League, Star Wars: Poe Dameron, Vs, and The Wild Storm.

The Pull List: 11 July 2018, Part 2

It feels a weird choice on DC's part to have Brian Michael Bendis write both Superman and Action Comics. Perhaps it was Bendis' demand when negotiating to come over from Marvel to write for the company. Perhaps DC's editors simply wanted to have a unified pair working in synch. Either way it feels like a weird redundancy.

It's an enjoyable first issue, picking up threads from the Man of Steel miniseries, but at the same time there is an unsatisfactory dourness about things. Superman performs best as an upbeat character, and to see him in both books as a morose and unhappy character feels tonally wrong. Hopefully it will pick up in the coming months, but for now Superman feels like what it is: a DC title getting written by a Marvel writer. You just want Clark to be having a better time. The art is very strong, thanks to the immeasurably talented Prado and Reis.

There's a mixture of the good and the predictable going on here. A conversation between Superman and the Martian Manhunter, in which Superman keeps zooming away to fix momentary crises, feels overly familiar, and the Manhunter's suggestion that Superman should become the world's de facto leaders feels tonally very wrong indeed. Other moments feel stronger - particularly the pretty awesome cliffhanger ending - but overall this remains a very good issue that never quite manages to be the great one that DC promised. (4/5)

Superman #1. DC Comics. Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Joe Prado and Ivan Reis. Colours by Alex Sinclair.

Under the cut: reviews of The Crow: Memento Mori, Detective Comics, Isola, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Mech Cadet Yu, Port of Earth, Rat Queens, and Transformers: Unicron.

The Pull List: 4 July 2018, Part 3

The Man of Steel hits its sixth a final issue, which means wrapping up the immediate crisis of Rogol Zaar's attempt to blow up the Earth to kill Superman as well as revealing precisely what has happened already to cause Lois and Jon's absence.

The Rogol Zaar section is straight-up superhero action, as Supergirl assists Superman in defeating Zaar before his plan comes to fruition. It is very well illustrated by Jason Fabok, with a lot of pace and energy. That really is all backgrounded, however, in favour of Lois and Jon, and that's kind of where the issue struggles a little.

Superman's father Jor-El has arrived once again (oh yeah, he didn't die on Krypton after all), insisted on taking his grandson Jon around the galaxy to better train him in how to be a better super-human. Clark and Lois debate whether or not Jon should go, and ultimately Lois accompanies him on the voyage. After the terrible acts performed by Jor-El in his previous appearance, one would assume the idea of handing him your son would be unimaginable. Instead Lois and Jon willingly go with him, and Clark reluctantly allows it all to happen. It gets them out of the way for whatever ongoing story Brian Michael Bendis has in mind, but it's an awkward process and feels very badly shoe-horned in. It's not a great sign for the immediate future of the Superman ongoing titles. (3/5)

The Man of Steel #6. Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Jason Fabok. Colours by Alex Sinclair.

Under the cut: reviews of Doctor Strange, Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor, and Sword Daughter.

The Pull List: 4 July 2018, Part 2

Spinning off from the events of Batman #50 comes an all-new volume of Catwoman, featuring its first-ever all-female creative team of writer/artist Joelle Jones and colourist Laura Allred.

While attempting to lie low in Mexico, Selina Kyle is in trouble with the law once again - not for anything she has done herself, but because of the two police officers shot dead by an apparent copycat. Despite having enough issues on her own, she is reluctantly dragged back into costume again.

Joelle Jones has been doing sensational work with Tom King over in Batman, and Laura Allred is a well-established and strong talent in colouring, so the visuals of this new ongoing were never in doubt. Nicely dense panel layouts get a lot of story into one half of the book, while the other half loosens out to accentuate the action. It's a superb balance, and the art and colours match the slightly grittier aesthetic that Jones has chosen.

The big surprise is in the writing: Jones absolutely nails both the story - it's intriguing and intelligent - and the characters. It gives Selina a great sense of both agency and humanity. This is a superb opening chapter to what I suspect will be a big success. (5/5)

Catwoman #1. DC Comics. Story and art by Joelle Jones. Colours by Laura Allred.

Under the cut: reviews of Giant Days, Justice League, and Prism Stalker.

The Pull List: 27 June 2018, Part 1

It is genuinely odd, given the success of Black Panther in cinemas this year, that the response from Marvel Comics is not simply to relaunch the book with a new volume (sensible enough) but to relaunch it as a far future Star Wars-esque space opera with a whole new generation of namesake characters flying around in space fighters in battle with a galactic Wakandan Empire.

