Title: Queen & Country (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Greg Rucka (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Marc Ellerby (Review 1) and Michael K. Smith (Review 2) and (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Check it out, it'll be worth the money and the time. "
Review: Operation: Broken Ground

Review 1 - Pure gold.... Greg Rucka's acclaimed spy series starts here. From the word go, Rucka doesn't let up, doesn't slow the pace down, nor does he bore the reader or make the series seem too OTT. The spy genre has had a misconception that it's all glam and gadgets, no thanks to the recent SFX obsessed Bond films, but Rucka crushes all that, he brings the genre right back to it's origins and makes it a dark and violent and very realistic, good vs. bad scenario. The main charm about the book though is the amount of characterisation in the book, from Paul Crocker the moody, arrogant, commander in chief type character to Tara Chace's professionalism with a hint of "f**k you" attitude. Rolston's crisp, clean, sharp artwork adds a deeper depth, concentrating on facial expressions and pushing his sequential talents to the max. Using panels of different size and space he never bores the reader or repeats himself. A true talent.
Queen and Country is an original, down to earth spy story. But it's more than that, it grips the reader from the first page to the very last one. It gives American comics a different edge and the reason it stands out so much is because there's literally nothing else like it on the market. Check it out, it'll be worth the money and the time.


Review 2 - VERY high quality work... This is an "adult" graphic novel, not in the sexual-content sense but because the plot does not involve superheroes, fantasy, or magic. In fact, it's much more gritty and topical than even most adult thrillers I've read. The Secret Intelligence Service, based in London, is (apparently) an MI-6 kind of operation, chartered to carry out assassinations and other operations abroad but whose agents are not even allowed to be armed at home. Tara Chace -- "Minder Two" -- is their best shooter and the story opens with her involved in an unauthorized Special Operation in Kosovo to take out a rogue Russian officer now running with the Russian mafia. Her success, followed by an iffy escape from the scene, leads the Russians to put a bounty on her head -- and to fire a shoulder-launched rocket at the SIS headquarters, just to show they can. Paul Crocker, Director of Ops, wants not just to catch the perpetrators of the attack, he wants them dead. The Kosovo operation was a favor owed to the CIA, who now decline to help in his vendetta. And so on, in a nicely complicated plot that revolves on personalities and the rules of the game in a changed world as much as on action sequences. The art is straight black-and-white line drawing that emphasizes facial expression and body language -- which fits well with the rather talky style of the narration. My only complaint is that the story doesn't so much end as simply stop -- obviously only the first episode in a continuing series (which I haven't seen any sign of).

More info:

Written by Greg Rucka.
Art by Steve Rolston.

Publisher:

 

Title: Batman Master of the Future (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Brian Augustyn (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Review 1) and H. Bala (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I didn't find this one as appealing as GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT."
Review:

Review 1 - The sequel to Castle of the Bat is not quite as lustrous as the original.

Perhaps the novelty of a Victorian-era Gotham had worn off after Gotham by Gaslight or maybe the lack of Mike Mignola art killed the vibe, but Master of the Future is a far less interesting and less impressive tale than its predecessor. As sequel ot Gotham by Gaslight, Master of the Future has a lot to live up to. While Brian Augustyn's writing and Eduardo Barreto's art are fine, the story never really comes alive. The soul of the original is lost in an industrial tale of greed and corruption.

Where Gaslight is a methodical, dark tale, Master of the Future is all-too bright. It doesn't fit Batman and it makes the story seem all the more ordinary as the Bat must battle a megalomaniac claiming to be Master of the Future.

The Master of the Future warns that mankind is too eager for tomorrow and that man will sacrifice everything for technology and a promise of something new. To steer mankind from this path, the Master uses a robot and a giant technologically decked out blimp. Riiiiiiight.

Master of the Future is too standard a tale that didn't need to be told. The connection to Gotham by Gaslight is fairly loose and if I wasn't aware this was a sequel, I might never have known. I hate Batman stories that feel like any hero could substitute for the Dark Knight. That's not a Batman tale, that's just any old comic. Now a Victorian-era Flash...


Review 2 - In the terrifically atmospheric Gotham by Gaslight : A Tale of the Batman, set in 1889, a Victorian-era Bruce Wayne became the Bat-Man to avenge the murders of his parents and ended up taking down Jack the Ripper. The sequel BATMAN: MASTER OF THE FUTURE takes place some time later. But, as the story begins, of late, sightings of the Bat-Man have been rare.

1892 in Gotham City, and the thought is on the upcoming millennium. To usher in this new century (and to draw in revenues) the mayor of Gotham schemes for a major expo to be held in his city. But there are reservations, particularly from Commissioner Gordon, who fears that this event will lure in even more of the criminal element. Then a madman - who scoffs at progress yet styles himself the Master of the Future - appears and threatens to burn down the city if he isn't given control of Gotham City. Will the Bat-Man, who's had qualms about continuing his crime-fighting crusade, come out of his semi-retirement?

