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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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Dragon Age: Dark Fortress #1

3/31/2021

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Dragon Age: Dark Fortress #1
Dark Horse Comics 2021
Written by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Illustrated by Fernando Heinz Furukawa
Ink Assists by Sebastian Heinz
Special Thanks to Rocio Zucchi
Coloured by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot

    The next chapter in the world of BioWare's award-winning dark fantasy RPG begins here! Deep within enemy territory, the warrior-legend Fenris and a fearless team of Inquisition agents prepare to assault a fortress said to be unbreakable in a bid to prevent the unthinkable from being unleashed. The continuation of Dragon Age: Blue Wraith!

    This is another series that I found and rather enjoyed without knowing it was based on an RPG video game.  If you aren’t a gamer than it’s okay because you don’t have to be to enjoy the storytelling here.  If you only play RPGs on the tabletop then you’ll find yourself wanting to run a campaign in this world.  So what it boils down to is that this is for everyone regardless, so if you like great solid storytelling then you should do yourself a favour and pick this up.  I tell ya this is what a team book is all about, a mix of personalities and powers working together against the odds to succeed where others have failed.

    I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented so that everything works to move the story forward beautifully.  I know that this is a sequel but honestly it is so new reader friendly and I like that about this.  The character development is great and as we see the dialogue alongside how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter we get a better and better sense of who they are.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story and its twists & turns we’re swept up in the beginning of the adventure.

    I am enjoying how this is being structured and how the layers within the story are able to weave in, out and about through the main arc.  The extra dimension it brings us is extremely well rendered and utilised.  The way that we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is completely and utterly delightful.

    The interiors here are stunning!  The linework is clean, crisp and how we see the varying weights and techniques utilised to create this level of detail work is mind numbing work.  Seriously the quality of the interiors here is astounding and it is some of the most gorgeous work we are seeing on stands today.  That backgrounds get the same level of treatment that the characters do is phenomenal to see and how they work within the composition of the panels to not only enhance the moments but bring us such depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is marvellous.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is divine.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is stunning.  How we see light sources and how that changes some of the shades and hues, the magic effects and that lyrium in his flesh all conspire to really make moments pop.
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    I could never get tired of reading this groups adventures and with this quality and level of storytelling from the concept, through the writing to the artwork and ending with the lettering what we see here is all just brilliantly done.

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Warbound #1

3/31/2021

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Warbound #1
Evoluzione Publishing 2021
Created by Marcel Dupree
Written & Lettered by Guido Martinez
Illustrated by Gaurav Shrivastava
Coloured by Fahriza Kamaputra

    Warbound, an immortal anti-hero on a quest for revenge. Or a delusional violent super vigilante? Villains fear him. Heroes don't trust him. Now, locked in a mental asylum for superpowers people, his only chance at freedom is a session with Dr. Kendra Jones. What truths will be revealed?

    I really enjoy Evoluzione’s books I think they are smartly written with an intelligence and thoughtfulness that really makes a difference in how we see them.  Plus while the characters are predominantly of colour it isn’t the whole look at me deal, it just is and that quite frankly is how it should be.  For me this is a damn good book about a man on a personal quest to avenge his people and finally be free and I want to see him finally face down the Sorcerer and realise perhaps that Dr. Jones isn’t who she claims to be.  She makes my spidey sense tingle throughout the whole book which of course is the stellar characterisation that I’ll get to in a little bit.  I think this is a very unique concept and it’s got this whole bonus originality to what it is that makes me even more excited to be reading it.

    I love the way that this is being told.  This kind of sit down evaluation interview is not something I have seen done before, and if you’ve ever seen a shrink you’ll notice that this is awfully authentic.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented beautifully as it works to move everything ever forward.  The character development is off the charts!  How we see the dialogue between Warbound and Dr. Jones is both antagonistic and provoking so that she thinks he’ll speak more freely if he’s angry or agitated.  It is a tactic that shouldn’t be used but we’re talking about a locked up immortal vigilante who has a penchant for killing.  Wait that’s really more of the reason why.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing his life story you begin to feel for him and understand why he does what he does and even empathise to a degree.  We become engaged and invested in the story. 

