Review: Destroyer #4

October 2, 2017

By Ashley Gibbs

Destroyer #4 does exactly what it needs to do, and it does it well; giving readers a fair amount of backstory while also revving up the anticipation for the next issue and the upcoming finale. This issue provides a lot of lovely backstory for Dr. Baker and the organization that used to employ her while also adding in a fair amount of action as the Monster and Akai face off. Dr. Baker hasn’t been the most classic of leads, it’s very clear the people against her have no good intentions whatsoever. But this series has done a good job of showcasing that things aren’t always black and white so there could always be more twists and turns. For now, we’re given an excellent issue -my favorite, so far.

Review: Daughter of Titan #1

September 30, 2017

By Ashley Gibbs

Going into Daughter of Titan #1 I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and after having read it, I’m still left confused. The cover art and title are dynamic, depicting a girl and a powerful robot, but the premiere offers so many plots that we don’t actually get any of what the cover promises. While this is only the first issue so all of the secrets can’t be revealed at once, it sets up so many pieces of world-building that it lacks cohesiveness and there is little to no action. If the cover excited you, then prepare to be disappointed, there are no mech battles this issue. However, we are presented with interesting characters in a world in desperate need of change, a common trope and one of many used here. Fair warning, there is some colorful language used that might not be appropriate for younger readers, which is a shame because this could be a good story for young girls.

Review: Justice League of America #15

September 27, 2017

By Jonathan Edwards

Are you kidding me with this one, DC? What an utterly worthless issue. Orlando finally realizes that it might be a good idea to show us something happening instead of just burying it in his trash exposition, but then he somehow thinks it makes sense to spend the ENTIRE ISSUE having Ray Palmer learn shit we already learned with the JLA. And to top it all off, we don't even get a payoff to the cliffhanger ending of the last issue, which, by the way, is also how this issue starts. How do you fuck that up so badly?! Furthermore, he apparently can't through a flashback without retconning the capabilities of a character he introduced a couple issues ago, nor was he able to keep that retcon consistent when it came up again only two pages later.

Review: Fu Jitsu #1

September 27, 2017

By Jonathan Edwards

I spied a preview of Fu Jitsu in the closing pages of Dark Ark #1. Martial arts stories have never really grabbed me simply by virtue of them being about martial arts, especially outside of the film world. And knowing nothing else about this book, I only skimmed those sample pages at first. That is, until I saw the eponymous Fu Jitsu transitioning between several well established animal-style poses. That by itself wasn’t particularly interesting, nor were the classical elements associated with each stance. What did catch my eye was the inclusion of tarot suits and periodic table elements as well. And then to top it off, the next page (which also happened to be the last one included in the preview) has him refer to his “Sub-Atomic Kung Fu.” That promise of high concept shenanigans is what finally hooked me enough to check this one out, and the full first issue did not disappoint.

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Review: Graveland #1

September 27, 2017

By Patrick Wolf

So, you watched Attack on Titan and loved the storyline, but felt the dialogue was a little too annoying? Maybe you wished for an American giant-monster-story that takes place in contemporary society, but also is grounded in realism? Well, look no further because Graveland has everything you loved about Attack on Titan and more: it’s violent, it’s gory, it’s action-packed, and it’s way too bloodthirsty for your own good. So, if you’re into realistic portraits of doom and giants slaughtering helpless soldiers, this is definitely your poison.

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Review: Rat Queens Special: Orc Dave #1

September 27, 2017

By Patrick Wolf

While not perfect, Rat Queens Special: Orc Dave #1 is a fun read and a must-have for any fan of the Rat Queens universe. Dave the Orc is a warm character and will certainly have you rooting for him by page one. I’d recommend this one-shot to anyone looking for great art, high-fantasy, and loveable characters.

Review: Anti-Gone

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Anti-Gone is a strange ass book. I both recommend it but acknowledge that there are some problems with it. The first is that it intentionally never tells you the landscape of the world, but never quite lays out the entire world for you via the art or dialogue either. Usually, I’m not bothered by this, but the story obsess about other smaller details which makes it strange that it never gives you the big one.

Review: War Mother #2

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Things are making more sense in this issue, but I’ll say this as someone that didn’t read the past few Valiant events or the one-shot that preceded this series, I’m still lost when extra details are brought up. It’s not so bad when the story focuses on the task ahead of it, but when it attempts to add to the future Valiant world. That’s when my head turns to the side a little.

Review: Bastard’s Waltz

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

I never did find the time to keep up with this series. After reading the great first issue, I definitely wanted more, and so I happily read the trade collecting the series. What a tremendous story it ended up being. Usually, I don’t like superhero homage stories in the least bit. There were traces of it all throughout the trade, but never once did I sigh from the reference. Now, I didn’t cheer either, but then that wasn’t what the creators were striving for you to do.

Review: The Short Con: Branwell and Pops Mysteries vol. 1

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

The Short Con is quirky and fun. It attempts to be all-ages in that it’s made for kids but can be enjoyed by adults, but it never finds the right balance of the humor throughout. Sometimes the jokes hit the spot and other times they felt forced or out of place.

Review: Lighter Than My Shadow

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Occasionally I stumble upon books that are so powerful and moving that they stay with me long after I’ve completed reading them. Lighter Than My Shadow is one such book as I found myself thinking about it for days and days on end before writing this review. The last book that did something like that was Seeds. Whereas Seeds was a great book for anyone that was going through cancer or had a family member, Lighter Than My Shadow is something completely different.

Review: Mister Strange’s Monster Mansion #1-2

September 27, 2017

By Oliver Gerlach

Monster Mansion by Dan Wolff is a lot of fun. A classic Hammer horror movie in comic form, it wears its B-movie influences proudly on its sleeve and has a great time with them. I can’t quite tell if it’s meant to be a horror story by modern standards, but it fits that classic horror movie vibe perfectly.

Review: Velocidad #1-2

September 27, 2017

By Oliver Gerlach

Casey Quevedo’s Velocidad is a fun sci-fi adventure about a crew of space pirates raiding supply ships traveling to distant space colonies. It’s a straightforward concept that doesn’t require very much explanation or detailed worldbuilding, so it’s nice and easy to jump into. Honestly, the brief paragraph introducing the concept at the start of the first issue is entirely unnecessary.

Review: The Beautiful Death #1

September 27, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

The Beautiful Death is another book I had never heard of until I saw it pop up on our review list. Maybe I'm just out of the loop. It has been a while since I worked in a shop and had all the important info about every fucking thing happening in the industry right as it was happening. The Beautiful Death is also another book that I jumped right into without knowing a single thing about. It's interesting to read a book like this because I feel like it makes it fresher or something. Like my judgment isn't tainted before I even get to the book if that makes sense. The Beautiful Death is an apocalypse book, and in all honesty, if I knew that beforehand, I might not have even started to read it. Because I'm kind of tired of apocalypse books. There's just been a lot of them lately, and at times I feel like I need a break from the end of the world.

Review: Annual vol. 1

September 27, 2017

Annual #1 is unlike many other comic books on the market today. It is not a graphic novel, but it’s significantly more comprehensive than a simple single issue of a comic book. It’s also completely segmented, including multiple stories as well as written essays featuring many different artists. In the introduction Joe Casey, the main writer for the comic, claims this project is his attempt at emulating the anthology issues that influenced him as he matured as a writer and to this end he succeeds. However, Casey attempts to make this composite reflect the industry’s current state of more personal, character driven stories and in this way I feel Annual #1 ultimately falters.

Review: Kill Them All

September 27, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Kyle Starks is the best thing ever! And he has a new book out and it is called Kill Them All. I have basically loved everything he has done since I first read Sexcastle a few years back. Kyle Starks' books are silly and weird and totally fucking intense. And Kill Them All is no different. This book is great. It is everything I have come to love from both Kyle Starks and the medium of comic books in general.

Review: Hi-Fi Fight Club #2

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

I’m not as high on Hi-Fi Fight Club as I was with the first issue and yes, I did just open with a pun. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the comic, but it hits that second issue slump that has become more and more common.

Review: The Flash #31

September 27, 2017

By Justin McCarty

This issue wraps up the negative speed force storyline and sets up a new series. Issues 30 and 31 were a short arc to segue into the next arc starting in issue 32. Bloodwork was a two-issue arc that stood pretty well on its own. Even if the villain was pretty two-dimensional.

Review: Nightwing: The New Order #2

September 27, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Listen, listen… this is the best thing DC’s ever done with Nightwing. Kyle Higgins is doing exactly what DC should do more of, and that’s just creating fun side stories that have nothing to do with the rest of the DCU. This exists in a bubble, and because of that, he can add consequences to his story that other DC comics can’t. It’s a lot like Injustice in that way, at least before Injustice became too big of a brand and needed to continue making money.

Review: Isolation

September 27, 2017

By Justin McCarty

Isolation is Cog Life Comic’s first full-length comic, launching at this years Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival. It has three short, somewhat experimental, stories centering around the theme of isolation. Cog Life launched last year according to their website, and their mission seems to be to break the comics mold.