Title: DC Universe #0 (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dan Phillips (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" DC Universe zero is a strange little beast of a comic. "
Review:

As promised by Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns and the DC hype machine, DC Universe Zero delivers a handful of gripping primers for future stories, most notably Final Crisis, Batman RIP and Blackest Night. This fifty-cent special doesn't, however, succeed in its second goal – to serve as an access point for newcomers to the DCU.

While Morrison and Johns may have intended this book to be passed around to non comics-reading friends or picked up by those inclined to do so by the cover-price alone, any otherwise oblivious reader who picks up DCU Zero will likely find themselves simultaneously confused and intrigued, particularly when you consider that the "big reveal" at the end of the issue isn't much of a reveal at all. In fact, if it wasn't spread all over the news today, it'd be easy for an unsuspecting fan to read through these pages and not notice that anything particularly momentous occurred, even if older DC readers likely experienced goose bumps during the powerfully drawn final page.

It's the subtlety of the issue's central premise that makes this book so unique and insanely different than something like, say, Countdown to Final Crisis. Together, Johns and Morrison have combined to deliver a very fragmented book that is nevertheless seamless in it's narrative voice, a massive achievement when you realize they worked with no less than eight artists and set-up a half-dozen separate stories. More so than in 52, Morrison and Johns' voices are indistinguishable from one another, which makes the transition from an artist like Ed Benes' pages to someone like George Perez' a lot easier to swallow. If two lesser writers had teamed up with a squad of artists to tackle a similar sort of book, the result could have ended up like a series of those four-page previews you can find on a variety of comics-related sites before every Wednesday. Instead, DC Universe stands more as a singular achievement and an engrossing tale that at the very least will make you thirsty for one or two of the stories it sets up.


If I have one main complaint about this book, it's that, with the exception of Wonder Woman's sequence, none of these individual stories are advanced or further developed in these pages. When it comes to the Blackest Night scene or the Batman RIP scene, fans won't find any startlingly new information, although they will find some awe-inspiring artwork (from Ivan Reis in the GL scene and Doug Mahnke in the Batman one). In many ways, it's as if these primers are there, not for the devoted DC reader, but any Marvel fan that decided to give this book a try. On a similar note to what I wrote earlier, I doubt any newcomer will take much out of a cryptic conversation between Batman and the Joker or a two page splash detailing the various different colored lanterns, no matter how well crafted they are.

DC Universe zero is a strange little beast of a comic. At times, it seems like it means to be a reward to long-time readers, but then rarely delivers anything we don't already know (with the obvious exception of the last page). At others, it seems like it means to be an access point for new readers, but then never goes out of its way to explain itself. Other than Morrison and Johns' voice, there's really only one consistent aspect of this book, and that's its ability to build excitement for future stories. In that regard, DC Universe Zero is wildly successful, considering I'm now more stoked than ever for Final Crisis, Blackest Night, Batman RIP, and yes, even the upcoming Wonder Woman tale (though I'm curious as to how DC plans on avoiding a law suit from Dark Horse and Frank Miller).

More info:

Written by GRANT MORRISON & GEOFF JOHNS
Art by GEORGE PEREZ, TONY DANIEL, J.G. JONES, AARON LOPRESTI, IVAN REIS, PHILIP TAN and CARLOS PANCHECO
Cover by VARIOUS

Publisher:

 

Title: DC Universe: Last Will and Testament (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Brad Meltzer (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Don MacPherson (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" What did take me out of the main story and various emotional vignettes was the use of past artwork for flashbacks."
Review:

Meltzer delivers more of the same that he’s offered DC readers in the past: solid storytelling that rewards longtime readers but leaves the uninitiated out of the loop. To get the full impact (and understanding) of this story, one has to be familiar with some past DC stories, especially “The Judas Contract” by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, published in Tales of the Teen Titans more than 20 years ago. That’s a pretty distant footnote and a big hurdle for new readers. I’m not one of those new readers, though, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. Last Will and Testament, despite lacking the Final Crisis label, is the kind of story DC should have given us in Final Crisis: Requiem. What was lacking from that story is to be found here: a grounded perspective of an Armageddon-like situation from the hero’s point of view, some real emotion and, well, a plot. The art is a bit on the inconsistent side as two inkers are employed to embellish Adam Kubert’s pencils, but when one of those inkers is his father, the legendary Joe Kubert, it’s hard to be dissatisfied with the artwork.

The world’s heroes know they must band together and fight not only for their survival and that of the entire planet, but the crisis isn’t coming until the morning. On the eve of their potential destruction, heroes seek out loved ones and friends — to tell them how they feel, to seek solace and meaning in their tumultuous lives and just to spend some quiet time with one another. One of them — Geo-Force, AKA Prince Brion Markov — is driven to take care of some unfinished business. He’s determined to end the threat of Deathstroke, the man he holds responsible for his sister’s death. But does Geo-Force want to bring the mercenary to justice or does the hatred within him call out for blood?

Adam Kubert’s angular, extreme style is a solid choice for a big super-hero story, even one such as this that focuses on more on emotion than super-strong punches and laser blasts. But thrown in Joe Kubert’s inks for about half of the book on top of his son’s work? Now you’ve got something that really stands out from the standard super-hero fare. One of the best-looking sequences in the book is the Captain Cold page. Joe Kubert’s style is at its most apparent on that page, and it’s a real treat. The sequences inked by John Dell do have more of a standard look to them, but the influence of his father can almost always be seen in Adam Kubert’s pencils, so the shifts between inkers aren’t that jarring.


What did take me out of the main story and various emotional vignettes was the use of past artwork for flashbacks. We see Rags Morales’s work from Identity Crisis and George Perez’s art from “The Judas Contract,” and while I appreciate the sentiment behind that choice, the tributes to past stories and the art that brought them to life don’t serve the storytelling here.