BATMAN: MASTER OF THE FUTURE (1991), like GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT (1989), is an Elseworlds production, Elseworlds being DC's line of stories wherein characters are taken out of their normal mainstream continuity and placed in alternate settings and timelines. In fact, GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT has long been widely recognized as the inaugural Elseworlds offering (although now I hear THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS has been re-classified as an Elseworlds publication, which, having come out in 1986, I guess would make it retroactively the first release). GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, thanks to Brian Augustyn's good writing and Mike Mignola's brooding, shadow-laden artwork, proved to be an arresting gothic mystery. BATMAN: MASTER OF THE FUTURE isn't as dark, partly because Mignola has given way to Eduardo Barreto, whose artwork isn't as stylish or as moody. But that's not a knock on Barreto, a superb if more standardized craftsman whose stuff I enjoyed way back in the New Teen Titans title. Also, much of the story takes place not in the shadows but rather during the light of day, so the tone isn't nearly as atmospheric or evocative.


Personally, I didn't find this one as appealing as GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT. We get to see more of Bruce Wayne here, which might've been a drawback. It's Batman I'd rather focus on. A big negative for me was the villain. Compared to Jack the Ripper, Alexandre LeRoi, the Master of the Future, definitely pales. Bat-Man, when he does appear, does it during the day, taking him out of his element of night and shadows. Brian Augustyn is back to pen the story, but the story plays out more as a generic period-piece adventure, with maybe a dash of Jules Verne.

Still, this version of Batman still captivates. Unlike his modern day counterpart, he doesn't have access to advanced crimefighting devices or techniques. Instead he gets by almost purely on wits and pluck and determination. And, in whatever era, criminals remain a superstitious and cowardly lot, so the sinister costume always gets a lot of mileage. Even if it doesn't live up to the 48-paged GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, BATMAN: MASTER OF THE FUTURE, at 63 pages, gets a mild recommendation. It's enjoyable enough. Incidentally, if you haven't yet had a chance to read GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, DC has released a trade paperback Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (Elseworlds) collecting both that title and BATMAN: MASTER OF THE FUTURE. It's not a bad get.

More info:

Written by Brian Augustyn
Art by Zduardo Baretto

Publisher:

Title: Evil Ernie: War of The Dead (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Brian Pulido (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: atomic (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" An ultraviolent gore fest, this climactic tale completes eight years of Evil Ernie story lines."
Review:

In 1991, Chaos! Comics introduced troubled, telepathic teen Ernest Fairchild who became Evil Ernie and embarked on a journey of mass destruction and revenge. Now, Evil Ernie’s quest to achieve Megadeath—the complete decimation of humanity—reaches its fevered conclusion.

War of the Dead is part of the Armageddon story line, which also ran in Lady Death. It finds Evil Ernie at the height of his powers, in control of a massive army of undead soldiers hell-bent on gaining access to a stockpile of nuclear weapons in order to launch World War III. While Dr. Price and Dr. Mary Young each form separate alliances with aims at stopping Evil Ernie, thousands of humans are slaughtered as all hope seems lost. An ultraviolent gore fest, this climactic tale completes eight years of Evil Ernie story lines.

More info:

Writer: Brian Pulido
Art by David Brewer

Publisher:

Title: Armageddon (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Len Kaminski and Brian Pulido (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: C.W. Blaine (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Fans of the horror-inspired line of comics will not be disappointed... "
Review:

For years there had been hints dropped that the Chaos! universe would eventually end and this is the four-issue series that tells the tale. In the style of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths, the creators at Chaos! bring all of their characters together as they fight to prevent the inevitable. Fans of the horror-inspired line of comics will not be disappointed as such mainstays like Lady Death, Evil Ernie and Purgatori make appearances.

Unfortunately it seems that Armaggedon also predicted the end of Chaos! comics as an entity. Though it continued to publish for a few years afterwards, it never seemed to regain the popularity it had prior to this series. On the brighter side, the characters are now being published once again under other creative imprints.



Chaos Comics first and only real event story arc. Gathering together all the major players from the Chaos Comics universe this 4 issue arc was released in the last 3 months of 1999 with the finale release January 1st 2000. The story-lines of all the major characters come together into one cataclysmic event with their individual comics, published along-side these issues, intertwining into the story making for a total of 14 issues that interconnect with the Armageddon series.

Chaos published handy timeline charts and issues lists to allow readers to follow the complex, interrelated story line. (Tap to go to the release post).


