Corey's Comic Corner Edition 19 - Review of Scarlet Witch #1, Joe Fixit #1, Escape from Wyoming #3 and Spy Superb #1
/Welcome back POP ROC’rs!
It’s time for another and maybe exciting edition of Corey’s Comic Corner, etc.
We’ve got the usual comic reviews, movie recommendations, etc. ready to roll but first I wanted to start off the blog with some thoughts on the events that transpired during the 1st quarter of the Bills game last Monday.
It’s been a long year for the Buffalo Bills. A long year for the city of Buffalo in general! From the mass shooting at Tops to the Blizzard over Christmas. It’s been a difficult year that has repeatedly tried this city's mettle. On Monday night Jan 2nd, #3 Damar Hamlin for the Bills was part of a routine play that left him injured and without a pulse on the field while Bills personnel worked on him with both CPR and a defibrillator. Like many of the almost 25 million live viewers watching this game I had no idea what was going on or what would happen next. We’ve seen many disturbing and grisly injuries over the years but this would end much differently than anything prior. What was a crazy loud and energized crowd was reduced to a whisper and you could have probably heard a pin drop on that field through the tv. It was a very unsettling experience and it turned what was supposed to be a huge game with playoff implications into full National and even some International support and prayer for Damar Hamlin and his well being as he lay in a hospital bed fighting now for his life.
What happened after this incident was transcending. It became a nearly universal and collaborative human response that we have not seen in some time. Not in sports. Not in our country. Some of us, not even in our lifetime! The outpouring of support both spiritually and monetarily was tremendous! Even now, one week later as Damar is finally breathing on his own and soon to leave the hospital, the prayer and support continues. We’ve witnessed nothing short of a miracle with this young man's recovery.
The point is, it’s truly amazing to see what we can achieve when we work together, pray together and love together! If we can embrace these moments and experiences and mirror them in our own everyday lives we can accomplish great things! It’s a good feeling knowing that with everything we have been through the past few years, Covid, blizzards, hurricanes, etc., we have the ability to lift each other up. We have the ability to put our differences aside. We have the ability to endure! Sometimes we just need a reminder.
COMIC BOOK REVIEWS
“This week I had a chance to read Scarlet Witch #1, Joe Fixit #1, Escape from Wyoming #3 and Spy Superb #1”
SCARLET WITCH #1
Published by Marvel
Written by Steve Orlando
Pencils by Sara Pichelli
Rated T for Teen
Available now!
Wanda Maximoff is back with her own new series trying to right her wrongs after the outcome of the Darkhold, etc. Now she’s working as a counselor of sorts and has created a doorway that opens only to those who need it most, when they need it the most. Who’s coming through the doorway? That’s another question.
Steve Orlando has been writing comics for a long time and he’s pretty good at what he does. I will admit I found him an odd choice for this title but it works out better than I anticipated. It’s a little rocky off the start but once the doorway is explained and Scarlet Witch is assisting a person who has come through the door, everything starts to make more sense. It was at this point I became invested in what Scarlet Witch is trying to do and everything kind of flows from there. The art is serviceable and the whole issue moves forward at a rapid pace. It’s the shocker at the end where what appears to be her sorta daughter, Viv Vision, walking through the doorway, that we realize things are about to get very interesting! If you watched Wanda Vision or know anything about Wanda’s history with Vision you know this is going to be a very trying and emotional crisis for her to manage. I’m definitely curious to see where this goes!
JOE FIXIT #1
Published by Marvel
Written by Peter David
Penciled by Yildiray Cinar
Rated T for Teen
Available now!
Joe Fixit, the hero turned mobster alter-ego of the Hulk is back parading around the Vegas casino scene as a businessman and enforcer. Written by the original creator Peter David and returning for this bold new chapter continuing his take on one of the most unique Hulk persona’s.
