LEGEND

The origin of Santa Claus is a legend that can be found from any number of sources, but it’s a story that has largely been limited to either children’s stories or comedies, albeit ones beloved by both children and adults alike. Grant Morrison and Dan Mora fully understand that there’s room in the mythology for a more thoughtful interpretation, though, and that’s exactly what they give us in BOOM! Studios’ seven-issue miniseries “Klaus,” which converts folklore into fiction with a respectful take of the legend of St. Nick. “Klaus” is a delightful and flavorful origin story that personalizes the character while avoiding may of the associated cliches. Morrison envisions the young Klaus as a reclusive but heroic Northlander-type figure, a trope that might not be the first that comes to mind when envisioning the man who will become Santa. Nevertheless, it cleverly fits and is only the first of many refreshing departures Morrison makes with his version of the character. Knowing that every

Let’s start with the proverbial elephant in the room: “Legends of Tomorrow” #1 has virtually no connection to the television show. Both of them feature Firestorm, but that’s where the similarity begins and ends. Really, this comic takes four completely different character pieces and serves them up at a fraction of the price of a miniseries. Here’s the good news: three of these four comics are enough fun that I’d want to buy an entire series based on them, even if they were all offered up separately. Gerry Conway, Eduardo Pansica and Rob Hunter tackle Firestorm, and it’s not much of a surprise that this creative team instantly has a handle on the character. Conway co-created the character, and — while Robbie Raymond is merged with Jason Rusch these days — Professor Stein is still in the picture and the story does a good job of juggling the characters’ personal and superhero lives. Some past writers have given Robbie and Jason a more adversarial relationship, so it’s nice to see that

With Wonder Woman due to make her big screen debut later this year in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” it makes sense the character is receiving a little more attention in comics. Enter “The Legend of Wonder Woman,” a nine-issue series by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon that retells the classic origin of the character. While we’re still in the character’s earliest days, the series is off to a pleasant and charming start so far. De Liz Takes a Back to Basics Approach for “Legend of Wonder Woman” De Liz brings us back to the very beginning of the Amazons, explaining their relationship with the Greek gods before moving forward to the creation of Diana and her early childhood as daughter to Queen Hippolyta. It eases the reader into the concepts, explaining not only why all of the Amazons exist, but why they worship the Greek gods and how there are children born on an island filled only with women. That said, the book really kicks into gear once Diana is alive and desperate to learn how

“The Black Vortex” has overextended itself as a storyline, as evidenced by this week’s chapter in “The Legendary Star-Lord” #11. Writer Sam Humphries tries to stretch the single plot point across the entire issue, doing his best to create enough drama to make the purchase of this issue worth the reader’s dollar, but the story just isn’t there. The issue is comprised of many low panel-count pages that display Paco Medina’s handsome art but does little create an impact to the story as a whole. Medina puts in a great effort to make the proceedings look dynamic, adding active shot choices and making the most of the blown-out art opportunity. His splash pages are bold and colorist David Curiel adds good depth and hue to the cosmic scene. The issue’s conflict — who should submit to the Vortex to save Spartax — is answered before the end of the first page, since Peter Quill is not even the driving voice of the issue’s narrative. Readers survey the goings-on from Kitty Pryde’s point of view

The wait for a new “Mouse Guard” series from David Petersen can be difficult for fans, which is why it’s a relief to see a new “Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard” miniseries out just in time to stem the cravings. With Mark Buckingham, Skottie Young and Hannah Christenson contributing to the first issue’s three guest stories, it’s a reminder that there are still lots of talented creators just itching to tell their own “Mouse Guard” stories. For those who have never encountered “Mouse Guard” before, the thrust of the series has been fairly simple: picture a medieval society with mice (as well as dangerous creatures like ferrets, weasels, owls, geese and so on) and you’re almost all the way there. The various “Legends of the Guard” volumes have all let other creators tell their own “Mouse Guard” short stories, with series creator Petersen joining them all with a framing device. This new chapter has a series of mice each telling tales to an innkeeper, with the winner of the contest havin

