By Laramie Martinez
Godkiller Vol.1 takes place in a dark, confusing, post-apocalyptic world where magic and technology collide to make everyone miserable. At least that’s how I’ve come to understand it. From all the hype surrounding this book, the two main points that kept showing up were Uber-violence and hyper sexuality. And while this comic does indeed contain those things you get the feeling that all the “edgy” content is just there to be “edgy”. If you strip away the sex and violence, all you have is a sub-par story with a lot of scatters story arch littered throughout.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
I’m going to be up front with you all. This issue wasn’t as good as the last one. It might be because the nostalgia has worn off or it might be the equivalent of a sophomore slump of a second issue. What I do know is that there are some things I liked about this comic and other things I didn’t. If you want to see me write about them take a look below.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
The last two issues of Night’s Dominion have taken us through an interesting and exciting world at a breakneck pace. We’ve seen a team come together, a heist go awry, and uncovered a conspiracy underneath the city. This issue, by comparison feels like the issue where we pay the piper. Slower than the previous two, Naifeh introduces a lot of new characters and storylines. While I have previously welcomed his twists and turns of the narrative. The ones introduced here feel like he’s trying to do too much. Overall, the pacing doesn’t ruin the issue but it does bring it down from the heights this series has achieved in the past.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
Black Hammer # 5 is a bold departure from what we’ve seen of the comic so far. In a lot of ways it’s what you would expect from the family’s strangest character. From the structure of the plot to the layouts of the pages themselves, this issue breaks the mold to create a jarring departure form the narrative. In the end its flaw isn’t in what the creators do differently, the problem stems from what stays the same. Keep reading to find out what that is.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
I went into Ether #1 cold. I knew Matt Kindt was writing it, but I had no idea who the artist was or even the premise of the comic. I have to say, it’s nice when you get lucky and stumble on a good comic. Part portal fantasy, part scientific detective story, Ether is a promising series showcasing the strange talent of writer Matt Kindt and far out style of David Rubin.
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Flash Gordon: King’s Cross #1 is a great introduction to a team up series. More often than not you’ll find team up books falling into the same traps. They bog themselves down by going to all kinds of lengths to show us how and why each of the team members decided to join forces. Often there will be some kind of misunderstanding that must be brought to a head and then resolved before the team can actually focus on the true problem. King’s Cross skips all that, instead the issue focuses on showing the readers who the heroes are as individuals, giving us glimpses into their personalities and styles.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
I must be feeling nostalgic this month, because I’ve got another review of a comic series based on an old T.V. show. Battlestar Galatica: Gods and Monsters is a pleasant, albeit somewhat jarring trip down memory lane. I haven’t watched the series for a few years now so when I was dropped back into the fleet it took me awhile to get my bearings. So much happens in the show that it can be confusing to try to remember what events happened or have yet to happen in the timeline. This issue shows promise, but it lacks a fundamental characteristic of the Battlestar Galactica franchise, which make it a little less interesting than it could be.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
I don’t know if I’ll ever get sick of Firefly. Every time I see them appear in comic form it gives me that warm fuzzy nostalgia feeling that every media company seems to be trying to tap into these days. Although the previous comic series have been hit or miss, I have enjoyed them enough to look forward to any new series Darkhorse puts out. This issue leans heavy on the nostalgia, spending a lot of the time checking in on the rag-tag crew, but this issue does plant a few seeds for conflicts that could have a dramatic impact on the franchise.
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This issue of Conan felt like a deep breath after a sprint. We’ve seen non-stop action for the past few issues and this one takes an opportunity to slow things down and reset. We’ve reached a plateau here, even so, the comic still delivers a decent amount of action. That being said, I think this issue is a little too Conan-centric. How is that possible in a series titled “Conan”? You can find out how below.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
Abe gets his Mrs. Dalloway on and throws a dinner party! Gail makes a bold accessory choice! And someone gets a whole new look! But all joking aside, this is another great issue. I don’t know why you’re even reading this. Have you missed reviews 1-3? You can’t still be on the fence, can you? Why haven’t you bought this comic? Are you waiting for the trade? Cause that’s cool. I can respect that.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
After an outstanding first issue, Ted Naifeh is back with Night’s Dominion #2! Picking up right where we last left our odd bunch of thieves, this issue is, on top of being a great heist issue, another well paced introductory issue, with some twists and turns for good measure. We get to see a little more of each character’s abilities and personalities as they traverse the strange cathedral brimming with cultists. Great sword and sorcery action from start to finish.
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I’m a sucker for fantasy comics. But I think the genre tends to be limited by the expectations placed upon it. Some of the best short stories I’ve read recently use fantasy as a tool to explore interesting ideas. From Under Mountains is a great example of this. More of a political thriller than a rip-roaring adventure, the book tells a quieter story where personal conflicts between parents, fathers and daughters set the stage for a larger narrative. This comic feels very much like an intro arch, giving characters’ personal reasons which will inform their future decisions.
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Earlier this year I got really into games. I’m not talking about Shoots and Ladders, or Candyland, I’m talking about the big names like Chess, Mah Jong, and of course Go. My interest peaked around the same time that AlphaGo defeated Lee Sedol and I will admit the results discouraged me from learning more about these classics. I realized that perfect information games or games where all the information can be seen on the board were actually limited. I wanted something that would mimic a tactical real life battle, and strangely it was this need for something more realistic that took me to probably one of the most outrageous and unrealistic wargames on the market, Warhammer 40k.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
The Killer Inside Me #2 is a decent step up from the previous issue. While the issue succeeds in tackling the story’s harsh subject matter with style and menace, it remains a little inconsistent. The writing also slows down considerably in this issue, so the pace of the previous issue is not a problem here. Check out below for the details.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
Like its predecessor, episode two of Luke Cage moves at a slower pace. The simmering tensions between characters come to a head by the end of it. In a lot of ways, this episode coupled with episode one serve as the origin of Luke Cage as a hero. And while dramatic, the big bang at the end of this episode isn't the most surprising thing about the series' second showing. No, the most surprising thing turns out to be a little piece of character insight in the form of what I call the, "Pull the trigger" speech. To find out what that is and what I think of the show after the first two episodes check out my review below.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
Last Friday I sat down with my girlfriend to watch Luke Cage, Netflix’s most recent series in the quadfecta that is The Defenders. Now, I wasn’t the biggest Luke Cage fan going into this series. Don’t get me wrong; I was excited, but that excitement came from watching the others series Netflix has put out. I liked Daredevil, and Jessica Jones was even better, so my enthusiasm was coming from a place of wanting to see another great TV show rather than excitement about seeing a character I loved on TV. Now I wasn’t completely ignorant; I had read a few Heroes for Hire, and I was impressed when he showed up in a crossover or two. He was more like a historical figure for me, the Jack Johnson of comics. Historical and important, but not really fleshed out.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
It is a well-established fact that Conan is at his best when he defeating his enemies. Seeing his enemies flee and hearing their women’s lamentations are excellent highlights, but the real meat of all Conan stories is in the heat of battle. Conan the Slayer #3 is a great example of the creators knowing what makes a good Conan comic. While not perfect, this is my favorite of the series so far. Cullen Bunn's pacing is excellent in this issue and Sergio Dalvia provides solid artwork with a couple impressive standout panels.
Read MoreBy Laramie Martinez
I first read Neil Gaiman’s “Troll Bridge” in college. I was waiting in a friend of a friend’s house, and while I silently judged my new acquaintance based upon the titles on their bookshelf, I noticed a copy of “Smoke and Mirrors” off in a corner. It turns out she had found it on the street and was happy to give it to me. This gesture greatly improved my opinion of her. Looking back, I remember the “Troll Bridge” as one of the stories that stuck in my head well after I had finished devouring the collection. I was in my early 20’s and had just tasted my first feelings of true regret and isolation. I remember relating to the narrator in a way that was almost uncomfortable.
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