    The interiors here are absolutely magnificent!  The linework is phenomenal and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to show this level of quality in the detail work we see is stupendous.  One look at that alligator and you understand everything I mean.  Folks should take not because this is taking place in a room, or cell if you prefer, and yet backgrounds are utilised to showcase the cramped quarters and bring us this depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is sensational!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is incredibly well rendered.  Just the fact that we see colour utilised in ways to help bring power to bodies and musculature regardless if it’s man or beast and how the water pops with various shades of blue, aqua and white really showcase someone whose understanding of how colour can and should work is top notch.
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    First issue and the origin unfolds as does the reason for his existence and when this all began, okay roughly because time losing meaning after a few hundred years.  The way this is being told is brilliantly handled and every single thing we see has purpose and meaning and foreshadows what is to come.  This is just damn fine storytelling from top to bottom including the lettering which in and of itself has a few different styles throughout.  If you want something that feels familiar and yet isn’t your run of the mill anti-hero book than look no further this is everything you never knew  you needed until now.
     Available at EvoluzionePub.com



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Van Helsing in Black Annis

3/31/2021

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Van Helsing in Black Annis
Zenescope Entertainment 2021
Written by Brian Hawkins
Illustrated by Vicente Cifuentes
Coloured by Robby Brevard
Lettered by Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios

    Run ins with vampires, monsters, and all types of nightly creatures, are almost as natural as breathing to the famed vampire-hunter, Liesel Van Helsing. But something wicked is going after children in the five boroughs, and as Liesel’s personal life and nightly adventures are about converge, she is soon to find out why centuries of children have feared the snatcher of souls, Black Annis!

    This issue is a double edged sword for me, and that’s only because I want Liesel to get back together with Hades but she’s just so gosh darn cute with Rick.  The way that Brian is able to bring them to life as a couple is just perfectly done and you can tell that they are at a certain stage of their relationship.  Though not at the point where she’s told him who she is and what she does, that is going to be one hell of a conversation to see.  Meanwhile it’s almost a shame that when she meets his nephew she’s drawn into a situation that requires her unique skill set.  

    I am enjoying the way that this is being told.  How we see the story & plot development through watching the sequence of events unfold alongside the reader learning information and how that constantly moves things forward is extremely well done.  The character development is phenomenal and to see how the dialogue along with seeing them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter keep the characterisation ever changing and evolving.  The pacing that we see s superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story along with its twists & turns it creates this perfect storm for Liesel to get even closer to Rick and Max.

    How this is being structured so that we see the layers within the story emerge and grow along with previous strands from other stories is exceptionally well rendered.  That we see potential for new enemies and for old ones to resurface is what makes reading her adventures so entertaining.  Then there is how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow which is so utterly delightful.  The entire flow of the book from start  to finish is fantastic and it’s nice to see the larger page count even if it’s six to eight extra pages.

    Right off the bat, see opening to the first page, we see the kind of work that Vicente and Robby are doing here is going to knock your socks off.  The linework that we see is so completely exquisitely laid down and how the varying weights and techniques that we see being utilised to create this level and quality of detail work is astounding.  Faces alone are brilliantly done and the expressions and body language help tweak the characterisation beautifully.  Personally I’d like to see more backgrounds being utilised, i’m not a fan of the open or coloured work behind a figure, because when we do see them they not only enhance the moments but they provide us with some killer depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a magnificent eye for storytelling.  
     The colour work that we see is absolutely divine!  How the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exceptional.  That we can see how colour is utilised to create extra depth and dimension, facial structure or musculature, shows this fabulous understanding of how colour can work to its fullest degree.

    Liesel is the epitome of why Zenescope is so successful right now with their superhero style storytelling.  With an outfit as provocative as Zatanna’s and a skill set to rival Batgirl she’s this wicked awesome woman of strong character and beliefs that finds her way into your bones and doesn’t leave.

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Cult of Dracula #1

3/31/2021

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Cult of Dracula #1
Source Point Press 2021
Created & Written by Rich Davis
Illustrated by Henry Martinez
Coloured by Trevor Richardson
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire

    Special Agent Malcom Bram arrives at the House of the Rising Sun. This secluded compound is the home of the secretive Ordo Dracul and the scene of a horrendous crime coined, "The Cult of Dracula Mass Suicides." Mina Murray leads a documentary film crew to uncover the secrets of the mysterious cult by interviewing its enigmatic leader, Robert Renfield. Neither investigator is prepared for the gravity of the truths they will uncover.