Armageddon 01
Lady Death - Judgement War 00
Purgatori - Goddess Rising 04
Lady Death - Judgement War 01
Evil Ernie - War of The Dead 01
Armageddon 02
Lady Death - Judgement War 02
Lady Death vs Purgatori
Evil Ernie - War of The Dead 02
Armageddon 03
Lady Death - Judgement War 03
Evil Ernie - War of The Dead 03
Armageddon 04
Aftermath

More info:

Writers: Len Kaminski and Brian Pulido
Penciller: Luke Ross
Inker: Fabio Laguna
Cover Artist: Steven Hughes

Publisher:

Title: Barb Wire (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Arcudi (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: comicvine (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Barbara Kopetski is a bar owner in a town called Steel Harbor.The town looks much like a war zone. People call Barbara Barb Wire. She is a bounty hunter to help pay the bills for the bar.

Barbara or Barb Wire as she is known is always getting into trouble. She from the town on Steel Harbor were she works at a club called the Hammerhead. This being fact her main job is working as a bounty hunter. Fortunately for her she has a brother ( Charlie Kopetski) that is willing to help her.

Charlie is blind but he is still a mechanical genius. He helps his sister with her adventures by inventing most of her weapons. Barb Wire turns to her brother for help whenever she needs a new weapon. One trait Barb Wire keeps telling people is "don't call me Babe" The reason for this is that she did not want to be compared to another hero called Babe.

As a bounty hunter Barb Wire has chased many bounty's in Steel Harbor as well as Arcadia. In Arcadia she came in contact with the "Woman in White" the Ghost. She and the Ghost became friends but they do have their moments of conflict. Barb is not much for fighting the supernatural. She much more prefers a target she can hit and shoot.

In 1996 the film Barb Wire debuted. The film starred Pamela Anderson.

Video review here.

More info:

Writer: John Arcudi
Penciller: Dan Lawlis & Mike Manley
Inker: Ian Akin & Ande Parks
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Colorist: Pam Rambo
Editor: Lynn Adair
Designer: Harald Graham
Cover Artist: Adam Warren

Publisher:

//i

Title: The Mask Returns (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Arcudi (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: S. Cala (Review 1) and Hengky Tanoyo (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The art by Doug Mahnke does suit the story well..."
Review:

Book Summary of The Mask Returns

Gold-plated geek Stanley buys his girlfriend Katherine a mysterious greenmask - a mask with an attitude that comes through even in the box. But it's when he tries it on that the mayhem really hits the fan, because it brings out the worst in anyone who wears it, and Stanley's worst is worse than most! The blockbuster movie The Mask was based on this Dark Horse Comics character.
Annotation
When she buried her dead boyfriend Stanley, Kathy thought the weird mask had been buried with him. But when gangsters begin dropping like flies, victims of everything from comic-book bombs to crossbow shafts, she knows that something has gone terribly wrong! There's only one big-headed bozo that can dish out that kind of mayhem. And only Kathy can stop the carnage. Full-color throughout. Graphic novel format.


Review 1 - For those with a copy of the metrolight studios interactive comic book, this is a bit disapointing, the story is consistent but somehow short. what i liked about the interactive book, apart of the sound, was that the colours and the general layout were much more old school style, propably hand coloured. more effort in the small details.this one just looks like the colour was added with windows paintbrush, (which i suppose was the leading design software back in 1991!), extremely bright colours, it just loses this bizarre darkness layer of the previos one. fun though.

Review 2 - Mediocre story, crisp artwork, 25 July 2008
By Hengky Tanoyo "Art Devourer" - Published on Amazon U.S.
This review is from: The Mask Returns (Paperback)
I have a knack for trying every type of comic book genre out there. I love the movie version of the Mask. It was a unique and hillarious take on superhero genre, if you can classify this into it. However the storyline in this sequel is merely designed for gags and outlandish stunts that the holder of the Mask does. You get to see the mask being worn by various individuals. Just mayhem and stupid acts throughout. The art by Doug Mahnke does suit the story well.

More info:

Written by John Arcudi
Art by Doug Mahnke

Publisher:

Title: Transformers G.I.Joe (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Ney Reiber (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Brandon (Review 1) and Zachary Ferguson (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Please, DW, give us more!!! "
Review:

Review 1 - Great Alternate Take On A Childhood Classic.

This book is a great example of what happens when artists and writers have the freedom to step outside of the "universes" dictated by cartoon shows designed to sell toys and promote new characters. Set in WWII, this book shows a different side to GI Joe and the Transformers. A lot of license is taken, so purists be warned--this doesn't have Spike Witwicky, the whole Snake Eyes backstory or the other small nuances (some are annoyances,<cough> Spike <cough>), but overall a very interesting and well drawn book. Much better than the competing title from Devil's Due, which is miserable IMO.

Recommend this book to anyone who's not an uebergeek that gets offended if everything isn't as they remembered at age 7...My only complaint is that the "limited" size (6 regular comic issues) didn't allow for a full set of character development, or further adventures...true fans want more!!!

Please, DW, give us more!!!


Review 2 - Good, but not spectacular.

