New from IDW: 5/14/2014

G.I. Joe: Real American Hero #202

This month is all about leverage and posturing.  You have the Joe’s keeping tabs on the Rancho Corba, the latest Cobra stronghold.  You also have Cobra leveraging Zartan to take Destro’s life by holding his sister for ransom.  Cobra Commander is treating the vast retreat and return of his operatives from Rancho Corba as “the Great Cobra Infiltration”.  It runs so deep as to be introducing Cobra operatives into government and politics.  Finally, Zartan is going to side with Destro to save his sister from Cobra.  Destro’s sacrifice is shocking indeed.

Judge Dredd #19

Dredd is still embroiled in the fight against the Dark Judges.  Finally he is making headway, defeating several of them with the appropriate use of resources.  The most shocking moments come when Dredd breaks the law, and when you are reminded that he is currently acting as a fugitive, not a Judge.  These Dark Judges are interesting, very reminiscent of the four judges of the apocalypse, and the extra Judge who is working against the Dark Judges is an interesting twist.  The enormous, legion-like monster made out of living people feels out of place in the world, but with the supernatural judges running around, it is, at the very least, a new and interesting opponent for the infamous Judge Dredd.

Mars Attacks #1

For fans of the Mars Attacks movie, you may find yourself a little disappointed in the comic.  While the absolute sinister design of the Martians remains intact, the gallows humor and absurdist nature of the comedy of the film that was so memorable is nowhere to be found.  The art feels washed out tired, which normally would be a detriment, but the fusion of the art and narrative feels just right.  The issue is typified by fear and at least a little bit of insanity as each character is dealing with some bit of crazy.  It was an interesting read, but it wasn’t particularly unique.

Star Trek: New Visions #1

“The Mirror, Cracked” was incredibly interesting as a particularly apt alternative universe story.  The most interesting parts would be the introspective intuition that alt world versions of characters have at their disposal.  I’ve never been much of a Trekkie but I found myself rooting for the alt world Spock and the villainous Klingon named Kor.  The twisting storyline kept my attention, even if the photo panel style of the issue was boring.  If more of Star Trek followed these alternate world storylines, they might have me hooked for more tales down the road.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #29

All of the stories playing across the page have gotten easier to understand and follow.  The best part, by far, is the newly elevated Starscream “testifying” on Megatron’s behalf.  The more I read involving this new Autobot Megatron, the more I find myself liking the character.  New mysteries are being added to the storyline in the form of an unknown, and very dead, Autobot and the appearance of a “data ghost” of Rewind.  Finally we are given some insight into how Megatron beat his charges and remained alive after his trial.  These robots in disguise have finally put on a face I can enjoy reading.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New animated Adventures #11

Well this month once more features Michelangelo, and it is fantastic!  As the most naïve and optimistic of the four half-shelled brothers, he is perfectly placed to not only become a “super hero” but to convert a damaged foot-bot into his sidekick.  The message from that story is both excellent and deeper than I have come to expect from this comic, as it is aimed at young readers.  The second tale, a mutagen training video meant for Kraang’s minions was an interesting distraction, though I was hoping for at least a glimpse of Yusagi Yojimbo.

Wraith #6

Now this comic is truly a doozy.  The Wraith, a car that runs on souls and can travel thought-roads, has taken our heroes to a dreadful theme park by the name of Christmastown.  While this place was thoroughly disturbing, the mechanics of this dream world were actually pretty neat.  Being pursued by deathless children and using balloons filled with fiction are both creative, and I was hooked pretty early on.  While we are at the end of a story arch, I can’t wait to see where the Wraith will take us next, and who will be in the passenger seat alongside us.

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