    The opening here is certainly one that you will never forget.  It is everything that you want in an opening and then some as this kind of brutal carnage that we see with very few spoken words let’s the readers’ mind and imagination do most of the deductive work.  Thus ensuring that there is an investment and engagement in the book from the first page and moving forward.  The only thinking that i wonder about is whether the opening is in the past, present or future.  When we get to the main story I have to say how the main characters are incorporated into the story is pretty brilliantly handled.  I was and wasn’t expecting this to be this closely tied into the Bram Stoker version in any way, shape or form. 

    I like the way this is being told, with the exception of where/when the opening takes place.  Otherwise how we see the story & plot development through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented so that they constantly move everything forward.  The character development is interesting because all we’ve seen thus far is are a few exchanges that introduce the cast without giving us too much to go on.  It works though because the interest and intrigue factor are raised and we want to see and know more about them.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the cast, the setting and some ultra violent promises we’re dying to see more by the last page.

    I think the way that this is structured is well done as the layers within the story emerge and start to guide the reader through a myriad of moments that will seem to have an impact down the road.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is delightful.

    The interiors here are really rather solid.  The linework that we see is nicely laid down and with the varying weights we see some great detail work being brought about.  The work does have a very indie comic book style feel to it and I look forward to seeing continue to grow as an artist.  I am very impressed with the way we see backgrounds being incorporated into the book and how they work within the composition of the panels.  They not only enhance the moments but they also provide some great depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a strong eye for storytelling.  The colour work here is fantastic!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work showcases a great eye for how colour works.  Also i love that we see John’s pants as purple and have green highlights because that is precisely what I expect to see.  The work is really good here and I am digging what we see.
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    Source Point Press is home to some fabulous new storytellers, see creators.  They take a chance on folks when others don’t and it’s a good thing too because this deserves to be on stands and in your hands.  This is a spectacular first issue that sets the stage for what’s to come and it will keep you on your toes and guessing what is in store for these folks.

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The Monster Men: Heart of Wrath #3

3/31/2021

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The Monster Men: Heart of Wrath #3
American Mythology Productions 2019
Written by Mike Wolfer
Illustrated by Roy Allan Martinez
Coloured by Periya Pillai
Lettered by Natalie Jane

     This canonical sequel reveals terrors that will leave you with nightmares as rugged Townsend Harper, Jr. and beautiful Virginia Maxon face the legacy of her father's mad experiments into the creation of human life in mysterious chemical vats. But the creatures birthed by science are far from human, misshapen and monstrous beasts who hunger for human flesh. As they fight for their lives in the jungles of a secluded island hell, Townsend and Virginia find that their enemies include not only a horde of fiendish creatures, but a detachment of soldiers led by British Army lieutenant Arkwright, who has resumed Professor Maxon's doomed experiments to create his own army of beasts. Only one can possibly save Townsend and Virginia and stop the mad British officer's scheme... the fearsome creature of inhuman strength who answers to the name Number 13! 

    Fracking Covid made this take so long to come out but I will say this boy was it ever worth the wait!  The story Mike is weaving here using the characters from the original and then some is utterly spectacular.  The first page here is a wonderful bout of catch-up as Bulan, Townsend, wanders the underground tunnel system looking for Virginia.

    I am enjoying the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information while working to move it all forward is presented exceptionally well.  I mean whether it’s narration, dialogue or through actions how we learn information is presented in a myriad of ways and it is fantastic plus it ties in tightly to the character development.  Which is spectacular by the way and there’s no greater moment to demonstrate that then Virginia doing what she did upon meeting Arkwright.  The pacing is great and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story with its twists and turns along the way it creates an incredibly dynamic tale.

    How we see the being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and emerge.  I like being surprised and there are a few moments when I was surprised genuinely so and those moments are what makes me love this series.  I do like how we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow.

