Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.
These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.
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Bytchcraft #5 (Mad Cave) – Bytchcraft concludes with a beautifully witchy and high energy hymn to queer family from Aaron Reese, Lema Carril, and Bex Glendining. Glendining’s palette shows the battle between night and light as the coven try to take down Eve. I also love how Reese and Carril tie in their narrative to the literal birth of Michele, Em, and Adri and show their bond between the light shows. There’s a real undercurrent of resistance and community building underneath the pop occult fantasy, and Bytchcraft ends up being a near-perfect call to be gay and do magick. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy
Batman #3 (DC) – If I had to describe the third issue of Matt Fraction, Jorge Jimenez, and Tomeu Morey‘s Batman run, it’d be “engrossing.” Fraction layers juicy subplots on top of relevant social themes and lets Jimenez and Morey continue to cut loose with super cool gadgets that show that Bruce Wayne might not have a manor and a butler, but he’s not broke just yet. Also, Batman #3 goes into some dark places like Tim Drake’s boyfriend questioning why he ends up with bruises every time he spends time with Bruce, but also has a sense of humor with Matt Fraction topping himself with each esoteric Riddler riddle. Sure, this comic has a lot of the usual ass kicking, but Fraction and Jorge Jimenez also show how Batman’s actions influence Gotham from the board room to ordinary citizens making a lived-in tech Goth world. Overall: 8.7 Verdict: Buy
Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes #1 (DC) – Erica Henderson aka one of the best working American cartoonists tells the definitive story of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s beautiful, dangerous sapphic romance in Life and Crimes #1. I love that Henderson frames the opening pages like a romance film, and that she uses some of the visual vocabulary and designs of Batman : The Animated Series while making it her own with her impeccable sense of timing that works with both dark humor and drama. She also doesn’t shy away for showing the abuse of Harley and Joker’s relationships while letting Poison Ivy shine and be the badass hero she’s always been. The cherry on the top of this excellent issue is the highly charged color palette from Erica Henderson with lots of reds as Harley debates whether to stay with Joker, go her own way, or a fun third option, protect Ace Chemicals where she cast Dr. Harleen Quinzel aside and became Harley Quinn. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy
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