STARZ Releases ‘Kick-Ash’ New Key Art for the Highly Anticipated Series “Ash vs Evil Dead”

“Ash vs Evil Dead” is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror films The Evil Dead.  The 10-episode half-hour series is executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers, and Craig DiGregorio who serves as executive producer and showrunner. EDS1_KeyArt_Vert_1200x1800_FinalCampbell reprises his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario, and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead.  When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal.  Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.

The cast is led by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) in the role of Ash Williams, Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus,” “Xena”) as Ruby, a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks, Ray Santiago (“Touch,” Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick, Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past, and Jill Marie Jones (“Sleepy Hollow”) as Amanda Fisher, a disgraced Michigan State Trooper set to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility in the grisly murder of her partner.

“Ash vs Evil Dead” premieres Saturday, October 31st at 9:00pm ET/PT exclusively on STARZ with a 10-episode season.

For more information visit our Facebook Page and follow @AshvsEvilDead on Twitter.

Review: Transference #2

Transference is a series with ambition to spare, shooting for Mission: Impossible and landing somewhere around there, with a hint of Inception and James Bond thrown in for good measure. The story picks up from last month’s reveal that Colton is in a divergent timeline from his home timeline; where he has been clean and sober for 3 years, is still married and has a son in that timeline, in this timeline, he’s still an inveterate alcoholic and kind of an asshole. He approaches an old spy friend to help him track down information about himself and Cyril Ormon, the kidnapped inventor. They go on a few spy movie adventures in Madison Square Park and some secret labs, culminating in a creepy and resonant chase through a mannequin storage facility (lots of empty bodies without a mind), before another big reveal about the divergent timelines.

Transference #2 does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of bringing the reader up to date on the technology and the mechanics of time travel in the world. Kanan, Colton’s tech guy, displays the advanced time travel tech from the terrorists, and explains that time travel happens in three dimensions (i.e. that when you travel in time, you also end up in the same physical location as when you started), and makes it very clear that the bad guys have the better weapons in this scenario. When Colton interrogates one, he also reveals that if his body in the past dies, his mind will just jump back to his body in the present; it seems paradoxical, but we’re led to believe it.

Transference #2The thematic meat of Transference really starts to come to the fore in this issue, as well. On a surface level, sure, this book is Mission: Impossible if Ethan Hunt had a Van Dyke and could time-travel to stop terrorists; but at its core, this book is about the hollowness of lives lived in the past. Colton is haunted by past mistakes, bodies abandoned or killed in the past become nothing but husks, and the entire first issue was spent trying to make the rich and powerful feel better about themselves by fixing their little mistakes. It’s sort of a high-octane version of Seconds, and the double-edged sword of living in the past and letting your “should have”s rule your life. Salas and Bonvillain do an amazing job at the end with the fight between Colton and the man who was tailing him: it’s set in a mannequin factory, and these two men who have no past, whose foundations have been obliterated, are surrounded by these empty, expressionless representations of people. It’s sneaky, and it’s so well illustrated that it hits you while you’re not even looking--the sign of a scene truly coming together in a comic.

Salas and Bonvillain are doing stellar work all around, here. Salas’ clean linework lends itself to things like the Brooklyn Bridge in the opening sequence, and the New York architecture running throughout the issue, while Bonvillian’s dreamy colors add a sense of weight, and even a sense of unreality to the entire proceedings. Bonvillain’s colors especially also remind me of Amanda Scurti and Tyler Boss’ color work on sister Black Mask title We Can Never Go Home; it gives them almost a house style of a fever dream of America. One where teens have superpowers and use them to kill their parents and fight off bullies, one where you can go back and fix any mistake in your past and hope you don’t ruin the future.

This issue definitely wowed me, and after a lukewarm review of the first one, I’m ready to dive into the rest of Transference with eager eyes. If only I could go back in time and re-score that last review...

Score: 5/5

Transference #2 Writer: Michael Moreci Artist: Ron Salas Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain Letterer: Jim Campbell Publisher: Black Mask Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Print

Review: The Paybacks #1

By Austin Lanari

As cynicism about superhero stories (rightfully) continues to grow among people who enjoy reading good comics, The Paybacks #1 seizes onto some of the things that make superhero books dumb and forces the reader to have a great time. Bruce Wayne is a dickbag.  He is the Richard Nixon of superheroes: paranoid, too powerful for his own good, and his achievements only get defended by people with little or no imagination. I can, however, think of people doing far worse things with that kind of money.  So, at least in that sense (however vacuous it might be), it's probably slightly okay that Bruce was the one to hit the dead parents jackpot.

The Paybacks takes us to a world where any ol' petulant child with a warped sense of justice and mommy & daddy issues can take out a loan to fight crime.  The first issue features one such Bruce Wayne proxy with a unicorn obsession and, I have to say that the hero in question, "Night Knight," wins in terms of style points in a showdown with Gotham's Drab Knight.

Okay, okay, so, I obviously think this is a fantastic premise: money gets loaned out in order for people to be superheroes and, when they can't keep up with their payments, they are conscripted into being part of a super-repo team which collects on other delinquent heroes.  What makes the premise particularly fantastic is that it lends a very particular charm to all of its character arcs from the get-go.

I'm being intentionally hard on Batman-like figures since Night Knight is such an obvious play on his type of obnoxious hero; but, not every hero that's been conscripted is necessarily a narcissistic freak.  That makes the reader, with enough time to think, very curious about the backgrounds of these characters.  In a world where we have been pelted with clichéd origin stories left and right, this book is giving readers a free pass to be curious about these heroes: it's an origin story waiting to be told about why these people decided to go get a bank loan.  That's hilarious, but also kind of cool.

None of this even speaks to the fantastic character designs, well-executed first issue, or the not-cheap cliffhanger that made me want to come back: I really just want you to go check out the content for yourself.  But the art?  Oh, shit.  I hope it's not a stretch for me to say that Geoff Shaw will have job offers rolling in after this, and you should hire colorist Lauren Affe right now.

I'll be covering this series for at least a little while longer, so there will be plenty of time for me to rant about Shaw's stellar line work.  First, let me tell you what blows me away about Affe's colors.  A lot of up-and-coming colorists think you need to have bright, varied palettes, and instead end up assaulting the senses.  Affe's palettes are often very bright and colorful, but it always seems like she's in control of the impact just enough to make the page stand out.  It's one of those things that's hard to put your finger on, but while you're reading, really pay attention to how bright this series is even on pages where the palette is uniformly dark.  Maintaining a sense of visual cohesion while keeping the page's colors interesting and unique in their flavor requires a lot of skill.

Ultimately, if the premise of a never-ending cycle of de facto indentured super-repo-heroes doesn't appeal to you and you'd rather read a house-art style book about Bruce Wayne stocking tinker toys in a kindergarten or some shit, it’s your loss.  It remains to be seen if this series really has anywhere to go, but it made a great first step in delivering on a hum-dinging elevator pitch of a premise, and damn is it pretty to look at.

