Panel Discussion #34
Hello again, and welcome to the recently resurrected Panel Discussion. I’m Kieran, and every week I’m going to go through some of the best comics of the week to give you an idea what you should pick up that you might have missed. This is another stacked week with some fantastic first issues and great jumping on points for books you might be behind on, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
This week’s must-read comic is the one-shot James Bond: Service by Kieron Gillen and Antonio Fuso. Dynamite’s output of Bond comics has been stellar across the board, but this is a direction that I’m really excited to see them go in. As good as the ongoings and minis are, the idea of bringing in superstar teams for one-shot stories starring the world’s greatest super-spy is a genius move and I hope they do more of them after this one. James Bond: Service wears its real-world political influences on its sleeve and if it was timely when it was announced its even more timely now Britian is in the middle of another election. It’s high-stakes, boots-on-the-ground Bond as you like it, and one of the best comics of the week.
James Tynion IV’s run on Detective Comics has been stellar since DC Rebirth began, but if you’re looking for a jumping on point to catch-up with the best Batman book of the year, this week’s issue is a one-shot focusing on Spoiler co-written by Christopher Sebela with art by Carmen Nunez Carnero. In terms of plotting, character development and high action, Detective Comics is doing the traditional X-Men structure of storytelling way better than any of the X-Men books on the stands right now and this issue is a gripping spotlight issue that you can’t miss.
Speaking of DC’s team books, Suicide Squad has been one of the best and most exciting Rebirth titles, but it often feels like people wrote it off due to its proximity to the poorly received film. The comic itself has been fantastic since the first issue and this week’s Suicide Squad #18 weaves its story around the larger DC Universe excellently. Tied in with what Dan Jurgens has been doing on Action Comics, this mini-crossover feels organic in the way that crossovers are often touted as but never actually are and the plot gives Action something to do when it feels like it’s been spinning its wheels waiting to get to #1000.
If you’re after a new series to try this week, I Am Groot #1 by Christopher Hastings and Flaviano is full of all the charm, heart and fun that you’d expect from that team working on a Baby Groot book. I’m not a massive fan of Baby Groot personally, but I loved this issue and it’s a perfect book for kids who loved the Guardians of the Galaxy film but might find the comics a bit too mature or daunting .
Lastly, The Archies #1 is another great one-shot by, dare I say it, American comics’ most daring mainstream publisher because Archie Comics for the past five-to-ten years has been unafraid to just try new stuff and see if it works. The Archies absolutely works and reads like Riverdale if it was influenced by Almost Famous instead of Twin Peaks.
That’s it for me this week but there’s still a great number of awesome comics on the stands for you to check out. Happy reading everyone, and I’ll see you all next week!
