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For Star-Lord, some tunes are worth traveling “Across the Universe.” More than just a Peter Quill one-and-done story (even though it is a Peter Quill one-and-done story), writer Gerry Duggan and artist Chris Samnee deftly structure issue #5 to set up possibilities for the next story arc and provide more connective tissue between the comics and the Guardians of the Galaxy films, even as they remain separate continuities. The good news is that Marvel has provided a continuity worth following. Peter’s exchange with a Nova Corps agent establishes several future plot points, including the Corps’ efforts to recruit new officers, the fact that no one in the universe is fond of Earthlings, the Corps is in immediate trouble, and the current status of Thanos. Duggan reinforces the notion that Earthlings are reviled throughout the universe via a humorous exchange with two Benvarians later in the issue. Duggan’s smart script also gives us an interesting technological tidbit about Peter’s use of

“I Hate Fairyland” is the truest sense of Skottie Young’s creative voice, an opportunity for the artist to show off his unique blend of street and animation styles under a script that is equally playful and gross without any inhibiting oversight. It works well in this debut issue as Young gives readers a fun, fast-paced story that covers a lot of ground in the fantasy world, establishing the protagonist as an unfortunate force of nature in a world of well-meaning anthropomorphic creatures and magical adventure. Young introduces Gertrude, an Alice Lidell analogue who has been searching for a way home from Fairyland for 27 years. Though she hasn’t aged physically, she has the emotional state of a frazzled 30-something on the edge of a meltdown, her psyche warped by the cartoonish reality of her environment and the seemingly endless nature of her quest. Young’s ability to deliver the right amount of information works wonders for the introduction, a five page journey that gets across eve

Often, creators discuss how a character reflects themselves or how a hero makes them aspire to be a better person. In “Airboy” #1, James Robinson and Greg Hinkle use the titular character to reflect on who they are, and Robinson pulls no punches as he debauches his way across San Francisco, trying to find an idea for the character and salvation for himself. Oh, and it should be mentioned that this is a story about the creators trying to create an “Airboy” comic and how people use drugs as a way to avoid the things directly in front of them. If someone is a fan of the character, this is probably not what they were expecting: a dark comedy about the trappings of being a creative professional in the 21st century. Robinson is a writer who has hit close to rock bottom, avoiding his work in a haze of booze, drugs and illicit sex — none of which involves his wife, who is growing tired of the life the writer has chosen for himself. There are many moments in the book that show Robinson has h

The contents of “Fairest” #33 were originally solicited to appear in November 2013 as “Fairest” #21, but the issue was postponed and all future issues stepped back one space in terms of numbering. The reason why you should know this is because Bill Willingham and Meghan Hetrick’s “Fairest” #33 is a direct prologue to the “Fairest of Them All” graphic novel, which was also published in November 2013, and — by losing that publication slot on the schedule — there’s no denying that this comic loses a little bit of its punch. Billed as “the penultimate adventures (and misadventures) of one of our more delightful villains,” “Fairest” #33 follows Goldilocks as she’s on the run from the rest of Fable society, even as she tries to build her own power back up one way or another. The end result is a long, zigzagging story through different dimensions as Goldilocks addresses the reader and explains why her lack of being the fairest of them all is what’s really holding her back. What’s nice abou

With “Fables” almost at a close, the same is true for its companion series “Fairest.” “Fairest” #32 wraps up the final storyline (“The Clamour for Glamour”), although there’s still one final issue to go next month. Mark Buckingham and Russ Braun’s storyline has best been described as rambling, zig-zagging all over the place without a strong focus at any moment. But as with previous issues, there are some little gems of interesting ideas buried through the issue. “Fables” fans will be curious if nothing else to see the final fate of the Farm and everyone in it, as well as finding out which five Fables get to gain human form. But at the same time, there’s a lot of slapstick, misunderstandings, and pratfalls that you need to first get through in order to hit this conclusion. And in the end, it results in a very uneven comic. The biggest problem is that it feels like Buckingham bit off more than he could chew, here. There are a lot of characters dipping in and out of the story, and hones

