It’s a long weekend, which means we’re gonna be quick about talkin’ about comics for once because we have things to do. By which we mean James has the day off but Brandon is still at work, slavin’ for the MAN. John’s a good guy, though. So it can’t be that bad.

Anyway, these were some great comics from last week(ish)! Make sure to buy them, read them, rub them all over yourself, then buy replacement copies because you got duck fat all over the first ones while you were rubbing them on yourself. What, you don’t have duck fat, either? What are you even about?

STRAIGHT UP DAREDEVILIN’

I cannot get over how good Daredevil is. Month in and month out, it’s easily one of the best superhero comics - or comics, period - being published. Now, I’ve talked about why this has been such a revelation to me, but that’s not what gets to me every month. Nine issues in, Daredevil just keeps surprising me with its sheer inventiveness. Mark Waid writes things that show not just how consistently applied his tone is - like the idea that finding out his father’s body has been stolen doesn’t lead to a dark, soul-baring story about guilt and punishment, but to a subterranean swashbuckling adventure - but that he simply understands Matt Murdock and his world absolutely perfectly.

Daredevil #9 is a wealth of little things that add up to a stunning whole. Like Foggy Nelson, Matt’s best friend & legal partner, not just a foil who understands Matt, but someone who’s competent enough in his own right to give Matt surreptitious advice on changing costumes in a hurry. Of course Matt is in such a hurry to regain his dad’s coffin that he dresses in a rush and doesn’t think that red boots aren’t something a lawyer would wear. He doesn’t see colour. But of course Foggy notices it. He’s got Matt’s back. And he’s smart. Black Cat breaking into Matt’s safe is an amazing scene not just for the end, where Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera elegantly capture her hesitance to betray him and what might convince her to, but because Matt’s safe doesn’t have a dial with numbers because he’s blind, so of course it doesn’t. It’s things like this that show how Waid is constantly thinking about Matt and his world. He and Rivera are able to make an adventure to the bowels of the Earth to battle monsters and moloids something that still feels like it belongs in the same comic that’s sometimes a grounded legal dramedy, and Waid is enough of an expert to explain to new readers who the Mole Man is without making it seem like baldfaced exposition because he makes up a reason for Matt do have to remind himself.

This is a comic that is consistently firing on all cylinders and testament to the skill of its creative team and their never-ending dedication to making sure the little details, plot or pictures, are never forgotten. The result is one of the most believable corners of the Marvel Universe, and I’m thrilled to give it the Styx Award for Arena Rock. (J)

SHE’S AS COLD AS ICE

There’s a strange kind of alchemy going on in the pages of Sacrifice.

On the surface, its a book that I should not be enjoying. While I would like to consider myself music literate, I’m constantly reminded that is not the case, from almost every direction. This series has a connection to Joy Division, in that our hero, Hector is a fan and even quotes lyrics in this very issue. Have I heard some Joy Division before? Almost certainly. And I’ve definitely heard of the band, know of their reputation, but I would not be able to pick one of their songs out of a line up. Right away, that should be a strike against me, when it comes to this series.

Beyond that, there’s the larger subject matter of this piece: the Aztecs. I remember learning about them in school, but I never latched onto anything about them. Not like what happened with Russian history (a story for another day).

The fact remains, I should not be enjoying this book as much as I am. It speaks to the strength of Sam Humphries and Dalton Rose’s talents that I’m as enamoured with it as I am.

For starters, you will get images like this:

Which is amazing. Dalton Rose is absolutely killing it on this book, with imagery that my own tiny brain can’t even begin to fathom, let alone put into a language that it could understand, and translate that to a page. Then there is Sam’s writing, which is also a thing of beauty. He manages to present a complex story and ideas in a way that’s very easy to understand and latch onto. The hooks are in, digging into my skin, and god does it feel good.

With each issue, the ground shifts below you. Just when you think the story is taking a certain path, something shifts and very suddenly there’s a new book being presented to you, always just out of reach as you perpetually wait for the next issue to hit. The ending of Sacrifice #3 was no exception, and I absolutely can’t wait for the next volume. And so, we award Sam, Dalton and the gang the Foreigner Award of Excellence. We hope they use it well.(B)

BROSEPHS UNITE!

Yes, I know that Adventure Time #1 wasn’t technically released last week, but the week before it. To that, I have two answers:

a) Is there really ever only one time you can have an adventure with your best pal?

2) Diamond decided to not give Brandon’s shop their issues on release day, even though every other store in town got theirs, so I only read this for the first time last week.

And now you know… the rest of the story.

If you or a young person in your care [Ed. Note: Phrased not to exclude Bruce Wayne's wards] likes Adventure Time the tv series, you will absolutely flip over this comic, because it captures the look and spirit of the show perfectly. Whereas some comic versions of TV cartoons like the ones put out by Bongo sometimes have an appearance that is 95% the same but looks just different enough to be jarring every once in a while (and that’s not to knock Bongo, who have a long tradition of making comics I like), the look of Adventure Time #1 is perfect. More importantly, it captures the feeling of the series like all of Boom‘s licensed properties do. They were the perfect choice to publish the comic, and Dinosaur Comics‘ Ryan North, supported by the awesome Shelli Paroline and Brandon Lamb on art, was the perfect choice to write the comic because his sensibility for surreal, smart humour. Aaron Renier‘s backup story takes a different art approach, but it still captures the feel of the series. Plus, folks love Tree Trunks the elderly green dwarf elephant, that’s just science.

If you haven’t watched the TV series, but still like things that are bold! and goofy! and surprisingly dark!, give this comic a shot. The world of Adventure Time is perfectly designed to elicit that thrill of childlike excitement and wonder, even if you’re an adult. When I was a kid, I actually wanted to be a sword-wielding adventurer who lived in a giant tree fort mansion with my best friend, who is a talking magical dog, hanging out with candy people, talking video game systems and punk rock vampire ladies. I’m not joking, those are all things that, at various points in my childhood, I actually wanted. And this series has them! If you were once a child, chances are some of that sounds familiar.

Like the best of all all-ages stories, Adventure Time is deceptively and fiercely smart, and it adds a lingering darkness hiding behind the bright colours and excitement. There’s an odd sense of existential terror behind some of the plots, but they’re never too much to overpower the story. Some people will tell you kids can’t handle that, that they shouldn’t ever be scared or worried or have to think about things that aren’t 100% happy. I say the success of Neil Gaiman‘s books for younger readers, of Batman: The Animated Series 20 years ago and the lasting appeal of ghost stories & fairy tales proves that this is horseshit. A smart story for adults to like and something that captures kids’ imaginations are not mutually exclusive, and pretending they are is a big mistake. If there’s one thing kids hate, it’s being talked down to, and I truly think that, when given the chance, they’ll gravitate to stories that encourage them to be a little older than they are. The fact that Adventure Time - series or comic - knows this is one of its key strengths and the reason why, whatever week it’s released, it will probably be one of the best things around. (J)

This is Comics! The Blog. We now commence our broadcast week.