Of course it's a great and fresh take on the property, with a fast pace and a huge imagination in re-working old elements in new ways. This issue is dominated by a space dogfight, which could potential be a one-note bore. Instead writer Ta-Nehisi Coates uses it to express T'Challa's character and temperament.

The real star, however, is artist Daniel Acuña. His strong use of Afro-futurist imagery, and effective design, provides a rich enhancement to Coates' story. The book looks tremendous, and has a definite 'big budget' kind of blockbuster look to it. It's a strangely timed book, but absolutely a very welcome one. (4/5)

Black Panther #2. Marvel. Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Art and colours by Daniel Acuña.

Under the cut: a bumper crop of mini-reviews focused on Batgirl, Descender, Invader Zim, The Man of Steel, Mera: Queen of Atlantis, and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra.

The Pull List: 20 June 2018, Part 1

In the last issue of Batman, the Joker tried to hold an entire church of worshippers hostage so that he could ask Batman where his wedding invite was. It was a superb single-scene issue, showcasing a conversation between hero and villain. This latest issue provides the second half: a bomb's gone off, Batman is unconscious, and Catwoman swings into action for a one-on-one all of her own.

It is truly superb: this two-part prologue to the forthcoming Bruce-Selina wedding is insightful, clever, beautifully thought-out, and emotionally powerful. While the last issue focused on Batman's direct relationship with the Joker, this issue focuses on the Joker's relationship with other other Gotham City villains - and what it means to be Batman's enemy.

Mikel Janin and June Chung's visuals make excellent work of what could be a visually limited story: two badly injured people talking with one another while both running risk of bleeding to death. Together I think they're the best storyline so far for Tim King's Batman. (5/5)

Batman #49. DC Comics. Written by Tom King. Art by Mikel Janin. Colours by June Chung.

Under the cut: reviews of The Avengers, Justice League, The Man of Steel, and Star Wars: Poe Dameron.

The Pull List: 13 June 2018, Part 1

A 12 year-old boy who likes to call himself Remco gets taken by a bright light in the woods, and wakes up in the surreal Cloud Hotel, hidden in the sky and populated by other children. While Remco seems able to return back down to Earth and come back again, a girl named Emma seems trapped there forever.

Cloud Hotel is an original graphic novel from the award-winning writer and artist Julian Hanshaw. It is a distinctive and moving work, one soaked in surrealism and melancholy. Partly inspired by a childhood experience, Hanshaw tells a story that feels poetic, funny and weirdly unsettling. It's quite hard to put a finger on it, but it's a story that I like.

His distinctive art style certainly marks its territory as an independent work. There is a sense of the grotesque about his characters, all with deep-set haunted eyes and squared-off heads. His use of panel layout is exceptional, particularly in some of the book's particularly odd and inexplicable moments. It may feel like a bit of a puzzle in terms of narrative, but it has a superb handle on tone. (4/5)

Cloud Hotel. Top Shelf/IDW. Story and art by Julian Hanshaw.

Under the cut: reviews of Darth Vader, Hawkman, and The Man of Steel.

The Pull List: 6 June 2018, Part 3

Scott Snyder kicks off a new ongoing DC series with Justice League, following on from the events of Dark Nights: Metal and No Justice, and truth be told it's pretty amazing.

I'm not sure if you were reading comics about 20 years ago when Grant Morrison and Howard Porter took over the Justice League comic book. It was relaunched as JLA with an all-star roster of heroes, and a deliberately big picture scope and 'widescreen' presentation. That's exactly what it feels like we're getting here: big-screen JLA all over again. The book puts the Martian Manhunter back at the centre of the League where he belongs, and surrounds him with the heroes you would expect to see. For enemies Snyder brings in the famous villains, and he ties it all together with a big apocalyptic and deeply ominous opening chapter. If the point of a first issue is to get readers to buy the second, then this is an unqualified success.

Jim Cheung and Mark Morales' artwork is excellent, and just distinctive enough from the current style of superhero comic to make a strong impact. With luck they will stick around to make as definitive a run here as Snyder managed with Capullo and Miki on Batman. Tomeu Morey's colours are wonderfully warm and nuanced. You couldn't want for a better-looking Justice League. (5/5)

Justice League #1. Written by Scott Snyder. Art by Jim Cheung and Mark Morales. Colours by Tomeu Morey.

Under the cut: reviews of Green Arrow, Isola, Prism Stalker, Sword Daughter, The Unexpected, and Vagrant Queen.

