"I see" said the blind man.

A friend in the end.

Writer: Chip Zdarsky Penciler and Colorist: Chris Bachalo Inkers: Townsend, Vey, Faucher, Livesay Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham

Spidey is one of my favorite fictional characters, and Zdarsky, a writer that we often associate with a funny, goofy Spider-Man (and he does it very good) deliver with Bachalo one beautiful and heartful issue.

Beware, spoilers ahead because I cannot speak about this issue without talking about the major event of it.

So in this issue we follow Peter helping one specific person: Sandman. Spidey is known to be “friendly” with his antagonists (to a point) but helping them is something else. But Sandman is dying and Spidey wants to help, find a solution for his health. But Marko doesn’t want that. Instead Peter asks him his favorite spot in the city...to spend his final moments.

Witnessing that is witnessing a different kind of battle, not with fists but with hearts. All Peter wants is to save him but Sandman knows the truth: his end is here. But Spider-Man is not an enemy here, he’s a friend helping an odd friend.

And that’s the real virtue of Peter Parker/Spidey: he’s a friend. It doesn’t matter if you fought countless battles. There is always that underlying respect.

The first family is back with emotion.

After some years the Fantastic Four are back! While we didn’t have no presence of them, or at least some of them lately (with Marvel Two-In-One that featured Johnny and Ben) this is it! They are brought back by Dan Slott and Sara Pichelli in their highest talent.

Let’s recap quickly the situation: after a big event named Battleworld that collided multiple dimensions, Sue, Reed and their children went missing. Were there dead, vanish form existence? We didn’t know, but especially Ben and Johnny didn’t. And they went on a quest to find them, in vain.

Now this first issue is here and the situation is changing. A word came into my mind after reading this issue: reaching. I think I’m not spoiling things by saying Reed and Sue are alive somewhere, alone. And they trying to send a message to be rescued. On earth though, Johnny and Ben are reaching but to themselves: to what they feel, how to deal with grief and hope. Ben especially is making work on himself and made a decision that I won’t reveal here.

Dan Slott is not tempted to rush things and that’s for the best and he’s already making choices to make this story his own. He’s also aware that being a new title that can welcome new readers and thus making sure to establish who are the FF and what we can expect from them.

Our writer was paired with one the best artist in the industry: Sara Pichelli. Hard to not say something as classic as “beautiful” but it simply is. When we look at Ben Grimm/The Thing a man made of rock that is on paper an obstacle to make him emote expressions, the obstacle is nowhere to be seen. Pichelli’s art is colored by Marte Gracia, who’s making the pages pop. The Human Torch is flamboyant as he should!

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With summer comes specific shows and “Castle Rock” is one of them. An atypic project buth with famous fictional names and a famous real name: King.

The King related projects are in real high lately: of course “It”, the attempted “Dark Tower”. Not long ago we got a miniseries “11/22/63″. A “Pet Sematery” remake is on the way. Basically if we like King books and adaptatons, we are in a good time. But it’s not new to see King’s adaptations.

“Shawshank’s Redemption, Stand by Me, Cujo” ect. From the start it seems that I’m only name dropping. And it was the danger, the tightrope walker numero of “Castle Rock”. 

I will take my example and try to expand a bit: I really like King’s novels. I’m far from having read all and I don’t even recall much from the ones I read (or seen as adaptations matter too). So, very early in the show we see Shawshank, maybe one the most famous name in King’s work. There is a high chance that a high amount of people know the movie and the name. Then we got some subtles/not subtles hints of other things that, as of now (three episodes in) don’t seem important for the story, where Henry Deavers is the main protagonist.

My main concern is this: what if, as we continue in the episodes some big twists are happening but they refer to some King’s novels/movies that I just don’t remember or know at all? Or are my knowledge of King will be a burden and I will foresee things that I wish I haven’t? You see the particular balance the show must do? And it must also welcome viewers that are not familiar with King , because it would be alienating.

But without being an hypocrite, I expect the show to use King’s work in some way. It’s like seeing a “Venom” movie and not expecting to see Spider-Man...hum well, you get it.

However, the show is doing its thing with original characters (apparently) and it does it well. There is a mood, an atmosphere that is associated with King and that was surely the main thing we expected above all the names. There are mysteries that the show give us and we want to know more and where it goes.

An unconventional threat brings an unconventional team!

Comics can bring the simplest of joys. One of them being to see characters that you rarely see together (maybe never). And “Justice League Dark”, written by James Tynion IV and penciled by Alvaro Martínez Bueno, seems to already deliver on this part.

Looking at the cover you can  be intrigued but maybe also doubtful: “Is that Man-bat, the Batman’s vilain, with Wonder Woman?”

Yes it is, and this issue makes a great job of introducing each member(Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Detective Chimp, Man-Bat and Swamp Thing) with where they are, litteraly and in the continuity. It means that you can get this issue without knowing what happened before(as in “JL Zero” to be precise), you won’t be lost.

Especially when this book is an open adventure for the unknown with some “unknowns” (hear “not higly popular”) characters. While all of this seems fun, it still maintains an horror aspect that you expect with a book title like this. Since this is only the first issue we obviously don’t know much. But since this team is formed to investigate on the illness of magic, mysteries is a must ingredient.

A good story is already pleasure to have, but this is a comicbook and drawings are coming with them. Oh yes they are! A. Martínez Bueno delivers. With a comicbook heavy with creatures they look spenlid and expressive. As for example we see Man-bat in a panel being a shy little guy and in the next one he’s the beast we more aware of. The colors by Brad Anderson enhance the drawings by setting up the moods and environments. Needless to say, this is beautiful.

For a first entry “Justice League Dark” is on point. The real draw is the interactions of these characters and we want to see more.