Cat Wyatt 2/20/18 Cat Wyatt 2/20/18

Review: Adventures in Science

By Cat Wyatt

Adventures in Science is a collection of short stories told in graphic novel form. I’ll admit I was honestly surprised by how many stories they managed to fit into this one collection. It includes Time on Ice, Blood on Your Hands, 51st Century Blues, Vita Extensum, 14 Arms to Hold You, Holiday of a Lifetime, Campaign 2079, No Signal, Not for Turning, No More Secrets, Next Customer Please, Eye in the Sky, and Deadly Skies (see, I told you there was a lot!).

Dustin Cabeal 2/15/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/15/18

Review: Oblivion Song #1

By Dustin Cabeal

By no means does Robert Kirkman need my praise. I’m not going to pat him on the back for still making comics and all that noise. He’s a writer I’ve drifted away from because his style has developed into a steady rhythm. It’s not bad, it's just not amazing either. It’s consistent, but you tend to know what you’re getting with your characters and just waiting for the twists to happen.

Dustin Cabeal 2/15/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/15/18

Review: Ghost Money #7

By Dustin Cabeal

As I said in this week’s podcast, this was my first encounter with Ghost Money. Which sucks because it only has three more issues. Had I discovered it sooner, you would likely have been reading my seventh review of the series, instead of the first.

Dustin Cabeal 2/15/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/15/18

Review: Skybourne #5

By Dustin Cabeal

The problem with reviewing Skybourne is that for some people they’re going to take it as me reviewing Frank Cho himself. Which is unfortunate because I just want to make jokes about how this comic was never that good, to begin with, and that if you were waiting for this issue, you’re probably surprised that it arrived in 2018 instead of 2020.

Jonathan Edwards 2/15/18 Jonathan Edwards 2/15/18

Review: Justice League of America #24

By Jonathan Edwards

With Justice League of America #22, Steve Orlando rose to the occasion and finally wrote what I would call the first truly decent issue of his run on the series proper (meaning not including the prequel one-shots). Sure, issue #17 ended with some legitimate character development for Ryan, but that was in spite of the first half, as well as every other issue in that story arc, being crappy. And yes, if you ignore the art problems, the Annual was a relatively fine read. But, with double the page count and only about a third of the main cast (read: Lobo and Black Canary), it failed to represent or even adequately connect to the rest of the series, and it sure as hell didn’t give the impression that the book, as a whole, would be getting any better. However, that changed with JLA #22. We finally got a villain with some complexity to her, and none of the title team’s members did anything too stupid. And then, Justice League of America #23 managed to keep it mostly together. But, as I said in my review for that issue, it takes three to form a pattern. So, here we are with Justice League of America #24, the upshot of which is twofold. On the one hand, it appears that Orlando has indeed settled into a new, less stupid standard for his last half-dozen issues of JLA. But, at the same time, there’s been a conceptual short-sightedness that’s been at the heart of his work on this title, and it returns as clear cut as ever here.

Cat Wyatt 2/15/18 Cat Wyatt 2/15/18

Review: Lumberjanes Vol. 8: Stone Cold

By Cat Wyatt

While the wait for the next volume pretty much felt unbearable, we’re finally there! I keep wondering/worrying that we’re going to see the end of the summer on the horizon, but based on some of the theories forming about time dilation I’m starting to feel a little safer about this series. I don’t see it ending sooner than it wants to (though perhaps it’ll do what Gothic Academy did and have ‘breaks’ but always come back to the story, just a year later? It’d be interesting to see how the girls/guys would change after a year away).

Cat Wyatt 2/15/18 Cat Wyatt 2/15/18

Review: Heavenly Blues #2

By Cat Wyatt

The second issue of Heavenly Blues starts off on a bit of a somber note. Erin lived back in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. If you’re asking yourself if that was during the time of the Salem Witch Trials, then the answer is yet. If I hadn’t seen Erin’s vibrant hair among the crowd during the execution of the ‘witches’ I would have been terrified to see her up there on the gallows. That’s not something I’d wish for anyone, but especially not a girl as young as her.

Cat Wyatt 2/15/18 Cat Wyatt 2/15/18

Review: Freelance #1

By Cat Wyatt

Freelance is a fun new series about a different group of people who do their best to fight the threats that humanity is better off not facing. They’re an odd group, to say the least. There’s Lance Valiant, the only one who could be called a superhero in the group (by power standards that is); Tasha Kolchak is the genius in the group; and then there’s John Cabot, a reformed criminal (well, mostly reformed). Not really the team I’d picture to step up and protect humanity from some very real threats, but you can bet that nobody would complain about their helping.

Cat Wyatt 2/14/18 Cat Wyatt 2/14/18

Review: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #19

By Cat Wyatt

Issue number 19 is the start of a new Batgirl heavy plot; Full Circle. This plot is building off of one started earlier, involving Calculator and his business (you know, the one where he helps criminals plan their heists by getting over blueprints and all the other relevant information?). The real question for this issue is whether or not Barbara can resist picking up the Oracle’s mantle again, and what would happen if she lets temptation win.

Dustin Cabeal 2/14/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/14/18

Review: Judas #3

By Dustin Cabeal

Look, I know that not everyone has heard or read stories from the Bible, but if you have, even the basic outline of a verse… then Judas is a boring read. There is no secret history being added, just more character development for Judas… and not much.

