Summons Review

Summons A Supernatural Fight Of Good VS. Evil

I’ve been super busy with life and everything that comes along with it, but I have also been on my game with the reviews.  So far for the last month or so I have put up something at least once a week and I hope to continue my trend.  I recently went back over my body of work and noticed that I was leaning heavy towards sci fi stuff from more known companies and thought maybe it would be a good idea to revisit something different and from the more indie labels.  I decide to do a review on Summons because I’m completely blown away by this books art as well as the general premise of the story.

Summons is; written, penciled, and lettered by Chris L. Williams, inked by Jake Isenberg, and colored by both Danielle Alexis St. Pierre (cover) and Victor Bartlett (Interior) and I have to hand it to them because I feel like this art is spectacular.  The cover features two of the main characters, Kristine Helios and the last agent of a group known as the M.E.G.A.S (mystic event gatherer and surveyor).  I understand that that may not mean much now but as I get into the review know that it will be clarified, just keep in mind that both characters are seriously BA and the cover features Kristine kneeling down with a dagger in her hand and some dragon/dog looking monsters behind her with the MEGAS guy behind her.  The MEGAS agent looks almost like Deadpool meets Emperor Palpatine, and I only say that because of his red and blue mask with blue and red trimmed cloak.  Both characters have glowing eyes and fierce looks to them that are only accentuated by the monsters around Kristine.  I made it the featured image on the left over here so you can get a real feel for what I'm describing.

The book begins with a four page panel that starts at Kristine’s eyes and pulls further out to reveal her standing in a half circle of troll looking monsters.  Again I have to say, the art is on point in every way, Kristine’s eyes are fierce like she is angry and ready to take care of business.  She provides some commentary about what it was like before the real world revealed itself but overall the first page is a simple but BA introduction to Kristine and her current struggles as someone that knows about and deals with supernatural things.  Page two is a continuance of the first page but it’s a five panel ass kicking that show cases Kristine’s abilities and ends on the next page with a killer profile of her holding a monsters head.  I enjoy the fight scene and the profile of Kristine but as a writer I really enjoy the way they put the exposition in as Kristine’s thoughts and explanations of the monsters.  I have mentioned before in previous reviews that one of my pet peeves is being thrown into a complicated world with complicated back stories and just being expected to know what is going on.  Williams gives a great explanation of what the creatures are and why their stalking her down.  The exposition is done well and sets up the premise of the book, Kristine is meant to get back the book of Summons.  The explanation is enough to get a good taste as to what she is facing and what she is seeking out but it doesn't over share and leaves something for us to discover as the book goes on.  The exposition continues with the profile page and Kristine explains her “edge” when dealing with these creatures called Monstrum.  Along with her dagger made for spear of destiny parts she has a “death rapport” that links her thoughts with the Monstrum she kills.  The death rapport doesn't yield anything good so Kristine is forced to summons her MEGAS buddy and we are lead to the next page where he is front and center but flanked by four panels of Kristine and one close up of his masked face.  I simply can’t say enough about the art, the MEGAS dude looks formidable and BA as the two of them chat about what transpired.  The exposition continues alongside an explanation of the MEGAS and what their all about.  Her new MEGAS buddy was “the 5^th, sans a blonde Bruce Willis and half naked Milla Jovovich” and I have to say that I love the 5^th Element reference.





So within the first four pages we are introduced to the two main characters, shown a nice fight sequence, and given a reasonable amount of exposition so we understand what is going on in Kristine’s world.  For me personally this book does what I expect from anything that has a complex world building around the reader; I need to know something, but not everything, I need to get a feel for the characters and their abilities, but not be overwhelmed by it.  Williams has already drawn me in and I’m hardly four pages into the read.  I definitely feel that the art helps me get drawn in but the story line has me as well.  The search for the book of Summons, the history of the MEGAS, and what sort of evil they face are all inventive and have me hooked.  The main characters are cool and heroic but not of the super hero ilk, more of the Constantine type, as is the world that is being set up.



After the beginning and the character introduction there is a short synopsis of how Williams describes his story.  I don’t normally quote things but I feel like his words are fairly poetic, and as a writer I enjoy these lines.

“Nothing meek shall inherit the Earth.  Humans are simply spectators.  Glorified animals caged by their own perception.  The real struggle, the real war… is fought by far greater beings.  They decide our fate, our purpose.  Everything depends on them.  Always has.  This is their story.  Their struggle.  And it is only the beginning.”

I know, epic... Right?  I really dig the way this feels and rolls off my tongue as I mouth it to myself.  After the first few pages and the realization of the mission and the book of summons this statement only beefs up the hype of the book and totally riles me up.

I have already been hooked with the art and the story of the first few pages but as I turn to the next page I see a “Chapter 1 Rude Awakening” and realize that the story has hardly started.  Kristine is clearly a late teen early twenty something, judging from the art, but as the story begins Williams reveals her true age while she narrates how awful school is.  I’m a man in my thirty’s but her clear contempt for school rings a bell with me, as does the three page narrative of Kristine thought bubbling her worries about college while trying to ignore the “self-absorbed, vapid, pima-donnas.”  I love this part because I have more than a few bad memories of self-absorbed A-holes in high school, as many comic book fans probably do, and Williams not only captures the essence of what many people deal with he does it while showing that Kristine is no push over.  Kristine has proven to be BA, but now we get a glimpse of her as a normal person dealing with normal people problems as well when she blows up at the girls talking trash.

Williams continues with Kristine making her way to the principal’s office when she stumbles upon the big football star that just happens to be her good buddy from childhood.  The banter between the two of them is natural, but flirty, and revealing of the true nature of their friendship.  Through dialog Williams shows us the nature of the relationship while also possibly foreshadowing some key plot points.  Football star Jared Lee reveals that his cousin has just died and was possibly into some shady things, which at first doesn’t sound very revealing but the art work really puts it into perspective with a close up of Jared’s face but behind him is a cloaked guy getting attacked by a hand that looks awfully menacing, like some of the monstrum from the beginning.



Williams shifts the book to three shadowy figures arguing about when to strike at Kristine and the mortal world but he leaves the dialog open until the next page when I turned and saw the up close of three shadowy monsters.  They argue when to strike and the shot caller declares that they wait until they find the book.  The art of the monsters is something to behold because their scary and mean as hell, with some of the best coloring I have ever seen.  The crew really out do themselves on this page, truly amazing art work.

The next seven pages are Kristine at home getting ready for bed when a monster attacks her by jumping through her window.  At this point we know that she doesn’t die and with the help of the MEGAS becomes pretty BA and this revelation comes to fruition when the MEGAS shows up to dispatch the Monstrum.  Again the art work is fantastic with the MEGAS and the monster fighting, my favorite being the first panel with MEGAS standing over the monster.  The panel is about three fourths of the MEGAS standing in front of a head shot of the monster.  The panel is colorful and gives a really nice profile of the MEGAS while still showing a scary version of the mostrum’s head up close.  The Monstrum has some really detailed features, including nasty teeth and a long gross tongue, everything a true monster should have.  As the MEGAS kills off the monster he screams “all hail Zombinos,” which is a nice piece of foreshadowing because I wonder if one of the shadowy monsters are Zombino or if he is going to be someone higher up the monster chain, but either way I’m excited to see Kristine and the MEGAS do their thing and kill them all.



MEGAS stops to holds a passed out Kristine and apologizes for his barging into her room to save her and explains the MEGAS formation.  Within the explanation of the MEGAS is also the explanation of how the book of Summons came about, as well as who Kristine is.  Kristine is somehow an intermediate between the forces of good or evil and the book.  MEGAS explains she is the newest of a long line of ancestors that held her powers and between him, her and another unknown person called “the warrior born” they have the potential to save the world.  The MEGAS explains that both her and the warrior born have the potential to be swayed to the bad side so it’s imperative that they start their quest to save the world and find the warrior born.

I was expecting this to be the end of the book but I turned to find one last page of a man running in the moonlight.  The final page is six panels of this man and a narrative of how he finally understood the MEGAS and the fight he was about to enter into.  He knew, all of a sudden, that he is essential to the never ending fight as well as the fact that they needed to get to the book of Summons.



I hate to keep gushing over the art, but seriously, it’s good.  All of the characters have a unique feel to them, no two are even remotely similar, except when supposed to be, and even then are done very different.  The Monstrum are the closest thing to similar in the book and their very different in their own ways.  The style of the art is something between cartoon and realistic and the colors are bright and popping.  Williams doesn’t slack on the story either, he clearly has an extensive world he is building but doesn’t bombard us with too much, he gives us exposition when needed and slides explanations into dialog to give it a natural feel.  I like the story and clearly the artwork but I have already read issue two and can’t wait for issue three.  This is the kind of indie book that makes me shake my head at the big two and ask them why they can’t be this BA.  Williams, Isenberg, Bartlett, St. Pierre; you guys deserve a firm handshake, a pat on the back, and more than anything you deserve to sell out of this book.

