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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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Starring Sonya Devereaux Warrior Woman Death Team 5 #1

4/30/2021

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Starring Sonya Devereaux: Warrior Woman Death Team 5 #1
American Mythology Productions 2021
Written by Todd Livingston & Nick Capetanakis
Illustrated & Lettered by Brendon & Brian Fraim
Coloured by James Couts

    Hollywood's 306th best actress stars in the hilarious, action-packed sword & sorcery movie Warrior Woman: Death Team 5. When Warrior Woman Eena (Sonya Devereaux) is forced out of retirement to search for kidnapped Princess Harlotta, she re-assembles the mighty, all-female Death Team to combat evil Lord Tombstroke. But can they stop fighting amongst themselves long enough to save the kingdom from tyranny and a moat-load of misogyny?

    This is one of those guilty pleasure books that I will wholeheartedly own up to.  It really is as silly as they come but at the same time it takes itself seriously in a way that only the best tongue-in-cheek style of storytelling can pull off.  What Todd & Nick manage to pull off here is the equivalent to any number of horror screen sirens who make their living in the genre and travel the Horrorhound style circuit of conventions knowing full well that it’s thanks to their tits & ass as well as their ability to simply scream is what makes them so bloody popular.  

    I like 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 exceptionally well.  There really is something humorous about the way that we see this unfold and unashamedly Sonya will flirt to get something she wants whether it’s a part in a film or simply some sushi.  The character development that we see here is fantastic and it’s a combination of the dialogue and how we see the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter that fleshes them out.  The pacing here is great and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story it is definitely full of those superb moments that make you want to see more.

    I really like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story are not at all subtle.  The overtness of Sonja and her personality is mirrored in the direction we see the story take and I think it’s done perfectly that way.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story constantly forward is executed extremely well.

    So the brothers Fraim work on the interiors here is pretty fabulous.  There is something extremely familiar about Frank and Cody and I feel like have seen them somewhere before, and no not on King of the Hill or Scooby Doo.  For this kind of story this is the boys have a very comic book close to cartoon style to their work and it completely fits with what we see perfectly.  The attention to detail is really nicely rendered and how we see the backgrounds within the composition of the panels bring us some nice 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 talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is great and as we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work it really shines.
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    Thank goodness there is room in the market for all kinds of books.  In my humble opinion there aren’t enough feel good fun books on stands anymore so when they do come out we need to support them so we’ll see more of them.  This is one of those series, it’s so intelligently done on so many levels that it’s entertaining, engaging and just a pleasure and a half to read.

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Belle in King of Serpents

4/30/2021

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Belle in King of Serpents
Zenescope Entertainment 2021
Written by Dave Franchini
Illustrated by Julius Abrera
Coloured by Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Lettered by Kurt Hathaway

    Great evil has been slipping into the Grimm Universe over the last few months, and no corner is safe from its insurgence.  Belle is about to discover this firsthand as she comes face-to-face with one of the most vicious and deadly creatures in existence: The King of Serpents!

    I love Belle!  She’s rightfully one of Zenescope's best creations who has been through hell and has found herself alone for the first time in her life as she carries on the family business.  Though she has to maintain a day job now in order to save the world at night so as a school teacher she’s able to reach the young minds of tomorrow and do something she loves.  Doesn’t make what she and Mel do any easier mind you but nothing is ever going to do that.  Still these two women rely upon each other like siblings and that shows up beautifully in their banter back and forth, usually in the middle of a fight.  While I love that we keep getting a few one-shots we really need limited series arcs.

    I am a huge 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 exceptionally well.  I like how Belle is one place and she’s needed elsewhere simultaneously and it’s times like this that her being able to call upon say The Black Knight would be ideal.  The character development that we see is fantastic and as the dialogue along with the interaction between characters as well as the way we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter all help to flesh them out nicely.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way it stresses that we need to see more of Belle!

    I really like the way that this is being told and how the layers within the story are able to really emerge and make an impact that positively affects the main arc.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is really quite well done.