As with any collection with so many creators on board, reader mileage will vary from story to story, but the sheer volume of talent on board for the Chris Duffy edited “Fairy Tale Comics,” ensures that there’s something great for everyone, no matter the preference. The approaches vary in these stories, with many of the creators doing a very traditional retelling of a story in their own personal style (Brett Helquist’s “Rumplestiltskin,” Graham Annable’s “Goldilocks and The Three Bears”, and Jillian Tamaki’s “Baba Yaga”). Others take more creative license in one way or another, updating the tales a bit for modern audiences (Gigi D.G.’s “Little Red Riding Hood”, Vanessa Davis’ “Puss in Boots” and Karl Kerschl’s “Breman Town”). Both approaches work well, largely thanks to the sheer level of talent leveled at each tale. There’s really not a weak story in the bunch, though there are some standouts, which for me, tended to be the stories that updated their classic tales — both in subtle a

On the whole, “The Return of the Maharaja” in “Fairest” has been a lot of fun, with Sean E. Williams and Stephen Sadowski continuing the return of Prince Charming in an Indian-influenced world of Fables. “Fairest” #18 serves as both backstory and transition for Prince Charming and Nalayani, though, and as such it’s just not as riveting as what readers have seen up until now. Williams’ plot has two important functions in “Fairest” #18: to present the backstory on how Prince Charming ended up as the Maharaja after his apparent death in “Fables” #75, and to continue building the relationship between him and Nalayani. They’re both moments that clearly need to happen at some point in this storyline. With them appearing in the same issue, though, it’s hard to keep from feeling like the plot has slowed to a crawl. To be fair (no pun intended), “Fairest” #18 does have some other progressions. Charming and Nalayani attempt to escape the Village of the Dead, plus Nathoo attempts to keep order

“The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires” #2 by Art Baltazar, Franco and Ig Guara expands on the world of a team of outrageously wealthy teenagers as they try to buy fame, power and personal fulfillment in the DCU. It’s early days, but so far, it’s very clear what money can’t buy for these characters: heroism. Adolescence is fertile ground for fiction, since identity is so flexible and growth is so rapid during the transition from childhood to adulthood. Unfortunately, Baltazar and Franco don’t take a narrative approach that emphasizes the high spirits or intra-team personality conflicts that usually make teen team books work. The team is bound together only by their anything-can-be-bought attitude, which ends up being a barrier between the characters and most readers. In today’s political climate, the 1% don’t have the best reputation. Still, it isn’t difficult to make the rich sympathetic. Iron Man is currently one of most popular characters in comics, and Tony Stark has never been shy

“The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires” #1 by writers Art Baltazar & Franco and artist Ig Guara might share (most of) its title with an abandoned 1970s DC Comics property, but the contents are almost entirely reimagined. A companion title of sorts to “The Movement,” it’s an attempt by DC to launch what is essentially an original concept: a team of do-gooding one percenters who are buying themselves access to super powers. DC is no stranger to the concept of the Billionaire superhero, of course, having practically invented the idea with Batman, but herein lies a different treatment. The characters presented are more interested in affecting social change with their wealth, rather than using it to beat up society’s more unsavory elements — although the manifestation of that isn’t all it could be. (A car that runs on Internet traffic? Eh?) Our introduction to the team comes through the eyes of Mohammad, a coddled rich kid who has disobeyed his father to come and meet Commodore Murphy,

“Fairest” #15 is in many ways the most successful opening chapter of a story on the series to date, and it’s the sort of first issue that makes me wish that it had in fact kicked off the book as a whole. Sean E. Williams, Stephen Sadowski and Phil Jimenez start by telling a story that feels very removed from the main “Fables” title, but by the end of this first issue it’s apparent just how well it fits in with everything else to date. Williams paces out his Vertigo debut well; readers are quickly introduced to Nalayani, a Fable in a world “far removed from Fabletown” that resembles the myths and legends of the Indian subcontinent. I’m not familiar with the character of Nalayani outside of “Fairest” #15, but I like what I see here courtesy Williams. She’s the sort of character who has a strong head on her shoulders and has the prowess and skill to match with her convictions. As Nalayani travels to find the new Maharaja in search of help for her village, it’s easy to see her as being