[Zacharie]

Title: Love the Way You Love (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jamie S. Rich (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Johanna (Review 1) and 59Square (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Nobody does romance as well as Jamie S. Rich, and this graphic novel series is no exception. "
Review:

Review 1 - Tristan is the lead singer of Like a Dog, an up-and-coming band. He’s returning home when he sees the perfect girl at the airport. When she later appears at that night’s show, it must be fate, only she’s engaged to the record company honcho who’s come to see about signing the band. This establishes the conflict: love or money (or the chance at success, anyway).

The dialogue is perfect, realistic and evocative. It tells you everything you need to know, with lots more happening beneath the surface, and it sounds the right age without being trendy or trying too hard. These characters are hip and cool and the kind of people you want to be. Except when they’re not, and you can take comfort in having things a bit more worked out in your own life. Alternately, you might miss the youthful immediacy of the passions that they’re reveling in.

Plots are established quickly without resorting to cliché, and soon all kinds of complications are making life (and thus the book) interesting. My favorite character is Lance, Tristan’s younger brother, who seems to have it most together of anyone AND wears a cool hat. But all of the characters are interesting, even the antagonist, who’s more than the usual two-dimensional bad guy. I also like the way that this isn’t all about Tristan. His dream girl and his bandmates also have key scenes, because they have opinions and choices of their own.

Later, a flashback for Isobel, the “dream girl”, explains her strong sense of commitment. That’s followed by Tristan engaging in some low self-esteem. It’s such a archetypal scene, boy on his bed wondering “does she like me?”, but the combination of art, simple as it is, and text makes the whole thing feel fresh.

If Isobel was a little more self-aware, she might realize that her choice to lie to her boyfriend to see someone else answers her questions before she even asks them, but these characters are still working up to that kind of maturity. And the plot twists and missed encounters and secret messages are all part of the entertainment.

There’s also a lovely outdoors scene with Tristan playing Isobel’s song for her while she sketches him. Two lovers enjoying being creative is charming to see. They’re so cute together!


As the book begins, the band’s feeling the penalty of annoying someone who works at a record label. Tristan is forced to accept that his personal choices may affect his professional life with the band, and vice versa. Just because they can play well together doesn’t mean that they all agree on next steps, either.

Tristan’s been tagged as bad news, and people are frightened enough of his rival to want to avoid dealing with him. As a result, the couple hits their first big snag. We also learn more about Isobel’s dreams and career aims, fleshing out her as more than just Tristan’s crush.

Unfortunately, Isobel deals with conflict by avoidance — she’s refusing to answer calls. The stress is piling up for her, but by refusing to take action, she won’t do anything to fix the problem in the long-term. She’s just hoping it will go away, not realizing that the males in her life are more determined than that.

Meanwhile, Tristan is pouring his hurt into his music. He’s got the potential for real success, if only one of his band members wasn’t selling him out.

All of the personal struggles and conflicts are addressed by the end, but the business storylines are left unresolved. Instead, there’s a new character introduced who’s too clever for his own good, although by the end, he has plenty of reason to be.

I have to wonder if timing contributed to the change in tone of the end chapters. The three smaller issues, #4-6, that make up Side B came out over a period of a year, so the finale appeared two years after the first issue was originally released. That was longer than intended, due in part to an injury to the artist. As a result, the last three chapters of the entire story were written so they can easily stand on their own.

It’s a great conclusion to the romance, with lots of insight — I just wanted to know how the band worked things out as well.


Ellerby’s art is unique. It’s not conventionally pretty, which has caused some complaints. The perception seems to be that romance comics need a certain kind of attractive art to look at. Ellerby’s style, in contrast, more closely resembles Matt Groening’s. He has a particularly unusual trait of drawing a single line from the chin to the hair in profile or three-quarter view, so that the head is a smooth-edged shape. The eyes are huge, but it’s not particularly manga-esque; instead, it’s as though the characters are constantly frazzled, on the edge of breaking down or making life-changing decisions.

That’s appropriate for the situation. The characters look weird, but they quickly grow on you, especially if you let yourself enter their world. The art feels independent, as though this professionally printed book is really a minicomic, and it suits the scene. I’m left wanting more, not because the book feels slight or stretched out, but because I’m grabbed by the situation and don’t want to be let loose.

I hope this comparison won’t put people off, because it’s a compliment: this is what Archie comics should be, gripping love stories about realistic teens with exciting occupations.

And the book’s even got its own soundtrack single! You can download Tristan’s song Love the Way You Love, performed by Lara Michell, on MySpace.


Review 2 - This is the second graphic novel, following Love the Way You Love Side A, about Tristan and Isobel. This story takes place right after the first, and involves some of the things you might do for love. Isobel considers going back to her ex-fiancee so that Tristan’s band will be able to be successful (her ex-fiancee is a record producer). Tristan also spends some time with an old girl friend, and Isobel sees them together, but ultimately believes Tristan when he tells her he is done with the old friend. This novel also goes into more of the Tristan and Isolde legend, drawing comparisons between the legend and the current lovers. I think this is a two-book series, because at the end they leave happy and in love, and there are only two sides to a record…right? I did enjoy this book, and I think it takes a deeper, more mature look at love than teens are used to. Interesting that this is written and drawn by men, but it is still romantic enough to appeal to girls looking for their Tristan.

More info:

Jamie S. Rich story
Marc Ellerby art, covers.
Published by Oni Press, 2007.

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Love As A Foreign Language (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): J. Torres (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: KJB (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" One of the most entertaining manga reads I've had in a while. "
Review:

No matter what the language, falling in love makes you feel like an idiot.

