TokuNet Comics Corner: March

The TokuNet Comics Corner is back with a vengeance to give you the rundown on March’s books.

Welcome back to the TokuNet Comics Corner! This month is a good one, as we’ve got two tokusatsu titans’ return to comics, alongside two of our mainstays.

Godzilla: Oblivion #1: Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, Art by Brian Churilla

IDW is at it again with a new Godzilla miniseries, and they’ve brought some good talent along for the ride. We here at the Comics Corner know writer Joshua Hale Fialkov from his work on Pacific Rim: Tales from the Drift (which returns in May), but now he’s moved on to writing about the King of Monsters himself. Oblivion, like many sci-fi stories, stars a scientist who’s bitten off more than he can chew by opening a portal to another dimension with another Earth. The problem is that this new Earth has been overrun with kaiju, and now these vicious creatures see an opportunity for rapid expansion into a whole new world.

Oblivion #1 moves fairly quickly, only offering a quick sketch of its main characters, but they aren’t the stars here. The star is the alternate reality our “heroes” find themselves in. The Godzilla of this book is firmly in his “friend of humanity” phase, and I’m interested in seeing where that goes, and how his inevitable trip to a new universe pans out.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1: Kyle Higgins (W), Hendry Prasetya (A)

The first full issue of the new MMPR comic is finally here. The issue picks up not too long after #0, and is framed by Bulk and Skull interviewing the people of Angel Grove about the Green Ranger’s sudden switch to the side of the angels. This issue features a ton of continuity shout-outs and interesting additions to the lore, like the Bandora Palace and Zordon’s very own Danger Room-style pocket dimension.

This is just the first issue of the first arc, so it’s stuck with the job of setting up multiple plotlines. The most interesting story concerns the questions surrounding whether or not Tommy has shaken Rita’s influence, and how that plays into her current scheme. I’m not as gripped by whatever’s going on with Zack’s busy nights, and I’m bummed Billy and Trini basically disappear for half the issue. I realize this is unfair, as the creators essentially have six main characters to balance and I have no idea what they have in store. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Monstress #4: Marjorie Liu (W), Sana Takeda (A)

The central mystery of Monstress is coming along nicely, and issue four reminds us that this is the book for fans of world-building. Personally I’m not one of those fans, but I can see the appeal. I’m much more interested in the continued emergence of the god in Maika’s arm, as we’re starting to maybe get a look at its backstory. I’ve always leaned more towards science fiction than fantasy, but Sana Takeda’s art, especially on the last page, is making me a believer.

Project Nemesis #4: Jeremy Robinson (W), Matt Frank (A)

Project Nemesis marches on into it’s fourth issue, and our heroes are so close to learning the monster’s origin they can taste it. I think I’ve said it before, but Middle-of-Nowhere, Maine isn’t working for me as a kaiju’s stomping grounds. I imagine it’s one of those things that works better in prose, which was the story’s first medium. Thankfully most of the action takes place in or by the water this issue, which gives Matt Frank a chance to show off a different side of Nemesis in motion.