Cat Wyatt 2/14/18 Cat Wyatt 2/14/18

Review: Twisted Romance #2

By Cat Wyatt

The second issue of Twisted Romance consists of three different stories. The first is titled ‘Twinkle & The Star’ (cute play on words there), the second is called ‘Back at Your Door’, and the third is ‘Would You Even Know It?’ Obviously all three have the same main theme, which is that of love and romance.

Kelly Gaines 2/14/18 Kelly Gaines 2/14/18

Review: Mister Miracle #1 Director's Cut

By Kelly Gaines

Only a few times in a generation do we get a comic book that deserves to be counted as a literary and artistic achievement. It takes an exceptional team of talent working in perfect sync to create a story that not only engages the reader but adds a new layer of depth to the medium. We’ve seen it in books like Watchmen, Kingdom Come, and Maus- books with a creative impact that left a permanent mark on what comics are and what they’re capable of doing. After reading the director’s cut of Mister Miracle #1 and comparing it side by side to the originally released version, I am convinced that this Mister Miracle run will be counted among the best stories ever told in comic form. This is a title that not only honors Jack Kirby’s characters but treats them with a level of respect unparalleled by any other version. They deserve this kind of careful and thoughtful treatment, and I think he would be proud to see it.

Cat Wyatt 2/14/18 Cat Wyatt 2/14/18

Review: Suicide Squad #35

By Cat Wyatt

Suicide Squad #35 brings the walls down around our characters heads, as well as a blast from the past. It’s a Waller heavy episode (aren’t all of the doom and gloom ones about her though?) so the fans out there that don’t like her may not be happy with this issue, but then again, if seeing Waller get outmaneuvered is something you’ve been daydreaming about…read on.

Benjamin Snyder 2/14/18 Benjamin Snyder 2/14/18

Review: Kill or Be Killed #16

Sixteen issues in and Kill or Be Killed continues to find new and interesting ways to hook the reader in. It seems like each new issue introduces another cumbersome wrinkle for Dylan to maneuver around. In Kill or Be Killed #16, Dylan has to come to grips with a copycat killer besmirching his reputation and tarnishing his image while being confined and drugged up in an insane asylum. But its in Dylan’s introspection focusing on when he originally lost his youthful naiveté is where this issue makes its mark. In this instance both writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips work cohesively to not only make the reader side with a murdering insane person, but make a profound statement on life’s overall unfairness.

Cat Wyatt 2/14/18 Cat Wyatt 2/14/18

Review: Death of Love #1

By Cat Wyatt

Death of Love is a new series, and it certainly appears to have a lot of potential. The fact that its first issue drops on Valentine’s Day is just a bonus, if you ask me. The story follows a man named Philo Harris, and let’s be honest here, he’s a bit of a jerk. And not the type that can own up to it, but the type that thinks he deserves the girl because he pretended to be nice to her. The man was willing to try anything in the book to get girls to want him, and apparently that willingness is about to lead him into a heap of trouble.

Dustin Cabeal 2/14/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/14/18

Review: Giants #3

By Dustin Cabeal

Giants is refreshing. Each week there are frankly an insane amount of comics released. While I’m sure the numbers are available, I will just guess and say that it’s possible the industry is producing a shit load of comics. Again, I don’t have any exact numbers, but a shit load might be in the top three of all time comics produced. Each week, I personally read a butt load of comics. I don’t review them all, and it’s not nearly as many as I used to read which if I had to put a number on it would probably be twenty-six or more. Ha, fuck you for thinking I was going to milk that “load” joke for one more go!

Cat Wyatt 2/14/18 Cat Wyatt 2/14/18

Review: Wonder Woman #40

By Cat Wyatt

The latest issue of Wonder Woman concludes the Swan’s Song plotline, and needless to say, there’s quite a bit of emotion for this one. The last issue left us off with Jason falling to the ground, after being grievously wounded by Silver Swan. I’m sure I’m not the only one that was anxious to see what had happened to him (and where Silver Swan had gone).

Benjamin Snyder 2/14/18 Benjamin Snyder 2/14/18

Review: Sleepless #3

While I initially had exceedingly high hopes for Sleepless as a series, some of the luster has worn off. It’s not that Sleepless #3 is a bad issue or it destroys the hope I once harbored for it- it’s just that Sleepless has not done anything new with the subject manner yet and it doesn’t seem intent to. Writer Sarah Vaughn and artist Leila Del Luca barely meet the standards they set for themselves in earlier issues and even add an interesting story wrinkle or two, but ultimately it is not enough to maintain the same level of interest or excitement in the future of this series.

Cat Wyatt 2/14/18 Cat Wyatt 2/14/18

Review: Dark Fang #4

By Cat Wyatt

In the last issue of Dark Fang, things had gotten pretty busy and chaotic for our little vampire. Valla had successfully continued her campaign against the politicians allowing the worth to be poisoned for the sake of greed. Unfortunately, she seems to have caught the attention of certain people. Specifically, people who are capable of dealing with a vampire such as herself.

Kelly Gaines 2/14/18 Kelly Gaines 2/14/18

Review: Shade the Changing Girl - Wonder Woman #1

By Kelly Gaines

I don’t really know where to begin here. All my years of studying literature and critical theory have not prepared me for this. I’ve seen Wonder Woman breastfeed a Dustbuster. I didn’t know that was something I should be afraid of experiencing- how could I? I find myself drawing on the distinct memory of the first time I saw Alice in Wonderland as a child. I was disturbed to my core by the fact that a little girl was lost in such a bizarre place and the adults she encountered seemed to be more dedicated to making it worse than helping. I had nightmares about the Queen of Hearts screaming “off with her head!” for weeks, and don’t get me started on the oyster story.