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Today's reviews!

Reviews for 19-12-21 
​Reviews for 18-12-21 Reviews for 17-12-21 Reviews for 16-12-21
​Reviews for 15-12-21 Reviews for 14-12-21 Reviews for 13-12-21
​Reviews for 12-12-21 Reviews for 11-12-21 Reviews for 10-12-21
​Reviews for 09-12-21 Reviews for 08-12-21 Reviews for 07-12-21
​Reviews for 06-12-21 Reviews for 05-12-21 Reviews for 04-12-21
​Reviews for 03-12-11 Reviews for 02-12-21 Reviews for 01-12-21

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Journey into Unknown Worlds #1

1/31/2019

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Journey into Unknown Worlds #1
Marvel Comics 2019
Written by Cullen Bunn & Clay McLeod Chapman
Illustrated by Giuermo Sanna & Francesco Manna
Coloured by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham


       In celebration of Marvel's 80th anniversary and the comic books that captivated hearts and minds across generations, join us for two scintillating sci-fi stories – the first an extraterrestrial adventure by Cullen Bunn the likes of which haven't been seen in this or any other decade, and the second a tale of terror by Clay McLeod Chapman that could take place in your very own back yard! The secrets of the universe lie waiting to be discovered, True-Believers, on a JOURNEY TO UNKNOWN WORLDS!

       I'll be honest here I really thought that this would take place in outer space. I had forgotten that the series was all over the place but after I settled in to read this all I could think that while this may be one of Marvel’s celebratory issues, honestly I want this to be monthly again. This is what old school comics were all about and it’s nice to see this kind of unexpected storytelling. Also that Cullen is the one who writes the first story here had me sold immediately. Another thing that I really liked about this issue is that there were only two stories. No overwhelming us with tales that are unnecessary or just to boost the price of the book any more than it was.

       With the first tale I had forgotten how nice it is that there isn’t any backstory leading into what we see. I love that it’s just boom there we are and this is what’s going on. There is an effective use of narration boxes going on here and that’s far and away enough to set the story up. Also the visuals here are another great way of recognising what is in play. So that Cullen, Giuermo and Lee work so well in both writing and visually telling this it’s easy to get sucked in quickly and let the readers mind do a lot imagination work. This both keeps the readers attention and leaves them wanting more. This is some crazy arse shite and l could be any happier about it.

      The second story is equally as good as the first. I absolutely adore the concept for this one and it really is all about the idea behind urban legends. The play on the idea or concept that I am seeing makes kind of squeal with glee, and yes I know I should be more frightened but I'm old and a huge horror fan so this just makes me happy. Seriously that this was able to be told in the space allotted and it’s complete with absolutely nothing missing I would have say they did an amazing job on this one.

       The idea remains something I can’t over because it’s spot on, the pacing, the characterisation and the interior artwork here is what makes this so gosh darn successful. And then there’s the ending here or should I say double ending to this that is just bloody brilliant. The linework is crisp and clean and the creativity and imagination in the Chrysalis just blew me away and the colours chosen are superb.
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      There is so much to like about this and pretty much nothing to complain about and that for me is really rare these days. Both these stories hit perfectly on the science fiction/horror genre perfectly. The stories feel familiar, and surprising tied in making the issue feel like it’s themed. I give Marvel a lot of grief but this one they nailed and it’s extremely well done, written and illustrated all around. These two stories will thrill you with the originality and creativity and leave you wanting to see more.
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Peter Cannon Thunderbolt #1

1/31/2019

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Peter Cannon Thunderbolt #1
Dynamite Entertainment 2019
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard
Coloured by Mary Safro
Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou


       His level of genius is matched only by his heroics, and in humanity’s darkest hour, he’s the hero they need the most—alas, poor humanity. Peter Cannon—the man known as Thunderbolt—is only too happy to leave civilization to face its end.

