Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

Sara Century

Looking to the Future in Swamp Thing: Becoming

by Leave a Comment

Swamp Thing: Becoming, written by Ram V, art by Mike Perkins and Mike Spicer, lettering by Aditya Bidikar

Despite its legendary status in the DC Universe, the Swamp Thing series has spent many years in relative limbo. Created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson as a creepy but fairly standard horror comic for DC in the ’70s, the concept morphed into the basis for what is widely regarded as one of the most essential graphic novels ever with Alan Moore and Stephen Bissette’s take in Saga of the Swamp Thing. Many industry greats have tried their hand at the character since, giving us no shortage of excellent runs of many different flavors, but there’s been some starts and stops along the way.

With the most recent prior entry in the Swamp Thing story being a mini-series written by co-creator Len Wein in 2016, the 2021 series, The Swamp Thing Volume 1: Becoming, pans the camera away from Alec Holland as the human basis of the character. Taking a step in a different direction with the introduction of Levi Kamei as the avatar of the Green, this series distances us from the metaphysical concerns of the Swamp Thing itself, instead asking larger questions of humanity. Are we doomed as a species to repeat our mistakes until we tear ourselves apart, or is this a painful growing process in which we are becoming something new?

Covering: Future State: Swamp Thing #1-2, Swamp Thing Vol. 7 #1-4 [Read more…] about Looking to the Future in Swamp Thing: Becoming

The Joker’s “Last” Laugh In The Clown Prince Of Crime

by 1 Comment

The Joker has undergone significant change over the course of his history, but one thing that a lot of modern fans might not know is that he was genuinely terrifying dating all the way back to day one. His first appearance in Batman #1 makes no qualms when it comes to portraying him as a remorseless killer, taking the haunting visual imagery from director Paul Leni’s silent masterpiece The Man Who Laughs (1928) and twisting the once-heroic jester portrayed by Conrad Veidt into a murderer with a penchant for elaborate showmanship.

In the comics of the mid-’50s, the Batline had been steered away from the occasionally grisly content of the early days towards more family-friendly fare in response to the birth of the Comics Code. Likewise, the campy fun of Batman ‘66 had become the definitive take on the character in popular culture. Regardless, the Joker has more or less remained a horror across the decades, and when writers began once more to embrace mature themes, he was one of the first to step up the brutality. The Joker: Clown Prince of Crime (1975) shows us a criminal mastermind with a callous disregard for life, regardless of whether or not Batman happens to be around to see it or not.

Discusses The Joker: Clown Prince of Crime #1-10 [Read more…] about The Joker’s “Last” Laugh In The Clown Prince Of Crime

There’s Something of Myself in You That I Don’t Recognize in “The Dreaming: Waking Hours”

by 1 Comment

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #9, cover art by Nick Robles

Neil Gaiman’s run on Sandman run ended all the way back in 1996, though he has made periodic returns to the title in books such as The Dream Hunters, Endless Nights, and Sandman Overture. Still, the Sandman mythos has steadily continued at DC, with the original The Dreaming series running from 1996-2001, the Lucifer ongoing running from 2000-2006, and countless mini-series, one-shots, and guest appearances along the way. Still, there was never such an organized and intentional return to the franchise as 2018’s The Sandman Universe relaunch, in which Gaiman and others handpicked a crew of industry greats to help expand the story of Dream of the Endless and the many characters he encounters along the way.

Bringing in new creators to flesh out the story of the Sandman is the best thing that could have happened to the story, and by retaining overall creative vision, Gaiman has been able to ensure that the new series are all incredibly high quality books. As Si Spurrier and artist Bilquis Evely’s incredible run on The Dreaming series drew to a close, G. Willow Wilson and Nick Robles’ Waking Hours maxi-series was already on the docket. Each of The Sandman Universe books have brought a specific mood along with them, and Waking Hours leaned all the way into giving readers a love story for the ages.

* Spoilers for The Dreaming: Waking Hours Follow!*

[Read more…] about There’s Something of Myself in You That I Don’t Recognize in “The Dreaming: Waking Hours”

Death Is Never The End in The Immortal Hulk

by Leave a Comment

Immortal Hulk is easily one of the most talked-about Hulk comics in some time, though the idea of a shockingly powerful, intrinsically misanthropic Hulk certainly isn’t without precedent. Indeed, much of what made the run so successful for all fifty issues was its willingness to move slightly away from standard Marvel Comics hijinks in order to embrace the weird sci-fi and horror concepts that were baked into the concept from the jump.

Yet, taking it all one step further to address heavy subjects such as immortality in the Marvel Universe, as well as dealing with long-term trauma caused by childhood abuse, is what made this book something significantly more than a retread of the Hulk’s weirdest moments. Though this builds on what came before, there has never been a comic quite like The Immortal Hulk. [Read more…] about Death Is Never The End in The Immortal Hulk

I Don’t Like Deathstroke (And I’m Not Supposed To) In the Deathstroke Omnibus

by Leave a Comment

Over many decades, Deathstroke has come to be regarded as less of a villain and more of an antihero, due to his complicated loyalties and occasional tendency to switch sides mid-fight when his limited conscience happens to get the better of him. He remains very much a “love him or hate him” character among DC’s pantheon. To be clear, I fall on the “hate him” side of this. He is the worst!

Yet it’s possible for an unlikeable protagonist to make for a great story when placed in the hands of a capable creative team. Deathstroke has had his moments, from his early days in the Marv Wolfman and George Perez New Teen Titans to his more recent runs. Still, it was not until writer Christopher Priest penned his incredible fifty-plus issue arc with the character as part of DC’s Rebirth relaunch that Slade Wilson’s Shakespeare-meets-Dynasty-meets-The-Professional vibes came to their full fruition in Deathstroke Omnibus.

Collects: Deathstroke: Rebirth #1, Deathstroke #1-50, Deathstroke Annual #1, DC Holiday Special 2017 #1, Titans #11, Teen Titans #8, #28-30, and Titans: The Lazarus Contract Special #1 [Read more…] about I Don’t Like Deathstroke (And I’m Not Supposed To) In the Deathstroke Omnibus