This is a very cool idea for a crossover, and I have to say that it was fairly well executed. However, the book was not perfect. For starters, it is an extremely G.I. Joe oriented story. The characters are very cool, but there are just too many and not all of them get more than a couple lines. So in the end, you get a basic feel for what the characters are like, but nothing deep what so ever. Duke rarely shows any depth, Snake Eyes dominates half the story, but nothing is really gleaned except he has a feud with Stormshadow and all of the Cobra characters get about two pages of appearances.

The actual Transformers are given even less time in-frame. The Decepticons are featured way more than the Autobots and given a lot more dialogue for most of the story. And even when the Autobots are brought in, they talk far more than they actually fight. There are really only a couple pages of actual combat, and rarely between any of the Transformers themselves, with more action being Joes vs. a Decepticon or maybe two frames of Grimlock shooting something. Only a couple Autobots are even shown in vehicle form!

The biggest issue with the story has to be the art. It looks very cool, but the entire story is extremely dark and you can barely see any of the Transformers except for a head or an arm at times. Also, combat is not conveyed very well, with people just seeming to jump from place to place and characters receiving random injuries with no real explanation for them.

All in all, if you are a major Transformers or G.I. Joe fan (or both) then pick this up if you really need it. However, if you are just a casual reader, don't spend the ridiculous amounts this comic is going for, and find another series to hold you over.

More info:

Art by Jae Lee
Written by John Ney Reiber

Publisher:

Title: The Nail (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Rob Zombie (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Madelyn Pryor (Review 1) and Mike (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I would recommend this book"
Review:

Review 1 - Satanists and Professional Wrestlers.

I must admit that any time I see Rob Zombie's name on something, I have to check it out. I'm also a huge comic nerd so this seemed like a match made in heaven. Still, there are good things and bad things about this book.

Good: Steve Niles is delivers gripping dialogue, always one of his strong suits. The characters are easy to like and identify with, and the villains are creepy enough to make your skin crawl. The art by Nat Jones is like a dark twisted Michael Turner, and the covers by Simon Bisley are included. Bisley! They're beautiful and worth staring at to soak everything in.

The Not so Good: The story is so short! 96 pages goes by WAY to quickly, especially for the 14.95 price tag. Also, the story about the serial killing Satanists is definitely Rob Zombie-rific. It's a lot like House of a 1000 Corpses, which I loved, but I also love diversity. If the story had been fleshed out a bit more, stretched maybe another 24 pages, I think it could have been vastly improved- the finished product felt compacted.

Over all, I would recommend this book, but go into it knowing that it's not the best graphic novel of the year, but it's still darn good Needless to say, it is mature readers featuring full frontal nudity and gore galore. Hummm. Maybe the gore and nudity should have been included under the `Good' column....


Review 2 - Synopsis: Over-the-hill semi-pro wrestler Rex "The Nail" Hauser goes on a camping trip with his family, manager, and another wrestlin' buddy outside the scenic town of Devil's Hills. Things take a turn for the horrific when they are beset by a legion of bikers-from-hell acting out a curse related to the Salem witch trials. Their only hope is the badass-ness of Rex and his buddy along with a tourist book they pick up telling the story of the Devil's Hills. Can Rex protect his family and survive the most unholy night of his life?

Pros: Opening scene of guy with girl at make-out point has great dialogue, nudity, covers by Bisley, likable characters and gruesome bad guys

Cons: One-dimensional story and characters, art is weak/unpolished, typos in issues 2 & 3

Mike Tells It Straight: Simple and straightforward horror movie fare from two master creators in the genre. They deliver a creepy story with good characters and some nice moments. The art is crude and the editor missed two glaring typos, but overall a successful effort for what it is - a gory slash-fest with demon/zombie monsters. Take it at face value or not at all.

More info:

Story by Steve Niles
Written by Rob Zombie
Art by Nat Jones.

Publisher:

Title: Jason and the Argonauts The Kingdom of Hades (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): David McIntee (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Chris Dooley (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Closest to becoming the motion picture"
Review:

After recently announcing the sell-out of the first title in their RAY HARRYHAUSEN PRESENTS line of comics, Bluewater is back for more with the release of their second all-star packed Harryhausen series, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS: KINGDOM OF HADES!

"I think Jason and the Argonauts probably came the closest to becoming the motion picture I imagined when we began pre-production. I suppose you could call it my most satisfying film from that standpoint," Harryhausen said.

Jason's story sails again in November, with the start of an all-new adventure told in a four-issue miniseries from Harryhausen and Bluewater Productions, along with creators David McIntee (Dr. Who), Mike Grell (Batman), and Rantz and Tiago da Silva - both formerly of Bluewater's POWER OF THE VALKYRIE series.

Here's how the story is described by the publisher .

RAY HARRYHAUSEN PRESENTS:

From the writer of Dr Who comes a new Ray Harryhausen Presents adventure. The quest to find the Golden Fleece is over, but now Jason and his band of Argonauts must embark on a new and more difficult journey- the journey home. Pursued by a vengeful Aeetes, the Argonauts will brave many dangers, and encounter old friends and new, and old enemies and new ... But when the gods play games, no-one can avoid reaching the lands of the dead forever.

Cover artist Mike Grell made his comics-debut in 1973, and has since been on such books as Batman, Iron Man, Green Arrow, James Bond: Permission to Die, the Tarzan Sunday comic strip and the internationally acclaimed Longbow Hunters.

"I'm delighted to be painting a series of covers for Jason and the Argonauts," Grell said. "I met (Bluewater Managing Editor) Darren Davis at Seattle's Emerald City Con last spring and he told me about the Ray Harryhausen projects Bluewater is doing. Being a huge fan of just about anything Ray ever did, but particularly Jason and the Argonauts, which was one of my favorite movies as a kid, I got very excited and shamelessly pitched him to do covers. It's been a labor of love and a total blast."

It was at the same Emerald City Con that Davis also met artist Rantz, and quickly signed him to the Bluewater label. Rantz now provides art for JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS!

"I was both honored and shocked to be asked to draw this series," Rantz said. "This series has been a thrill to do thus far, and the team is really great to work with. I've tried to keep true to (the writer) David's vision as best as possible."

In June, BWP announced the first title in the RAY HARRYHAUSEN PRESENTS series, WRATH OF THE TITANS #1 had sold out. On the heels of this success, fans are encouraged to scoop up JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS before it's too late!

For more information on Bluewater Productions, visit them online at their all-new, recently redesigned Web site http://www.bluewatercomics.com/, or check them out in your local comic book shop!

More info:

Story by Ray Harryhausen
Written by David McIntee

Publisher:

Title: Purgatori (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Steven Grant (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: KaraokeFanboy (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" A great start! Too great, in fact. So great . . . it’s scary."
Review: Purgatori #1

PREMISE: Purgatori is a bloodthirsty Egyptian slave girl turned vampire. This issue is a prelude to her ongoing series, establishing some of its canon, I presume. So, while the cover of this issue depicts Purgatori as a Jack O’Lantern-loving witch, she’s actually a demonic vampire, before vampires were all the rage, to boot. This combination of beloved Halloween iconography grants this issue a solid four out of five in the premise department.

STORY: In 57 B.C., a band of British druids rebels against their traditional code in a demonic bid to embrace a new age. Unfortunately, they killed the wrong druid in their quest for power, because his lover is a witch that summons and possesses Purgatori to avenge him. The leader of the rebels inhabits the body of a devilish lord to match her might, but the combined power of Purgatori’s strength and the witch’s blood alchemy conquer all. In the end, the mourning witch muses that wearing a demonic mask is a practice best kept to an annual celebration. So, this story’s bid to contribute to the origins of Halloween seals another four out of five points.


ART: Al Rio and Tie’s art teeters between the exaggerated trappings of the ‘90s, taking every opportunity to contort Purgatori’s feminine frame into the most sexually suggested poses possible, and some blockbuster action sequences that rivals the heyday of Dale Keown’s Hulk work. While Rio and Tie don’t hesitate to drench everything in blood, and rightfully so in a comic about a demonic vampire, I would’ve appreciated a heightened use of darkness or shadow to accentuate a sense of dread and mystery. In the Halloween-oriented department, the art earns this issue two points.

PACKAGING: Although I purchased this issue for a mere quarter at the Los Angeles Comic Book & Sci-Fi Expo a year or so ago, I was fortunate to find its glow-in-the-dark variant cover, and with its minimalist title dressing, that stark image of a devil-horned vampire witch stirring a cauldron surrounded by Jack O’Lanterns makes this issue a veritable Halloween decoration. It actually sets a high standard for the other issues I’ll review in this series -- whether or not a collector could actually hang them up to celebrate the holiday. Setting a standard gives Purgatori a well-earned five out of five points.

TOTAL: Fifteen out of twenty points. A great start! Too great, in fact. So great . . . it’s scary.

More info:

writer: Steven Grant
illustrator: Al Rio
inker: Tie
colorists: Jason Jensen & John Merrifield
letterer: Comicraft’s Oscar Gongora
editors: Mike Francis & Brian Pulido

Publisher:

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

" The solid and moody story did achieve one of its goals—it got me intrigued."
Review: Purgatori #1

Chaos! Comics’ sexy vampiress returns in a series that promises to reveal new chapters of her history.

In ancient Egypt, a rebellious girl flouts her parents’ warnings and repeatedly sneaks out after dark. Flirting shamelessly with boys and blaspheming the gods, the young teen is driving her family to distraction. In an attempt to change her ways, the girl’s mother tells her terrible stories of what can happen to willful children, stories about the wrath of the gods, the danger of nighttime mist, and a blood-hungry demoness known only as the Crimson One.

