Review: Alex Automatic 1 & 2

October 18, 2017

By Justin McCarty

Inspired by the TV shows the creators grew up watching in the UK, Alex Automatic is an Inspector Gadget-ish spy. He’s more machine than a man. Alex Automatic is really Alex Anderson, a man that has been experimented on to turn him into the perfect weapon. Stay with me, the initial premise isn’t new, but the execution is pretty unique and fun. So Alex’s brain has been so screwed with that he can’t tell what’s real and he slips in and out of the delusion of being the star hero in a TV show called Alex Automatic. As you might tell this back and forth between reality and delusion allows for some pretty creative storytelling.

Review: White Ash #1

October 16, 2017

By Oliver Gerlach

White Ash #1, recently Kickstarted with the promise of more to follow, was marketed as something for people who like Lord of the Rings, Twin Peaks, or Supernatural. That seems like a bizarre list of comparisons, and not a particularly coherent one. It is, however, an intriguing list, and one which fits the comic better than expected (although still not perfectly; that Lord of the Rings comparison is a bit ridiculous and out of place).

Review: Skin & Earth #4

October 15, 2017

By Ashley Gibbs

Skin & Earth #4 follows En and Tsu on a mission of revenge against Priest, En’s ex and it’s about as interesting as you expect. While some important things are discussed, they’re bogged down by sluggish pacing and dull dialogue. While it is commendable that the narrative kept me guessing where the story would go next, it also left me confused and disinterested in how this journey ends. This series is linked to the latest album by Lights, sharing the same title, with the themes of the songs aligning with the comic, however, the album is a lot better than the comic itself.

Review: Sheena #2

October 15, 2017

By Ashley Gibbs

After issue zero and one of this series I was worried going into Sheena #2 and while previous issues with pacing and artwork still remain, the story is moving somewhere and Sheena is given a character to play off of which helps a lot. Our jungle queen is on a mission to find a missing surveyor, or as she says it “sir veyor,” and bring him safely home to protect her village from mercenaries. Of course this is easier said than done and this book mixed a bit of big business machinations with the wonders of nature. Sheena gets to show off her skills and connection with the jungle and the animals that live in it and while the action is limited it was still a decent read.

Review: God Complex #1

October 13, 2017

By Jonathan Edwards

God Complex is an answer to the question “what if Greek gods existed in a cyberpunk future,” and I kind of have to wonder how much of a coincidence it is that this is coming out on the heels of Blade Runner 2049’s release (but, I digress). I was initially a little on the fence about checking this one out, because, while I’m a sucker for mythology, I’m a lot less enthusiastic about cyberpunk and, really, sci-fi in general. I obviously decided to go for it anyway, and though I’m still not quite sold on the series, God Complex #1 offers solid enough characterization, world-building, and intrigue to be a decent read.

Review: Justice League of America #16

October 11, 2017

By Jonathan Edwards

Wow, another whole issue completely dedicated to a flashback for this fucking story arc. At least this time we get some resolution for the how and why of Aron Aut’s betrayal. However, I’d like to reiterate that that’s a cliffhanger we were left with two issues ago, and there’s no good reason both flashbacks couldn’t be contained in a single dedicated issue. The lion’s share of Palmer’s was made up of redundancies, and Aut’s goes to bizarrely extreme length to ensure his characterization is nothing more than a one-dimensional, unrepentant supervillain, even going as far as giving him a whole different costume and the moniker “The Null.” If all of that fat was stripped away, they probably could’ve had a pretty strong and streamlined backstory issue that, dare I say, could’ve even gotten us excited to see the conclusion of “Panic in the Microverse” (side note: while the covers to every issue in this arc have consistently called it “Panic in the Microverse,” I’m fairly certain the internal credits of the first two or three issue referred to it as the “Crisis in the Microverse” instead).

Review: Wolverton, Thief of Impossible Objects #1

October 11, 2017

By Oliver Gerlach

Wolverton, Thief of Impossible Objects, is, as the lengthy and descriptive title indicates, a fun adventure story about a thief of magical artifacts. It’s a great concept and an entertaining story, and the title makes the premise pretty clear from the first glance at the book. It’s a bit of a mouthful, though, and that’s kind of representative of the rest of the book.

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Review: After the Snow #1

October 11, 2017

By Patrick Wolf

We all know how the story of Snow White ends: She cheats death, defeats the stepmother, and bags the prince. But does she really live happily ever after? What will happen to her after she becomes as old as her stepmother? Will she still be the same cheerful girl we’ve all come to know and love? Or will she follow in her stepmother’s footsteps and become obsessed with beauty and power? After the Snow explores these questions and does so by piggybacking off the iconic Disney interpretation of the fairy tale. What we get is an interesting blend of Disney’s Snow White meets Martin’s Game of Thrones.

Review: Mister Miracle #3

October 11, 2017

By Justin McCarty

Mister Miracle continues to be a fascinating read unlike pretty much any other book out right now. This issue takes us further into the psyche of Scott Free as he tries to understand his true purpose. Barda is still just trying to get through the war. The larger issues at stake here come into focus with the increasingly tyrannical Highfather Orion doing all he can to keep his people under his thumb. Scott and Barda may be headed into a trap. Watch out for Dr. Bedlam and his paranoid-pill!