Ninjak Review

Ninjak, Valiant's BA Ninja!

I pretty much love doing reviews and I have done a ton of stuff from publishers like Image and Boom! but I have yet to do anything from Valiant.  Until now! I felt like now would be a good time to talk about a Valiant book because; A) I haven’t done a Valiant book yet, B) they have some really cool properties that are pretty old but have also been redone, and C) they just signed a huge contract of movie rights.  DMG Entertainment signed a deal worth nine figures with Valiant for the movie rights to a few characters and if they play their cards right they could end up with a seriously good cinematic universe like the big two, particularly Marvel.

The book I chose for my first review is Ninjak.  I admitted already that Valiant has some BA characters and books like Bloodshot, Shadowman, Quantum and Woody, Archer and Armstrong, X-O Manowar, and many others, but I went with Ninjak for two reasons; it was the first issue, and I enjoyed it.  As many of you know I’m not about bashing books so my personal enjoyment is a major factor in the decision to do a review and I can say for sure that I enjoyed Ninjak.



The book starts with a fun little classified specification on Ninjak’s “Multi-Tool Battle Belt” so we get a nice little preview of the type of weaponry to expect and they package it up in a top secret style page which is fitting considering he is a M.I. 6 agent.  Although the tool belt is cool we all know the book isn’t starting there, it actually starts with a five panel page of a blind folded ninja fighting a bunch of other ninja’s while Cranes fly all around them.  I liked the start but it was just a tease because the second page is three panels of a child eating popcorn and watching a movie.  The only thing the page says is “Then” at the bottom and it quickly shifts to “Now” as they give us some exposition on Ninjak’s mission.

So within three short pages Ninjak draws us into a back story and kicks us in the face with a scary mission briefing of a super BA target named Roku.  Ninjak’s target, Roku, is killing a Russian prison guard that is trying to hold her in a custom made prison but the exposition is what is scary; she can either feel no pain or she likes it, and she has had “Genetic tailoring” so her hair can cut through metal and she can strangle a man with only three strands.  Yeah pretty BA if you ask me, but we all know that Ninjak isn’t going to be a push over himself.  All in all the exposition about Roku is three pages of her taking care of Russian prison guards but it all leads up to a killer one page shot of Ninjak holding his sword while he quotes a line from the movie he was watching earlier.  Told you, he wasn't going to be a push over.



Ninjak asked her if he was supposed to be impressed and true to the game Roku says “who cares” as she grabs a gun to attack Ninjak.  There are nearly three entire pages of fighting before they pick up the dialog and Ninjak clicks an explosive trigger.  A bomb goes off behind Roku and she is dazed but Ninjak just tells her to stop and he lets her go.  At that point I was wondering why he decided to let her go but he goes on to tell Roku he saved her life because she was going to hack into their system and trigger a nuke.  I guess maybe he did it to save them both but someone in his ear piece tells him to clean up before he blows up the base he rescued her from.  Of course the blast is formidable but what really impressed me was the fact that he gets into a stealth bomber looking plane to get away.  At this point I’m starting to draw comparisons to Batman; the Ninja like persona and the super cool belt, and now a BA plane.

[caption id="attachment_1294" align="alignnone" width="323"] Roku[/caption]



After his mission in Russia and saving Roku the story flashes back to his childhood movie time and they reveal he lives in a castle with parents that could care less what he does with himself, probably has an Alfred and everything.  I’m more than convinced he is the clone of all BA characters like Bruce Wayne and James Bond, possible some other cool British characters, we will see.

The next page Ninjak gets debriefed at home and they show an aerial of Ninjak’s castle, and I have to say it is pretty stellar, certainly comparable to Wayne Manor.  Ninjak gets debriefed on his new assignment but just before it’s revealed what he is going to be up to next it’s revealed that Ninjak's name is Ninjak because he is actually Ninja K.  Makes sense to me, but I sort of thought it was because his name was Jack, more like Nin Jack, but it was nice to get some clarification.

During the debriefing it starts to get very spy like with the verbiage and new assignment to infiltrate a weapons maker and dealer.  We also learn that his in is because he financed the release of Roku, his right hand woman.  So all in all he has to get in and befriend a billionaire named Kannon, infiltrate his organization, and find out who the other seven leaders of a group named the Shadow Seven are.  No problem, right?  Well it seems pretty cake when he ends up singing karaoke with the guy.   I enjoy the way the book has been flowing as far as the "now" portion.  The way they transition and fit in the Roku mission with his new mission is done well, it provides clarification without being overt in a subtle but effective way.

I’m sure that things get crazy later but for now things flash back to when he is a child and is sneaking into his room but he gets caught by some big guy with a mustache.  At this point the only thing I don’t really dig is the short flashback story line.  I wish the flashback was more than a page here and there between the “now” parts, but I can see the back story setting up for something bigger or at least painting the picture as to why a little rich boy would want to become a ninja.



As the “now” part rolls on my hunch about things getting crazy with Kannon were right, they strip him and naked and drop him five miles outside of Tokyo expecting him to make it to an appointment at eight.  Ninjak is a ninja so of course he makes it on time but the next test had to be hard for Ninjak; he has to take a beating.  As a ninja I assume it would be hard to fight off the urge to kill all of them, but he does it with no problem.

The books main story line comes to an end with a “then” where he gets a whooping by the big guy with a mustache and a “now” where he earns the trust of Kannon and is granted anything he wants.  Ninjak asks him for a stealth jet outfitted with top secret nano-tech and chemical weapons payloads.  There is a small back story bonus at the end that chronicles a job ten years ago where he gets his butt kicked but it’s just a bonus to the actual story.

I certainly want to know more, that hook was way too good, and the questions I want to know are from both the then and now story lines.  I like the dual approach to the story line though they could do more with the then part.  There could be more, sure, but I’m still interested and still hooked.  I love the now part because it has everything a spy thriller fan could ask for, government agents up to and including Ninjak, bad guys and bad guy organizations, and other BA villainous people like Roku.  Ninjak hits on all cylinders and I’m glad I picked it for my first Valiant book.  I will definitely be checking out book two.

 

 

Theodicy Review

A Religious Adventure That Explores Theodicy

Everyone knows and I have been unabashed about my love for nearly everything sci fi, but few of you know I have another weakness… religion.  So far I have only been able to find one really good religious comic book to talk about and ironically enough I posted that last Christmas.  Even though Theodicy is religious it has nothing in common with The Magdalena The Seventh Sacrament, my last review of a religious nature.

Theodicy is available at Indyplanet and comixology, but you can also read about it at their blog and link to it yourself.  Theodicy is written by Chad Handley, penciled by Fernando Brazuna, inked by Ryan Boltz, colors by Minan Ghibliest, and lettered by Kel Nutall.  The art is done very well and it works well for the sort of book it is.  With the nature of this book Nutall gets a workout, it’s a very word heavy book that focuses a lot on the story and dialog of characters versus the visual story telling that we see a lot with comics, and I’m good with this.  I truly feel that comics are one of the greatest mediums, some comics tell a great story without a character saying a word and sometimes the book becomes in depth and more involved in the dialog.  Guess which one Theodicy is.

According to Merriam-Webster theodicy is, “Defense of God’s goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil” and yes I did have to Google it.  I feel like this is an amazing title because everyone, whether they know it or not, struggles with the thought of theodicy, and most people base their belief or disbelief on their interpretation of theodicy, characters in this book included.

The cover gets straight to the point of evil in this world as it features a young boy with his arms and legs cut off.  The image sets the tone well before it starts with the story.  Theodicy starts off with a man named Paul unloading some pretty hardcore atheist arguments to what turns out to be his future parent in laws.  Of course the fiancé doesn’t take kindly to his smug, arrogant, and rude speech and gives him back his ring as she tells him he needs to find something or someone and let it all out.  After reading his diatribe I was leaning towards agreement with his fiancé because it was pretty smug, especially because he did it at a nice dinner with the future in laws.

After the first few pages of Paul and his fiancé Theodicy turns to a second story where a catholic priest named John, his Monseigneur, and an attorney argue a contract that requires a young woman to leave the priests care and turn herself into her debtor.  Father John argues vehemently for the poor girl but in the end he loses.  Father John has already described the institution the girl is going to as some sort of horrible brothel where the girls are drugged and used up and that thought is only reinforced when a military looking force shows up to take her away.



During these panels with Father John I can tell that he is being faced with doubt but another priest tries to remind him that he is a good guy and has done everything he can do but Father John points to the boy with no arms or legs as a sign of his doubt.  I feel like this exchange sums up the ideas behind this book, a poor little child that has never done anything to anyone and deserves so much more as he lays helpless with no limbs, and how can God let something like that happen?  What could this child possibly done to deserve such a fate?  Why won’t God do something?  And probably most important to this book, how can anyone believe in a God that allows such things to happen?