    I am a huge fan of the work Roy Allan does on the interiors here.  I love the linework and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to bring out this kind of attention to detail is stupendous.  I also like that Bulan is shirtless the entire time though I wish he had some hair on his chest or a least a happy trail.  That backgrounds are so integral to how we see the story and what they bring to the moments as well as the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story that we see is incredibly well rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work we see is phenomenal.  How the various hues and tones within the colours are ing utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a true understanding of how colour works.  Plus i rather like seeing how it helps shape the musculature, Bulan, as well as seeing more than one technique in laying it down.
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    This is so true to the source material that it just reads so incredibly well.  You forget in this modern world that once upon a time authors knew how to capture the imagination of their audience in some of the simplest yet complex ways imaginable and this creative team takes that inspiration and brings this to life in that vein.  

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Punchline #12

3/30/2021

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Punchline #12
Antarctic Press 2018
Written & Lettered by Bill Williams
Illustrated by Matthew Weldon
Coloured by Jean-Francois Beaulieu

    "The Bad Shepherds" 
     Jessie's big day is finally here! Versema, Mel and Giuliana travel to a medieval world for Versema's big test. On that strange world, Versema must perform a heroic feat to earn the Power of Hercules. Will Mel's bloody antics doom her mission?

    It didn’t take very long for this to become one of my favourite series currently being published.  How the mantle has been passed and how Mel thought she was going to die and instead passed her powers to Jessie and has to find her new way in the world while mentoring Jessie has been one of the most interesting and intriguing stories that has run a full twelve issues and counting.  This has been a smartly written story from the get-go and it continues to be now.  I enjoy the fact that this is a superhero book that it does have its dark moments but instead it has that traditional feeling of light overcoming darkness, see hope.  This is one of the best female led books on stands with its honesty in how Jessie is learning to become a heroine.

    I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  How we see the story & plot development unfold through the sequence of events and then how the reader learns information is presented continually moves us forward.  There is so much about this to like and to see where her powers come from and to have her mettle tested to see if she’s worthy to continue to be a champion it feels like a culmination of events that will lead into her next chapter of life.  The character development that we see is sensational!  How we see the dialogue as well as how the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really continue to keep them growing and evolving as people.  The pacing is superb as it takes us through the pages revealing the events to come.

    I am enjoying the way that this is structured and how the layers within the story continue to carry forth while new avenues emerge creating a great complex dynamic that the two women share.  Mel loves being a super powered person and it’s easy for her to slip into that role even when it’s Jessie’s turn to showcase what she has.  The way that everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is rather quite stupendous.

    The interiors here never disappoint.  The linework we see is fantastic and how its varying weights and techniques are being utilised to bring out this level and quality of detail work is astounding.  I will say that while I do want backgrounds behind the fighting what we do see is fabulous and how it provides some great depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the book is solid stuff.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is absolutely divine!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exceptional.  How colour is utilised to shape and contour the body or the trees or anything really shows this great understanding of what colour is truly capable of.
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    The Mel and Jessie pretty much being polar opposites of each other the dichotomy isn’t lost on the reader.  I think it’s a smart play as well as one is just starting out and the other has become much too jaded and somehow the two can work side by side and teach each other, or remind one another, of what’s really important.  This really is an engaging, entertaining and all around extremely well put together book.

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Pantomime #5

3/30/2021

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Pantomime #5
Mad Cave Studios 2020
Written by Christopher Sebela
Illustrated by David Stoll
Coloured by Dearbhla Kelly
Lettered by Justin Birch

    Waiting on the porch after a heist gone wrong is the last person our young thieves ever expected. Now they have to figure out how to escape the nightmare for a second time. The past has caught up to them, and this time, it brought a gun.

    I am a huge fan of this book.  Just the concept alone had me hooked and to see the kids get caught by the man they stole from and then forced to work for him, till they got him arrested and now it’s five years later and He’s Baaaack!  These kids have grown up some and they are still doing what they’ve been doing but to honest I don’t think they’ve wisened up at all.  It is so easy to see what Christopher is doing with these characters and how complicated they are as the bonds that hold them together are also the ones that can break them apart.  It is such a fascinating story and a truly unique range of characters that it is an absolute joy to see how he’s made them family to one another and how they’ve grown into the roles they’ve chosen.

    I like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold alongside how the reader learns information keep everything constantly moving forward.  The character development is astounding!  These kids fight each other and with their benefactor or the guy who learned ASL while in prison to further control the kids.  Watching them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter and the choices they make is like watching a train wreck only more fun.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way we get swept up in these events alongside them.

    I am enjoying the way that this is structured and how it allows the layers within the story a chance to keep growing, evolving and taking on elements that keep it’s own.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is extremely nice to see.  Sebela really understands how to write and he’s got the talent, skill and imagination to make it all seem like child's play.

    I really like how we see the interiors here.  He may be the bad guy but with that Tom Selleck mustache and the way he looks that’s one i’d call “Daddy” any day he wanted.  Each one of these characters has their own unique look to them that is held throughout and it takes a great amount of skill and talent to do that so consistently.  The linework we see and how through its varying weights and techniques that bring forth the detail work is stellar stuff.  Now if I could just get more utilisation of backgrounds the interiors would be perfect.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work that we see is really well rendered.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work really is rather impressive.
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    These kids are seen as having a disadvantage but to me they are more capable than most folks who are deemed to have no flaws.  They work hard at what they do, they use everything they can to their advantage and in many regards they take no prisoners.  The concept and execution of is brilliantly done and I think this group of kids need to keep making appearances over the years in many more arcs to come.

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Dune: House Atreides #5

3/30/2021

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Dune: House Atreides #5
BOOM! Studios 2020
Written by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson
Illustrated by Dev Pramanik
Ink Assists by Raffaele Semeraro
Coloured by Alex Guimarães
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire

    Leto brings news of the revolt brewing on Ix, but the city's leaders make a decision that may threaten everyone.... while Crown Prince Shaddam plots to overtake it.  Meanwhile, Pardot Kynes begins spreading his edenic vision to terraform the desert planet of Dune into an oasis even as the native Fremen raise suspicions about his motives... and if he can truly accomplish his goals.

    I continue to be impressed with the level an quality of storytelling that I see within these pages.  If this were to be televised it would give Dynasty and Dallas a run for its money in the night time soap opera category.  Just the wide array of characters and the multiple layers within the storytelling itself add a delicious complexity to the story and yet the way the guys are writing this it’s easy to follow along and to understand what is happening.  Personally for me this is what I am now considering the quintessential introduction to the franchise.  If you start with this story then reading or watching everything else will make that much more sense to you.

    I love the way that this is being told. How the story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader reader learns information is not only impeccably done but it all moves everything ever forward.  Also I do like how we see some arcs segway into the next and how smooth and natural that transition is.  The character development remains extremely nice to see.  The dialogue and the actions folks take alongside with how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter continue to evolve how we see them.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twist & turns along the way as the story intensifies we see this drama taken to whole new heights.

    I am a fan of the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and emerge throughout.  There is a great tension being built up and there are times when we become so engaged that we holler at the book, like one does at a horror film, about them being stupid.  How everything works together to create the story’s eb & flow is delightfully rendered.

    The interiors here are sublime.  The linework that we see is phenomenal and how the varying weights and end techniques are being utilised to create the detail work is so mind-numbing at times.  The faces, facial expressions and body language that we see helps to further the characterisation nicely.  I would like to see more backgrounds being utilised more because when we see them they really are extremely well done.  Still we get some nice depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story as is.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show an extremely talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work that we see is beautifully rendered.  How the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is really done with aplomb.
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    This really is being told in such a spectacular way.  With intelligent writing and strong interesting characters wrapped up in some stunning artwork this makes Dune one of the more interesting offerings of the week.  Also the fact that people act nonchalantly about things they’ve never experienced before that could deadly in a heartbeat well you just want to slap some sense into them.  This level of engagement of the reader is another facet that makes this such a great read.

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Year Zero Vol.2 #5

3/30/2021

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Year Zero Vol.2 #5
AWA Upshot Studios 2020
Written by Benjamin Percy
Illustrated by Juan Jose Ryp
Coloured by Frank Martin Jr.
Lettered by Andworld Design

    Upshot's hit series Year Zero returns with four new harrowing tales of survival from around a post apocalyptic world, set several months after the events on Volume One: A grizzled Norwegian sea captain and her two young grandchildren navigate an ocean teeming with undead while eluding the relentless pirates on their trail. A Colombian cartel boss indulges all of his most sadistic whims unaware that a threat far greater than zombies is headed toward his jungle fortress. A Rwandan doctor must overcome the crippling fear that has plagued him all his life as he stumbles through the African bush. And a pregnant woman barricaded in an American big box store discovers that the greatest threat to her life – and her unborn child's – might not be undead.