While Stan Lee and Jack Kirby originally created The Hulk and his gray color it was Peter David who decided to take it one step further and introduce him as Joe Fixit, a smarter, cooler, enforcer type in the Vegas Underground scene. These were actually some of the most fun stories David wrote in those earlier Hulk days and it’s kinda cool to now see this character back in action. This particular story involves Spider-Man, who’s also in town, catching wind that Kingpin was actually about to visit and stir some things up. Spidey, knowing that Kingpin wasn’t aware of Joe Fixit and has no idea what he’s about to get himself mixed up with, decides to stick around and see if he can help mediate the situation. What ensues is a nice little battle between Joe Fixit and Kingpin and let’s just say Spider-Man was right! Joe Fixit was not the foe Kingpin was ready for or expecting to deal with. It’s a light, sometimes funny issue with some quick fight scenes, a little general setup and a pretty short story overall. The art is decent and it’s a fun little read but I'm not sure at this point it’s something that I would come back to given the huge slate of Marvel books and all their tie-ins. The cliff-hanger alludes to more battles between Fisk and Joe but I feel like we saw enough in this first issue to know there isn’t a whole lot the Kingpin can really do here. Guess we will see!
ESCAPE FROM WYOMING #3
Published by Bad Idea
Written by Robert Venditti
Pencils by Jorge Monlongo
Rated M for Mature
Available now!
The final issue in this 3 issue limited series by Bad Idea. It’s the end of the line for our other-worldly escaped convicts as the two sheriffs work together to hunt down and capture them before Earth's time runs out.
The finale to Escape from Wyoming was unfortunately the ending I had anticipated all along and it just all felt kind of abrupt and rushed. It started out with a great premise and I really thought it would be a fun read. At the same time I was worried there just wouldn’t be enough time to stick the landing. I was right. They wrapped it all up easily enough so that it’s all inclusive but it wasn’t anything real original or anything that paid off like it could have. The criminals are caught, dismembered and the crisis is averted. End of story. Maybe not? Fortunately, there was a silver lining. The issue ends with the human sheriff trying to get a job with the intergalactic prison thus signaling that this story is not quite over yet. With that, there is hope that this series can be salvaged. I guess we will see what happens in Bad Idea 2 Part 2!
Spy Superb #1
Published by Dark Horse
Written by Matt Kindt
Pencils by Matt Kindt
Rated M for Mature
Available now!
A new mini-series and mystery thriller from the mind of Matt Kindt introduces us to a new kind of spy. He’s not the kind of spy you think of in the traditional sense but he gets the job done. Even if he doesn’t exactly know he’s doing it! It’s Glass Onion meet ms Mr. Bean in this quirky and darkly comedic take on the thriller espionage adventure.
First off, I love Matt Kindt! He’s a great writer and similar in a lot of ways to Jeff Lemire. They both have their own unique style when it comes to original stories that they write and draw. Both are among my favorites. In this case, Matt’s daughter appears to lend a hand with the coloring and she does a great job. This first issue is mostly setup but you learn the importance of the Spy Superb and at the same time just how ridiculous the whole position is. It’s funny and yet it seems like it might also be a social commentary on the whole spy thing itself. The art matches the tone of the book and the story is fleshed out over a pretty long first issue which is great. It’s definitely leaning towards that whole dark comedy bit which I love and I think this has the potential to be a really fun series moving forward. I don’t know how long the mini-series is going to be but if they pack as much into future issues as they did this first issue it will make for a fun and interesting read. Definitely looking forward to getting my hands on issue #2!
MOVIE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14642626/
Produced by Miramax/Blumhouse
Directed by John Hyams
Written by Kevin Williamson
Rated R
Available on Peacock this Friday the 13th!!
SICK! A new horror movie from the mind of Scream writer Kevin Williamson. It’s not often that we get to enjoy a new horror release on Friday the 13th. What better way to join in the fun than to stay up late with a bowl of popcorn and a soda and watch a scary movie! You can’t beat a slasher movie on Friday the 13th! Just saying!
With that we have come to the conclusion of this week's edition of our almost famous, little, blog. I hope you laughed, cried, drifted off for a nice little nap or maybe even enjoyed a little of the banter I've spent many many hours working on to share with you. As always don’t miss the opportunity to stop into POP ROC and check out what’s going down. There is literally something new to check out, try, drink, eat, read and play every single week! Do it! You won’t be disappointed. Until next time.
Corey Newell
“I’m Just a guy who loves comics and stuff”
⁃ Independent blogger, dad, dork, comic nerd and pop culture lover hailing from Spencerport, NY