HOME #1 is a comic book published by Image Comics
Writer: Julio Anta
Artist: Anna Wieszczyk
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Home #1 by Julio Anta, Anna Wieszczyk, tells a story about a young boy and his mother trekking to America seeking asylum. The first issue tells of their trip from their country of origin, all the way to the United States. Meanwhile the narration tells of the current events, the news and some of the policies that have led to the conflict and commentary in the work.

The opening concepts were a serious tone based on current and timely real life events. Empathy is developed through the dialogue as we get to know the characters further, with lines like ”Don’t be nervous. All you have to do is tell the truth. Tell the nice men what happened to us, and why we need to come live with your aunt…” all spoken in “Spanish” per the comic notes. There are many hardships and obstacles that the characters encounter, but the idea of these events mirroring the situation of people in our country adds an extra layer to this story.

The art along with the rapid paneling really sets the pacing of the story as most of the comic is related to the trip and not so much the destination. The art feels stylized but also hopeful. The colors change in darken as the story progresses relating to the reader the upcoming issues for our characters.

Hassan’s lettering is a real driver for the severity of events, the distinction in font color for the different languages emphasizes the separation between the characters and the real life implications in the world.

This book brings all the elements together to the conclusion of the initial arc for this first issue as we are left off with the twist of the story for characters going forward. This book was not an easy read, as it is very much reflecting the current times and real life issues but it accomplishes to inform and entertain with its story.

JULIO ANTA and ANNA WIESZCZYK debut with a deeply grounded and heartfelt five-issue series that explores the real-world implications of a migrant with extraordinary powers.
Release Date: April 14, 2021
Price: $3.99
Read It Digitally: Home #1 via comiXology

Rating 4/5

Written by Daniel co-host of the Next Issue Podcast
@eckospider on Twitter. 
Find the bi- Weekly podcast @NextIssuePod anywhere podcasts are available.
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Dark Nights: Death Metal #7 is a comic book published by DC Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Yanick Paquette & Bryan Hitch
Colors by FCO Plascencia, Nathan Fairbarn & Alex Sinclair
Letters by Tom Napolitano 

AN ANTI-CRISIS, PART VII: A SLAP IN THE FACE 
DC’s biggest, baddest battle for control of the Multiverse! The Darkest Knight is on the verge of ending this concert once and for all, but Wonder Woman stands ready to shred the Darkest Knight. This extra-sized finale issue includes not one but two mind-blowing epilogues that lead directly into the next phase of the DC Universe—and no fan will want to miss that!! 

This will contain a bit of spoilers for anything prior to issue number seven. This issue is the culmination of the battle for the universe and the faith of everything going forward. We pick up with Wonder Woman fighting the Darkest Knight but she is not the only one, multiple battles take place across the battleground and although the story focuses on DC’s Trinity, there are many characters whose arcs come to a close in this last chapter. This battle will be settled here.

Scott Snyder‘s final symphony of Death Metal brings about the most epic fight in the history of the Multiverse. This issue is not only delivering a fantastic, bombastic story, but it’s rewarding long time readers of the comic books and those engulfed in DC continuity. This is a very emotional issue and it’s a roller coaster of a ride from the beginning, the pacing picks up as the issue ramps up to its crescendo,  and the moment when you feel all is lost Snyder’s writing picks you back up and rallies back to continue the fight until we arrive at a moment of peace and serenity.

The team of Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia is a well oiled machine and this may be their best collaboration in comics to date. There are so many individual characters and the level of detail in each of them is outstanding. The panel layouts of this book are one of the most impressive parts of the full composition, not only does Capullo and the team make the reader physically turn the book as he has done in the past, but the layouts illustrate multiple events happening at the same time but it allows the reader to be clear on what is happening on each page Plascencia colors are vibrant and elevate the art and the impact at the conclusion of the event the art becomes simple and very calming The two back of stories have completely different art in our teams and this helps understand that the world is now different moving forward

This whole issue is accented and rounded off by Tom Napolitano‘s lettering. The multiple styles portrayed for each of the universes and the different characters that inhabit this issue allow the reader to have a clear distinction on the difference between them.

Dark Nights: Death Metal #7 really feels like a combination of years of storytelling and hard work on behalf of the team and DC comics. The event as a whole is an impressive showcase of both talent and the depth of the DC Multiverse and although it may not be the most “first time reader friendly” book, it is an enjoyable ride that rocks everyone’s faces off.

If you’re interested in seeing How Deep to dive into the Tie-ins of this event check out our previous article

Dark Nights: Death Metal #7 is available January 5th wherever comics are sold.

Rating 5/5

Written by Daniel co-host of the Next Issue Podcast
@eckospider on Twitter. 
Find the bi- Weekly podcast @NextIssuePod anywhere podcasts are available.
Podcast available at Next Issue Podcast page