    I am very much enjoying the interiors that we see here.  The linework we see is fantastic and how the varying weights are being utilised to create the detail work that we see is sensational.  I really appreciate the creativity and imagination that we see here as we get to see the King of Serpents and Neverland.  With how we see the composition within the panels nearly negates the need for backgrounds but that doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t like to see them utilised more.  Not only do they enhance the moments but they do add to the 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 super solid eye for storytelling.  The colour work we see through how the various hues and tones are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is spectacular.
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    This is the kind of storytelling that makes you want to see more.  Belle and Mel are sensational characters and the more I see them the more I want to see them and with Belle not ready to trust new people because of her run of luck with that is a great theme that runs through this issue.  The depth and complexity not to mention the humour we see showcases why I love David’s work and his talent, skill and love of these characters.  

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Helm Greycastle #1

4/30/2021

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Helm Greycastle #1
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2021
Written by Henry Barajas
Illustrated by Rahmat M. Handoko
Coloured by Bryan Valenza
Lettered by  Gabriela Downie

    The last dragon prince has been abducted—kept prisoner by an unknown threat: AZTEC MEXICA! Helm Greycastle and his outsider comrades are here to save the prince—but are recruited by a resistance plotting to overthrow Montezuma. Will Greycastle help save the people of MEXICA...or rescue the dragon prince and flee?

    I’ve said about a few of these types of books that they feel like an RPG tabletop adventure brought to life through comics but this one feels the most like that to me.  Not that I am complaining because it’s a great adventure and we’re dropped into this already in progress which is a great way to engage the reader and make them think and wonder about the story itself.  I like that this is set in South America amids the Aztec’s and that mythology as it opens up a whole new world of possibilities that mix with the various races you’d find in a typical Dungeons & Dragons adventure.  There is a sense of originality in that which we don’t get to see a whole lot of in the genre anymore.

    I like the way that this is being told.  How we see the story & plot development through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  How the characters are introduced amidst a fight with basically their name and what they are or do leaves a lot of room for exploring them, where they come from and what races they represent.  The character development is interesting for much the same reasons and to see that there is already conflict among the group and that they are bound together through circumstances they created in some way shape or form only screams out for more exploration.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing this world, the story and introducing the characters it is easy to be drawn in and be left wanting to see and know more.

    The way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story are seen to have already started and grow and evolve over the course of the issue is well constructed.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story constantly forward is well done.

    The interiors here are really rather exceptional.  The linework we see is strong, clean and crisp so that when working with the varying weights and techniques to create this kind of quality in the detail work is stupendous.  The skeleton warriors, who talk for a change, all have a great consistency to them that make them frightening opponents and how the clothes and scenery are utilised within the composition of the panels is perfectly rendered.  Not only do we get these great moments but the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story comes through beautifully.  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 creativity and imagination in bringing these characters to life is so incredibly nice to see.  The colour work is gorgeous.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is beautifully rendered.  The techniques we see in how they are laid down mixes things up perfectly so depending on what’s needed where.
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    Whether or not this is taken directly from a tabletop adventure or it is just written that way it only reaffirms what I’ve been saying about this genre of storytelling, that it’s every bit the superhero team book that we see proliferate the stands.  It is just told from a different perspective utilising different elements on the whole.  This is a winner folks and I highly recommend you check it out next time you are at your local store.

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The Modern Frankenstein #1

4/29/2021

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The Modern Frankenstein #1
Heavy Metal Comics/Magma Comix 2021
Written by Paul Cornell
Illustrated by Emma Vieceli
Coloured by Pippa Bowland
Lettered by Simon Bowland
    
    Elizabeth Kleve is a brilliant young medical student, attracted to the waspish, charismatic surgeon James Frankenstein. He wants to further medical science... by all means necessary. So how far is Elizabeth prepared to go? A twisted horror/romance that walks a fine line between attraction and fear.

    Sometimes it can be hard to update a classic story like Frankenstein in a way that we haven’t seen before.  By creating this in a modern setting is brilliantly done because not only is the technology that we have so cutting edge but let’s face it with enough money you can have a section of a hospital all to yourself and do the kind of research you want unencumbered.  Misdirection and flat out lying plus by throwing a few bones that seem more mainstream legitimate makes it easier for the board to overlook a few things.  It is the modern world where you grease the machinery and basically you retain anonymity.  Add romance into the mix and do it the way Paul has creates this stronger sense of drama than you’d expect.

