Review: Rocko's Modern Life #5

June 6, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Such a fun time. Rocko’s Modern Life #5 does something very hard to do, it both holds the legacy of its past but also embraces the future (our present). Rock gets a cell phone, never having one before. This occurrence has something all too familiar for most people as he gets addicted to his phone and thus comes the humor. Rocko quickly becomes a success online with help from his dog. Rocko being mixed with everything has a lot of great laughs. Rocko fans will be happy with this comic, but maybe not the easily forgettable back-up included. Read this and expect fun similar to the television series.

Review: Isola #3

June 6, 2018

Isola #3 adds a little of the magic mystery back and moves things along, but does not fully clear up just what is going on. We get some more information about Rook’s past and a little about the current situation in the land, but not a whole lot more. This is a slow burn kind of story so far, in which it seems like we are supposed to really be invested in the journey, not just the ultimate goal.

Review: Quantum and Woody #6

June 1, 2018

By Robert Ramos

Funny man Eliot Rahal is taking over for other funny man Daniel Kibblesmith on Valiant’s Dynamic Duo, Quantum, and Woody. I’ve been a closet fan of Eliot Rahal since his heyday outings with now bigshot Donny Cates, so it’s nice to see his name out there, on his own, on a widely renown title. So how did his big debut fair? One word: Eh.

Review: Sacred Creatures vol. 1

May 31, 2018

By Jonathan Edwards

If Ales Kot’s Wolf taught me anything (other than that a mediocre series can still get you back into reading comics), it’s that I’m a sucker for extra-sized first issues. So, when Sacred Creatures #1 came out in July of 2017 boasting a whopping 66 pages on top of a contemporary fantasy story (a subgenre I already prefer), I was more than a little intrigued. I picked up the first issue, as well as the other issues in the first volume as they came out, but they all ended up unread and in my backlog. That is until I signed up to review this trade.

Review: Royal City #11

May 30, 2018

By Ben Snyder

Royal City #11 picks up exactly where it left off prior to its flashback arc; with Patrick and his recently discovered niece awaiting his estranged wife Greta as she joins him in the titular Royal City. It’s hard to give this entry a positive review when it leaves the reader in a state of perpetual malaise. But one hallucinatory character says it best near the end of the chapter, “That’s what this place does to you… leaves you in between.” That is why this chapter is successful; Jeff Lemire is totally in control of the story and flexing his artistic muscles by forcing the reader to join the characters in this semi-purgatorial rotting steel town.

Review: Green Lanterns Annual

May 30, 2018

By Cat Wyatt

Green Lanterns Annual is an interesting issue, to say the least. The Lost Lantern is the first time in a long time that we’ve seen Simon, Jess, Hal, and Jon Stewart all working together for any length of time. This should be pretty exciting for those fans that have been hoping to see more interactions between our Green Lantern groups.

Review: Aquaman/Jabberjaw Special #1

May 30, 2018

By Garrett Hanneken

Aquaman Jabberjaw Special #1 plays its homage to both storylines in a fun and heartwarming tale, but the issue references a horror movie that started the comic out wonderfully.

Review: Barrier #5

May 30, 2018

By Cat Wyatt

The final issue of Barrier is here, and with it will likely be a bittersweet ending. Brian K. Vaughan isn’t exactly known for his happy endings, so this is something to keep in mind as we explore Barrier #5 today. The last time we saw Liddy and Oscar they were trapped on an alien planet, but rather than letting that fact defeat them they had stepped up and started fighting. Here’s hoping that fight ends up taking them somewhere good.

Review: Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Robin Vs. Ra’s Al Ghul #1

May 30, 2018

By Noel Thorne

It always happens: a popular storyline comes along, and the publisher decides to exploit it by tying in a bunch of pointless comics that devoted fans will buy, naively thinking they’re important to the storyline, which they never are, nor are they ever any good.

Review: The Man of Steel #1

May 30, 2018

By Garrett Hanneken

The highly anticipated Superman comic is finally here. After getting a taste of Bendis’ Superman in Action Comics #1000, readers can now better gauge what will be in stores for them. Personally, I thought the preview in Action Comics #1000 was outstanding for its villain, action, and twist at the end but despite that, The Man of Steel #1 proves to be a slower start than initially expected.

Review: Tinseltown #2

May 30, 2018

Tinseltown #2 picks up where #1 left off and is the second in a five issue limited series. This is another one of Alterna Comics current titles and it is one of the most enjoyable thus far. The story isn’t as gripping this time around by comparison to the first issue, but we are still progressing. There is still a lot of good potential swirling around in this series.

Review: The Couch #2

May 30, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Yet another issue that should be widely available. This is a world where superheroes and villains exist. That is true for almost every single comic world. The difference in this comic is the fact that this does not revolve around superheroes, and it manages not to be overshadowed by their presence, at least in the first issue. In issue two we meet The Wrecking Ball. The first issue succeeded with the heroes in the background, and this issue succeeds more with Wrecking Ball front and center. The couch refers to the psychologist chair in the protagonist’s place. Having a superhero on that couch makes for a very interesting dynamic. Most of the issue is flashbacks to when Wrecking Ball was younger, before his super days.

Review: Go West #3

May 30, 2018

By Sam King

Go West #3 is the final issue in a three issue limited series published by Alterna Comics. While the first two issues were decent setup, the third act and finale fails to feel all that satisfying. The violence level is the same level of intensity and awesome, but story wise… you’re basically just getting a generic western in comic form. The futuristic element doesn’t do much for the story.

Review: The Edge Off

May 30, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Just how a one-shot should be. In a very simplified premise to this comic, a ‘fixer’’ has his daughter kidnapped, and he tries to save her. For a living, he does dangerous, obviously illegal work for his higher-ups and once his daughter has gotten involved, he decides to spring into a very violent persona to make sure no matter what he can get her back. The premise is one that has been shown before, and as has the huge twist of an ending. Luckily both are extremely strong and worth the huge ride showed here. If somehow spoilers are presented to you, avoid them. The ending is well earned. This is a one-shot that takes the short length of a comic book and has so much on this issue that is neither too much or too little. It is beyond just right.

Review: Clan Killers #1

May 30, 2018

By Damien Becton

For a while now, Aftershock Comics has been one of my favorite comic book publishers since its’ launch a few years ago. They have been consistent throughout their short journey with the stories that they choose to publish and the art that they decide to commission. The last Aftershock that I picked up was Her Infernal Descent, and two issues in, it’s fair to say that I am having a complete blast with that title. So, when I saw a new #1 title launch, I was eager to dive in and give it a good read, considering Aftershock’s current lineup of titles. I am glad to say that with Clan Killers #1, Aftershock has another solid title that I am on board with.

Review: Long Live Pro Wrestling #0

May 30, 2018

By Sam King

Long Live Pro Wrestling #0 takes a former wrestler and puts him on a talk show. It presents the different perspectives on professional wrestling and then takes a humorous twist. This is a quick issue that kicks into some action, but the main storytelling goal or conflict has not yet been presented for the series.

Review: Heavenly Blues #6

May 30, 2018

By Cat Wyatt

This may be hard to believe, but it’s time for the last issue of Heavenly Blues. It’s been clear for a while now that there’s more going on with this scheme than meets the eyes, so it should be interesting to see how their grand heist plan actually pans out. Here’s hoping everything works out for our group of unlikely protagonists.

Review: Heavenly Blues #5

May 30, 2018

By Cat Wyatt

Issue #5 of Heavenly Blues continues the tale of our dead criminals, this time with a focus on James. This fact is immediately made obvious by the fact that James is on the cover of the issue, usually a good indicator in this series that the character’s backstory is about to be revealed.

Review: Kill or Be Killed #19

May 30, 2018

By Ben Snyder

Although, I have been an avid fan of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s Kill or Be Killed so far, there hasn’t quite been an issue that left me saying “what?” until this chapter. Kill or Be Killed #19 obviously signals the eventual series ending with a final page that will leave readers feeling and saying similarly, but it shouldn’t detract or distract from a thoroughly intense albeit dialogue heavy chapter. If there’s one complaint to Ed Brubaker’s style is that he can be a bit too dialogue-heavy and that is very prevalent in this chapter. Despite this, I think teamed up with Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser, this complaint is soothed a bit, as each cog works together harmoniously to produce another solid issue of Kill or Be Killed.

Review: Judge Dredd: Under Siege #1

May 30, 2018

By Noel Thorne

I’m not gonna lie to you - I’ve read this comic twice now, and I’m still not 100% on the plot nuances. Mutants have taken over a city block, or gangs have, and they’re holding a judge hostage…? It doesn’t matter - the basic premise is Dredd and a female Judge have to shoot their way up a city block. Just like the last Dredd movie! Where do writers get their ideas?!