Sam King 4/25/18 Sam King 4/25/18

Review: The Lost City Explorers #1

I have always been fascinated by stories of exploration and lost cities, like El Dorado and Atlantis. This comic so far seems to be focusing on Atlantis. To start, there is a lot of human drama going on and we get a little taste of some mystery elements that will progress as the series really gets rolling. While it is not the greatest comic I have read this year, this one has a lot of potential to become a good time, so long as the characters do not get tiresome.

Sam King 4/25/18 Sam King 4/25/18

Review: World of Tanks: Citadel #1

I just want to start by saying I have only played World of Tanks once and I had a good time with it. My significant other and one of my close friends play it all the time, so I have a solid understanding of it. My S.O. is also a major tank aficionado, so I’m not going in blind to this at all. World of Tanks is a massively multiplayer online game that pits player against player with tanks. Each player controls a tank as part of a team and tries to destroy the other team’s tanks on the map or capture the opposing team’s base. It has become a mobile, board, and card game. I may not be the target audience, but I think this is one that anyone could potentially enjoy with an open mind.

Sam King 4/18/18 Sam King 4/18/18

Review: Goosebumps Monsters at Midnight

I still own several dozen Goosebumps books. Occasionally on Halloween I watch old episodes of the show. Seeing a comic with fan favorite Slappy on the cover got me real excited, but this one is written by a different person than normal and it shows. The story really feels like it is missing the R.L. Stone touch. The creep levels are lacking and the characters really aren’t that interesting.

Sam King 4/18/18 Sam King 4/18/18

Review: Walt Disney Showcase #2

By Sam King

This series is basically the result of bringing Italian Disney comics to America. This is a pretty cool comic for major Disney fans like myself, but even I found a couple things kind of interesting about this that I wasn’t expecting. If you love Disney, knock yourself out and pick it up. If not, you’re probably better off with some of the other Disney titles that are out there depending on what you like. Each Walt Disney Showcase issue so far is a republishing of a foreign story that American audiences are now getting the opportunity to enjoy. There is no real continuity here as each seems to be a stand-alone story you can pick up and enjoy without reading prior issues.

Sam King 4/18/18 Sam King 4/18/18

Review: John Wick #2

John Wick #2 was supposed to come out in October of last year. Here we are seven months later. John Wick as so many know, is a retired hitman who can kill dozens of people by himself in fast and creative ways, with a number of weapons. He also turns mundane objects into murder weapons, like pencils. I loved both films and I was excited to hear about a comic series, and I can honestly say that I was even excited to get the chance to review it! The last reviewer who reviewed issue #1 wasn’t very impressed and quite honestly, I can see why.

Sam King 4/12/18 Sam King 4/12/18

Review: Sci-Fu vol. 1

By Sam King

Sci-Fu takes a young boy from Brooklyn who likes to “drop sick beats and rhymes” and tosses him onto a planet where he must battle robots with a musical, science fiction kind of kung-fu. The story seems to love combining hip hop, science fiction elements, and martial arts, which I can applaud since it is a unique mix. However, this one didn’t hit the right beats for me, and it felt very messy at times.

Sam King 4/12/18 Sam King 4/12/18

Review: Santa Clause Private Eye vol. 1

By Sam King

What is Santa Claus Private Eye Vol. 1 about? Take a magical childhood icon, add festive humor, mix in detective fiction, and sprinkle it with murder. Pour all of that into a hot chocolate mug, and you’ve got Santa Claus Private Eye in a chestnut shell. That is the best way I can describe it. We have all heard that Santa Claus knows who has been naughty and who has been nice. This story has a fresh take on how he gets his information…or rather what his magical intel can reveal when applied to another occupation.

Sam King 4/11/18 Sam King 4/11/18

Review: DuckTales #8

By Sam King

DuckTales the comic series takes the characters from the 2017 reboot of the original cartoon that ran from 1987-1990 and puts them in new adventures. Having owned and watched every original DuckTales episode, I guess you could call me a pretty big fan of the "franchise" in general. I’m in the middle of the reboot and couldn’t pass on the chance to review the matching comics. I wouldn’t say that the new adventures beat out the originals, but for a fresh audience, it isn’t that bad.

Sam King 4/11/18 Sam King 4/11/18

Review: Dodge City #2

By Sam King

Dodge City #2 dives deeper into exposition waters. We get a little more dodgeball playing and a lot more focus on team drama. We find out what the girl meant in the last issue when she referred to the Jazz Pandas as cheaters. It elaborates on plot points presented in issue #1, but slows down the pace a bit, by comparison, edging more toward character development. The story set up has been good thus far, and I’m waiting to see when things will come to a head.

Sam King 4/4/18 Sam King 4/4/18

Review: Go West #2

By Sam King

Go West is kind of like a blend of Jonah Hex and John Wick, but set in a post-apocalyptic future. It's supposed to be dangerous like the Old West but as a result of a barren landscape created by a war in modern times. Arthur Slade has a dark past in which he killed people and made money, similar to Jonah Hex, with his face scarred to boot (an occupational marker no doubt), but with a personal vendetta involving family and revenge like John Wick.

Sam King 4/4/18 Sam King 4/4/18

Review: Tinseltown #1

By Sam King

Tinseltown is an intriguing story with a solid start that seems to want to begin a discussion about the thin line that can sometimes exist between fact and fiction. This first issue is a strong start to what could be a comic that discusses truth, responsibility, gender roles and expectations, seeking dreams, and how sometimes we may settle for something different from what we hoped for to have the chance to reach what we think we desire most.

Sam King 4/4/18 Sam King 4/4/18

Review: R is For Reptar (One-Shot)

By Sam King

The original Rugrats television show went off the air just over ten years ago. Although my family didn’t have cable while I was growing up, I had both Rugrats feature-length films on VHS (I’m really dating myself now, huh?). I really enjoyed Rugrats, enough to have two video games on two different consoles and played them regularly. What I’m saying is, I know what to expect from a Rugrats story. This comic half hits the mark for me, and I can’t say it glows with the same shine as the original cartoon did when it aired. There have been rumors of Nickelodeon planning to revive the show, but for now, at least, we can keep enjoying the comics.

Sam King 4/4/18 Sam King 4/4/18

Review: Isola #1

By Sam King

Isola #1 is a comic with majestic artwork, an interesting story, and lots of mysticism. The art reads highly of the classic art present in works by Hayao Miyazaki. It isn’t a Japanese anime art style, but it has a lot of the sophistication of color choice, particularly in the representation of animals. The story has a solid base to go from, and the artwork is truly something to behold. Even if the story were to be much less interesting, select panels of the art could be sold as individual prints and still be amazing on their own.