    I never would have thought that I would get into short stories about zombies and yet here we are with one of the most fascinating comics in the world.  Four different and distinct stories are being told and each one of them concludes with this issue.  It has everything we love in a zombie story too, death, destruction, mayhem and that old whole does any survive?  Benjamin, Juan Jose and Frank deliver one of the most well written, visually breathtaking horror comics that you’ll have the pleasure to read.

    I adore the way that this is being told.  While they are four separate arcs that doesn't mean that each one is told before moving onto the next.  Not every few pages things switch up and the entire issue reads like any other one would, well one with multiple layers in the story by someone who knew what they were doing.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development is lovely and as we see through how the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter alongside the dialogue manages to make these characters we want to root for.  The pacing that we see here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the way each ends well I refuse to spoil anything there.  I like how we this being structured and how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well.

    Juan Jose Ryp is one of if not my favourite artists working today.  What the man can do with a pencil in creating the linework and through it’s varying weights and techniques to create this level and quality of detail in his work is mindbogglingly brilliant.  Add into this that the backgrounds that we see are just as detailed and little moments like with animals or the dead create this sense of movement.  How the composition within the panels is utilised to bing us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story is utterly marvellous.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling.  The colour work is divine.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work showcases such an understanding for how colour works.  
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    The creativity and imagination that we see on display here whether its the writing or the visuals leaves such an impact upon the reader.  With intelligent, interesting and never knowing what’s around the bend this really has heightened the sense of danger with every turn of the page.  This is a brilliant book and that it’s told unlike any other in the genre makes it groundbreaking and a must have read.

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Miskatonic #5

3/29/2021

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Picture
Miskatonic #5
Aftershock Comics 2020
Written by Mark Sable
Illustrated by Giorgio Pontrelli
Coloured by Pippa Bowland
Lettered by Dave Sharpe

    Miranda Keller is one of J. Edgar Hoover's first female investigators. After all she's seen in the Miskatonic Valley – a white supremacist cult, bulletproof amphibious humanoids and the
reanimated dead – she might also be the last. Now, her career and her life depend on stopping the resurrection of an Elder God.

    This has been one heck of a story and it’s been filled with action, intrigue and mystery on so many different levels.  I wonder what would have happened has Miranda been on this case by herself without Tom.  I mean we’ve seen her with Asenath and now the climax to the story is fast approaching and not once do we stop being engaged and thinking about what it is we are seeing and what could have been.  Mark’s ability to engage the reader while keeping the reader guessing the entire way is extremely nice to see.  It has made this a heck of a lot of fun to read too mind you and while this may end this arc I am hoping the opportunity for further cases that require Tom’s unusual outlook on the world.

    I like the way that this is being told.  How we see the story & plot development constantly moving forward through how the sequence of events unfold alongside how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see is sensational in how the dialogue as well as seeing how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us barrelling towards the last page revealing all the twists and turns along the way it almost leaves the reader with baited breath.

    I like the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to play roles in how we see this unfold is extremely nice to see.  That each of the partners have their own focus while apart and yet it syncs with what the other is doing is delightful to see play itself out.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is beautifully done.  I like the concept of this book and I like how we see the presence of an elder god with mixing Hoover and a Cthulhu type being is something I would never have expected to see.

    I am a little bit disappointed in the interior artwork here.  It feels like a novice playing with working on a digital art pad.  The linework at times is much, much too thick there way too many blank backgrounds where they could benefit from being filled in and overall it feels like a class assignment rather than a professional gig.  There are moments the work is great, opening page seeing the destruction and the exterior of the house those are the kind of panels I wish filled the book.  That pinup page where the creativity and imagination are on full display is great I just wish that it felt like movement instead of so stiff and unyielding.  The colour work is beautifully done and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work showcases that.  That panel on the page four is breathtaking.
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    Mark’s story is absolutely amazing and through his ability to weave the tale through these five issues building the tension, intrigue alongside plenty of action and hell of a killer ending is more than enough reason to make sure that if you haven’t read the single issue than to make sure you order the trade.  I want to see Tom’s further adventures and maybe just maybe get interiors that resemble this issues cover, because that would totally freak the heck out of readers.

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