One of the great things about manga is its ability to tell all kinds of stories. Where most US comics tend to focus on superpowers and other kinds of fantastic phenomena, manga is sometimes at its best when it tells the smaller stories, the stories that wouldn't sell a single issue of Spider-Man but form the base of some of the best manga. Case in point, Love is a Foreign Language from Oni Press.

The series takes place in Korea, in an English as a Second Language school. The school employs a number of Westerners to teach the classes and those Westerners deal with the differences between their home and Korea in different ways. Joel is a Canadian teacher at the school and he has decided that he hates Korea. Culture shock has hit him in a major way and after nearly a year in the country he's decided that he just can't take it any more. This is in sharp contrast to his fellow teachers, a Korean / American named Donny and an English woman named Kelly who seem to get on just fine. Joel seems to be working overtime to try and not fit in with his surroundings - he won't get a cell phone, has only learned the bare minimum of the language and does daily battle with a love struck cockroach that just won't leave him alone. Worse yet, the damned thing won't die, either. Things are so bad that Joel isn't even going to wait until the end of the term - he's going to quit as soon as possible so he can get back to Canada, even after his boss, Mr. Moon, offers him a one year extension to his contract.

Things change unexpectedly one day when Joel bumps into Hana, the new school secretary and finds himself instantly smitten. This only winds up making Joel even more socially inept as he gets flustered every time Hana is near. He sees her name everywhere and every woman he sees on television or in posters on the subway seem to suddenly have Hana's face. No doubt, Joel's got it and got it bad. When he happens across a manhwa-bang, a comic book reading room, near his apartment building and sees Hana inside, he's convinced she is the perfect woman.


The attraction may not be one-sided; some of Eric Kim's beautifully drawn panels seem to show that Hana has more than a passing interest in Joel but are just ambiguous enough to make the reader question what's going on as much as Joel. Hana may not be the only woman at school with an eye for Joel; Kelly looks like she's doing more than just trying to help Joel acclimate to his surroundings as a friend. Joel, of course, is oblivious.

J. Torres' script is perfect, capturing the nervous tension present in any budding relationship and expertly adding the cultural differences that just winds Joel even tighter emotionally. Eric Kim's artwork is perfectly suited for the series, possibly one of the best matches of writer to artist in comics. His backgrounds really give the reader a feel for the culture while his character designs, especially Hana, are great. Hana is easily one of the most appealing characters in comics and Kim's "Perfect Woman" splash panel in volume three is a fanboy fantasy come true.
Love as a Foreign Language

Rating: Must Have

Now anyone that knows me knows I'm a notorious tightwad. One of my biggest complaints with most manga is that it's just too damned expensive. Sure, a lot of the usual manga has a page count that's more like a graphic novel than a comic book but ten bucks is ten bucks. Love as a Second Language is a little less expensive at $6.95 but the page count is only around 70 pages or so. I was really prepared to give it a few well-deserved lashes or at least drop it one notch for this but the books are just so good, they're worth the money. Torres manages to tell a great story while also working in more information about the Korean culture than you're likely to get anywhere else.

Love as a Foreign Language is that rare kind of love story that both men and women can enjoy and is highly recommended, one of the most entertaining manga reads I've had in a while.

More info:

Written by: J. Torres
Drawn by: Eric Kim
Publisher: Oni Press
Genre: Manga

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Dead or Alive (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Scott Chitwood (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Eric Whitman (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Scott Chitwood shows a lot of talent here..."
Review: Dead or Alive #1

Equipped with only a handful of apostrophes to put at the end of words that should have the suffix "-ing," Red 5 comics breaks into the zombie-western sub-sub-genre in a way that is a bit bland. There's still potential for Dead or Alive as it's not definitively bad, but it needs not to play so safe.

I was a bit disappointed when discovering Red 5's Dead or Alive #1 wasn't an adaption of the video game about large-breasted, bikini-clad women in pseudo-homoerotic situations under the pretense of playing volleyball. Turns out it's a zombie-western with a pretty generic title, which is most descriptive word for the whole book. It's not exactly bad, but it doesn't stretch its horror sub-genre to new lengths by holding itself back far too often. Each positive is met with an equally noticeable negative. The dialog, for instance, can be witty and engaging on its own, but each “voice” feels as if it's coming from the same character like a one-man show or a person with multiple personality disorder. The script relies far too heavily on repetition, especially an ongoing joke about the primary female character being “ladylike” that gets annoying around its forth iteration. The issue's primary villain is built up with tremendous vigor with great mood and a sense of legend, but is ultimately let down by a confrontation that is little more than a pushing match. It all seems to stem from a general identity crisis between the lighter, more comedic parts and the darker horror with some commentary on Manifest Destiny. These themes have been married before, but the transitions are more segmented than blended.


While it can be said that each item of praise is met with a shortcoming, the inverse is also true. The issue can be a fun read even though its potential has yet to be shown and its introduction comes in at a good even point that could be met with optimism. Writer Scott Chitwood shows a lot of talent here and only needs a bit of direction to make Dead or Alive stand aside or even out amongst a crowded field of peers.

Alfonso Ruiz's art has similar highs and lows as it stays in a relatively safe area, but it does make the narrative quite a bit more effective when fully utilized. He has a good handle on facial expressions even though their overall designs don't vary often. Readers will get a solid idea of the emotional substance within each panel clearly. There doesn't seem to be a strength in a few overhead shots that suffer from a lack of depth of field, which affects a couple of standard vertical panels as well (i.e. A hand coming toward the reader will be smaller rather than large.). Despite the rough spots, most of the work is quite good especially with some of the darker material.