Score: 4/5

The Paybacks #1
Writer: Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Colorist: Lauren Affe
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 9/16/15
Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital

Review: Red Sonja/Conan #1

It should be understood that outside of a cataclysmic event (see Death of Superman) or fundamental superhuman ability (Resurrection Man) the title character of a comic book is not going to die. The challenge of a good story teller is to establish a credible threat to that basic assumption. Red Sonja/Conan #1 does no such thing, immediately labeling our main menace and villain, Kal’Ang, as a middling court magician, a sorcerer of no merit. While that may put a chip on the individual character’s shoulder, providing ample ambition and motivation, as a threat to the existence of our heroes’ world it falls short. After the first few pages it becomes clear that there will be no substantial threat in the tale and all that’s left to enjoy is Red Sonja and Conan run roughshod over a bunch of barbarians and pseudo-man creatures. And that is fun to look at.

RSConan01-Cov-A-RossIn typical fantasy fashion all the characters of note are chiseled and romanticized, it’s a fun thing and a staple of the genre. Some good splashes of violence and a heavy sprinkling of alluded to sex feed into these established norms. The character models in issue #1 don’t stretch the imagination; I expect/hope the further we get into the story the more fantastic the artistic departures from standard character models will be; some more artistic play with imagined beasts/humanoids from the beginning would have added to the appeal of the book.

I can’t help but feel that as readers we’ve been done a disservice. This has all the makings for a violence fueled fantasy romp but within the first few pages we are told that there will be no credible threat to fell the Crimson Conqueror and the mighty Cimmerian. All the other ingredients seem to be present, a formidable foe would’ve made the story significantly better.

Score: 2/5

Red Sonja/Conan #1 Writer: Victor Gischler Artist: Roberto Castro Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/5/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Edition - Book One

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Edition Book One is a pretty sizable bargain, containing well over 600 pages (for twenty bucks!) of this charmingly light-hearted horror-mystery-comedy mashup. The first omnibus collection in this series collects the first three volumes, each of which showcases a big leap forward in the storytelling of writer Otsuka and artist Yamazaki. The first volume introduces the world of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service in a fairly unorthodox fashion: it contains four stories on the longer side, but each of which are self-contained. Many series have to find their sea legs and then impress readers with their first major story arc (if they manage to impress readers at all, that is). KCDS comes out swinging with four stand-alone stories, each of which carries its own weight.

These are stories about a team of students at a Buddhist university who each have unique abilities, most of them supernatural, and all but one of them very useful. The main character can speak to the spirits of the dead when he makes contact with them, another can dowse for corpses, and another has a sock puppet on his hand which channels the voice of an alien who likes to curse a lot. Other non-supernatural powers include an expert embalmer and a crack team-head who can find out anything about anything. Anchored by Kuro who talks to the dead, they find out the last wishes of the deceased and see them fulfilled posthumously.

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Edition - Book OneAnd it's damn funny. The alien sock puppet (I can't believe I started a sentence like that) is often the most obvious comedy-bomb that gets dropped in a given scene. But the story itself, mostly in terms of the characters, lends itself to a sort of aloofness that can be very uplifting given the subject matter. We're talking about a series where dead bodies are sometimes coming back to life and mauling people; but, when you witness how dedicated the members of KCDS are to taking it all in stride (mostly because they're just college kids and have no idea what they're doing), the series stays on a very Zen-like even keel.

Coming face-to-face with the reality of things like suffering and death is a central aspect of Buddhism. Yet, another part of Buddhism is that you shouldn't take things so damn seriously. KCDS embodies these kinds of things without ever really focusing on them too much. The fact that the horrors of death and the frivolities of life so often interweave in this series is no coincidence, and yet you can completely ignore the interplay between the two if it suits you.

Where the first volume showcases Otsuka and Yamazaki's willingness to tell effective one-shot stories, volume two on its own constitutes an entire story arc. Frankly, the themes that this arc deals with--death (of course), revenge, forgiveness--and how it deals with them run so deep that the discussion is worthy of its own essay, so I won't dive in too far. Suffice it to say, volume two does what volume one foregoes by showcasing Otsuka and Yamazaki's ability to tell a satisfying story in a longer form.

Volume three is right in the middle, featuring not four stories, not one story, but two, two-issue stories. What impresses me most throughout the first three volumes is that neither writer nor artist is focused on hanging his hat on something specific about this series. It's not about topping an arc or even creating a story arc that needs topping: there is equal care being put into stories of different sizes and shapes wherein the quality of the mystery is never compromised. The thing that stands out about volume three is Yamazaki taking his art to the next level. Readers feeling like Yamazaki needs to step his game up just a touch in order to push his horror work over the edge will find what they're looking for in the third volume.

I can't wait to catch up on this series and talk more about it. I'm very interested to see how the rest of the series develops along storytelling lines, and I'm still sort of blown away by how killer of a value this omnibus edition is.

Readers curious about all things Japanese will be very happy to know that all of the original Japanese sound effects are kept in the art. What’s more exciting, especially for those who are just curious in general, is the exhaustive glossary of those sound effects at the end of each volume. Again, this is another very interesting thing about this omnibus that warrants a much lengthier discussion, so I'll just point it out and if it sounds cool you now have an extra reason to check out this collection.

Score: 4/5

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Edition - Book One Writer: Eiji Otsuka Artist: Housui Yamazaki Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $19.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Trade Paperback, Print

Review: Hexed #12

There are happy endings and then there are good endings. Sometimes they lineup and are one in the same, but often times a good story will leave the audience satisfied and yet disappointed. I would say that this final issue of Hexed is the ending the series needed. I’m sad to see it concluded because Michael Alan Nelson, Dan Mora and Gabriel Cassata have been a hell of a creative team. I’ve said from the first issue on that this is one of the most underrated titles on the market and it still confuses me. The reason being is that this year and last there has been an outcry for diverse characters, strong female leads and yet this book has been almost entirely female characters and no one seems to care.

You’re probably like, “well I’m sure that one of them was just a damsel and whatever”, but damn you would be wrong. The only relationships discussed in this series were that of mothers and daughters and occasionally siblings.

Hexed-#12With this final issue it becomes very clear that Lucifer has had two mothers looking at for her and in a way that’s what this entire arc has been about. Sure Lucifer was hexed, but maybe it was to save her. To save her soul in a way and my goodness have I grown attached to her character. And not in a “she’s a girl, I’m a boy” way, but in a way I feel like I know her and could be friends with her. That’s how incredible of a job that Nelson has done with her development. Even Raina, who was just our “Intern” at the beginning, develops leaps and strides by the end. By the end they are bonded as sisters. Sisters forged in battle of good versus evil which I imagine makes the bond hella strong.

The guiding light throughout this entire series has been Dan Mora. I didn’t know who Dan Mora was before this series, but now I follow his work and pay attention to when he recommends an artist. His illustrations have been consistently amazing from the beginning until the end. What’s given this book so much personality is Mora’s facial expressions. There’s one sequence in particular when Fastrada looks back at Lucifer and Lucifer back at her and the exchange is so touching. It’s deep because the story and art have worked so hard together to make this a rich and rewarding story.

The third ringleader of our amazing story has been Gabriel Cassata who in particular has been great this year. Some other well-known colorists have faded out as of late in my opinion, but seeing Cassata’s work on this book has been fantastic. It’s a real study in coloring if you ask me as Cassata has perfectly complimented Mora’s style. There’s an incredible amount of color used on this issue and it all flows and looks wonderfully.

I can’t be mad at this book for ending. In fact, I’m glad it did. It can always come back again, but really the problem with comic books is that there’s never an end. Good stories should signal the end of a series. Now, I’m not talking about a creative change and renumbering since that’s completely different, but when a creator really leaves their mark on a story the series should end, it should breath and then continue anew.

Though I will miss reading Hexed every month, I’m glad that it’s come to a rewarding and satisfying conclusion. I wish more series would follow its example. If you missed out on Hexed, then do yourself a favor and pick it up. Back issues, digital, trade, whatever the case check out one of the best books of last year and this year.

Score: 5/5

Hexed #12 Writer: Michael Alan Nelson Artist: Dan Mora Colorist: Gabriel Cassata Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: The Fiction #3

The Fiction has such beauty to it. The way each panel flows together is quite creative. In the very beginning, we see Kassie falling through the sky and although words can flow together so easily, with the stiffness of non-moving pictures, it can be hard to emulate this flow with pictures. But somehow David Rubin and Michael Garland do just that. The art creates movement within the storyline, so your eyes are just satisfied as your reading. The colors are rich to give everything that extra shove. I love playing with fantasy because then the colors can really come alive. Garland creates this dream world with such passion and then when we bounce back to reality, the colors are dull and uninviting. So the colors create a story alone. It is awesome. Just look at the cover art. Like seriously dude, it explodes off of the page. If that doesn’t intrigue your eyes, I don’t know what will. The-Ficition-#3After only three issue, you can see a common theme happening in all three issues. We jump from time period to time period. Honestly we don’t know much about these characters. We know more plot based situations but what happen to this characters through the years after Tsang went missing is all being unfolded slowly through flashbacks. No issue has given more background than this one! I have to say that it isn’t a surprise what happens. It is sort of what I expected from Kassie’s story. And as far as what happened to Tsang, again it isn’t a big surprise. But don’t take that as a cue not to read this issue. The comic doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining the past, because I think he knows that it isn’t a big surprise. What Pires does spend a lot of time on is telling a story much larger than these people. You get small hints about it, like the parents of these kids being suspicious, but Pires gives us the most hints yet. I’m not exactly sure what it all means, but I am interested in it.

What I am coming to realize about Curt Pires is that his writing has a good revealing yet secretive balance. Some writers give everything away, others make it too complicated, but Pires gives the reader exactly what they need to stay hooked and stay wondering. After issues one and two, I wasn’t sure where everything was going. Throwing this issue out as number three couldn’t have been more perfect. It makes more sense and it even makes me want to reread the last couple of issues to put more clues together.

In conclusion, I have no complaints about this newest issue. The art is gorgeous and the writing is unfolding smoothly. The way that both of these work together shows that this comic has a clear understanding of where it is going now. I look forward to seeing how Kassie, and her gang take on this dream world and the purpose behind it all.

Score: 4/5

The Fiction #3 Writer: Curt Pires Artist: David Rubin Colorist: Michael Garland Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: Rai #9

Rai has returned. I have to admire Valiant’s commitment to keeping Clayton Crain on the series and waiting for the delays in-between storylines in order to keep him on and fans happy. It’s interesting and I wonder if it works for the sales. I hope so because then maybe more series would do it. I know of a few series that it works for over at Image so it’s good to see other publishers trying it. As for the story. We pick up after the revolt of the last issue. Things didn’t go well. A new Rai was introduced and he’s way badass… he’s also inhabited by Father himself. Say what! That right there was cool enough for me. We find all of our players (minus Silk) down and out and trying to pick themselves up after Rai’s fall. Luna and the Geomancer are hiding out and we receive some wonderful character development for Luna. Psylocke is being interrogated by Father and there’s a nice reveal about his old cartoon series that’s been mentioned previously. Momo and Izak continue their battle, but they might be in some hot water after Izak’s brash actions. And Rai… well he’s alive… for now.

Rai #9Overall it’s a solid issue. It acts like a first issue because it recaps everything you need to know and reintroduces us to the world and the characters. We know the conflict, we know who is attempting to stop it and who the villain is. For readers that have been with the series from the first issue, well it’s a little dull at times. Matt Kindt manages to avoid huge info dumps, but the overall plot inches forward by the end of the issue. We’re not much further than when we left the eighth issue. Still, he’s balancing a huge cast of characters quite well. The book may be titled Rai, but it’s not just his book. That’s something that Kindt has been carefully constructing from the beginning. After all, this book is taking place in the future of the Valiant U. It’s a book starring the Universe as much as it’s starring Rai.

I enjoy Clayton Crain’s artwork well enough. I don’t think there will ever be a point that I love it, but after nine issues I’m at peace with it. I would love to see another artist take on this world and characters, but at the same time I respect that these two creators are continuing together. There’s something really great about that in the modern comic industry. An industry that no longer makes a big deal about an artist being attached to a series because it’ll change in four to six months. Crain and Kindt have kept a very tight consistency and I can understand that a lot of people really love that about this series.

There are a lot of great little moments, but overall this issue was missing the big hook. I mean Father as the new Rai is sweet and all, but we still want to see the main guy and he’s barely in the issue. Then just when his part is getting good… we’re out! This has been typical of this series so I wasn’t surprised, but yeah I wanted more. I’m glad the book is back and I think this is a great refresher issue for new readers and current readers that may have forgotten where we left off, but now that it’s out of the way, let’s kick it into high gear again.

Score: 3/5

Rai #9 Writer: Matt Kindt Artist: Clayton Crain Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: Burning Fields #7

The oddest bit about Burning Fields is that it avoids the problem I typically have with comics that take place within a small amount of time. Ordinarily, these comics start to feel unbelievable due to the amount of emotional progress characters make in seemingly just a few days. It’s the emotional equivalent of an action movie training montage that transforms a schlub into a kickass hero in the allotted time between challenge and combat. In the case of Burning Fields, I was slightly concerned with the development of Dana and Aban’s relationship over the course of what appears to be just a few days at most in the comic. However, this issue assured me that amid all the horror and capitalist gore, the comics creators ensure that the stakes for Dana and Aban are apparent and grounded, crafting a complex character dynamic that never feels forced into sentimentality in spite of the revelations this issue. Fighting off Decker’s undead, Dana and Aban manage to make it through the hoard they found themselves in at the end of the last issue after following a Carapace crew out to the desert in the hopes of stopping an impending attack. The two detectives, with the assistance of one of Aban’s former Brotherhood members, determine that Decker hopes to conduct a ritual at the Surge oil field that will resurrect an evil that will bring about the apocalypse. Aban, knowing that his family is now in danger, sends his wife and son to a safe place and Dana promises her that she will ensure Aban’s safe return. While the two wait for their final assault on Decker, Dana ends up confiding in Aban the reason for her departure from Chicago, a reason that took me by surprise while at the Carapace oil field Decker carries out his master’s final preparations.

Writers Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel impressively maintain Decker’s persona as an intimidating force in spite of his turn as a hand of demonic forces. Rather than becoming a mere mindless brute, Decker has added supernatural strength and durability to his already existing capacity for cruelty. He stands out as one of this year’s most interesting villains due to his willingness to even sacrifice those loyal to him in order to achieve his ends. In one instance, he squashes the head of an already dying underling and later tops that with an action that had me turn my head in disgust only to look back and marvel at the gore’s artistry. In addition to his actions, Colin Lorimer illustrates Decker as a truly eerie figure through intricate tattoo designs and glowing light blue eyes, which give greater weight to his callous demands throughout the issue.

Burning-Fields-#7Dana’s revelation this issue about her past in Chicago gets handled with deft precision in a flashback colored in only blues and blacks. Colorist Joana Lafuente work in these few page provide the memory with the opposite of nostalgia, evoking a sense of regret as events in the past escalate. What makes this scene work especially well is that it does more than merely inform Aban, and the reader by proxy, about an important moment in Dana’s life, it also further deepens the friendship between the two. Since the incident, Dana has felt as though her actions have been mostly motivated by hate rather than the love she recognizes in Aban, a feeling Aban tells Dana inaccurately represents her. Aban assures Dana that he does not think any differently about her because she acted in keeping with her principles. Moreci and Daniel’s focus on these dialogue-driven scenes keep me engaged with the fate of both characters, and the two writers do a great job of depicting the growth of a Platonic relationship amid a supernatural horror tale.

My only quibble about this issue is that some of the early pages set in the desert were too dark for me to get a sense of what was going on. On one page I was confused about whether a few thick black lines connected to a car were some sort of supernatural force, mangled metal, or simply speed lines. The result is that Aban and Dana’s escape ended up less impressive than it probably ought to have been. Granted, I read this issue on a first generation iPad, so maybe that screwed up my ability to appreciate Lorimer and LaFuente’s work.

Burning Fields comes to an end next month. While I’m excited to see how the team wraps up their work on this comic, I’m definitely bummed to see it go. A comic that I picked up on a whim, Burning Fields has been the surprise standout of the year due to a creative team that’s on top of all their respective games. If you’ve been bemoaning the lack of original comic properties, you shouldn’t wait for the trade on this one. Pick up those back issues today, and get to it post haste.

Score: 4/5

Burning Fields #7 Writers: Michael Moreci & Tim Daniel Artist: Colin Lorimer Colorist: Joana Lafuente Letterer: Jim Campbell Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: Book of Death: Legends of the Geomancer #2

With its second issue, Legends of the Geomancer continues to be an entertaining series, but fails to gain must-read status thanks to a bland cast of characters and a story with a general lack of intensity. Indeed, by naming the lead female Anni and the lead male Padda, writer Fred Van Lente has made it blindingly obvious who these characters are to every reader with a general knowledge of the Valiant Universe. As a result of this background knowledge of the significance these characters have, there is little excitement that comes with seeing them in peril as there is not a shred of doubt that they’ll get through it in the end. While this guarantee of safety is something that could also be attached to practically every major super-hero comic-book being published today, it’s a particularly glaring problem in Legends of the Geomancer as the characters alone simply aren’t interesting enough to hold your attention for long. Anni is tough, Padda is honourable, and new character Snake is seemingly little more than a less interesting version of Tyrion Lannister. That’s about all the characterisation we’ve had in this series thus far, meaning our investment in these characters is minimal and the budding romance between Anni and Padda feels both forced and rushed; the latter of which I can understand given that Van Lente has only been given a four issue mini-series to explore this story. That’s not to say this series has nothing going for it whatsoever; the story – while definitely flawed – does have entertaining moments, with a last page twist in this issue proving to be particularly memorable. Additionally, judging from the cover to the next issue (shown at the end of this one), issue three of this series will likely see events flash forward to the present day, a change-up that could inject some new life into this book before it wraps up. However, as we all learnt from the first issue of this series, covers to comic-books can be very deceiving so it would be unwise to put all our eggs in that basket.

Legends of the Geomancer #2The artwork in this book continues to be its strongest element, with Juan José Ryp and Jordie Bellaire proving to be something of a dream team. The vast landscape shots of Anni’s desolate environment are quite breathtaking, while the fight sequence that opens the book is brutal, and gives us a great sense of the world that these characters live in. If one thing comes out of the wake of this book, I would hope it to be the placement of Ryp and Bellaire on a more high-profile book as their work deserves far greater exposure.

Frankly, given that Valiant are using this book as an incentive for retailers to order the main Book of Death series, I had hoped for something a little more impressive. Instead what we have is a solid mini-series that certainly has moments of greatness, but is ultimately bogged down by boring characters and a somewhat predictable storyline. While this series hasn’t tainted the Geomancer in the same way that the Star Wars prequels arguably ruined the character of Darth Vader, it’s questionable just how much memorable material it’s adding to the character’s mythos and indeed whether this series needed to be made at all.

Score: 3/5

Book of Death: Legends of the Geomancer #2 Writer: Fred Van Lente Artist: Juan José Ryp Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Format: Mini-Series; Print

Review: Power Up #2

Power Up had such good start that it would be hard to put this mini-series down. With such a unique cast of characters, it is becoming one of my favorite superhero teams. The second issue doesn’t slack off at all, so everything compliment given in my first review will probably be amplified in this second review. We start with our main character, Amie, and her coming to the realization that seeing a crazy demon ghost thing could actually have been real, which it was btw. But nobody else was there to see it... well Silas was, but he is a fish. Probably isn’t the greatest comfort knowing that a fish is your only witness, but then again this is Amie we are talking about. She is a quirky girl and it is all the more reason to fall in love with her. Amie’s reaction to the whole event is great and is probably what any person would do under the circumstances, so I give kudos to Kate Leth for making Amie relatable. I talk about this a lot when writing reviews, but it is just so damn important to give your main character some spice but also to make them real. So although Amie carries her pet fish around with her, you still relate because you wish you could do that same.

PowerUp-#2-1What surprises me every single look through this comic though, is it’s so freaking cute. Matt Cummings can draw the hell out of cute characters. Every emotion is exaggerated but Cummings is one of very few artists that can give characters’ bug eyes and still get an “awwww” from their audience. And don’t even get me started on Silas. I mean any fish with that can look so cool fighting crime is a pretty cool fish in my book. And then he can put this husky construction man into a scandalous costume to chop aliens in half. Oh and make aliens being chopped in half look adorable too. Cummings has everything going for him in this comic. The list goes on and on.

Everything isn’t coming together for this comic because it was already there to begin with. The comic is incredibly funny with the dialogue between characters. Amie, being a little clueless, gives for great conversations between her and the other established heroes. And let’s not forget about Sandy who, Spoiler Alert, has a batmobile for the gang that consists of a mini-van. Then while Amie tries to discover her powers, the others are coming together to help her figure it out. The comic is just well balanced all around with its light banter. I can’t wait for issue #3, and soon fans will see why Power Up is growing so quickly. It will make you fall in the love superhero groups once again, and also make you want your very own goldfish hero!

Score: 4/5

Power Up #2 Writer: Kate Leth Artist: Matt Cummings Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: Ivar, Timewalker #8

I recently took a break from Ivar, Timewalker, and having finally caught up over the last few days I have to say I was missing out – and if you’re not reading this series, then I’m sorry to say that you are too. This issue is the culmination of Fred van Lente’s four-issue "Breaking History" arc, and so perhaps isn’t a fantastic place for people to start reading, but if you’ve been following this series from the beginning then rest assured this is another fantastic installment. The ongoing battle against future Neela and her Prometheans continues, but if you were hoping for a neatly wrapped up conclusion then unfortunately you’re out of luck. To say this issue has an open ending would be something of an understatement, but personally I’m happy to see Van Lente taking his time with this story. It’s clear that he’s trying to tell a tale that is grand in scope and so to rush it would be unwise, likely leaving us with a sub-par comic-book. Ivar Timewalker #8Besides, while this plot-thread has been running since the first issue, each installment of this series flows so well that the story has not once felt stagnant or overly drawn out. Part of that is down to Van Lente’s knack for being able to keep things feeling fun, while at the same time not undermining the high stakes and drama that this story brings with it. That can be put down to some excellent characterisation, with Ivar and Neela proving to be two of the most interesting double-acts in comics at the moment. I have also really enjoyed seeing Van Lente unpack the rocky relationship between the three immortal brothers Ivar, Gilad, and Aram, whose near-constant bickering is not only entertaining thanks to some sharp dialogue, but also makes these many-thousand year-old characters feel very real and very human.

Van Lente’s story continues to be packed with twists (I don’t know how the guy keeps coming up with them), and his story finds room for drama, comedy, romance and action – basically, everything you could ask for in a comic-book. All this is brought to life on the page by artist Francis Portela and colorist Andrew Dalhouse, who give this book its energetic look and feel while also playing a crucial role in ensuring Van Lente’s jokes land on target, mastering the subtleties of Ivar and co’s facial expressions and body language.

With issue eight, Ivar, Timewalker continues to be not only one of Valiant’s best books, but also one of the best comics I’m reading right now. It’s fast-paced fun, with a memorable cast of characters and a story that leaves you wanting more month after month.

Score: 5/5

Ivar, Timewalker #8  Writer: Fred Van Lente Artist: Francis Portela Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: Young Terrorists #1

Unlike my CBMFP co-host, I really enjoyed Young Terrorists #1. Now that doesn’t mean that this first issue is perfect, but the overall product was enjoyable. It’s a story that really works as a comic and would probably be mangled if adapted into another medium. Again, as a comic, it’s very comic booky and that’s okay. That’s not a slam in my book. I get this out of the way, the story suffers from pacing problems. Which is strange considering this first issue is like 80 pages or something. That’s the thing though, it feels like three issues in one, but because they’re being read together it feels clunky and awkward. The first third of the comic really grabbed me and kept me interested. The second third, not so much. It was a harsh shift and I really wondered if everything we were seeing and learning about the character was actually important to his journey and to the plot. The answer? Probably not. The issue brings it all back home with the third part which had its cheesy moments, but overall I really enjoyed it and liked the stage that it set up.

Now that you know the break down, here’s a quick rundown of all three sections.

The beginning of the issue has a wonderful sequence of fast moving events in which we see a kidnapped child grow up to be a terrorist and take out a target. We then follow the target’s daughter Sera as she’s basically framed for her father’s death. From there she’s taken to an off grid government site and beaten and tortured to get answers about her brother. She becomes hardened by this and eventually takes to naked blind fighting against other prisoners until she can escape.

Young Terrorists #1With the second chapter we meet a new character that’s on the run from something. We don’t find out until the third act and it’s frankly underwhelming. Caser as he’s known to us, is hitchhiking. He makes some bad decisions and eventually gets picked up by one of Sera’s people. Why he’s important… no idea. He just seems like some dude who upholds some morals and not others.

The third act brings these two characters together as we see what’s become of Sera since prison. She’s running her own society off the grid. She’s also a cage fighter whose fights are streamed on the internet. The passwords to the fight are guarded and if someone gets one it usually draws a crowd. We follow this crowd for a while as we slowly introduce Caser to Sera’s world.

Like I said there’s somethings that don’t help the story and others that do. Caser at this point felt like a big “huh?” rather than a character contributing to the plot. The only thing that he accomplishes is forcing Sera to explain her world to us. That’s it and I imagine we didn’t need to spend so much time with him in order to get her to do that. Otherwise, I enjoyed the characters and look forward to more. Although I would avoid the underground news segments because they were too long and info dumpy and not in a good way.

The art is solid. I enjoyed Amancay Nahuelpan’s artwork. It was dynamic and used the gutters to progress the story at the right time. It was like cutting on a transition at times which saved a lot of excess panels. Really this story would sink if it didn’t have Nahuelpan’s artwork attached to it. There’s just something about the thick line work and fierce action that works for the story.

A lot of the art’s success goes to colorist Jean-Paul Csuka. Csuka’s coloring reminds me a lot of another Black Mask title Liberator. The color makes the world come across as dark and gritty. There’s a lot of yellow and purple hues used and it really gives the book a unique look. Csuka also helps sell the explosions that happen throughout the story as well.

I applaud the creative team for wanting this issue to move and develop at its own pace. That’s why the issue is so big and that’s why it’s very comic booky. Does it work? Not fully, but at least there’s a publisher willing to take a chance on trying something new. Maybe they’re work the kinks out and this will become a successful formula for other creators.

Now, I know that I pointed out a lot of negatives to this book, but that’s only because I want to see it grow and improve. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It’s very entertaining and even though it’s very lengthy, you’ll want to keep reading more. That’s the sign of a good issue in my opinion.

Score: 3/5

Young Terrorists #1 Writer: Matt Pizzolo Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan Colorist: Jean-Paul Csuka Publisher: Black Mask Studios Price: $6.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Print

Review: Welcome Back #1

Written by guest contributor Lance Lambert

When I saw that Christopher Sebela had another comic in the works I was stoked. I have been reading Dead Letters since its release and High Crimes was one of my favorite comics that I had the chance to read this year. It’s not only Sebela’s writing that tends to turn heads, he manages to have wonderful artists along for the ride with Chris Visions’ eccentric style in Dead Letters and Ibrahim Moustafa’s exceptional work in High Crimes. Now we have Welcome Back with Sebela and Jonathan Brandon Sawyer. Sawyer is the artist for another recent release on Black Mask Studios called Critical Hit. There’s no mystery here, Sawyer is damn good. Now that I’ve spent a lot of time talking about how great their previous works are I should probably get to Welcome Back #1.

Welcome Back starts with a girl named Mali. Not far from reality she’s stuck in a rut that most of us can relate to, struggling to find a job, no feeling of purpose, and disconnected from most of the outside world except for her dog. I forgot to add she’s also the step daughter of a late serial killer. So maybe you can’t relate to all of her struggles and hopefully not the latter, but there’s something that connects us all to Mali. As far as the serial killer step dad goes, she can’t escape fan mail, sympathies, and all the rest of the disgusting results of a shock entertainment/celebrity culture.

Only a couple pages into the story and Sebela has already connected me to the world and the character. That’s how the first half of the comic continues to unfold. We see Mali in her most vulnerable and open moments, her daily routine. Is it mundane, no way its great writing, writing that has you involved with the character before shit really hits the fan. There’s plenty more to praise, but it all comes back to Sebela writing a personable character, he even throws modern punk bands, like Mammoth Grinder in the dialogue, giving that little touch of connection.

During all of this, the story shifts back and forth to another character, a kick ass agent named Tessa. Tessa’s role in the story is slowly reveals the main concept all the while Mali is figuring it out herself. We come to find out that they are stuck in the cycle of reincarnation. An eastern philosophy that we are all trapped in until we recognize that we are apart the cycle. Most of the characters have no clue, but as things get tough for Mali she starts to remember her past. But her past consist of hundreds of different lives she has lived. Then we have the real interesting stuff, Tessa and Mali are stuck in this constant realm of existence as soldiers whose purpose is to kill each other. These soldiers are called sequels. These sequels have to have a revelation of understanding almost as if they are sleeper agents in the war of reincarnation.

Mali suddenly awakens and becomes a girl no one should want to mess with. When this was finally brought to light I instantly was hooked. My only complaint is during this constant change of narrative, I was lost and had a hard time figuring all of it out. However, through re-reading a couple panels I was caught back up. Even though this was somewhat tedious, Sebela is working with an intricate concept. As readers, it’s good to have a challenge, something to work for. Sebela’s previous works, like Dead Letters, was much of the same challenge. In the end I felt rewarded and even more invested.

Welcome-Back-#1The finale of the first issue leaves a lot unanswered. The reader has no clue why either of the characters are constantly at war with each other. Here’s the catch neither do the characters. Life is a confusing game and outside of the fantasy of sequels at war with each other, we can all relate with not knowing what the hell we are working for. It’s a really beautiful connection between the writer, readers and characters. I may not know Sebela’s ideologies but through his writing I see that he’s right beside us in this search for understanding.

There’s just as much to say and praise with Sawyer’s art. I have never seen Sawyers art until Welcome Back. The first couple pages of introduction are exciting, clean, and effective. They are also full of gore and I have to be honest that is always a hook for me. Because of such a solid introduction, I ended up scanning the entire book for the art before even reading. I really enjoy the way he draws his characters and especially Mali. Emotions are clearly expressed through their movement and facial expressions. The way he draws faces as well as their reactions is really fun and happens to be some of the most enjoyable art I’ve seen in a while. It’s just damn good.

That goes for his movement with the panels as well. One of my favorite scenes is the dream sequence, where Mali is caught in another nightmare of what we later find is her past life. In this moment it is the lack of panels, as he steps outside of them and shows a dark encounter that really excites the reader and brings the essence of a dream to the page. Without panels the scene is thrown together in one glimpse much like the feeling of recollecting a dream you’ve had the night before. The action scenes later on with Tessa infiltrating a villa and also Mali’s fight with another sequel, are fun and full of kick ass transitions. To see a name that, I was unfamiliar with and finish the book with Sawyer being potentially a new favorite artist was exciting to say the least. I can’t wait to see more in the future.

Almost everything about this book is fucking fantastic. Other than a couple areas where the narrative became difficult to follow, the writing is phenomenal. Sebela continues to impress and Welcome Back shows that he’s only improving his craft. If that’s not enough Sawyer’s art is by far some of the best, I’ve seen recently. There is a lot left in this story and it would be a mistake to not join the ride. I know I am on board and more than ready to see where they take us. When you hit the shop this week make sure to grab a copy and one for a friend. If you don’t have friends like Mali and myself, get one for your dog. Dogs enjoy good comics too.

Score: 5/5

Welcome Back #1 Writer: Christopher Sebela Artist: Jonathan Brandon Sawyer Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Mini-Series, Print/Digital

Dual Review: Book of Death #2

Valiant’s summer event continues in Book of Death #2! We’re down to just two reviewers on this issue so let’s get a quick summary of the issue from Valiant and then dive into reviews:

You ain't seen nothing until the Eternal Warrior squares with his former allies in Unity next Wednesday in BOOK OF DEATH #2 (of 4) by Valiant masters Robert Venditti, Robert Gill, and Doug Braithwaite! Get ready to see the Eternal Warrior unchained for the very first time...and then steal another glimpse of the definitive future of the Valiant Universe with another flash-forward from the Book of the Geomancer!

BOD_002_COVER-A_NORDDAVID: 4/5

Book of Death continues to impress with this second issue which – while not quite as good as the first in my opinion – is still a darn good read. My biggest problem with this issue is that it is comprised mostly of a fight scene, the stand-off between the Eternal Warrior and his former allies Unity. I found it quite jarring how quickly the team turned against one of their founding members, especially when said member is undeniably the foremost expert on Geomancer’s in the entire Valiant Universe.

The fight itself is entertaining and for the most part easy to follow, but at times was illustrated a little confusingly; for example, one panel appears to depict Gilad’s axe cutting X-O Manowar’s hand off but evidently this never actually happens. Aside from nitpicky errors however, I actually found the art to be stronger here than in the first issue with both Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite really bringing their A-game.

The final page reveal of this series’ true villain was an interesting surprise and leaves me optimistic that this book could be one of the strongest event comics we’ve seen since… well… Robert Venditti’s last Valiant event, 2014’s Armor Hunters. Indeed, the Valiant Universe is seemingly the place to be for those who like their super-hero comics of a consistently high quality.

DUSTIN: 3/5

BOD_002_VARIANT_PEREZI probably would have enjoyed this issue more if the series villain wasn’t spoiled for me by Valiant’s own press release. That was a bit of a bummer because it was a great reveal and actually grabbed my attention.

This issue though is pretty good. It’s a bit like Batman taking down the Justice League in that we see the Eternal Warrior take down each member of his team. Let me just say that I haven’t really liked the Eternal Warrior all that much. He’s okay, but now he’s actually pretty bad ass. I wish that this side of him was shown more because he kind of comes off like a smash first ask questions later type of guy most of the time. This issue and the last issue of Unity have shown a different side that I’m really liking. The battle was good. The story progresses and overall I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t amazed by it.

Starting off with Robert Gill’s artwork was a bit of a shocker. I expected to see Doug Braithwaite’s art to start off just like the first issue, but I guess not. The art is still solid, but I’m not really confident that these two art styles should be in the same issue. Gill and Braithwaite are just two different talents and while both are good in their own respects, together you begin to compare things that you shouldn’t. Didn’t hate the art, but I wasn’t pleased by it either.

Overall, it was still an enjoyable issue and far better than any other event book I’ve read this summer from any other publisher (big or small).

Book of Death #2 Writer: Robert Venditti Artists: Robert Gill with Doug Braithwaite Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: 2000 AD - Prog 1944

The Alienist premiers as Outlier and Jaegir come to a close. I finally took this week to rant about Henry Flint at length elsewhere, so let's talk a bit about some of the other series in the Progs before I change my mind.

Helium gives me a mix of feelings at this point: the comic isn't leaving many stones unturned in its storytelling.  If a character so much as opens a door, you bet your ass it’s in the comic.  Edginton is feeding D'Israeli a very carefully curated selection of shots and the result is a very sound sequential narrative.  The upshot of that is that Helium can feel like it's dragging, even when the story is going through necessary steps.  Part of the problem seems to be that taking the time to present places and events in the story this carefully doesn't benefit from only a handful of pages every week.  Hence the mix of feelings: Helium has been suffering the last few weeks because I want more of it!

2000-AD-Prog-1944I've talked at some length about the writing team of Rennie and Beeby before: they worked on a series called Survival Geeks which premiered its first full arc in Prog 1918.  I loved the first run on the series mostly because of Rennie and Beeby's pairing with artist Neil Googe.  The entire team demonstrated a great sense of comedic timing.  The Alienist, from the same writing team but with artist Eoin Coveney, began this week and opts for old-people horror instead of teenage comedy.

The jury's out until we see our hero Sebastian Wetheral in action in a chapter that isn't just setting things up, but as far as a first chapter goes in terms of setting the tone, I thought this was a success.  Coveney's black-and-white horror styling is a welcome replacement for the recent departure of Absalom, yet again showing the great sense that these editors have for putting together an anthology and maintaining its balance.  I'm excited to see more of this series, and hope to see Coveney really strut his stuff once the shit really hits the fan.

Score: 4/5

2000 AD – Prog 1944 Writers: Various Artists: Various Publisher: 2000 AD Price: £1.99 (Digital) £2.49 Release Date: 8/19/2015 Format: Weekly; Print/Digital

 

Review: Archie #2

A month after #thelipstickincident got people talking about Archie again, Mark Waid and Fiona Staples are back with the follow-up to their stellar premiere. This time around relying on slapstick for quite of a bit of its laughs, we’re at last provided a glimpse to Veronica, potentially setting up a new take on one of the longest going love triangles. After mostly getting over each other, Archie and Betty spend this issue trying to go on with the inanities and high stakes drama of high school. Archie scores another in a long line of disastrous after school jobs, and works construction at the new land development in town, a situation his friends predict can only lead to physical injury for their red-haired friend. Meanwhile, Betty tells a guy to shove off after he makes a move on her during a video game session in her room, and prepares for her birthday party despite the frustration she has at feeling pressured playing the part of a high school girl. As predicted, things go just as awry as they possibly can on the construction site, leaving Archie at a loss about how he can afford his car’s repairs.

Waid manages with this issue to tell a story in the classic Archie style while never appearing either dated or concerned with capturing the teen cultural zeitgeist. There’s nary a mention of social networking, or real world pop culture, both shortcuts creators use to give the impression of familiarity with current cultural trends when working on a book focused on young adults. Essentially, Waid tells a story that’s just at home in the 1940’s as it would be in 2015 (an idea reinforced by the Classic Archie backup Waid again includes this issue). What makes it current are Waid’s tweaks to the formula, such as making Betty an unabashed gearhead formerly responsible for keeping Archie’s car in working order and solidifying Archie’s status as an endearing everyman by way of fourth wall breaking narration that never feels tedious.

Archie #2Like the first issue, this one doesn’t give us much insight into other students attending Riverdale High. There’s a brief exchange between Archie’s friends as they determine how best to go about preventing Archie from maiming himself or others at the construction site, but they’re left behind once shenanigans ensue. Despite their brief appearances though, Waid does a great job at giving them distinctive voices, which I hope he gives greater attention to in future issues. I was a big fan of Jughead’s characterization in the first issue, and I’m glad that we get a bit of background on this version of the character at the beginning of this one. Jughead’s past as a silver spoon kid makes him an even more likable character given his optimistic and zen-like attitude towards all things, and artist Fiona Staples illustrates him with a gangly grace that makes his trademark crown anything but silly. He doesn’t appear again following those pages, but thankfully I’ll soon be able to get my Jughead fix once Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson get going on their Jughead title in October.

Lacking the sci-fi madness of Saga, Fiona Staples channels her impressive talents into making Riverdale and its teenage residents simultaneously gorgeous and believable. I was really taken with her depiction of Betty who in this issue attempts ‘dress like a girl’ for her birthday party. Both after and prior to her makeover Betty is an obviously attractive person, and the makeover scene highlights  just how daunting, and at times painful, such an overhaul can be. Staples has now sufficiently convinced me of the dangers a flat-iron and subverts the Pretty Woman take on the reveal scene, zooming into a made-up Betty’s face that’s flustered with her well-made hair and artificial nails. It’s a great few pages that ensure readers recognize Betty as someone other than Archie’s love interest, and I hope Staples and Waid maintain that characterization as Veronica enters the fold next issue.

I’m wary of the hype machine when it comes to reading comics, and it’s been a while since I’ve read anything regarding teenagers that I’ve enjoyed without cringing at the memories it evokes. Yet Waid and Staples craft a Riverdale that’s fun to visit even as it lacks the sort of deep philosophical or moral questions expected of important comic book titles. For both the jaded and newcomers, this new take on Archie offers an enjoyable respite that doesn’t feel the least bit cheesy. And you know once Veronica makes her proper appearance, shit is gonna go down.

Score: 3/5

Archie #2 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Fiona Staples Publisher: Archie Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital

Review: Wolf #2

With the first issue of Wolf it was like playing on a see-saw. The issue would hit high, then low and back and forth all the way until the end of the issue. Apparently I was the bigger kid on the see-saw and there ended up being more low moments than high. With the second issue we find the book setting on what’s considered a normal page count for the industry or at the very least the page count in which you can profit from the work. The issue itself is lackluster because all it does is continue scenes from the first issue. Scenes that weren’t introduced until the second or third act making me wonder why Ales Kot decided to divide the scenes into two issues.

