Sam King 5/10/18 Sam King 5/10/18

Review: Reborn vol. 1

By Sam King

Reborn takes the question of what happens after we die and turns it into a fantasy adventure full of monster killing and the promise of a better future. The artwork is top notch, and the pace is largely optimal for the story being told. This is also a complete story, beginning to end, so this volume will not leave you waiting to see what happens which is a nice plus. There are a few convenience issues, but we will get to that.

Sam King 5/10/18 Sam King 5/10/18

Review: The Gravediggers Union vol. 1

By Sam King

This story is supposedly about people who keep zombies, ghost storms, and vampires at bay, but so far I’m not feeling it. I thought the premise had a lot of potential, but the pace is dragging, and I can’t say I’m all that attached to anyone. The characters are nothing special, the art is lackluster for me overall, and I wish there were more action and less “suspense.”

Dustin Cabeal 5/9/18 Dustin Cabeal 5/9/18

Comic Bastards Podcast - 035

By Dustin Cabeal

Click here to listen!

035 - Welcome to this week's show. It's just a regular review week for me, a little bit of the new, a little bit of the continuing... ongoing... whatever. I'll leave the list below, but it's 13 minutes of your life, feel free to be surprised!

Comic Books covered on this episode:

Justice League: No Justice #1
Sideways #4
The Immortal Men #2
Relay #1
RoboCop: Citizen's Arrest #2
Savage Takes: Vampirella #1

Dustin Cabeal 5/9/18 Dustin Cabeal 5/9/18

Review: Sideways #4

By Dustin Cabeal

Sideways continues to be an interesting experiment from DC Comics. There are definitely chunks of the story that feel missing or changed at the drop of a hat. While it doesn’t bother me as a reader, I can see the fickle superhero reader being far less forgiving. Mostly, because Sideways breaks a lot of the superhero norms at the moment.

Cat Wyatt 5/9/18 Cat Wyatt 5/9/18

Review: Wonder Woman #46

By Cat Wyatt

After everything that has been going on the last few issues, it’s time to get a new plot rolling. This one is called ‘All Hail the Dark Gods’ and it gives a pretty good idea of what Wonder Woman will be facing off against in the very near future.

Hunter Patrick 5/9/18 Hunter Patrick 5/9/18

Review: The Flash #46

By Hunter T. Patrick

Flash War has not even started yet, and because of this issue my current favorite Flash arc of this run (Button fallowed by Running Scared) might soon be getting replaced. This issue made me giddier than most all the issues of The Flash thus far. It felt like getting a wish list for everything wanted in a story and seeing it all come true and working as well as it does. Joshua Williamson’s Flash has always seemed to be a somewhat average comic with such greatness ready to spring out, and now it has and makes me eager for what is coming next.

Dustin Cabeal 5/9/18 Dustin Cabeal 5/9/18

Review: Robocop: Citizen's Arrest #2

By Dustin Cabeal

This is more along the lines of what I expected in the first issue. That is to say that it’s more along the lines of every other RoboCop comic from BOOM! that I’ve read. Much of this comic is inconsequential to the plot and offers no character development.

Cat Wyatt 5/9/18 Cat Wyatt 5/9/18

Review: Prism Stalker #3

By Cat Wyatt

Issue three of Prism Stalker brings us back to the psychedelic worlds that we’ve come to know and love in just a few short issues. This issue continues the saga of the new world that Vep is supposed to be helping to colonize, at least, that’s assuming she passes all of her training.

Kelly Gaines 5/9/18 Kelly Gaines 5/9/18

Review: Eternity Girl #3

By Kelly Gaines

Good news everyone! Sloan is alive and well, possibly homeless, and asking the police to turn a blind eye to the rogue superwoman that blew up his home. His wife and kids are fine too- if anyone was wondering. On to important matters. Eternity Girl #3 continues Caroline’s graceful slide into what I assume is complete insanity. How else do you justify the desire to end all existence forever? There’s something eerie about a determined and motivational dialogue geared towards the ultimate mass murder. It’s the same passion and righteousness read in the lines of the Justice League, and somehow, it makes you root for Caroline. Sympathy for the devil? Maybe not. But it’s sympathy for a unique kind of darkness, one that is equally inviting and terrifying.

Sam King 5/9/18 Sam King 5/9/18

Review: Fraggle Rock #1

By Sam King

I cannot believe it; somebody brought back Fraggle Rock. I wasn’t an 80’s kid who grew up watching it, but I was a 90’s kid who watched a lot of TV and VHS tapes. Fraggle Rock was always previewed on the Muppet movie VHS tapes I used to watch growing up, and I’m still addicted to the theme. I’d seen the show and even some of the animated series, but I can’t believe a company actually made a comic of it here in 2018.

Garrett Hanneken 5/9/18 Garrett Hanneken 5/9/18

Review: The Immortal Men #2

By Garrett Hanneken

The second issue of Immortal Men further introduces us to the team at hand. As we get to know a little more about each team member, we are able to ask ourselves if we want to take this journey with these heroes.

Issue two begins with more exposition on the four superheroes that make up The Immortal Men. With that said, we start to learn the powers of each character while they exhibit them through their actions. As for Caden Park, the main interest in this comic, he is on the run as the villains attempt to capture him. It is still a mystery as to why Caden is so important but like this issue states, “this is only the beginning.”

Benjamin Snyder 5/9/18 Benjamin Snyder 5/9/18

Review: Batman: White Knight #8

By Ben Snyder

Batman: White Knight: has been a wild and somewhat inconsistent ride. It has never reached the apex of other Batman mini series, but it never was a miserable slog. Perhaps that is why I have been so meh about the series, it rarely if ever moved any needle of excitement despite the amazing talent behind it. The mini-series finale follows suit with the rest of the series and in doing so leaves me a little disappointed. Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth are a present-day dream team of talent, which also raised the expectations a little too high. But perhaps my biggest gripe with Batman: White Knight #8 is that it wrapped up the entire mini-series too neatly.

Cat Wyatt 5/9/18 Cat Wyatt 5/9/18

Review: Portal Bound #2

By Cat Wyatt

Portal Bound continues the unique tale started in the first issue. Princess Sybil has come to our earth in hopes of finding her counterpart on this world, which she did fairly quickly. He’s a teenager with no combat training, and his name is Elias. So not exactly the savior Sybil was hoping to find, but it could be worse I suppose; at least they still appear to have the ability to combine (or whatever I should be calling it).

Garrett Hanneken 5/9/18 Garrett Hanneken 5/9/18

Review: Relay #1

By Garrett Hanneken

There is definitely a big deal of mystery that goes with Relay. The sense of enigma mixed with a technologically advanced environment results in a sci-fi story that is both familiar and unique.

Jonathan Edwards 5/9/18 Jonathan Edwards 5/9/18

Review: Hungry Ghosts #4

By Jonathan Edwards

I didn’t review Hungry Ghosts #3, but I did still read it. And, it was weird. Structurally, it was identical to issue #2 with virtually no framing narrative. As a pair, the stories were the strongest presented so far, even if the ending of “Deep,” the first story, both came out of nowhere and was… strange. By themselves, neither of them was better than “The Pirates” from issue #1, but they were much closer in quality. Granted, none of the stories throughout Hungry Ghosts have been outright great or, more importantly, all that scary. And, even though it’s safe to say Hungry Ghosts #4 is the book’s best issue, those previous problems are still very much present.

Sam King 5/9/18 Sam King 5/9/18

Review: Isola #2

Issue #2 of Isola picks up where #1 left off, Rook traveling with the Queen in tiger form. The art is slightly less awe-inspiring this issue since a lot of the story takes place in more ruins and rocky areas than wilderness. We get to know more about Rook’s history and meet some new people.

Cat Wyatt 5/9/18 Cat Wyatt 5/9/18

Review: Suicide Squad #41

By Cat Wyatt

With the last of the Hack plot being wrapped up in the last issue, it’s time for Suicide Squad to take on a new plot. This plot is looks like it’s going to be different than the usual Suicide Squad stories, and I have high hope for how it’s going to go. Okay, if I'm fair at least part of that hope is coming from the seriously badass cover for this issue (seriously, look at it!) but I’m okay with that.

Benjamin Snyder 5/9/18 Benjamin Snyder 5/9/18

Review: Analog #2

By Ben Snyder

It says a lot that I’m continually left fascinated by Analog’s world despite writer Gerry Duggan’s hit or miss script. The post-internet world is so captivating that it feels as if there are endless possibilities. With the new addition of government intervention in private affairs, it seems as though Analog is on a more set path than previously thought which definitely helps, and Duggan’s humor is a much appreciated counter-balance to the heavy noir elements present in the story. Despite some initial trepidation due to an unnecessarily long fight scene, Analog #2 adjusts itself and delivers a solid issue to continue the story.

Cat Wyatt 5/9/18 Cat Wyatt 5/9/18

Review: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #22

By Cat Wyatt

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey issue #22 brings about the conclusion to the Full Circle plot it’s been running. When we last saw our heroes, Canary had finally (and very successfully) taken out Burnrate, as well as maybe hitting her allies (side note; Catwoman and Ivy both joined this fight as well), during which time Helena had been kidnapped by Calculator and his people.

Hunter Patrick 5/9/18 Hunter Patrick 5/9/18

Review: Detective Comics #980

By Hunter T. Patrick

Welcome to the penultimate issue of Tynion IV’s Detective Comics run. Has it been incredible? Eh. Has it been bad? Eh. Now we are ending this run the only way this run knows how with an eh. The problem with the run that also is a huge problem with this issue is that there are so many great characters at play, but not enough time to see them do anything but be in the middle of the action. Like most issues, this is another one jam-packed with action. It refuses to take a breather as we go from scene to scene, its a wonder how this run of twice monthly, two-year comic run is supposed to wrap this arc up in the next issue. If it can be pulled off, then I salute Tynion, but as of this issue, I feel any ending would be way too rushed.