More info:

Story: Scott Chitwood
Art: Alfonso Ruiz & Garry Henderson
Cover: Matt Busch

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Noel (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Lee Bermejo (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jackie Krah (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This is a great Christmas present (even for yourself)."
Review:

This was a slow release week, so in lieu of doing a review list of new issues, I thought I’d welcome in the Christmas season with what is easily the biggest holiday-based comic book release of the year. Batman Noel is the impressive undertaking of writer and artist Lee Bermejo. Bermejo dueled two narratives, twining them together within the framework of the artwork to form what became a tribute to Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Batman was Scrooge, pessimistically coming to the rescue of humanity in a way that often lay in areas of gray morality. The ghosts of Christmas past present and future were not ghosts at all, but people in Batman’s life that were able to embody and pass on the lesson that each of those spirits passes onto Scrooge in the original classic.

While Batman’s adventure is occurring with its own action and dialogue, a simultaneous simplistic narrative of the classic story is also being told in a voice that indicates it is a parent talking to a child. This is a hell of a lot to smoosh together into one, albeit good sized, graphic novel. The attempt could have gone horribly wrong … but it didn’t. Instead, it was brilliant.

In the introduction to this book, Jim Lee comments on Bermejo’s work. “A true contradiction in styles, Lee’s neo-Gothic work operates on the surface level to entice and please while painting a darker more disturbing world just underneath that very same scintillating surface.” I’m glad Jim Lee put it to eloquently, because I could not have captured the intricacy of Bermejo’s work so effectively. Saying it’s beautifully detailed or emotionally charged just doesn’t cut it. While his storytelling ability is linguistically very good, artistically it is astounding.


The story itself is an interesting way to parallel A Christmas Carol. The “ghost” of Christmas past is Catwoman. She is able, in a way that no one else can, get through Batman’s stubborn mental shields to make him listen to her reason. And since it is Catwoman, her reason always seems completely nuts, until you realize that in her own way she makes perfect sense.

Batman pursues his quest, determined to ignore the lessons of the night and continue his mission. He is Batman and that is just what he does with an almost blind determination. Then he runs into the second “ghost” – his old friend, Superman. Superman is the perfect second visitor for Bruce because he is in his very essence a symbol of hope, acceptance, and brotherly love. He shows Batman a side of Gotham hat isn’t about crime and greed.

Finally the joker makes an appearance as the “ghost” of Christmas future. Just like in the original story, no dialogue is traded in this scene, but it is integral to the story and I don’t want to tell you why.

The book is $22.95, and it is worth every penny. This is a great Christmas present (even for yourself). Merry Christmas!

More info:

Story and art by Lee Bermejo

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Cold War (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Byrne (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: PS Hayes (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" WARNING!!!! Do NOT buy this comic unless you want to have FUN!"
Review: Cold War #1

WARNING!!!! Do NOT buy this comic unless you want to have FUN! I’m not sure just what I was expecting from this comic, but it went far beyond any and all expectations that I had for it. In spades.

Cold War #1 opens with an incredible 11-page sequence that is really fascinating. The great thing about this book is that, while it’s clearly a spy genre, James Bond-type of comic, it doesn’t beat you over the head with it. It’s not a direct homage to the genre, like Crossgen’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but it has the spirit of the genre without blatantly ripping off James Bond trademarks like gadgets, scandalously named women, and witty one liners. It’s almost an undercover spy book. A covert undercover spy book. Good Lord, I feel like I’m in the “in-famous” scene in The Three Amigos movie.

As far as the art goes, it’s John Byrne. You know what you’re getting and there’s really not any artistic surprises or reinvention of his style. Just straight-up John Byrne art. And it fits the comic really well.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s got a solid, enjoyable story. Equal amounts of action, intrigue and mystery. Seriously, PICK UP THIS COMIC! You will not regret it. Cheers to IDW and John Byrne for putting out something awesome and different.

More info:

Created, written & drawn by John Byrne
Colors by Rhonda Pattison
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Covers by John Byrne

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Kill Audio (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jesse Schedeen (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Chicken sex aside, this issue is a visual stunner."
Review: Kill Audio #1

As I began making my way through Kill Audio #1, one thought crossed through my mind - "I'm nowhere near inebriated enough to be reading this". Kill Audio is a strange, strange book. It's probably the single oddest hing I've been called upon to review in the four years I've written for IGN Comics. What else is to be expected from the mind of Claudio Sanchez? Sanchez is the lead singer of Coheed and Cambria, a band who have chosen to tell an epic science fiction saga in the form of several progressive rock albums. After translating this saga directly into comic book form with the series Armory Wars, Sanchez is now trying something completely different. And the result nearly defies description.

Kill Audio is a story about a hero of the same name. This character has the disposition of Lobo, the Maxx, or any of those bad-boy anti-heroes of the '90s. He has some vaguely defined power to absorb or channel music, not unlike the Phonomancers of Phonogram. Mostly this power enables him to regenerate horrific flesh wounds. Kill Audio embarks on a quest to find his purpose in life. Joining him are a giant, pants-less, hallucinating, sex-crazed chicken, a talking skeleton in a dog costume with a fetish for sour mash, and some sort of slug-looking thing. It hurts my brain just to attempt describing the premise of the book. It's essentially The Wizard of Oz by way of Metalocalypse and laced with copious amounts of acid.


