The graphic novels loved by children and adults alike
Mar 6th, 2012, 9:00 am
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Title: Atlas Unified (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Tom Peyer (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dustin Cabeal (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I’m really fifty/fifty with this book."

Review: Atlas Unified #1
    I’m about a week late on this review since I promised one on the last podcast, but here it is after a long while. The first thing that stands out to me about this book is the cover stock. Back in the early 2000’s Marvel’s Ultimate line stood out to most comic buyers due to its heavy card stock style of covers. This meant that they didn’t instantly get creased if someone picked the book up wrong and frankly it made the book easy to read without fear of destroying the pages. Slowly, but surely they moved away from the card paper higher quality of covers to something cheaper. Yet they still charged the same price and soon enough they charged more. With Atlas Unified, not only are they using a thicker card stock type cover but they also have the rubicon layer print on top of it. I could be wrong calling it rubicon, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it is and I loved it.

    The story is unfortunately not as good as the cover. We start at the wedding of Tommy’s daughter. He’s wondering how the years slipped away and really seems super excited to have his daughter married off. So excited that when a big metal cube with Doc Ock hands starts flying around in the sky he takes their limo and drives off leaving his wife and daughter behind. His wife seems to understand that he sucks, but his daughter starts crying as of course her wedding day is ruined. Neither seems to notice the giant cube, but Tommy does and he’s driving towards it… in a limo. He thinks back on the day that the cube changed his life by zapping his first girlfriend and only true love… thirty years prior. Tommy really knows how to keep the torch burning, that’s for sure.

    We zip around to another few characters and land on a woman walking across the street. Based on her phone conversation we can say that she’s snob so it’s not surprising that when a man bumps into her she goes off on him. She insults him instantly and he starts talking in gibberish. He’s a pale dude with glowing blue eyes, but still looks like an average dude. Some more of his friends show up and they're pale with glowing blue eyes as well, from the distance they probably look like muggers. The first guy then catches a shield in the side of the head from Wulf. It doesn’t kill the guy, but I really had to wonder what the fuck this “hero” was doing throw shields at people’s domes and going for a kill shot. It made me laugh instantly because Wulf doesn’t fuck around. He’s a Thor type character who talks like a Viking, but not enough to really sell it. It makes for a very fun read since you can’t take anything this shield chucking dude says seriously.

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    There’s unfortunately a lot more story for this issue, but the gist is that the company “Atlas” has combined all of their properties in to one universe. They’ve created a mystery and common link to place them all in the same world and for the most part it works. They’re not trying to make them work together from the first page like some other team books (The Defenders), but rather they’ve taken a queue from DC’s First Wave series last year. It’s not great, but it’s entertaining and for what it is it’s mostly successful in regards to the story.

    The art is actually very good. Artist Jimbo Salgado has a very distinct style that reminds me almost of Trevor Hairsine in a good way. Jimbo has a great name; also he has a great ability of setting up the frame to be very dynamic. Several times he breaks panels with the characters or action and it takes you out of the normal reading style most comic readers are accustomed to. There are details that he still struggles with such as hands. The second and third pages are a “splash” page and a few of the back ground people taking pictures of the cube are holding their phones awkwardly. I actually had to compare how I hold my phone to make sure the thumbs weren’t wrong on the hand because it stands out so much. Although having a group of on lookers on their phones gave it a very accurate feel.

    I’m really fifty/fifty with this book. Part of me enjoys what it does and understands what it wants to accomplish, but the other part of me knows that this is a bad comic book. It’s not quite a B-Movie comic due to the production value and the art, but the story definitely is. I would still say for you to pick it up and read it for yourself and when you do, ask yourself why their cover stock is better than Marvel’s and it doesn’t have any ads but still sells for the same price. Zing!


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More info:
    Writer: Tom Peyer
    Artist: Jimbo Salgado

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Mar 6th, 2012, 9:00 am
Mar 6th, 2012, 11:29 am
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Title: Shutterbug Follies (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jason Little (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: bob (Review 1) and A. Ross (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Good stuff, well worth checking out. "

Review 1:
    Bee, orange-haired and 18 years old, is a clerk in a photo store in New York, with a bad habit of making extra copies of the pictures she processes, to chuckle over with her friend Lyla. And then she finds that the pictures taken by a Russian guy named Oleg, who claims to be an artist and a journalist, may point to a murder, and she can't help investigating...

    Bee is essentially a Tintin for the '00s: plucky, resourceful, and occasionally a step behind rather than ahead of the suspicious folks she investigates. Although she's not quite so focussed as the boy reporter: while trailing bad guys, she finds the time for a date or two.

    The art is stylized, with beautiful colors, and some neat comics tricks (e.g. the use of the photographs and negatives Bee is looking at as panels). It makes a satisfying thriller, with a bittersweet ending. I've never heard of this guy before, but I hope he does much more of this.


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Review 2:
    Although this book first appeared in serial form in a weekly newspaper and online, I''d never heard of it until I stumbled across a copy in the library. I'll give just about any graphic novel a few pages to hook me, and this one reeled me in. The story revolves around 18-year-old Bee, a Manahattanite just out of high school, working at a local photo store. Running the processing machine gives the budding photographer ample opportunity to peer into the lives of others. And when she sees something interesting, she prints out an extra copies to shows to her art-school buddy Lyla, over cups of coffee.

    Of course, one day, she sees some photos of corpses so strange and real that she gets curious. Soon, she is following a Russian-Armenian wanna-be Weegee across boroughs with the help of a friendly taxi driver, as she tries to figure out if she's looking at snuff shots, well-staged fakes, or simply the work of a genius. Basically, Bee is a classic teen busybody of the Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo ("If it hadn't been for you pesky kids!") variety, and her investigation is similarly spunky. Before too long, she's got herself into a tight spot and only her quick wits can save her!

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    The book is fun, but not perfect. The supporting cast is well developed, but tend to walk on stage to perform their little function in the plot, and then disappear. That keeps the story moving at a nice pace, but also somewhat mechanical. The dialogue is much much better than most graphic novels, as the characters actually speak like normal humans, each retaining their own distinct voice. Although, the one big flaw in the plot occurs when Bee eavesdrops on an incriminating conversation taking place in stilted English, when there's no reason the speakers wouldn't just be using their common native Russian.

    The art is very crisp and clean, which I quite like. Like the work of the great Belgian cartoonist Herge, the people are cartoony, but realistic enough to fit into the realistic cityscapes they inhabit. The New York that appears in these pages feels much more vivid and lifelike than most cities in graphic novels. The colors are worth mentioning, as their supersaturated hues pop from the page. The top-notch printing, paper, and binding, all combine for a lovely package. Good stuff, well worth checking out.


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More info:
    Written and Illustrated by Jason Little

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Mar 6th, 2012, 11:29 am
Mar 6th, 2012, 1:03 pm
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Title: Slow Storm (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Danica Novgorodoff (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: John Hogan (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" It will be exciting to watch Novgorodoff as she develops further."

Review:
    SLOW STORM builds much like its namesake, starting out calmly and escalating to a frenzied climax. Caught inside the whirlwind of the storm are a female firefighter named Ursa Crain and an illegal Mexican immigrant named Rafael José Herrera Sifuentes, or Rafi. Their interaction after a barn fire brings them together and causes both to reevaluate their own particular life paths in a sharp, often challenging story from writer and illustrator Danica Novgorodoff.

    Novgorodoff has a wonderful ear for the dialogue of her Oldham County, Kentucky, setting. She manages to convey broad sweeps of emotion with an admirable economy of words. What’s more, she tells her story without editorial narration. Instead, SLOW STORM is unveiled through its characters’ points of view. This method of telling the story is often confusing, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It creates an atmosphere of uncertainty, and with Novgorodoff’s fantastic watercolor illustrations, the story is often elevated to an almost dreamlike quality.

    That dreamlike nature is reflected in the two protagonists. Ursa is miserable in her life. Taunted by the men around her, including her own brother, she’s looking for something else. Rafi is looking for escape and a new beginning. What they find together is a brief chance to see the world in a new way. Novgorodoff wisely keeps her tale minimalist here; she’s not one to become heavy-handed, which is refreshing.

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    Complementing her effortless storytelling are Novgorodoff’s lush watercolor paintings. Quite simply, they’re beautifully rendered. With the book’s action taking place just after the Kentucky Derby, her intriguing parallels between galloping horses and the constant running of Rafi as he searches for a place to stay is nicely done. Novgorodoff is a former horse trainer, and her background shows (her love for animals also shines through in the wonderfully emotive facial expressions she gives each of them).

    SLOW STORM has the feel of an atmospheric short film. Even the cover is breathtaking. As Ursa stands before a soot-filled sky, a hint of yellow sun peeking through the clouds, she is surrounded by a mixture of flying birds and falling leaves --- or perhaps they’re ashes blowing around from a nearby fire. That alone should be enough to signal the power Novgorodoff is capable of conveying in her images.

    In fact, SLOW STORM works so well because of Novgorodoff’s ability to almost constantly convey motion and movement. She captures on the page even simple things like winds blowing, or people and animals running, or cars and trucks driving (the early-on picture of a tree’s leaves depicted in the windshield and hood of a car is a nice touch), all with a flair that belies her relative inexperience. Moreover, her choice of angles in her panels --- she rarely focuses directly on Ursa in the first half of the book, instead portraying her either from above or below --- shows a unique eye. It will be exciting to watch Novgorodoff as she develops further.


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More info:
    Danica Novgorodoff writer, artist, letterer, cover

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Mar 6th, 2012, 1:03 pm
Mar 6th, 2012, 1:35 pm
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Title: The Pogostick (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Al Columbia (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Leroy Douresseaux (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Columbia masterfully directs this story, but in a stealth way."

Review: Pogostick #2
    Things sure get real horrorshow in the second chapter of Al Columbia (Biologic Show) and Ethan Persoff's (Top Notch) black comedy, The Pogostick. There are Haitian zombies and voodoo warlords, a cancer patient, a butcher knife, sudden unemployment, the disadvantages of caller I.D., a horrible death, a cuckoo's nest revisited, cops with guns and flashlights, an ambulance, fat garbage bags, a clean apartment, and the gentle flow of blood on a carpet...all in two glorious colors.

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    Alternative comics version of Howard Hughes, Al Columbia (The Biologic Show), and filmmaker, Ethan Persoff, joined forces to created Pogostick. As of late 2006, only two issues have appeared, which may only be a slight problem, as Pogostick #2 doesn’t necessarily end in a cliffhanger.

    This mannered, still narrative follows a middle-aged accountant type named Audrey Grinfield. From the get go, he’s obviously an odd little fellow, but by the end, we know that he is a murderer and is probably jump-the-fence crazy, as well as being screaming and hollowing mad.

    The art, by Persoff, has a flat appearance, although it indicates depth and space. It looks as if Persoff mixed drawing with cutouts and computer-rendered shapes. It’s kind of like a cut and past version of Chris Ware (Acme Novelty Library). As the writer, Columbia masterfully directs this story, but in a stealth way. He never intrudes on Persoff’s disquieting visuals.

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More info:
    Writer: Al Columbia
    Penciller: Ethan Persoff
    Cover Artist: Ethan Persoff

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Mar 6th, 2012, 1:35 pm
Mar 6th, 2012, 2:57 pm
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Title: Nazi Zombies (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Joe Wight (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: El Blanco Gigante (Review 1) and Rob Siebert (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I actually enjoyed reading this book and will pick up the next issue just to see where it goes."

Review 1: Nazi Zombies #1
    Part 1: Operation: Hammerhead!
    Story & Art: Joe Wight

      I first have to put out there that I’m pretty tired of Zombies. Everywhere I look anymore there seems to be a zombie book, show, movie or whatever. So, with that thought in my head, I picked up Antarctic Press’ Nazi Zombies #1.

      First thing I have to note is the art in the story “Operation: Hammerhead!” is really nice. The ink wash look adds a nice touch to the atmosphere of the story. Much like Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead”. The story you’ve heard before in some sort of fashion. The Nazi’s are doing experiments to create an invincible soldier. Bodies of dead German soldiers were shipped back to a hidden lab where they were reanimated into the “Totenkorps”

      So you have a group of soldiers I trying to jump a Nazi train to nab this doctor that was supposed to surrender to the Americans. Only things went differently and the soldiers, once the train was captured, found him being devoured by the Nazi zombies.

    Part 2: Afrika Korpse
    Story: Joe Wight
    Art: Ben Dunn

      The second story takes place during the African campaign of WWII. A group of British soldiers are trying to make it back to the safety zone in a crippled truck. One of the soldiers is wounded and the group is trying to make it to an oasis that one had spotted before. They come across a lot of skeletons around the oasis. They feel something is wrong and will only use the water to fill the radiator. When they try to leave the are ambushed by the Nazi zombies coming out of the water. They get away but the zombies give chase.

      This was the part of the story that I really found intriguing. The zombies still function alive soldiers. They chased the British soldiers in one of their troop carriers. Firing upon them and all. Which is a spin you don’t typically see.

      In the end we see the leader of the rag tag Brits being told by his superior that his report needs to be rewritten. That he was hallucinating from the desert heat and was actually fighting alive Nazis. The issue closes with the soldier refusing to rewrite his report.

      I actually enjoyed reading this book and will pick up the next issue just to see where it goes. From there I’ll decided if I stick with it.

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Review 1: Nazi Zombies #1
    Nazi Zombies! Whether it’s a hokey title or not, you’ve got to admit it grabs your attention.

    This title uses a familiar premise: The idea that Hitler and the Nazis had a keen interest in the occult and the paranormal. Without getting into great specifics, the issue tells us that in attempting to create a new breed of super soldier, the Nazis have forged their own army of zombies to use against the Allied Powers. Split into two stories, this issue sees two groups of soldiers discover the zombies, one onboard a train, and one in the middle of the desert. The war has taken a turn no one ever thought possible, due to a force no one thought could ever exist.

    While the premise may seem like something out of a B-movie, Nazi Zombies takes itself rather seriously. I don’t fault it for that, as the idea of the Nazis creating undead soldiers does make for an interesting premise. But people may be coming into this issue expecting one thing, and getting another. For me, that was a pleasant surprise. But for others it may not be.

    Did you know zombies could drive? Drive tanks nonetheless? I didn’t. But that’s what we see in the second half of this issue, which leads me to believe these may not be our average, run of the mill mindless zombies. If they possess a degree of consciousness, that could give this book a bit of a different vibe than The Walking Dead or Key of Z. On the other hand, the tank stunt might have simply been a one-shot deal, or some kind of trick we weren’t completely clued in on. Time will tell.

    Ben Dunn is more than capable of providing quality zombie art, as we see in a splash page about midway through. So if pretty pictures of the dead and decaying is what you’re looking for, you’ll find it here.

    Nazi Zombies has the potential to be a fun title that delivers the popcorn goods, while hopefully delivering on an intriguing premise. Based on the end of this issue, it looks like the Allies might already have a special anti-zombie task force up and running, which could be interesting if it takes the story into different zombie-infested locales. I enjoyed this title, and it puts a couple of interesting ideas on the table, but I don’t necessarily have high expectations for it. Hopefully it’ll surprise me.

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More info:
    Story/Art: Joe Wight
    Art: Ben Dunn

Publisher:
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Mar 6th, 2012, 2:57 pm
Mar 6th, 2012, 6:00 pm
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Title: Catwoman – Her Sister’s Keeper (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mindy Newell (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Edmund Lau Kok Ming (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" The real Catwoman is in here; NOT in that movie!"

Review:
    This is the notorious Catwoman story that D.C. Comics wanted to erase from memory but it somehow surfaces every now and then. "Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper" is actually "Catwoman: Year One" (or the closest we will ever get to a "Year One" for the feline fatale) as it ties in very closely to Frank Miller's justly-classic "Batman: Year One". In fact, it more than "ties-into" that work; entire scenes were lifted from Miller's original and put into this volume. In fact, the present writer/artist seem to have created their story in this volume by wrapping some "filler-info" around those famous Miller-scenes.

    As to the notoriety of the work, this volume, like Miller's "Batman: Year One" gives us a Selina Kyle who works as a prostiture/sexual-dominatrix. But more than that, it ties her to religion (Selina's sister is a Catholic nun) and child-prostitution/abuse in the character of Holly. Furthermore, this tale revives the classic sexual attraction between Batman and Catwoman with a classic kiss shared by the two on the rooftop (a scene stolen by Tim Burton and added to the movie, "Batman Returns").

    According to DC Editorial decrees, this work is no longer part of official continuity (after the continuity altering event called "Zero Hour"). However, DC continuity is a tricky thing and so are Editorial decrees. In recent years, it seems to be back in "official continuity" as the current Ed Brubaker "Catwoman" series seems like a direct continuation of this book (Holly and Selina's sister features prominently in Brubaker's run). Therefore, it is an essential read in Catwoman's long legend.

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    Continuity aside, this is really a difficult book to like. The art is choppy at times, and the scenes "lifted" from Miller's work (originally drawn by David Mazzuchelli) does not help either. In truth, it only adds to the frustration that this work wasn't done by the original Miller-Mazzuchelli team! About the only element in this tale that is half-decent is the introduction of Ted Grant (the Golden Age JSA-er, Wildcat) as Selina Kyle's mentor. The writing is very, very uneven and the pacing is hopeless. Reading it again recently, I felt like I was watching a bootleg, unedited David Lynch movie. After a while, I gave up on the pacing and tried to make as much sense of the story as possible. Honestly, if not for my great love for the characters (Batman and Catwoman), I'd probably give up by the first chapter.

