Comic Book Reviews (Week September 14, 2022): X-Men Red Issue 6, Census Issue 1 & More!

Welcome to my comic book reviews for this week (September 14, 2022). I will be covering X-Men Red issue 6, Census issue 1, Superman: Son of Kal-El issue 15, and more.

Let’s begin with Superman: Son of Kal-El issue 15 by writer Tom Taylor. While I liked how the arc concluded Henry Bendix’s reign of terror, I do feel (similar to other readers) that everything was resolved a bit too quickly. Having said that, I have to give Taylor points for how he developed Jon and Jay’s relationship. I remember how I used to side-eye Jay’s motives when he was first introduced and got close to Jon. But now, I’m all in for him and Jon to continue blossoming as a couple down the line. Also, Damian getting to slap Bendix was hilarious!

With Clark finally coming back to Earth, the OG Superman’s return is sure to shake up Jon’s story in an exciting manner.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

X-Men Red Issue 6

From writer Al Ewing, X-Men Red issue 6 had Storm return to defend Arakko against weapons of mass destruction that Uranos left behind. I was quite impressed by how much Ewing was able to do in a single issue. These are the type of comic books that make me feel I’m getting an awesome amount of content for the money I spent.

X-Men Red issue 6 continued to develop more of Arakki culture through a NASA field agent named Dr. Craig Marshall as he tried to protect two little Arakki kids. Also, I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but I think the panels featuring Craig were supposed to support the longstanding fandom theory that the majority of Arakki are supposed to be PoC. 

Of course, Ororo made quick work of the laser-shooting weapon she went up against. Having her create a monsoon, with Sobunar’s help, to mess with the lasers was a nice touch. I would have liked for her final attack to be other than a lightning strike. But oh well.

The moment where Sobunar told Ororo she didn’t have time to feel guilty about her absence during Uranos’ rampage made sense. Yes, Storm didn’t face Uranos in the previous issue. But she was still part of the same war on Earth.

Now, the only thing I didn’t like was Storm asking Lactuca to tell her where her weather-controlling powers were needed the most because the entire planet was in danger. Due to Storm’s powers not being necessarily linked to her physical presence in an area, I would have liked for Ororo to focus on her concentration and help Arakki fighters around the planet simultaneously. She’s an Omega-level mutant Goddess after all. If Storm’s in Place A, she should be able to control the weather in Place B all the way to Place Z without traveling there. Also, why the heck didn’t Lactuca teleport the weapons into the sun? Sigh!

Anyway, putting my gripes aside, the moment where Storm appeared to sync her powers with a heartless Magneto was epic. Artist Stefano Caselli and colorist Federico Blee really knocked it out of the park during that incredible scene. I could feel the power exude from those pages. And leave it to Ewing to dive into X-Men lore to tell those who might not know that Storm and Magneto’s abilities shared a lot in common when it comes to the concept of electromagnetism. The sexual nature of their mutant circuit was quite obvious even though Ororo stated they were making war not love. Also, we got to see Storm’s control over climate and temperature when she kept the planet safe against the molten iron that was summoned to defeat a formidable threat.

Other than that (as I said, Ewing packed a lot in a single issue. He gave me my money’s worth!), the Night Seats were revealed. And yes, the fandom’s already interested in knowing more about the new mutant character named Syzya of the Smoke (some are calling her SZA. Ha!). She can teleport like Nightcrawler but isn’t limited by being able to teleport to areas she can see. Syzya can teleport anywhere she knows of. Her smoke also smells sweeter than brimstone. And I think she doesn’t need to touch another person to teleport them.

With Storm and her team getting ready to face Uranos directly, I was hoping to see said confrontation in an installment of the main AXE Judgement Day line. In a sense, I got just that.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

AXE Judgement Day Issue 4

From writer Kieron Gillen, I think it has become quite apparent that the current AXE Judgement Day even is just not for me. The only reason I picked up the fourth issue was that I wanted to see Storm and Magneto face Uranos after what happened in X-Men Red issue 6. While Gillen didn’t have Storm’s entire team fight Uranos, at least we got to see two iconic Omega-level mutants show him their wrath, even if the battle was over a bit too quickly.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Up to you.

The Silver Coin Issue 14

Writer Pornsak Pichetshote offered a horror story set during the early days of the global panorama in The Silver Coin issue 14. While I liked the pacing and how the scenes jumped between Darren’s predicament in the present and the past moments he spent with his girlfriend Lauren, I think such a story would have had more of an impact if we hadn’t read a similar tale a few issues back.

I get that the narrative wanted to draw parallels between the panic caused by the global panini and the supernatural horrors Darren experienced. But again, we basically had a similar outcome play out a couple of months ago in issue 12.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.  

The 06 Protocol Issue 1

Writer Lee Turner offers a familiar story but with a unique twist in the debut issue of The 06 Protocol. A lot of times young teens are the ones who have their world turned upside down after the death of their parents and the reveal that their parents were involved in certain shady government shenanigans. Even though the same thing happened here, this time we got to follow an adult woman named Cat and her young daughter needing to fend for their lives after the death of Cat’s husband Faust.

I don’t want to give anything away, but with how things ended, I’m looking forward to the next issue. There’s action, gore, a likable cast, and some interesting developments.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up!

Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 5

From writer Cullen Bunn, the Godzilla and The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers crossover came to an end with issue 5 (for now). The entire five-part series was definitely a fun romp of watching giant monsters and the Megazord fight each other. The finale had Godzilla, Megazord, and the Dragonzord work together to battle the powerful King Ghidorah. And of course, Godzilla made his feeling very clear to the Rangers after the epic confrontation. The finale does leave the door open for a continuation. I hope we see it.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up!

Census Issue 1

I was provided with a free digital copy of Census issue 1 for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

From writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman, I have to say that the premise of this new horror-comedy series is quite interesting even if I don’t know if I will continue reading it. I found Liam to be an okay protagonist. There’s potential there, even though I feel he wasn’t reacting enough to the dangerous predicament he found himself in on the first day of his new job.

The highlight is definitely the overall story. Turns out, there’s an organization that keeps track of the supernatural population. Wanting to finally get a job that paid well, Liam agreed to work for said organization without fully understanding what he was walking into. Apparently, there are other census takers out there, too. So, I’m interested in seeing such a fictional world expand. There’s a lot that can be done with the narrative when you’re ready to bring in supernatural and mythical creatures for basically every religion or belief system.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

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Which comic books did you read this week? What did you think of X-Men Red issue 6?

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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