        I am at a loss for some kind of superlative start here worthy of Jack, Karen or any number of folks who can sass right off the bat without missing a beat and that is unusual for me as Mr. Humphries would say. This rocked my world in ways I wasn’t prepared for and the way it ends for me was startling yet intriguing. The personality that we see in Peter here is magnificently done and the characterisation all around from Kieron really puts the spotlight on the man behind the mask, one who has seen the worst the world has to offer and believes that there’s no hope for humanity’s future.

        I will say that those assembled here to convince Peter to join the fight to save the world from an alien invasion are a group of characters I am not familiar with. They intrigue me though and they all seem to have familiar aspects about them as well and there is at least one, maybe two, whom I would love to see more of. Still the way that this book is structured and how it starts off brilliantly with this conversation sets the tone for the rest of the series. Kieron is unusual in that he seems to be able to write his stories in a way that is frank, stark and have this eerie realness to them that almost catches you off guard. It is also one of the many reasons why I am so drawn to his work.

       Now here we are with a rag tag group of heroes who need Peter’s help to put an end to this mess happening on his doorstep. Interesting isn’t it how this random encounter taking out a city is on Peter’s doorstep? There are no coincidences no matter how hard people might want to tell you otherwise. These five people from different nations, different cultures come to be united by one man to help stop something could effect every man, woman and child on Earth. Hmm draw your own conclusions but for me I agree with Peter on this one as he explains it to Tabu.

       Caspar, oy this beautiful man is as talented as he is sexy and that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Still his work at Titan has introduced me the talent this man possesses and I have also followed his work when possible. The creativity and imagination here is off the charts, from creating the aliens to the characters themselves, The Test for example is utterly fantastic and makes me want to see more of him, and the linework to detail the faces is incredible. Plus the fact that backgrounds are utilised as needed and how they manage to expand the moment and bring a size and scope to the story is mind boggling. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows of magnificent eye for storytelling. The colour work here is utterly marvellous and how we see light sources utilised and the shadows and opportunity for colour gradation is simply divine. The looking at them through glass is so well too the slight colour dampening really works here.
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      I love Peter Cannon, I always have and it’s nice to see him here at Dynamite where I feel it’s the only place to have done him justice. The writing here is amazing and the interiors are gorgeous and if this book doesn’t leave you gob-smacked than nothing will.  
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Star Trek: The Q Conflict #1

1/30/2019

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Star Trek the Q Conflict #1
IDW Publishing 2019
Written by Scott & David Tipton
Pencilled by David Messina
Inked by Elisabetta D’Amico
Lettered by Neil Uyetake


       When a dispute between godlike beings threatens the galaxy, it will take all of Starfleet's best captains to stop them. Join James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, and Benjamin Sisko as they go head-to-head in a competition that will determine the fate of the Earth and beyond. Will they be able to emerge victorious, or will they be torn apart by The Q Conflict? A soon-to-be-classic six-part miniseries begins here! The crews of The Next Generation, The Original Series, Voyager, and Deep Space 9 come together to face their biggest challenge yet!

       I get excited over stories like this. The Star Trek franchise under the guidance of IDW has become known for these outside the box crossovers and it never gets old. So while I may not be a DS9 fan that they are here alongside the crew of the Voyager, TNG and the original crew makes the fanboy in me geek out!

      No one knows this universe like the Tipton boys do and I adore them and their work, dedication and love of this franchise. Let’s start with the premise and Q Continuum because that’s really the basis of the story. I think that it is beyond clever that Q has interacted with three of the four crews, the Original run had a few godlike beings in it but no Q so seeing all this is fantastic. Since our main antagonist here is Q and his antics it makes sense that we open with Picard and his crew. This opening demonstrates just how clever and smart this crew really is as the story continues and the culprit of what they are experiencing is figured out.

      I like that we see all these ships at different stages in their careers. It makes things more interesting to me because there are different levels of working together as a unit to make things more difficult when facing any opponent. So the fact that it takes a minute when we see them to figure where in the timeline they belong adds something to the story that’s unexpected and delightful. This is among the myriad of reasons I love when they write stories. Aside from the straight up there are layers here and some are overt and others are not but they manage to weave them seamlessly into the story and I am always impressed.