    My copy is an original first-print tradepaperback with the original painted cover and an excellent foreword by the late Archie Goodwin. Goodwin compares Catwoman to the movie "Cat People" and talks a little about sexual repression and the need for split-personas. Interesting stuff.

    This volume is recommended to all Batman/Catwoman historians as well as the new fans just getting in with the Ed Brubaker monthly. It is also recommended as an antidote to purge the poison of the new Warner Bros. "Catwoman" movie starring Halle Berry. The real Catwoman is in here; NOT in that movie!


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More info:
    Writer: Mindy Newell
    Artistss: JJ Birch, Michael Bair

Publisher:
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Mar 6th, 2012, 6:00 pm
Mar 6th, 2012, 6:26 pm
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Title: The Biologic Show (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Al Columbia (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Andrew (Review 1) and Wiki (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Sick. Very very sick. If you can withstand it, recommended."

Review 1:
    Short Review: Sick. Very very sick. If you can withstand it, recommended.

    Al Columbia is probably best known as the guy who drew issues 3 & 4 of Alan Moore's Big Numbers, and then had a nervous breakdown, and made the original art into a mobile. This collection of short stories is as good an indicator of how much he had to get off his mind as that act; the word Deranged is the first to come to mind, followed by Sick. Mr. Columbia has a fixation with mouths and eyes, not to mention a predilection for drawing nameless organic surfaces, like implausible internal organs, and cloven hooves, together with the sort of legs usually associated with satyrs. There's murder, more murder, rape, mutilation, more murder, and so on. It's not a happy book by any standards, but there's a story inside each atrocity exhibition, and I was never compelled to put the book down. If you can stomach it, it's one of very few things of this type (the only other comparison is with Doghead, also by Al Columbia).


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Review 2:
    The Biologic Show is a comic book series written and drawn by Al Columbia and published by Fantagraphics Books. The first issue, #0, was released in 1994, and a second issue, #1, was released a year later. An issue #2 was solicited in Previews and announced in the pages of other Fantagraphics publications but was never published.

    The comic's title is taken from a passage in the William S. Burroughs book Exterminator! (in the chapter "Short Trip Home"). The passage is briefly quoted at the beginning of the story "The Biologic Show" in issue #0, one of several references to Burroughs in Columbia's early work.

    Each issue of The Biologic Show contains several short stories and illustrated poems. #0 introduces three of Columbia's recurring characters: the hapless, Koko the Clown-like Seymour Sunshine in the opening comic "No Tomorrow If I Must Return" and the brother/sister duo Pim and Francie in "Tar Frogs" (a story which first appeared in the UK magazine Deadline). Issue #1 is dominated by the 16-page "Peloria: Part One", intended as the first installment of a never-completed graphic novel. It introduces a third character, Knishkebibble the Monkey-Boy, who reappears in Columbia's later comics.

    Much of the material in The Biologic Show deals with unsettling subject matter such as mutilation, incest, and the occult. Kieron Gillen has characterized the series as "comics transgression in its purest form."

    Reactions to the series were mixed. One critic dismissed issue #0 as "an array of senselessness ... transparent as a ghost and feigning substance"; another called it "a big, visceral, messy masterwork". It was also highly praised by other alternative comics creators including Mike Allred and Jim Woodring.

    Along with his stories printed in Zero Zero and BLAB!, the two issues of The Biologic Show are some of Columbia's best-known and most-acclaimed works. They are also among his most readily obtainable comics due to multiple reprintings.


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More info:
    Al Columbia story, write

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Mar 6th, 2012, 6:26 pm
Mar 6th, 2012, 8:08 pm
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Title: Take A Chance (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): C.E. Murphy (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: MRiedlinger (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Probably my favorite aspect of this book is how grounded in reality it is."

Review:
    Typically, I steer clear of super-hero comics. I don’t trust them because Deus Ex Machina comes into play way too often. Avoiding that is what made Rising Stars great a few years ago, and it’s one of the reasons I still re-read Watchmen at least once a year. Then along comes Take a Chance from Dabel Brother’s Publishing.

    C. E. Murphy’s title character is a hero, but she’s far from super. In fact, it was refreshing to see a comic book hero take the same stance as me on the super-powered type of characters. They’re all fine and good if you like that sort of thing, but it comes easy to them, so what’s to respect? Chance is a normal woman living in a post-apocalyptic world where a North Korean super soldier experiment has given some people powers and wiped out others. By day, she works for the mayor’s office, and by night, she runs around as a masked vigilante. Murphy’s approach to the non-powered vigilante isn’t the Batman cliché either. This woman isn’t rich, and doesn’t like to just rush in and try to bust skulls. Quite often in the pages of Chance, we’ll see the hero on a stake out collecting evidence for the police. She isn’t looking to replace the justice system; she’s looking to augment it.

    Of course, the character isn’t without her own tortured, vigilante-creating past. Frankie Kemp (Chance’s real name) watched her son get shot by a careless crook several years before the start of the series. Afterward, her marriage fell apart, she finished law school, and she started taking kung fu classes. In fact, Frankie is the model of an independent, empowered woman. She reminds me a lot of Anita Blake without the vampires, and she kicks just as much ass. Through the series so far, she puts her son’s killer back in jail after he escapes with new found super powers, and she’s gotten involved in a major drug investigation. Despite the occasional super character, the series has a lot of the tone of The Wire to it. What the Dabel Brothers have here is a series that is as innovating and refreshing as any title from Vertigo or Wildstorm in the last five years.


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    Artistically, Adrian Syaf has excellent storytelling skills. His work reminds me of Whilce Portacio, and his attention to detail and emotion really compliment C.E. Murphy’s story. In Syaf’s hands, Chance manages to be attractive and strong without taking on the aspects of your typical Marvel pin-up hero. Instead of focusing on skin and breasts, the artist shows us her eyes, or when appropriate, her boot. His sense of action is kinetic, but it doesn’t get distracting, striking a balance with the words on the page.

    Probably my favorite aspect of this book is how grounded in reality it is. Frankie is likeable, but not without her flaws, yet they never threaten to become clichés. C.E. Murphy covers a lot of ground with a character who is just an otherwise normal woman who wants to make a difference. When Superman and Captain America replaced the Lone Ranger, comic writers got lazy in a sense. The only people without powers had to have money or a government agency behind them, and Chance has neither. Frankie maintains her day job, runs into real problems with the police (who haven’t been infantilized, thank goodness), and has a social life to think of. She isn’t perfect, gets her ass kicked, and as a hero, fights for all the right reasons, not just the typical heroic tropes comics usually feed us about “truth and justice”. Finally, her sense of humor is distinctly normal. C.E. Murphy doesn’t have to cover bad writing with witty repartee, so Chance’s jokes have as much tendency to be humorous and appropriate as yours or mine. What remains to be seen are her limitations. How long can a person keep up a one-woman war on crime before she falls into a downward spiral of exhaustion, frustration, and a relaxing moral code? I’m not sure where Murphy is going to take Take a Chance in the end, but it’ll be worth seeing.


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More info:
    Written by C.E. Murphy
    Art by Adrian Syaf

Publisher:
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Mar 6th, 2012, 8:08 pm
Mar 7th, 2012, 8:44 am
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Title: The Sixpenny Murder (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John A. Short (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Simon Breeze (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" This is a fantastic comic and well worth the cover price of £1.99."

Review:
    I picked this comic up at the Exeter Comic Expo back in September this year, and read the comic within a few days of that event, and I have done several more times since. Why do I feel the need to mention this? I think just to stress, off-the-bat, what a great example of an independently published comic The Sixpenny Murder is.

    The story is based on the true events of the Tithebarn Street Outrage that took place in Liverpool in the 1800's and follows, as closely as possible, the real accounts of the event. For those not familiar with the event (and you're not alone there, I was too until I picked up this comic) the 'outrage' took place on the August Bank Holiday in 1874, where Richard and Alice Morgan were suddenly attacked by street thugs: an attack that sadly ended in Richard's death.

    Doing a bit of research I found out that this was something of a 'first', an unusual and very unique incident for the time: strangers attacked in daylight, on a major city street by people they didn't know - a random, unprovoked and very violent incident indeed, and the comic reflects this very well within its pages.

    There are several very appealing things about this comic. The first is the art, mostly as a comic it is one of the first things you see of course. David Hitchcok's art is fantastic and works brilliantly with John A. Short's writing. The style fits the age it is set in with great panel pacing and angling of the readers view, for black and white art it comes across as almost cinematic at times.

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    The next thing is John A. Short's writing - again brilliant. His story telling for this tale is bang on. As he states himself '... The important element in telling this story was that we should stick as closely as possible to the details of the case. I'm sure that some of the most lurid parts of the story probably come over as just sensational story-telling devices, but I want to assure the reader that everything of importance is based on reported events ...'. This is great writing, dialogue and pacing. Something else John A. Short also manages to bring to his story telling is the clever way he approaches the attack itself, starting after the event in the prison cell with John 'Holy fly' McCrave after he wakes from a nightmare to confess his sins to Father Bonte before he is hung, and then his telling of his version of the events becomes the story within the comic.

    One big thing about this comic that is talked about in the final pages is how the comic came about. The idea of the comic is to tell a story in an engaging and interesting way to young people, the focus of this one being gang and weapon related violence, and try to use it as an example of personal responsibility. There are many parallels with the events of the 1800's that mirror many of todays youth and gang crimes and attitudes within the media towards youths themselves. One example that is sited within the comic is one of the newspaper headings of the day 'City of Savages'. That was used to describe Liverpool after the event, the young people on street corners were demonised by the Tithebarn Outrage as something to be feared and avoided, echoing many of todays news reports.

    This is a fantastic comic and well worth the cover price of £1.99. I think every teenager should read it, I'm keeping my copy safe until my little boy is old enough to appreciate it, because I genuinely believe there is an important message within this book he will need to learn.

    For everyone who is not a teenager? Well, you need to read it too, simply because it is a great comic, a solid 5 out of 5 for this one.


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More info:
    Written by John A. Short
    Illustrated by David Hitchcock
    Lettered by JAS
    Edited by Emily Alison

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 8:44 am
Mar 7th, 2012, 9:12 am
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Title: Star Wars: Dawn Of The Jedi (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Ostrander and Jan Duursema (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: cGt2099 (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" It may just be one of the best comic book series set in the galaxy far, far away ever to have been published. "

Review: Dawn Of The Jedi #1
    The debut issue of Star Wars: Dawn Of The Jedi is, in essence, a Creation Myth, telling the very beginnings and origins of the Jedi and the Sith. Set tens of thousands of years before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the story tells of how the original order, called the Je’daii, came into being, and how their approaching conflict with the Rakatan Infinite Empire set their course away from balance and into division.

    Dawn Of The Jedi, for the Star Wars continuity geek (such as myself – I like to consider myself a bit of an in-universe SW historian) is a dream come true – the publication we’ve long waited for. From start to finish, Dawn Of The Jedi #1 is chock full of new information about the deeply unexplored ancient history era of the Star Wars universe, providing a solid glimpse into a time where swords were used instead of a lightsaber.

    The comic opens with a style of “on the first day” kind of dialogue, evoking imagery of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, and even the Book of Genesis. The introduction tells of how the very first Je’daii came into being — a group of remote beings on countless worlds who could feel and detect some kind of mystical field, eventually to be known as the Force, were literally picked up by colossal pyramid-style ships called The Tho Yor.

    Assembled, the beings migrate to a planet in the central core of the galaxy called Tython. It is there the Je’daii Order is formed – curiously seeking Balance of the Force. Their initial philosophy is intriguing, as it embraces both the Dark Side and the Light Side, as they struggle to not turn to one or the other, but rather keep the Force balanced between the two.

    Millennia pass as the Je’daii migrate across the galaxy, becoming the earliest version of the guardians of the galaxy, following the will of the Force to strive for balance, and in upholding justice where needed and as requested by the early regimes of the galaxy.

    Meanwhile, the Infinite Empire run by the Rakatans (formerly alluded to in the Knights Of The Old Republic video game series), are continuing an ongoing conquest of the galaxy. Using Force-sensitive apprentices they call “Force Hounds,” they ‘sniff out’ planets rich in the Force, for the utilization of the Empire, and to continue their reign of power.

    Shadowing rumors of a central core planet extremely rich in the Force (in a subplot comparable to the Conquistadors quest for gold), the Rakatan leaders decide to hunt down and discover Tython – a decision that will shift the face of the galaxy for eternity.

    The introductory writing for Dawn Of The Jedi is exceedingly solid, and one couldn’t expect anything less from John Ostrander and Jan Duursema. Working on a tale that is essentially a Creation Myth could quickly become either a tedious exposition or a cheesy script, but neither is the case here. They have magnificently created a nice balance of writing in this context, without delving too deeply into complicated origins or relational exposition, and without leaving important details that are essential to the plot.

    What is also striking is the ease at which the creation tale segues into the storyline. Quite often, introductory text can feel like a huge drop-off as the actual story begins, but the transition feels seamless in this debut issue; and works substantially well within the context of the Star Wars universe.

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    The artwork by the uber-awesome team of Jan Duursema with Dan Parsons and Wes Dzioba is unparalleled. The creative team has worked on numerous Star Wars projects in the past, and has accomplished a consistent level of quality with their product that fans fairly much have ultimate trust in their outcomes now. The art has the hints and feels you would expect from the style of, say, Star Wars Legacy; but they are clearly working also on getting a unique spice and flavoring for the art of this series. The attention to detail is magnificent, and the character profiles are absolutely wonderful.

    Some other highlights came to my attention while reading. A couple of lightsabers do make a cameo – both without the power packs we’ve previously seen in Old Republic comics. This could mean a different kind of technology the Je’daii is eventually introduced to, or perhaps a weaponization designed distinctively for the Force Hounds of the Rakatan. It is hard to say at this point in time.

    Tatooine also features prominently in this issue. But instead of the desert planet we are familiar with, we find it to be a lush planet, similar to Alderaan or Yavin IV – and discover the reason WHY it becomes a desert planet to begin with, which is an enjoyable to see. The native species of the planet are of interest, and I am curious to see whether they evolve into the infamous Tusken Raiders aka Sandpeople or not – though this may not figure prominently into the central plot focus of this new series.

    Expanded Universe fans are going to LOVE this series, and will find this introduction issue to be their highlight of comic book reading for the month – no doubts. General Star Wars fans will also find it enjoyable; and other comic fans may find it worth a glance. This may be clearly aimed at Star Wars nerds, but it may just be one of the best comic book series set in the galaxy far, far away ever to have been published.


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More info:
    Story by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
    Pencils and Cover Art by Jan Duursema
    Inks by Dan Parsons
    Colors by Wes Dzioba

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 9:12 am
Mar 7th, 2012, 10:02 am
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Title: Warlord of Mars Annual (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mark Rahner (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: DS Arsenault (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" One of the more iconic noble savages in pulp science fiction."

Review: Warlord of Mars Annual #1
    The Story: “Shell Shock”: After some sparring, John Carter and Tars Tarkas, two old warriors who have become best friends, go over a tale from Tars Tarkas’s past, one that took place just before Carter arrived on Barsoom.

    The Review: It is very hard to capture the mood of Barsoom with an economy of words. The pulp tradition, born in the baroque written style of the late Victorian, is part of the charm. This was the first thing that struck me in this book. It is a story told by Tars Tarkas, so it marches in his reflective, expository style. At first, being so different from the post-Hemingway, post-Frank Miller styles of writing, it took a bit to switch gears and accustom myself to the different rhythm of story-telling. Once I was there, I was delighted, feeling like I’d immersed myself in an unearthed Burroughs tale. The story intrigued in that we open a window into the notoriously closed Thark Jeddak and see what he and Carter interpret first as a mid-life crisis, but slowly revealed itself as a philosophical angst that laid the emotional groundwork for the friendship the now exists between Carter and Tarkas. The narrative drive is powered by a crime and a mystery, with social tensions, but the heart of the story is emotional and satisfying. The icing on the cake for me was the end of the story, with the moment of laughter between the two good and great friends, one that I got to share in too.

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    On art, Sadowski is not my favourite Barsoomian artist. I prefer more lifelike detail in the draftsmanship, but his artwork is undeniably clear and he tells this visual story set in an alien desert. The action scenes, of which there are a few, are suitably bloody and savage, although some of the stances seemed to defy gravity or proportion at times, which bled away some of the authenticity of the moment. I do have to say that Sadowski draws cool thoats and calots, and some of Carter’s expressions were evocative. The cover art by Lucio Parrillo was awesome.

    The Annual is also filled out by a teaser in the form of 11 pages from Dynamite’s excellent Fall of Barsoom limited series, which recently ended and is now out in trade. This is a nice addition.

    Conclusion: This is a fine story shining a light onto the earlier days of Tars Tarkas, one of the more iconic noble savages in pulp science fiction. Although the cover price of $4.99 demands a bit more of a commitment, considering many smaller books with more ads are selling for only a dollar less, this is a good deal.


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More info:
    By: Mark Rahner (writer)
    Stephen Sadowski (illustrator)
    Adriano Lucas (colorist)
    Joseph Rybandt (editor)
    Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator)

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 10:02 am
Mar 7th, 2012, 1:59 pm
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Title: Jurassic Strike Force 5 (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Joe Brusha and Neo Edmund (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Chad Bonin (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Jurassic Strike Force 5 is a perfectly fine book."

Review: Jurassic Strike Force 5 #2
    Dinosaurs wage their battle against the evil forces of the the Decepticons, or, Reptillians, in this absurdly-conceptualized book with an all-too familiar plot line.

    Jurassic Strike Force 5, in concept alone, seems better suited for a children's television show from the 1980s or 1990s, powered by toy sales. Anthropmorphized dinosaurs taking fight against each other? Tons of potential sales there. As a comic, it works fine, with Brusha's plot, Edmund's script, and Giles-Rivera's art, nothing is explicitly wrong with the book; it's exactly what's to be expected from a no-name comic book company that can still get books on shelves.

    Yet, it's all been done before. Speak up if this sounds familiar: an ancient warring race is awoken on modern Earth to continue their fight. Invariably, humans get involved in the scuffle, but the heroic characters end up defending them (and eventually needing their aid). A scheming, flying character on the evil side can't wait for their chance at power.

    Jurassic Strike Force 5 is a perfectly fine book. It also is the original story of The Transformers so far. Whether this is intentional (as stated before, the concept of the book is ripped right out of 1980s cartoons driven by toy sales) or accidental is unknown, but the Autobots and Decepticons are easily the forefathers of these dinosauric warriors. This book has creativity on the surface, but once you're scale-deep, all you realize is that war never changes.


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More info:
    Words: Joe Brusha, Neo Edmund
    Art: JL Giles-Rivera
    Colors: Jeff Blake

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 1:59 pm
Mar 7th, 2012, 6:54 pm
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Title: Rachel Rising (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Terry Moore (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Kelly Thompson (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" A fantastically mysterious horror story filled with beautiful art."

Review: Rachel Rising #3
    Terry Moore brings his expected best -- which includes great female characters and gorgeous black and white art -- to his latest new series “Rachel Rising.” However, this series has an immediate horror-based element that is setting it apart from his other comics in interesting ways.

    “Rachel Rising” takes an even darker turn in this third issue as Rachel continues to try to uncover just what has happened to her in the time she lost before waking up in a shallow grave. In addition to her lost time and strange appearance, Rachel exhibits some strange and fairly disturbing power in this issue. Meanwhile, the blonde stranger we’ve been seeing hints of makes her move against a couple in a bar to brutal and permanent effect.

    It’s difficult to talk about Terry Moore’s art without just raving. His attention to detail, from characters to backgrounds, is always well thought out and smartly executed. He shows a variety of character body types and ethnicities and always pays attention to things like clothing and hairstyles, which fleshes out his characters and worlds with a nice well-considered realism. Though Moore’s ladies frequently suffer from looking a bit too similar in the face if not for a distinguishing characteristic, with faces that great it’s hard to complain.

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    However, beyond all the great details and smart choices, what really shines in Moore’s work is his ability to just tell a damn good story. The story is always crystal clear, whether there is text to aid the art or not. Moore knows how to pace a story with the best of them. “Rachel Rising” has so far been one of the best examples of Moore’s ability to drive a story forward from a plotting standpoint while still capturing those little character beats that make us fall in love.

    The writing in “Rachel Rising” is strong and complements the art nicely. It’s subtle and naturalistic, with tiny pops of a sense of humor, which is key in such a dark book. There are ten pages in this book that are almost entirely silent, and yet you don’t miss the words at all, which is not a criticism of the writing so much as praise for Moore’s perfect understanding of how to tell a story. In a perfect world, by issue #3 I’d understand a little more about the mysteries Moore is unfolding. But I can wait. I have faith it will be worth it.

    One of the best new series to debut recently, among a sea of new series, “Rachel Rising” is a fantastically mysterious horror story filled with beautiful art. I can’t think of much I’d rather read.


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More info:
    Story by Terry Moore
    Art by Terry Moore
    Letters by Terry Moore
    Cover by Terry Moore

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 6:54 pm
Mar 7th, 2012, 9:16 pm
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Title: Magic: The Gathering (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Matt Forbeck (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Walter Richardson (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" It's fun, exciting, and flat-out looks great."

Review: Magic: The Gathering #1
    What is probably the most popular collectible card game in the world gets an ongoing from the rising force that is IDW. Follow the cut for my opinions on the issue.

    I'm always interested in checking out new titles from licensed properties, particularly those I'm not completely familiar with. In an industry dominated by properties primarily owned by one of two companies, it's always intriguing to see how other, non-creator-owned properties compete, especially when it comes to nabbing that mythical reader everyone is talking about, usually lured in by something other than the comic itself. This makes sense with a property like Magic: The Gathering, which was a card game first, but it's interesting how the reverse is usually true with superhero comics, where the reader is drawn into the comics after seeing the movies. Goes to show the level of exposure for different mediums. But I digress.

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    I have no shame in admitting that I played Magic when I was in middle school. I'll even say that if it didn't cost an arm and a leg to play, like a lot of these collectible games, I might play a game or two every now and then, because it was pretty fun. That being said, my knowledge of the "lore" is minimal. By that, I mean I know the word "Planeswalker" has some kind of significance, and that's about it. Thankfully, though, that didn't matter with this first issue. To someone who knows nothing about Magic, this is just a regular fantasy comic. There's really nothing you need to know beyond what is given on the page; our main character is introduced, and we are given enough about our setting to understand what's going on. We don't need anything else. In fact, any more information would probably just complicate matters. As is, this comic is completely comfortable for new and — at least, I'm assuming — old readers alike.

    It isn't just accessible, though; the first issue of Magic: The Gathering is a pretty good read. Writer Matt Forbeck gives us all the information we need while still keeping things exciting. The chase scene that the issue opens with is very well paced, and grabs the reader's attention right away. It isn't too short, it isn't too long, and when Dack, our protagonist, finally makes his escape, it's in a way that just grabs the reader's attention even more. The second, "recovery" scene is also put together well, serving as the first big info dump without necessarily slowing the narrative down; it may not be as hectic at the chase, but people are doing things while talking, rather than monologuing while motionless. The only scene that really slows thing down is the final flashback, and that's more due to Forbeck's script. As Dack "thinks" about what he's seeing, his voice intrudes too much on the scene. Really, nothing more is needed than what Forbeck has Dack narrate after the flashback. Still, to quote Meat Loaf, two out of three [scenes] 'aint bad. Forbeck's writing isn't anything astounding — a few cliches are used, such as the loathed "Plan B: Run" — but he has put together a pretty fun book.

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    What really impressed me with this comic was the art. Sure, there are quite a few licensed properties that have great artists attached — I'm quite excited for Becky Cloonan on Conan — but the odds seem somewhat stacked against finding great art. Not that it's always bad, but you'll often find young artists stretching their wings, not quite at the top of their talent yet. Not so with this book. Artist Martín Cóccolo has a style that's dynamic but smooth, reminding the reader of what big-name artists like Jim Lee might put out if they realized that their figures don't need to be jagged and rough in order to look appropriate for an action comic. His backgrounds are equally important; I hope Forbeck sets the rest of the story in more cities like the first one, because I could look at Cóccolo's arches and buttresses all day. The book's secret weapon, though, is colorist J. Edwin Stevens. Comics seem to have two extremes when it comes to coloring: Blinding and muddy. Stevens, however, has given the comic a look that could probably be best described as "warm." It isn't exactly a bright world, but it's textured with muted lights and shadows in a way that shifts with the story, rather than staying at a constant (which many other comics are guilty of). There's a great, painter-like quality to Stevens' coloring, and it pairs extremely well with Cóccolo's equally smooth pencils.

    This book might not be one of the best on the stands, but I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who is into the fantasy genre, whether or not you've touched a Magic card in your life. It's fun, exciting, and flat-out looks great. My accolades to the entire team for proving my expectations quite wrong. Plus, it includes an exclusive variant card!


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More info:
    Written by Matt Forbeck
    Illustrated by Martín Cóccolo
    Colored by J. Edwin Stevens

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 9:16 pm
Mar 7th, 2012, 11:24 pm
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Title: Supernatural (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Brian Wood (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Gilbert Short (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend this book for anyone who isn’t a fan of the show."

Review: Supernatural #1
    Are you a fan of Supernatural? You know -- the adventures of the brothers Winchester?

    Do you like comic books?

    If you answered yes to these questions, this book might just be the book for you. However, does it fly high like Castiel or sink to the pit?

    Check some thoughts after the jump!

    This is a strange little book from what could be described as an unexpected creator team. Brian Wood, being someone who has primarily done creator-owned work, wasn’t someone I would've expected to write a media tie-in to a popular TV show like Supernatural. I probably would expect it from the artist Grant Bond, however, as he seems to have primarily done tie-ins to other properties like Assassin’s Creed, Megamind, and -- well, now Supernatural. Nevertheless, together they put together a book that neither satisfies nor dissatisfies. It just rather is.

    I will admit Brian Wood is a creator with whom I’m largely unfamiliar. I have the first volume of DMZ in my Trade Stack, but it stands unread at press time. It does seem like Wood is a fan of the show, and it comes through in the writing. He writes Sam Winchester like a fan of the series who understands Sam’s introspective nature. However, while he’s still introspective, he’s s unburdened by the show’s narrative, since this takes place during his college years while studying abroad in Scotland.

    However, some inconsistencies don’t go unnoticed. During this period, Sam and Dean weren’t much of a family, and didn't speak to one another, so why is Sam referring to his possible conquest of the female lead as something Dean would be jealous of? Why would he actually care? In addition, it strikes me that while Sam was in college, he’d do his best to avoid the whole “hunting thing” and instead he would like to go to a lecture at the University of Edinburgh, because he is a nerd. However, that would cancel out the need for a book in the first place, so I can forgive that.

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    The story as it’s told works quite well from the surface, and is still fun to read, albeit a little confusing. The book ends on a note that leaves me wondering who the bad guys are; I feel like we didn’t meet them, and the arc only has one issue left (out of the total six). However, maybe this will all tie-in together in some way.

    On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to express my feelings for the art that don’t make me sound like a pretentious jerk. I like the art, I really do, but I feel that it doesn’t QUITE fit the mood for a Supernatural comic. SPN has always had a gritty look to it, and why not? It’s a horror series after all. However, while this book tries to go for a gritty atmosphere, the cartoonish character designs hamper that atmosphere more than it helps. It ends up looking like a cheap flash cartoon based upon Supernatural. Sam still has his trademark Season One Hair and he still kind of mopes around like a depressed moose, but it doesn’t carry the same feel. Furthermore, if I wanted to nitpick, I would wonder where this Scottish Hunter “Emma of the Isles” came from, because she is conspicuously the same height as Sam. Sam, who is played by Jared Padalecki, is 6 foot 5 inches tall; she’s just as tall as Sam, which makes for a really odd pairing. (Is this a nitpick? Probably, but it is a bit distracting, coming from a fan of the show.)

    Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend this book for anyone who isn’t a fan of the show. Casual SPN fans would probably get a kick out of it, but the only people that MIGHT care would be the hardcore fans, and even then, they probably wouldn’t be too happy about it.


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More info:
    Written By Brian Wood
    Illustrated By Grant Bond

Publisher:
    Image

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Mar 7th, 2012, 11:24 pm