Wow, it’s August already! Summer is flying by folks. June’s roses are gone so I guess it’s time to stop and smell the comicbook pages! Here are some of the new comics from August 2 2023 you should be on the lookout for:
[This week’s comics are provided by Warp Zone Comics and Collectibles. Warning: My reviews of this week’s comics contain some spoilers, read at your own risk]
DC: Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2
From DC, written by G. Willow Wilson and art by Atagun Ilhan. Pamela Isley is still stuck inside a dream-turned-nightmare in Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2. Of all the Knight Terror entries, Poison Ivy’s story seems to have got the concept the best. A great story that really digs into what Pamela’s fears are without too much straight-up craziness obscuring them. A true look into fear and terror with great artwork to back up the storytelling. My favorite edition of the event by far.
DC: Sandman Universe: Special Thessaly #1
From DC, written by James Tynion Iv with art from Maria Llovet. Thessaly is still searching for the answers about the death of Madison Flynn. After so many dead ends, she decides to try getting closer to the source. So she uses her magic to get a job on Madison Flynn’s biopic. Of course, getting a job and keeping it are two different things. Especially when the job isn’t actually what you’re interested in.
This story is very character driven (a.k.a the best kind) but there are moments of action and fear to pacify the adrenaline junkies too. The nice thing is that Thessaly has been around for literal centuries but yet is still capable of learning something new. It gives a sense of hope to us all that it’s never too late.
IDW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin: The Lost Years #5
From IDW, written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz with art from Ben Bishop and SL Gallant. In the final issue of TMNT The Last Ronin: The Lost Years we see Michelangelo finally face off with Death Worm. We already know the outcome of this battle thanks to this being a prequel but it’s still an exciting encounter.
Meanwhile in the “present”, the new generation of turtles must choose between hiding or fighting. Since we know a sequel called Re-evolution is on the way, you can probably guess their choice. The storyline isn’t too very surprising but it’s the finale of a comic about fighting so you can only ask so much. The story was full of action and the art conveyed that action perfectly so overall, not a bad ending to the current turtles saga.
Marvel: Doctor Strange #6
Written by Jed MacKay with art by Juan Gedeon, Doctor Strange #6 kicks off a new story arc for Doctor Strange, as he takes his place in the War of the Seven Spheres. Condensing the history of a 5,000-year-long war into a single comic issue is a huge task but MacKay takes it all in stride. He manages to convey the most important events and, more importantly, keeps the story interesting. Definitely an excellent issue to grab up.
Marvel: Fantastic Four #10
This issue of Fantastic Four was written by Ryan North with art from Leandro Fernandez. Millennia ago, a group of aliens set out on a voyage to find a new home. Each century a new volunteer would be awakened from their sleep state to oversee the ship while the rest stayed in stasis mode. But something has gone horribly wrong. The newest caretaker has awoken to a lifeless ship and a dead previous caretaker. Before the last caretaker perished they were able to draw pictures of their attackers on the wall in blood. Now powerful beings are attacking the ship, what will happen next?
Notice how the Fantastic Four aren’t even a part of the story setup? That’s because they don’t even enter the plot until halfway through the issue. And the story doesn’t suffer at all for that. The horror movie vibes that the issue gives offer a different view of superheroes and their actions. North’s story offers a spin that helps keep the sci-fi themes of the Fantastic Four fresh.
Marvel: Strange Academy: Miles Morales #1
From Marvel, written by Carlos Hernandez and featuring art from Juann Cabal. The beginning of a three-part saga, Strange Academy Miles Morales #1 starts off with a (sort of) normal event. Strange Academy is facing Brooklyn Vision Academy in a multiversal math bowl! But nothing is ever that simple, is it? A brand new villain interrupts the competition and Miles Morales ends up teaming up with the Strange Academy students to save the day!
A fun story with an action-packed plot. It was really interesting to see these super kids engaged in a normal high-school activity, even if it did get interrupted by a troublemaker. The juxtaposition of the mundane with the fantastic was different and fun.
Marvel: What if…? Dark Venom #1
From Marvel, written by Stephanie Williams, and art by Jethro Morales. The new What If? Dark event continues with an interesting question. What if Ben Grimm, the Thing, bonded with the symbiote? After returning to Earth after Secret Wars, Ben finds a Kluntar symbiote being held prisoner in Reed’s lab. The symbiote plays helpless to Ben in an effort to get him to release it. Of course we the readers know better. But Ben doesn’t. How dangerous can a little black goo be after all? With the Lizard creeping around too? Plenty.
It’s starting to feel like the symbiote is rather overused in Marvel and I can’t say that this issue offered anything incredibly new to either the symbiote or Ben Grimm’s story. If the “What if..?” question doesn’t lead to a truly new and interesting world to explore, why are we even asking it?
And that’s some of the new comics releasing August 2, 2023
Enough of smelling the comics, time to return to your regularly scheduled summer! Until our next break, enjoy these stories. If you want to pick up physical copies of any of these comic books but you’re not sure where a shop is near you, try checking on ComicShopLocator.com.
What are your favorite comics right now? Let us know on social media such as Twitter or The Cosmic Circus Discord!
New Comics Spotlight: July 26 2023