    I love 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 that creates a depth and complexity to the story that makes it feel utterly delicious.  The character development borders on predictable but at the same time it’s so perfect in how we see and know who these folks are.  Through the dialogue, the interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances reinforce how we see these characters.  The pacing is superb and how we see the twists and turns along the way really sets the stage for what we’re going to see. 

    I am a fan of the way that we see this being structured.  How the layers within the story and how they connect with each and with the larger arc as well as the characters created interconnectedness that really is tough to do but Paul makes it feel effortless.  The way we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how this moves the story forward is beautifully done.  

    The interiors here are an unexpected treat.  Right away we see through the opening how strong the linework is and how with the varying weights and techniques that create this detail work is astounding.  The opening also has several integral parts in what we see though I wish the junk hadn’t been blacked out, in this day and age a penis shouldn’t be a big deal, unless we’re in the bedroom then it should be a big deal.  The work we see is so good, its so strong and the faces, facial expressions and body language is gorgeous as it furthers our opinion of these characters.  The composition within the panels including how backgrounds are utilised bring out some great depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story is laid out perfectly.  The colour work is actually dynamic as it all has this muted aspect to what we see.  So the colours and the various hues and tones within them being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work are so subtle that they become a huge focal point throughout.  
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    That whole crush on teacher while still being one of the top students at school and dealing with some jealousy among her fellow students may seem a bit ordinary but trust me its not.  What this does is border on obsession so when she finds herself with an opportunity to work closely with this mysterious and enigmatic man she jumps at the chance.  Circumstances and the whole way that Frankenstein manipulates everything makes me excited to see just how much more he’s capable of doing.  This is going to blow you away and Paul does what Paul does best and create something so much extraordinary than you expect it to be.  

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Cyberpunk 2077 You Have My Word #1

4/29/2021

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Cyberpunk 2077: You Have My Word #1
Dark Horse Comics 2021
Written by Bartosz Sztybor
Illustrated by Jesus Aburtov
Coloured by Giulia Brusco
Lettered by Frank Cvetkovic

    A new urban development proposal is being pushed through city council—a flagrant infraction on those safeguarded by the Valentinos gang. They enlist the service of three cyberpunks to discreetly and strategically terminate the project, but their subject is more than an ordinary target.

    This is great as its a story set in this universe and for a non-gamer like myself this really does a great job as an introduction to the franchise as well as a stand alone story that you can enjoy without any prior knowledge of the game itself.  This issue feels like the whole thing is an introduction and it’s go so many moving parts that the way it engages the reader is extremely nice to see.  I like how we see that this has some depth and complexity to the storytelling so that it veers away from that whole video game feel and becomes more of stand alone book.

I am digging the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  How the characters are introduced here if fantastic and the character development starts right away as we see the dialogue alongside how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter.  We get a great feel for who the characters are here and that’s integral to enjoying the story.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way as it sets up the story it really has a strong way to draw the reader in.

    I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story are being presented.  With Oriona & her boys meeting El Sombreron, the family at the diner and how things become interconnected and yet remain separate is utterly fascinating to me.  Then to see how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is really rather quite well done.  There’s this very interesting way to seeing how it all connects that is unexpected and yet highlights just how strong Bartosz’s talent and skill are.

    The interiors here are gorgeous!  Right off the bat when we see the mural that is both impressive and scary as hell at the same time you know the whole issue is going to be something amazing.  The linework is phenomenal and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work is beautifully rendered.  I’m a huge backgrounds kind of guy and what we see here is great and how they are utilised in the composition within the panels to create the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a sensational eye for storytelling.  The colour work is absolutely stunning.  Not only are the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is rendered to such perfection.  That jacket we see change colours is a wow factor regardless of which colours were utilised as a complete and utter surprise.
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    This is a great book.  The story is extremely well written and it has just enough holes in what we see so that it engages the reader in the right ways throughout the entire book.  With the interiors taking this story to the next level and allowing the reader to feel like they’ve entered a future era it really makes this book stand out.

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Shadowman #1

4/28/2021

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Shadowman #1
Valiant Entertainment 2021
Written by Cullen Bunn
Illustrated by Jon Davies-Hunt
Coloured by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles

    The forces of darkness are awakening and they are hungry for life. Will Jack Boniface, feared by the forces of evil as the protector Shadowman, be able to save us all?

    Well now this is interesting that’s for damn sure.  First its been much too long since we’ve seen Jack and Shadowman and I couldn’t think of anyone better to tackle him than Cullen.  The horror aspect of what he’s about and the deadside is going to be handled the way it should be and that excites me, even more so after having had the chance to read this.  Plus the Loa of Death chasing Jack around is even better because while they aren’t friends the pairing does make for an interesting odd couple feel.  There are so many different little moments that engage the reader making them think beyond what’s on the page as well as create a very different and unique angle to the depth and complexity of the storytelling.  Jack thinks he works best alone but for now he’s got a shadow in Baron Samedi and this is where a lot of excitement comes from.

    I am a huge 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 exceptionally well.  Just the way we see the story unfold and how natural and easy it is to follow and be this new reader friendly is amazing to me.  The character development that we see is sensational.  How we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances as well how they interact with each other alongside the dialogue and narration fleshes out the wide variety of characters.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, the characters and the world they inhabit it really draws the reader in beautifully.

    I love how we see this being structured and the layers within the story are beginning to play out.  There are moments where we see unexpected revelations and it’s those that really makes things pop extremely well.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as move the story forward is sensational to see.

    Oh the interiors here are beyond stunning.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to bring out this level and quality of detail work is astonishingly well rendered.  How we see backgrounds being utilised, or not, within the composition of the panels to bring about the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story is outrageously good.  The work is mindbogglingly brilliant and the creativity and imagination that we see is so far off the charts there’s not a category for how good it is.  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 heavenly to see.  How the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows such an amazing eye for how colour should-could and does work.

    This is the beginning of Shadowman’s next iteration and from what I can see it’s going to be something very amazing.  With the Deadside being breached this issue and the veil between realms being stretched thin and in danger of breaking down it is going to take all that Jack and can do to keep things in check.  I’m excited to see what is going to happen next and who else may be showing up and if the creatures from the Deadside keep going the way they do here then i’m not sure the threat they present is going to be full force as Jack fears.  
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    With impeccably intelligent writing and mindbogglingly brilliant interiors this is going to be the years biggest hit.

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John Carpenter's Tales of Science Fiction: Hell #1

4/28/2021

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John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction: Hell #1
Storm King Comics 2021
Written by David J. Schow
Illustrated by Andres Esparza
Coloured by Sergio Martinez
Lettered by Janice Chiang

    In New York City, a massive monster is destroyed by a subway train... and its surviving reptilian companion can speak English. In Columbia, a scientist crawls up from the depths of the Earth, bringing news of a miraculous new mineral power source... and demons below. In Texas, a convicted murderer is spared at the last minute by an international conglomerate... which wants to organize an expedition to the center of the Earth, with him as a guide. Because like the scientist, he's been there. The whole team is headed straight to Hell.

    This series is consistently one of the best on stands time and time again thanks to the level of quality storytelling.  There are a lot of concepts we’ve seen come from this series and this is far and away one of the more interesting and completely unexpected.  Hell has so many different incarnations and iterations depending on culture and region of the world you are in.  That Hell is a literal place is something I can get behind, I usually say we’re in hell now and we move on when we pass away, and it engages the reader as well as raises the interest and intrigue factors.

    I love 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 perfectly.  There isn’t a moment in the way that this is being told where we can’t see and feel the impact as the story unfolds.  Impressive is a massive understatement to how I see things happening here.  The character development is sensational and how we see the narration, dialogue and how the characters interact with one another really fleshes them out more completely.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages introducing the characters, the story and this world it’s so incredibly engaging.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story are being shown it creates this beautiful depth and complexity within the story that just keeps wondering.  The way that we see everything working together to create thes tory’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is exceptionally well rendered.

    The interiors here are absolutely stunning.  The linework we see is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create such a high level of quality in the detail work we see is mindbogglingly brilliant!  Faces, facial expressions and body language is so strong that it furthers the characterisation beautifully.  That we see backgrounds as we do and how they work within the composition within the panels to bring us this depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is phenomenal.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is divine!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised for shading, highlights and shadow work show such mastery over how colour works.  Also the creativity and imagination that we see really is bloody brilliant as well.
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    This is a perfect horror thriller story that is in the works here.  From the concept through its execution what we see leaves so much for the reader to think about.  The way this engages you and how it makes your imagination run wild with the possibilities of what they present being real is utterly amazing to me.  That it’s so matter of fact and not speculative is something that just adds to the certainty of what the characters feel and it is where those complex layers and depth of storytelling occur.  It is also what sets this apart and makes this series of arcs must have, read and thrill to stories.  You are simply not going to find better storytelling point blank period. 

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I Walk With Monsters #5

4/27/2021

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I Walk With Monsters #5
Vault Comics 2020
Written by Paul Cornell
Illustrated by Sally Cantirino
Coloured by Dearbhla Kelly
Lettered by Andworld Design

    When you get to the heart of darkness, what if you hesitate?

    This is a such a powerful story and one that really kind of hits you in some very unexpected ways.  This issue covers a lot of ground and how Paul manage to execute this with years passing was done in such an incredibly smart and intelligent way.  There was one moment where he tells Jacey why he won’t go after him and it hits like a ton of bricks in its reality and brutal honesty.  It is such a staple of the way that Paul tells a story to be honest and brutal in how he tells the story because that’s life and life imitates art and vice versa so why shouldn’t this be done this way.  It makes something that could be a little more mundane into something extraordinary all because of the way the impact it has on the reader.  This is why I love Paul’s writing because he’s not afraid to be a heavy hitter and it resonates with you long after its been read.

    I love the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is crafted with such exact precision that it becomes a joy to read.  The character development that we see is phenomenal.  How they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter as well as how they interact with each other shows us so much about them as people.  The pacing that we see as it takes us through the pages and takes us through so much history between the pair and it just sings.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continues to grow, strengthen and even if its the same theme time after time it leaves its mark on the reader.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is incredibly well done.  I love that this is such smart storytelling and how the book flows and all the information that is presented, and there is more than you think, creates such an interesting atmosphere to be a part of.

    The interiors here are great.  I like the style that we see and it’s as unexpected considering the theme of the story but at the same time it lends itself beautifully to the conceptual aspect.  Seeing the proportions so out of sync in the opening is utterly marvellous and the impact it has is immeasurable.  The way that we see the composition within the panels as they bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story is fantastic to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stupendous eye for storytelling.  The colour work is great to see.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work demonstrates a great eye for how to use colour.
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    This has never been your average story and to see Jacey’s desire for vengeance or revenge as the case may be has been her inspiration and when finally confronted with the opportunity to will she or won’t she be able to go through with it?  The depth of storytelling that we see here is phenomenal and that it’s got that factor where you will sit there and think about while watching a television program and it’s something you cannot escape.  

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Pantomime #6

4/27/2021

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Pantomime #6
Mad Cave Studios 2020
Written by Christopher Sebela
Illustrated by David Stoll
Coloured by Dearbhla Kelly
Lettered by Justin Birch

    The impossible has happened, one of our young theives has gotten caught and Haley is determined for that to be her last mistake. How long until the cops catch up to them, and how long until The Manager cuts his loses? The gripping finale is here!

    This has been a sensational story and I’m sad to see that the final issue of the arc is here.  We’ve watched these kids go from playing criminal to becoming career criminals and make no mistake they’ve gotten so used to putting themselves to the test to see if they can indeed get away with their plans to ever really go back to a so-called normal life.  Plus just that fact that these kids are deaf and seen to have a disadvantage when in reality they are just as capable if not more so than anyone else in the age group and beyond.  They’ve nothing to prove to anyone other than themselves and each other that their friendship and their skills are among the best of the best and it’s what binds them together.  

    I really like 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 exceptionally well.  With the entire team putting all the blame squarely on Max’s shoulders and how they took care of the man who had them by the balls in a vice, yeah well that’s the best analogy I can think of, it would seem that everything is going to be one big conspiracy.  The character development that we see is amazing and I have to say that not one of them cracked under pressure is more impressive and telling about who they are.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story we get to see just how impressive these kids really are.

    I like how we see this being structured and how the layers in the story didn’t fizzle but seemed to really hit their stride.  I need this to be the first of many arcs starring these kids because I have become so invested in their lives at this point that they are like a chosen family to me.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is an absolute delight.  

    The linework that we see really is fantastic and how the varying weights are being utilised to create such a high level of detail in the work is spectacular.  The faces and facial expressions are brilliantly done and along with the body language they really further the characterisation.  I wish that we’d see more backgrounds in play but it is what it is.  We still get some decent depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.   How everything works within the composition of the panels is really nice to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work and how the different techniques are shown in how its laid down is fantastic to see.
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    I love the power of storytelling and how we can see a story like this one come to life in ways that engage the reader, draw them into the story so they become invested in them and leaves us wanting to see more of them after the arc has ended.  That Christopher was able to write this in such a way that its an instant hit in my opinion and that he created such complete characters who have found their place in the world with a family of their choosing well that’s more than a lot of folks get in real life.  It is a beautifully done story from concept through execution and the interiors and lettering all work to make this something you just want more of.

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Mann's World #4

4/27/2021

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Mann’s World #4
AWA Upshot Studios 2021
Written by Victor Gischler
Illustrated by Niko Walter
Coloured by Snakebite Cortez
Lettered by Andworld Design

    A weekend getaway on a resort planet goes south when four friends run afoul of the planet's working class. Stranded in the wilderness of a strange planet, surrounded by danger on all sides and relentlessly pursued by vengeful locals, they must test their bonds of friendship in order to survive.

    Well Victor certainly sent me for a loop with this issue.  I mean it starts off beautifully with these folks in search of the missing group of friends.  By the time we get to the last page what Victor puts us through is a real tour de farce and it just takes the reader by complete and total surprise.  That’s as much as i’m giving you, so you’ll have to read the book to find out what exactly I am referring to but suffice it to say it damn near changes how you view the story in its entirety.  The locals who have been chasing the group have a very definite Deliverance feel to them and it’s both spot on and absolutely terrifying at the same time.  

    I am rather 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 is presented extremely well.  Now that we see the rescue party coming to their aid it feels like a race against time between them finding the guys or the locals actually finding a way to finish them off.  The adrenaline pumping conclusion is off the hook.  The character development is amazing and I have to admire Vince for not throwing Duncan out of the raft but finding a way to finally verbalise what he’s been feeling and thinking.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns and getting your adrenaline pumping, we see how the tension that’s been built up starts to boil over is phenomenal.

    How we see this being structured and with the layers within the story weaving their way to the end and beyond is some stellar writing.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward showcases Victors skill, talent and creativity when it comes to his craft.

    The interiors here are absolutely great!  The people, their faces and facial expressions not to mention the body language really helps further the characterisation beautifully.  The linework we see through its varying weights and techniques raises the quality and level within the detail work to some new heights.  The backgrounds we see utilised are amazing in their quality as well and the rock formations and how we see the grain within the stone is mindbogglingly brilliant to behold.  The clm position within the panels not only showcase the talent but they also bing us this fabulous 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 shows a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is bloody brilliant stuff!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work blows me away.  The creativity and imagination we see, like that alligator fish or the natives, really takes this to a whole new twisted place that we cannot pull ourselves away from.
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    This might be the end of this arc but there is room for more if the ending is any indication.  After all Vince is home and with everything that’s happened his PTSD is off to the races and shows no signs of slowing down.  This is a brilliantly written and illustrated story of how far a man is willing to go when he’s been wronged as well as surviving the madness that comes at you.  AWA Upshot indeed has some of the best and brightest creative minds working today and it’s books like this that showcase that.

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