Having never read a Chaos! Comic, I was unfamiliar with the Purgatori character and unsure what to expect from this issue. To my pleasant surprise, I found this to be an interesting and atmospheric tale. The ancient Egyptian setting provided an element of history and myth to a story that might otherwise have been a fairly by-the-numbers vampire comic. Robert Rodi’s script emphasizes the exotic and legendary qualities of both the title character and the world in which this takes place, giving us a snapshot of what life might have been like for people of this era. The scenes of teenage rebellion and overbearing parents serve to humanize the characters and make sure that the accessibility is not lost amid the high-minded mythical moments.


However, I am slightly concerned that the lead character is still largely a cipher (at least to new readers like me). Though many legends surround her, we are given little in this issue to indicate if she is a compelling enough character to keep the reader around. Next issue promises to reveal her origin so perhaps my fears will be allayed by that.

Cliff Richards does an admirable job illustrating this permutation of Purgatori. Like the script, Richards’ art strikes a balance between a tone of magic and mystery and an easily relatable human story. The facial expressions of the girl and her family lend much to the storytelling and the scene of dancing shadows on the wall is rendered with just the right degree of eerie drama and majesty. The dark and rich colors of Blond also help to maintain this mood throughout the issue. And of course, the lady vampire herself is given a healthy dose of both sex appeal and deadliness. Her barely-there outfit is of the skimpy and fanboy-pandering sort that I’ve never particularly liked but I suppose ancient demons wouldn’t have the same inhibitions as humans. Still, it's a distracting aspect that at times hindered my interest in the character.

While my ignorance of Purgatori herself kept me from fully enjoying this issue, the solid and moody story did achieve one of its goals—it got me intrigued.

More info:

Words: Robert Rodi
Art: Cliff Richards
Inks: Cliff Richards
Colors: Blond

Publisher:

Title: The Crazies (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Ivan Brandon, Brian Reed, Marc Andreyko and Joshua Hale Fialkov (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: elliott (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The Crazies comic series is a great addition to the film. "
Review: The Crazies series 1-4

It's about to get a little... crazy.

The recent release of the new zombie horror flick The Crazies has spawned a series of side-story comics based on the universe created by the hit film. Published by American Original and Top Cow Comics, each issue offers a unique story from the point of view of one of the secondary characters featured in the film. Each comic is named after one of the connecting waterways that provide Ogden Marsh’s water supply as well as deliver the toxin “Trixie” that changes the citizens into The Crazies.

Issue one, called “Hopman Bog” is penciled by Jon Buran with a cover by Jeffrey Apokes and written by Ivan Brandon. It provides a brief description of how the toxin enters the area of Ogden Marsh and begins affecting the residents. It primarily focuses on the pig farmer Rory, but also introduces the hunters Nathan, Jesse and Red who also show up later in the series. It’s a good introduction to the series but doesn’t dive very deep into the Crazies universe or show how Rory’s story ends.

Issue two is written by Brian Reed and drawn by Hugo Petrus with a cover by Tom Feister. It’s called “Dwyer Creek” and follows Bill Farnum, a cow farmer living in Ogden Marsh. He gets the toxin from one of his cows and his slow descent into madness is truly frightening. What he does to his family in the end is unimaginable and it makes this issue a must read above the others in this series. Read and witness it, but be warned, it’s borderline sickening.


Issue three, called “Black Pond” is written by Marc Andreyko and drawn by Vincent Spencer with a cover by Frazier Irving. It focuses entirely on Charlie Finly, the town’s mortician, as he begins to inspect the increasing number of bodies that show up due to the toxin. He slips on a stitch and pierces his finger with the needle and becomes infected. I felt that the art and story in this issue was the worst in the series. I didn’t like the thick lined drawings and there was a lot less detail in the characters present. The story felt like a copy of the themes present in issue two, but with less bite.

The last issue, “Ogden Marsh,” is written by Joshua Hale Fialkov and drawn by Rahsan Ekedal with the cover drawn by Ben Templesmith. It follows the same hunters from issue one, Nathan, Jesse and Red, as they unleash the fury on the horde of infected in Ogden Marsh. The hunters begin to attack more than the infected and begin to collect the dead as trophies. There’s a nice twist in the end that really makes this one of the better issues. The issue also features a heavier amount of action throughout which is a welcome departure from the rest of the series.

Overall
The Crazies comic series is a great addition to the film. Each of the minor characters shown here really flesh out further details of the how the toxin affects the citizens in the film. As a separate entity, the comics are good, but as a supplement to the movie, they’re great.


Overview
Issue one of The Crazies: "Hopman Bog" was written by Ivan Brandon, (Final Crisis Aftermath: The Escape), with the art of the first 14 pages done by Jon Buran, and Chris DiBari manning the last nine. Their styles are quite similar and the panels flow together seamlessly, although Buran's work is a bit more shadow oriented.

Issue two, "Dwyer Creek," by Brian Reed, (Spider-Woman: Origin), with art by Hugo Petrus, (Raise the Dead), is the superior of the two. The art seems heavily influenced by Creepy and Eerie magazines of the 1970s, and that's not a bad thing. Those reading along can note page 15, where one figure is the centerpiece of the page, with panels behind it as the best example. Petrus' artwork helps the story quite a bit. It is alive, intense and well thought out, helping glide the reader to the ending we know from the first panel is all but inevitable.

Issue Three, written by Marc Andreyko, (Torso, Manhunter), and drawn by visual artist Vincent Spencer, is perhaps the high point of the series. Spencer draws his characters over photographed backgrounds, giving this issue a unique feel. Most of the time the art is quite good, but with an occasional incorrect proportion to his figures. The writing, a first person narrative, is fairly well done and tight, with a few clichés, but overall moves the story along well.

The series ends with a bloody thud with the extremely disappointing "Ogden Marsh," (Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov, artist Rashan Ekedal). The first thing that jumped out at me about the writing is that Fialkov comes closest in the series to the original themes of the movie were, but glosses by them, making me think he did it by accident, rather than understanding the material here. We have seen his cookie-cutter characters in endless bad zombie films and comics, and we almost know exactly what they will say and do panels before they happen.

More info:

Written by Ivan Brandon, Brian Reed, Marc Andreyko and Joshua Hale Fialkov
Pencils and Ink by Rahsan Ekedal
Cover by Ben Templesmith

Publisher:

Title: Zero-G (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alex Zamm (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Luke Brown (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Zero-G has definitely helped me rediscover my interest in sci-fi"
Review: Zero-G #3

Wondering if you’ve been missing out some decent sci-fi from Top Cow? Hit the jump to see whether or not you should be reading Zero-G or not.

I’m actually really impressed with this book so far. Three issues in, and each one left me wanting the next. More often than not, I find myself trade-waiting new mini-series because I can’t possibly read every new series that starts up. I’m pretty glad I gave this book a shot, as Alex Zamm and Jason Badower continue to impress me with each issue.

Over the course of the first few issues, I’ve grown pretty fond of Zamm’s characters. Lead protagonist Atom Weaver has grown on me, and instead of being a typical science nerd hero, has become a bit more interesting. The story behind the massive asteroid that just so happened be on a course passing by Earth has also had some more intriguing developments, and Zamm does a good job taking it in a direction other than what one would normally expect.

I don’t know what convinced me to only call Jason Badower’s art serviceable last time I reviewed his work. Whatever happened, know that this issue Jason’s art is very good. His characters and environments are all well rendered, and not once did I feel like the story would be better served by another artist. I’m glad he’s working on this book, and I honestly hope to see more from him in the future.

I’m actually a little sad that this series is almost over. Zero-G has definitely helped me rediscover my interest in sci-fi, and I look forward to the conclusion of this tale. I’m pretty sure that Zamm and Badower will deliver. Even if you’ve missed the first few issues, I’d recommend looking into picking them up.

More info:

Writer: Alex Zamm
Artist: Jason Badower
Cover: Jason Badower

Publisher:

Title: Hack/Slash (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Tim Seeley (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Edward Vertigo (Review 1) and R. Barnes (Review 2)(Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I really enjoyed reading this."
Review: Vol. 1: First Cut

In every slasher movie, there's one girl who makes it all the way to the end. She's the survivor... the last girl. Meet Cassie Hack, the lone survivor of an attack by a vicious slasher called The Lunch Lady. Now Cassie, along with her monstrous partner, Vlad, travel the country, hunting down other slashers before they can leave a trail of blood and terror.

Slashers are "Bad" because they're icky grotesques who hate people, especially horny teenagers, and like to butcher them. On the other hand, cute goth Cassie Hack and her huge, deformed partner, Vlad, must be "Good" because they go around the country killing slashers in various messy ways. Cassie, last survivor of the Lunch Lady killings, is aware enough of genre conventions to make sarcastic comments as she does her thing, but action is pretty standard. Seeley's scripts are efficient enough, and Caselli and Manfredi's dark, dark art gets the job done. In "Comic Book Carnage," set at a commercial comics convention, Cassie and Vlad really do get involved with their surroundings; for the first time, the supporting characters become slightly more than slasher-movie stereotypes, so that it matters somewhat whether they live or die. The question is whether writers and artists in a book like this can get past awareness that they're essentially doing a variation on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and go on to do fresh, original work. Based on the amount of development shown here, the answer is a firm, confident maybe. (From Publishers Weekly)


Review 1 - Violent, sexy fun for horror-movie fans!

Alright, the book description and tagline on the cover "The slasher victim slashes back!" sums it up pretty well, so I'll offer some helpful details if you're still on the fence as to wether this is for you.

First off, the artwork is very high quality. One team illustrated the first story, while another team illustrated the remaining two stories. The style in the first story is dark and sketchy, with a painted look to it. The other two stories share a crisp, animated television show look to them. So both styles are different, but very good. The artists and colorists have really captured the expressiveness of the characters, the proper mood for various scenes, and the right amount of bloody gore.

Not only are the visuals fun, but the writing is good, too. Yes, it's B-movie horror stuff, but it's really good B-movie horror stuff. The origins of the monsters are creative, the dialogue is funny and inventive, and the characters themselves are actually interesting, especially the main character Cassie Hack. She could have easily been a one-note character, but instead has a surprising amount of depth to her. Yes, she can be a kick-ass, sarcastic killing machine, but she also has her moments of doubt, fear, and even embarrassment. She even opens up a couple of times to her friend Vlad about why she does what she does. So these two characters, who I thought would be simple and generic, end up being surprisingly likeable and easy to relate to.

So the artwork and writing are fun, so what about everything else not mentioned? Like what ages could this be for? There is violence and cursing, but no graphic nudity or sex, so it's somewhere between the PG-13 and R-rated areas of entertainment. In other words, it'd be fine for teenagers, but not kids, in my opinion. Then there are the bonus materials. The art gallery and sketches are a nice bonus, plus pictures & info of the play that was performed by the Millennium Theatre Company are pretty cool! On a personal note, I love the fact that on the back are pictures of the main creators of the graphic novel. It's nice to see what these talented people look like. Tim Seeley (creator/writer), Stefano Caselli (co-creator/artist), Sunder Raj (colorist), Federica Manfredi (penciler/colorist), and the rest of the team did a really great job, because I really enjoyed reading this.


Review 2 - Good ideas but clunky execution.

I have just read the first TPB of Hack/Slash and though I enjoyed reading it, I did have some issues with the book. The art is good by mainstream comic book standards. However, I disagree with other reviewers that the art is spooky or sinister. The action moves so fast that there is no chance for the artwork to create a spooky ambiance (unlike say 28 days of night). The concept behind the book has promise (a post-modern take on the slasher genre with lots of self-referential comments and humor) but the writing is clunky. As a for instance, the author wants to tell reader about the history of the main character. There are subtle ways to do this and it could have been drawn out(in order to draw the reader in to the story). However, the author just has the buddy of the main character ask her, "so why do you do what you do?" The main character then goes off on a monolog that tells us all we need to know. The background is actually kind of funny, but the way it spills out in the monolog flattens the humor somewhat. Also, the clunkiness of the dialog grates at times. There are other examples of plodding exposition where the material in the exposition could have been delivered in a more interesting way and in a way that didn't upset the flow of the story. The book makes for a fun hour's reading, but it is not a great comic.

More info:

Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Frederica Manfredi

Publisher:

Title: Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Barry Liebmann (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: blakemp (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This is a weird comic book."
Review: The No-Class Classroom (or) Carmen’s Big Brain Drain

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Carmen Sandiego! I played this game when I was a kid. Watched the game show, too. She steals stuff and hides all over the world. Awesome.

IMPRESSIONS: It seems that Carmen isn’t exactly the main character of this book. The story begins with her complaining about the sub-par performance of a bunch of other villains who have failed to steal important geographical artifacts. Then we see “Acme’s Finest Detective,” Evan Sawyer, preparing to track down an enormous Menorah that was stolen from in front of the parliament building in Israel. Evan sets off to track her down.

This is a weird comic book. Both the writing and the art style are really off-the-wall. Body shapes are wild, sight gags are crazy, and the puns… oh, the puns just don’t stop. The writer also really packs it in on these pages. Eight or nine panels to a page sometimes, and virtually every panel is crammed with word balloons. Granted, this is the first comic I’ve ever read (cough cough), but it seems like an awful lot of text. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing – Barry Liebmann does manage to work in at least a little educational content here – but most of the comic is played for laughs. And not great laughs, either.

There’s really not enough content in here, considering how many words we get per page. Both the video games and the TV show were pretty educational, but this comic only brushes up against the learning content. Plus, for a book with her name in the title, there’s precious little Carmen Sandiego to be had in this comic. She shows up at the beginning, then we follow the rather bland Evan Sawyer and his gang as they try to crack the case.

The comic is easy enough to get into – you know everything you need to know to read the book – but that doesn’t necessarily make it a good comic. The grade is based mostly on how easy it is to read cold, but it’s definitely not going to make me want to track down any other comics with Carmen Sandiego.

More info:

Writer: Barry Liebmann
Art: S.M. Taggart
Letterer: Tim Harkins
Colorist: Rick Taylor
Editor: Laura Hitchcock

Publisher: