Comic Book Reviews (Week October 6, 2021): Mighty Morphin Issue 1, We Have Demons Issue 1 & More!

Welcome to my comic book review round-up for the week of October 6, 2021. I will be talking about Mighty Morphin issue 12, Lost Falls issue 3, Party and Prey, and more!

So, turns out, there wasn’t a single comic book from Marvel or DC that caught my attention this week. It happens. Anyway, I was still able to read a bunch of comic books from other publishers. So, yay!

Mighty Morphin Issue 12

Writer Ryan Parrott has set the stage for an incredible battle with the fate of Earth on the line. A whole lot of secrets were revealed in Mighty Morphin issue 12. I really enjoyed the interaction between Zedd and Zordon. The scene highlighted how different the two had become. Zedd wanted Zordon to learn the truth about Zartus, but that didn’t mean Zedd was willing to be friends with Zordon. It was merely a tactic from Zedd to showcase just how alone Zordon was.

In my opinion, Zedd’s got a point. The current narrative has shown Zordon push away allies because of his ideals. Even Kimberly called Zordon out on his recent decisions.

Speaking of Kimberly, I liked Zartus’ plan to divide and conquer. The Power Rangers functioned best as a team and thus, they had to be split up. I just hope nothing too bad happens to Kim, Adam, and Rocky.

Another enjoyable confrontation was between Matt and Tommy. I understood where Tommy was coming from when he shared his doubts about Grace manipulating Matt as the Green Power Ranger. She had access to the best military people to take up the mantel, but she choose Matt. However, I do think Matt had a good response for Tommy. Let’s just hope Matt’s trust in Grace isn’t misplaced.

As you can tell, there was a lot of talking in Mighty Morphin issue 12. But it was the type of talking that was necessary to offer character development and raise the stakes even higher. I’m so ready for ‘The Eltarian War’ event!

Does it have obvious queer representation? No.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Lucky Devil Issue 3

From writer Cullen Bunn, Lucky Devil issue 3 showed Stanley coming face to face with some very powerful demons out to kill him due to direct orders from Satan. Turns out, this wasn’t the first time demons were sent to take him down and were responsible for killing numerous people in the process.

While I enjoyed the third issue, I think it was more focused on setting things up for Stanley’s trip to Hell to try and strike a bargain in the upcoming installment.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

The Me You Love in the Dark Issue 3

Writer Skottie Young continued to show Ro’s relationship develop with the supernatural being haunting the mansion she’s been staying in. While their interactions can be deemed romantic, I just can’t help but feel something’s going to go wrong soon. Falling in love with a ghost doesn’t always end well. Ro’s being way too comfortable talking about her family, ambitions, etc. with the ghost (or whatever it’s really supposed to be). I’m worried about her. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ghost doesn’t want her to leave when it’s time for Ro to showcase her art in the upcoming exhibition. Only two more issues to go!

Does it have obvious queer characters? No. 

Recommendation: Pick it up.

We Have Demons Issue 1

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

Written by Scott Snyder, We Have Demons issue 1 was not what I was expecting it to be. And that’s not a bad thing. Instead of being all gloomy and sinister, (which I thought it would be, after reading the trigger warning), it gave me a story about a few chosen humans fighting demons from Hell. There’s a lot of gore and adult language, of course, but the title didn’t give me the level of horror I was expecting after the trigger warning.

The narrative presented the usual tale of good vs evil, but with a scientific twist. According to our young lead Lam, the battle between light and dark dates back to the Big Bang and how two mysterious elements, in opposition of each other, were created during the process. I liked how the beginning of the story had me side-eyeing Lam’s motives.

The art team consisting of co-creator Greg Capullo (pencils), Jonathan Glapion (inks), and Dave McCaig (colors) really came through during Lam’s confrontation with a handful of disgusting-looking demons as the issue came to a close. 

This 3-issue miniseries won’t be for everyone. But if you’re into action, gore, mystery, and theology, you might find We Have Demons issue 1 to be quite enjoyable.

Does it have obvious queer representation? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Lost Falls Issue 3

I was provided with a free digital copy of Lost Fall issue 3 for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

I’m not even going to pretend that I understand what the heck’s been happening in Lost Falls. Issue 3 added even more questions to my stacked pile. I have no idea what writer Curt Pires’ endgame is with this book. And yet, I’m very intrigued by the overall mystery. It’s as if a number of things are happening at once as the narrative blends sci-fi with the supernatural. I’m going to see this ride to the end and hopefully, I’ll have my answers when I turn the last page.

Does it have obvious queer representation? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Death Issue 1

I was provided with a free digital copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Death issue 1 for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

A new installment in Monster Serials came with this issue and I was again left wanting more! For those who don’t know, Monsters Serials is basically a story reinterpreting famous breakfast cereal mascots as supernatural beings needing to band together to stop a big threat.

From writer Mark Russell and artist/colorist Peter Snejbjerg, ‘Monster Serials: A Devil’s Advocate’ introduced Quaker (yes, the oats guy) to the story as he tried to stand up for Marquis de Cocoa, whom the townsfolk were ready to burn. The unfortunate vampire got caught while making his way to Fortress Honeycomb to reunite with his lover.

I don’t want to spoil things, but let’s just say Quaker’s got his reasons for helping Marquis de Cocoa. A certain twist really took me by surprise. Fortunately, we will get to see Monster Serials again, and I can’t wait!

The issue also included a fun little story, by Stuart Moore and Frank Cammuso, exploring Edgar Allan Poe as a child. Another highlight for me was ‘Every Last Crumb’ by Kirk Vanderbeek. I really enjoyed Vanderbeek’s take on Hansel and Gretel after they were able to escape from the witch. Such a traumatic ordeal understandably changed the siblings and not in a good way.

Does it have obvious queer representation? No.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Party and Prey

I was provided with a free digital copy of Party and Prey for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

This review contains spoilers! You have been warned!

From co-writers Steve Foxe and Steve Orlando with art by Alex Sanchez, the Party and Prey graphic novel is definitely going to be a tough read for many, not only because of the body horror aspect but also due to what it has to say about the dangers experienced by the queer community. The narrative has layers as it tells a horror/thriller story by focusing on the predators present inside the queer community and the general disregard by the police when it comes to helping queer folk. The story could definitely work as an engrossing and tense installment in a live-action anthology featuring dark queer tales.

Having said that, personally, I was expecting something different. There’s an Afterword from Foxe and Orlando talking about the villainous Alan’s not supposed to be Ed Buck, Jeffrey Dahmer, Bruce McArthur, or others who have victimized queer men and boys. The creatives mention how Alan’s supposed to show how men in power weaponize sympathy to explain away their horrid actions.

And while I get the reasoning behind the Afterword, sharing why they decided to tell such a story and how they do have a number of uplifting queer stories in their other books, I found myself going, “Meh!” because Party and Prey, for me, did boil down to the usual trope of older people hunting down younger people to find a way to reverse the aging process.

The Afterword talked about how Alan wasn’t evil because he got older and was jealous of how young queer people were allowed to live more openly. And yet that’s what I got after reading this story. I mean, if you need a lengthy Afterword to help steer readers away from reaching a particular type of conclusion, maybe consider going back and reworking the actual story? Why not show Alan being evil and manipulative during flashbacks of his childhood and how that continued as he grew older and gained more influence in society?

I have already been rolling my eyes at the award buzz surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch’s movie The Power of Dog in which he plays an older closeted queer guy getting jealous of the more “open” (as open as one could be during the 1920s) young queer teen. The novel by Thomas Savage, on which the movie’s based, was released back in 1967. So, you can already assume the problematic stuff present in the narrative due to being a product of its time. Anyway, getting reminded of The Power of Dog while reading Party and Prey, a modern graphic novel, was not a good feeling.

Don’t get me wrong, though. By no means is Party and Prey a bad story. It’s well-written and you will be worried about the fate of the young queer man, and an unexpected ally, trying to stop Alan. I also loved Sanchez’s creative choice of visually representing Alan as a monster through the clever use of mirrors and screens. That’s why I’m chalking my disappointment up to personal preference.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

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Which comic books did you pick up this week? What are your thoughts about Mighty Morphin issue 12?

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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