I guess if that tickles your fancy you need not read any further. Just run out and check out this issue for yourself. It may be $3.99, but it also includes well over 30 pages of story. For those still on the fence, however, you may want to just remain sitting there. Kill Audio is an amusing read in some respects and you attempt to absorb the strangeness and make sense of the plot. At some point Sanchez and co-writer Chondra Echert become their own worst enemies, though. The book simply doesn't need to be as strange and off-putting as it is. There comes a point where being different and strange for the sake of it is just silly. The script hops around from place to place, reveling in its oddities but only providing the barest hint of plot progression of character development. It shouldn't have been that hard to weave Kill Audio's existential quest into something engrossing and memorable, but it never achieves those distinctions. After reading this issue, I honestly don't care what his deal is or whether he ever finds what he seeks. And if I never see one giant chicken hump another ferociously, it'll be too soon.

Chicken sex aside, this issue is a visual stunner. Sheldon Vella slathers the page in unique imagery and outlandish characters. The series has a nice independent feel to it with all the wavy black lines and gray washes. Vella also accentuates the art with red highlights in a similar manner to the many Grendel: Red, White, and Black strips put out by Matt Wagner over the years. It's an effective blend of shadow and monochromatic color. Vella's art is like a dozen heavy metal music videos all squished together, yet it also displays a fundamental understanding of the medium. Vella can communicate the story when the writing trips over itself in its excitement, which is very often.

Read this book if you love Coheed and Cambria or just want your brain to swell for a few hours. I have no doubt that a specific group of readers will adore Kill Audio, while the rest will probably set this issue down and run away.

More info:

Written by Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Key of Z (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: MK2Fac3 (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" There’s a creative synergy going through this book on all levels"
Review: Key of Z #1

It’s always a little difficult for me to write a review on something where I feel a little emotionally attached. For those who haven’t been paying attention to this site, we’ve covered Key of Z pretty much since its inception when we interviewed both Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert at last year’s New York Comic-Con when it was still known as Subway Seriez up to this past month when we interviewed the writers again to revisit the series and see what else was coming up. They’ve always been super generous, kind, and open to me. So, that makes viewing the comic objectively extremely hard. It’s because of this, and the fact that Sanchez’s band Coheed and Cambria is my favorite band of all time, that I am extremely hard on their books when I read them. That said, I adored the team’s previous work Kill Audio and I love Key of Z #1.

It’s not exactly what I was expecting, and it’s not exactly want I thought I wanted out of the book, but that left me even more impressed with the material. The comic opens on a flashback that predates the zombie attack on New York City to give us a glimpse into the life that our hero Nick Ewing once had before it was all taken away from him. We then are welcomed into the current storyline where New York City has been sectioned off into what can best be described as gangs based out of different sports stadiums in New York City spanning from Citi Field in Queens, Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, and Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. Tension is brewing between these factions and we can only assume that we’re being lead into an all out gang war with a back drop of zombies. Did a forget to mention that? Yes, this is zombie comic, but it’s not about zombies in the slightest. This is a comic about what happens when a man loses everything that he ever loved, and how he reacts to that.


As I said previously, I absolutely loved the wacky and crazy atmosphere of Sanchez and Echert’s previous work Kill Audio, so I was surprised when a lot of the zany fun from that comic had almost left their writing style completely. This is a very serious comic that focuses on life moments in the midst of chaos. The majority of the book is a conversation between our hero and a young man who slaves away to serve the boss of Yankee Stadium, while using the post apocalyptic landscape of a zombie infested New York City as window dressing for the disparity of their lives. It’s a discussion of loss, love, hope, promise, and survival, but then takes a swift turn into revenge during the final pages. And the revenge aspect of this story is something that sets this series apart from other zombie comics. I don’t want to get into spoilers, but there is a clear cut tension that will drive this comic in later issues. And that’s just the writing.

Aaron Kuder‘s artwork on this book teamed alongside Charlie Kirchoff‘s colors are a match made in heaven. Kuder has the rare gift of being able to jump from clean, beautiful lines that show an expressive, emotional scene to a horribly grotesque attack from a zombie without missing a beat. His previous work on Sanchez’s The Amory Wars was also an excellent showing, but in this book, next to Kirchoff’s coloring, Kuder’s artwork shines. There’s a creative synergy going through this book on all levels from writing to letters that makes it it work on every level.

As I said, I’m very hard on these creators while I’m reading because I never want to be the kind of reviewer that blindly praises something just because I like previous outings or works in other mediums, or if the writers are nice to me, but in this case I just need to stop fighting it and accept the fact that these are damn good creators.

More info:

Written by Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert
Art by Aaron Kuder
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Letters by Johnny Lowe
Covers by Nathan Fox, Tony Moore (Variant), Declan Shalvey (NYCC Exclusive Variant)
Evil Ink! Comics/BOOM! Studio

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Claudio Sanchez and Peter David (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: cosmicbooknews (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I look forward to the continuation of this."
Review:

The Armory Wars: In Keeping With Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 #1 - Immensely popular concept-rock band Coheed and Cambria have released five studio albums, each a narrative telling a part of the larger story of the Amory Wars. A space opera evidencing influences from a wide range of sources (including borrowing heavily from aspects of Star Wars to a lesser extent
the New Testament of the Christian Bible, and aspects of Sanchez’s own life), in 2005 Coheed and Cambria singer Claudio Sanchez brought his vision to the world of comic books producing two volumes of comics (“The Second Stage Turbine Blade” volumes 1 and 2) and with this issue the third chapter of the story begins.

The essence of the story is a small group of rebels, the core of which is comprised of a semi-divine family of artificially created human beings with super human abilities, strive to overthrow the “Tri-Mage” Wilhelm Ryan, supreme ruler of the galaxy known as Heaven’s Fence. Heaven’s Fence is a series of physically interconnected worlds formerly under the more or less absolute domination of a series of twelve “mages,” all murdered by Ryan in his bid for power. His ultimate goal is the usurpation of the role of God.

The story is told in a non-linear fashion, owing to much of it being told second hand by characters within the story to each other or reviewing their own memories. As this series occurs a decade after the last, there is much to catch up on. This opening issue is a mix of back story for those unfamiliar with the story of what has come before, and a bit of insight into how Claudio (the main character, rather than the writer) has spent the last few years.

As I am a tremendous fan of Coheed and Cambria’s music, I was eager to enjoy the comics when Image first published them half a decade ago. Unfortunately, as many other critics remarked (repeatedly) the series was really only for diehard Coheed and Cambria fans and not for “series” comic fans. The plot was disjointed, due to the nature of the story, and the scripting unnatural and stilted. The art varied between adequate and disappointing. After reading the first half of the first series, and the first issue of the second series, I wrote it off entirely.

With this new entry, however, I see a light of hope. With the addition of Peter David as writer (I would presume as scripter, though the credits simply list “Writers: Claudio Sanchez and Peter David,” since Claudio has plotted this story long ago), an immediate improvement is evidenced. Lyrics from Coheed and Cambria songs are still sprinkled throughout the narrative, but in much smaller doses and the characters interact with each other in a more realistic fashion.

The art, as well, is a great improvement over previous installments. While not familiar with Chris Burnham’s work, I like what I’ve seen so far and his style fits the story more than the slightly cartoony style from previous installments. Tim Bradstreet’s “A” cover is also brilliantly dark, giving us a glimpse of the tortured soul Claudio Kilgannon possesses.

For a first installment, this is better than I expected to be quite honest. Hopefully, it’ll keep getting better from here.


The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3: #4 - With the current issue of Claudio Sanchez’s Amory Wars science-fiction saga, we’re back in a holding pattern while the story builds up to another action sequence.

As a short recap, the story of the Amory Wars is essentially a small group of rebels, the core of which is comprised of a semi-divine family of artificially created human beings with super human abilities, that strive to overthrow the “Tri-Mage” Wilhelm Ryan, supreme ruler of the galaxy known as Heaven’s Fence. Heaven’s Fence is a series of physically interconnected worlds formerly under the more or less absolute domination of a series of twelve “mages,” all murdered by Ryan in his bid for power. His ultimate goal is the usurpation of the role of God.

Issues #1 and #2 were rather slow, but they served to cover the history of the first two Amory Wars comic series, as well as provide a bit of information on what has happened in the decade between the end of the second series and start of this third series. The third issue, however, saw the culmination of the Tri-Mage’s efforts to seek out Jesse the Inferno, the rebel leader, and we were treated to a spectacular underwater battle between their space fleets.

In this fourth issue, we are back to a series of talking heads as Claudio (the character, not the writer) details his exploits to his ex-girlfriend’s dog. We are given a bit of background on the religion of Heaven’s Fence, as well as some glimpses into how Claudio and the rest of the Kilgannon family fit into the scheme of its divinity. The information is nothing new to readers of the first two series (or fans of Sanchez’s band, Coheed & Cambria) but it does serve as important information for those who may be new to the franchise.

One of the more interesting subplots that was nudged along this issue was that of Sizer and Chase, Jesse Kilgannon’s IRO-Bot “children” both of whom desperately want Jesse to treat them as his children. He insists that donating genetic material to their creation does not make him their father, to which the leader of the Prise replies “No, that’s how it always starts but it’s up to you to become a father.” The moment is touching, if slightly awkward, especially as Sizer plans to do harm to Inferno and Chase is constantly warning him against taking any action against, or that might anger, him. I look forward to the continuation of this.

Overall, this was a solid issue, if not an exciting one. This is projected to be the longest of the “Amory Wars” series, and at times it feels stretched out and a bit padded, as if there is not enough material for the planned 12 issues. The previous series were half that length, and the story by necessity far more compressed. With the addition of Peter David as scripter, however, the book has taken a dramatic swing upwards in quality and if anyone can make this story worth reading, it’s PAD

More info:

Writers: Claudio Sanchez and Peter David
Artist: Chris Burnham
Colorist: Zac Atkinson
Letterer: Johnny Lowe

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Awakenings (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Eric Hobbs (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jason Wilkins (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Awakenings is still a refreshing take on the popular werewolf archetype... "
Review: Awakenings Vol. 1

Last summer, thanks to publisher NBM, I had the good fortune of reviewing Eric Hobbs’ riveting OGN The Broadcast. A suspenseful, character-driven study of paranoia, family dynamics, and the hidden secrets of a close-knit small town, The Broadcast is a quiet, simmering tale vibrating with emotional tension and moody atmosphere.

On the surface, Hobbs’ latest offering from Arcana Studio, Awakenings, might seem to be a bit of a departure, considering the sophistication and intense character studies featured in The Broadcast. However, Awakenings was actually created first as a self-published webcomic and enjoyed a small, loyal audience, when Arcana offered to collect the first volume in a trade paperback this August.

Following the tragic downfall of homicide cop Spencer Straight as he relinquishes the safety of his cushy desk job to hunt down the fugitive responsible for mauling him months prior, Awakenings is a sprawling horror-action yarn with a breakneck pace peppered with very real and intense emotional beats. As Straight delves ever-deeper into a new rash of serial killings, he discovers all of the evidence points to himself as the perp.


