Kelly Gaines 5/30/18 Kelly Gaines 5/30/18

Review: Raven: Daughter of Darkness #5

By Kelly Gaines

Raven Daughter of Darkness #5 feels like the grand finale of a confusing twister of plot and character- except the story’s not over, and there’s no Bill Paxton or Helen Hunt to be found. If you’re committed to this title, buckle up for the excitement of demonology meets power rangers meets wizard book club meets true crime in the making. It’s a mixed bag in the absolute worst way and only becomes more disappointing as the dust settles.

Damien Becton 5/30/18 Damien Becton 5/30/18

Review: Jeepers Creepers #2

By Damien Becton

As a ten-year-old kid, Jeepers Creepers, the movie, was an absolutely terrifying experience for me. Watching The Creeper toss bodies wrapped in blood-soaked blankets down a well and stare at the two main characters of the movie as they drove down the road is still burned into my memory - along with a haunting, but catchy tune, “Jeepers, Creepers, where’d ya get those peepers? Jeepers, Creepers, where’d ya get those eyes?!” As I got older and wiser, and I (almost) grew out of my fear for The Creeper, the movie became my favorite horror film of all-time because of its terrifying antagonist, cheap-looking, but charming, practical effects, and its’ haunting scenes. With that being said, I read this book with my all of my biases turned 100 and enjoyed the hell out of it. If you’re a fan of this scary character, then you’ll probably think this book is as awesome as I did but if not...well, find something else.

Sam King 5/23/18 Sam King 5/23/18

Review: Shanghai Red #1

By Sam King

A ship, a mutiny, and a secret: the ingredients tossed together to make up the first issue of Image Comics’ Shanghai Red. A story of a girl out for vengeance, masquerading as a man, trying to get back the life that was taken from her. Where it will go next, who knows? If Red succeeds, we will see. This is a pretty good time though, that’s for sure.

Cat Wyatt 5/23/18 Cat Wyatt 5/23/18

Review: Batgirl #23

By Cat Wyatt

Issue #23 of Batgirl brings us the conclusion to the Strange Loop plotline. In the last issue, we learned that Batgirl was trapped in a series of scenarios occurring inside her own head and if she didn’t figure out a way to free herself things would go very poorly for her.

Sam King 5/23/18 Sam King 5/23/18

Review: Zinnober #1

By Sam King

Zinnober #1 sets up a strong direction for the story and provides enough character development to give readers a good latch on the mains. The art is good, and the story has a lot of promise. Giant dragons in modern times? What could be better?

Zinnober opens up with a young woman and a man on top of a roof with guns, eyeing a dog tied to a post. The girl wants to save it; the older man says it is a trap. She doesn’t listen, and it turns out to be a trap, but the trap goes sour as a dragon appears and starts laying waste to everyone it sees. The man and girl escape with one other guy and go into the old subway tunnels where they find that dragons may not be their only concern when it comes to survival.

Kelly Gaines 5/23/18 Kelly Gaines 5/23/18

Review: Hollow Monsters #1

By Kelly Gaines

I have to admit that Hollow Monsters #1 went a bit over my head. It’s a non-linear narrative describing both ordinary and foreboding events in the life of a boy named Jay. We see Jay at pivotal moments ranging from early childhood to his adult life as a struggling comic book creator. Jay is a likable enough character, and there is obvious talent in the creative process, but I found myself far more bewildered than impressed by the end of this first issue. I try to stay away from commenting on the creator’s opinion of their own work in my reviews (i.e., the morals they aim to teach and goals they’ve set for a specific work). It feels more honest to present my readers with my own interpretations of what’s given on the page. A review should be a cut and dry critique of the finished issue. Hollow Monsters has presented me an odd exception.

Benjamin Snyder 5/23/18 Benjamin Snyder 5/23/18

Review: Days of Hate #5

By Ben Snyder

Although a mostly quiet chapter, Days of Hate #5 is a stellar addition to an amazing comic. It’s a quiet chapter simply because there are so few actual words spoken, but boy does it end with a literal bang. It all centers on Huang’s decision to reveal Amanda’s location to Freeman. And having it all focus on each of their actions spoke larger volumes about their character than any amount of dialogue could have. Aleš Kot and Danijel Žeželj continue to produce Eisner-worthy content at a steady rate with Days of Hate. Couple that with Jordie Bellaire’s harrowing colors and you have what is shaping to be a classic.

Garrett Hanneken 5/23/18 Garrett Hanneken 5/23/18

Review: The Terrifics #4

By Garrett Hanneken

Space travel mixed with an attack by a giant squid, The Terrifics must work together if they want to reach their destination. With that said, the team is still getting their footing, and the same can be said for the script.

Cat Wyatt 5/23/18 Cat Wyatt 5/23/18

Review: Barrier #4

By Cat Wyatt

It’s time for issue #4 of Barrier. How they’re planning on following up the extraordinary storytelling style shown in the last issue is anyone’s guess. The last time we saw our weary and unwilling travelers, they were trapped in a room that was rapidly filling with a water-like substance. Here we’ll hopefully not only find out they survive that, but how they’re planning on getting out of this situation altogether.

Kelly Gaines 5/23/18 Kelly Gaines 5/23/18

Review: Mera: Queen of Atlantis #4

By Kelly Gaines

Mera’s life is complicated- ABC Family teenage drama complicated. When we last saw the Queen of Atlantis, she embarked on a mission with her fiancé’s former supervillain half-brother to ask for the help of her former family/ current enemies in the Xebellian nation. Mera’s life is a mess, but I suppose taking on a bloodthirsty tyrant can to that to you. Orm and Mera, thus far, seem to be playing nice. The same can’t be said for her enemies under the sea, but it’s a risk she and Orm are both willing to stick their necks out to take.

Noel Thorne 5/23/18 Noel Thorne 5/23/18

Review: The Brothers Dracul #2

By Noel Thorne

Oh my gaaawd, vampires are real – and they’re spelt without the “e”! What is it with this series and missing letters – first Dracula without the “a” now “vampir”? Does it make the comic… creepier? Or should that be… creepir?

Cat Wyatt 5/23/18 Cat Wyatt 5/23/18

Review: Batman Beyond #20

By Cat Wyatt

With Payback taken care of, once again, Batman Beyond is free to start something new. While Batman Beyond #20 does start off a new plot, called the Jokers Are Out for Blood, it doesn’t ignore the multiple plots that are already in the air. This issue will either make fans very happy or very angry, depending on their ship of choice.

Benjamin Snyder 5/23/18 Benjamin Snyder 5/23/18

Review: Skyward #2

By Ben Snyder

While the zero gravity makes common-place earth and its dynamics interesting, the rest of Skywards #2’s script is anything but. Writer Joe Henderson and Artist Lee Garbett attempt to forge forward and examine how no gravity would affect our world and it’s inhabitants, the result is simply not that unique. It feels like a story repeatedly told with so little to differentiate it from the crowd. It’s not unreadable, and it’s not boring, I think the Zero-gravity is more than enough of a hook for right now, but something else will need to change, specifically its main character.

Garrett Hanneken 5/23/18 Garrett Hanneken 5/23/18

Review: Manifest Destiny #35

By Garrett Hanneken

If you’ve been following Manifest Destiny since the beginning, then you may have noticed that the current arc has changed gears. Instead of focusing on imaginary creatures the series sheds light on the monstrous side of humanity. With one more issue left in the arc, we can assess if this change was beneficial or not.

Cat Wyatt 5/23/18 Cat Wyatt 5/23/18

Review: Suicide Squad #42

By Cat Wyatt

Suicide Squad #42 continues the Constriction plot started in the previous issue. Deadshot’s daughter has been kidnapped by Kobra, and Batman is the only one that seems willing to stick his neck out and help the man go out and rescue her. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but isn’t it always?

Hunter Patrick 5/23/18 Hunter Patrick 5/23/18

Review: Rugrats #8

By Hunter T. Patrick

Those dumb babies. Rugrats #8 is a comic that continues to feature independent stories in each issue, resembling the classic cartoon series. This issue has a plot about Angelica wanting money for a Cynthia video game. To make the money she uses Phil and Lil’s abilities to make the grossest, ickiest mud pies around to sell for the pretty high price of a quarter. Angelica just wants all the quarters while the twins just want the highest quality of mud possible for their pies. Chaos ensues. This is indeed classic Rugrats.

Sam King 5/23/18 Sam King 5/23/18

Review: TMNT Urban Legends #1

By Sam King

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics have been going around since 1984. This is where the team got its start. TMNT: Urban Legends takes readers back to the days of Volume 3 when Image ran the show, and Eastman and Laird weren’t writing the comics. These were eventually considered “non-canon” and were never fully concluded. This is officially changing now, with a reprint, added color, and an eventual addition of three new issues to finish the series.

Cat Wyatt 5/23/18 Cat Wyatt 5/23/18

Review: Wonder Woman #47

By Cat Wyatt

Wonder Woman #47 continues the Dark Gods plot that was started in the last issue. Last we saw Super Girl had gone crazy and started attacking Diana. She isn’t the first supernatural person to go off the wall this plot, but hopefully, she’ll be the last.

Cat Wyatt 5/23/18 Cat Wyatt 5/23/18

Review: Lumberjanes #50

By Cat Wyatt

It’s not every day a comic gets to hit the big five-oh, but that’s exactly what the Lumberjanes have done. Here our crew is back for issue #50, and fans couldn’t be happier about it. The last we saw of this curious cabin they were stuck inside thanks to the weather, and we all know how quickly these kids can get into trouble when left to their own devices.

Damien Becton 5/23/18 Damien Becton 5/23/18

Review: Shadowman #3

By Damien Becton

I became a fan of Andy Diggle when he was able to take over Marvel Comics’ Daredevil (which eventually ended up in the event known as Shadowland) back in 2009. And even though Shadowland was not the most well-received Marvel event that has taken place, it holds a special place in my heart and serves as one of my favorite events. Because of this, every book I see with Andy Diggle attached finds its’ way at one point or another on my pull list. With Andy Diggle now on Valiant’s Shadowman, I was sure that this book would make its’ way onto my pull list. Three issues into this relaunch of the Valiant superhero, I’m glad to say that this book not only found its’ way onto my pull but also that it is a mainstay.