The Pull List: 6 June 2018, Part 2

Back in Marvel's crossover event Civil War II, Bruce Banner (aka the Incredible Hulk) died. Now he's back. How? Quite simply, he's the Hulk - and the Hulk is too powerful to die.

The Immortal Hulk brings back the original and best Hulk (apologies to recent stand-in Amadeus Cho) with a fresh coat of paint and a deliberate skew from superhero adventure to comic book horror. Writer Al Ewing takes what is - let's face it - a pretty lazy reason to bring the Hulk back, and transforms it into something genuinely horrible. When we first see Banner, he's about two pages away from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. No matter how many times that happens, however, night will fall, his body will rise and the Hulk will emerge. It's a nicely bleak set-up for this new volume.

Joe Bennett and Ruy Jose give the book a nice aesthetic, giving everything a slightly old-fashioned edge. Bennett's art comes into its own in one climactic moment - you'll know it when you turn the page. Between this and Doctor Strange's current sojourn into space, it seems Marvel is playing with fresh and innovative angles on its long-running characters. Hopefully they're successful enough to allow these new set-ups to play out in full. (4/5)

The Immortal Hulk #1. Marvel. Written by Al Ewing. Art by Joe Bennett and Ruy Jose. Colour by Paul Mounts.

Under the cut: reviews of Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Giant Days, and The Man of Steel.

The Pull List: 30 May 2018, Part 1

After much in-house promotion and hype, former Marvel Comics writer Brian Michael Bendis makes his DC Comics debut with The Man of Steel, an all-new six-part weekly focused on Superman. There's a new villain on the horizon: Rogol Zaar, a hulking scarred alien intent on wiping out all Kryptonian life - and while he's introduced here in flashback, we have already seen back in DC Nation's prologue sequence that he is on his way to Metropolis soon. There is also a new deputy fire chief in town, who weirdly seems set up as a new love interest for Superman - but where is Lois? A two-page epilogue hints that something terrible has happened to both Lois and her son Jonathan.

This is a solid opening without ever feeling sensational. Bendis' dialogue is remarkably wordy, which slows down the book's reading time considerably and also slows the narrative pace. Ivan Reis and Joe Prado's artwork is strong and detailed, and it is great to see Superman back in his archetypal 'red shorts' costume. It's been a while.

All signs are that this is going to be an entertaining miniseries without being a particularly groundbreaking one. Bendis clearly has a handle on Superman as a character, so now it's just up to the readers to wait and see how things develop. (4/5)

The Man of Steel #1. DC Comics. Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Ivan Reis, Jay Fabok, and Joe Prado. Colours by Alex Sinclair.

Under the cut: reviews of Daredevil, Descender, Justice League: No Justice, Ms Marvel, and Saga.

The Pull List: 23 May 2018, Part 2

About a year after he started, Donny Cates' run as writer on Doctor Strange comes to a sudden and unwanted end. With sales continuing to decline across Marvel, desperate times have apparently called for panicky measures. For Doctor Strange that means abandoning its recent renumbering to align with its original run, and with only 10 more issues left before its 400th issue I fully anticipate that Mark Waid's incoming run will get launched again to meet it.

Still: issue #1 is still a few weeks away, and issue #390 is here as a welcome and rewarding epilogue to both the Cates and previous Aaron run. There is an unfinished conversation with companion Zelda to be had, and - in a flash of pure comic book brilliance - an unexpected encounter with Spider-Man.

Frazer Irving's art and colours are sublime and emotionally superb, but it's the weird interruption by Peter Parker that absolutely nails the issue. It's gut-bustingly funny stuff, including a two-page segue illustrated by Chip Zdarsky, and provides the perfect contrast to the more thoughful conversation in the rest of the book. This has been a fine run for Doctor Strange, and it's a shame to see it end. (5/5)

Doctor Strange #390. Marvel. Written by Donny Cates. Art and colours by Frazer Irving and Chip Zdarsky.

Under the cut: reviews of Delta 13, Justice League: No Justice, Poe Dameron, Shadowman, Super Sons, and X-O Manowar.

The Pull List: 16 May 2018, Part 1

The new Avengers line-up converges as they fight the newly arrived Dark Celestials, and the villain behind the scenes reveals themselves. Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness' fresh run of Marvel's lead team does pretty much what readers would expect: big-scale widescreen action featuring a range of popular characters.

I'm still not fully sold of McGuinness' art style, but this is a broadly entertaining story which will likely appeal a lot to readers that have been waiting for Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor to return to their historical seats at the centre of the team.

I am a little underwhelmed by Ghost Rider. The character works well enough in his own comic, but is a poor match for the bright, cinematic style of this book. It's also not the 1970s heavy metal styled Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider, but rather the fairly weird and unappealing  Robbie Reyes - who doesn't even ride a motorcycle.