The shorter vignettes of how heroes deal with the stress and burden of the immense, overwhelming conflict ahead of them worked for me. I enjoyed the variety of choices they make when it comes to what may be their last hours on Earth. Conversely, I enjoyed the more optimistic tone that emerges on the final page, as one of the iconic heroes treats the moment as a glorious one. That brief, concluding scene harkens back to a time in the genre when a brighter, more playful tone was the norm.

I found it odd that this comic book isn’t billed as a Final Crisis spinoff comic; it certainly seems to have a stronger connection to the crossover event than last week’s Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. On the other hand, Meltzer’s script is careful avoid telling the reader what crisis it is that the heroes are about to face. This story could really take place right before just about any DC event. It stands up well on its own, and that seeming independence from Final Crisis is actually refreshing.

Whether or not you enjoy this comic book comes down to whether or not you enjoy the Geo-Force plot at the centre of it all. Meltzer clearly gets these characters and understand what makes this particular C-list hero tick. Of course, to appreciate what Meltzer does with this unlikely central protagonist, one has to be versed in his history. Not only does one have to know of “The Judas Contract” to follow everything in the script, but Identity Crisis and Batman and the Outsiders (both the current 1980s series). Still, while it would certainly help to have that background on the tip of one’s brain, it’s not vital to appreciate the entirety of the story. Meltzer’s take on Prince Brion as something of a military man and so desperately driven to take down Deathstroke at all costs makes seem like much more than the generic super-hero he’s been in the past. The climactic conflict between Geo-Force and Deathstroke is a compelling one, as much a psychological fight as it is a physical one. Meltzer also manages to surprise me, what I thought was going to happen never seemed to come to pass. 7/10

More info:

Writer: Brad Meltzer
Pencils: Adam Kubert
Inks: John Dell & Joe Kubert
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover artists: Adam Kubert & Joe Kubert/Adam Kubert & John Dell
Editors: Eddie Berganza & Dan Didi

Publisher:

Title: Final Crisis: Secret Files (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: Walt (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I enjoyed this a great deal more than I have the core series. "
Review:

This issue introduces us to Libra. From his initial origin (with ties to the Ted Knight Starman) to how it is we have Libra in the Final Crisis story. The story shows us how the young man was impacted by events beyond his control as a child, and the home life he came from. We then see how he deals with it, and how he pulls himself up through the world to the point he was originally introduced at way back in the day, and the cost of actually achieving all that he seeks to do. We then find out how Darkseid came to have a “herald” or “prophet” Libra during the contemporary Final Crisis story.

I don’t recognize Shasten’s name, but the art here is quite good. It seems to fit the story well, and I have no real complaints. The story itself is fairly interesting, revealing the origin of Libra–not just as an obscure character from decades past, but as a character we see operating today.

As far as DC’s “Secret Files” specials go, this is certainly NOT what I expected. I should have been suspicious at the (relatively) small price point. Rather than character profiles and information about location and events that’ve unfolded in Final Crisis, this is simply another one-shot that fills us in on a character’s background and how they relate to Final Crisis. This should have been billed as a “Secret Origin issue, as the Secret Files title from DC has come to imply lengthy text/image pieces that go in-depth on bringing one up-to-speed on the current status of a number of characters related to the title.


As with other recent tie-ins, though…I enjoyed this a great deal more than I have the core series. When I saw Wein’s name on this, I was trying to place the name. I recognized the name, but didn’t think I’d seen it in awhile. This finally clicked for me when I saw a note in the credits that Libra was created by Wein. Given that, I find it quite cool that the character’s creator was brought on to reconcile past and present.

Simply as a one-shot that ties in to Final Crisis, this is a solid issue that–while it doesn’t move the Final Crisis story forward–goes a good way toward explaining a pretty major character related to that story.

I’ve had several times that by the time I’ve gotten to a comic store there’s been no choice BUT to get the “sliver cover” for a Final Crisis book. This was the first time that I found myself “stuck” with no choice but the full-cover image. Quitely’s art for the cover is not bad, and as I have yet to see the sliver image, I’m not gonna worry about it.

Story: 8/10
Art: 7/10
Whole: 7.5/10

More info:

Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Tony Shasten
Colorist: Alex Bleyaert
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Associate Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Frank Quitely (sliver cover by Jim Lee, Richard Friend & Randy Mayor)

Publisher:

Title: Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Geoff Johns (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Timothy Callahan (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The kind of classic, no-apologies superhero story that I happen to enjoy."
Review: Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge #3

In "Rogues' Revenge," Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins have given us an exploration of Flash's Rogues Gallery at one of its weakest moments. The center has not held for the gang, and they must face the consequences. The death of a speedster has not gone -- will not go -- unpunished, and if they haven't paid a moral price for Bart Allen's demise already, then they will pay a physical price soon enough, once Barry Allen finds out what they've done. Johns has emphasized the turmoil of the Rogues, as they've been forced to confront their greatest past mistakes and come to terms with who they are and how they ended up in the position they're in.

At least, that's what seems to be the concern here, as the three issues of the series have largely focused on the history of Captain Cold and the Weather Wizard. Not their joint history as supervillains, but their individual histories as bad men who have been forced to make hard choices. Their problems seem emblematic of the problems of the entire Rogues Gallery, and one of he virtues of this series is that it's short and not-so-sweet. It's blunt and effective at three issues, and a longer series, exploring the past lives of more Rogues would do little to increase the thematic impact. It would only slow down the pace, and even though this isn't labeled as a "Flash" comic, it's a Flash comic through and through. The very idea of the Flash informs everything that happens here, as Johns builds upon character work and plot points from his last "Flash" run from years ago.


In this final issue of "Rogues' Revenge," the "Final Crisis" connection becomes more explicit, as Libra shows up to enlist the Rogues. Johns provides quite a few twists in the climax of this series, and their reaction to Libra's offer is a surprise and yet perfectly in character for this gang of misfit villains. And Libra's arrival coincides with the return of Zoom and the newly-christened Kid Zoom, whose fate may or may not balance the scales of justice.

