Comic Book Reviews (Week August 4, 2021): Lost Falls Issue 1, Basilisk Issue 3 & More!

Welcome to my comic book reviews for this week (August 4, 2021). I will be covering Lost Falls Issue 1, Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat, Bang! Kill Tour Issue 1, Basilisk Issue 3, and more!

Let’s begin with the only DC Comics book I picked up this week. From writer Tee Franklin, Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat, Bang! Kill Tour issue 1 is definitely a story Harley and Poison Ivy fans should consider checking out. While I had my issues with the queer representation in the first season of the Harley Quinn animated series, the show really came through during the second season. While we wait for the third season to air, this comic book picks up from the season 2 finale with Harley and Poison Ivy on the run after declaring their love for each other.

I think Franklin (Bingo Love) perfectly captured the voice of the Harley Quinn show when taking it over to the comic book medium. Similar to the animated series, this story is intended for a mature audience. It doesn’t shy away from showing Harley and Ivy being intimate with each other. Featuring action, romance, and comedy, Max Sarin and Marissa Louise’s artistic talent made for a visual treat.

Ivy’s feelings about her wedding getting canceled and the chaos it caused come up. I’m looking forward to more of Ivy’s feelings being explored. She mentioned how her father said no one would marry her. So, let’s unpack more of that.

You can read it right now if you have a DC Infinite Universe subscription. If not, you can pre-order to read it come September 1, 2021.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP! (Pre-order link)

Basilisk Issue 3

Writer Cullen Bunn’s Basilisk issue 3 focused a lot on our villainous group. They aren’t happy about being forced out of hiding to go rescue one of their own. I liked how they operated, making sure to leave a single survivor to tell the tale of their viciousness and, in a sense, worship them. While I enjoyed the gory visuals by Jonas Scharf, the current issue did feel like filler setting up more exciting stuff that’s yet to come.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

The Me You Love in the Dark Issue 1

From writer Skottie Young, The Me You Love in the Dark issue 1 introduced us to Ro Meadows deciding to rent a haunted house to help with artistic inspiration. Did it remind me of the recent episode of SurrealEstate where an author was interested in haunting houses to write his next book in? It sure did.

I liked Ro wanting to meet a ghost while she stayed in the rented haunted house. She’s been hoping to be inspired for weeks now. Seeing an artist wanting to create their next masterpiece and growing frustrated due to it taking too long isn’t anything new.

However, Young kept my attention through an engrossing narrative that built anticipation as I waited for the moment the ghost finally decided to make its presence clear to Ro. There’s very likely going to be a romance between Ro and the ghost. So, let’s see how that works out while keeping things creepy.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Lucky Devil Issue 1

From writer Cullen Bunn, Lucky Devil issue 1 had us follow Stanley’s life as he’s trying to figure out a new path after being possessed by a demon named Zed. From what I can tell, even though Zed’s been exorcised from Stanley’s body, the two are still in contact with each other. Zed’s willing to teach Stanley how to use his supernatural abilities to continue killing people.

The body horror from Fran Galan is enjoyable. However, I’m still a bit unsure about where the main narrative is going. Surely, Stanley needs to face consequences for his actions, right? Let’s see what happens.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Up to you.

Wynd Issue 9

I knew things were going to turn bad due to how the previous issue ended, but writer James Tynion IV offered a narrative decision I wasn’t expecting at all. Even though the latest installment was very dialogue-heavy, there were a lot of emotional scenes sprinkled throughout.

I understood where Oakley was coming from when she told Wynd they were kids and should just leave everything to be handled by adults. I understood the prejudice between the different races and how uniting everyone wasn’t going to be as easy as our young heroes initially thought. There’s a whole lot of history and politics involved that can’t be resolved with a simple handshake and a friendly smile.

Michael Dialynas’s art hit all the right marks when showcasing the range of emotions certain characters expressed. While the visuals do appear to be kid-centric, don’t let the art style fool you. Wynd knows how to be a dark and serious story when need be. With how things ended for our titular hero and a certain someone (my heart!), I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Also, shoutout to the scene where Wynd meets an older Faerie. I wasn’t expecting the wise-older-being cliché to be handled in such a manner. Ha! 