I believe the struggle of how God can let bad things happen is what keeps the man Paul an atheist but because of his exchange with the parent in laws and the loss of his fiancé he is compelled to attend a church service.  Paul at church is only one page with six panels but the artists involved do an amazing job at showing his skepticism about religion through body language and facial expressions as he sits and watches a baptism.  It’s a quick page but it’s also powerful and meaningful to the story.

After Paul and the baptism the story shifts back to Father John as he does some magic for some kids and talks to a woman named Kate that appears to be a nurse or a doctor.  They talk about the magic trick and Kate tells him that their MRI machine is acting up.  Father John seems to be a jack of all trades because he agrees to look at it again, hinting that it has been on the fritz before, but also through dialog they reveal that Father John is somewhat of a mystery to Kate because she asks how a father could fix an MRI let alone build one.  The more I see Father John the more I like him and I feel like I could be a Catholic if everyone in the church was as caring as he seems to be.

Father John and Kate make their way to the conference room to meet with the Monseigneur, another priest, and a little boy.  They discuss the boy and through dialog it’s hinted that the boy is at the center of some sort of healing miracles.  They talk about him being healthy other than losing his voice but apparently they have no explanation of how a few of the people near him miraculously came out of a coma and went into cancer remission.  Father John doesn’t think he is a miracle worker, he says he just doesn’t believe the kid is special in anyway.  Father John is clearly starting to lose faith and become disillusioned by the thought of a God that can allow so much misery.  I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed and under qualified to deal with so much and I feel like mentally Father John is losing the faith.



Father John leaves the meeting and goes to prepare for a mass where the young boy with no limbs comes to receive the Eucharist from Father John.  The boy’s mother brings him in with a wheel borrow and the entire church stares in wonder while the boy comes in.  Father John losses it a little bit and makes a small speech about “Just what kind of God you serve” and walks out.  Even though Father John leaves the woman and her child are more than happy to have been there.  I love the contrast between the believers, non-believers, and people like Father John who seem to be somewhere between.  I truly believe that faith is a never ending struggle and this is portrayed perfectly.

Hours after Mass Father John gets a visit in his invention room by the other Father that brought the kid with no limbs and the two fathers have a conversation about Father John harboring his doubts.  Father John is an inventor and a practical guy so when he sees practical issues he has a problem with all of the impractical suffering.  I understand and I see where the ideas of a godless world meets the thought of so much suffering but I struggle with Father John losing his faith, I never like to see the good guys get disillusioned to the point that they stop trying.

The story flashes back to Paul as he sits in the church getting ready for a showdown with God.  I actually do this all the time, I just call it prayer, but Paul is on another level with his lack of faith in any God let alone Jesus or the Christian God.  Paul’s rants to God is not by any means unfounded, he reveals his upbringing that was heavily Christian, he speaks of a brutal way of losing his parents, and has an all-around good reasons for being bitter and unbelieving, but before he can finish his rant he looks down to notice that he is standing on water.  Of course the second he notices this small miracle he falls into the water only to pop up with a look of amazement on his face.  I feel like Paul needed that moment with God for him to realize that he is bitter about some things in his life and come to terms with it.  In my eyes the root of most disbelief, at least with atheists like Paul, stems from personal loss and personal examples of suffering and pain.  I don’t blame people and the argument is fairly solid but people like Paul don’t account for the free will of man.  Naturally man’s heart is not pure and free will causes pain.  Paul is mad that God didn’t keep the Garden of Eden as the blueprint for the world, and I get that, especially when he lost his parents so brutally.

Handley leaves us with Father John being woken up by an alarm and scrambling to get people inside the gates to avoid a raid by collection agents like the ones in the beginning that came for the girl.  Although he expected collection agents there were none; he ran out to find the limbless boy standing with limbs next to his mother, and the mute child that heals people.  I enjoyed the book and I feel like this hook is inescapable, it just leaves way too many questions.  Is God real?  Does Paul convert?  Is the healing mute child a gift from God?  Are any of the things that happened real?  What is going to happen to Father John?  Just after the final panel there is a wonderful little synopsis that has a definition of theodicy so you don’t have to Google it like I did, but it also has a synopsis of what the crew attempted to accomplish by writing this.  They focus on Paul the atheist and Father John as they deal with people like the mute boy and form an unlikely alliance.

I was impressed mostly by the thoughtful and intense dialog but please don’t think that because it’s word heavy that the illustrations lose out in anyway because they don’t.  The book is an all-around success and it takes on a very serious issue from both sides and with class, that can be hard to do and they certainly pull it off.  I’m glad that someone out there had the wherewithal and courage to tackle such a controversial topic, and they did it from both sides, which only adds to the appeal.

The Empty Review

The Empty from Image Comics

The New Year has been super busy and has brought a lot of new time consuming things to my life, but I promise I’m coming back with a vengeance.  I have a ton of new comic books I want to talk about and because issue two is on its way I want to start with The Empty.

The Empty is an Image release and is mostly a one man show; Jimmie Robinson created, writes, illustrates, letters, and colors this book.  Laura Tavishati edits, Marc Lombardi does communications, and Jim Valentino handles complaints.  There are special thanks to Gail Follansbee but it doesn’t specify why.  Robinson does a great job with the illustrations, I feel like it has a special style to it, almost an anime feel to some of the characters while others have a realistic look.  The colors are bright for the most part and when the different style characters are on the same panel they fit well and nothing seems out of place like he was trying to merge two styles and didn’t hit the mark.  He doesn’t just hit the mark; he hits a bull’s eye.

The story starts with a sky shot of a lush place with beautiful farm land and clear looking buildings.  Inside one of the buildings four people with long necks plot the death of someone named Lila.  The people have long necks and sort of Roman style clothes on; they remind me somewhat of Avatar people, but not blue, just gangly looking.  These are the characters that are somewhat anime style as well.  I say they look anime style because they have large eyes, but other than that and the long necks they look like normal people.  These animations are done really well and give the people a unique look without singling them out from the rest of the characters.



 

After the first page set up the book switches to a different story line leaving us wondering about the first page.  Robinson sets up a new world that is barren desert looking land and introduces us to the main character, Tanoor.  As the new story line picks up the dynamic of Tanoor’s world starts to unfold and it quickly becomes clear that her world is not easy.  Tanoor’s world is dying from a root that poisons everything but she is the only one that wants to search for new lands.  She gets push-back from the merchant that employs her to hunt as well as from the village elder that thinks he knows better.  Before they stop arguing Tanoor see’s something floating in the water near their village.  Tanoor goes to see what the floating thing is and she discovers one of the long necked people.  The second I see the long necked person I start to wonder if she is the one that was a target from the first panel conversation and sure enough through dialog between her and Tanoor we find out that she is in fact named Lila.

The village elder pushes back at every instance while Tanoor and Lila talk about where Lila comes from.  After hearing about Lila's life Tanoor spends most her time tries to figure out how to get to Lila’s plush land.  Tanoor seems to be the only one that knows the empty is empty and worthless but while Tanoor and Lila talk and figure things out Lila stumbles upon a bracelet she thought she lost.  Her bracelet brings back memories and she says that her people threw her away.  Because of her statement there and another one before about the sun not being right I start to think that maybe her land is above them and the roots that poison everything are what make their land so plush, but we will have to wait and see if my theory holds water.

Lila flashes back as she tells Tanoor about her world.  It becomes clear that her people are kept in the dark about the possibility of the empty having people but none of them question it because life is good for them and they have their own version of village elders called the blessed.  Lila tells Tanoor that the blessed supposedly have seen the world created and I have a feeling that has to do with the roots, but again, we will see.  Lila continues and tells about her love, Dakom, who seems to be the same guy plotting her demise in the first panel.  Dakom had her meet him by the sea where she was surrounded by guardsmen and can’t remember anything after that.  Because of this I wonder if maybe my theory is incorrect and Lila’s land is actually just across the sea, but either way I feel like her people are going to be responsible for the poisonous roots.

After Lila’s flashback the elder guy comes back to try and kick them both out of the town and pushes Lila into a dying tree.  Lila getting pushed into the tree didn’t surprise me, but when the lost bracelet she is wearing hits the tree and it all of a sudden sprouts fruit and becomes plush I was very surprised.  Everyone was surprised and wanted her to heal as much as possible, except of course the village elder guy that wanted kill them both.  I keep wondering why this is so intent on sabotaging Lila’s discovery and now her help with the land and I think it’s either one of two things; he is just plain ignorant, or he has something to do with the Lila’s people.



Tanoor is no fool so she facilitates Lila's help and decides that heading to the roots and destroying the biggest problem is going to be the best bet.  At this point the elder follows them to a large bridge separating their town from the roots and cuts the bridge, leaving them stranded.  The book ends really well with Tanoor and Lila facing about a dozen things called Mool’s.  Mool’s are like roided out bunnies and monkey crosses with seriously menacing teeth and floppy ears.  We already know that Tanoor is a great hunter and I have a feeling that Lila can take care of herself as well so I’m excited for issue two.

I feel like my sci fi bias is showing somewhat because I can’t help it, but this book is done really well regardless of my bias for sci fi.  The colors and people are bright and pop with a lightness to them that is pleasing to the eye, the characters development and the world development is done very well while still leaving something for issue two.  I certainly want to see what happens to the Empty as Lila and Tanoor try to save the land and the people, and I’m more than curious about her husband that tried to have her killed.  I will be checking out issue two for sure and luckily I procrastinated long enough on this review the new issue is coming out March 25^th along with some other Image releases.

 

The Best Comic I Read Today Is ... The Dying & The Dead #1

Hickman and Bodenheim Reunite for The Dying & The Dead

Two quick disclaimers before we get into it: 1) Much love and thanks goes to former NerdBinge columnist Derek Adnams who started "The Best Comic I Read Today Is..." articles and who so graciously allowed me to keep it going here. Derek has since retired from NerdBinge in order to spend more time with his family, his work, and somehow in between all that, writing more comic books. 2) I'm a little behind the 8-ball on this one as I'm reading the second printing of The Dying & The Dead, but after James Gunn recommended it on his Facebook page, I had to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised to find it on the racks with all the new stuff at my LCBS today, and, well, as you might have gathered already, it was certainly the best comic book I've read today.

Now, on to the review.

Jonathan Hickman is nearing legendary status in the comic book scene these days. He has basically dictated the next phase of Marvel comics after 70+ years of continuity with his MASSIVE run on Avengers and New Avengers leading into Secret Wars.  It's easy to tire of the big events and crossovers of the Big 2, so this new, original comic got me excited. To match that, Issue #1 is a beast of a book, 60 pages in total. The colors of Michael Garland are exquisite and a bold artistic choice, taking the color immersion trend into poetic territory. And yet, with all that praise, you CAN NOT understate the massive undertaking that Ryan Bodenheim brings to the table in both his character illustrations and his immersive landscapes and scenery.

So, why is this the best comic book I've read today? Because it made me feel small. Not just small, but like really, really tiny. Hickman takes the girth of the entire human history and culture and compresses it down to 60 pages. And you can feel that in every page. In partnership with Bodenheim, Hickman's story brings something to life that is rare in comic books these days: a depth of narrative through illustration that makes my hands and my brain ache just looking at it.

[caption id="attachment_1253" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Just look at that shit! WTF?!? Don't your fingers just hurt right now?![/caption]

 

There is great mystery afoot, much of which cannot yet be discerned, but this porthole into the story alludes to a great history dictated by a race that cannot be more succinctly described as anything other than "The Dead." Issue #1 opens with a powerful interpersonal story: a couple to be wed, and then their wedding, their honeymoon and shortly thereafter their death. It's intense, messy, and mostly unexplained, but it's quite clear that this is just pretense for something much greater and more sinister. Then, we meet the Colonel. His wife is dying and to save her, he takes a trip to the underworld. Greek and Roman mythology come to life in a fresh and unmatched imagery. Edward James Canning, our classic mythical hero analogue, journeys to the underworld for the same reason every hero has every gone to these treacherous depths. He wants to save a loved one from the grips of death, his wife who is dying of cancer. He is immediately offered a deal: do the dirty work of "the dead" because they can't do it themselves, and they will save his wife.

It's all very sympathetic. Seeing a man lose his wife gives you plenty of motivation to relate to this character, but that's not what drew me in. "The Dead" give James a deal to save his wife, but at the same time he is offered-- no compelled to take an out. But he doesn't. And that's when it gets fun. For all the heavy and maudlin ruminating over the nature of life and death that this comic offers, it still leaves that element of adventure hanging like a carrot on a stick at the end.

The Colonel wants to save his wife, no doubt, but he also wants to do the dirty work because he's good at it and he likes it. And so do we.

Cluster Review

Boom Studio's Cluster

I can’t really tell what exactly the draw is.  It may be the ever growing excitement for the newest Star Wars movie, or it could just be my lifelong love of all things sci fi, but whatever it is I have really been impressed with the amount of good sci fi stuff coming out lately.  One of the first things I reviewed on Nerdbinge was Salvagers, a sci fi book I found on Kickstarter, and since then I have done an Image title called Drifter.  These two books I have reviewed I gave enthusiastic thumbs up and sorry for the spoiler but Cluster won’t be any different.

Cluster is a Boom Studio book that is created and written by Ed Brisson, illustrated by Damian Couceiro, colored by Michael Garland, and has a bunch of other artists that worked on varies different covers and colors for the covers.  The art is nice and pleasing to look at, all of the characters are distinct and unique in their own way.  Even though the artists are different Cluster reminds me of another Boom Studios book called Black Market.  Overall the art is excellent and on par with the industries best.



 

Cluster starts off with a character named Samara Simmons getting arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence and public endangerment causing bodily harm.  I know, a mouthful, but better to know what she is facing that going in blind, besides it has to do with the plot as the next few panels insinuate that there was a passenger in the burning wreck behind her.  The entire opening scenario is done in three pages and only the last page has any of the dialog.  I like the way the book starts because it instantly creates empathy for Samara and draws the reader in with the events leaving us wanting us more.



After Samara is arrested she wakes up two years later from a cryogenic sleep in a ship that is about to dock on a prison planet where the prisoners are used as soldiers to fight against an alien population called Pagurani that want to colonize planet themselves.  The planet Midlothian and the prison Tranent is a fifteen year sentence, minimum, and the prisoners are fitted with a device that prevents them from escaping.  They call the device a punch and it basically equates to a twenty four hour pass off the prison compound but after the twenty four hours is up the punch releases something like acid that eats away at the prisoners insides.  Brisson sets up the exposition and explains what he needs to explain through a believable set up that helps to move along the story well.  Within the first ten to twelve pages we have been introduced, at least briefly, to most or all of the main characters and have the jist of the story arc explained without it being blatant exposition.  As a writer I feel like hiding the exposition is actually one of the hardest things to do while build a world and I think this goes double for extensive sci fi worlds.  Sometimes sci fi worlds can get vast really quick leaving the reader dumbfounded or overwhelmed, but Brisson avoids this scenario very well.

After the general introduction of the scenario Brisson lightens up a little and introduces some of the other prisoners that will be accompanying Samara on her first mission.  The prisoners are a rag tag bunch and all of them have a strange, quirky, or funny vibe to their personalities, but of course they all fit well together.  Not that the exchange they share would support that fact but Brisson makes it work.  They all start to argue and fight causing the guards to have to break up the fight which sets up the next part of the story.



The fight lands all of the prisoners involved on the first fighter ship out to search for Pagurani and of course the first trip out wouldn't be memorable without some action.  The fighter ship carrying all of the main protagonists gets shot down and blown up leaving everyone stranded.  Brisson leaves us with the crew stranded and wounded with only twenty three hours to get back to Tranent before the punch goes off and ruin’s their day.  I like the hook for issue two because it actually leaves off at a reasonable spot in the story.  We get a great introduction to the world and the protagonists but it leaves us wanting more, like a good story should.

I make no apologies for my sci fi bias but I have to give this book its due respect.  It’s well written and illustrated, and it gets the job done without bombarding the reader with intricate details of a world that isn't really well defined.  I can’t wait to see what happens to the group on their journey back and I’m interested in the plight of the people on planet Midlothian as well as the Pagurani.  Brisson lets us know what we need to know and does it slyly enough by weaving it into the story itself.  I have read many books in my life time and the true test is summed up in a question, “Will I buy issue two?”  And for Cluster I have to say that the answer to that question is a resounding “YES!”

Wytches--Issue #3--A Review

Okay, here we go!

*by the way, I apologize for the lack of post last Friday. I'd spent the whole day not realizing what day it actually was. 0.o *

So without further ado, issue #3 for your delectation and delight...



 

The previous two issues of Wytches had already injected some very endearing, personal moments with the Rooks family (aka the main characters) in order to ground us and give us something to care about, but issue #3 starts off bam! in your face with a very warm moment between Sailor Rook and her parents.

It's several years before now and they're happy and whole and nothing has happened yet to put the fear that currently pervades their lives.

What issues #1 and 2 had begun to do, #3 clinches. This is no longer just a story about scary monsters that pop out of the page at you. It's a personal, family tale of people you care about, and suddenly those monsters are a lot scarier than they were before.

And one disturbing scene where a half-naked woman warns Mr. Rook that he's going to forget his daughter, that his daughter is going to go over to the witches, brings it all home.

The artwork and story continue to impress in this issue. Even as we start to understand more of what's going on, the chaos and the horror portrayed by the artist continue to make us uncomfortable.

I can't wait for issue #4 (pub date: February 4th)! In the meantime, feel free to make any recommendations or requests for review. Thanks!

The Best Comic I Read Today Is . . . Star Wars #1

I'm a lapsed fan.  Having grown-up in the 1980's, Star Wars was my religion.  I tried using the force to move glasses of water around my dining room table (once I swear it actually worked . . . a little), had ALL the toys ever created, and insisted on being Han Solo whenever we played anything outside.  Even baseball.

But it all went away shortly after Return of the Jedi and, though the prequel movies did recapture some of my belief in that old Lucas magic, I found my lack of faith disturbing.

Today, Star Wars #1 by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday arrived at comic book stores, and so did that excitement!



This book has everything a Star Wars fan could want - from an opening "credits" scene through the first panels reminiscent of how every film has opened, I almost expected to hear the 20th Century Fox music as I opened the cover, especially that little ending portion that always meant that Star Wars was coming on!

Taking place between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars #1 has all the familiar characters you'd want to see in the re-launch of a comic book franchise.  What makes this especially entertaining is that the reader knows how the story ultimately plays out, assuming that you've seen Empire and Jedi, and , let's face it, in my 39 years I have met one, ONE, person who hasn't seen them.  You'd think that knowing the outcome for all the characters would lessen the drama, but that is far from the case.  Jason Aaron and John Cassaday deftly handle the story, and it is clearly being created by fans of "a galaxy far, far away".  These are creators who, like so many of us, grew up LOVING these characters and are now being given the chance to reinvigorate them, starting over with a clean "canon" upon which to build.

These are exciting time to be a Star Wars fan, even a lapsed one.

"A long time ago" there was a nine year old boy standing in the rain at the end of a line that wrapped around the Seaview Square Cinema twice.  Waiting with him was his father, and they were both laughing and having a great time.  The boy was excited to see Return of the Jedi. 

His Dad was excited to see the boy smile.

Wytches--Issue #2--Review

 

A busload of children disappears in the woods. A strange bite grows on a girl's neck. And the wytches are getting closer, creeping from the woods. Be there for the terrifying second chapter of the new smash hit, WYTCHES.

From Comixology.com.

Oh wow, guys. I wanted to try something a little different today, so I waited to read issue #2 until this morning. This way you can get my initial, unedited thoughts. I might just sound a little bit all over the place, but such is the risk.

First of all, issue #2 is even more mind-blowing than issue #1. And the ending? Ah! I'm still trying to recover.

Chills. So many chills.

The art is still so tantalizingly chaotic and gorgeous. The writing still pushes you to try to figure out just what is going on, never feeling like you really know.

And the wytches. They finally make their full appearance. And they are terrifying.

I love how Scott Snyder and Jock are working together to really unnerve the reader. There are whole pages of just illustration, with one little bit of dialogue at the end. It works like a punch in the face. It's brilliant. And I love how Jock weaves his art on the page. He forces you, through color and effects, to stay and look and try to find the hidden nuggets. To see the eyes in the woods staring back at you.

Brilliant. I'm just going to use that word over and over again.

If you haven't picked up Wytches yet, I strongly suggest you do. There are three issues out so far, so you can go immediately from one to the other. And, hopefully, we won't have to wait too much longer for issue #4.

Enjoy!

The Best Comic I Read Today Is . . . Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier #3

If you haven't been reading Ales Kot and Marco Rudy's Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier for fear that it would be a one-dimensional ex-KGB spy thing, then you belong in a gulag.  This book is anything but.  Picking-up where old school Nick Fury left off in Original Sin, Bucky Barnes is now "The Man on the Wall", protecting Earth from all threats both cosmic and otherworldly.

And this creates the backdrop for one of the more thoughtful books being created right now.



There are three reasons this is such a good read:

1 - The fully painted art of Marco Rudy is beyond breathtaking and sets the cosmic mood and tone that a book that features a drug dealing Loki from the future demands.  The eye is guided through each panel, page and splash with a fluidity missing from most mainstream comics.  For this issue, Michael Walsh, Kot's accomplice on Secret Avengers, added a 4 page "cameo" to shift the perception of both some characters and all readers.

2 - While I'd read this book for the art alone, it's Ales Kot's scripts that have me coming back each month.  There is a mystery here, a story behind the story that he is revealing piecemeal, and a characterization of Bucky that I haven't seen before.  This book is taking Bucky beyond his tortured former assassin past and hurling him into new psychological territory, a difficult thing to do with a character that has been around since the 1940's.

3 - Finally, Wikipedia.  This is a book that you should read with a browser open so you can cross reference all the names and "inside" jokes.  Look at the cover - "Ventolin" and "Xtal" are both songs by Aphex Twin.  The planet Bucky is heading toward is "Mer-Z-Bow", named after the Japanese noise musician, and "The Great Reznor" should be pretty obvious.  Half the fun of reading this book is looking for clues based on the source material for whatever Kot decides to call the next alien race or MacGuffin.

Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier is a fun, beautiful book that banishes clichés to Siberia.

- Aloha -

Wytches --Issue One -- Review

I don't try to make it a big secret that I'm absolutely in love with two art mediums meshing together to make something brilliant. It's probably why I'm obsessed with comics and rock music; one artist--the writer--meeting up with another--the illustrator (or musician)--to bring something to life that wouldn't have been quite the same without the both of them working together. Writing is great. But writing with images? Even better! Poetry is beautiful. But poetry with instrumentals? Brilliant!

And though I love all forms of comics and graphic novels, the ones that really get me salivating are ones that push boundaries. Or maybe I just feel they push boundaries more because they speak to something in my soul. They don't have your perfect lines or flowing sentences. They're visceral and emotional. Through art, they communicate something so much more than what's on the surface of the paper.

When I heard about Wytches, by Scott Snyder and JOCK,  I knew it was something I needed to read.



 

And when I saw that subdued cover with just a hint of bright red, the shadow playing against the trees, I fell in love.

The story opens with four panels in pure chaos. The perfect lines are nowhere to be seen. There are splotches of color against a subdued black and blue background. And then we see this distorted face amidst the chaos and the only dialogue on the whole page is, "...Please...Please help me!"

It's powerful, and honestly scary.

The next page only adds to the creepiness. The face, we see on closer inspection, is being swallowed by a tree. The splotches of color are blood. And then there's this little boy who does the last thing you'd ever expect. It was honestly one of the most disturbing openings to a comic I've ever seen.

The rest of the story continues with its chaotic theme. We're slowly introduced to backstory, jumping around from scene to scene, never quite comfortable. Never quite understanding everything that's going on until the last page.

Wytches is definitely a brilliant example of multiple artists coming together to make something brilliant. The words and the art work perfectly together to disarm you. You won't be able to put this one down.

The Best Comic I Read Today Is . . . Batman and Robin #37

This week saw two new Grant Morrison comics come out, along with the main Batman comic and Zero by Ales Kot, all among my favorite monthly releases.  Still, Batman and Robin #37 was the best comic I read today, and for one reason:

Fun.



This is the penultimate chapter in the Robin Rises storyline and the issue that sees Robin return from the dead.  No “Spoiler Alert” needed as writer Peter Tomasi already divulged what would happen when he Tweeted a picture of Damian Wayne a week or so ago.  Couple that with the title of the arc, Robin Rises, and you have a pretty good idea of where the story is going.

What made this issue so enjoyable was the flat-out action.  I mean, Batman takes on Darkseid, and wins – again - in a thirteen page fight scene that is nothing short of epic!  The art of Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray and John Kalisz is as dynamic as I have ever seen it in this New 52 book that I feel deserves much more recognition than it gets.

The reason Batman and Robin flies under the radar is due to its simplicity.  This is a story about a father looking for redemption and finding it.  There is no prolonged exposition in this book, and Tomasi and Gleason manage to boil it all down to a single image at the end of the issue of father and son, Batman and Robin, hugging.

The next panel encapsulates the entire Robin Rises arc into five words when Batgirl leans into Alfred and says:

“. . . omigod . . . he really did it . . .”.

And Tomasi and Gleason really did – they created a comic book about a dead kid coming back to life that was action packed and yes . . .

Fun.



Oh – and Robin has super powers now.

- Aloha -

 

Drifter from Image Comics Review

A Sci-Fi Tale from Image Comics: Drifter

When talking about comic books the phrase “The big two” comes up a lot, and for good reason, there iconic labels, but if truth be told the phrase should be “The big three.”  Since its inception in 1992 by famed illustrator Todd McFarlane, and an army of upset illustrators, Image Comics has redefined what the comic industry is capable of.  Image was an instant success and has helped to develop amazing artists and artist owned property.  Drifter is just one of their new titles that have made a splash.

Drifter is scripted by Ivan Brandon, and edited by Sebastian Girner.  The artwork is done by Nic Klein, lettering by Clem Robins, and the logo and design by Tom Muller.  The cover is a portrait of a man, the main character Abram Pollux, with Drifter spelled out in dots underneath him.  The cover art is vastly different from the comic art; the cover is a very realistic looking portrait style close up of Abram’s face while the inside is more of a normal comic feel.  The art of the cover as well as the inside is top notch and on par with any expectations, the characters are lively and telling in every essential way.



The book starts off with Abram Pollux falling out of space and crash landing on a planet only to nearly drown.  He ends up crawling out of the water and accidentally killing an alien that attempts to help him.  The alien wasn’t alone and its companion rushes to the aid of its dying friend, and Pollux watches it die in its friends arms.  I feel like this sets up the ideas of the book perfectly, a drifter that has personal issues and questionable morals.

After Pollux kills the alien he is shot by a mysterious character in a suit that reminds me a little bit of Star Lord, a gas mask and goggles design with a cape.  At this point I assume that the main character won’t get killed off in the first couple of pages but the events have already drawn me into the story and the character.

[caption id="attachment_1177" align="alignnone" width="195"] Pollux getting shot[/caption]

The story picks up with Pollux in a hospital setting and introduces a jack of all trades sheriff and doctor named Lee.  Lee is talking to a man named Jonah about what seems to be some serious stuff when Pollux wakes up.  Lee and Pollux have an exchange that stresses the desperation on the planet.  There exchange and the tone of desperation sets up the world Pollux has crash landed on well and it fits with the ideas already presented.  Pollux puts the feel of the book perfectly when he says, “Been half-drowned and burnt up, crashed and then shot in this place.”  It seems like a desert, empty, desolate place that struggles to stay alive, just like Pollux.

So far Pollux has had nothing but bad experiences with the planet and the people/aliens on it, save Lee, but the book transitions flawless from the world setup to Pollux leaving the little town and searching for his wrecked ship.  Lee is clearly intrigued by Pollux and curious about what he is leaving for and follows him.  Pollux and Lee talk as they search for the wreckage of Pollux’s ship.  Lee wonders where Pollux came from and what he hoped to find in the deserts of the planet but during his explanation of where he came from Lee sees that things don’t match up.  Pollux explains where he came from and when his ship went down but Lee seems surprised by his answers.  They end the book with Pollux and Lee standing on a ridge overlooking the wreckage while Lee tells Pollux that wreck happened over a year ago.  I understand the need for a hook when dealing with an ongoing series and Drifter leaves it open with a serious cliffhanger.

[caption id="attachment_1175" align="alignnone" width="343"] The Town[/caption]

I liked the world that they set up, the desperation and desperado feel of a Wild West type planet, and the intriguing characters that are somewhat mysterious and dark.  The world is nice but the character development is even better, I feel invested in Lee with her reluctant heroism and sympathetic of Pollux and his misfortune.  I also have a soft spot for Sci-Fi as you may have noticed with my review of Salvagers and eternal love of Star Wars and Star Trek.  Sci-Fi is a genre of literally never ending possibility for characters and worlds and it seems to me the team behind Drifter have a vast world in store and I will be tuning in for issue two to find out if that is true.

The Best Comic I Read Today Is . . . Bitch Planet #1

When I was in college, I was one class short of earning a minor in Women’s Studies.  It was the early ‘90’s, and diversity was the buzzword on my campus.  Courses like Feminist Theory, Psychology of Women and Women Writers had waiting lists for admission.  Bitch Planet would have been required reading in all three.



Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro convert, subvert and invert the usual comic book construct, which adds to the subtext of what this book is doing to social paradigms.  Bitch Planet #1 opens on Earth, and a woman running late for an appointment.  The panel composition takes us from the perceived freedom of the outside (though based on the billboards and signage around there is no real freedom on this Earth), to the confines of a recording studio by utilizing a variation of the 4 x 3 panel grid, the outside retreating until, in the last row, there is one outdoor panel and three indoor panels, tracking the woman’s arrival.  She then goes on to record a subliminal creation myth designed for the Non-Compliant, women sent to an off-world penal colony (pun intended), to hear while they sleep in suspended animation.

We are then introduced to Marian Collins and her husband, who is seemingly attempting to gain her release from “Bitch Planet”.  There’s a fantastic page, again, a 4 x 3 grid, where Marian and her husband explain why they want freedom, each from their own separate physical prison, though Mr. Collins is in a prison of infidelity as he admits to having an affair with Dawn, a younger woman.

Marian goes through the rest of the book as the protagonist, until the reveal at the end where the entire story is flipped upside down.  Marian, a fairly typical white woman with whom the reader has spent the entire issue attempting to relate, is killed, and the real protagonist, Kamau Kogo, takes center stage.



Kamau has an afro.

Kamau knows how to kick all sorts of ass.

Kamau is not your typical protagonist.

Kamau is someone I need to read more about.

Bitch Planet isn’t just a tremendous first issue.  Bitch Planet is a call to arms for anyone creating comics today.

As Christopher Sebela announced last night on Twitter – “Bitch Planet #1 is a giant mic dropping on all our heads.”

- Aloha -

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. What They Become Review (Spoilers)

What They Become Delivers Big Time

OK, as always, spoilers ahead. This week SUPER MAJOR SPOILERS. So turn back now if you haven't watched yet.



 

Wow, what an episode. I was genuinely excited for the entirety of this episode. I really didn't want the show to end, and that's a first for me and Agents of SHIELD.  This episode really delivered everything that both fans of the TV show and comic fans have wanted out of Agents of SHIELD.  Tonight's episode was pretty much all about Skye, or as we finally learned, "Daisy." I have to give credit to the Internet theorist for nailing it on the mystery behind Skye's origin. I have read theories for a couple of month's now that Skye was actually Daisy Johnson and that her father was Dr. Hyde. While some of these characters' back-stories have been ret-conned for the TV show, the theories are otherwise spot-on.  It was confirmed on tonight's episode that Skye is actually Daisy Johnson, aka Quake, an Agent of SHIELD from the comics who was trained by Nick Fury and also possesses "seismic powers." We also learned that "The Doctor" was in fact Dr. Cal Zabo aka Dr. Hyde. On top of that, the Obelisk was finally confirmed to be a part of the Inhumans lore when it opened to reveal a terrigen crystal which immediately blasted Skye, Raina, and Trip with terrigen mist. (Sad face, more on that later).



I'm going to stick with the same format for this review that I used last week and opt not to recap the whole episode.

The Good

The good stuff this week? How about everything! Truly, this was one of the best episodes to date because the show runners finally and truly capitalized on all the potential for this show. Lots of people love to hate this show, but I don't think people often put two and two together that Agents of SHIELD is based in the same universe as the MCU. To be honest, it's easy to forget. The scope of Marvel's TV landscape is not nearly as grand as the movies, but in the end, "it's all connected" as they love to remind us. For once, this week, this show really felt like an exciting part of the MCU. We are seeing the first inkling of the Inhuman lore sneaking into the MCU as a whole, and it didn't come from a teaser in an after credits scene on Age of Ultron. It happened on a Tuesday night in your living room. This kind of stuff is why Agents of SHIELD has so much potential. If they keep connecting the dots like this for the rest of season 2, it's going to be a hell of a season. On another note, tonight's episode really came through for the hardcore comic book fans. Seeing Quake and Dr. Hyde come to life in the show is what comic book fans live for and it's those same comic book fans who were able to puzzle out this season's mysteries before anyone else. I love this because it's like the show is written to literally reward dedicated comic book fans yet it doesn't isolate casual fans from the show. In other good news, we got to see some badass gun play from Coulson taking out Whitehill (less badass, more so just glad to see him dead) and Skye blasting Ward without a moment's hesitation (really badass).  One other highlight was Kyle MacLachlan's performance as the emotionally ravaged father of Skye. The show has tried to teach us to hate him, but once he told the story of losing his wife and daughter, it was really heartbreaking. MacLachlan truly killed it with a disturbing blend of psychosis, misery, and despair coming through the character.

The Bad

Not much this week that I can really complain about as far as the execution of this episode goes. The cast felt a bit lop-sided tonight with most of the Agents left on the sideline to Skye's story. Also, the bit about the hazmat suits and the bombs in the temple felt pretty pointless once it was all said and done.  In fact, this was all just confusing sometimes. Why did Mac get possessed in the temples but no one else did? What was the point of the hazmat suits when Fitz, Simmons, and Trip first went down to the tunnels? That can be forgiven considering that 95% of this episode was so good. The worst part of tonight's episode was the loss of Agent Triplett. They did a great job setting us up for a punch to the gut, first making us wonder if Mac was going to be alive. Then they let him go only to swipe Trip from us at the last second. It was super sad to see him crumble in the last scenes of the episode. At the same time, I don't see why it was necessary to kill him. It was truly a testament to the character of Triplett that after running toward four ticking time bombs and living, he stills dives in head first to save his friend Skye. One thing I feel completely justified in complaining about is the winter break before we get to see all this play out more. I can't wait to see more of super-powered Skye and all the Inhumans to come!

The Be All, End All

I can finally say unequivocally that I ams SOLD on Agents of SHIELD. It's sad to say it took a season and a half to reach that status, but they are truly there now. Taking a lesson from the Captain America: The Winter Solider crossover and keeping the bigger MCU within view more and more, Agents of SHIELD has finally become an essential piece of the puzzle. Before, you could simply have said that Agents was auxiliary to the overall story of the MCU, but now Agents is actually taking the lead on storytelling. With three years to go before the Inhumans come to the silver screen, Agents has a ton of time to play with and develop all the madness that comes with baby Inhumans running around the Earth. It's going to be a ton of fun and a welcome breath of fresh air for the often times stuffy show. Sure, there are just as many chances for Agents to mess up the Inhumans, but if Marvel has proven anything this year it's that when they take risks, they pay off big time.

Path of Exile - The Karui Way Review

Path of Exile a Brutal World of Fun from Dynamite

It seems like some other comic book companies, besides the big two, have started to hit a stride and Dynamite is no exception.  Dynamite is responsible for some iconic comics like Vampirella, Red Sonja, Pathfinder, and adaptations of other mediums like Army of Darkness and Battlestar Galactica, among others.  Although I like Dynamite and many of their titles I find their website fairly hard to navigate because of the sheer volume of titles they have.  I wish they had a more manageable website, or at least a better search filter, that way when I go to look at their titles I can arrange them to my liking.  I feel the site would be better served if I didn’t have to weed through old titles and outdated books to get to see the newest stuff.  As of now, when I look at their titles it starts from A to Z and covers a very large catalog.  A filter that can put new releases and newer titles first would be a nice feature.

Path of Exile follows in the footsteps of one of Dynamite's titles, Pathfinder, where the world is violent and unforgiving, and filled with menacing people.  It starts off with some exposition by the main character, a poet named Victario, sitting in a coffee-house writing.  The exposition is short and whispers of a thing called the Purity Rebellion, but Victario quickly moves to a flashback where he is in the background watching a fight between two guys that resemble something from Hawaiian culture.  The men have on grass skirts and are tattooed in tribal style.  The caption at the top of the page says “Ngamakanui four years ago” so there is no confusion that it is a flashback.  The bottom of the page shows an older white-haired man with a sour look on his face folding his arms and all he says is “savagery.”  This reminded me of a few different things, first being the Game of Thrones when Daenerys Targaryen was getting married to Khal Drogo.  The similarities are certainly there; the tattoos, the fighting for supremacy within the tribal setting, and the judgmental people from a different culture calling them savages.



As the book rolls on its reveals that Victario is on some sort of good will mission to gain the Karui as allies against another threat, Emperor Chitus.  I can get a feel for the main character easily through the first few pages, he seems upset and a little stressed out in the first page, but in the flashback he seems confident and cocky as he talks to his superior, manipulates the new Karui king, and eyeballs a Karui woman.

As the two men fight, a plump guy and an in-shape guy,  the one in better shape gets the better of the other.  Again, the Game of Thrones comparison holds true because the fight was over who should be king.  Even the new king’s temperament is that of Khal Drogo, he gets angry at the white-haired man named Voll the High Templar when he attempts to talk strategy of fighting and suggests the Karui use archers.  The interaction between Victario the new king and the woman is set up well and foreshadows future problems with the way Voll calls the Karui savages and how hostile the new king is.

The narrative throughout the book is about three nations waging war, but also about Victario and his relationships within the players of the greater story.  It’s about Victario and his experiences within the narrative presented, particularly the nation Victario comes from trying to win a war against the Emperor Chitus and the Eternals.  This is a very classic trope that has been used time and again but in cases like this I don’t mind as long as the work is done well.  I believe they hit mark because all three worlds are intriguing and have something to be admired.  The Roman like world of Victario, the English style castles and armor of the Eternals, the hardcore BA fighting style of the tribal like Karui.  All of the styles fit well with each other and make for a good story as well as a visually stunning book.

Throughout the book Victario pulls some side stepping stuff to insure a victory and finds himself on the wrong side of the Karui kings favor, but in the end he gets a kiss from the girl and victory.  The part of the narrative that is different is the way the things he has done haunts him.  He clearly schemes and plots by first getting the Karui King drunk to get him to agree with their plans, but then he convinces the woman he likes to take the Karui woman on a hill and to shot arrows down on their enemies in clear violation of their war policies.  I feel like all is fair in love and war but the Karui stick to a strict woman in the kitchen approach to life.  I don’t really agree with the Karui style but it is necessary for the storytelling and in the end the woman save everyone, including Victario.

As the flashback comes to an end the Karui go in and slaughter all the Eternals; men, woman, and children.  It then flashes back to the beginning where Victario is explaining how the Purity Rebellion started, with the day the Karui won the battle against the Eternals.  He calls the day the Karui massacre the Eternals “A dress rehersal” and leaves open a great narrative for the following books with a huge, black, flaming, Karui King, named Kaom.  The Poet Victario is visibly upset and has a vision of people on fire all over the streets before he flashes to King Kaom and this foreshadowing is just enough to keep me interested for the second issue.



The book is created by Erik Olofsson, story by Edwin McRae, script by Royal McGraw, artwork by Carlos Rodriguez, color by Tamra Bonvillain, and letters by Marshall Dillon.  The book is beautiful and brightly colored.  Each race of people has a distinct style that shines wonderfully on every page, with hints of Roman, Old English and Hawaiian styles to the people.  The facial expressions work well with each character and portray their individual style well, Rodriguez and Bonvillain also conveys feelings and moods through facial expressions which for me always indicates a great artist.  It's not just the people who hit the mark, the fight scenes are pretty amazing as well, great fighting panels with a lot of action and even some good gory bloody panels for a bit of the shock factor.



I usually mention that I’m not a fan of heavy criticism and that is true in this case but for good reason, the book is really fun and the art is on point.  I seriously suggest this book to anyone that is into a Game of Thrones style barbaric world.  It made its way to list of titles I’m following and even though I will read just about any issue one I don’t always pick up issue two.   In this case I'm sure they will have a successful run and I will certainly be reading on.

 

The Best Comic I Read Today Is . . . Crossed + 100 #1

I’m not a “fan” of zombie apocalypse comics.  I don’t read The Walking Dead and only watch the show once it’s on Netflix.  I have never read an issue of Crossed or any of its spin-off titles.  So why would I buy a book that takes place a century after the events in another comic book I have never read, using tropes I’m not too fond of? 

The answer should be obvious - Alan Moore



Moore is the master of world building.  Like he did in his first major comic book work, what would come to be called Miracleman, Moore is taking the familiar and making it different.  From the odd word choices and speech patterns of the characters, reminiscent of the Nadsat of A Clock Work Orange, to the way the “infected” are portrayed and ultimately dealt with, Moore and artist Gabriel Andrade introduce the reader to this world in a way that makes the other titles in the  Crossed series unnecessary.

What led to this world of violent, sex crazed zombies?   

How did this group survive and how do they know what is happening across the country?   

Who cares?  

Through journal entries from our main character, Future Taylor, and the spot-on dialogue between the other survivors, as well as the excellently paced action scenes, I learned all I needed to know. 

Crossed + 100 isn’t a zombie / horror comic.  Sure, it has all the trappings of one, but at its heart it’s a science fiction mystery set in a post apocalyptic landscape.  The “infected” are horrible, the threats are real and there’s always the specter of death hanging around the characters, but the real story doesn’t seem to be one of survival.

It’s discovering the origin of the picture Future Taylor found in a makeshift shrine, and what secret it could hold for our adventurers.

So I’ll put aside my zombie-apocalypse bias for the next six issues.

After all – it’s Alan Moore.

- Aloha -

TMNT Movie and the IDW Comic Series

Heroes in a Half Shell

I felt like this review needed to be done for a few reasons; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are iconic, the movie was pretty big at the box office, and I think the IDW comics are extremely underrated and a great read.  One of the original creators of the TMNT, Kevin Eastman, has a hand in the creation of the comic.  Anytime an original creator of something has a hand in the reboot I feel like it lends credibility and extra creativity that may have been overlooked in the original.  Basically it gave Eastman an opportunity to rethink and redo the TMNT as only an original creator can, and he delivers with the series.

I have never been one for negativity and downgrading, especially because that seems to be what the internet is full of these days, but I have to start this review with what I don’t like about the movie.  This way I get the negative out of the way and don’t ruin my mood by being a Debbie Downer.  Although I have some opinions that are on the down side I also have some good stuff to say so never fear.



The biggest problem I have with the movie is the way they did Splinter’s origin and his ties to martial arts.  In the movie they had Splinter and the turtles as lab specimens that were being experimented on.  I don’t take issue with those facts because it follows close to the IDW origin but they leave out the back story of how Hamato Yoshi/Splinter and Oroku Saki/Shredder became enemies and how it relates to Hamato Yoshi being reincarnated as the rat and his sons as the turtles.  In the comics they have ties to their former lives and carry all the knowledge with them but in the movie they become family out of necessity after a lab fire where April saves them.  Again, I wish they followed closer to the IDW version of the origin but even if they didn’t do that they could have done anything better than what they did.  I would have even settled for the original comic version of the origin where Splinter is the pet rat that learns from Hamato and is later transformed by the mutagen.  I just felt like it was lack luster and makes me wonder why they're so involved with fighting the Foot Clan if they have no real ties to them.

As if the lack of a good origin wasn't bad enough they play off the master martial arts skills as a fathering technique.  Splinter explains that the boys were preoccupied with pop culture stuff and realized that they needed something to take up their time and conveniently stumbled upon a stupid little picture book about Ninjutsu.  Of course with only ten pages of stick figures doing a complex martial art Splinter was able to teach himself everything about Ninjutsu and mastered all four weapons just in time to teach the turtles.  Sorry but I would be more inclined to believe he was actually reincarnated over finding a picture book and teaching himself what takes years to master in something that probably equate to a year or so.  I feel like this mocks martial arts and is just an excuse to get away from supernatural or spiritual stuff like reincarnation.  I don’t understand the move and I wouldn't have done it.

Now that the negative has been put out there lets balance that with some of the stuff that I like, or at least didn't hate.  Megan Fox as April is what it is, she is very beautiful but somewhat dry as an actress, therefore the casting of Will Arnett was brilliant because he provided the comedy and balance to her dry acting.  Even though I wasn't super impressed with Megan Fox I did like how they made her a reporter and stuck to those origins, kudos for that, but I would have also been satisfied if she was younger like in the IDW series.  They connect her to the big company responsible for the mutagen through her father, which again is a good move, but they switched up the company names and CEO’s that are involved.  I’m not sure what this switch means for sequels and possible connections to Krang or any of the possible story lines that could have come from IDW’s comics.  I just hope that they get more creative than a picture book to explain away a major plot line.  In the comic Krang is heavily tied to the company Stockgen but in the movie they don't hint to anything that may or may not happen later.

One of the coolest things they did was introducing Karai.  Karai is one of the most BA characters in the Turtle universe and I’m more than glad they finally gave her a fairly prominent role.  I like how they leave open the possibility of seeing her in the future but if she is in the next movie, or movies, I hope they have her become more of a leader and kick more ass.  She has the potential to become one of the best bad guys out because of the drive she shows for becoming the Foot leader, at least if they stick to the IDW version of her.   In the comic she is cold, conniving, and ruthless, just like the Shredder.  I feel like they could capture that well with her character.  I also feel like her relationship as the Shredders granddaughter can lend some creative spice to the bad guy side and can humanize the Foot Clan a little bit.



Say what you will about Michael Bay but the man knows how to do action, his résumé is full of block buster hits, and he is now responsible for bringing to life two of my favorite childhood cartoons.  The trailer teased a nice action scene or two and they didn't disappoint.  The best action scene is about five minutes of the turtles sliding down a hill on their shells like they were toboggans.  It wasn’t just the sledding scene, nearly all the fight scenes were epic, even the fight scenes with the awkwardly metalled up Shredder.



Overall I find what they did with the turtles personalities the best part.  They nailed Mikey as the funny mouth-y one, Raphael as the hard edged one, Donny as the techy and geeky one, and Leo as the leader that is somewhat serious most of the time.  By far the best part of the movies is enjoying the turtles and their progression as a family, despite the lack luster origin and the picture book Ninjutsu master Splinter.  The family dynamic is pretty right on, they even manage to squeeze April in at the end with a nod to her being part of the family.  What I ultimately would like to see from a sequel is of course closer ties to the IDW series, but also further progression with the Turtle family.  Can we get a truly awesome Casey Jones! Please!

Even though it had its ups and downs if you happen to be a lifelong Turtle fan like me you have to at least check it out.  I wouldn’t go past saying it was average at best but it was fairly entertaining and I will check out the sequel when it comes out.  I feel like it left room for improvement and I always hold hope that that is what will happen in the second phase.  If by some off chance any producer involved including Michael Bay, or the director Jonathan Liebesman hear me; follow the IDW story line closer and pull from some of their ideas.  The comic has a thick story line that includes some seriously BA characters.  Some well-known like Casey Jones, but some not so well known like Casey’s father Hun the leader of a street gang the Purple Dragons that falls in line with the Foot Clan.  Casey's friend Angel that is a BA woman character and grew up hard like Casey.  As if the human aspect of the comic isn't enough they also have plenty of other mutants to choose from like the alley cat Hobbs or the arctic fox Alopex, or the alien Neutrinos.  Bottom line is that Kevin Eastman is the man and his creations are smart and fit well with the world he created, so use it.  The comic provides so many characters and story lines that the producers would be foolish to not at least look into possible fits for the future movies.  I know this much, an appearance by Bebop and Rock Steady would brighten any turtle fans day.

 

 

Writer Blocks - Daredevil: Born Again

Daredevil: Born Again, originally published in 1986, is the first collaboration between Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, the same team who would produce Batman: Year One the following year.  It is also the best Daredevil story ever and a perfect illustration of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey.



For those unfamiliar, The Hero’s Journey is a story structure composed of twelve parts:  The Ordinary World, The Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting with the Mentor, Crossing the Threshold, Tests (Allies & Enemies), Approach, Ordeal, The Reward, The Road Back, Resurrection, and finally the Return with the Elixir.

Here is how Daredevil: Born Again works within these confines -

The Ordinary World – the story opens with the crumbling of Matt Murdock’s world.  His former lover Karen Page sells his secret identity for a fix, and this bit of information makes its way to the Kingpin, who goes about dismantling Matt Murdock’s life piece by piece.

The Call to Adventure – as a final blow, the Kingpin has Murdock’s townhouse blown up, and now Murdock knows that the Kingpin is behind all his troubles, having left Murdock’s Daredevil costume in the wreckage as a way to brag about what he has done.

 

Refusal of the Call – instead of donning his Daredevil tights and paying the Kingpin a visit, Matt holes up in a seedy hotel, suffering from depression and unable to physically leave.



Meeting with the Mentor – we’ll get to that a little later.  Not everything in The Hero’s Journey happens in order!

Crossing the Threshold – Matt eventually crosses an actual threshold, mustering the will to leave his hotel room, gradually losing his reign on reality and degenerating into a fantasy world of extreme violence.



Tests (Allies & Enemies) – this was probably going to be Miller’s swan song on Daredevil, so he includes everybody who was ever in his run: Foggy Nelson, Turk, Melvin Potter, Nicholas Manolis and especially Ben Urich, whose subplot would have made a strong comic book in and of itself.

 

Approach – Matt makes his way to the Kingpin’s offices where . . .

Ordeal – he is badly beaten by the Kingpin and presumed dead.



Meeting with the Mentor – now a derelict on skid row, Matt is taken in by a benevolent nun named Sister Maggie.  This is really Matt’s long-lost mother, and she nurses him back to health both physically and spiritually



The Reward – Matt reclaims his identity, and more importantly, his soul, and is reborn a stronger man.



The Road Back – now healthy, Matt reenters the world and takes out all of his enemies.  He does this as Matt Murdock, not as Daredevil.  He hasn’t reclaimed that part of his identity yet.  One especially striking part of Daredevil: Born Again has Matt fighting a lunatic the Kingpin disguised as Daredevil in order to frame the hero for Foggy Nelson’s murder. 

Resurrection – this is the resurrection of the hero, Daredevil.  In the final two issues of Daredevil: Born Again, Daredevil fights Nuke, a parody of the 1980’s action hero.  Daredevil eventually wins, with the help of Captain America, and this victory exposes the Kingpin’s involvement in organized crime. 



Return with the Elixir – Matt is back in Hell’s Kitchen with his true love, Karen Page!



There is so much more to this book than just The Hero’s Journey.  From the Easter themed religious imagery juxtaposed against a story that takes place during Christmas, to the “Matt Murdock in bed” title pages representing his descent into madness, Daredevil: Born Again is a masterpiece.  

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli were operating in perfect lock-step, and it showed in every panel.  This book completely remade Daredevil, and, as a true test to its longevity, the repercussions are still being felt today, after almost 30 years.

I’m getting old.

- Aloha -