Johns has become a master of the tightly-paced, character-rich superhero event, and "Rogues' Revenge" is a worthy successor to his best "Flash" stories of yesteryear. The only downside here is Scott Kolins art, which does a nice job capturing the energy of the story but looks sloppy in individual panels. As he's shifted away from his clear line style toward more crosshatching and thicker line weights in the past year or two, Kolins has actually ruined what made his work so interesting. All his new style does is emphasize his awkward sense of anatomy and adds a stiffness to his characters that wasn't as problematic when the texture was left to the colorist. Kolins can still compose thrilling pages, though, even if the single panels don't quite work as drawings.

This issue, and this brief series, ends with a direct lead in to "Flash: Rebirth," scheduled to hit the shelves next year. In that sense, this is a prequel to that event, but it's also a bridge from the past to the present, making sense out of some relatively inconsistent characterizations in recent years, and setting things up for the future. I don't know that this series works outside of that context, but as part of Johns's larger "Flash" narrative, it's an effective piece of storytelling. It's also the kind of classic, no-apologies superhero story that I happen to enjoy. Except, in this case, there's not a whole lot of heroics -- at least not in the traditional sense.

More info:

Story by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by SCOTT KOLINS

Publisher:

Title: Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Geoff Johns (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Doug Zawisza (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" I found this story to be enjoyable and informative..."
Review:

DC Comics has been threading along several subplots and characters between events, and it would appear that many of those subplots and characters come to a decisive conflict here in "Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds." From "Infinite Crisis" to the "Lightning Saga" (which was the historic and fan-favorite first time that the JLA and JSA team-up was able to span the "Justice League of America" and "Justice Society of America" titles) through "52" and "Countdown," to Geoff Johns' and Gary Frank's return of the Legion of Super-Heroes in "Action" to this tie-in to "Final Crisis," Johns and his DC Comics writing cohorts have been developing the elements of this story for more than a few years.

Geoff Johns has made no secret of how much he enjoys writing Prime, a character he says has no redeeming qualities. That becomes quite evident over the course of the first half of this book. Guided by the Time Trapper, Superboy/man Prime forges an allegiance with the Legion of Super-Villains to wipe out the legacy of Superman and the legend of the Legion of Super-Heroes. His plans and efforts are countered by Brainiac 5, who has the brilliant idea to summon the strength of two Legions to fight alongside the "current" Legion.

Add in some George Pérez artwork –- after all, who better to illustrate hundreds of characters over the course of five issues? –- and this book goes from readable to a visual spectacle. More than once I found myself pausing my reading to share the splendor of the two-page spreads of Legions (good and evil) with those in the same room. Pérez delivers the Legion story of his career here, and fans of the modern master should give this book a look-see just for his art alone.


Beyond the three Legions, this story feeds other appearances and informs storylines in various DC franchises. Here is where you can see the return of Conner Kent Superboy, Impulse, and XS, among other fan favorites. Sodam Yat is here, as is the future of the Green Lantern Corps. This book is a nice connector between the events leading up to, and including "Final Crisis" and those currently happening in the tales of "New Krypton," "Flash: Rebirth," and "Blackest Night." With upcoming storylines bringing the Legion into more readers hands -– both in their own appearances in "Adventure Comics" and the Brainiac and The Legion of Super-Heroes storyline, which is set to run through the Superman titles in 2010 -- this book is a good starting spot for those fans who may have strayed from Legion stories or want to learn a little more about the current incarnation of the Legion as they prepare for Paul Levitz's return to writing these characters. As a pedestrian Legion fan, I found this story to be enjoyable and informative, despite the multiple variations of a multitude of characters.

"Final Crisis" took a while to reach its completion, and this tie-in followed suit when originally released in floppy format. This collection is a perfect remedy for those readers who were chased away by floppy delays. Complete, jam-packed with characters and fantastic artwork, this title stands free of any "Final Crisis" baggage while delivering the feeling of a mega-event.

More info:

Story by Geoff Johns
Art by George Pérez, Scott Koblish
Colors by Hi-Fi
Letters by Nick J. Napolitano
Cover by George Pérez, Scott Koblish, Hi-Fi

Publisher:

Title: I Die At Midnight (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Kyle Baker (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Gregory Dickens (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Recommended."
Review:

I normally don't go for the mix of computer graphics with comic illustration.

The recent Braniac arc in the Superman family of titles saw the villain and a revamped Metropolis in perfect geometry crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with organic line and energy. It was a car wreck of color separations and resolutions. SHOCKROCKETS #2 includes a flight simulator with computer-generated images sharing pages with traditional comic panelwork. John Byrne regularly cheats backgrounds with computer-generated vistas, including a model of Gateway City during his run on WONDER WOMAN. PROMETHEA #7, however, as a recent example, blends photographs and comics in computer-embellished imagery.

The latter isn't nearly as jarring and that may be because of the precedence of such like manipulation with Dave McKean's work in ARKHAM ASYLUM and others. The problem with shoehorning computer work next to comic lines and expressions is that the illustrations, no matter how much pop they pack, can't compete with the extremity of angles and perspective that gives the computer images its appeal. It's a paradox, isn't it? Wouldn't we expect the computer stuff to be lacking compared to expressive line? Shouldn't it be flat?

Just the opposite. The computer imagery is aglow, sometimes, literally, in neon hues, whereas the modern coloring techniques encourage artists to craft realistic tones and shades dependent on light, especially to complement an artist with a less-stylized style. The majority of computer imagery used so far in comics doesn't have that restriction, and the colors muscle the linework out of the way.

I DIE AT MIDNIGHT doesn't have that problem because Kyle Baker's style, while supported by strong shading and anatomy, is a landmine of exaggerated expression and movement. With frenetic poses, postures, foreshortening, panel pacing and proportion, Baker recalls the momentum of creators like Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis. Strong, flat shadows push the figures toward the reader and deep perspective extends their surroundings, making the figures appear closer. And then the characters are cropped tightly within the panels, as if the imaginary cameraman was distracted by what's going on behind them. This makes a spacing relationship to the reader where the action isn't in just "in your face," sometimes it's under your chin or over your ear.


