Review: Quantum and Woody #1

December 20, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I am kind of new to Valiant Comics. I’ve obviously known about Valiant, and I’m sure I’ve even read a Valiant book here or there. But nothing all that regular or consistent like I’ve been reading lately. I have been enjoying books like X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Ninja-K, and Secret Weapons. So, I’ll admit that I was kind of excited to give Quantum and Woody a shot as well. I will say that I do remember reading one issue of a previous Quantum and Woody series and not being super into it. I just picked up a random issue at a friend’s recommendation, and I think that was the problem. I didn’t know the characters. I wasn’t invested in the story. It was just a thing I read and didn’t like. But I didn’t hold it against the characters or the book or whatever. It just wasn’t my thing – at the time – and if my life has taught me anything, I am all for second chances.

Review: Under: Scourge of the Sewer #1

December 13, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

When I was a kid I was afraid to take shits because I thought a skeleton was going to reach up from the toilet, grab my ass, and pull me down into the sewer. I’ve known other people that thought snakes or rats or alligators. But I don’t know why I thought skeletons were going to get me. I was afraid of toilets. I was afraid of sewers. I was a weird kid. But listen, the sewers are a fucked up, ugly, nasty, creature-y place, I guess. Especially in Christophe Bec’s and Stefano Raffaele’s Under: Scourge of the Sewer #1.

Review: The Gravediggers Union #2

December 6, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I really enjoyed the first issue of this series. I thought it felt like a fresh and exciting entry into a genre of comic books that’s – for lack of a better phrase – bloated with a lot of crap. Wes Craig is telling an interesting and exciting story. And, while yes it kind of sucks that Craig’s not doing the art on top of the writing, Toby Cypress’s art is great and unique and really adds to the story. So how does issue #2 stack up compared to the first?

Group Review: Batman: Creature of the Night #1

November 29, 2017

By the Comic Bastards

Welcome to the review. If you’re unfamiliar with Comic Bastards’ group review format, then allow me to get you up to speed. Each of the participating writers will give their thoughts, along with their own personal score for the issue. Each score stands on its own so don’t expect an average. Now, here’s a blurb about Batman: Creature of the Night #1.

Young Bruce Wainwright lost his parents in a violent crime…and in the real world; no superheroes exist to save the day. But as grief and rage builds inside Bruce until he feels he can’t keep it inside anymore, something strange starts taking wing in the Gotham night! Perhaps Bruce’s grief isn’t inside him after all?

Review: Imaginary Fiends #1

November 22, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Growing up, I never had an imaginary friend. Not sure what that says about me but I just never did. But I do remember my sister having one. It was this fat little baby looking-thing named Chebby or something like that. I also remember trying to play with them, my sister and Chebby were always getting up to something, but she never let me. She’d always say that Chebby didn’t like me or that it (he?) was mad at me or that it hated me. My sister was older than me and was never really nice when we were kids.

Review: Gravetrancers #1

November 22, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

In the afterword at the end of this issue, M.L. Miller says that Gravetrancers was inspired by a real-life story of a cemetery dumping bodies into a pit at the back of their lot and re-selling plots over and over again. I remember this in the news some years ago. It was at Burr Oak Cemetery, I believe, which is not that far from where I live. It was a crazy, fucked up story. Listing this as inspiration for a story should tell you just what kind of book Gravetrancers is going to be. Pretty crazy and fucked up on its own, right?

Review: Ninja-K #1

November 15, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Ninjak is something I’ve been aware of for some time now. As a comic book reader this should be obvious. He’s a character I’ve seen here and there. But one I don’t think I’ve ever actually sat down to read before. It’s kind of like that with a lot of the Valiant stuff for me, though. I’m aware of most of it, maybe even read an issue or two. But for whatever reason it’s a publisher I tend to pass by on the shelves. I don’t know why. It’s nothing personal. Nothing against Valiant or the books they’re steady putting out. I think that I just get so wrapped up in the DC, Marvel, and Image books I buy and read each week that I kind of forget about all the other companies putting new books out week after week.

Review: Maestros #2

November 15, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Did you ever think about what you would do if you suddenly ruled an entire world? Like, if you were given immense power, what would be the first thing you’d do? Would you use that power to make the world a better place or would you use it to make your own life better? These are the thoughts I was left with after finishing Maestros #2. And I think it’s safe to say that I would be the worst person to be put into a position of that kind of power. I imagine that I would fuck everything up very quickly.

Review: Redlands #4

November 8, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I want to be completely honest here. Until very recently I had not read a single issue of Redlands. I’m not sure why this is. It’s been on my list. I own all the issues. Just never got around to reading them. So immediately before reading issue #4, I read all the previous issues. Had to catch up. And I am glad I did. Glad I finally got my head out of my ass and read this thing. Because the book’s fucking great. It’s easily the best horror book coming out right now.

Review: Rock Candy Mountain #5

November 8, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Rock Candy Mountain has been one of my favorite books of the year. In it, Kyle Starks has created a world that is weird and full of history and life – and hobos, bums, tramps, and Satan. He’s decided to focus the attention of the book on a population and community that is never really looked at favorably, either in fiction or in the real world. I don’t really know where I’m going with this, other than to say Rock Candy Mountain with issue #5 is back, my dudes, and I am super freaking excited about that.

Review: The Gravediggers Union #1

November 2, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Ghost and zombies and vampires – and all kinds of shit like that – have been done so many times in comics (and all other forms of media) that it kind of gets to a point where it’s like what’s the point of even trying? You got to think that everything you’re trying to do, someone else has already done, and probably better, too. You’ve got to know that anything you do make is going to be compared to the countless things that have come before it. You’ve got to know that any idea you’ve got, someone’s already had that same idea. This is the mentality I usually have before I go into a new horror book (or movie or blah blah blah).

Review: The Hard Place #3

October 26, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Getting back to normal life after an extended prison sentence is hard. It's really fucking hard, which is probably why something like 75% of people re-offend and end up back inside. It's a never-ending cycle for some people. I know. I've been on both sides of the law and now I work every day with people recently released from prison – in my job, though, it's mostly people locked up for drug charges, but I've had a few bank robbers come through my place. I actually see a lot of some of the people I work with in AJ Gurney – people trying their hardest to do the right thing, but no matter what they just keep fucking up over and over again. Like they can't help themselves. It's sad and scary and fucked up, but it's also part of living that criminal lifestyle. I don’t know. Whatever. Here's my review of The Hard Place #3.

Street Angel Superhero Banner_edited-1.png

Review: Street Angel: Superhero for a Day

October 25, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I'm a recent convert to the world of Street Angel. The first time I even heard about the character was with the recently released Street Angel: After School Kung Fu Special. And I enjoyed that. So, I read everything I could get my hands on of this homeless teenage skateboard crime fighter and her adventures. I killed everything that was available online, and I bought a couple of older collections I could find. And then, this summer, Image released another hardcover story – The Street Angel Gang. And I read that one too and enjoyed it. So, what I'm trying to say is that I'm a fan of Jim Rugg's and Brian Maruca's creation and that I was also super excited to see that they had another book coming out. Unfortunately, Street Angel: Superhero for a Day kind of missed the mark for me.

Review: Sherlock Frankenstein & the Legion of Evil #1

October 18, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Apparently, I am just out of the loop when it comes to new comic books. Because this book came out of nowhere for me. I love Black Hammer and I also love Leff Lemire's writing, and I especially love David Rubin's weird/beautiful art. So, right off the bat Sherlock Frankenstein & the Legion of Evil is a win-win-fucking-win book for me. But, really, when you think about it how good can a spin-off book actually be, right? Why make a spin-off at all, other than as a cash-grab? These are a few of the things I initially thought about the book before I even read it. And let me tell you, fuck all that noise. Sherlock Frankenstein & the Legion of Evil is a solid first issue, and a great book overall, as a companion piece to Black Hammer and also as its own thing entirely. Plus, the title's pretty great, too.

Review: Maestros #1

October 18, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but I generally don't do fantasy books. They're just not my thing. I think it's because they all tend to be too heavy. To me at least, everything seems weighed down and overly descriptive, and it's mainly the language in a fantasy book/comic that I can't get into. Maestros #1 is a fantasy book. But it's also so much more. Steve Skroce has created a multi-layered book that even this self-proclaimed fantasy hater can enjoy. Ugh. That sentence was terrible and I hated writing it. But it is true. I don't like fantasy but I did enjoy the shit out of Maestros.

Review: Atomahawk #0

October 11, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I've never really been a fan of marauding barbarians as characters. That whole genre has never really done anything for me. I think it's because it's a genre where a lot of the stories are essentially the same. There's only so much that can be done with the genre, in my opinion. Like, I get it – there's a group of totally ripped and brutal barbarians, and they're also totally fucking badass. Or whatever. I don’t know. There's probably a little more to the genre than this. Usually, when one of these books ends up on the review list, I just scroll on past. So, why am I talking about this here? Two reasons, really. The first is because Atomahawk is – in a way – one of these stories, and the second reason is that I didn’t know how else to start this review.

Review: Batman: White Knight #1

October 4, 2017

Group Review

Welcome to the Comic Bastards group review for Batman: White Knight #1. For those unfamiliar with the site’s group review format, each of the participating writers will give their thoughts and an individual score for the issue. We don’t do averages; each person’s thoughts and score are their own. Now get your butt ready for DC and Sean Phillips’ Batman: White Knight #1.

Review: Slots #1

October 4, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

I've spent a decent amount of time in Las Vegas. My sister used to live there, and I would visit often. But it was never the gambling that I was interested in there. It was the drinking and the drugs. Vegas is the kind of city you go to with the intention of making bad decisions. Maybe it's different if you're local. But if you're from out-of-town Vegas can be blinding. It's the lights and the energy and the fact everything – and I mean everything – is right there within reach. I've always liked books and movies and whatever set in Vegas. Because the city has its own attitude and it's built into all of the characters, too. Dan Panosian's Slots is a book about the Las Vegas that maybe not a lot of people see. It's the kind of story that takes place off the Strip. It's a gritty story, and I'm hoping that we're all going to get a little dirty before it's over.

Review: The Beautiful Death #1

September 27, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

The Beautiful Death is another book I had never heard of until I saw it pop up on our review list. Maybe I'm just out of the loop. It has been a while since I worked in a shop and had all the important info about every fucking thing happening in the industry right as it was happening. The Beautiful Death is also another book that I jumped right into without knowing a single thing about. It's interesting to read a book like this because I feel like it makes it fresher or something. Like my judgment isn't tainted before I even get to the book if that makes sense. The Beautiful Death is an apocalypse book, and in all honesty, if I knew that beforehand, I might not have even started to read it. Because I'm kind of tired of apocalypse books. There's just been a lot of them lately, and at times I feel like I need a break from the end of the world.

Review: Kill Them All

September 27, 2017

By Daniel Vlasaty

Kyle Starks is the best thing ever! And he has a new book out and it is called Kill Them All. I have basically loved everything he has done since I first read Sexcastle a few years back. Kyle Starks' books are silly and weird and totally fucking intense. And Kill Them All is no different. This book is great. It is everything I have come to love from both Kyle Starks and the medium of comic books in general.