Suicide Squad: King Shark Special Edition: Free Comic Book Day 2021

A previous year's FCBD edition that I got from Zombie Hideout in Springfield MA USA for this year's Free Comic Book Day.

Title: Suicide Squad: King Shark Special Edition
Issue: 1
Date: May, 2021
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Tim Seeley, Brian Azzarello
Artist: Scott Kolins, Alex Maleev
Colorist: John Kalisz, Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Wes Abbott, Jared Fletcher
Editor: Michael McCalister, Mike Cotton, Bixie Matheiu
Cover: Trevor Hairsine

This was released in anticipation of the James Gunn Suicide Squad film, which heavily featured King Shark, thus the hype here. And much to my surprise, this really lived up to the hype. Told primarily from the point of view of Defacer, a graffiti artist who somehow got lumped in with the supervillains at Belle Reve Penitentiary, the story follows King Shark as he goes on temporary release to fulfill his obligations to his father, Lord Chondrakha, the shark god. Why is Defacer along? Because King Shark likes her, and so Amanda Waller is using her as leverage to assure King Shark's return. Weirdly, this actually works really well, and the almost-certainly-doomed defacer has instant chemistry with King Shark. This was way more fun than it had any right to be, and I actually found myself interested in both characters.

The second story was also pretty good, although it didn't do much in terms of treading new ground. Told in first-person by Jason Todd, it recaps his origin, this time as Robin, and his subsequent return as the Red Hood, before placing him in (you guessed it) Belle Reve Penitentiary and introducing the storyline for Suicide Squad: Get Joker! The recap was effective for getting readers up to speed on what the deal is with Jason Todd, and Jason's voice is well written. The art does a nice job of using the shadows of the cell bars in Belle Reve to establish mood, and takes its time to let Jason's thoughts sink in.

Rating: 7.5/10

Godzilla: The New Heroes

From Zombie Hideout, Springfield MA, on Free Comic Book Day, 2025.

Title: Godzilla: The New Heroes
Date: May, 2025
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Tim Seeley, Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Chris Gooch
Art: Nikola Cizmesija, Pablo Tunica, Oliver Ono
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Letterer: Brian Kolek
Editor: Jake Williams

IDW's Free Comic Book Day offering for 2025 soft-reboots their Godzilla universe, which is not the same universe as Legendary's Monsterverse, and actually ends up feeling an awful lot like Pacific Rim, with some elements of the Toho films.

There are three stories here, each previewing a new series. The flagship Godzilla title introduces G-Force USA, which immediately feels like more like a superhero team than a military/science operation, and only becomes more so with the addition of  "G-mutant" Jacen Braid. Also on the team is Jet Jaguar (from Godzilla Versus Megalon; I'm not sure if he's made previous comic appearances), who is inexplicably providing comic relief by (*checks notes*) speaking only in rhymes that are apparently set to the tune of its theme-song. Let's just say that I've met Etrigan, and you, sir, are no Etrigan.

Building on the mutation theme, the second story introduces the Dead Zone, an area of the Pacific Northwest that has been turned into a mutant-populated wasteland by kaiju attacks. We really just get a glimpse of the setting here, but if you just picture "mutant-populated wasteland" you've pretty much got it. A mysterious being called the Wanderer is shown battling a maybe T-Rex-sized kaiju, but we don't get too much beyond a basic peek.

The third feature is Starship Godzilla, but it really seems to be Starship Mechagodzilla, and it feels a bit like Guardians of the Galaxy with a heist in space and Mechagodzilla as the getaway vehicle.

I wanted to like this, but it all felt a bit off from what I think of as a Godzilla story, and while I commend IDW for trying some different directions, none of it felt all that original either. Everything felt too reliant on superhero-team tropes, space-opera tropes, and post-apocalyptic tropes. Just a lot of tropes here, and only five pages of actual Godzilla. I think there's potential for this to still come together, but this was not as strong a start as it could have been.

Rating: 4.5/10

The Legend of Drizzt Book III: Sojourn

Title: The Legend of Drizzt
Issue: Book III: Sojourn
Date: 2006
Publisher: Devils Due Publishing
Writer: R.A. Salvatore, Andrew Dabb
Penciler: Tim Seeley
Inker: John Lowe, Robert Q. Atkins, John Rauch, Mark Englert
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Brian J. Crowley
Editor: Mark Powers

Dark elf Drizzt Drizzt Do'Urden seeks a new home on the surface of the Forgotten Realms world of Faerun in this adaptation of the third novel in R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy.

When his first attempts at finding peace and friendship end in tragedy, Drizzt finds himself hunted again, this time by a ranger and her party of adventurers, along with a rugged frontiersman who blames Drizzt for the injury that left his face scarred.

The long pursuit will bring Drizzt face-to-face with some classic Dungeons & Dragons creatures, and will lead to his discovery of the path of the ranger, and finally to a last refuge in a place called Icewind Dale.

The Icewind Dale trilogy was written before the Dark Elf trilogy, and this volume completes the prequel, bringing together the characters and the setting that originally introduced the character of Drizzt.

There is a lot happening in this story, and supporting characters are sometimes written out rather abruptly. Still, there is a lot of good character development for Drizzt, and some very memorable members of the supporting cast. The characters in this volume, with a couple of notable exceptions, come across as smart and nuanced, and are not defined just by their preconceptions about Drizzt.

Rating: 7/10

The Legend of Drizzt Book II: Exile

Second of four Drizzt graphic novels I borrowed from a friend here in Shanghai.

Title: The Legend of Drizzt
Issue: Book II: Exile
Date: 2006
Publisher: Devils Due Publishing
Writer: R.A. Salvatore, Andrew Dabb
Penciler: Tim Seeley
Inker: John Lowe, Marco Galli, Dennis Cristostomo, Rob Atkins, Cory Hamscher, Robert Grabes, Serge LaPointe, Rebekah Isaacs, Johnny Timmons, Shaun Beaudry, Alex McCaffrey
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Steve Seeley, Brian J. Crowley
Editor: Mark Powers

Graphic novel adaptation of R.A. Salvatore's second novel in his Dark Elf Trilogy, set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms world.

Away from the intrigues of Menzoberranzan, Drizzt Do'Urden's struggle becomes an internal one against the primal instincts that threaten to make him into a merciless creature of the Underdatk.

Facing the prospect of centuries of isolation and a descent into madness, Drizzt throws himself on the mercy of the deep gnomes of Blingdenstone, where for the first time in his life, he finds the possibility of true friendship.

But his Mother, (the rather blatantly named) Matron Malice, still seeks him out, and she has called forth Drizzt's father in spirit-wraith form to hunt him down.

Although there is some resolution to the political drama in Menzoberranzan in this volume, this is a much more personal story about Drizzt recovering from his totalitarian upbringing and his toxic family. He grows closer to his first real friend, the astral panther Guenhwyvar, and he makes new friends in his travels through the Underdark.

This volume also introduces the menace of the Illithids, although the conclusion to their part in the story felt a bit rushed. The subplot involving the tragic Clacker, a pech transformed into a monstrous hook horror by a wizard's spell, does work very well with the graphic novel pacing.

The artwork looks great throughout, especially the work on the mind flayers.

This volume features an introduction by Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood, and a nice gallery of individual issue covers.

Rating: 7.5/10

The Legend of Drizzt Book I: Homeland

Borrowed from a friend here in Shanghai, who recently brought the first four of these graphic novels here from the US.

Title: The Legend of Drizzt
Issue: Book I: Homeland
Date: 2005
Publisher: Devils Due Publishing
Writer: R.A. Salvatore, Andrew Dabb
Penciler: Tim Seeley
Inker: Andrew Pepoy, Marco Galli, Derek Fridolfs, Dennis Crisostomo, Serge LaPointe
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Steve Seeley
Editor: Mark Powers

Adapting the first novel in R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy. Set in the Forgotten Realms (D&D campaign setting) underdark city of Menzoberranzan, the story is essentially the origin of Drizzt Do'Urden. In the original prose novels, the drow elf Drizzt was introduced in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, and was then given his own story, starting with Homeland. In this graphic novel series, the stories will appear in chronological order, with the Icewind Dale adaptations to follow the Dark Elf trilogy.

This volume gives the story of Drizzt's birth and childhood through his days at the infamous Melee-Magthere combat academy where he trained to become one of Menzoberranzan's greatest warriors, even as he began to have his doubts about the brutal nature of drow society.

The original Homeland is a richly-detailed novel, and a lot had to be cut in order for this to flow smoothly in the graphic novel medium. Script writer Andrew Dabb did a remarkable job, especially with the complex web (see what I did there?) of political intrigue that binds the drow noble houses. While not all of the descriptive worldbuilding could be included, the art team led by Tim Seeley manage to capture much of the mood of Menzoberranzan in the visuals.

The drow society as presented in these stories has always felt like it could have used more nuance, but the conflicting motivations of the characters are handled well. The story felt complex, but not to the point where it was hard to follow. Drizzt himself comes off as a bit less broody than the prose version due to the limitations of space, and the emphasis on actions over words helps move the story along.

The Dark Elf Trilogy were not really favorites of mine as I look back on them, but this edition got me sufficiently nostalgic and never overstayed its welcome.

Rating: 7/10

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky #1

Another summer purchase. I don't recall which store I got this one at.

Title: Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky
Issue: 1
Date: August 2018
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Javier Fernandez, Hugo Petris, Otto Schmidt
Colorist: John Kalisz
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Rafeal Albuquerque, Dave McCaig
Editor: Dave Wielgosz

This is part of the lead-up to the big Batman/Catwoman wedding event. This issue features the Red Hood on security duty for Selina's bachelorette party, with Anarky as the would-be party crasher.

Anarky is pretty badly outmatched from the start, even with Hood's restriction that he needs to do all of his work secretly. Still, his tactics make for an amusing approach to resolving the situation.

The story suffers from the problem of trying to name-drop some controversial political issues while still attempting to remain neutral, and as a result, the dialogue between Hood and Anarky is not as sharp as it could be. Still, this was a fun and fast-paced story with some small but interesting insights into Selina's background and as well as decent character work on Red Hood, a character who usually doesn't impress me all that much.

Rating: 6/10

GI Joe Vs. Transformers: Black Horizon #1

Another random comic from the backlog. No idea how I ended up with this.

Title: GI Joe Vs. Transformers: Black Horizon
Issue: #1
Date: January, 2007
Publisher: Devils Due Publishing
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Andrew Wildman
Colorist: Wes Ozioba, Art Lyon
Letterer: Brian J. Crowley
Cover Art: Mike O'Sullivan

Scorecard definitely needed here.

Basically, the setup is that there is a race of monstrous creatures living an a lost city in the Himalayas called Cobra-La. No, really.

Anyway, back in ancient times, they defended the Earth against Unicron. Well actually, what they really did was to negotiate to sell out the Earth to Unicron at a later date. Which has arrived.

Now it's up to Optimus Prime, Hawk, and Flint to stop them. Oh, and joining them is "G.I." Joe Colton, an original member of the Adventure Team, who has been held captive in Cobra-La since 1978, and who has conveniently just now figured out how to pick a lock.

There is also some other stuff going on. Destro is doing some generally evil things. Lady Jaye gets a cameo. Snake Eyes gets a cameo. Various other good guys and bad guys show up, and if you're really into this stuff, then it probably makes more sense than it did to me.

But even if you are really into this stuff, this story was still trying to do too much at once.

Rating: 4.5/10 (And now you know. And knowing is half the battle.)