Review: Royal City #6

October 11, 2017

By Ben Snyder

With Jeff Lemire’s second arc for Royal City, he sets up a fascinating introduction on the mystery that is Tommy from the original arc. Throughout the first five issues, the entire Pike family is haunted by their perceived version of Tommy; Tara by the baby brother she babysat and hoped the best for, Richie envisioned the brother he never got to spiral out and do drugs with; Patricia hallucinated the Tommy that took the cloth, but this is our first true glimpse into the true Tommy. The anxiety-ridden, possibly supernatural headache suffering teenager, filled with as much angst as anyone going through this period. And in this way, Lemire sets up what could be the most interesting arc the series could offer.

Review: Ragman #1

October 11, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Well, it was about time DC updated Ragman for a new generation. What the hell were we doing with our lives without Ragman in them? Let’s get serious for a moment… the character’s name is Ragman. It’s understandable for any publisher to use characters that they already own, it’s just how comic books work. Let’s not pretend to understand how a character named Ragman, whose powers come from his rags and his rags come from the souls of evil people that he’s absorbed, who must help him to reduce their sentence and go on to the afterlife, is still somehow relevant.

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Review: Plague #1-3

October 11, 2017

By Patrick Wolf

Plague is a medieval fantasy epic that takes place in the 14th century during the height of the European bubonic plague. Like many other fantasy stories, this series immerses the world of humans with that of other fantasy creatures. However, unlike its predecessors, this series isn’t afraid to flash some gore and controversy. So far, I’ve read the first three issues, and I’m happy to say this is an excellent series and certainly worth picking up.

Review: The Family Trade #1

October 11, 2017

By Ben Snyder

The Family Trade #1 offers an interesting introduction to a "what if" world in which neutral country was founded in the middle of the ocean, was ruled by a nepotistic governing class which was controlled by a secret society of assassins. It’s all relatively lofty and idealistic, and it succeeds most of the time in setting up a fun, and politically charged story arc told through the perspective of a chipper young assassin, however some story aspects can come across as incredibly heavy handed and the art, while not entirely bad, isn’t as impressive as the story.

Review: Retcon #2

October 11, 2017

By Jonathan Edwards

I don’t understand this book. I was hoping this second issue would help it more closely resemble Image’s summary for the series, but it didn’t. Instead, it just doubles down on the half-baked conspiracy premise, and it tries hard to show just how edgy and satirical it is. Except, rather than actually being either of those things, it’s just assholes being assholes to one another for twenty-some pages, and we’re left with little to no character development or plot progression.

Review: Spectacle #1

October 11, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

The play on words for the title of this comic is glorious. Spectacle is as fitting a title as you’ll ever hear for something. To go any further with telling you about this comic I will need to spoil it for you if the cover hasn’t already. Hell, the first page gives it away, but still, you’ve been warned.

Review: Atomahawk #0

October 11, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I've never really been a fan of marauding barbarians as characters. That whole genre has never really done anything for me. I think it's because it's a genre where a lot of the stories are essentially the same. There's only so much that can be done with the genre, in my opinion. Like, I get it – there's a group of totally ripped and brutal barbarians, and they're also totally fucking badass. Or whatever. I don’t know. There's probably a little more to the genre than this. Usually, when one of these books ends up on the review list, I just scroll on past. So, why am I talking about this here? Two reasons, really. The first is because Atomahawk is – in a way – one of these stories, and the second reason is that I didn’t know how else to start this review.

Review: Fighting American #1

October 11, 2017

By Justin McCarty

UK publisher Titan Comics reintroduces Fighting American to the modern audience. First introduced in the mid-1950s, Fighting American was Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s version of Captain America after they sold him to Timely Comics (Marvel). There have been a couple attempts to bring back the character before, but this is a direct continuation of the stories the character was built on sixty years ago. What we end up with seems to be a comic that is as true to the creator's original vision as it possibly can be. Granted, I have not read the original series.

Review: Tales from the Interface #1

October 6, 2017

By Oliver Gerlach

Emmanuel Filteau’s Tales from the Interface is a strange piece, both in terms of creative content and production. The blurb for it promised giant crabs and weird adventure, so I felt I had to check it out. I suppose it delivered both of those, and the crabs were excellent, but I still didn’t love it.

Review: UnPresidential

October 4, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Simply put, Unpresidential is about Kim Jong Un running for President of the United States after Donald Trump disappears one day. I’m telling you clear as day what Unpresidential is about so that you understand instantly that the book is satire, ridiculous and exactly what everyone that’s been screaming at the world of politics for the last year needs.

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Review: Crow Jane #0 & 1

October 4, 2017

By Patrick Wolf

Tired of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Billy the Kid? Looking for a Western hero whose more than just quick to the draw? Crow Jane is a new Western series that’s more than just the traditional take on the Western drama. With supernatural elements interspersed throughout the narrative, Crow Jane makes for an exciting read with plenty of guts and gore to spare. This is certainly a series that will appeal to the Western aficionado looking for something different.