That's a personal niggle, however: the bottom line is that The Avengers pretty much does what it says on the cover. It's a large-scale character-based action-adventure. If that's what you're after, that's definitely what you get. (3/5)

The Avengers #2. DC Comics. Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, and Jay Leisten. Colours by David Curiel.

Under the cut: reviews of Batman, Justice League: No Justice, and Superman Special.

The Pull List: 9 May 2018, Part 1

A lot of long-term DC Comics readers will be familiar with the Source Wall: a massive impenetrable barrier on the edge of the universe. For the first time that wall has been blown wide open, and something unimaginable is crossing through into our universe. Seeing the imminent threat, the alien villain Brainiac has assembled an unwilling team of heroes and villains to save reality before it is too late.

The appeal of Justice League: No Justice, a four-issue miniseries designed to set up the next wave of Justice League titles, is the manner in which it assembles four disaparate teams of characters to head out and complete four separate missions. A good superhero universe always rises or falls on the back of its characters, and a series like this makes great use out of how they interact with one another in surprising and entertaining combinations. A particular highlight is Starro, a maniacal psychic alien starfish who would be just about the last character you'd expect to see joining the Justice League. It's a positive delight.

The story and set-up is fairly simple, but the interplay sells it. The script by Snyder, Williamson and Tynion is funny, and the artwork by Francis Manapul is great - as his work always is. I'm a sucker for these kinds of big screen DC miniseries, so I'm already hooked. (4/5)

Justice League: No Justice #1. DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson. Art by Francis Manapul. Colours by Hi-Fi Design.

Under the cut: reviews of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, Detective Comics, and Star Wars: Darth Vader.

The Pull List: 2 May 2018, Part 1

It's time for another periodic soft relaunch for DC Comics. Justice League is getting a new issue #1 in the aftermath of Dark Nights: Metal. Batman and Catwoman are about to get married. Brian Michael Bendis is coming in to overhaul the Superman books. Heralding these changes, and acting as a kind of prologue, is DC's 25c special DC Nation (also, I believe, going for free on Comixology).

The book's divided into three sections. The first, "Your Big Day", sees the Joker waiting at a random man's house for a mail delivery. It is brilliantly written and illustrated, with a Joker that is simultaneously funny and scary in equal measure.

"Office Space" foreshadows Bendis' new Man of Steel miniseries with a new character and a new status quo. Of the three prologues, this feels the weakest. It's obviously too early to say what Man of Steel is like, but this taste feels as if it's changing a little too much of the status quo between recent Superman books and whatever Bendis has planned for the future. "No Justice Prelude" is pretty much an excuse for some nice artwork and colouring, and a preview of the new expanded (and oddly improbable) Justice League.

It's a little odd scoring a three-part prologue; it's effectively like giving a score to an advertisement. All that in mind, it's one must-read little Joker short, plus two easily missable bonus strips. That pretty much leads to a score of (3/5).

DC Nation #0. DC Comics. "Your Big Day" written by Tom King. Art by Clay Mann. Colours by Jordie Bellaire. "Office Space" written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Dexter Vines. Colours by Alex Sinclair. "No Justice Prelude" written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Joshua Williamson. Art by Jorge Jiminez. Colours by Alejandro Sanchez.

Under the cut: reviews of Batman, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Giant Days, and Spider-Man.

The Pull List: 18 April 2018, Part 3

Giants comes to a conclusion with this dramatic fifth issue, wrapping up what has been a sensational American debut for writer/artists Carlos and Miguel Valderrama. Gogi and Zedo used to be brothers; now they are on opposite sides of a fight for supremacy, while two massive giant monsters challenge one another overhead.

This is a tremendous climax, working to perfection on both a visual level and an emotional one. It is testament to the Valderramas' talents that the issue feels simultaneously epic and intimate. The stakes and life and death, yet when all is said and done it's ultimately just two boys having a pitched fist-fight.

There has been a strong Katsuhiro Otomo influence over this miniseries, notably within the art, but across this issue there is a huge sense of Akira about things. It's destructive and cataclysmic, but above all there are two young men who used to be so close but who are now irreperably torn apart. It's hugely effective, visually dramatic stuff. This has been an exceptional miniseries, and I cannot wait to see what the Valderramas bring to the page next. (5/5)

Giants #5. Dark Horse. Story and art by Carlos and Miguel Valderrama.

Under the cut: reviews of The Crow: Memento Mori, Descender, and Superman.