Aside from a quick check-in with Mister Knife’s crew aboard a flying fortress, “Legendary Star-Lord” #9 is one drawn out scene with a lot of posturing and lines being drawn in the proverbial sand. One of the characters is converted by submitting to the Black Vortex and some punches are thrown, but this issue just inches the story forward without widening the scope or deepening the playing field. Writer Sam Humphries and artist Paco Medina play it safe, pacing the story as it nears its first turn in the course. That’s not to say this is a terrible story. Quite simply, the third chapter of “The Black Vortex” is going to be “just another chapter” of the saga. This won’t be the turning point that anyone points back to or holds up as critical to the outcome of the story. It’s just a necessary chapter that chooses to showcase philosophical differences and magnifies the fissures those differences create. That plays right into Sam Humphries’ strengths, as the writer is given ample opportu

Bill Schwartz and Zachary Schwartz appear to be the two kids who not only actually paid attention in their American History class, but were also enamored enough with some of these early 19th-century figures to craft some folkloric tales of their own. That’s essentially what they do in “American Legends” #1, painted by Studio Hive and the first of five weekly issues, which takes place in New Orleans on the eve of the Lewis & Clark expedition and the exploration of President Thomas Jefferson’s newly-purchased Louisiana territory. Certain parties don’t want Jefferson’s venture to succeed, however, and there are players on both sides who are familiar to those well-versed in early American lore. Davy Crockett, Mike Fink and Marie LaVeau are among the names readers might imagine their great-grandpappy citing as he tells many a moonshine-induced tall tale around a roaring campfire, and they’re also central characters in this modern-day tale of folklore. Make no mistake; the resemblance

Sam Humphries and Paco Medina’s “Legendary Star-Lord” #2 feels like a real missed opportunity for any fans of the film that might buy it seeking something with the same snap and pop of the film. Though the story is passable and the art pretty (if inconsistent), the book has none of the spirit, charm or humor of the film — perhaps too tall an ask, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. Like the first issue, Humphries tells a essentially a done in one, but with a built in stinger for the next issue and hints to a larger arc. It’s not a bad idea, but neither story has been particularly interesting, funny or rewarding, so the idea doesn’t quite fire on all cylinders. The adventure Peter and Victoria go on together has its charm but there’s just not enough here to grab onto. The story needs to wrap up so quickly; the reader never really gets past the surface. The biggest problem with the script is that while the chemistry between Peter and Victoria has a nice pop to it by the end of the i

Leia Weathington and Zack Giallongo’s “The Legend of Bold Riley” #2 is a fresh, much appreciated voice in epic adventure comics, with an emphasis on the spirit of adventure rather than the burden of the epic. Narrated like a chivalric song and structured like a picaresque, this series injects pre-modern structure with modern warmth and sensibilities. Although the art in issue #2 doesn’t feel quite right for the story, and although Riley’s character arc isn’t smoothly executed, “Warp and Weft” is an enjoyable installment in an excellent series. The story follows Riley to the Broken Head Moors, where an elderly woman offers her shelter from a torrential downpour. There’s something suspicious about the woman’s weaving, though, and after a few smokes of her pipe, Riley finds herself in a trippy journey through the scenes in a carpet. It’s a fun premise that includes just enough foreboding hints at the upcoming three-part arc and references to past issues. This may be a sign that “Bold

Despite its numbering, “The Legend of Bold Riley” #1 is actually the follow-up to a 2012 graphic novel, but new readers can effortlessly follow the issue’s self-contained story. Riley, born the Princess Rilavashana, surrendered her claim to the throne for a life of adventure, wandering the nation of Prakkalore and its neighbors. She now finds herself in the city of TanTan-Prie, where the talking bone of a dead man begs her to help put his soul at rest. With the same fairytale-meets-epic-song tone of its predecessor and new artwork from Jonathan Dalton, “The Talking Bone” demonstrates how entertaining an adventure story can be when it gets back to basics. “The Legend of Bold Riley” is not a subtle book, but it’s stunningly confident. As in the previous stories, Worthington narrates as if she’s retelling an Aesop’s fable or repeating a famous folk tale. There is a rhythm and completeness to this issue; the narrator always knows both what happened previously and what happened in the de