Daniel Vlasaty 7/19/17 Daniel Vlasaty 7/19/17

Review: Winnebago Graveyard #2

By Daniel Vlasaty

Winnebago Graveyard is the story about a family on the run from a satanic cult. This comic hits all the check marks for a trashy horror story like something I remember staying up late to watch on HBO and Showtime when I was a kid. There’s a creepy, deserted town. A cop who’s most likely complicit in what’s going on in his town. There’s a family lost and abandoned, after their RV was stolen along with all their possessions. Plus, the “father” in this family is really a step-father and he’s trying to connect with his new wife’s son, but it doesn’t seem to be going so good. This is a trashy horror nerds wet dream. Except it really isn’t because I think it misses most of those marks.

Dustin Cabeal 7/19/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/19/17

Review: Secret Weapons #2

By Dustin Cabeal

The thing that I have always enjoyed about Valiant is the Harbinger section of the universe. The pisots are not unsimilar to the mutants at Marvel. It’s just that Grant Morrison destroyed the X-Men and then Bendis found several ways to make it even worse. With Secret Weapons, it’s a reminder that in the Valiant Universe there’s still a world of possibility with the psiots and that’s refreshing and enjoyable to read.

Patrick Wolf 7/14/17 Patrick Wolf 7/14/17

Review: By Chance or Providence

By Patrick Wolf

Years ago I saw Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, and I remember feeling completely blown away. The film was so dark, anxious, melancholy, and astounding that I left the theater with a sense of wonder and dread that I haven’t experienced in a long time. While By Chance or Providence is not quite as intense as Black Swan, it has the same sense of wondrous terror that made Aronofsky’s film so amazing. If you’re into dark, brooding stories with a twist, this collection was made for you.

Daniel Vlasaty 7/14/17 Daniel Vlasaty 7/14/17

Review: Calexit #1

By Daniel Vlasaty

I’m going to do my best to keep my personal politics out of this review. But I feel like whatever side of the political fence you fall on (although I have a feeling most people reading Calexit are going to be more left-leaning) we can all agree that shit’s pretty fucked up in the good ol’ U. S. of A. We have a lot of people having gut reactions mainly out of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the future. My daughter was born not long after the election, and there are times when I’m worried about what the state of this country will be when she comes of age. What will this country be like when our kids are adults? But I digress. Calexit is a book that takes the idea of something that’s been discussed at least as long as I’ve been politically active and aware – California seceding from the country – and runs with it.

Dustin Cabeal 7/14/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/14/17

Review: Louca vol. 1: Kickoff

By Dustin Cabeal

While trying out the izneo platform I came across Louca. The concept is a high school boy that’s bad at everything ends up befriending a ghost that’s his complete opposite. It’s not a new storyline, but I will admit that I’m a sucker for this type of story. The success of the story lies in the journey and the mystery of how the young man came to be a ghost haunting his old high school. If you were looking for something similar to compare it to, I would recommend Brody’s Ghost from Dark Horse Comics.

Dustin Cabeal 7/13/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/13/17

Review: Angelic #1

By Dustin Cabeal

My reviews today so far have consisted of an indie superhero book, a southern story about witches and now a religiously themed book starring monkeys. I’m pointing this out because all three things are comics I typically avoid, but none more than monkeys. If you’ve ever listened to the CBMFP (RIP), then you know that any story involving monkeys and submarines are an instant pass from me. If you were to put monkeys on a submarine, I wouldn’t even say the title of your comic and lose all respect for you as a creator. I would rather stop reading comics than to read about monkeys on a submarine.

Dustin Cabeal 7/13/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/13/17

Review: Bastard’s Waltz #1

By Dustin Cabeal

With a name like Bastard’s Waltz and the main character named “John The Bastard,” you better fucking believe that I was going to check this book out. The catch is that most people think that anything with “Bastard” in the title is a shoe-in for praise on this site, but it’s the opposite. I’m not just going to stamp our seal of approval on something because it shares a word, but rather I’m going to be tough on it just like any other book.

Dustin Cabeal 7/13/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/13/17

Review: Redlands #1

By Dustin Cabeal

The South is hot right now, but I ain’t going to lie, it’s wearing on me. Have you been to the south? The only thing it has going for it is the humidity. If in fact vampires, lost gods, witches and high school football coaches are running amok down there then I’ll say on this side of the Mississippi. All incest jokes aside, I am really tired of the backdrop of the South. It’s this year’s dystopian future. All that said, Redlands is worth reading.

Ashley Gibbs 7/12/17 Ashley Gibbs 7/12/17

Review: Skin & Earth #1

By Ashley Gibbs

When people usually think of comic books they think of the many spandex-clad heroes that constantly save the world and mainstream movies only enforce this. While I do love a good superhero romp, sometimes it’s nice to a read a comic that tells a different story. Skin & Earth #1 is the brainchild of Canadian musician Lights that ties into her upcoming album of the same name. The story being told links up with the album using both a visual and audio medium to engage fans. The first single "Giants" is currently available, as is the music video and you can instantly see the connection. It’s an interesting approach to comics and always positive to see women share their talents in what is a very male-dominated area.

Ashley Gibbs 7/12/17 Ashley Gibbs 7/12/17

Review: Game of Thrones: A Clash of Kings #2

By Ashley Gibbs

Game of Thrones: A Clash of Kings #2 is a comic book adaptation of the second book in George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire, A Clash of Kings. This one follows after the first issue where more well-known characters share their story as the red comet trails across the sky. Fans of the television show, like myself, can follow along with the story without having read the books before, it’s a lovely visual interpretation of the story cutting out a lot of fluff but leaving what is important intact. This issue focuses on three of the Stark children; Arya, Bran and Sansa, during the aftermath of their father’s death.

Dustin Cabeal 7/12/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/12/17

Review: Dark Days: The Casting #1

By Dustin Cabeal

These one-shots have swung the narrative so much I want to puke my churro and get off the Sea Dragon. That’s not where I really want to start, but trust me, by the time I’m done there, isn’t going to be a good fit for that line.

Jonathan Edwards 7/12/17 Jonathan Edwards 7/12/17

Review: Justice League of America #10

By Jonathan Edwards

This is not the worst issue of Justice League of America. In fact, as far as the amount of content goes, this might be the most substantial thus far. And, I would even say that the first couple pages are a promising start. However, it very quickly returns to the same old problems I've been complaining about for months. But what's more, this issue actually gives us a glimpse of the bigger picture. We start to see how things are supposed to tie together and build toward some future payoff. And, this newfound perspective is what makes the reason that none of it works that much clearer. Somehow, the biggest problem with JLA, a book that ships twice monthly, is that none of the plot points, character development, story arcs, etc. are given the time and space necessary to be developed beyond the bare bones concept.

Jonathan Edwards 7/12/17 Jonathan Edwards 7/12/17

Review: Mighty Mouse #2

By Jonathan Edwards

I was not impressed by the first issue of Mighty Mouse. It was an entirely by-the-book endeavor that failed to justify a version of 2017 where a grade-schooler loves Mighty Mouse almost as much as it failed to justify a new Mighty Mouse comic in our version of 2017. I still gave it a decent rating. Because, I could still see someone reading and enjoying it for some quick and cheap fun. All that being said, I did find one way this book could redeem itself, and that is the explanation of how the hell Mighty Mouse was transported between worlds. Unfortunately, we don't get that in this issue either, but we do get a couple other interesting ideas, or at least executions, instead.

Daniel Vlasaty 7/12/17 Daniel Vlasaty 7/12/17

Review: Regression #3

By Daniel Vlasaty

I’ve been a horror fan for almost as long as I can remember. It started when I was eight or nine when my mom introduced me to horror movies like Rosemary’s Baby and Poltergeist and The Return of the Living Dead. I remember we used to go to the video store every Friday on our way home and we’d both pick out one horror movie and we’d watch them over the weekend and see who picked the better one. Some of them were good, some of them were bad. Most of them were probably movies an eight or nine-year-old kid should not be watching but whatever. Lately, though, I think I’ve gotten kind of bored with the genre. I haven’t really been excited about anything horror related (movies/books/comics) in a long time. Cullen Bunn and Danny Luckert’s Regression is a book that is breaking through that slump. I’m not going to go so far as to say that it’s rekindled my love for the genre, but it’s a solid, creepy-crawly offering in a genre oversaturated with crap, in my opinion.

Dustin Cabeal 7/12/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/12/17

Review: Mage: The Hero Denied #0

By Dustin Cabeal

I’ve never read any of the Mage series, but I remember it fondly from Wizard magazine from back in the day. They seemed to like it, and since I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve ever ready by Matt Wagner, well, it seemed like a no-brainer to check out.

Benjamin Snyder 7/12/17 Benjamin Snyder 7/12/17

Review: Kill or Be Killed #10

By Ben Snyder

The plot thickens in a mostly calm but emotion-packed issue in Kill or Be Killed #10 as Dylan grapples with the consequences of his crusade and the impact it has on himself and those around him. While in this issue we get back in touch with the task force in charge of capturing and arresting Dylan, issue #10 continues to toy with the much more interesting plot point of the origin of the Demon: Is he real or a hallucination?

Benjamin Snyder 7/12/17 Benjamin Snyder 7/12/17

Review: Dread Gods #1

By Ben Snyder

In a ruined and impoverished world, most people can’t live like a God necessarily. But they can live through them. That is the premise that Dread Gods #1 establishes and while not entirely novel, I couldn’t put down the first issue. The action is gory and fluid, the writing is hammy but effective, while not a perfect issue Dread Gods #1 leaves me craving more in the best way possible.

Dustin Cabeal 7/12/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/12/17

Review: Godshaper #4

By Dustin Cabeal

I rarely pay any attention to solicits. They tend to just be giant spoiler sellers, but that also means that I rarely know how many issues a series is expected to run if it’s not on the cover. BOOM! varies a bit, but the majority of their mini-series run four issues which would mean we would be there. Clearly, that’s not the case since this issue sets up the story for more. Again, I don’t actually want or need a comment telling me how long the series is running for because it’s an intentional ignorance. Too many reviews give a series a pass because “Well it only had four issues” or worse, “It was originally supposed to be six.” What’s there is all I have to go on, and I won’t make excuses for a title.

Dustin Cabeal 7/10/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/10/17

Review: The Hidden Loch

By Dustin Cabeal

I will be absolutely forthcoming and tell you that I usually do a hard pass on anything related to the Loch Ness monster. It’s not that the stories have all been done before, but it’s just nothing of particular interest to me as a reader. When you’re a reviewer though, you read things that aren’t of your interest for a lot of reasons. The main reason is to find diamonds in the rough or give insight for those that are interested in a particular genre.

Dustin Cabeal 7/10/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/10/17

Review: Shattered Warrior

By Dustin Cabeal

Shattered Warrior was a pleasant surprise to read. On the one hand, it’s fairly predictable with its story, but on the other hand… I couldn’t put it down. What Shattered Warrior does best is creating a believable world, but one with a deep history. At first glance, the story seems like it’s taking place on earth after it’s been colonized by aliens. These aliens are ruthless, and while they haven’t quite enslaved the entire planet, they have taken all their liberties and changed the social landscape of the entire planet.