Monica - Daniel Clowes

A genre-blurring graphic novel that follows Monica, a woman trying to piece together her fragmented past and the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Penny, a counterculture figure who abandoned her during childhood.  The story unfolds across a series of interconnected chapters, each adopting a different genre—from war comics and horror to science fiction and supernatural noir—mirroring Monica's quest for identity and truth.  Along the way, she confronts conspiracy theories, strange cults, and elusive truths, from bizarre to banal, about family, love, and mortality.  I love the meticulously crafted art, each chapter rendered in a style that both honors and critiques the comic traditions it draws from. 

Squadron Supreme - James Robinson

Squadron Supreme (2015) - James Robinson

1. By Any Means Necessary! - Collects issues #1-4.  A team of Squadron analogues from various Earths, having little in common except that Namor destroyed their worlds during the Secret Wars extinction event that culminated in Battleworld, get together and become purveyors of rough justice.  As in, raising Atlantis and throwing it back into the sea, and decapitating Namor.  I like the variety of characters, but I don't care for Robinson's melodramatic dialogue and endless exposition, and as always, I think deaths of established characters are cheap ploys.  [3.5]
2. Civil War II - Collects issues #6-9.  The group rescues Weirdworld from the clutches of Modred, apparently now a bad guy.  Nighthawk leads the team to a cabal of alien races smuggling weapons on Earth.  Also, Dr. Spectrum comes face to face with Toro and Black Bolt, the man who destroyed her Earth but also saved her life.  Melodramatic and talky, and the alien cabal is a weird story.  [3]
3. Finding Namor - Collects issues #10-15, the end of the series.  Warrior Woman, who turns out to be from the Squadron Sinister Earth, and Modred plan to use Dr. Doom's time machine to bring Namor back to life so they can rule together, for some reason.  The squad breaks up her plans, but with unforeseen results.  Robinson's exposition and psycho-babble is on full display here.  I do like his homage to the Agent Diana Prince era of Wonder Woman, but I hate it when non-powered characters hold their own against powerhouses.  I also like the array of guest stars, including Blue Marvel, the original Torch, etc.  Robinson is good with revitalizing comic book lore, but not exactly a high-caliber writer of dialogue or plot.  [3]
   

Invisible - Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Invisible - Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Five Spanish-speaking middle school kids are brought together to perform their school's community-service hours.  Under the stern eye of the suspicious cafeteria lady, they hope to fly under the radar, until they notice someone on the other side of the fence who needs their help.  Without trying to rock the boat, they reluctantly team up to help the single mom and her child, until the authorities notice them.  It's a decent riff on the Breakfast Club with likeable and richly drawn-out protagonists.  Library.  [3.5]

Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 - Fred Van Lente

Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 - Fred Van Lente

MODOK hires a team of desperate B-list criminals — Armadillo, Spot, Nightshade, Puma, Living Laser, Rocket Racer, Mentallo, and Chameleon — to steal a McGuffin of awesome power that can unmake reality or create a new Cosmic Cube.  As happens with bad guys, however, there are double-crosses and triple-crosses aplenty, as a couple of the "team" sell MODOK out and at least one of them isn't who he appears to be.  This is a superb comedy-crime-caper, filled with tongue in cheek humor but also real drama and fighting.  Van Lente is the best at what he does, and what he does is very fun.  [4.5]

Clobberin' Time - Steve Skroce

Clobberin' Time - Steve Skroce

This 2023 five-issue miniseries has the Thing teaming up with several big name Marvel stars — Wolverine, Hulk, Dr. Strange, and Dr. Doom — along with a renegade Watcher to try to stop the Psychopomp, a mad genius from the far future who wants to rebuild the universe without causal anomalies like superheroes.  The fast-paced, over-the-top plot elements recall the nuttiest of Grant Morrison arcs, and the art, also by Skroce, is like Frank Quitely with a touch of Basil Wolverton or Moebius — endless tubes, wires, bolts, scratches, scales, and other such detail abound throughout.  It's a high-octane, totally fun ride, and genuinely funny in parts (such as Thing's helpful earpiece which lets him spout placating gobbledygook at critics rather than losing his temper).  [4]

Contest Of Champions - Al Ewing

Contest Of Champions (2015) - Al Ewing 

The Grandmaster and the Collector, using Maestro and Punisher 2099 as their team "managers," pit a motley crew of heroes and villains plucked from alternate worlds, futures, and even death to fight for them over mysterious "iso-8" crystals which give them power.  I saw a lot of chatter online about how bad this as, so wasn't expecting much, but I was very pleasantly surprised.  It's witty, fun, hits all the right buttons in terms of wacky alternate versions of characters, and has a lot of heart (the story is bookended with what happens to Outlaw, the "British Punisher" who decides to give it all up and try to be more heroic).  I thoroughy enjoyed this one.  [4]

Villains For Hire - Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett

Villains For Hire (2011) - Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett 

After the Purple Man stole Misty Knight's idea of having a team of paid super-operatives in the city to do jobs, she decides to steal the idea back.  When Silver Sable and Black Panther fail to stop the new Stilt-Man (a woman) and Sidewinder, Knight decides to hire her own team of villains.  This results in madness like Tiger Shark, Bombshell, Crossfire, and Nightshade facing off against Shocker, Death-Stalker, Scourge, and Avalanche, with a few crossing over for better money along the way.  But has Misty Knight really gone evil?  Purple Man won't rest until he finds the answer.  This is a fun story; villains always get the best lines.  There's more freedom for a writer with villains, since there's not any kind of standard to uphold, I guess.  Anyway, to me this is trying to be a bit too hard to be Brubaker noir when it ought to be aiming for Van Lente zaniness; also the "Mighty Knight in tight pants any chance we get" art is a bit of a turnoff for me.  Still, I enjoyed it for what it is.  [4]