So when Baker adds the sharp hues, manipulated images and props (pill bottles, letters, camera cranes) from the computer the art can compete. Sometimes. It's not a perfect seam. In some panels, what appears to be the Photoshop airbrush tool clouds over flat backs. Outlines are lost and the illusion of perspective compromised. In some panels the normally deep black shadows are tinted as a darker shade of a material's hue. It's not consistently used when conveying clothes, weight, texture or reflective light and it's jarring to move to see the technique leapfrog panels.

But "jarring" is an appropriate reaction to the technique; it adds to the energy and desperate measures undertaken by the narrator to stay alive and find the proverbial needle in the millennium party haystack.

Larry has just downed a bottle of pills because he can't live without Muriel. As he's about to edit the suicide note, Muriel arrives saying she wants him back. She collects herself in the bathroom, meaning Larry can't make himself vomit up the pills. Why not out the window? Hell's Angels are below him. Why not the kitchen sink? He'll never be able to clean it up before Muriel departs the john and he can't let her know he tried something as melodramatic as suicide for love.

He's advised by his friend, Charlie, to call Charlie's pal, a doctor. She can give him an antidote but he has to take it -- you guessed it -- before midnight. The ex tells Charlie what's going on with Larry before she realizes the friend -- the very, very big and angry Charlie -- was just dumped by his girlfriend, who just happens to be Muriel. So Charlie chases Gigi to keep Larry away from the pills and Larry hunts Gigi while hiding the reason why from Muriel so as not to discourage her revived affections for him. And all this takes place while New York is a sardine can of millennium revelers.

In addition to Baker's sharp eye for color and poses is his ear for conversation. Baker is easily one of comics' funniest writers and he knows how to mix text with pictures for the strongest effect, such as when Chalrie and Larry fight in front of giant billboards, the ad text mirrored in their fight. Charlie boots Larry with an ad for "Stomp" behind them.

Baker can also swing from humor to melodrama; even if we're angry with Larry for acting like a total rube, we still empathize. He's not a bad guy; just an average man trying to repair a stupid move while the world seemingly plots against him. It's a classic comedy set-up and Larry's lack of clarity helps to explain away the plotholes. For example: Why doesn't he just throw up in the trashcan?

Answer: Because then the story would be ten pages long. And not near as funny.

More info:

Kyle Baker writer, penciler, letterer, inker, cover

Publisher:

Title: Doorways (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): George R.R. Martin (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Justin (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" It's a fun story, if not an incredible one, and certainly worth a read."
Review:

For those rabid fans of George R.R. Martin Doorways may be familiar. It is in fact the same title he used in conjunction with a pilot he wrote for ABC in 1991. It was a particularly eventful year for Martin. Before writing Doorways, he began a short story about dire wolf puppies found in the summer snows. This story became A Game of Thrones - the first book in the series of fantasy novels that made Martin the closest thing to a household name in fantasy since J.R.R. Tolkein. However, before finishing A Game of Thrones, Martin had a series of Hollywood meetings to pitch a television series.

Doorways, was one of those pitches. Although the pilot was picked up ABC, it never saw the light of day when ABC decided to launch Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman instead. In 1995, speculation came from TV critics that Fox's Sliders was inspired by Doorways in which the main cast were fugitives fleeing through parallel worlds, while carrying a device that tells them where and when the next Doorway opens. Sliders creator Tracy Torme denied the rumors. Nevertheless, twenty years later, Martin along with artist Stefano Martino have collaborated to finally tell Martin's story.

The graphic novel includes four comics that were published late last year in the form of a mini-series by IDW Publishing. IDW has become well known in specializing in licensed properties such as Transformers, GI Joe, and Dr. Who. Doorways begins when a strange woman named Cat finds herself in an emergency room undergoing evaluation by Dr. Thomas Mason. When government officials turn up to arrest Cat, she escapes and takes a sympathetic Dr. Mason with her. Little does the good doctor know, she's being chased by a host of nasty characters from her own alternate world. And so with the help of what looks like a Nintendo Power Glove, Cat and Dr. Mason run for their lives to another world.


Like any comic book, art is imperative to conveying the author's intent. Martino, who never saw the pilot for Doorways, has created a great style that is reminiscent to me of the early days of Image Comics. It's entirely possible that the early Image books are nostalgic in mind, but Martino's work calls up Jim Lee's Wild C.A.T.S. The writing is more believable than many comics out there, not surprisingly given Martin's chops. It's a fun story, if not an incredible one, and certainly worth a read.

As a side note, I'm reminded of just how much intellectual property Martin has in his collection. All the short stories, A Song of Fire and Ice, Wildcards, his horror novels, and his science fiction novels make for a tremendous catalog. I am certain that with success of the HBO adaptation of Martin's only work of fantasy that there may be more adaptations on the horizon. I suspect Doorways has come to the end of its creative line, but I am hopeful we'll continue to see more of Martin's storytelling throughout the various forms of media.

More info:

Written by George R.R. Martin
Art by Stefano Martino

Publisher:

Title: Farscape – D’Argo’s Lament (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Keith R.A. Decandido (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Summer Suzuki (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" It’s fun, fast-paced, and involves aliens fighting each other – everything a good space adventure needs."
Review: Farscape: D’Argo’s Lament #1

Happening during season 3 of the SciFi original televsion series Farscape (specifically between the episodes “Revenging Angel” and “Fracture”, according to BOOM!’s official summary), this four part mini-series follows Ka D’Argo and Jool as they find themselves in the middle of a political war in the City of Egrof. Forced to end the war and “save the day” in order to get the much needed orujna oil (it’s the only substance that can keep the living ship Moya’s skin lubricated so it won’t dry out and fall off, exposing the ship’s inside to the vacuum of space), trouble, hijinks, and alien vs. alien ensues.

As a fan of the original series, I was very excited to get my copy of this issue. The writing and set up didn’t disappoint. Right from the start, this issue definitely feels like an episode of Farscape – you come in right in the middle of some kind of drama. From then on, the Drama Freight gains speed as D’Argo and Jool go from a relatively small problem to a really huge problem. The way D’Argo is written is very much like the way he was in the series: dropping space curse words left and right, and generally Hulking out over just about everything. Jool, not so much. In the show she’s very loud and complainy and whiney and Ms. Know-it-All. In this issue, she’s much more reserved and subdued compared to her television counterpart.


This aspect even carries over into the artwork. D’Argo is rendered wonderfully throughout the issue, and has a remarkable resemblance to the way Anthony Simcoe looked with all that latex on his face. Again, Jool, not so much. In fact, there were times when she looked flat-out horrible and nothing at all like Tammy McIntosh. I don’t think it would have bothered me at all if Neil Edwards hadn’t done such a bang up job with making D’Argo look the way he did in the show. However, this mini-series IS about D’Argo and Jool was a pretty annoying character to begin with, so the inconsistencies between the rendering of the two doesn’t detract from the issue as a whole, but it is distracting for an avid fan of the series.

For people unfamiliar with the original series but who are fans of science fiction comics, I think this would still be a good issue to pick up. Keith R.A. Decandido does a good job of putting in a bit of back story throughout the issue that would be helpful for readers unfamiliar with Farscape. The use of the Farscape lingo (“frell”, “cycle”, and “microt” to mention a few) may throw a few readers off. In the context of the conversations they are in, it shouldn’t be too hard for those unfamiliar with them to figure out what they mean.

Overall, if you were a fan of the show and are looking for more adventures involving the characters, this is totally a floppy worth picking up. Everything from the pacing, the banter, even the ridiculously long title are in the same vein as the show itself. It’s fun, fast-paced, and involves aliens fighting each other – everything a good space adventure needs.

More info:

Writer: Keith R.A. Decandido
Artist: Neil Edwards
Covers: Michael Dipascale, Will Sliney
Colours: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Publisher:

Title: The Bakers: Do These Toys Belong Somewhere? (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Kyle Baker (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Publishers Weekly (review 1) and Johanna (review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" It’s humor for all ages..."
Review:

Review 1 - Baker, the outrageously talented Eisner- and Harvey Award– winning artist behind such diverse projects as King David, Plastic Man and cult classic Why I Hate Saturn, has turned his attentions to more personal matters with this full-color collection of cartoon vignettes about family life. The family in question, based on Baker's own, consists of three irrepressible children and the harried couple who are their parents. In this world of alternately angelic and screaming kids, no detail of domestic life is too petty for good-natured skewering. Feeding techniques, getting kids dressed, and secret tips for frustrating parents all make an appearance. No surprise that Daddy Baker, who comes complete with dreadlocks and credit card, is frequently depicted with a smile bordering on a grimace. The tumult and confusion of this world is implied rather than spelled out. The brief comics are virtually text-free, with exaggeratedly cartoonish yet expressive artwork doing double duty as both explication and illustration. The physical comedy of the family's silent movie exploits gives the cartoons a soothingly retro feel that echoes the antic humor found in Mad magazine. This combination of Baker's inventive visual gags and chuckling familiarity makes the project endlessly appealing.


Review 2 - The Bakers: Do These Toys Belong Somewhere? collects Kyle Baker’s family-oriented cartoons in a handsome color hardcover. The family’s based on his own, with dreadlocked daddy, organized mommy, and three adorable kids, but the humor is universal.

The gags and strips are frequently wordless, because why do you need text to show the joy of a new baby or the cleverness of a mom trying to get the balloon off the ceiling or the pain of tripping over too many toys on the floor? At least, you don’t need them if you’re as talented as Baker and can capture those particular images and feelings so beautifully.

Baker’s animation experience gives him the eye to select the perfect moment of action, so the reader knows exactly what happened before and after the slice of time shown. The color also deserves mention. It’s computer-shaded but realistic in its tones and gradients, grounding the events in a cartoon-style background.

The book’s subjects are lightweight — avoiding waking up the kids, trying to get a photo where they all look good, problems with the Tooth Fairy — but hilarious. The book is easy to pick up and put down, and it’ll be just as funny when it’s re-read months or years from now. A particular favorite is the four-page sequence that starts with Daddy telling the kids to respect Mom’s hard work and eat what she’s cooked. (As a picky eater, I could relate.) I never expected the punchline. Although it brought the family back together, how it did it was surprising… and all the more funnier as a result.

It’s humor for all ages, although parents who occasionally find their children as annoying as they are exhilarating will be the ones nodding knowingly.

Animated versions of the characters can be seen at Kyle Baker’s website. Baker talks about the ideas behind the series in this interview, and this profile covers his history.

More info:

Kyle Baker writer, penciler, letterer, inker, cover

Publisher:

Title: Jurassic Park - Devils in the Desert (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): J. Byrne (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Erik Norris (Review 1) and Erik Norris (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The extra, unnecessary word balloons just get in the way of some solid sequential storytelling."
Review:

Review 1 - Jurassic Park: The Devils in the Desert #2

It's kind of shocking that we're two issues into this latest Jurassic Park mini-series and we're still not getting much of the book's actual selling point: the dinosaurs. John Byrne has shown his hand and seems far more concerned with the human story he's molding in Jurassic Park: The Devils in the Desert, hinting at a rich back-story for main character Will Tobias to give readers someone to connect to. However, the honest truth is we are not here to read about how Tobias passed up the true love of his life. We're here to read about dinosaurs eating people off toilet seats and causing mayhem.

The Jurassic Park franchise, by nature, makes for the quintessential monster B-movie. Thus, a very brief character introduction is all that's necessary before characters start dropping like flies. Jurassic Park: Devils in the Desert has overstayed its introductory period by about an issue's worth of pages. It's not until the final few pages of issue #2 where the melodrama steps aside for pteranodons (not to be confused with pterodactyls, as Byrne constantly reiterates) to start flying out of the hilly woodwork and begin biting people.

Byrne's script also suffers from a fair bit of over-explanation in Devils in the Desert #2. The characters of this series love to yell exactly what their next move is going to be. Not only does this type of script take away from the effectiveness of the actual art in the comic -- a component of the medium that's equally as important as the writing -- but the extra, unnecessary word balloons just get in the way of some solid sequential storytelling. John Byrne doesn't need to resort to explaining what he's drawing. It undersells his artistic craft.

Jurassic Park: Devils in the Desert really needs to pick up the pace and laser beam focus on what is really important: humans facing off against giant lizards that have been extinct for 65-million years. That's the heart and soul of Jurassic Park. Unfortunately, after two issues of this latest mini-series, John Byrne has not figured that out.


Review 2 - Jurassic Park: Devils in the Desert #4

We finally come to the end of John Byrne's pteranodon epic in Jurassic Park: Devils in the Desert. And while the final issue had one redeeming awesome quality -- pitting a pteranodon against a polar bear -- the rest of the issue falls completely flat due to characters that haven't made a lasting impact over the course of this series.

The big twist of this month's issue explains why John Byrne spent so much time in previous installments building up and extensively detailing the backstories of the characters. However, this same twist proves that Byrne failed at his job, as I didn't care one bit for what happens to one of the main characters at the conclusion of this issue. I just shrugged and moved on.

John Bryne also once again falls into the trap of writing out everything someone is thinking. This leads to an incredibly annoying sequence featuring Monica near the end of the issue where she's running from a Pteranodon. Truthfully, it almost ruins the moment where the Pteranodon comes face to face with a polar bear. Almost.

The sequence with the Pteranodon and polar bear is really the only highlight of Devils in the Desert #4. Even Byrne's art comes off as serviceable to the story, nothing more. The issue also just kind of stops, and then it's over. The curtain has closed on this four issue Jurassic Park mini-series, and I wish I was $16 richer.

More info:

Written by John Byrne
Art by Ronda Pattison

Publisher:

Title: Jurassic Park - Dangerous Games (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Erik Bear (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Andrew Leslie (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" It combines the funzies of drug-running, the thrill of human hunting and sheer awesomeness of dinosaurs!"
Review: Jurassic Park - Dangerous Games 3

Being an undercover agent for the Central Intelligence Agency has got to be a difficult job, especially when you’re trying to bring down Central America’s largest drug lord. You’ve got to deal with the hassle of maintaining your cover ID, meeting with your agency contact to provide updates, dealing with internal corruption within the CIA and circumventing local law enforcement agencies to accomplish your goals. You can’t contact your family, you don’t know who you can trust and you’re probably psychologically strung out to the ragged edge so the last thing you’d want to deal with is yet another problem; especially one that is over 65 million years in the making: DINOSAURS. Even years of government counter-intelligence training can’t really prepare an agent on how to effectively neutralize an attacking Dromaeosaurus (dinotip #321: go for the long neck!) but Jurassic Park: Dangerous Games from IDW Publishing just might.

Written by Erik Bear (with hard Sci-Fi author Greg Bear as story consultant) and Jorge Jimenez on art, Jurassic Park: Dangerous Games finds undercover CIA operative Ricky Spinoza hot on the trail of Costa Rica’s most prolific drug lord, Cazares. He’s infiltrated Cazares’ organization and is only a few steps away from bringing him down when he’s outed as a spy within the organization. At this point, a normal drug kingpin would just eliminate a threat like Spinoza by putting one in the frontal lobe and feeding the corpse to his rottweillers, but Cazares owns the famed Isla Nublar, formerly home to Jurassic Park. Instead Cazares gives Spinoza a 24 hour head start on attempting to escape the island before sending his #1 assassin after him to finish him off (that is, if the dinosaurs roaming this lost world don’t get to him first). While traversing the island’s jungle interior, he comes across a former InGen employee by the name of Dr Frances White. Dr. White has lived amongst the dinosaurs since the before the park opened and has a pack of trained raptors that she’s raised since birth. Spinoza and White team up to take down the cartel that has overthrown her peaceful island, but first they have to take out Cazares’ assassin who is on the hunt as Spinoza’s 24 hour headstart has run out.


Erik Bear’s story in Jurassic Park: Dangerous Games is definitely one that your average dino-enthusiast wouldn’t consider setting on ‘Cloud Island.’ The worlds of drug trafficking and genetically engineered dinosaurs seem to juxtapose when you put them in a story together, but the Bears’ find a way to make it work. Dangerous Games is “dino-sploitation” at its finest. There are a superfluous number of films, books and tv shows about drug runners and the agencies tasked with stopping them, but how many of them include dinosaurs? Okay, probably at least one, but IDW’s Dangerous Games is probably the first comic book iteration. Issue #3 is an action heavy issue who’s pace moves very quickly. One aspect of Bear’s story that could be considered a detriment by some, is the fact that this Jurassic Park titles uses the dinosaurs and the island more as a backdrop for the drug-running/espionage storyline. When you pick up a Jurassic Park comicbook you expect the focus to be on dinosaurs which there isn’t a lot of when compared to the films, but the action is so quick in this comic, that such issues would be an afterthought. Also – it is nice to see a comic that makes new use of the Jurassic Park universe, because if you wanted to read a story about scientists and engineers dealing with creating and controlling dinosaurs, you could just watch the movie.

The art in Dangerous Games is by Jorge Jimenez, who’s only previous credits seem to be the comic adaptation of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Jimenez’s style is somewhat reminiscent of Takeshi_Obata of Death Note fame, but with a much better eye for action. Because the story is non-stop action, it leans heavily on the artist being able to adequately convey intense fight scenes, foot chases and a splash of blood n’ gore. Jimenez balances it all very well as he’s able to do an amalgamation of action, espionage & sci-fi/horror seamlessly which buoys the genre-melding story making it a really fun read.

So why is Jurassic Park: Dangerous Games freakin’ awesome? Because it combines the funzies of drug-running, the thrill of human hunting and sheer awesomeness of dinosaurs! Its Jurassic Park meets Blow meets Surviving the Game, except the antagonist in this one is slightly less crazy than Gary Busey.

More info:

Written by Erik Bear
Art by Jorge Jiminez

Publisher:

Title: Jurassic Park - Redemption (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Bob Schreck (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jesse Schedeen (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" It's disappointing to see such a solid, promising story brought so low by lackluster visuals. "
Review: Jurassic Park - Redemption #1

Jurassic Park is one of those franchises I'm surprised hasn't been exploited more over the years. Since the exercise in mediocrity that was Jurassic Park III, few have seemed interested in resurrecting the franchise in any media. But despite the tragic death of creator Michael Crichton and the lack of a Jurassic Park IV, the dinosaurs have found new life in 2010. IDW has added Jurassic Park to its ever growing stable of licensed properties. The publisher has certainly seen success with some franchises, like G.I. Joe and The A-Team. Can they repeat that success here?

Jurassic Park: Redemption is essentially Jurassic Park IV in all but name. The series is set 13 years after the events of the first movie. Tim and Lex Hammond have graduated from being precocious sidekicks to full-fledged stars of the show. Lex divides her time between spearheading the controversial biotech company LexxCrop (an unfortunate name if there ever was one) and funding a multinational police force to monitor the remaining dinosaur population on Isla Nublar. Tim, meanwhile, seems destined for more of an antagonistic role. His power and influence are being devoted towards resurrecting Jurassic Park as a more family-friendly, herbivore-only attraction. In only one issue the series already sets up two vectors for inevitable dinosaur outbreaks. Not a bad start.

Fans of the JP mythology will find a lot to love in this story. The story brings back several characters from past movies. Aside from Tim and Lex, Jurassic Park's Dr. Wu and Lost World's Dr. Burke put in appearances. References are made to others like Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler, with the hope that they too might return to the fold at some point. The series definitely caters to hardcore fans first and newcomers second, but that's not the worst approach to take. Those who have no exposure to the franchise would be wise to at least give the first movie a view. It is a Spielberg classic, after all.


Bob Schreck's script proves to be mostly solid. He at least deserves credit for not recycling the formula of the past two sequels and stranding another hapless band of heroes on one of the islands. It's interesting to see adult versions of the Hammond kids, particularly since Schreck seems intent on pitting them against one another in the story, at least to a certain extent. I would have liked to see some stronger characterization with certain faces. Lex receives a much stronger focus than her brother, for instance, and many other characters tend to belnd in with the background. On the other hand, the movies don't exactly boast the most well-rounded characters either, so I may be barking up the wrong tree.

Though Schreck focuses a great deal on setup and exposition, he doesn't make the mistake of offering only talking heads and no dinosaurs. I made it clear in my review of X-Factor #203 that I don't appreciate dinosaur-oriented books that lack dinosaurs. Here, Redemption delivers reasonably well. We catch a glimpse of the state of things on the old island and the chaos erupting in Tim's new facility. There are just enough dino scenes to whet the appetite for future installments. My only complaint is that the focus on the original island seems largely superfluous at the moment. There's no real indication as to why Schreck needs two batches of dinos to drive his story along. Moreover, the logic behind the idea of a UN-patrolled Jurassic Park site seems dubious at best. The original novel made a point of showing the Costa Rican government treating Jurassic Park like a biohazard site, quarantining the island and burning its prehistoric inhabitants. As fun as it is to witness aerial battles between fighter jets and pterodactyls, it only highlights the absurdity of such a place being allowed to persist.

Occasionaly lapses in logic notwithstanding, I enjoyed Schreck's story. What I didn't enjoy was the presentation. Redemption is not a pretty book by any stretch of the imagination. Characters are flat and often lifeless. Proportions are oddly rendered on both humans and mechanical objects. Detail is often sparse, with backgrounds varying from flat landscapes to vague shapes. The bare minimum readers should be able to expect from a Jurassic Park artist is competently rendered dinosaurs. Sadly, Nate Van Dyke doesn't even deliver that much. The dinos are as flat and lifeless as the humans. A scene of charging velociraptors proves comical as the raptors look less like dinosaurs and more like people in rubber suits. It's disappointing to see such a solid, promising story brought so low by lackluster visuals.

It's never a good sign when a comic leaves me thinking, "This would be better as a novel." Schreck might have a worthy continuation of the Jurassic Park mythology on his hands, but the visuals aren't doing justice to the words at all.

More info:

AUTHOR: Bob Schreck
PENCILLER: Nate Van Dyke, Cover by Tom Yeates, alternate cover (shown right) by Frank Miller.

Publisher:

Title: You Are Here (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Kyle Baker (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: sakura kitty (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Look forward to a delightful tale."
Review:

What fun!

When i first found this book, and began flipping through the pages with a friend, i saw the blood and the naked women, and began to think I'd gotten the wrong book. It appeared so violent and gang-bangish. I was WRONG. Once I began to read the story of the bambi-eyed nature lover, and her conning boyfriend who really just wants to erase the past and begin fresh (with a zillion obstacles thrown in his path), I was delighted! The blood and naked women are still there (and that bit all depends on your opinions of violence, etc.), but the story is infused with such warmth, humour and fun, I was able to disregard the violence. But be warned, this graphic novel is not for kids, mature readers only! For all of you mature readers - look forward to a delightful tale. The price is steep for a book you can read in less than an hour, so I recommend borrowing it from a friend, or the library (like i did). enjoy!

More info:

Kyle Baker writer, penciler, letterer, inker, cover
Joan Hilty editor

Publisher:

Title: Uncharted (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Joshua Williamson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Bobby Shortle (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The storytelling is brisk and fun"
Review: Uncharted #1

Video games are a great passion of mine. They, perhaps more than comic books, dominate the lion’s share of my geek mind space. I listen to video game podcasts, read video game reviews, and I’m a religious watcher of Giant Bomb’s Quick Looks (which if you don’t know are 45 minute play sessions of recent games by the crew over at giantbomb.com). Bottom line: I freaking love to have a controller in my hand and I sometimes get angry at my books for tearing me away. But this week I was treated to a wonderful nerd convergence.

Uncharted #1 is the first in a series of comics based on the video game franchise of the same name. If you are unfamiliar with the Uncharted franchise I’ll give you a quick catch up: Nathan Drake is a roguish treasure hunter and descendant of famous explorer Sir Francis Drake who, together with his mentor and friend Victor Sullivan, globe trots to exotic locations in search of valuable and usually supernatural antiquities. Think Indiana Jones in the modern world. The game is heralded for it’s emphasis on characterization and story which in my mind would make it a perfect fit for the world of comic books. Thankfully, after reading this issue I can say that while its not a slam dunk Uncharted #1 is an immensly entertaining read that will please fans of the highly successful Sony video game franchise.

“Crap.” That is the first word uttered by Nathan Drake as he stands astride the nose of a plane as it sinks into a pit of lava. There in that first syllable of the first line of dialogue is all you need to know to fall in love with our rapscallion adventurer. Drake has always been intensely likable in the game series and writer Joshua Williamson has captured that perfectly within the pages of this first issue. In fact he is more charming and affable because, transplanted out of the the context of a video game, he no longer has to kill every pirate and thug he encounters. I also quite like the opening action scene that really showcases Nathan’s “this is a bad idea” approach to being a hero. That being said you can’t have a hero without a side kick and so of course Victor “Sully” Sullivan is along for this latest adventure. Those who aren’t fans of the video games are really in for a treat here. Sully is the perfect complement to Nathan and there friendship is on full display here.


Where the book falters is in it’s storytelling acumen. The plot itself is a lot of fun and has me interested but the manner in which it is delivered can sometimes be obtuse. This takes place in-between the events of Uncharted: Drakes Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Theives and while that might not seem like a lot of continuity to keep track of it does ask the reader to adjust his knowledge of the character by about 5 years. I found myself initially confused by character introductions and character omissions because my mind was firmly set in the world of the Drake I had just played in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. I’m also concerned with the overuse of the ellipse in the issue. It gives the story a slightly contrived feel as each scene seems to share a line or action that binds them together with the next. I’m a proponent of this style in doses but for it to occur as much of it does lulls me into a rhythm I don’t like to be in for an adventure story. Lastly, and this is a stupid nit pick that should be ignored. It took me a while to get used to Drake’s face. I’m so used to looking at him in the video game that the slightly different look he was sporting threw me off for the first few pages. Stupid, I know but I had to put it out there.

Those are small gripes for a book that on the whole I really enjoyed. It captures the brisk and fun spirit of the video game series while taking advantage of the comic book medium with interesting panel design and dynamic action. If you are a fan of the video game or adventure stories you should certainly seek this out.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - Knowledge of the characters will help with your immediate connection to them but as far as the plot goes I think you can go in cold and be okay.

VERDICT - Buy It – The storytelling is brisk and fun, the plot develops at a nice pace and I’m jazzed about the proposed maguffin of traveling to the center of the Earth.

More info:

Written by Joshua Williamson
Pencils by Sergio Sandoval
Inks by Pol Gas

Publisher:

Title: The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Paul Dini (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Bill Sherman (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" A winning entry in the best All-Ages series of holiday funnybooks..."
Review:

Though I know they're coming this time o' year -- and I enjoy reading 'em -- I never seem to pick up Paul Dini's seasonal Jingle Belle funnybooks until after their holiday's passed. So when I actually managed to purchase this year's Dark Horse one-shot, The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle, on the Wednesday before Xmas, I couldn't help feeling unreasonably proud of meself. Look at me – buying a Christmas comic ahead of time!

This year's JB bash teams Dini's teenaged Elven heroine, the troublemaking daughter of old St. Nick, with the Bakers, the comic book version of cartoonist Kyle Baker's family. Baker handles the art, and I've gotta admit I enjoy his loosy-goosy proto-Sergio Aragonés penwork over previous artist Jose Garibaldi (who makes Jing's dad just a shade too grotesque for my tastes).

Dini's featherweight script follows both the Claus and Baker family as they scramble through a hectic Christmas Eve. When our heroine attempts to ditch her dad in the midst of his late-night run ("What I want is to be back in my nice cozy igloo, hanging with my friends on MySpace," the eternal teen grouses after Santa's grabbed her to help with deliveries), she's mistaken for a babysitter by the Bakers, who leave her in charge of their mischievous kidlets. Comic hi-jinks ensure after JB swipes poppa's sleigh so she can show the North Pole workshop off to the Baker brood.

In the meantime, daddies Claus and Baker both get pursued by the cops after the former mistakes a life-like reindeer/sleigh display for the real thing. (Scripter Dini and his magician wife Misty Lee make a cameo here – which leads one to believe that Kris Kringle's first stop is a wonderful town primarily inhabited by comics folk.) It's all straightened out in time, of course.


Though the best of Jingle Belle's adventures arguably remain the outings where Dini uses his heroine to make sport of holiday "traditions" (as when our heroine once attempted to produce her own self-aggrandizing claymation special), TBMJB remains sweetly silly. The most enjoyable segment is a two-page wordless sequence devoted to the Bakers as they wend their way through the chaotic shopping mall.

But Jing's efforts to woo the hyperactive Baker kids have their moments. Too often, comic book team-ups wind up stinting on the elements that make each property work, but Dini and Baker give each character their due. (There's a fine moment between the two dads as they hide from the cops on a rooftop.)

The result: a winning entry in the best All-Ages series of holiday funnybooks since Sheldon Mayer produced a batch of over-sized Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeers way back in the 1970s. And I actually read it this year when I was supposed to...

More info:

Paul Dini writer
Dave Land, Katie Moody editor
Kyle Baker penciler, letterer, inker, colorist, cover

Publisher: