Comic Book Reviews (Week October 27, 2021): House of Slaughter Issue 1, The All-Nighter Issues 1 & 2 and More!

Welcome to my comic book review round-up for the week of October 27, 2021. I will be talking about House of Slaughter issue 1, The All-Nighter issue 1 and 2, SWORD issue 9, and more!

I’m going to begin by talking about the House of Slaughter issue 1, co-written by James Tynion IV and Tate Brombal. This prequel spinoff series features Aaron as the lead. And while I’m interested in learning more about the Order from Aaron’s perspective, the fact remains that he’s dead in the current Something Is Killing the Children series. So, I don’t think I will be able to make myself be too invested in what Aaron gets up to.

The premise seems to involve Aaron being sent to hunt Jace, the first man he’s ever loved. And if he’s able to kill Jace in the spinoff and Aaron’s already dead in the main series, why are we spending time with two queer characters that are no longer alive? I don’t understand.

At this point, Aaron’s someone who was bullied for most of his life, wasn’t considered the strongest in the Order, fell in love with a likely traitor, and then got murdered by a bunch of monsters. Sigh!

I’m not sure if I’ll be picking up the second issue. But let’s see.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Up to you.

SWORD Issue 9

From writer Al Ewing, SWORD issue 9 had the Shi’ar Imperial Guard land on Arakko only to be confronted by a very strong team of villains called the Lethal Legion. The tide of battle should shift toward the good guys with Storm making an appearance at the very end, though. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Omega-level Mutant Goddess fares against the Lethan Legion. I would love to see Ororo’s mutant powers be shut off only for her to tap into her Godhead and dare the villains to try shutting down her abilities again.

Not only does Storm and her team have to face a handful of powerful opponents, but there’s a mole operating inside SWORD. So, yes, the next issue should be amazing!

As for the art, I really liked how Jacopo Camagni portrayed Storm’s hair melding into her thundercloud cape. Ororo knows how to make an entrance.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Stranger Things: The Tomb of YBWEN Issue 2

From writer Greg Pak, I think every Stranger Things fan should consider reading this 4-issue The Tomb of YBWEN miniseries. The narrative’s doing an impressive job of exploring Will’s emotions after Bob’s death. I liked seeing Will’s friends trying to understand the reason behind his actions. They would have done the same thing if they had found a secret treasure map from Will after his death. Also, it’s kind of refreshing to see the kids trying to survive a natural snowstorm instead of some extradimensional being.

The second issue also gave Mr. Clarke more to do, and I liked that. He’s an important supportive figure for Will and the rest of the kids. And I’m looking forward to seeing what role he will play in the current story. Also, do you think that “YBWEN” spelling “NEWBY” is something important or am I reading too much into it?

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up!

The All-Nighter Issue 1 & 2

I was provided with free digital copies of The All-Nighter issue 1 and 2 for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

From writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Jason Loo, I thought The All-Nighter comic book series was going to be about bored vampires, who run a night-only diner, deciding to become superheroes and fighting crime during the night. The comic book does offer that, but also so much more. The world-building in issue 2 brought forth a narrative choice I wasn’t expecting.

The first issue introduced us to the core characters. There’s Alex, Joy, Ian, and Cynthia. A guy in his 20s, Alex’s the one who is into superheroes. Finally dressing up as one to help stop a mugging allows him to feel a sense of freedom from the monotonous life of cooking at the diner. Joy, who is basically in her 40s but stuck in a 12-year-old’s body, steps in during one of his missions.

It doesn’t take long for Alex to realize that wanting to become a vigilante wasn’t all fun and games. Masked superheroes attract attention, and that’s something Alex’s crew doesn’t want. The supernatural creatures in The All-Nighter have to look out for themselves or face grave consequences. I’m interested in seeing how Alex and his group will handle the mess he has, unknowingly, helped create.

Again, without giving away a major spoiler, I wasn’t expecting this particular turn of events. Due to how magic seems to operate in this fictional world, a lot can happen. It’s not the most original concept out there, but I’m here for it.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up!

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You can read Jessica’s review of Robin issue 7 here.

Which comic books did you read this week?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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