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Seven Secrets Issue 11

I mean, of course, a comic book with the word “Secrets” in its title is going to be tough to review without sharing spoilers. But I’m going to try. Writer Tom Taylor has been building up to a major betrayal and we got to see that in the latest release. Was I kind of suspicious of a particular someone early on? I sure was. With how Taylor’s been giving the antagonistic Amon layers to make him a more fleshed-out character and not a stereotypical power-hungry bad guy, I’m waiting to learn more about that particular someone’s relationship with Amon and why they decided to do what they did.

If you’re into a series with a diverse and queer-inclusive cast, action, mystery, the paranormal, and secrets that can mold the world, you need to start reading Seven Secrets.

Does it have obvious queer representation? Yes.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!  

Transformers: King Grimlock Issue 1

I was provided a free digital copy of Transformers: King Grimlock issue 1 for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

Writer Steve Orlando has me out here reading a Transformers comic book! If you’re like me, I’m glad to report you don’t need to be a Transformers expert to get into the debut issue of King Grimlock. You can still enjoy Grimlock being summoned to a different planet with gigantic beasts and a group of humans looking to Grimlock for help against the Golden One. The fact the humans were trying to summon Optimus Prime and got Grimlock instead made me laugh.

As a character, Grimlock’s very into the “survival-of-the-fittest” school of thought. That’s one of the reasons he’s been clashing with Optimus Prime even though the two are allies. Optimus wants freedom for all while Grimlock wants the strong to earn their own freedom. Seeing him refuse to help the humans made sense for his character. Also, them stating they were hoping for Optimus to appear didn’t do them any favors.

Judging by what’s shown, the narrative’s going to feature the young human girl Arko running after Grimlock and convince him to defeat the Golden One. I’m looking forward to seeing what type of character development both will get as the story continues. Also, I’m here for more giant robotic T-Rex fighting humongous creatures and facing magic. There’s definitely a D&D feel to the setting, made more apparent with this comic book featuring a character sheet of Grimlock showcasing his stats.

I don’t know about longtime fans, but Transformers: King Grimlock issue 1 is definitely a fun story even if you haven’t picked up a Transformers comic book in a while and consider yourself more of a casual fan of the franchise.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

First Degree: A Crime Anthology

I was provided with a free digital copy of First Degree: A Crime Anthology for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

Trigger Warning: This comic book clearly shows suicide and abuse.

Being a commemorative celebration of the Polar Festival of Cognac, France’s Silver Anniversary, First Degree: A Crime Anthology features numerous creatives sharing very interesting short stories. With a total of 21 tales (and over 140 pages long), you’re sure to find a handful of narratives that match your taste. David F. Walker’s ‘Encounter’ served as a very impactful opening as it touched upon prejudices and police brutality. I also enjoyed ‘Overdose’ by Jim MacDonald, ‘The Comeback Kid’ by Raule, and ‘Leonite’ by Algesiras. I appreciated certain stories opting for the paranormal route. It allowed for more variety in the anthology. Leaving some of the stories open-ended was also a good touch. Crime noir fans should definitely check this title out.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Lost Falls Issue 1

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

Writer Curt Pires really said “Let there be confusion!” when creating the Lost Falls issue 1, huh? The good news is that it’s the fun type of confusion where you want to put the pieces together and look forward to learning more about what’s going on. 

We get to meet detective Daniel Pynchon who wakes up in Lost Falls with no recollection of how he got there. He’s been investigating the case of a missing girl, and apparently, the same girl’s been communicating with him. I’m not even sure if said girl is supposed to be a ghost or David’s imagination. Heck! I’m not even sure how much of Lost Falls is real. There’s something eerie about the small town and I can’t wait for Daniel to find the answers. I like Daniel already and I want him to survive.

Artist Antonio Fuso worked on pages 1-22 while Pierluigi Minotti came in for pages 23-36. In my opinion, the simple visuals added to the dreamlike vibe of the narrative. 

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up. 

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Which comics book 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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