      Oh David how I miss seeing your work on a regular basis. His work on various projects in the Star Trek universe makes him a great choice here. Plus after Bounce I am a fan of his for life. The linework here is beautifully done and how he manages to create this stunning attention to detail is exciting as all get out. His use of perspective in both the foreground and the backgrounds and working with the team in using focus, in and out of, which is the way our eyes actually work is phenomenal stuff. I will say I wish Q looked a little more like de Lancie but who am I to nitpick. The two-page spread here I want, I want in my collection because it personifies a fanboy’s dream come true. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective show off such a talented eye for storytelling. Also the colour work here is gorgeous the use of light sources, shading and colour gradation is spectacularly well done.
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      If this is the way the entire run is going then I cannot wait to see what the next five issues have in store. The twist that is revealed here is unprecedented in my opinion and I want the next issue now. So because I am anxious for the next issue this demonstrates the quality and level of storytelling that we are seeing here. This is exceptional and there’s no arguing that point.
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Die!Die!Die! #7

1/29/2019

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Die!Die!Die! #7
Skybound/Image Comics 2018
Written by Robert Kirkman
Co-Plotted by Scott M. Gimple
Illustrated by Chris Burnham
Coloured by Nathan Fairbairn
Lettered by Russ Wooten


      I love this series and I don’t apologise for that. This really is one of the most violent, sex filled crazy ass off the wall book I have read in a while. Of course all of that is why I am drawn to it but in order to stick around there has to be more than that. And I am sorry but Robert Kirkman knows how to write a damn good story and when he’s having fun, you can tell when he’s having fun too, it just gets so much more fun to read.

      Just when I think things couldn’t get any more odd this issue comes along and suddenly a new page in weird is written. So the abridged version of Anita’s life, death and resurrection come as something of a shock to me but that doesn’t mean now I want to see more of her, how this all transpired and what the consequences are going to be moving forward.

      This issue has that confrontation that has been brewing since day one. She may be a stone cold-hearted bitch in the truest sense of the word but he’s downright, I'm not even sure there’s a word for it. His smarmy, smug face disgusting as all get out with a righteousness and attitude that makes Trump look meek yeah the two of them really needed to have this out. It is just too bad it was televised live or something so the whole world could see or at the very least the cabal which they both belong to and are vying of control over.

     I think the characterisation here is utterly sensational. I love seeing both of them going back and forth with their superiority complexes trying to outdo one another. How one always tries to have that upper hand and laughs off the others tactics. Each of them has their own very palpable hatred for the other sex for their own reasons which we see a lot of pronounced here. With the way that we see them both it’s hard to find one to really like more than the other and the fact that Robert delves into each them like he does and makes them both despicable people is spectacular to see.

      Chris really does make this what it is for me. His work really brings this to life and the way he’s so incredibly masterful at manipulating linework to create this stunning attention to detail always amazes me. His ability to show action in the panels is a strong suit of his, the way he can show faces and facial expressions that further the characterisation is essential. The creativity and imagination that we see is on point and brings things we wouldn’t think of to life with aplomb. Oh and the whole eyes wide shut thing is definitely a wow factor. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off his sensational eye for storytelling. That backgrounds are being utilised as they are is wonderfully done in expanding the moment and bringing that size and scope of the story to us. The colour work is marvellous and it really makes everything pop. The way light sources are utilised for the shading and colour gradation shows a great eye for colour coordination.
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      This book is more than just a guilty pleasure for most all of us. The story has so many layers to it and that they get peeled back to expose more just boggles the mind time and time again. The struggle back and forth and all around in not just these two but the brothers and the agents that we see and see die, presumably, continue to add to those layers of complexity that makes the story more than just gratuitous.  
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Sink #6

1/29/2019

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Sink #6
ComixTribe 2018
Written by John Lees
Illustrated by Alex Cormack
Coloured by Alex & Ashley Cormack
Lettered by Shawn Lee


      SINK Volume 2 begins here! The critically-acclaimed crime horror cult sensation returns for its most biggest, most audacious, violent chapter yet! Charlotte, wakes up in the back of a blue van, surrounded by murderous clowns.... And the night only gets worse from there! But in her fight to survive, Charlotte will discover just how resourceful--and dangerous--she can be….

