The graphic novels loved by children and adults alike
Mar 2nd, 2012, 12:05 am
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Title: Lord Of The Jungle (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Arvid Nelson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Drew (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" This is more than just a guy swinging on a vine, this is a survival comic at its best."

Review: Lord Of The Jungle #1
    When I saw on my iPad that Dynamite finally released issue #1 of Lord Of The Jungle on Wednesday, I was pretty excited. The comic, which adapts Tarzan of the Apes, the second Burroughs adaptation from Dynamite, seemed perfectly timed with me finishing re-reading the original novel for my 3rd time a few weeks back. However, I wasn’t sure how I would like it. I have directed a stage version of Tarzan before, and I have been a long time fan of the comics and movies since I rented my first Tarzan flick from Blockbuster years ago in first grade. The character has been part of my life and will continue to be, but obviously like any long term fan of something, I have certain notions of what I want from a book. Lord Of The Jungle wasn’t perfect, but pretty close, to my delight.

    Arvid Nelson, who also wrote Rex Mundi, has pretty much adapted the book straight up. Thus far, the story of Tarzan’s parents being left in the Congo and the social structure of the Apes have been a perfect adaptation from the original tale. I’m not giving anything away here unless you haven’t read the book (the story has been out almost 100 years now, believe it or not), but the issue covers the first few chapters: it gives us his parents being left to die in the jungle, the birth of Tarzan, the passing of his mom from illness, and the Apes coming in, killing poor old dad and taking baby Tarzan with them.

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    Not everything is exactly like the original pulp tales, though. Nelson’s big change from the book? These half-human/half-apes that attack some natives. However, if I have my suspicions correct, we cannot blame Nelson for creating these weird monsters that eat up 3 or 4 pages in the issue. If you haven’t read the original book, Tarzan eventually becomes “the killer of Blacks,” as he calls himself at one point. Sign of the times, the book as mentioned already is almost 100 years old, and Burroughs does spin it more as natives clashing than he hates everyone who is not white. Nelson has said previously he doesn’t want to adapt that part of the story (nor I doubt would anyone), and so I think these new ape-creatures are designed to fill in for the natives that Tarzan will kill later. This is all theory of course, we are one issue in, but it’s the only logical explanation right now for these weird-ass creatures Nelson has cooked up that aren’t in the original book.

    Art wise Castro does a great job with the action scenes, and his humans are pretty great to look at. There were times when I really didn’t love everything he was drawing with the Apes, though. It seemed his style drifted a little on several panels depicting these animals. That aside, he does just fine for this book. In typical Dynamite fashion we get a ton of cover options, my favorite of the bunch being done by Alex Ross himself this time around.

    So is Lord Of The Jungle worth picking up? Bottom line, yes. Tarzan fans will be pleased, and non-Tarzan fans can get into the world with an honest adaptation (minus that racism thing, of course), and see why Tarzan was so cool upon his original creation and why he took off. This is more than just a guy swinging on a vine, this is a survival comic at its best.

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More info:
    Writer: Arvid Nelson
    Art: Roberto Castro
    Covers By: Alex Ross, Ryan Sook, Paul Renaud, and Lucio Parrillo

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 2nd, 2012, 12:05 am
Mar 2nd, 2012, 2:29 pm
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Title: Luuna (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Didier Crisse (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Brigid Alverson (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Luuna is a solid, entertaining read."

Review: Luuna, Vol. 1
    Luuna is set in a Disneyesque version of Native American culture: The main action is wrapped in lots of feathers, earth spirits, and clingy buckskin, with a trio of bumbling sprites thrown in for comic relief. Those looking for authenticity should go elsewhere, but taken on its own terms, the book works quite well.

    The main character, Luuna, is strong, beautiful, and deeply in touch with nature, and all the creatures of the forest love her. The story begins with her vision quest, a coming-of-age ritual in which she must go into the forest and seek her totem, her guiding spirit. Unfortunately, she chooses the night of the evil spirit Unkui, and he demands her soul. With the help of a good spirit, she partially escapes from his spell but is left with two totems, a black and a white wolf, and whenever the moon is full, she falls under the spell of Unkui and is filled with destructive power.

    The story arc of Luuna is very clear, although some of the details are confusing. Knowing that she has this dark side, Luuna cannot return to her tribe; instead, she sets out to rid herself of Unkui’s totem, accompanied by her forest friends. When an encounter with Unkui’s followers leads to disaster, her dark side takes over and she wreaks havoc on her enemies, leaving one of them strung up crucifix-style and impaled with a spear in the most violent scene in the book. Luuna returns to her normal self when the sun comes up, with only vague memories of what she has done. In the second half of the book, she meets up with the ghost of a storyteller and lifts an ancient curse, again by going to her dark side. This edition contains two volumes of the original French edition and thus two fairly complete stories; Tokyopop plans to publish the entire series in three volumes.

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    Luuna is basically good-hearted, yet when the moon is full and she is angered by injustice done to one of her friends, she makes a conscious choice to let herself go into Unkui’s realm. A different personality takes over, and she becomes visibly feral, strong, and sly. On the one hand, Luuna is frightened by her own destructive power, yet at the same time, she finds its temptation irresistible.

    The art in Luuna is vigorous and energetic. Facial features are exaggerated to the point of caricature, yet expressions and gestures are always easy to read. The story is populated with a wide variety of natural and supernatural creatures, and Keramidas draws his animals with solid, muscular power while keeping the sprites chubby and friendly.

    While the story is in no way sexual, there are some nude scenes (from the rear) of people bathing or swimming in streams. The violence is straightforward but not overly graphic—several animals and people are killed in various ways but without gratuitous closeups or splattering blood. Younger readers may find the masks and supernatural aspects of the story somewhat frightening, but for older teens with a taste for fantasy, Luuna is a solid, entertaining read.

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More info:
    written by Didier Crisse
    illustrated by Nicolas Keramidas

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 2nd, 2012, 2:29 pm
Mar 2nd, 2012, 6:07 pm
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Title: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Scott Lobdell (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Doug Zawisza, (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" If you’re up for a pointless, violent, sexist romp that offers nothing of substance, then this is your book."

Review: Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
    I could tell you that DC has pulled together a team of characters to serve as their version of the “A-Team” on this comic. I could tell you that the characters in this book are compelling and interesting. I could tell you that I cannot wait to read more. I could also tell you that of all the new DC titles, this one is far and away my favorite.

    If I told you any one of the above, I’d be lying like a rug.

    This book opens with the largest needless display of violence I’ve seen yet – and this new relaunched DCU has had its share of violence – as Red Hood and Roy Harper take out an entire blended forces war prison. The forces appear to be both Allied and Quraci, but the end result is the same: wholesale slaughter of every character whose first name doesn’t start with “R” and have only three characters (oh, and both of the survivors/escapees last names start with “H,” but that’s not important right now). Their escape gets a little messy, and that’s when Starfire shows up to melt down some tanks. After all, you need a scantily clad female melting down tanks to sell books nowadays. Or at least DC would tell you so. Hardly the “A-Team.”

    As for the characters being interesting and compelling, Scott Lobdell takes anything redeeming about Roy Harper – who, mind you, has recently been sent on a very hellish path to alienate every fan of the character – and flushes it down the toilet. Harper is a careless murderer and unapologetic horndog. The horndog part of this conversation speaks volumes about how DC is trying to sell this book, as a Starfire is included for borderline-pornographic content. DC offers up a caricature of their presumed target audience in the form of a twelve-year-old boy, sitting on a nearby beach, snapping Starfire’s picture as she conveniently emerges from the ocean in a bikini that makes bar napkins look large. His dialog thereafter is, “Internet, here we come!”

    Kenneth Rocafort then uses the bikini-clad heroine (can I call her that when she’s done absolutely nothing heroic yet?) as a simple plot device, switching the point of view to Starfire’s (slightly more covered) backside and thereby shifts the story from Starfire and the hormonally amped up picture taker to Starfire’s equally-amped “teammates.”

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    I pretty well dialed out at this point, but managed to catch that the rest of the story involves some mysterious cult that I’m supposed to care about that is somehow tied to Jason Todd, who I am also suddenly supposed to care about. The big problem? I don’t care. This book offered me nothing – nothing!! – to come back for, to look forward to, or to spend money on (except maybe any and every other book on the stands!). Had this been my first of the new DC books, I have no doubt it would have been my last. I didn’t even mention the fact (although I am now!) that Red Hood is sporting a bat logo on his chest, which I cannot fathom how that’s allowed to happen in this new DCU, as Batman would surely break multiple bones on Jason Todd’s body to impede him from functioning as he does in this book while sullying the legend of the bat. This isn’t what I thought the new DC was going to be about, and I want no part of this title.

    It’s a shame, really, that this book was so awful. I like Kenneth Rocafort’s style. The lines he uses and the sketchiness of it all is quite unlike so many of today’s comic artists. I find it to be a nice change-up. It’s certainly not “house-style,” but it is also misdirected here. I’m hoping that once this book gets cancelled, Rocafort can move on to a title that doesn’t reduce itself to overly-simplistic sex and violence in an attempt to bring in readers.

    Lobdell’s story hits on two notes: sex and violence. Neither one really has any reason for being in this book save for the fact that without either one, this book wouldn’t exist. If you’re up for a pointless, violent, sexist romp that offers nothing of substance, then this is your book. Otherwise, stay the heck away. Buy some back issues. Go get a three-dollar coffee. Download three ninety-nine-cent songs. Don’t waste your time or money and don’t say I didn’t warn you.


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More info:
    Story by Scott Lobdell
    Art by Kenneth Rocafort
    Colors by Blond
    Letters by Carlos M. Mangual
    Cover by Kenneth Rocafort, Blond

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 2nd, 2012, 6:07 pm
Mar 3rd, 2012, 11:43 am
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Title: Creepshow (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Bernie Wrightson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: graduwane (Review 1) and Stefan Yates (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" If you like the movie...avoid this book at all costs! "

Review 1:
    This comic book adaptation of the movie Creepshow shows how one doesn't make a comic book adaptation. First of all, it was published by a paperback publisher instead of a comic book publisher--in other words, people who didn't know how far comics had advanced by then in regards to content: thus, language was heavily censored.
    Second, famed magazine horror illustrator Bernie Wrightson was used for the artwork. His artwork, while detailed, was more in line for magazine proportions instead of comic book proportions, thus necessitating a larger page count to handle all the extra pages, thus meaning that he had to use a first draft of the screenplay. All in all, it means that the action in the comic book adaptation doesn't match the movie at all. (Meanwhile, Jack Kamen was hired to do the storyboards and the comic book prop used in the movie. Why they didn't release that instead no one can say.)
    Finally, the comic book uses an intrusive narrator to tell the stories, whereas anthology horror comics routinely use narrators merely as framing devices (though a handful used them as characters in their stories too). It can be annoying for the reader to see the narrator continually prompting the reader for a reaction.
    If you want to see how this movie was originally proposed to be made, get this book. If you want to see what a prose publisher thought horror comics were at the time (and good horror comics were around then: Twisted Tales, Tales of Terror for two titles), get this book. If you want to see a book that misuses a framing device, get this book.
    However, if you like good horror comics, if you remember the horror comics of the 50's fondly, or if you like the movie...avoid this book at all costs!

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Review 1:
    If you've seen the kinda cheesy, kinda not-so-good movie that this comic was generated from, then you'll already know all of the stories. (I'm not totally panning the film however, I do after all own it and Creepshow 2!) Even though the stories were old hat though, I still had a good time reading the comic version. Do not dive into this book thinking that it is a graphic novel. Nothing could be further from the truth. Creepshow is done entirely in the tongue-in-cheek style of the old horror comics. The host is a wise-cracking undead version of Stan Lee himself and the stories, while still a bit scary for the most part, are fairly lame.

    This is not to say that Creepshow is not a fun, quick read. I read it in an evening and like most of the comic books that I have floating around from my childhood, I guarantee that I'll pick it up and read it again at some point in the future. That's the beauty of comics, there's no need for deep thinking. It's something that you can pick up, lose yourself in for an hour or two and be finished with it. Sometimes we need that release.

    I guess on that note, I'll quit before I have more words in this review than there are in the book itself!

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More info:
    Stephen King writer
    Bernie Wrightson artist
    Jack Kamen cover
    Michelle Wrightson artist

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 3rd, 2012, 11:43 am
Mar 3rd, 2012, 5:17 pm
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Title: Abandon the Old in Tokyo (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Monkey (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" One of the most important books you can purchase this year. "

Review:
    When I put this book down it was with a sense of "Oh Wow", sometimes you run into a book that is insightful and impacts how you view things in life. Abandon the Old in Tokyo is an amazing experience in reading, and one that should not be missed. Definitely not for kids, absolutely for adults or anyone over 18, and one of those few books that leaves a mark, even if you only read the first 20 pages.

    The book is a collection of stories that cover much of what Yoshihiro has seen or drawn about in other books or magazines. The cast of stories and characters takes a look at much of the human drama, concerns and choices that people make when dealing with issues that at times are overwhelming, and at times startlingly sweet and rare. From love to incest, from failed dreams to realized success, these stories reach out to the reader and say "you have been here, you know these people, and these people are you". That is why this book is fundamentally amazing, and well worth picking up and reading.

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    The premise of Abandon the Old in Tokyo is to take the best work from Yoshihiro Tatsumi and condense his stories into a book format. Usually these kinds of books can be disjointed, but the editors at Drawn and Quarterly have done a great job tying the subject matter together so that the book has a natural feel when the reader is moving from story to story. You cannot help but feel that you are holding a master work in your hands, and read real human drama with real human consequences. All master story tellers help you become part of the story line; this book is no exception to that standard. I rate this book five of five stars, because you cannot walk away from this book. It is difficult to put down; it is difficult to let it go. Probably the most amazing book you will read this year, making it one of the most important books you can purchase this year.


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More info:
    Yoshihiro Tatsumi story, write, art, cover

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 3rd, 2012, 5:17 pm
Mar 3rd, 2012, 6:44 pm
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Title: The Last Phantom (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Scotty Beatty (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Timothy Callahan (Review 1) and PS Hayes (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I can’t recommend this one highly enough. "

Review 1: The Last Phantom #1
    Perhaps there’s a kernel of an idea in “The Last Phantom” #1 that’s worthy of an ongoing comic book series. The notion that the most recent in a long line of Phantoms has decided to put the costume aside to work on humanitarian efforts -- and then he’s forced to return to his jungle hero roots when his family is murdered -- maybe that’s something that could matter enough to make for a story worth reading. Maybe.

    But not when it’s told this way, not when it looks like this.

    Before I get to my dissection of the art, let me point out that this first issue reads a lot like a very, very weak superhero adaptation of the recently-cancelled “Unknown Soldier.” Josh Dysart wasn’t particularly subtle in that series, but he was skilled at balancing the tragedy and the violence and the inner conflict and the strangeness of it all. Scott Beatty is a thousand times less subtle. His characters say what they mean and declare their intentions. They are stock cartoon characters in the worst sense of the term, in a way that even an old-fashioned comic strip hero doesn’t deserve.

    But it’s really the art that absolutely destroys any potential that “The Last Phantom” may have. While “Unknown Soldier” had Alberto Ponticelli, with his vigorous scratchiness, perfect for the brutality of the story, “The Last Phantom” has Eduardo Ferigato. Ferigato isn’t good at posing characters in a supposedly three-dimensional space. He’s not good at drawing an expression beyond wide-eyed surprise and fierce-browed concern. And as ridiculous as that drippy Phantom looks on the Alex Ross cover, it looks like the most implausible superhero (or any kind of hero) costume in the world as drawn on the final page of the issue by Ferigato.

    As awkward and stilted as Ferigato’s artwork is, the coloring of Vinicius Andrade makes it look even more hideous. I don’t claim to know anything about the inner workings of the production of this comic, but this first issue seems like an example of a colorist who wanted to make up for the shortcomings of the artist and then went way, way too far. Andrade’s colors overwhelm every page in garish hues and over-rendered shading. Nothing on the page is safe from his gradients, and his ugly tones would have made the work of any artist look abominable. Nobody could have looked good with coloring this oppressive layered on top.

    So while the title of this comic may be promising -- “The LAST Phantom”? That means this will be the last time we have to read a comic this hideous?-- the "#1" on the cover, along with the announcement that this will be an ongoing series, promises that more of this kind of thing will come our way. Perhaps the series should be retitled: “The Last Phantom For Now, Sure, But It Will Make Your Eyes Bleed.”


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Review 2: The Last Phantom #10
    Another excellent issue of this classic character’s title. The Last Phantom #10 is truly a treat for anyone to read! You don’t have to be a long-time reader or fan of the series, in fact, with this issue you SHOULDN’T be!!

    Writer Scott Beatty tells a very different tale of the Phantom in this issue, and unfortunately, for me to give anything more away would be spoiler territory. Safe to say, though, it’s one we’ve never seen before and it literally makes the series thus far. Included is great big action scenes, tons of human relation stories, and all around fun.

    Artist Eduardo Ferigato delivers on so many different levels this issue. Not only is he a great artist, but a great storyteller. His page layouts are fantastic and the action scenes are second to none. I’m really enjoying his work on this comic, and I think he is too, because it shows.

    Even though this is part 4 of a storyline, I highly recommend that you pick it up if you’ve never read this title. It’s the perfect jumping-on point for new readers. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

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More info:
    Written by Scotty Beatty
    Illustrated by Eduardo Ferigato
    Colors by Vinicius Andrade
    Letters by Simon Bowland
    Covers by Alex Ross, Stephen Sadowski, and Fabiano Neves

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 3rd, 2012, 6:44 pm
Mar 4th, 2012, 6:59 am
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Title: Kirby Genesis Silver Star (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jai Nitz (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Arsenault (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Recommended."

Review: Silver Star #1
The Story:
    This issue, spun out of Dynamite’s Kirby Genesis series, follows the story of Silver Star, a US super-powered asset in an alternate history that branches from ours sometime in the late Vietnam War.

The Review:
    Nitz and Ross have a ton of work to do in this first issue. They’ve got to introduce the characters, make us care about them, intrigue us with their world and launch the conflict. Slowing this down (as in the first act of any story) is the exposition and showing the character “in his normal day.” Luckily, Silver Star’s days are not normal. He seems to live in covert international conflicts. Nitz and Ross let Desjardins and Andrade do the heavy lifting on the “day in the life” exposition and the action and sets are more than enough to keep the reader turning the pages. What I found more intriguing was the interlaced Presidential Orders through history and tracking against my (admittedly Canadian) knowledge of US presidents to see where the turning points happened and where history changed. Despite all this, I didn’t feel that by the end of the story that I cared about Silver Star. A first act, day-in-the-life start (prior to the introduction of the conflict) makes for a passive main character. A character in action does not equal an active character. I don’t fault Nitz and Ross for this. It looks like they’ve risked a slower-paced start to properly launch a long arc, so the amount of stuff that has to go in issue one crowds out some of the gripping stuff.

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    Dynamite is really carving a niche in the comics field for visuals, especially, but not exclusively, under the art direction of Ross. Red Sonja, Zorro, Lone Ranger, Kato Origins and Warlord of Mars each have an independent visual feel to them, nearly like a brand. In the Superpowers titles, Ross’ hand has always been obvious and unifying (to great effect). In the Kirby Genesis project, Dynamite seems to have found another artistic stylistic winner with the Desjardins and Andrade team-up. The Kirby-esque designs and flourishes, rendered modern and slick with careful and competent draftsmanship, create some really powerful effects. The costume design and energy effects around Silver Star feel like vintage Kirby, while the camera angles and composition are modern. The only detracting moments I had with Desjardins’ draftsmanship was in the angles of some of the faces, which seemed a bit off to me. That being said, that’s a very minor point in an otherwise impressive visual feast.

Conclusion:
    Dynamite asks for a leap of faith for a spin-off book with a patient start. However, they’ve put some really credible talent behind this first throw. Jai Nitz has impressed me over and over with his work on Kato Origins Image and now he’s playing in Jack Kirby’s sandbox under the guidance of Alex Ross. Faith seems justified. Recommended.

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More info:
    By: Jai Nitz (story and script)
    Alex Ross (art direction and story)
    Johnny Desjardins (artist)
    Vinicius Andrade (colorist)
    Joseph Rybandt (editor)
    Jack Kirby (concepts and characters)

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 4th, 2012, 6:59 am
Mar 4th, 2012, 7:56 am
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Title: Batman: Gotham Knights (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Scott Beauty (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: x-man75 (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Would definitely get a thumbs up from me."

Review: Gotham Knights #44
Summary:
    This is the second part of a three part story looking back at the death(HA!) of Jason Todd. It also takes place in the past(just after Jason's excessively brutal death at the hands of the Joker), as well as the present. Since it makes the most sense, we'll start off in the past. We begin with a(thankfully) quick snippet of Jason's last moments as the Joker beats him with a crowbar and blows him up. Batman arrives a few minutes too late to save Jason and Jason's mother, and instead discovers the corpse of his adopted son. From there Bats is forced to change Jason out of his Robin attire before returning to the scene after the authorities had arrived as Bruce Wayne: mourning father. The Ethiopian authorities all want bribes to help Bruce bring the bodies of Jason and his mother back to the US, and since he didn't want to raise too many alarms about how Jason died, Bruce pays all of the required bribes. Upon arriving back in Gotham, Bruce burns the tattered Robin outfit Jason had been wearing, before telling Alfred to handle the funeral arrangements. Poor Alfred does as told, and is forced to view the horrendous condition Jason was left in, as the funeral director recommends a closed casket funeral. Nightwing is pissed off at both Batman and himself for not having trained Jason better, while Barbara Gordon is furious with Bruce, and Bruce alone, since she felt Bruce had rushed Jason into the Robin role, as well as warned Bruce that one day Joker would pull something as brutal as Jason's murder to really get at the Bat-family. From there we fast-forward a bit to Batman meeting Joker in the end battle of the “Death in the Family” storyline, which has Bats leaving a bullet riddled Joker to die aboard a crashing helicopter. Naturally, after going over the wreckage with Superman, Bats finds no trace of Joker's corpse. So why were we reliving these events in this issue? Because a social worker in Gotham felt that Jason's death needed further investigation and has reopened the case. The social worker's supervisor has recommended that the social worker simply leave the closed case alone, but the social worker can't shake the feeling that there was more to Jason's death then a simple terrorist bombing in some third world country. This issue ends with Bruce, Dick Grayson, Alfred and Tim Drake being forced to answer questions from the social worker the following issue.

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Thoughts:
    This was a pretty good issue from a very strong storyline. I remember enjoying the first issue of this storyline more than this issue(that would be Batman: Gotham Knights #43), mainly because it had Jason, before Joker killed him, working a case with Babs as Batgirl. The flashback scenes were way better than the storyline from the present here, mainly due to the insight we got from the various members of the Bat-family concerning Jason's death. Bruce was his regular self, simply pushing all of his feelings away, Dick was full of anger, Alfred was angry with Bruce for the way he threw himself into his Batman work and wouldn't mourn Jason's death, and Barbara openly blamed Bruce for what happened, going so far as to say so during Jason's funeral. All in all, this three issue storyline is pretty good, and would definitely get a thumbs up from me.


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More info:
    Written by Scott Beauty
    Pendiller: Roger Robinson
    Inker: John Floyd

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 4th, 2012, 7:56 am
Mar 4th, 2012, 10:39 am
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Title: Batman: The Black Casebook (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Various (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: E. David Swan (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I really enjoyed it tremendously. "

Review:
    I hated Grant Morrison's Final Crisis. So why am I mentioning that in a review of Batman's Black Casebook? Because the one thing Morrison did right in Final Crisis was base it on Jack Kirby's Fourth World and the more you know about Kirby's works the more you know that Morrison did his homework. One thing that really caught my attention was the amount of material Morrison culled from The Forever People, a very short lived series from the early 70's that few comic fans have ever read or possibly even heard of. Unfortunately the plot of Final Crisis was an incoherent mess. By contrast I loved Batman R.I.P. including the Black Glove. I had this suspicion that Morrison was using old Batman stories to develop the tale in particular the Batmen of all Nations but I also had this feeling that the Doctor Hurt/isolation chamber story and the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh were drawn from somewhere. The Black Casebook contains all these stories that inspired Grant Morrison in the Black Glove/R.I.P. storyline.

    It's clear that Grant Morrison is more that just a comic writer; he is a student of the genre with a real passion for its rich history. He reminds me a bit of Roy Thomas although Thomas was even more of ravenous devourer of arcane comic book. The stories vary in how much they can be considered inspirational. The characters of Wingman and Man-Of-Bats each have a story in the casebook but they just sort of get thrown into the Batmen of all Nations. Two of the stories Morrison even admits to having never read and they only got included because he thought the covers looked trippy. On the other side of the coin the story with Dr. Hurt (who, in the original story is never referred to by name) and the one with Batman of Zur-En-Arrh were clearly huge influences.

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    All of the stories are from the 1950's and early 1960's, a very lighthearted era for DC Comics when just about anything could happen. Morrison mentions that this era is despised by Batman fans for putting the character into such ridiculous situations but I find the stories quite enjoyable particularly since the writers were given so much leeway to flex their creativity. What Morrison did with R.I.P. was to integrate the most absurd stories of the 1950's into Batman's established canon. He did this by referencing a rather obscure villain named Doctor Milo who waged a brief psychological attack on Batman. Morrison's logic is that the more esoteric Batman stories were lingering after effects of some of the hallucinatory assaults Batman had endured. I find that to be a very cool way of tying these classic stories in with the modern dark and serious stories.

    If these stories were not tied into Morrison's R.I.P. storyline I would still enjoy them because they are just a load of fun. I doubt we will ever see these kinds of inventive, wild tales unbound by rules of continuity and let me add that Sheldon Moldoff's artwork is brilliant. Morrison may consider the 1950's to be a reviled era but not in my book and with just a little creativity he managed to pull these stories back into the Batman history. This doesn't make up for the train wreck called Final Crisis but I really appreciate the effort. It may be overly generous but I'm giving this one a perfect score because I really enjoyed it tremendously.


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More info:
    Bill Finger, Edmond Hamilton, France 'Ed' Herron writer
    Brainchild Studios/ NYC cover
    Charles Paris, Stan Kaye inker
    Dick Sprang, Lew Sayre Schwartz, Sheldon Moldoff, Winslow Mortimer artist
    Grant Morrison other
    Pat Gordon letterer

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 4th, 2012, 10:39 am
Mar 4th, 2012, 11:07 am
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Title: The Ninjettes (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Al Ewing (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Ryan K. Lindsay (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" If you are a fan of “Jennifer Blood” then this might scratch an itch for you."

Review: The Ninjettes #1
    Taking a set of bit players from one series and spinning them off into their own title is a hazardous proposition at the best of times. When the characters in question only really led with some schtick and didn’t delve into anything deeper, that means the person bringing them into their own title doesn’t have much to work with but they can also go anywhere they like. This winding and strange path only adds twists by having Garth Ennis’ name in the title yet not in the credits. “The Ninjettes” spun out from “Jennifer Blood,” which Ennis created and wrote, but which Al Ewing now writes. Ewing has his work cut out for him and he makes his choices. He plays to the crowd that want ‘aw, cool’ moments and generally delivers. You can scratch all you want, however, but you won’t find anything deeper.

    The opening sequence shows a female assassin taking down a very bad man using equally bad measures. It’s a gloriously depraved moment -- and it even ties into the larger narrative further down the line -- but it still feels like a moment to shock more than truthfully entertain. Within pages, the statement of intent is thrown down. You will either love it or hate it. You have to appreciate a comic that is so boldly up front about showing its true self. This comic is an unashamed gorefest. Scenes are pinned together around moments of schlock to shock.

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    There’s a central story in motion here of girls wanting to play at a bad girls game. This might become a metaphorical journey of the young fangirls who want to show the strength of their four color idols and experience growth in their life while overcoming adversity. This may occur, but what seems more likely to appear on these pages are young boy fantasies of powerful women who still want to show cleavage at every chance. “The Ninjettes” isn’t about empowerment, it’s about exploitation. This is new age Grindhouse but without half of the messages of the 70s.

    Eman Casallos is adept at recreating the absurd violence that can only occur with the aid of comics physics. Heads are sliced off, bodies bisected, and a nosy bike enthusiast gets stuffed in a bin (a moment that’s purely silly and yet ultimately hilarious). Casallos can handle the carnage; it’s just the female protagonists who mete it out that form his greatest problem. Anatomy is as oversold as the bloodshed. If you’re someone who likes females treated respectfully with a pencil then perhaps this comic isn’t for you. In fact, this comic isn’t for you, and so Casallos is most likely doing the very best service for this book by showing bulging breasts through low cut and tight leather ensembles.

    “The Ninjettes” is a very light concept. There is some characterization on display but mostly the pages build from one sick moment to the next, including all the taut leather-clad demureness and perking you can handle. If you are a fan of “Jennifer Blood” then this might scratch an itch for you. But it doesn’t feel as well executed as Ewing’s issues on the original series. As a debut, this book has shown its most complacently pandering side and asked you to love it.


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More info:
    Story by Al Ewing
    Art by Eman Casallos
    Colors by Inlight Studios
    Letters by Rob Steen
    Cover by Admira Wijaya

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 4th, 2012, 11:07 am
Mar 5th, 2012, 6:32 am
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Title: The Man Who Loved Breasts (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Robert Goodin (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Lee Newman (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" A solid package and will provide at least a few chuckles to those who like to seek out a laugh."

Review:
    Three short stories discuss sexuality, life and the usefulness of cartooning.

    Robert Goodin works on shows like Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. Thankfully, my daughter has outgrown those shows, because I am unsure that I will ever be able to watch them with quite the same eye.

    The title story of this book is just what it says. It is about a guy who really likes that part of the female anatomy. What it really is a clever escapist fantasy for all those who feel the 9 to 5 grind. When the eponymous man decides that his job typing a form letter is a dead end, he decides to pursue something that he finds a passion for. The way that he employs himself around women’s breasts and the level of success that he finds in doing so are a marvel to watch.

    This is a clever and inspired humor piece. It works like one of those old Goofy instructional movies that would come on before a Disney feature. I seem to remember one recently that had to do with getting a modern entertainment center for the big game. Anyhow, there is that bit of absurdity to the goings on of the story, but mostly the art invokes the comparison. Not in an art aping way. The piece just feels that is animated and whimsical. The narration is pitch perfect and aids the feeling that the reader is viewing some kind of instructional film, be it farce or sincere.

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    The rest of the book is not as pitch perfect. The second story, "George Olavatia: Amputee Fetishist" is marred by the punch line being revealed in the title to the story. The joke then seems to have an almost heard it before flair. The biggest problem with the piece isn’t the spoiler. It is the bad Saturday Night Live skit nature of the piece. You know what I am talking about... the skit that goes on way too long and then becomes uncomfortable because what seemed like a clever joke becomes tasteless and crude. It is a sophomoric bit that will tickle about half the audience that picks up the book. For this reader, it fell flat.

    The final piece, "21st Century Cartoonist in King Arthur’s Court" is like a really long Farside bit. It has that Aragones charm to it that keeps the bit humorous even if it is just a little repetitive. Maybe the self-effacing satire makes it more palatable then the perversion of the previous piece. It is innocent and fun. In fact, unlike the other two pieces, I am sure it could be placed in an office cubicle without fear of sexual harassment litigation.

    The art throughout the book, while slightly morphing from story to story, is the work of a cartoonist who knows what he is doing. He knows where to put lines to denote action. Goodin works on animated shows that are minimalist to say the least and that translates into the page. His designs are reminiscent of his more mainstream work, but there is an added emotional content that is maybe the result of following the title character’s lead. Passion usually creeps into work that is loved.

    "The Man Who Loved Breasts" is worth the price of admission alone. It is the kind of story that works on a couple of different levels and delights when it should probably shock just a little. It is earnest and smart. The rest of the book is fairly benign, nothing to write home about. All in all it is a solid package and will provide at least a few chuckles to those who like to seek out a laugh.


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More info:
    Robert Goodin cover, pencil, write, story

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 5th, 2012, 6:32 am
Mar 5th, 2012, 9:13 am
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Title: Catwoman – When in Rome (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jeph Loeb (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Stephanie Crawford (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" It's sexy, fun, engaging and highly recommended. "

Review:
    I love the projects Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale team-up together on (Superman for All Seasons being my absolute favorite) and Catwoman is my all-time favorite comic book character, so when I heard about this project in the summer of 2005 it sounded like heaven. Sadly I missed collecting the original miniseries so I snapped up this hardcover the minute I could get my claws on it.

    This follows Selina Kyle after the events of The Long Halloween (probably Loeb & Sale's most popular book together.) It's very early in her Catwoman career, and she's still dealing with her attraction to Batman and even her own identity. After the grisley events of Halloween, she decides to hoof it to Rome to find out the truth of her past and maybe pick up a priceless gem and a hot local guy or two. She takes the Riddler with her, which is pretty unusual, but after explaining why he's there he becomes a nice piece of comic relief for most of the book. I loved watching Selina beating him up. A lot.

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    You could pick this book up and enjoy it if you haven't read Long Halloween, but Selina's contacts in Rome are all related to the Falcone family, whose exploits and various murders happen in that book. All in all this was a fun read, and while I love the current Catwoman series (don't get me started on issue #50 though, oy!) it was nice seeing Selina as a self-absorbed socialite-type for a bit. There IS a major revelation in this book about Selina's real parentage, which tweaks her entire backstory. I can only assume the abusive/suicidal parents we've been shown for so long as her backstory happened after the events shown in this book.

    This is a valentine to Selina Kyle and her prior jet-setting lifestyle, and also to the stylish Rome- and they fit together like a glove. The art is, as usual, unique and gorgeous. Here Ms. Kyle is drawn as a curvy, buxom strong sex kitten with long curly hair. I always thought she looked a bit odd in Long Halloween, but I'm happy to say she looks great in here. This colorful hardcover has a great story inside with a French and Italian couture/film noir look and feel to it, and it'll look great on your shelf. 'When In Rome' is a vacation from current comics that take themselves too seriously while wrapped in ridiculous looking spandex. It's sexy, fun, engaging and highly recommended.


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More info:
    writer: Jeph Loeb
    artist: Tim Sale

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 5th, 2012, 9:13 am
Mar 5th, 2012, 1:38 pm
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Title: Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Eric Trautmann (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Comic Booked (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" This is definitely a title I will be adding to my regular pull list."

Review: Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #1
    I must say that I was rather intrigued when I heard about this new Flash Gordon book. I am a fan of the 1980 Flash Gordon movie starting Sam Jones & Max Von Sydow and I even remember watching a pretty cool animated series in the early 80s and I was just mesmerized by it.

    This new book is a spin on the story from the movie, with the first few lines even taken directly from the film. But shortly after, the whole story takes a fairly expected and admittedly fun turn.

    Ming the Merciless, ruler of Mongo and the known universe plans the conquest of Earth. He sends emissaries to choose a proxy to govern the planet in his name. Ming unleashes a barrage of natural disasters and strange phenomena to weaken and terrify the people of Earth before his invasion begins.

    Meanwhile Flash Gordon and Dale Arden, narrowly escape from the plane carrying them to a secret location before it crashes. The two miraculously parachute to the exact point they need to find! Flash has been sent by the President of the United States to find Dr. Hans Zarkov. The US Government believes that Dr. Zarkov may be able to explain what is happening around the globe.

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    Instead of welcoming Flash and Dale, Zarkov holds them at gunpoint and forces them into a rocket ship he has constructed to travel to the origin of the cosmic forces wrecking havoc on the Earth. Flash tries to stop the paranoiac Dr. Zarkov and the two struggle as the rocket soars skyward to the unknown.

    The story is all too familiar, but in spite of that this was just a fun book to read. It brings back memories of my younger days. Even with a fairly predictable story thus far, there is enough of a twist to make it somewhat unique and worthy of attention. I shouldn’t have to even mention that comic legend Alex Ross is involved with the artwork as well as the story. As an added bonus and incentive, the book is only one dollar! That certainly brings back memories.

    This kind of book is what made comic books great in the first place. It’s almost like you’re reading a piece of history when you flip through the pages of this book. Flash Gordon has been around for a long time and has been re-introduced to new generations of fans more than once. I am glad that the old classics can still be relevant in this day and age. This is definitely a title I will be adding to my regular pull list.


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More info:
    written by Eric Trautmann & Alex Ross
    Artwork by Daniel Indro & Slamet Mujiono
    Additional cover artwork by Alex Ross, Paul Renaud, Francesco Francavilla and Wagner Reis

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 5th, 2012, 1:38 pm
Mar 5th, 2012, 9:24 pm
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Title: Warriors of Mars (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Robert Place Napton (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jedi of Doom (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" This book is good, but not amazing."

Review: Warriors of Mars #1
    One of my favorite independent comic publishers in recent years has been Dynamite Entertainment. They have not disappointed me with any of their titles, so I decided to check out Warriors of Mars #1 to see what it was about.

    The story is about a man from Earth named Gullivar Jones who is an officer in the Navy from New York City. Jones, wishing that he didn’t have to live in the corrupt world he lives in, is transported to Mars. When he first arrives he meets local townsman from the city of Seth who then tell him to meet the king. While meeting the king, the city comes under attack in which the king’s daughter falls into a canal of water and Jones rescues her winning favor with the king.

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    I like the story by Robert Place Napton and it is entertaining as well as a good solid first issue. It had some parts that were a little difficult to follow, but if you can get passed that, then you will enjoy it. Napton shows the reader that we are just as alien to the residents of Mars as they are to us. It is a great story of courage and bravery.

    I don’t think the art by Jack Jadson is that great, but it is all right for a first issue. I do, however, like the backgrounds and rain effects in the book. I think the action scenes are solid and show the bravery of our hero.

    All and all, this book is good, but not amazing. I think I will pick it up again just to see where the story goes.

    Overall 3 out of 5. The story is there, but the art is just all right.


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More info:
    Written by Robert Place Napton
    Art by Jack Jadson
    Colors by Alex Starling
    Letters by Marshall Dillon
    Cover by Joe Jusko

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 5th, 2012, 9:24 pm
Mar 5th, 2012, 10:48 pm
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Title: David Boring (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Daniel Clowes (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jason Preu (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Clowes always delivers quality art and story."

Review:
    Clowes artwork on David Boring is, as usual, immaculate and he consistently manages to draw characters whose faces emote a sense of ennui yet manage to evoke in me a feeling of compassion that borders on pity. This interplay intrigues me in that it serves to both endear and distance me to almost every major player in the book. Whether or not that feature of Clowes' art best serves the narrative, and whether it should, remains left to the individual. For me, the result is a positive and heightens the slightly surreal nature of Boring's world.

    Stripped down, David Boring is a love story. Artfully dressed up by Clowes' craftsmanship, however, the standard love story is complicated by all manner of fixation, fetishism and obsessiveness in addition to the possible end of the world.

    As a character, David Boring's only remarkable traits are his fetish for fat-bottomed girls and the single issue of his father's comic that he happens to own. This sexual fetish leads to expected relationship problems as David constantly risks letting his obsession for the physical overshadow any and all other aspects of his relationships with women. David's fetish for his father's comic, and subsequent obsession to learn about the man from the remaining scraps of his work, leads to one to speculate about the triadic, feedback-loop-like relationship between creator, creation and reader.

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    And so this theme of destructive fetishism runs rampant through David Boring as Clowes explores various characters, their fetishes and the nuanced situations that result from such behavior. Clowes fetishists include: Boring, Boring's best friend Dot (whose obsession is saved for a graceful and quiet denouement), Boring's girlfriend Wanda, Wanda's lover, the Professor, Boring's mother and possibly Boring's father (although I haven't looked too closely at this possibility).

    The plot is set against a backdrop of impending world destruction by terrorists. Nice, huh? Come to think of it, terrorist activity may be viewed as a type of destructive fetishism whose idealistic single-mindedness overlooks the complexities of the world. This backdrop, though, allows Clowes a surreal, albeit convenient, way in which to resolve his story while pardoning any remaining social mores his characters may breech during the resolution process.

    Clowes always delivers quality art and story. If you're already a fan of comix, you know this. If you've yet to sample the delights of graphic novels you'd do well to jump in right away with David Boring.


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More info:
    Daniel Clowes art, cover, write.

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 5th, 2012, 10:48 pm