Review: The Spirit #5

Dynamite’s Spirit series by Matt Wagner and Dan Schkade continues its hot streak with this fifth issue, the first in which the titular character takes the spotlight. Indeed, after months of being in whereabouts unknown, The Spirit has returned and in this instalment shows his expertise as a detective by tracking down his allies Ebony and Sammy who have fallen into the clutches of The Octopus – one of The Spirit’s most fearsome villains. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, this is the first Spirit series I’ve ever read and so seeing the vigilante in action is a wholly new experience for me – fortunately, this issue was a lot of fun and so I can understand why this character has endured the test of time. Spirit05-Cov-A-PowellWatching The Spirit piece together the mystery of Sammy and Ebony’s disappearance while striking fear into the hearts of his city’s low-level crooks was very entertaining, especially when so stylishly depicted by Dan Schkade. I’ve said it many times now, but Schkade really is perfectly suited to this book – his charismatic character designs and vibrant environments are a joy to behold, and I continue to appreciate all the little touches Schkade includes. For example, having the title of the book constructed from objects in the opening panels is very creative and I imagine a deceivingly difficult task. The fact that an effort is made to do it each and every issue seems to me a real sign that the people behind this book have a great respect for the character and Will Eisner’s original stories.

Meanwhile, the panel layouts and designs in this book are also very effective at capturing the reader’s attention, with a standout in this issue being a page in which a moving train in the foreground has a direct impact on the dialogue in the background. It’s tough to explain the effect but rest assured it’s clever and inventive, and helps make the reader feel as if they’re a part of this story – not just a disconnected audience watching from afar. Brennan Wagner’s colors are also a vital component in giving this world such a memorable personality and he should also be praised for his work here.

Matt Wagner’s mystery surrounding The Spirit’s disappearance, one that has been unfolding since this series began, seems to be reaching its final stages. I for one cannot wait to find out what exactly happened, and I really hope that this fantastic creative team is kept on for more stories in the future. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you need to be reading The Spirit.

Score: 5/5

The Spirit #5 Writer: Matt Wagner Artist: Dan Schkade Colorist: Brennan Wagner Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Release Date: 11/25/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: Alien Hand Syndrome #1

I feel like I read two different comics when I read Alien Hand Syndrome. One story follows some anthropomorphic animals in a space ship fighting another space ship. Their ship gets so damaged they have to go into stasis while the ship repairs and of course they pick earth to do this on. The other story follows an enhanced human that’s breaking into some secret government faculty trying to steal a device. He comes up against a super solider and they fight for the rest of the issue. I completely understand what I read, I just don’t understand the point of the story. I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot lately, but the only connecting piece to this story is the location and it’s not actually touched upon in this issue. Why do the aliens have to get back home? Why do they have to sleep for thousands of years to make sure that they can get home and would it still matter then? I mean you have to get home, but you can wait that long? Wouldn’t everyone be dead and wouldn’t whatever conflict was happening have ended or changed?

Alien Hand Syndrome #1On the flip side, we’re not told why the thief needs the device he’s stealing. He’s supposed to be our hero, but the first thing we see him doing is stealing and killing. I didn’t root for him. I didn’t root for the guy trying to kill him either, but I think I should have rooted for at least one of them. The worst part? I don’t know what the title has to do with anything. That’s the most confusing part to me. Will it be revealed? Did I miss the reveal because it didn’t make sense to me?

The narration is overkill on this issue. There’s already a lot of dialogue, but then the narration kicks it up a notch. Our thief tells us how clever he is rather than the art showing us. After a few pages it really wares on the nerves and so maybe I zoned out while reading something important. The characters have no depth. They all say pretty much what you’d expect them to say in any given situation. They come across like non-playable characters in a video game rather than flushed out characters that will drive the story.

The art is not for me. It’s actually not that bad, but it’s definitely not a style I like. The animals are kind of creepy looking and I wasn’t a fan of the character designs in general. The book is in all black and white and I will say that it’s the best part of the art. It’s not perfect as some panels are draped in black a bit too much, but it has the most polish for sure. Again though, not for me.

With there being so many indie books to read and check out I don’t really bother with books that don’t grab my attention in a positive way. This story has a lot of work to do in order to catch my attention and so I won’t be back for future issues. There’s just too much to read to spend time on a series that I’m already not enjoying and while that’s pretty harsh it shows how important a first impression is for an indie comic. You hear all the time that people will give this or that Marvel, Image or DC title “X” amount of issues, but with indie books you’re lucky to get two. I applaud the effort, but again, this book isn’t for me and I have to wonder who it is for?

Score: 1/5

Alien Hand Syndrome #1 Creator: Justin Cappello Publisher: Insane Comics Price: $3.25 (P), $1.49 (D) Format: Print/Digital

Review: Zombie Tramp #17

I’ve missed a few issues of Zombie Tramp, but it’s always a series that I like to check in on. It was in a rut for a while where the same thing was happening over and over, but now it’s finally gone back to a storyline it planted seeds for way back in issue 8. Fear not though there is a bit of recap in this issue as Janey remembers that issue. The gist is that a nerd with terrible plans uploaded Janey’s book on the internet and now others are using it. Including some high school mean girls that have an epub version of it. Janey discovers this as they kill a goth girl from their school by using the book. It’s pretty fucked up. Janey decides to go undercover as the deceased girl to stop her book from being used by girls that she would have hated in high school. If you’re a long time reader of the series, you know that high school shaped at least a part of Janey’s tragic past so this should be fairly interesting to see unfold.

Zombie Tramp #17I’m not so sure that Janey won’t use her same magic to get out of this situation, but I’m hopeful that she won’t. It’s possible that this is the set up for her to learn new spells and face challenges in a different way. Because even though I’m digging this direction of her being an anti-hero going around and killing people that are basically the scum of the earth. It’s like the 90s “bad girls”, but with a bit more depth and variety in the stories. Hopefully it won’t get lost in the heaven and hell bit that’s already been teased because then there never seems to be anything else that happens with a series.

It’s not surprising that there’s been an art change on the series. That seems to be how most comics keep their monthlies rolling these days. Victoria Harris joins the book and while I’m not head over heels for her style, it’s an okay match to the series. It really seems to be a touch of all the styles that have been successful on the series and I think with more time I could really grow to like it. It definitely wasn’t as jarring as other artists work on the series.

There’s a new colorist as well. Marcelo Costa joins this issue and my goodness, it makes a world of difference. The book looks vibrant when previously looking flat and dull. The coloring really adds that extra flair to the story that’s been missing in the past. I hope that Costa stays on and is given a chance to grow and manipulate the style of the book.

This is a solid issue. It’s a bit on the average side of the series which is where a lot of the latest issues are falling for me. I still enjoying reading the series, but as a reviewer I’ve basically run out of things to say about it. That is unless the scale tips more one way than the other. Really at this point you probably already know if this book is for you. Yes, it has a lot of fan service, but what’s always set it aside is Janey’s rich personality and her inability to take shit from others.

Score: 3/5

Zombie Tramp #17 Writers: Dan Mendoza, Jason Martin Artist: Victoria Harris Colorist: Marcelo Costa Publisher: Action Lab/Danger Zone Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/25/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: X-O Manowar #42

As fantastic as X-O Manowar is every month, I was going to start taking a break from reviewing this series so consistently. Meaning I was planning on reading and not reviewing this issue. But here we are. So what does that tell you about this issue? It should tell you that it was so fucking good that I made extra time to write a review for it during an otherwise already packed week of reviews. I feel like a broken record sometimes when it comes to Valiant books because of the series I’ve managed to follow and keep up with, they really do get better and better each issue. It makes me feel like a hype man telling you all, “this issue is better than the last” each time, but damnit its true.

In my last review I talked about the intensity. About how political the stress was and that it was almost draining to read. It was great, but it was an issue that you really need to shake off as shit hit the fan. In this issue the shit is hitting the fan. What will Aric do is the question? Which side does he fight for? The people that gave him a home on earth or the people who he freed and bonded with after his slavery?

XO #42The answer is shocking, but it produced one of the best scenes in Robert Venditti’s entire run of X-O Manowar. I wish I could tell you the scene, but if you read it, you’ll know. Maybe in the comments we can have a spoiler discussion because I really do want to talk about it. I just want you all to read it first.

Venditti continues to write masterfully on this series. I don’t know why any comic reader that enjoys superhero titles isn’t reading X-O Manowar, but Venditti is crafting the definitive version of this character. His run on the series is reminds me of Geoff John’s run on Green Lantern or Brian Michael Bendis’ run on Ultimate Spider-man. It’s a run that will leave a huge mark on the character for years to come and if and when he decides to leave, he will leave big shoes to fill.

I can’t even remember how many artists have worked on X-O Manowar. Due to the rotating nature of the artists, which keeps the book flowing monthly so I’m not complaining, I tend to only focus on the current artist. Rafa Sandoval has been a delight on this arc. He’s brought a wonderful balance to the story which has been important since it’s very much a “sides divided” plot line. He captures the rage and intensity of both the Humans and the Vine showing their worst qualities and capturing the fear both sides have. The earth fears aliens while the Vine fear extinction. Sandoval captures that beautifully with his art.

This arc has been a rollercoaster. Things have popped off, but been reigned back. It’s very much like the real world in that sense. Venditti and company capture that perfectly making for an intense and enjoyable superhero comic unlike any other out there. If you’re not reading X-O Manowar, find something to skip this week so you can give this book a chance. You might just find yourself dropping those safe and boring reads in favor of something with some teeth.

Score: 5/5

X-O Manowar #42 Writer: Robert Venditti Artist: Rafa Sandoval Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/25/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

Review: 2000 AD – Prog 1958

Let’s talk Bad Company this week, in an issue where Dredd sputters and this Terror Tale is truly creepy. Dredd had a rare case of being a little overwhelming on the art side.  This title more than most benefits from a clusterfuck of colors and textures, representing the many visual and cultural layers in the Meg.  But the artist still has to have a command over how that gets presented both sequentially and on the page as a whole.  Goddard draws and Brown colors some outstanding set pieces, but even some of the better moments (such as Dredd's arrival and a moment where he gets all up in someone's grill) are made awkward by busy colors.  The problem with the busyness of the colors is that it adds too many contrasting elements on each particular page which, when combined with pencils and inks that are already fairly dense, make the comic a bit of a frustrating read.

2000-AD-Prog-1958-1Bad Company doesn't disappoint this week with its spreads.  I've been quiet about the series since initially praising it upon its return to the Progs, but it's one of the most visually interesting series I've been reading lately.  For one thing, I'm weirdly obsessed with almost any use of halftone these days (halftone refers to the black dots that get crammed together in different spacing to simulate shading).  You still see it once in a while, but often it’s used to explicitly give something a retro tone.  In Bad Company, the halftone augments the aesthetic that Dayglo and McCarthy are going for, rather than being a nod to anything retro.

And what is that aesthetic?  I think the best way to explain it is if you took Liefeld and jammed him together with someone who was more interested in the anatomy of weapons than people, you'd have this style of art.  That's not to say that the weaponry is the star of this series; far from it, in fact.  What makes Bad Company such an interesting read to me is that the designs of the characters are focused on a level of technical detail so angular that the members of Bad Company sort of blend seamlessly into the weapons they carry.  Kano's design is the most obvious example of this, but you can see it in character's like Mad Tommy Churchill as well.  Kano is very Frankenstein's Monster, but they all have aspects of that going on in how they're presented.

Another title I've been quiet about for the last run is Defoe.  At first, I just wasn't that crazy about it.  Zombie's aren't my jam, and the initial layouts were often claustrophobic, making the comic move really slow for me.  Diving in further was hampered by the fact that I had no previous exposure to Defoe, and it's simply the case that some comics come back into the Progs with good jumping on points, and others don't.  Anyway, I really enjoyed this chapter, since the climax at hand is pretty easy to follow even if I hadn't been trudging through the earlier chapters. My biggest problem remains that something about these inks feels overdone to me.  Despite Defoe being a black and white comic, it feels far too black; the comic often comes across as too dark when I'm reading it.  It's possible this is just an odd reading preference I have based on how I read comics, and I’ll see if I have the issue with anything similar, but the manner in which the black dominates the pages makes them feel the exactly opposite of empty, yet in an equally problematic way.

Score: 4/5

2000 AD – Prog 1958 Writers: Various Artists: Various Publisher: Rebellion Price: £1.99 (Digital) £2.55 Release Date: 11/25/15 Format: Weekly; Print/Digital

Review: Blood Feud #2

I’m not entirely sure of the tone for Blood Feud. Is it supposed to be cornball/campy horror or is it supposed to be serious? Sadly, even if you were to tell me definitively that it was one or the other it wouldn’t solve the problem I have because the tone should be coming through on its own. I shouldn’t need an outside source to help confirm it which leaves me stuck in a permanent limbo. Part of me really thinks this is trying to be cornball or campy. I think there’s a difference, but maybe that’s the problem. Maybe writer Cullen Bunn doesn’t feel there’s a difference. Things like one of the characters calling the vampire family “Draculas.” It’s a joke that’s been used before and better, but the character is very serious when he says it. It’s acknowledged as serious when he says it, but how can we really take it serious? Especially after he says it over and over.

Blood Feud #2The bulk of this issue is spent with our two characters from last time fighting the vampire family. It’s a long battle and nothing spectacular happens until the bull shows back up. Which is weird. In the first issue the men were scared by the fact that a bull that big had ran away from something and then here it is… back and pissed off. It’s possible that it’s fear was washed away by the electricity to the nuts, but I don’t know. And again… electrocuting a bull in the testicles is funny, but the book handles it seriously.

The characters are believable. They feel real and fully realized by Bunn. I just wish I knew the tone of the book because it’s clearly failing on some level. If it’s camp, then it’s being too serious the rest of the time. If it’s cornball, then it’s also being too serious, but then not funny enough. And if it’s serious… then why the hell are there moments that feel as if they’re intentionally trying to be funny?

The art is a saving grace for sure. I like the art a lot actually and I enjoyed the vampire’s designs. It was a new take and while I’ve seen plenty of new vampire takes, to the point that it’s not that special anymore, I still enjoyed this one. The bull did feel out of place though. It looks realistic at times and then kind of fake and demonic at other times. Otherwise the art is enjoyable though I wish it would help me understand the tone more. That might be a failing on the art side of things that I’m just not catching. Maybe I’m seeing it as more serious than it is because the art is failing to capture it.

I was really reluctant to check out this issue, but I figured it was worth at least one more read. There really is just more of the same here and that’s not a compliment. The differences between issues one and two are meniscal and so all the problems I had with one are present here in the second issue as well. Maybe the third issue will be different, but I kind of doubt it and likely won’t be around to find out.

Score: 2/5

Blood Feud #2 Writer: Cullen Bunn Artist: Drew Moss Publisher: Oni Press Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/25/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: The Final Girls

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

Generally, when you mix genres like Horror and Comedy, you usually end up with something along the lines of The Wicker Man with Nicholas Cage…I’m kidding! But in all seriousness, it usually ends up either too funny or just plain ridiculous! After hearing about The Final Girls and seeing the trailer, I was a little worried, but the lineup seemed unstoppable. It seems like this film had a limited release, but I’m not sure why, because it was incredible!

The writing and acting what truly blew me away in this film! The story is about a girl who loses her mother in a car accident, but the twist is that her mother was the actress in the cult classic “Blood Bath”. After her friends convince her to see the movie in theaters for a convention, the theater burns down, and the main characters find themselves within the movie! One of the things that really blew me away with the writing and how they worked in the “rules” of the universe and how everything fell into place. One of the hardest parts of writing is avoiding clichés, but because of the movie being inside of a cliché horror film. They got to use those as building blocks, to make sure things made sense, but felt different.

finalgirlsposterFrom the moment this film started I was hooked! The story of the mother and daughter relationship is seriously heart wrenching. I have NEVER seen a movie where within the first 60 seconds I really felt the emotion and bond between the mother and daughter! It was so impactful, that later on in the film, when the issues come up that her mother dies in the film, that story becomes so serious, and truly sad at times! Of course this goes back to the amazing acting done by Taissa Farmiga and Malin Akerman. I honestly think that Taissa is one of the most underrated actresses out there right now! She really brought so much emotion and realism to this role, which is not easy when the film is a Comedy.

This film was HILARIOUS! I mean super funny. Clever writing and great performances really make this film so funny! That’s one of the things I loved about this move is it knew what it was. A Comedy. But never let go of dramatic character development and realism during its funny scenes! These characters we so genuine and funny, it really made watching the movie super fun!

From top to bottom this is an amazing Comedy, with great elements of suspense, but what really made this film for me was the story of the mother and daughter! Honestly some of the best acting and writing I’ve seen in a while! Oh yeah, and the ending is awesome too! Make sure to check it out and tell me what you think!

Score: 4/5

The Final Girls Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson Writer: M.A Fortin and Joshua John Miller Studio: Groundswell Productions Runtime: 92 Minutes Release Date: 10/9/15

Review: Trainwreck

Written by guest contributor Cameron Gallagher

So…This review is going to be kind of short. So after the insane amount of raving about this movie that I saw on social media and critic sites, I had to go see the film for myself! During the early scenes within this film I suddenly realized what I was about to watch… The “Amy Schumer Ramble Comedy “Show. I don’t like to hate on movies ever. Filmmaking is an amazing art that is very difficult. No matter how small or large the movie it takes massive amounts of work, and I commend ANYONE who does that. But, this film was horrible. I am in complete shock at the public and critics reviews of this movie. This film on Rotten Tomatoes is actually higher Trainwreck-posterthan Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pitch Perfect 2 (which I thought was hilarious) and even did better than Furious 7. Now I’m not saying these are Oscar winning films, but by the looks of Trainwreck you would think it would be one of these movies!

Trainwreck probably is one of the longest comedies I’ve ever seen. This movie is 100% Amy Schumer BANTER. One of the things I love about comedies is clever writing and witty jokes. This film is filled with “taking things so far until they become funny” but it’s failure is that none of it was funny. I was honestly very disappointed in Bill Hader’s performances as well.

One of my biggest issues with this film is in its morals. This movie is vulgar too. So many obnoxious, over the top, not sexual jokes, but honestly disgusting jokes. My wife and I could not believe people were laughing in the theater. Amy Schumer didn’t write this to be a through provoking film, or sentimental, this film was solely written for Amy Schumer to babble on until people think it’s “funny” and to market it that way. I was incredibly disappointed in the entire movie! This film definitely gets 1/5…But, don’t take my word for it, go watch it yourself and tell me what you thought!

Score: 1/5

Director: Judd Apatow Writer: Amy Schumer Studio: Universal Pictures/Apatow Productions RunTime: 124 Minutes

Review: Gutter Magic #1

Gutter Magic # 1 seems in a hurry to get somewhere. Page one confronts you with the image of a somewhat contemporary New York skyline featuring airships, swirling mists, drakes, and the partially floating specter of a skyscraper. In the following pages references to a larger world come and go with little context. This can be frustrating because you can sense what the writer is trying to accomplish, though you can see the comic never quite hits the mark. Scruffy, violent ne’er-do-well Cinder is meant to be our protagonist. He's different from the rest of his family, in that he can't use magic. To compensate he's been trying to steal his way into sorcery. Along this path, Cinder has burned just about every bridge he has ever crossed and he shows little regret. While seeking help with a particular magic spell Cinder makes some revelation that isn't adequately shared with the audience, nor is it given much significance before the book's end.

Gutter-Magic-#1-1That's it. That's the full extent of the plot, premise, and character growth. And that's a problem. There's just not enough in Gutter Magic's twenty pages. The book's title tells me so much more about his world than the dialog or plot. Writer Rich Douek struggles to do his world-building and character intro, leaving everything too vaguely defined or even too cliché. As a main character, Cinder is... well, he's supposed to be the roguish type, characterized by his grimacing one-liners and selfishness. None of it makes him a good point-of-view figure. He simply occupies space. And wears goggles.

We get a large amount of exposition in the book's opening pages as Gutter Magic moves swiftly from panel to panel. It's not until the comic's final pages that the pace eases up and gives the setting room to breathe. The actual plot is bland, devoid of any major turns. Our characters don't exhibit much more than the expected traits and tropes. The industrial, almost steampunk elements of the world seem like decoration and don't offer any insight into how or why this realm differs from our own. And, by the last page, I’m left with the feeling that future issues won’t reveal much. To the comic’s credit, every panel seems to serve to force the story forward. None of the book feels wasted. However, this first issue is very unsatisfying in its lack of texture.

The art is fine; murky and busy, but clear enough to avoid any clutter. The most remarkable bit of art is a splash page of our main characters fleeing a death cult through the mind-bending, impossible layout of a magical market. It's literally dizzying and it's full of motion and personality in a way the rest of the issue is not.

Gutter Magic offers intriguing gestures toward a world of wonder, without much in the way of follow-through. This is to low fantasy what cyberpunk is to hard science fiction. It’s dirty, rough, paranoid, and dangerous. I hope subsequent issues can rally the comic's strengths and better support that core. I hope the book gets where it’s going soon.

Score: 2/5

Gutter Magic #1 Writer: Rich Douek Artist: Brett Barkley Colorist: Jules Rivera Publisher: IDW Publishing/Comics Experience Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/20/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: The Massive: Ninth Wave #1

The fear of environmental disaster is very real these days, as the panic grows who is to blame for the demise of our planet? This question is difficult to answer, but in Brian Wood’s latest comic The Massive: Ninth Wave, things are thankfully a little simpler. Ninth Wave is a prequel follow-up to Wood’s 2012 comic The Massive. While the characters from that comic return, the plot is completely different, allowing new readers to jump onboard with issue #1.

Ninth Wave starts with a quote, “The number-one domestic terrorist threat is... ecoterrorism.”, effectively setting the tone for the book, along with a muted color palette by Jordie Bellaire. The opening sequence shows the characters in black suits, pulling a heist in Berlin. Through some fast paced wordless panels the action is painted out in crisp bold lines. It isn’t until the action cuts to leading man Callum Israel that we get some true exposition. Israel is in discussion with Bors Bergsen, a chemical manufacturer, simply describing to him what his team is about to do to his business. The heist going down in Berlin will block a crucial pipeline, backing up the entire city, and filling judges, lawyers, and businessmen’s home faucets with black sludge that Bergsen’s factories normally pump into local waterways. Bergsen discredits this to some type of eco-vandalism, but Israel assures him that come morning, his time doing business in Germany will be over. The reason for this attack on Bergsen and his partners is visibility; Israel’s organization, Ninth Wave, wants to reveal to the public the horrendous effects of companies like Bergsen’s on the environment. Israel and his team don’t want money, or anything else from these big chemical companies, they want to dismantle their entire system and what they are doing to the Earth.

The-Massive---Ninth-Wave-#1-1Ninth Wave’s debut issue is a brisk crime story with much larger implications. Sure, the idea of eco-terrorists that fight against criminal tycoons hurting the environment might seem wacky on paper, but Wood proves that with the proper execution and writing that this story can succeed. Rather than turn out to be some type of Captain Planet meets Ocean’s Eleven, this comic seems to be rooted more in reality than fiction. Obviously Wood has a message with this one, and it’s easy to be heavy-handed with pro environmental stories. Instead of the reverence for nature that say Miyazaki takes in his stories, Wood displays a hard hitting cast of environmentalists that are cool and composed. They strike fast and hard, and have no mercy for those that wish to wreak havoc on the world that may already be too far gone to save. It’s the story of a team of scientists and specialists who instead of sitting in a lab figuring out how to stop climate change they go out and destroy the lives of the people who are causing it.

Near the beginning of Bergsen and Israel’s encounter Bergsen holds up a card for Norsk-Oil saying “This is what I represent, this is who represents me”, he places it on the table with many other business cards for similar companies. Mary, Israel’s associate, simply replies, “we look at those names and logos, and all we see are targets.” The members of Ninth Wave demonstrate early on that they aren’t messing around, finally fed up with watching the environment deteriorate at the hands of greedy businessmen. Wood takes the anger of seeing animals soaked in oil, or rain forests being decimated, and projects it through these characters. The idea of a team of scientists that can and will fight for the environment by any means necessary is pretty badass. Ninth Wave are the defenders of earth, but not from any supernatural or alien enemy, but from mankind.

The premise is excellent, while not being overly political. Garry Brown’s artwork reminds me a lot of Sean Murphy’s scraggly yet clean artwork, giving each character a sharp look to them. His art definitely helps the book keep a crisp, stark appearance for the no doubt heavy subject material to come. Wood has a great team behind this comic, and hopefully can keep up the pace that this debut issue has set. This issue honestly felt like a movie trailer, showing the team pulling the heist while their captain says some badass lines to the villain. In a way it’s a great set up for the rest of the series, but I wish that a little more had transpired. But hey, they’ve have to save something for the rest of the series I suppose. So far so good, Ninth Wave is definitely shaping up to be a book to look out for in 2016.

Score: 4/5

The Massive: Ninth Wave #1 Writer: Brian Wood Artist: Garry Brown Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 12/09/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: Mystery Girl #1

Trine Hampstead can solve any mystery. Ask her anything, and she’ll know the answer. She works as a street detective, with a little sidewalk set-up, and receives a fair amount of customers. She spends her days solving other people’s mysteries, but when it comes to her special talent and her own past, she doesn’t have a clue. As her tagline promises, all mysteries are already solved. Clients come to Trine with questions and get immediate answers. Some are more believing than others, but even skeptics become believers when Trine’s answers turn out true. Mysteries range from a dog’s lost squeaky toy to locating the body of a woman’s lost military husband. No matter how big or small the question, Trine has the answer.

Mystery-Girl-#1-1Trine’s one stipulation- “no questions asked”- requires that the clients refrain from asking about her qualifications. How does she know that? Don’t ask.

Mystery Girl promises an awesome, lively story. Trine is such a colorful character, and as such draws colorful people to her. The entire ensemble, from the unnamed cameos to her close friends, are completely unique and interesting in a genuine way. Even without the mystery surrounding Trine, she is a fascinating person. Everything from her fashion choices to her sidewalk stand to her pet bird is just spectacular. She is absolutely someone I want to get to know. When you throw in her special talent and the mystery of how she acquired it, you’ve got one awesome story.

All of that would be pretty solid on its own, but Mystery Girl takes it further with a couple more plotlines. First there’s the assassin fellow, who is pleasantly honest. With lines like “I shot you because I wanted to!” and “I just killed a man in that room, have a nice day!” this murderer is bad news, but at least he’s upfront and fairly cheerful. So yes, there’s a threat here, but it doesn’t darken the tone of the story.

And then there’s the mystery that finally gets Trine to leave her sidewalk stand: the mammoths. Trine’s stepping out of her comfort zone for what promises to be a grand ol’ time. There are mammoths involved, how could you not have fun?

Mystery Girl #1 was great from start to finish. The premise is solid, the characters are vibrant, and the story moves at just the right pace. This is a promising start to what is bound to be a wild ride.

Score: 4/5

Mystery Girl #1 Writer: Paul Tobin Artist: Alberto J. Alburquerque Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 12/2/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

Review: Alabaster: The Good, The Bad, The Bird #1

Before I review Alabaster: The Good, The Bad, The Bird #1 (it's a mouthful), I need to make a brief confession. Prior to reading this issue, I had never interacted with the character of Dancy Flammarion (another mouthful) in either of her two Dark Horse mini-series.  Some comics can be started from a new arc without losing anything while other require a deep understanding of the previous events. I frankly can't say for sure which is the case for Alabaster: The Good, The Bad, The Bird, but I will say it could really use a snappier title. I certainly felt lost in places while in others it felt like a coherent introduction to the book's world. Either way I enjoyed the comic enough to want to see where it goes, but if you are already a fan of Caitlin R. Kiernan's lesbian albino monster hunter, you likely won't find this review particularly useful. As the book opens, a brief recap informs us that our hero, the aforementioned Dancy, has been killed and sent to a barren, lonely hellscape (presumably Hell but we are never told outright).  Dancy wanders a white void, musing on her predicament and also the nature of her damnation. Meanwhile three psychopathic killers meet at an abandoned truck stop to discuss the late Ms. Flammarion while alluding to their other nefarious machinations. This is all the plot that is present in Alabaster #1. That said, a brief online search informs me that Dancy is a monster hunter guided by a four-headed angel, and late in the issue we are shown through flashback the circumstances of Dancy's death. All this is helpful but makes new readers like myself both curious and confused.

Alabaster---The-Good,-The-Bad,-and-The-Bird-#1-1On the plus side, this confusion is not hugely detrimental to enjoying Alabaster. Kiernan's sharp narration gives the book a somber, mythical tone that makes even the most inexplicable scenes feel like part of a larger world. The specificity of Kiernan's take on religious fantasy is immediately gripping as well as a little mystifying. Hell is a blank white expanse of mazes, the walls of which can only ever be momentarily glimpsed.  The angel is a monstrous, polycephalic being, with a flaming sword (I use the word 'polycephalic' in hopes of approximating the confusion a new reader may feel reading Alabaster).  In fact the tone of the book is its best quality with a horror atmosphere that is both surreal and subtly disturbing.

Sadly, the book's art by Daniel Warren Johnson is often at odds with the tone of the writing, creating a somewhat cartoonish, brightly colored world. The art is technically well-made, with clean thick lines and striking designs, but the style clashes with the messier, noir aspects of the story. Further, the character designs are cartoonish with a particularly inconsistent bunch of facials design (as many panels have the characters looking awkwardly rushed as not). Adding a final problematic touch, the coloring uses a limited, brightly colored palate that does not fit at all with the noir nature of the story.

One major exception, where the art and script play off each other well, is the depiction of Hell itself. Johnson cleverly renders the main character as a black silhouette with a night sky pattern against a pure white background emphasizing Dancy's extreme isolation. As the main character wanders the void, her body language perfectly shows her mental state while within her outline the swirling mass of stars constantly reminds us of the supernatural nature of her predicament.  These sequences are beautiful and unique, demonstrating the potential Alabaster has to be a wonderful piece of original fantasy fiction.  Sadly, the rest of the book is not quite there yet. Even so, I am very excited to see where it goes.

Score: 3/5

Alabaster: The Good, The Bad, The Bird #1 Author: Caitlin R. Kiernan Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 12/2/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital

CBMFP 211: The Only Cop In District X

Today on the show we talk about X-Men... the movies, not their hair. Okay we talk about some of their abs as well, but that's a general conversation about the workout habits of superheros. More Mystery Science Theater 3000 news (it's on Kickstarter) and Dark Knight Returns for a fourth time because Frank Miller isn't doing shit with that third one you're buying next week. You are buying it aren't you? You are. Sucker. Oh and Stan Lee didn't know that Iceman was gay. Books covered on this episode:

  • Wolverine #1
  • Codename: Rave #1
  • Fistful of Blood #2
  • Henry: The Cantankerous Hamster #1

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Previously on the CBMFP...

Monster & Wine: Episode 61 - $5 Dollar Foot Long

The M&W curse continues with another act of terrorism taking place at a luxury hotel in Mali. The duo discuss this, as well as the sentencing of now defamed former Subway spokesman, Jared "I like 'em young" Fogle. Monster talks about the review for the recently released, sure-to-be-mega-hit, "Star Wars: Battlefront" and whether or not he plans to get it. You probably know the answer. The topic of ...

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Omakase – Kill la Kill Edition

Monthly boxes of goodies have become a pretty big business. So big that the granddaddy of them all is being forced to expand and change its business model while hungry upstarts show them that maybe their model wasn’t that great to begin with.

Link to Omakase!

Omakase is a monthly box of goodies with an anime theme. Pretty simple right? It’s really going to boil down to what’s inside the box…

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That’s right Mr. Pitt, what is in the box? Well this month, as I said, is Kill la Kill. One of the best animes to come around in years, the Trigger animation has become a merchandising dream. The big inclusion in my opinion is the gold-plated edition of Udon Entertainment’s manga adaptation of the series. Let’s just say, that it’s a pretty book. It also is bigger than the standard size manga so don’t try to put it on the same shelf.

There was a mystery item as well, an item that was releasing first with the Omakase and later for regular retail (this is how you win people by the way) and it’s a Mako beach towel. Now… I’m a grown ass man. I don’t know if I’ll particularly use this beach towel, but you better believe that I’m happy to own it. Mako of course was the breakout comedic support character of the series and so a towel with her on it is just a cool item to have. That and you know when I do bust it out… people will be like that guys kinda weird wearing his Sailor Moon t-shirt and Kill la Kill scarf… laying on that towel... yet I'm strangely drawn to him...

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Which brings me to the scarf. It’s cool. I’m not a scarf guy, but don’t be surprised if and when it shows up in a future Comic Bastards video because I will use it. Oh yes, I will. It’s a pretty good quality as well in case you were wondering.

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The two things that I will use the most are the smallest. One is a wrist band with the Three Star logo on it. I’ve already worked it into my rotation of wearing it while I type. (Not now, I’m not that guy wearing the shirt of the band he’s seeing because that’s what that would be like) The other is a button with Guts on it. Instant bag flair.

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Overall, I’m happy with the mix of items. Honestly, I would have been fine with the special edition comic and the two small items so the big stuff is just a bonus in my mind. Also… I like the pricing. You get two months at $29.99. I’ll also tell you that I have no idea what it costs to sign up with other monthly goodie boxes, but the reason for that is because I think they mostly offer cheap crap that doesn’t interest me. I’ve received two as gifts previously and I only kept two items. Three if you count the socks, but does sitting in a draw never used really count? At any rate, I’m going to check them out next month and maybe, just maybe I found the monthly box for me.

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NO! NO! We already did that Pitt… go make a bad movie with your wife already.

 

Review: 50 Signal #2

After the first issue of 50 Signal I couldn’t wait to dive into the second issue. To recap, it’s about an astronaut that’s basically been created from birth to be an explorer. Unlike others, our astronaut lives for the job. In the first issue though, our main character came up again something unexplainable and soon found themselves in a waiting room with other astronauts. We find our astronaut being bombarded by other astronauts. Apparently he can be understood by everyone in the room, but they can’t understand each other… only him. He begins communicating for them all, tell each other’s story to the room. There is one uniting event to each story, they all end with the exit door that brought our astronaut into the waiting room. It seems that they all went through the same door, but why did they stay?

50-Signal-#2-1There’s just too much going on in this story to tell you anymore. I really don’t want to ruin it, but there are some fascinating parts that influence the overall story. It almost feels as if we’re dealing with fate, parallel timelines and or reincarnation. Like I said, a lot.

The characters are fantastic. We not only get to know our main character more and figure out what they’re made of, but we do get to know a few of the other astronauts. They may not speak the same languages, but they all have something in common. The pacing of the story was great and the narration was spot on. Especially the ending which left me wondering if there would be more, if there needed to be more, but also wanting more.

The art has a great style and what I really enjoyed was that our astronaut was the only one to remove his helmet. Everyone else keeps theirs on, which makes them come across like robots more than anything else. I think that was partially the point, that they weren’t characters, but more like the furniture they were sitting on. The art is a great fit for the book and the final sequence of events was wonderful and creative.

It seems like there will be more of 50 Signal. I wouldn’t be upset by this, but I do think that these first two issues are pretty wonderful on their own. This story is strange, intentionally strange, but it’s entertaining because of that. There’s a still a bit of mystery to the world and I for one am looking forward to seeing where it leads.

Score: 4/5

50 Signal #2 Creator: Nick Gonzo Publisher: Madius Comics Price: £3.00 Format: Print Website

Review: Papercuts and Inkstains #3b

Papercut and Inkstains is an anthology from Madius Comics. Unlike other anthologies it shoots for three stories an issue rather than jamming every possible story in. The first story is called F.P.S. and if you play video games you can figure out what that means. It’s a short and clever story told through the first person perspective (there’s a hint). We follow some soldiers as they hunt down some resistance fighters. There’s a twist of course, but I won’t spoil it. The twist itself isn’t anything that original, but the presentation for it is great as it manages to capture the FPS POV.

Papercuts-and-Inkstains-#3-1The next story is called The Perplexity and it’s weird. It’s about a superhero of sorts that foils a bank robbery, but it’s just a strange story due to how weird the guy is. The art is good and the story is funny in its weirdness.

The final story follows the storyline that’s been running since the first Papercuts and Inkstains, which is about the doomsday cult that accidently brings about… well doomsday. They’re trying to figure out how to stop what they started. It’s still quite funny since they’re all still just average dudes, but they don’t stop wearing their robes. It’s pretty humorous and the book store owner they visit is a welcomed edition to the story. He’s quite funny and brings out some humorous lines of dialogue from the cult members.

Overall, this is a short anthology, but it works. I’d rather have a fun anthology to read rather than a large one with several stories I’m not interested in. If you read the first two issues then definitely pick up the third issue, if anything just to see the continuation of the third story. But if you like anthologies then this is a well put together one for you to check out.

Score: 3/5

Papercuts and Inkstains #3 Writers: Various Artists: Various Publisher: Madius Comics Price: £4.00 Format: Ongoing; Print Website

Review: Starve The Beast #1

Starve The Beast is perhaps too mysterious for its own good. I have some genuine interest in following the story more, but only if the next chapter had some major reveals. The issue opens with a man lying in bed in a very Howard Hughes looking room. There’s hash marks indicating that he’s been there for thirty-two days. Suddenly a child shows up and he asks for their help and water. More days seemingly pass and the man is given cans of soda for nourishment. This is apparently all he needs to get by. Eventually he asks the kid to help him leave because his legs aren’t 100%.

They seem to be in a heavily guarded house and this man’s escape brings about a lot of attention. From there we meet up with the kid’s sister and she kind of sorta reveals that this guy holds some importance in the world.

Starve-The-Beast-#1-1The problem I had, was that we’re clearly picking up in the story after some big event has occurred. Our main character is a prisoner of sorts, but then also a very powerful man. It’s finding out where we are on the timeline because according to him, a lot has happened in the short time he’s been gone. Which leads me to believe that the world has been jacked up for a while… or that it became jacked up in a very short period of time. That’s what I mean about being too mysterious. It raises questions, but doesn’t offer any answers outside of vague hints.

Which isn’t terrible. I mean that’s how the real world works and clearly this story is trying to follow that. You wouldn’t needlessly explain who you are if someone already knows who you are. The problem is we just aren’t given enough context for the world. Something as simple as a short narration would have helped, but instead we’re just left wondering. The dialogue is sparse and thankfully so. It’s pretty run-of-the-mill and has an irregular flow to it.

The art is interesting. I can’t help but think I’ve seen this technic used in other comics. It’s a bit more successful here, but not by much. It’s clearly all-digital, but almost done as a negative. It’s as if it was illustrated on a black canvas and colored on top. I don’t know if that means it was actually inverted or not, but it’s just an okay look. It makes everyone look robotish and dystopian. I’m personally not a fan of the style, but art is the most subjective part of any comic. The character designs fail to stand out and we’re never given enough of a character’s facial features to pick them out from a line up.

Overall, I would probably check out at least another issue of this series. I’m curious to see where the story goes, but if there weren’t some reveals to hook me again, I wouldn’t be back after that. There’s something here, but it needs some more polish. Then it’ll be something special, but for now it’s just something entertaining.

Score: 2/5

Starve the Beast #1 Writer: Danny Homan Artist: Sergio Vicencio Price: Pay What You Want Website

Review: Revolt To What?

There’s nothing worse than reading something, understanding what you read, but not being able to figure out the point. That’s unfortunately where I find myself with Revolt To What? A book that takes place in the 90s just after the formation of the Czech Republic. We dive into the world via an American that is in Prague. He talks about drinking a lot and that eventually leads the story to a bar. At the bar we hear from a character that was a part of the Velvet Revolution. He’s displeased with his country and the way it’s people are currently acting. That’s basically all I took from this story.

Revolt-to-What-1I get that there’s a lot of political and social commentary going on in the story. I understand it, but have no context for it. There’s nothing for me to personally to relate to so it becomes a guy telling a story at the bar and nothing more than that. Maybe if I knew more of the history, what brought them to this point and why these characters are so passionate after the dust has begun to settle… maybe I would be invested more.

The artwork is interesting. It’s very stylized. It’s not very detailed and definitely isn’t realistic. It’s in all black, white and grey tones. The strange thing is that the story seems pretty serious with a few pops of humor. The humor is when the art works well with the story, but the rest of the time it doesn’t really match the seriousness of the subject matter.

I wish I could say something positive about this book, but it’s just average to me. I don’t think it’s bad, but it didn’t do anything to standout and make it memorable. If you have some relation to the subject matter then you’re likely to get more out of the story than I did, but if you don’t. I think you’ll be left wondering what the comic is really about. Sure it’s about the Czech Republic in the 90s, but what’s the point of everything else?

Score: 2/5

Revolt To What? Writer: Daniel Landes Artist: Karl Christian Krumpholz Publisher: Suspect Press Format: One-Shot; Print Website

Review: The Files of Karl Vincent – President Lyndon Johnson: Vampire

As you might expect… this is the story of how President Lyndon Johnson became a vampire. I’ve never read the Karl Vincent series so I really don’t know anything about this world and where this one-shot fits in, but the story itself stands on its own. Lyndon Johnson VampireThe gist is that a G.I. comes back from Nam as a vampire. He’s already been declared dead and his death covered up. Because the government knew he was fighting vampire apparently. He decides to blame Johnson because it’s his war.

You can pretty much figure out the rest of the story yourself. There’s a Van Helsing-esc character that shows up in the story and there’s plenty of cornball humor. I know that’s not the best compliment, but that’s basically what it is… cornball humor. Things like the officer that delivers the bad news to our vampire G.I.’s mother thinking, “I hate this part of the job!”

It’s a well put together story, but it’s painfully average. There’s plenty of thought bubbles and let me tell you if you miss those… you won’t after this comic. There’s just a lot and none of them seem to do much for the story other than add a free transition to another scene or be a cheap joke. The overall plot is predictable and nothing new.

The art is pretty good. I actually liked the style that was used, especially on the coloring. It has this expressive ink spray all over the page. It almost looks as if an old comic book received some water damage. The art also does a lot of heavy lifting on the humor, making sure that the jokes come off without a hitch.

It’s not a bad issue by any means, but it wasn’t terribly interesting either. I suppose if you have an interest in the Karl Vincent series then this is a nice surprise and add on, but for new readers it might not make you want to check out more. But hey, if you want to see a President that escapes a lot of ridicule, turned into a vampire, then this is for you.

Score: 2/5

The Files of Karl Vincent – President Lyndon Johnson: Vampire Writer: Kevin Given Artist: Joe Badon Publisher: KRG Publishing Price: $4.99 Format: One-Shot; Print/Digital Website