       First of all this may be one of the shortest reviews I'll ever do so be prepared for that, we’ll see though right. You never know how much you’ve missed something till it’s gone right well that is not entirely true, for me it’s I never knew how much I missed something until it returns. Not only did this return but it came back stronger than ever. It is no exaggeration to say that this literally blew me away. There is something about this that you FEEL in your bones when you read it. That you can feel the emotions like fear, determination and almost damnation coming off the pages is something you will never forget.

       John has this wonderfully sick and twisted mind which we have seen since issue one. That introduction was superb and it set the tone for the entire series and he did that so very well. I think that was one of the strongest openings ever in comics. So it’s the start of season two here and how do you start this one off to resonate with the first one? I was not prepared for this not in any way shape or form and I gotta tell ya I have chills running down my spine and goosebumps on my arms. A lot of folks think they can do modern horror and they try valiantly but they can’t reach the level that we all want them too. I mean there are a few, Steve Niles and Joe Hill, or Maberry and in all honesty I think John is well on his way in joining their ranks.

     One thing that tends to scare the hell out of people isn’t seeing what’s on the page it’s what the readers mind imagines. Nothing scares you more than your own thoughts and this issue melds the best of all worlds in that aspect. I mean what we see sets the stage but the narration is all in the readers mind and holy fucking shit.

       So let’s let that lead into the interior artwork here. I am not sure what happened here but I feel like Alex took one of the pills from Limitless because I have never seen him hit this hard. The work is outrageously good and I cannot get over how strong the linework is and how it brings every single emotion to the forefront of you mind and body. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off this absolutely stunning eye for storytelling. The way we see backgrounds being utilised is brilliantly done. The way we see rain here or how Charlotte tries to put herself together, the way we see this is out of this world good. Plus he and his wife doing the colour work here so that every little thing we see is purposeful and intended is great. I love Alex’s work and I have for a long time now but this is the most bloody brilliant work I have ever seen him do which I have to say it’s not just his work but a lot of work in the business should be this good.
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      Guess this isn't’ the short review I thought it would be. This is literally the stuff that nightmares are made of so enter at your own risk, trust me you’ll want to enter regardless of the risk!
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Punchline #3

1/29/2019

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Punchline #3
Antarctic Press 2018
Written by Bill Williams
Illustrated by Brian Denham & Matthew Weldon
Coloured by Tiago Barsa
Lettered by Thom Zahler


       New Kid in Town
      When Versema chases an escaping villain to Hilltop City, she crashes into Beetle Girl. Confusion, punching, and chaos are on the agenda. Later, Mel tells a story about her first meeting with a super-powered villain.

       I was so looking forward to this particular issue because I saw Beetle Girl on the cover! I mean this costume is the original, we’re talking Mystery Men Comics #1 in 1939 by Fox Comics original. I do love that she has the skirt feature of the old old costume had because well I'm a geek/nerd and I absolutely love those “forgotten” heroes that paved the way for the ones so beloved today. Sigh so Bill, Antarctic Press is there a Beetle Girl book and if so how do I get my hands on it?  Plus it's my hope that this would spark interest in those old characters as well.

      Now onto the story at hand. I am actually extremely impressed with how Bill handles the meeting between the two. Yes there is the obligatory fight but it’s not really a fight since Versema is doing her damnedest to explain what’s really going on and not fighting back. It is a smart way to go about this and it brings the history of two colourful costumed characters misreading the situation only it is much classier I believe. It does make me tingle with excitement and the boys all work really well together to bring it to life.

       Now the creature that brings them together n ow that’s interesting to me. For now he’ll remain a bit of a mystery as the results that we see here prove however he adds something to the book and that’s untold possibilities. His introduction sparks the readers imagination and has the brain working overtime on their theories which is always a good thing. That this series manages to have the reader go beyond what’s on the page and think about what they are seeing and trying to come up with explanations yeah that’s the way to get readers to return time and time again. Yes I have my own theories but I doubt I'm right and yes that ensures I'll be back even though I am already hooked on this book.

       So the interior artwork here is extremely solid and interesting to see. Though I do notice a difference in how we see Versema and Beetle Girl, as the latter seems to have less detail to her and seems as if things are less important in regards to her. Just an observation on my part but hey. This creature that we meet, now there’s some nice imagination and creativity involved on a biblical level if you want my thoughts, which no one does heh. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a great eye for storytelling. The way we see backgrounds and how they flesh out the scene and bring a size and scope to the book. Also I love the colour work here. The way light sources are utilised so highlights, shading and colour gradation is used show some great skill level here. Overall I think this is a great art team and the work they produce really elevates the book.
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      So not only do we get new characters but we also see the legacy an old school hero and that to me shows not only respect for the past but knows how to keep their eye on the future as well. I love the quality of storytelling not just here but at Antarctic Press as a whole, as for this one it’s got some fine writing consisting of some hella good characterisation, story & plot development and solid pacing. That alongside this level of interior artwork well yeah this is one of the reasons I love comic books.
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The Mall #3

1/29/2019

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The Mall #3
Scout Comics 2018
Written by Don Handfield & James Haick III
Illustrated by Rafael Loureiro
Coloured by Daniel Rodrigues
Lettered by DC Hopkins


       A larger crime family known as the Tessitorre's have arrived in Ft. Myers and are making life difficult for Lenny and the kids. Despite great differences in their high school social status, Diego, Dallas, and Lena must put their differences aside and work together if they want their family businesses to survive.

       If you haven’t been paying attention to Scout Comics then I have a hard time understanding why. I first found them with The Elasticator and I have devoured everything they’ve had since then. This is some of the nicest, most solid storytelling around and it’s consistency never ceases to amaze me. I have to urge you all to give this series a try, if you loved any of those John Hughes 80’s films—yes think of Pretty in Pink, the Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—you will love this book. While it mixes those teenage love and angst aspects the boys throw in some Miami Vice and Goodfella’s into the mix just because. If this sounds like a recipe for disaster think again because this soufflé rose beautifully.

      One of the more progressive angles in this story is how we see Leonard portrayed here. He is reluctantly taking charge of these kids, his niece and nephews, out of familial obligation. He’s not a nice or even a good man he’s just as bad as the other mob types we see here with one huge difference. He is a homosexual and this is the 80’s and he has HIV/AIDS which at this time was a death sentence. So kudos to the guys here for bringing him to life within these pages because social commentary aside this is a part of American History whether people want to acknowledge that or not. OMG also this is your brain commercial playing in the background is literally a stroke of genius.

      There is another aspect I find myself attracted to for very specific reasons to me. Nature or nurture is heavily prevalent for me here, their dad and his side of the family are part of an organised Family and does his genetic material, tendencies and the like transfer to the kids? My father used to say my European English was genetic, my father was French-Canadian, and while he joking said it the fact remains I write in an English not specific to the United States. Being brought up in a good family will that give them the conscience that will keep them on the straight and narrow or are they hard-wired to skirting the law?

      The interior artwork here impresses me as well. I am very much enjoying the way that the varying weights of the linework is utilised to create such wonderful attention to detail. I have to also mention the colour work as well here because right from the opening that wallpaper is everything! Throughout the book the way we see faces and facial expressions really pop and expand the characterisation as well just look beautiful because of the linework. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows us a spectacular eye for storytelling. I love the way that backgrounds are utilised here as well and not just those but the foreground as well the way each panel is constructed makes the book both light hearted and compellingly dark at the same time.
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      The characterisation here is above and beyond what you expect to see these days and the care and consideration that the guys put into creating these kids, and adults, shines. With some amazing pacing, incredible plot & story development and a few twists and turns you don’t see coming alongside that characterisation and phenomenal interiors this my friends, frenemies and enemies alike, is what the industry needs more of.
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Grumble #3

1/28/2019

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​Grumble #3
Albatraoss Funnybooks 2018
Created & Written by Rafer Roberts
Created & Illustrated by Mike Norton
Coloured by Marissa Louise
Lettered by Crank!


      The cat's outta the bag... and out for blood! Eddie and Tala are on the verge of escaping Baltimore once and for all, but Simon, the feline hit-man, stands in their way. Will our heroes be able to defeat Simon, steal back their car, and skip town in one piece? Or will Eddie do something stupid and get everyone killed?

      I love this story so far it is just off-kilter enough to be oddly fascinating and still somewhat believable at the same time. The idea that a magical world exists with or own, hidden from sight usually just visible out of the corner of the eye is one that has intrigued us for years. To see these folks bring that to us so eloquently is indeed a rare treat. Also the fact that we have so many different arcs permeating the book already and the idea that Eddie is entertaining about being her father well that’s just another brick in the wall.

      The way that this is structured is spectacular to see. The overall ebb & flow is damn near flawless and how we see different avenues of the story appear alongside those notions that we all wonder about well it not only keeps us guessing but it engages the reader in some fantastic ways. We all do want to know if Eddie’s her father and we still aren’t quite sure why she has this intergalactic bounty on her head and yet the prospect of those being answered is enough to keep us coming back. There is this continual evolution in how we see the characters with each new encounter that they have and it raises that intrigue factor with each passing page.

      I adore the fact that we as readers are also continuously thinking about what we see and then take that off the page and expand upon theories in our own minds. This level of engagement that reader is drawn into just continues to demonstrate the talent and skill of Rafer’s storytelling ability. He really is writing one of the more exceptional works of fiction that is on stands right now, it is exactly what it appears to be and doesn’t try to be what it isn’t. There is a lot to be said about that alone.

      I’m always continually impressed by Mike’s work. It doesn’t matter what he’s working on either the man is just one of the talented and underrated/underappreciated artists working today. His ability to utilise the varying weights of the linework and create such attention to detail is sensational. I mean the fact that we see the buildings, the floor of the bus or that sub/burger that dude is eating to that office which looks like a tornado hit it, to his creativity and imagination in bringing Eddie or in Simon and any of the other non-human folks that we see, the attention to detail is mesmerising. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off his incredible eye for storytelling. Also I love the colour work we see here. The shading and colour gradation or how light sources are utilised are all used to show how talented Marissa is. Plus her eye for which colours to use in clothes, ties and the like are simply fantastic to see.

      That we are seeing so many companies rise up, branching out and getting some of the most talented folks to tell their own stories is so much better than relying on the stale regurgitated ideas and gimmicks we see in corporate comics companies. The level of storytelling from it’s writing through the interior artwork make Grumble a worthy new addition (to Jurassic Park) to this industry and my long boxes!
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Team M.O.B.I.L.E. #2

1/28/2019

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Team M.O.B.I.L.E. #2
Antarctic Press 2018
Created & Story by Jonathan Kendrick
Written by John Freeman
Illustrated by Andrew Chiu
Coloured by Kris Carter
Letters & Logo Design by Jim Campbell


      Team MOBILE's newest recruits, Maisy and Sam, discover that for all the abilities Mindmerge gives them, it doesn't make everything easy. Still, they have to be tested in the field sometime, so they and their team are given their first mission: Rescue a kidnapped MOBILE professor and his wife from modern pirates!

      I missed the first issue, it slipped through my cracks which is unusual for me. So if your like me we’ll have to go back find a way to find it, that said we don’t necessarily need it to enjoy this. I found myself jumping right in like some of the best introductions ever. I love it and then of course since we dive right into things here the receive the back story as we go along which fills us in on what happened last issue. Perfectly done and I really do have to say that the story and the writing here I find to be extremely well done and interesting.

      Another aspect of this that I found incredibly well done was how John is able to nail the personalities of the kids here. That and the idea that the technology only works on young brains is fascinating and to be blunt I don’t think I want more details about why what I know makes sense. The way that this has been fleshed out from the technology to the characters is bloody well brilliantly done! Everything about this feels like it fits as if it should there isn’t anything about how this is done that makes it weird that these kids are in this situation.

       I do not know why but we love seeing kids in situations such as this. While this is a perfect all-ages affair and kids can have fun seeing what could be it’s the adults who see this be reminded of their youth and what could have been. There is a fine line here between happiness and depression when looking back and the boys here do an excellent job with it. The characterisation here also does an amazing job showing how the kids are desperate to be seen as adults who can work in the field. We all know teenagers can’t wait to grow up and adults wish they could go back it’s a really interesting contradiction.

       The interiors here are really quite good. There is some beautiful attention to detail going on in these pages along with the same level of imagination and creativity. From the reindeer to the beach it’s great to see this book come to life the way it does. I do think that the faces and facial expressions help express feelings, emotions and further their characterisation. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off a steady and solid eye for storytelling. That we see all the backgrounds being utilised makes me very happy and it fleshes out the moments and brings a nice size and scope to the story.
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       This is fun, it hits all the right notes when it comes to characters, character interaction which is only heightened by the dialogue of course. The way the book is structured and the ebb and flow of information, action and the revelations that we see create some excellent pacing. There is some really nice depth, complexity and layers to the book that will surprise some but surely thrill all. I think this might be something that’s flying under the radar and it needs to be seen by all.
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Livewire #2

1/27/2019

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​Livewire #2
Valiant Entertainment 2018
Written by Vita Ayala
Illustrated by Raul Allen
Coloured by Patricia Martin
Lettered by Saida Temofonte


      While her incredible abilities help to keep her off the grid, a mysterious group of mercenaries have somehow gotten the drop on her. They’ve taken Amanda into custody, transporting her to an unknown location…..

     So the way this issue opens is unexpected, sensational and it grabs the readers attention straight away. With the awakening of mass Psiots that has been going on lately it shouldn’t surprise anyone that this kind of thing would occur. After all Harada was a corporation who more than dabbled in creating and using them. So the opening may only be three pages but in all honesty that’s enough for us to want to see and learn more about what or who they represent. Oh Vita you have me thoroughly intrigued and that’s definitely what we like!

     Meanwhile in an undisclosed location Amanda is being taken to her new cell. Well now isn’t that special?, as is or should be expected this isn’t going to go well for Amanda. On the one hand you’ve got crazy ass Psiots who are out for her blood for making them all targets, you’ve got governments who want them and now corporations whose scientists want to find ways to neuter them by any means necessary, well after last issues ending we can only assume as much but then where are the kids?

     I have to say that the writing Vita is doing is absolutely amazing and not because of the way this is structured or the surprise twists and turns, though those are greatly appreciated, but look at the characterisation here, look at how much depth the characters have and how much you can see them justify their actions through their dialogue. The most stunning aspect of this is the fact that there is no judgement about what they say and who they are, it just is. It just is. Let that sink in a moment because love em, hate em, agree or disagree with what they believe in it doesn’t matter this portrays everyone with every varying opinion the chance to be seen as they should be. I hope the success of this book and Submerged means we’ll being seeing her grow as a writer to be reckoned with. Oh and she continues to write for the V companies.

     Good golly miss Molly do I love seeing the interiors here. The linework really is exquisite and how the varying weights are utilised to bring us this level of attention to detail is thrilling. I mean to see things like junction boxes that most would take for granted were there really makes a difference in how I see things. Also the colour work is incredible as well and the way that red or pink barrier is seen and how light sources are utilised to create shadows and shading or colour gradation is spot on. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a superb eye for storytelling. The faces and facial expressions add so many layers to the characterisation as well which show the strength of Raul’s ability. The way we see backgrounds utilised is great and while this facility may be stripped down there’s still enough there to flesh out the scenes beautifully.
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      I think that the sheer fact that this series is nothing like I was expecting it be and yet it really is what I wanted it to be is something I couldn’t have predicted. The writing here is almost revolutionary in it’s brutal honest portrayal of it’s characters without any judgement being passed on them. This is fresh, new and exciting and I cannot wait to see how all these different angles and paths converge in places. Valiant is the future and the future is now.
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