Remember the vampires? Well Kot decided to pick up with that part which is anti-climactic. The scene basically exists to point out something that few to zero people have ever thought about when it comes to vampires and to establish the Cusp Agreements for the city. I’m not going to spoil the scene, but it was honestly really dumb. It was childish in a way and I feel is there only to gross out male readers and make them act immature. As a married man that’s had a few girlfriends and understand that biology has made us differently and that basically everyone is gross when you think about it… I found the scene to be stupid. It was the dumbest thing I’ve read in a comic since Batgirl’s computer consensus was her enemy… and the consensus knew it was a computer… this is dumber.

The other part of the story is spent with the anti-Christ or Anita Christ. She even knows that she’s basically the anti-Christ and they spend some time talking about the name. Nothing really moves forward with this story other than establishing that her dead “Grandmother” is giving her guidance and that she can’t trust the police. Really who can? Who can? We don’t learn what she’s running from, but I’m going to guess that Wolfe Wolf (still hate that fucking name, you should have just named the book “Wolfe”) will put a bullet between her eyes by the end of the story.

Wolf 2The art is still the best part of this book, but that’s not saying much. As someone who knows he struggles illustrating noses, I will say that these are some of the worst noses I’ve seen in comics. In one scene with Anita it’s basically a Picasso nose because the angle makes no sense for a straight on profile like we’re given. Other than that I didn’t mind the art. I almost feel sorry for it being attached to this story.

One of my problems with this series is that the back cover gives you more information than the actual story within. Here it is just case you missed it:

Antoine Wolfe, a hard-boiled paranormal detective with a death wish, has to cope with sudden responsibility for an orphaned teenage girl who might be the key to the impending apocalypse, California-style. Also featured: a bag full of cash, a serial killer on the loose, and many secrets.

…what?

What fucking book is that? That sounds great!?! This is not that book. I don’t recall seeing a bag of cash, a serial killer and the secrets seem to be loose story treads that aren’t given any context. That’s called a cliffhanger not a secret, but whatever. Also “California-style”? Really? I could probably write an entire review on how this is nothing like California with the exception of a googled reference here and there. I’m getting sick of comic book writers that visit Hollywood to sell a script and find inspiration from the cliché’s that every local loves to spout off to impress visitors and then they go back and write uninspired bullshit.

My last gripe, “hard-boiled paranormal detective.” I would maybe save that until we see that A) he’s actually hard-boiled and B) actually detected anything. So far he’s taken a case from a racist and done nothing but bring that up. He hasn’t detected anything and things just seem to land in his lap. As for “hard-boiled” he’s more of a smartass and again Cal McDonald did it first and better.

The chances of me reviewing the next issue of Wolf or Wolfe are very slim. I didn’t enjoy this issue at all and it basically ruins anything I might have liked from the first issue. I’ll still check out the issue just on the off chance that it does something, but now I’m seeing how predictable and researched this entire story is and it’s not interesting. The main character has his head way up his ass proving he’s cool rather than doing anything and the plot is just hanging back letting him do his thing. With this issue it’s the equivalent of four issues doing nothing so if the next one can move the plot forward, so be it, but if not then I’m not a glutton for punishment and will gladly dump this title.

Score: 2/5

Wolf #2 Writer: Ales Kot Artist: Matt Taylor Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: Rick and Morty #5

Continuing with the one-issue stories, Rick and Morty #5 is, unfortunately, yet another demonstration of why you should probably just watch the show. As I've harped on so far in these reviews, the straight-laced, storyboard-esque style that the creators have opted for with the Rick and Morty comic does not lend itself well to drawn-out stories.  I was relieved when the fourth issue moved to a one-shot story structure that didn't rest on a broader arc.

But issue #5 proved that even the one-shot formula isn't without its limits.  The premise of this issue is that Morty is at summer camp, but that not everything is as it seems.  Events happen from place to place with what appear to be awkward time-skips in between certain pages and panels.

Rick and Morty #5The awkwardness of the flow of time in the issue is only signaled by Morty looking around and wondering what's going on; but, this is intensely awkward because his puzzlement is, in a couple of instances, the only thing which seems awkward.  By their very nature, panels in comics carve up time in a fragmented way.  The creators have to put in extra work to make the time hop from one place to the next seem awkward but still work on the page.  That doesn't happen in this issue: Morty essentially tells us that something awkward is happening and it sucks a huge amount of charm out of the driving force of this issue's plot.

The shorter stories at the end of the issue, this one clocking in at four pages, have all been a lot of fun.  If anything, these comics have shown that there is a lot of potential for a short-length, perhaps even Sunday-Funnies-length run of stories featuring these characters.  Since the comic itself isn't exactly bending over backwards to provide a unique visual interpretation of these characters or how to tell their story, just save the longer stories for the damn show.

I've got no problem with the quality of the content of these stories, but with yet another issue making me wish I had the story on my TV screen, I think it's time to pack it in.

Score: 2/5

Rick and Morty #5 Writer: Zac Gorman Artist: CJ Cannon Colorist: Ryan Hill Publisher: Oni Press Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: The Infinite Loop #5

I like The Infinite Loop; I used to love it, but after some time away my love has turned to like. There’s a lot of good in this comic, the drawing style is unique and clean and the characters a drawn wonderfully. It’s a shame there's not more going on in the backgrounds but that would probably confuse the clean aesthetic. The social commentary in this issue is as strong as ever. Sometimes it is implemented well, other times it can feel a bit blunt. This issue implements a young teen anomaly that switches genders at random. This character doesn't like to be defined by one or the other (obviously) and flips out at Ulysses when he asks her questions. I get that he is rooted in old thought processes, so maybe I should have read his tone as more patronising, but to me he just seemed to be asking questions. I get the teens point of not wanting to be identified and put into a group, but how is anyone supposed to understand your situation if you attack them for asking questions?

infiniteLoop05-coverAI was also frustrated by the way Teddy throws him under the bus. Until recently she didn't even know she was a lesbian, but now that she's figured that out she has an air of superiority about all LGBT issues. Ulysses isn't trying to be a dick he's just trying to find out more information.

At least these characters feel real and their emotions seem rooted in reality. I've been in that situation where just trying to understand the situation and talking about it gets you in trouble.

Unlike the two douche-bag characters who don't even seem real. They seem like caricatures that are not very well executed. They are supposed to be grown men and in this issue one soothes the other by offering to get him ice-cream, too which he responds 'pinky swear', urgh! I can't even take their part of the story serious.

I really hope this comic can focus more on the story and less on the agenda as that is when it works best. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story takes us and how Teddy and Ano's relationship evolves over this series.

Score: 3/5

The Infinite Loop #5  Writer: Pierrick Colinet Artist and Colorist: Elsa Charretier Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital