Review: Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth #4

'Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth' features the King of Monsters going up against a wave of new creatures sent by aliens to make Earth monster-free to make it easier to colonize. What does that mean for the reader? A lot of monsters bashing into each other while humans comment on it, just like a Godzilla movie. Unlike a Godzilla movie however, we don't get the benefit of wonderfully dorky rubber suits and detailed models of Tokyo to smash, which seems to be the big thing standing in the way of a successful Godzilla comic. Apparently there have been some really good ones, even recently from IDW  (http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=14075), but the challenge remains in translating to comics a character that arguably works best on film. Now I used the words 'new monsters' rather loosely, to be specific they are new to the universe of the comic which to the best of my knowledge seems to be removed from existing Godzilla canon. For fans of the series, the comic is a who's who of Big Smashy Monsters, as the new characters are Godzilla regulars like Mothra, Rodan, and Destroyah. There aren't compelling human characters, staying true to the Godzilla formula, just a collection of slightly differently shaped mortals whose exposition is required to help sort out what's going one when Big Monster #1 hits Big Monster #2.

Goz_ROE_04-pr-1It's hard to tell how much of the writing is a tribute to corniness of classic Godzilla films and how much is just a product of bad writing. The dialogue is awkward, with occasional strange expressions that made me have to read certain bubbles two or three times to make sure it wasn't just my brain farting. It's difficult to tell if anything of consequence happened either, but I don't know what I should be expecting from a Godzilla book.

The art is serviceable and better than my two other recent forays into the dingy world of licensed comics. The human characters are rather bland and ugly, but the monsters look good and have character and excusing one or two panels it's easy to understand what is happening, an achievement when drawing a giant monster fight. It actually like artist Matt Frank wants to draw what he's drawing which is more that can be said for a lot of these kinds of books. Colorist Priscilla Tramontano matches the art well, with bright colorful organized tones.

Not being a hardcore Godzilla fan I can't really say whether the book does it's fanservicey duties. Are Godzilla fans interested in a serviceable book about the most familiar characters in the franchise slapping each other in static comic book form? Maybe, and the book is actually good enough to leave that question up in the air. The book does nothing for me as a non-fan but doesn't leave me in angry writhing like the reprehensible 'Robocop: The Last Stand' did. If you're a fan, maybe give it a go.

Score: 2/5

Story: Chris Mowry and Matt Frank Writer: Chris Mowry Artist: Matt Frank with Jeff Zornow Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Everything Wrong With: Star Trek Into Darkness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REOjxvQPQNQ Well it was bound to happen. I still really like the movie as it was one of the few films this year that shut off the cynical fanboy section of my brain and allowed me to simply enjoy the film. But as the Cinema Sin guys say... no movie is without sin.

Kitty Pryde Costume Shirt Is Actually Cool

I'm not a big fan of costume clothing, that is to say that you slap on a shirt and you're wearing the costume. I'm even less of a fan of the hoodie costumes which if you recall I made fun of yesterday. This shirt is actually pretty cool and it's basically because Lockheed is on the shirt. I'll admit that growing up Shadowcat and Lockheed were my favorite X-Men so again... cool shirt. It's $22 bucks at Thinkgeek so check it out.

Do Want: Super Articulated Goku!

Wowzers that's a damn fine-looking action figure! I'm really digging these new figures that actually mange to capture the personality of the character as it actually makes me want to buy them and open the box... I mean I won't unless I can afford two, but it makes me think about it! This bad boy is going to be about $40 bucks US and releases in March 2014.

Review: Itty Bitty Hellboy #2

Review by: Kevin Reilly I don’t know if I can stress enough how much I love Itty Bitty Hellboy. Baltazar and Franco’s kid-friendly approach to Mike Mignola’s creation continues this week, with the second of five installments in what should be a much longer series. Although the book revolves around the same formula that the duo’s recently-dearly-missed Superman Family Adventures-- several mini strips linked together to form one story per issue-- it’s the inclusion of the Hellboy mythos that gives this a really fun feel.

This month’s batch of mini-strips surrounds Lobster Johnson, who is on the hunt for a Sasquatch. On the way, he recruits our familiar cast of characters for twenty pages of laughs. Not, by the way, laughs for children. The duo’s writing works on every level, for every age. Baltazar’s art is just as stupendous as it was last month, bringing this usually dark world to sterling, simple color. Even if you don’t like Hellboy-- and I’ve had my problems with Hellboy over the years-- the book is charming enough to move past that.

Every praise from last month holds water, and for that there really isn’t much more to say. This is, without a doubt, the miniseries of the year. Or, at the very least, my favorite indie book I’ve been given to review for the site.

Itty Bitty Hellboy #2 Cover

Score: 5/5

Writers: Art Baltazar and Franco Art: Art Baltazar Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: The Powerpuff Girls #1

It’s the Powerpuff Girls and I mean that in a very positive way. I am one of those individuals that left for college and was finally able to control their own TV stations and so I watched cartoons as often as I possibly could… which was basically any time I turned the TV on. I basically only watched Cartoon Network and as such became a fan of shows like Powerpuff Girls, a show that was not geared towards my demographic or age group. I enjoyed it anyways. When it was announced that IDW was going to take care of DC’s Cartoon Network licenses I figured there was potential for coolness… and I was not disappointed. The issue is pretty short which is actually a good thing for the series. It’s been a minute since the series was on and though I’m sure re-runs still air, this is a new entity of the show and while familiar it’s important to capture the feel and tone of the series. It seems like an easy thing to adapt a TV show into a print medium considering comics and TV share so many storytelling devices, but it’s actually difficult to nail popular franchises due the expectations of the fanbase. For me, Powerpuff Girls managed to capture the feel and tone of the show with this issue. We’ll see if the series continues to do this, but for now it has.

The issue has a great opening of the Mayor looking out at the city and thinking his big screen TV is on fire, after his secretary informs him that he doesn’t have a TV he hangs up to call in the Powerpuff Girls. They fly into action and soon discover that it’s Mojo Jojo with another robot with missiles. The quickly and easily defeat him which sets him off on a train of thought that he’s never approached before.

PowerPuffGirls_01-pr-1The writing was good and it kept the scenes moving along which I think is important for this style of show adaptation. Powerpuff Girls had a ton of quick edits and a lot of the jokes relied on that editing style and by keeping the story moving at the same pace Troy Little recreates that as much as possible. Little also does a great job of nailing the character voices as their dialogue’s read very much like the characters which allowed me to hear the voices in my head while reading.

Craig McCracken obviously brought a very unique style to the creation of the show so it was important that Little capture that as well. He does. I’m not joking when I say that this is Powerpuff Girls. It’s reminds me of reading an issue of Bongo Comics’ The Simpsons in which is actually looks like an episode of the show. Little also nails the action, the coloring, the quick reveals and the pan outs that the show was notorious for; Little really does a fantastic job of recreating the cartoon show on the printed page.

I really wasn’t surprised that I liked this. It’s a solid issue and offers a nostalgic taste for any fan of the show, but also opens the world up for new fans to discover. It is basically geared towards children so I don’t see a lot of reviews coming for it after this initial issue, but it’s good to see IDW taking the time to develop series for kids to get into comics. Just do everyone a favor and don’t buy any of the variant covers. That is out of control and a terrible thing to introduce to a child.

Score: 3/5

Writer/Artist: Troy Little Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Saga #14

Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North Nothing makes sense and everything is perfect. It’s a sentence that contradicts itself. That out of paradox, a naturally twisted thing, could arise something so wonderful. Saga doesn’t care about any of that. It’s gonna do its weird thing, and as a matter of fact, that weird thing will very probably be better than your thing. Any day. All day. On paper it doesn’t work. And Saga doesn’t care about that either.

After a couple of slower issues this past month or so this book hits the ground running. No, it doesn’t necessarily have giant space battles or really even any battles at all for that matter but what it is chock full of is wonderful--often outright brilliant--character moments that propel the story forward and do a spiffy job of digging in deeper my roots or care about these characters; even the nasty ones.

It’s here that Brian K. Vaughan does his best work. Taking two characters that if put up on a board of ideas would probably just confuse people, giving those characters more personality and layers than most primetime shows and them throwing them together, at which point you’re just excited to see the pair share page time together. Two scenes in particular won me over this issue; one between the writer/drunkard Oswald Heist and Marko’s mother, two individuals who couldn’t be more different. One is an old, flamboyant hermit whose drunken ramblings and profound wisdom sometimes blur (he also occasionally throws up on infants) the other is a hardened, veteran female warrior, all discipline and higher causes. But when the topic of war crimes is introduced all those things seem to melt away in the midst of more painful, intimate things. The very raw and real way Oswald talks about war and loss is as good of writing as I’ve seen in a comic book “I regret to inform you that the rest of your days will be kind of shit” rough stuff; true stuff. Add a great little aside about how Marko’s parents met that shows maybe a little bit of a silly/wild side to Marko’s mom and you have an exchange that’s one of my favorite in comics in recent memory.

saga14-coverThe second comes directly after. Sophie of Sextillion has led a very hard life. From near birth sold into the despicable sex trade industry of this universe it’s no wonder she seems nearly distorted beyond repair. Add to that fact that her two new caretakers are mercenaries and things aren’t looking good for this kid`s rehabilitation. To combat her trauma a bit they send her over to spend time with lying cat. In six simple panels this comic nearly brought tears to my eyes. Sophie talks to LC about herself as a girl would to any pet, looking good, saying things that any little girl may—and then her visage breaks. Fiona Staples deserves a ton of credit on this one; one expression says it all as the memory of the years of trauma this girl has had to endure comes flooding back. “Im all dirty on the inside” she says, describing the terribly dark and complex feelings in the best way a six year old could. But before she finishes her self-shaming, lying cat breaks in, “lying” and she hugs him. That’s it. What a goddamn brilliant exchange. All that hurt and anguish that it seems no one in the galaxy could quell, and a pet with the ability to say one word with perfect timing provided the perfect salve. These guys really are great at comic books.

Saga does many things, right, absolutely tremendous writing; beautiful and pitch-perfect art by Fiona Staples. Ever-interesting characters and creatures and new worlds to explore every issue, but what it does the very best, and I realize the lame cliché, is heart. It doesn’t matter what story you tell, or how you tell it. If you can connect to the humanity in people you can tell a gorgeous story. Or you can show one. It is, to me, the very most important part of any tale. Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan know this, and for it, the quality of their comic book goes without saying.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan Artist: Fiona Staples Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Jupiter’s Legacy #3

Well. It’s been a few months, hasn’t it, Jupiter’s Legacy? Time delays notwithstanding, I’ve heard a bunch of discontent from the comic book community recently about anything associated with Millar. I suppose I understand a certain amount of that - his stuff recently has been criticized (rightly so, some of the time) for being “samey” in its expectedly gritty style and “flawed superhuman with a twist” thematic approach. However, his work on Jupiter’s Legacy with Frank Quitely, while building somewhat methodically over its first two issues, proves to be, in its third outing, pretty fucking special. If any issue thus far could sway you to start following this mature-content take on The Incredibles II, it’s Jupiter’s Legacy #3.

I guess you could say the shit really hits the fan here, and if you did, I wouldn’t hold it against you. This world’s new generation of superhumans - the sons and daughters of the original intrepid heroes who first achieved godlike powers via a mystical and mysterious island - finally move against their elders in what could only be described as a very bloody super-coup.

The core conflict being fought over here, however, isn’t necessarily generational. Much of it has to do with the level of involvement super”heroes” should have in the political and sociological affairs of the rest of the world, with the altruistic and old-fashioned Utopian (think an older version of Kingdom Come Superman) championing a laissez-faire approach, and his brother Walter (Magneto with the powers of Xavier, I guess?) arguing a more hands-on tactic, ostensibly allowing humanity to benefit from their superior abilities and intellects.

jupiterslegacy3-cov-aThe outcome? Well, let’s just say that things, as they are often wont to do, change. And they do so here violently, and with nonexistent remorse. I think Millar is really at his best here again. There is much more going on in this book than the action-packed fare I mentioned above, and he is able to express some very intimate, character moments resoundingly in the interims.

I love the dynamic that he has established - albeit briefly - with the human side of The Utopian, as well as the very ground-level problems he and his wife are dealing with in their newly pregnant daughter, knocked-up by the son of this world’s most infamous villain. Their relationship in particular takes on new importance after this issue, and it will be very interesting to see where Millar goes with it.

Millar also manages his space well this issue, giving those familial problems a pressing gravity before completely swallowing them within a much more tempestuous, deadly battle. It’s a sudden shift, and a jarring one, but it is clearly meant to be so. This world is irrevocably destroyed after this issue, and I have only a vague idea of where it might be going from here, let alone how it’s going to end; but if this is any indication, it’s going to be quite the furious flurry, in no small part thanks to Frank Quitely.

One of the things I love most about Quitely’s art - and there are many things in that category - is the way he chooses to portray action; often not in the impact, but in the aftershock. For example, you don’t expressly see Chloe (The Utopian’s prodigal daughter) being punched through a house - you simply see the rubble still lingering in the air, a crater left by an invisible force. He does it a lot in his other books as well - the whoosh of Superman’s contrail; his sudden, Wile E. Coyote-esque puff of dust - and for some reason, it always works for me, visually.

I just find it more powerful than seeing five steely knuckles sock an unbreakable square jaw; of course, Quitely is no slouch in that department either, and we get a great amount of classic ass-kicking, superhero stylee ... but to a degree that can only exist in a Millar book. That’s not a knock, mind you, because the excessive gore used here makes a solid point: this is the visceral end of things, innocence skewered and wallowing in its own bloodline.

There are two scenes in particular in this book that make this issue a firm contender for art of the month - one of which involves a basically bifurcated housewife, and the other a gripping version of what happened just recently in a Big Two event book. The juxtaposition of domestic setting and efficient, uncaring savagery in the latter was stark and - pun intended - grave, but also bright and wistful: a sick combination that permeates every corner of this book, both artistically and narratively.

Despite its delays and its hype, I’ve really enjoyed Jupiter’s Legacy so far, and issue three is by far its best yet. Sure, it may ring familiar at points, but where this book takes this story is somewhere I, for one, have not been before. And I’m liking where we’re going.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Mark Millar Artist: Frank Quitely Colorist: Peter Doherty Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Group Review: TMNT #26 – "City Fall" Part 5

As promised here’s our continued coverage of “City Fall” which has proved to be one of the biggest Turtles storylines in years and even better it’s been one of the better “event books” of the comic year. Each of the writers/reviews of Comic Bastards will give the issue a score of: Buy, Borrow or Pass along with a short reason for the score. Here’s a blurb from IDW before we begin: While Leonardo and the Foot bring the fight to the Savate ninjas, the other Turtles call upon all of their allies to prepare for War. City Fall continues to escalate when Splinter crosses a line by helping Old Hob get his revenge!

Samantha: BUY

First thought, woah how badass does Donnie look on this cover?! Second thought, why the hell did they ruin it with Mikey’s cracked out face on the bottom? Samantha’s two sense for the day.

I ate this issue right up. Buy the shit out of this issue. I fell in love with its action sequencing right from the start. Leo and The Foot crashing the party was a total badass representation of what makes great comics.

Lots of different stories going will no doubt add up to an intense conclusion. The intensity is already so tight. The Purple Dragons becoming evil once again, Old Hob being crazy, Karai planning her revenge, and so on. It is all so good that when I got to the end I wanted more of it. Karai and Alopex are leading into some interesting stories, so I think theirs is the most anticipated for me. But hands down Splinter is taking the award for the coolest. The gang is worried about him, and frankly, this makes his character more involved than ever before. I think this is the best issue yet. It had everything a comic needs; my only downfall about it is that the next issue already looks better.

TMNT_26-pr-1

Steve: BUY

Even though we’re still being cock-teased here with the absence of Bebop and Rocksteady, TMNT #26 continues “City Fall’s” resounding success, at very least, in getting me hugely interested in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles title. On the downside, I did find this one very exposition heavy, with the three still-good turtles shoring up their resources for the coming battle. But once this book gets to its inevitable collision, it comes heavy and with fury, and I love how it further feeds its looming war.

The art - particularly in some of the backgrounds - does come across a bit lazy here, but the look of the Turtles themselves is finally starting to grow on me. This is especially true of Dark Leonardo, who remains the best thing about this story. The action is fluid, fast and damn fun, perfectly befitting something with TMNT in the title, but with a heartier punch than you might expect. It may have a slow middle (after a nicely done, feel-heavy intro), but this issue’s robust derrière is luscious enough to keep me coming back next time.

TMNT26_cvrRI

Adam: BUY

I didn’t enjoy the last issue too much, but I loved this one.  The story was great and intertwined different plot points together extremely well.  This issue for the Turtles was all about trying to find out who’s really on their side and sticking together through all the crap they’re going through.  I loved the books’ art-especially during the action sequences.  I was definitely wow-ed by it and found myself examining the different panels for subtleties that the artist threw in.  I like the dark nature of the issue, but I would’ve liked them to push it a bit further.  I guess they can’t do that since they’re under license to Nickelodeon, but it got old all of the times they said ‘crap’ or ‘damn.’  It just isn’t believable that these evil characters would talk like middle schoolers.  It goes without saying that it would’ve been cooler to see more gore in the fight sequences as well, but overall I’d say this is an issue well worth buying.

TMNT26_cvrREA

Dustin: BUY

This issue wasn’t as amazing as the last, but it was still a “buy” in my book. It reminds me of the third issue in the arc which built the plot more than anything else. I do wish that Bebop and Rocksteady made an appearance as it was teased in the last issue, but I’m guessing that won’t happen until their solo issue explaining their origin. One thing is very clear about the story from this issue though, they really are gearing up for something big. Personally I think that they’re going to pull an “X-Men” and have the Turtles leave Master Splinter’s side feeling that they can’t trust him, but we’ll see. It’s going to be a very different series after this arc and I’m looking forward to that as much as I am the conclusion. This is the most interesting the Turtles have been since I first discovered them as a kid and that’s just an awesome feeling to have.

Score: Buy It!

Story: Kevin Eastman, Boby Curnow & Tom Waltz Writers: Tom Waltz Artist: Mateus Santolouco with Charles Paul Wilson III Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Mind MGMT #15

Just look at that cover, will you? I mean, sure, Matt Kindt’s twisted mixing of grotesque domesticity within a cover evoking an old issue of House & Garden that’s been lovingly dipped in LSD and formaldehyde is the visually arresting stuff regular readers like myself have come to know and love about this book, but that’s not the only thing that makes this one in particular stand out. This cover also comes laced with wet-hot Comic Bastardry, thanks to a quote by our very own Dustin Cabeal (his second on the title so far)! I guess that makes me a little bit biased, but if nothing else, this fantastic artistic direction and “Hey I know that guy” cameo excitement are the perfect heralds for an issue that simultaneously knocks it out of the park and truly brings it home.

Mind MGMT #15 follows Henry Lyme as he travels in between the pages of the story thus far, specifically charting his heretofore unseen and multiple, forced-forgotten interactions with Meru leading up to Mind MGMT #1. In any other story, this might feel like gap-filler, but instead, you get the distinct impression that Kindt is doing some planned excavation work within his story here, bolstering its foundations for further building. Much like the protagonist busying away on the front cover, Kindt here proves to be a surgical tinkerer, slipping in subtle incisions to further reveal how efficiently intricate his narrative engine truly is, while at the same time fortifying its strength.

As much as I enjoyed Meru’s turn in the spotlight last time, Lyme is the true embodiment of what makes the Mind Management program so simultaneously terrifying and Great. I wouldn’t say much more is revealed here in terms of character motivation or outlook, but his actions are perhaps a bit more defined and he is overall given a greater depth of field, if not a full pardon for his high crimes against minds.

Mind MGMT #15 CoverWhile you can forgive him for wanting to look after Meru from the sidelines, and applaud his decision to motivate her education rather than direct it so expressly, you also have to judge the fucker for tormenting her so ... insatiably. Even though Lyme allows a relatively small measure of penance to befall himself near the end of the issue (at the hands of two characters I was very happy to see return), I find myself constantly questioning whether I like Lyme ... or fucking loathe him, making him one of the most uniquely intriguing character studies in comic books today.

At his heart, and based on his past actions, Lyme is a lovelorn, self-serving coward whose sins - including the indirect murder of his family - are too innumerable for forgiveness, a state he knows is beyond him, but one which he incessantly (and perhaps undeservedly) clamors for regardless. And yet, he also happens to be (for now) the most powerful player in the book, and the only hope against forces who basically define the monster he once became.

In the end (though it’s impossible to say for sure, given the countless wrinkles Kindt has already carved within the headspace of this story), I think Mind MGMT will be about restitution rather than retribution, and the creator does a great job of further setting up that dynamic with yet another unique and multi-faceted look into quite possibly his most interesting character. He does this by somehow managing to tell a story about repetition without getting unduly repetitive: yet another example of the welcome head games Dustin accuses Kindt of on the cover.

In terms of art, I’m not sure how much more we can say about it, other than it is just as subversive as the story. If you’re like me, then you’ll be mostly unimpressed by it at the outset, until you become saturated by the wispy swathes of action that watermark each page, staining each of them in this hurried, frenetic style that makes it at once endearing and, almost impossibly in a world of imitators, singularly distinct; yet further evidence of how adept Kindt can be in changing your mind ... pun intended.

As always, the bookends and peripherals of this issue afford a tight yet teasing glimpse into the greater world of Mind MGMT, and close about the story proper like itchy trigger fingers around a power-drill. It’s still a bit unclear how the stories of an early textual Mind Management assassin, a young Russian counter-agent and the Matryoshkas Field Guide notes (which this time come particularly well-matched with, and juxtaposed against, the action on the page) will come together and combust, but one thing is for sure: I’ll be here when they do.

Score: 5/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Matt Kindt Publisher: Dark Horse Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: No Tomorrow #2

I was only one of two people who said you should buy the first issue of Zenescope’s No Tomorrow #1, and after reading issue #2 I can say it’s still worth following.  After reading some of my fellow Bastards’ opinions, I can see why they had some issues with the first installment of this miniseries.  However, I feel that these problems were resolved pretty well in this book.  There’s no random family at the beginning that doesn’t have anything to do with the actual plot of the story.  Keres is also more adamant on getting to Patrick this time, as it may have seemed she was a bit passive when we first saw her for being the goddess of death. The book starts out with Keres walking through different scenarios where there were many deaths.  These include The Black Death, The Spanish Flu, and Smallpox.  These scenes reminded me of the first time I read Grimm Fairy Tales, in issue #88.  Keres assuring herself that nobody can escape death while people are dead in the streets or in their own home with blood coming out of their mouths is pretty creepy.  It seems as if she’s trying to build herself up because she knows she made a mistake in not killing Patrick the first time.  She ends up in present-day Central Park, where a disgruntled man named Oliver sits next to her on a park bench.  She’s in her ‘human’ form I guess you could call it now, not the goddess of death as we know her as.  While he’s telling her about how his wife left him and took his kids, she vanishes.  Oliver is still talking to himself; he says he’ll prove everybody wrong.  Keres returns in her true form and agrees that Oliver will “show them all.”

We then return to Chicago, where our main protagonist Patrick is getting out of an ambulance.  He’s the only one that survived the collapse of his work building, and Keres is standing on a gargoyle of a nearby building.  She could have easily killed him here, but she tosses the gargoyle conveniently as he’s walking away.  This was one of my least favorite parts of the book, it didn’t seem necessary.  A similar botched murder attempt occurs right after Patrick is leaving the hospital with his wife.  We see Keres standing in the hallway, and a bucket of water is spilled in the hallway.  I’m guessing she hopes he would slip and break his neck?

NoTomorrow02_coverCLuckily, there are some redeeming factors throughout the rest of the story that more than make up for these missteps.  Patrick is starting to go crazy.  Every channel he flips to, there’s another tragedy on the news.  He realizes Keres is in every single frame on the TV too.  She’s not in her true form, but when Patrick pauses the TV, she turns into Keres and starts having a conversation with him.  She says she’s going to kill his whole family and him.  She calls him, is talking to him on the TV, and when he unplugs those and smashes the phone, she appears on his laptop.  Any electronic device lights up with her picture on it, and every phone in the neighborhood goes off to get her message across.

Patrick’s son Corey comes home during his meltdown, and says that he signed up for a field trip of Corey’s.  Patrick gets there and to his dismay, it’s a death exhibit.  He doesn’t remember signing up for it, but Corey assures him he did, because death is ‘cool.’  Obviously, Patrick doesn’t think that anymore.  He goes into the “Goddess of Death” exhibit and finds out how Keres works.  Her name means “she who will not be seen” in Latin.  If you look at her in her true form, she will come after you and kill you.  So this is why she’s been hunting Patrick down since he saw her that day in Chicago.  Patrick is incredibly flustered to find this out and leaves the museum.  He lets Corey stay behind with a group of friends.  There’s a girl named Randi who’s driving while Corey and his friends are out, and she gets a text from Keres saying “You might want to look up.”  I won’t give away what happens there, but at the end we do see Oliver’s destruction in Central Park.

In my opinion, this was a solid book.  It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it is definitely interesting enough to get you to want to find out what happens.  At points it may seem a bit drawn out since Keres is extremely powerful yet you wonder how she hasn’t killed Patrick yet.  Her plans are starting to unfold, so I’m curious to see who kicks the bucket next month.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Raven Gregory Artist: Luca Claretti Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Fatale #17

Shit balls. These are two words that describe my experience while reading issue #17. This comic just got super real. Fatale is a wonderful comic that you just can’t seem to put down. I wish I had a map that laid out all my characters, so I could see how they connect. I would probably find out some new stuff. I don’t know how a writer sits down and maps all this out. Either Ed Brubaker is a total genius or he took years to develop this story. I don’t ever get sick of the twist and turns through each character, because the basis remains the same; what is up with this Jo chick? And guess what I am dying to find out just like all of us suckers who read this comic. Like most of the issues, we jump around between a lot of characters here. Stories are flying at me from all angles. This is probably the comic I read with the most care, because if you forget something it will come back to haunt you.

We catch up with Nick and Nelson on the run. Nelson just seems like a crazy homeless man, but he very clearly holds real keys into the whole Jo mystery. He knows how to stay hidden. Nick is a passenger for the whole ride. He doesn’t do much, because he is ordered to do nothing. Nelson hints on some pretty big issues that we haven’t heard from in a while, including the whole clut thing, which I am glad to see is slowing being brought back.

fatale17-coverWe jump next to Wulf and his depressing life. I really do feel bad for this dude; serial killer and all. He has some major issues, and it all leads back to Jo. He is more involved with Jo than I originally thought. At first, I thought he was a serial killer but still an innocent person in the sense that he just couldn’t get over his first love. But I was so wrong. He knows a lot.

We then catch up with Jo and her house full of band mates. The other stories are crazy, but here we hit some serious S-H-I-T. It is total craziness. I don’t want to reveal too much, because you really should pick up this issue. Not just if you are fan but if you love good story telling. I promise you will get hooked. Lance and Jo are on a robbing spree, while the whole house is not necessarily becoming jealous of Lance but instead becoming more obsessed with Jo. The tension is building, and we all knew that something had to boil over. And something does. I didn’t know whose hands would be the culprit, but I am surprised by the results.

Hands down, I would have to say that Fatale is my favorite comic out right now. It showcases everything I love about mystery reading. If this were a movie I would say that Jo was casted on point in every aspect, but to think that she is just a character from a comic is an even greater compliment to how well-built she is. This issue proves my point exactly, and I love when a comic can build up to the hype I give it.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Sean Phillips Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Rat Queens #1

I for one have been waiting eagerly for this series and after all the teasing and hype I was not disappointed. The thing that stood out to me the most was Wiebe’s range as a writer and that’s not to say that Upchurch doesn’t bring his fantastic style and flair to the series, but this book is different in tone and structure than anything I’ve read from him Wiebe before. I think Shadowline is going to be very happy that they picked up this series and I can’t wait to see it become the new go to title for people wanting to get into reading comics. Rat Queens stars four female leads, each with their own personality and abilities. I’m not going to go through and break down each of the characters again as we’ve covered it on the site previously, but I will say that Dee and Betty were hands down my favorite characters. Not that I didn’t like Hannah and Violet, but Betty was too fucking funny and Dee was just cool.

The story does kind of center around them, but in a way it’s also about their town and society that they’re a part of. After a town meeting it becomes clear that the different groups of adventurers have become a bigger problem to the town of Palisade than the bandits and monsters. After a huge bar brawl they’re given quests to avoid dungeon time. We’re introduced to the different groups, but more importantly we meet the Rat Queens. They’re given the task of clearing goblins out of Hindman Cave. Hannah complains to Sawyer the man handing out the quests and he basically tells her the same bit of info, that they’re more trouble than their worth and he can’t go to bat for them anymore. That said the ladies grab their shit and head up the mountain.

rat-queens-01-covAThis book is hilarious and it all boils down to the characters. They’re four women, four honest to god women and maybe that means shit coming from a dude, but I’m saying it anyways. What typical happens in a comic with more than a few female characters is that they all begin talking the same and are forced to rely on stereotypes at all times so that you remember it’s not the same character. A great example of this is Danger Girl, there’s a reason they didn’t name the book “Danger Girls.” Here the four women have personality types and even different ways of talking about the same subject matter. It’s some damn fine writing from Wiebe who described the series as Lord of the Rings meets Girls the TV show. I think he nailed it.

My absolute favorite thing about Vescell was the art and so when Roc Upchurch was attached to this book it was an instant buy for me regardless. Vescell isn’t the most amazing tale and often times I’ve been left completely confused by the story, but Upchurch’s art is always worth the price of admission. His characters are very realistic in their designs, body shape, body language and expressions. He’s the full package as he delivers amazingly detailed settings and creates a world that comes across as a living breathing character of its own. A great example of how realistic the characters are is the scene with Hannah and Tizzie of the Peaches. It’s funny, realistic and just gorgeous to look at. The most important thing that Upchurch’s visuals convey to the reader is the comedy. He 100% controls the comedic timing of the story and characters and he’s brilliant at it. Just having funny dialog doesn’t mean that it translates to the visuals and that’s something I see writers and artists struggle with all the time. You need someone of Upchruch’s skills to bring the comedy out of the dialog so that it works. A perfect and simple example of this is on the last page so check that out since I’m not going to be that guy and tell you what it is.

I’m glad that I finally got to read the first issue and now I’m pumped for the second. There’s been enough promotional material for the series that anyone paying attention should know what to expect from the characters, but even then you’ll get a feel once you dive in. I really do see this as being a great way to get new readers into comics and not just women, though it should definitely appeal to them, but TV fans as well. TV and comics share so many similarities that books like this that find a way to bridge the gap are the perfect entry for a new reader. If you check out this series consider passing it along to a friend, you might be surprised by how quickly they take to it. As for me I’m waiting for next fix of Rat Queens already.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe Artist: Roc Upchurch Publisher: Image and Shadowline Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Empowered – Nine Beers with Ninjette (One-Shot)

I do wish that this series was a monthly title again. I understand that creators don’t always feel the same way especially when working on the material for a large chunk of their career, but Empowered remains one of the best superhero titles published today. I would probably make an argument that it’s Dark Horse’s best supertitle and considering how strong their relaunched line of superhero books is… that’s saying something. This book is going to fool you into thinking it’s all about Ninjette and that’s an easy mistake to make considering the fact that she narrates almost the entire issue and it’s all about her past. But it’s not. It does in fact give a ton of details about Ninjette’s past, but it uses these for comparisons in her life so that we understand why she’s friends with Emp. In fact the most important information comes to us via Emp’s narration in the beginning of the story. Emp goes on and on about how great Ninjette is and can’t figure out why she bothers to hang out with her. The good thing here is that it’s not a “lipstick lesbian” story, but a true story of friendship.

The narrative is actually very clever as Ninjette narrates a different time in her life with each beer. When she’s reached a certain number it brings forth a memory in her mind. Some of them are good like her first beer that reminds her of the first time she meet Emp and how they began their friendship. The second beer takes her back to a time with her abusive ninja father interrogating her with ninja beer and a girl that Ninjette once regarded as a friend. The memories tend to bounce back and forth like this as some are good and some are bad, but all of them reveal key aspects of Ninjette’s personality and why she’s friends with Emp.

Empowered Special - Nine Beers with Ninjette CoverThe story telling is amazing. This is because on the surface level most people will just see Ninjette’s origin and how she meets Emp. It’s easy to miss the rest of the story if you’re not paying attention even though the ending holds it up to your face for you to figure out. The story was entertaining, but still had a range of emotions that I associate with this series. It was also a great look at the history of the series which for new readers would make it easy to jump on board.

The artwork is stunning. Warren does a little himself, but for the most part it’s all Miyazawa. The black and white art style has always fit this series and it’s a nice change of pace to see a full issue that way. Not that I haven’t enjoyed the previous specials and their colored sections, but this issue was far more fluid because of it. Miyazawa also captures the wide range of emotions from the characters and trust me it’s quite the gambit; from Emp’s insecurities to Ninjette’s overwhelming sadness, it’s all there.

One thing that these specials always manage to do is make me want more of this series. I still have plenty to catch up on, but I would love to have more of this series each month and I know I’m not alone. If you’ve never read it before or even heard of it before then check it out. It’s a great series and this issue definitely gives you a place to start.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Adam Warren Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Super! #1

One thing I always say is that independent superhero titles are difficult to do. That is to say that it’s difficult to present a new superhero world without it seeming like a rehash of something you’ve read before. I’m not one to have an issue with new stories in which the archetypes of other characters are being used as long as it offers something new and that’s exactly what Super! does. The world of Super! is like a combination of the Marvel and DC universe with a slight touch of Wildstorm (RIP). It’s a world that is filled with superheroes and villains and that’s where we meet our main character Blitz. My understanding is that she has super strength and can fly, but also produces electricity. She’s starts off by fighting Mr. Roboto and has it under control, but her teammate The Furious Fire-Ant steps in to help her anyways. She gets pissed about the time and smashes the crap out of Roboto and leaves Fire-Ant to clean up the mess… which he doesn’t since he has no idea what to do with a dead robot.

After that we follow Blitz back to her apartment and watch as she changes instantly in to her alter ego Paula. She changes just in time for her boyfriend to come home and we can presume that he knows nothing about her double life. After that we get a taste of Paula’s regular life as she works as a waitress at Miller’s Tavern. Her narration walks us through the city and gives the reader a taste of the world.

Super #1 CoverThe story introduces us to Paula’s teammates as well. Fire-Ant is an Iron Man type of character while Blood Death is an awesome combination of Captain America, Judge Dredd, The Punisher and Rorschach. That’s kind of the deal with the world in that they’re all similar to other character’s you know, but in some cases they’re several characters combined. There’s a great segment in which the story makes fun of Wolverine with their version called Lone Wolf; its spot on and great.

Overall I liked the story. It wasn’t anything that original but that’s only because it’s taking themes and characters and compiling them together. It’s very successful in that regards as you’ll recognize characters and even story elements from other series, but you won’t care because they all work together in this new setting. What really stands out is the dialogue. The issue has its comedic moments and while you won’t be slapping your knee on every page, the jokes that are there, work. One of the best scenes is where Paula and her team are trying to come up with a team name and it becomes a high school group project. The stupidest names get thrown out, but everyone is very serious about their choices. Overall I really enjoyed the writing and would come back for another issue because of it.

The artwork is really good. The deal breaker on an indie superhero title for me is the artwork. It’s not that it needs to look like the rest of the genre, but usually it’s trying to and not reaching the bar. There’s aspects of the art that resemble what’s typically associate with the genre, but there is a sense of realism to the art that makes it stand out compare to a typical capes book. I like the details and the fact that world was packed full of superheroes. It reminded me of Top Ten it had so much going on within the pages.

I don’t read a lot of superhero books anymore so when I can find an indie one I like I tend to stick with it. I’ll be waiting for the second issue of the series to check out and as long as it can keep up the quality on the art and the style of the story this will definitely be one to look forward to. It’s available in print and digitally so check it out.

Score: 4/5

Creators: Zachary Dolan and Justin Piatt Writer/Artist: Zachary Dolan Publisher: Unlikely Heroes Studios Price: $2.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

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Do Want: Pre-Painted Sailor Mars Model Kit

It's been a long ass time since I put together a model, but if it turned out looking like this then I would do it... what's that? Minor assembly? So it's basically just a statue in parts... yeah okay that's even better. Check it out:

Gathering Sailor Mars (Pre-Painted) Selling Price: US$ 199.49 ( 25 % OFF ) Stock Status: Pre Order Expected Release Date: 2013-10-20 Product Number: PF2362 Serie: Sailor Moon Height: 35.00 cm – Note: Height includes the related display base Weight: 3.00 kg – Note: Weight includes packing material and subject to change Parts: 6 Scale: 1/5

Remark: • Minor Assembly Required • No Painting Required • No Instructions Provided • Extra care service: Carried in extra package box, safety enhanced

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