Although different in tone and theme, Awakenings nonetheless showcases Hobbs’ burgeoning genius for realistic characterization. Not quite as mature as his work in The Broadcast, as evidenced by a slight overuse of profanity throughout the book, Awakenings is still a refreshing take on the popular werewolf archetype, displaying Hobbs’ inventiveness and thought-provoking characters.

My only gripe with Awakenings is with the art. Gabe Pena is an able penciller and Hobbs did an admirable job finding a virtual hockey line’s worth of consistent inkers to finish his work but it kind of feels like he may have settled. Although he does a commendable job remaining consistent throughout the TPB’s six chapters, telling the story clearly and concisely, Pena’s style feels a little too generic for a horror-action script of this caliber. While his page designs are clear and crisp, they lack any sort of atmosphere for Hobbs’ characters to play off of.

That being said, I still enjoyed Awakenings immensely. Hobbs casts werewolves in a new light, letting them take center stage over the ever-so-trendy vampire; touching upon the same themes of family, loyalty, and redemption found in The Broadcast. More commercial in tone than his offering from NBM, hopefully Awakenings will wake up fanboys (and editors) to an up-and-coming new talent in Eric Hobbs.

More info:

Words: Eric Hobbs
Art: Gabe Pena
Inks: Jeremy Colwell, Chris Dreier, and Derek Fridolfs
Colors: Mauricio Pinzon

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Everlast (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Chad Michael Murray (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: CBS (Review 1) and Archaia Entertainment (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" A "pre-apocalyptic" tale"
Review:

Review 1 - There's more to Chad Michael Murray than playing a teen heartthrob on TV and in the movies - he is also a comic book creator.

The 30-year-old actor's end-of-days graphic novel "Everlast" is being published this month by Archaia Entertainment after eight years of prep work. In "Everlast," Murray tells the story of a man looking to save chosen people before mankind faces the end of the world, according to Reuters.

So what exactly was his inspiration for penning his own graphic novel? Murray told Reuters the idea came to him after a man knocked on his door to evangelize in North Carolina, where Murray was filming the TV show "One Tree Hill." He left the show in 2009, but will return in 2012 for an episode.

"The man said 144,000 people would be left to survive the end of days and it spurred a lot of ideas. What if that was true? How would you choose these people?" Murray said, reports Reuters.

The protagonist in Murray's novel, Derek Everlast, finds and protects the people who are going to survive the apocalypse.

"I've been writing for years but this was the first thing I ever followed through with,'' Murray told Reuters.

Murray, who said he didn't grow up as a huge comic book fan, worked with a team of five artists to create his book's dark style.

The actor will soon appear in the upcoming movies "The Haunting in Georgia'' and "Renee." Murray told Reuters that he is devoted to furthering "Everlast,'' which could one day become a lucrative franchise.


Review 2 - A "pre-apocalyptic" tale
Archaia Entertainment has announced a November release for the graphic novel, "Everlast."

Written by television and film actor Chad Michael Murray (House of Wax), "Everlast" is an adventure that follows the story of earth as it reaches the End of Days. Pre-orders for the title are being accepted now at comic book shops and wherever books are sold.

The story follows Derek Everlast, a man whose destiny in life is guiding others to a place of rebirth for mankind called Haven. Following an instinct called the Nudge, bestowed on him by a higher power, Derek is guided to the next chosen human destined to survive, a little girl named Melissa. In a harrowing adventure, he must deliver her safely to Haven before the End of Days. Everlast tells a story of choice, love, friendship, and, most of all, survival.

The graphic novel is illustrated by several of the most talented artists in the industry, including Trevor Hairsine ("X-Men"), Andrew Huerta ("Batman Beyond"), Robbi Rodriguez ("Moon Lake"), J.K. Woodward ("Fallen Angel") and Danijel Zezelj ("Luna Park").

More info:

Artist: Various
Author: Chad Michael Murray
Cover Artist: Daniel Zezelj

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Scary Godmother (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jill Thompson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Tori (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I could not put it down, which I have not been able to say for awhile"
Review:

This is not a super feminist work, but I don’t always want to review those! With that goal in mind, I want to share “Scary Godmother” by Jill Thompson with you. I have recently been trying out comic books and find I enjoy them, which doesn’t really surprise me. My one complaint about the genre is they are so expensive and I read them so fast! I started with X-men, but that has been so hard to find where to start after so many decades of comics. While I was looking for some X-men comics and being thoroughly confused, my eyes fell upon “Scary Godmother” and fell in love.

The volume I have now is, I suppose, the second one, but it is barely even noticeable. The basic idea is that Hannah, a human girl, finds her way* to the Fright Side and Scary Godmother. Scary Godmother is, well, a fairy godmother that seems to be infused with a healthy dose of Halloween Witch (her origin story is told in here!**). There are all sorts of Halloween beasties that live in the Fright Side. There are vampires, a skeleton that lives in the Scary Godmother’s closet, a under-the-bed monster (whose parents don’t approve of his job), a werewolf, vampires, of course, and many others. Each comic is about one of these character’s hijinx which inevitably involves the Scary Godmother. Each comic even comes with a snack recipe! I definitely plan to make the Swedish Spiders (page 55).

I absolutely love these comics. They are really cute stories and hilarious drawings. The characters are so much fun! I love how Jill Thompson does not make the Scary Godmother the fix-all. Sometimes she screws up and someone else saves her. I really do not know how I can give it enough of a glowing recommendation. It is just too brilliant. The only things I can even think to complain about is that the comic was in black and white, but there are some color pictures in the back, and I wanted more***. The black and white worked, though, so it is only a minor complaint bordering on an observation.


There are two things that I think are relevant to this blog, other than my desire to write about it. Those are that this is different from a traditional take on fairy godmothers and a positive portrayal of a witch (sort of). As for a different godmother, this is great for a girl who never wanted to be a princess! It would be awesome to have a fairy godmother and not have to deal with the ridiculousness of royalty being thrust on you. Here’s a fairy godmother for those of you not so in love with a want waving grandmother singing “Bibbdy-Bobbidy-Boo”. Not to mention having a best friend who could let you play with bats would be a dream come true!

I know that Scary Godmother is not completely a witch, but I think she is close enough. She does have a number of the stereotypical witchy things, like a cat, broomstick, potions, etc. However, she uses them to help the residence of the Fright Side and Hannah, not run around cursing people’s cows, crops and children. She is more of a traditional wise woman figure (what a lot of witches would prefer to be seen as), than she is the green faced hags you see at Halloween. There is certainly no mention of the devil or even and demons. Even though she is not really related to the modern real world witches, she is still a positive character who is broadening what people think of when they think of witches, which is certainly a positive thing.

It is also nice to see a take on vampires that is clearly modified from an old version. Not like Twilight, which is clearly an adaption on an adaption on another diluted adaption.

For anyone who likes or does not like comics, I recommend this. If you like Halloween, silly stories or cute drawings this is definitely worth a look. For those of my friends who may have a collection of “witchy” things, this is definitely worth a look. I could not put it down, which I have not been able to say for awhile, unfortunately.

More info:

Written and illustrated by by Jill Thompson

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Courtney Crumrin Stories (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Ted Naifeh (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Catherine (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I highly recommend it and look forward to reading the next volume"
Review: Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things (Courtney Crumrin #1)

Presenting the initial Courtney Crumrin miniseries in a new digest-sized format. Courtney’s parents have dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. She’s not only the new kid in school, but she also discovers strange things lurking under her bed.

Set in a place where people are unaware of magical goings on – yet oddly accepting of the consequences of that which they do not see1 – Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things is a snarky and wonderfully ghoulish introduction to a darkly funny and fascinating world.

Readers might be familiar with Ted Naifeh’s work as the artist of Holly Black’s Good Neighbours series of graphic novels. In Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things, Naifeh uses a black and white style which combines a mix of cartoonish figures and features with narrower, starker characters and highly detailed backgrounds. Courtney, for example, is round-faced, big-eyed and noseless, while her parents (and other adults) are more angular – something which culminates in the wonderful harshness of Great Uncle2 Aloysius’s form and face. The expressions are marvelous, the background detail spectacular and overall excellent.


The story is the perfect mix of the mundane and the magical, and all the complications that come from each as well as the mixing of the two. On the one hand you have issues such as a new home, dealing with a new school and babysitting, while on the other there’s magical spells gone awry, doppelgangers run amok and changelings to deal with. The endings might not always have been what I expected but that is what made them so good – Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things doesn’t hesitate to go dark and ghoulish if the story and/or the humour demands it.

Overall Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things is a great introductory graphic novel full of many wonderful things that go moving about in the night. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading the next volume, Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics.

More info:

Art, cover and story by Ted Naifeh
James Lucas Jones editor

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Human Target (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Len Wein (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jesse Schedeen (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Wein's writing is serviceable, if not remarkable in any sense."
Review: Human Target #1

For such a short-lived series, Len Wein's Human Target has had a pretty significant impact on the entertainment industry. It inspired an aborted TV series in he early '90s, a successful Vertigo re-imagining a few years later, and now a new TV series that seems to be doing very well for itself. Not a bad day's work for Christopher Chance. With the show gathering steam, it makes sense DC would want to capitalize on its success with a new comic book. For the third Human Target book, they've gone back to the source and given Wein another chance with is creation.

This new comic doesn't do a tremendous job of indicating which version of the character it features. With no Vertigo label, it's obvious Peter Milligan's incarnation is out, but is this the original '70s Chance or the current TV Chance? Though visually this book takes a few cues from the show (is that Chi McBride in my comic book?), the lead hero is as Wein imagined him. This series is meant to be set in the DCU, but could probably just as easily play out in the TV-verse. Ultimately, the book is constructed to be reasonably accessible to those who might only know Chance from the TV series, or even those who have no exposure to Human Target at all.

Wein's writing is serviceable, if not remarkable in any sense. He depicts Chance as a charming, adventurous secret agent type, giving readers a fun lead hero to follow. The premise, that Chance is trying to escort an ailing mafia don to safety so he can testify against his allies, makes for a strong foundation to the mini-series. But ultimately, as solid as the foundation of the story is, Wein doesn't inject his writing with enough flavor or humor. It feels a little formulaic. Frankly, I miss the darkness and the edge of the Vertigo series. And though I haven't seen very much of the show, the actors do a better job of making their characters seem suave and humorous.


Another drawback that I hope Wein addresses eventually is Chance's penchant for disguising himself, or lack thereof in this issue. One of the fundamental tenets of his job in the old comics was to assume the identity of his clients, thereby drawing danger away from them and towards himself. I understand this is something the show largely ignores. And honestly, what TV producer is going to be stupid enough to cover up Mark Valley's sexy face? Wein has the opportunity to make use of Chance's talent here, and I hope he does in the coming issues.

Bruno Redondo's art fits right in with the writing in terms of being functional but unremarkable. As mentioned, the main characters resemble the TV actors more than a bit, but Redondo doesn't go so far as to rely on photo-referencing or anything so nefarious. If anything is problematic with the visuals, it's Sergio Sandoval's inking. The inking varies between being barely present and being overly dramatic on a whim. The lighting generated in panels often doesn't mesh well with the intended mood.

This issue also features a back-up story by writer Peter Johnson and artist Chris Sprouse. This tale goes over significantly better. The writing is snappier and more clever. Chance comes across as more debonair, if perhaps a little too spacey near the end. And Sprouse's art certainly impresses. He lends Chance's adventures a more exciting and vibrant feel. Though the story doesn't necessarily accomplish much, it certainly entertains during its brief span of pages.

This new incarnation of Human Target is not a total disappointment, but it also fails to capture the spark of better projects to carry the name. I'd suggest fans of the show ditch whatever preconceptions they have about Christopher Chance and check out Milligan's Vertigo series instead. Perhaps the best thing about the show from a comic fan's perspective is that these stories are finally being collected in their entirety.

More info:

Written by Len Wein
Art by Bruno Redondo and Sergio Sandoval

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Pound (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Stephan Nilson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Henchman21 (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This issue just isn’t the best showcase for his work."
Review: The Pound #1

I always like when a new horror comic comes around, and that’s what we’re getting with The Pound, a new series from Frozen Beach Studios. The Pound has a premise that I have kind of seen before, but is different enough for me latch on to. The Pound has a lot of great potential, and a first issue that sets everything up in a nice way and gets the mystery going.

The issue starts with a bit of horror, as we see the standard girl in peril in a dark alley, until she is rescued by a couple of werewolves. We then cut to Scott and Howie, a couple of exterminators who lose their jobs in a round of layoffs, but decide to pull themselves up and start their own extermination company. A couple of weeks later, the company has been started, and the pair run into a case that may be more than they can handle. Where this case will lead them is anyone’s guess.

If I had to compare this book to anything, I’d say that it is very reminiscent of The Exterminators, a Vertigo series from a few years ago. That series centered with a group of exterminators who dealt with insects, rats, and a bigger plot that involved a lot of strange stuff going on. This series seems to be in a similar vein; however, The Pound has a much more supernatural feel to it. The first issue itself is a lot about setting up the two main characters, particularly Scott and his family. The plot starts to get going in the last few pages, and not only does it kick the story into high gear, it also opens up a world of possibilities. The werewolves are revealed in the first few pages, and if the series continues, I could see them taking on a variety of different kinds of monsters.


Writer Stephan Nilson does a good job of establishing the characters, but there’s some work to be done on the pacing of the issue. The first few pages are good, although they do kind of blow the surprise that comes later in the issue, but they work to set up the tone of the book. Then we are treated to a long section of a lot of people talking all so we can establish their characters. This is certainly needed, especially in the first issue of a new series, but there are ways to give this information in a quicker fashion, which would free up the issue for even more stuff to happen. Really, this feels like a movie pitch that was changed over to a comic script, with only slight changes, and that’s never the best way to tell a story in comics. I think if he can get a few issues under him, he can clean up some of the pacing and give the reader a tighter story.

The same can be said of the art on the book by Karl Waller. There’s nothing spectacularly bad about it, but there are some rough edges. He handles all the long exposition scenes well, and the first scene has a lot going for it. However, the last few pages have a car chase sequence of sorts, and he doesn’t turn in his best work here. Driving sequences can be tough for even the best artists to make interesting. Unfortunately, the art makes the chase more confusing, and I lost track of who was where and what they were trying to do. Again, with a little work and a better script to work with, Waller could turn in some good work. This issue just isn’t the best showcase for his work.

So, what we have is kind of an uneven issue. There’s a good premise here, and some interesting enough characters, but there is some clunky storytelling that doesn’t show the plot and characters in the best light. I may check back with this series in a few issues to see if they have worked out these kinks. It may be worth checking out if you like horror comics with a different premise than normal. As it stands, I’m giving this issue a 2 out of 5.

More info:

Written by Stephan Nilson
Art by Karl Waller
Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr
Lettering by Charles Pritchett
Frozen Beach Studios

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Valen The Outcast (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Michael Alan Nelson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Decapitated Dan (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I really did enjoy this first issue."
Review: Valen The Outcast #1

“The King is dead — long live the DEAD KING! King Valen Brand is a fair, just king as well as a great and mighty warrior. Killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm,an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul! “

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5

“Long live the Dead King” is right people! Now most know that I am not a fan of the Fantasy genre of comics, but every now and then a book will come along and make me second guess myself. This is one of them. The art in this issue is GORE-Geous, and when you get a few decapitations how can it not be? The line work is great, but in some of the action scenes I did tend to take 2-3 looks to figure out exactly what was happening. All of that is over shadowed though by a final panel that is to die for (pun intended)! The cover choices on this one shine as well, and the one posted with this review is my favorite. The story is perfect for a first issue. You are given enough back story to be ready to move forward. however I personally didn’t care for how that back story was broken up over the course of the issue, but that is me being nit-picky. The pacing and action I expect to find in a horror fantasy book is there, with enough intrigue to keep me on board. Again I go back to that final panel, because it was a jaw dropper. While fantasy is not always my game, I really did enjoy this first issue. For only $1 you might think you are actually stealing this one from BOOM! because it’s easily worth more.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

More info:

Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Publisher: