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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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Two Moons #4

5/31/2021

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Two Moons #4
Image Comics 2021
Written by John Arcudi
Illustrated by Valerio Giangiordano
Coloured by Bill Crabtree
Lettered by Michael Heisler

    "THE IRON NOOSE," Part Four
Virgil is back in the custody of the Union Army desperately trying to convince Frances he’s not a monster—and then the REAL monsters show up.

    With Virgil being caught and taken back to town  we open up o the battlefield where all is not as it seems.  It feels like the story is beginning to pick up the pace a bit and events are happening outside of Virgil’s sphere which is great because hopefully this means more folks will see and understand what is going on and that Virgil didn’t kill his superior as the man wasn’t what or who he appeared to be.  Though let’s be honest the white man in the Union Army isn’t going to actually trust his eyes nor is he going to be quick to believe that this isn’t some sort if Indian trick.  The overall way that this is being told is pretty darn brilliant to see each issue has so many parts to it that are separate yet joined to the main arc and they all work in sync to create this amazingly creepy horror story.

    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 perfectly presented.  The character development that we see is sensational thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter.  Virgil and his life with his family, his past and even his destiny is the main source of drama here and how or when he finally accepts his fate will it be too late is the real question.  The pacing is perfectly done and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story as well as the twists & turns along the way we become glued to the pages.

    I am enjoying how this is being structured and how we see the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen.  These layers are where we see the complexity and depth within the story happen, whether that’s the old man showing him more than he’s ready to handle of being locked away while the Union is under attack.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceedingly well.

    The interiors here are mindbogglingly brilliant to see.  The linework is exquisitely laid down and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of quality in the detail work is astounding.  The creativity and imagination in what we see is mind numbing and between the creatures and that page of what looks like the universe what we see is just increasingly well rendered.  We see a fair amount of backgrounds being utilised though we could always see more.  How they work within the composition of the panels bringing us the depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope of the story is exceptionally well done.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is extraordinary to see.  How the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work demonstrates a master colourists eye for how colour should work.
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    With how we see this end it feels like we’re reaching a monumental point in the story.  Finally these creatures have revealed themselves to the general public and with those that are still that are still alive unable to effectively fight them will Virgil get out his cell in time to help this wave be fought back or will all be lost?  It’s an exciting time in the book the way that the reader feels this is electrifying.  This is amazingly well written and with mind numbing interiors Two Moons is the kind of book that feels like the updated horror books of the bronze age.

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Witchblood #3

5/31/2021

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Witchblood #3
Vault Comics 2021
Written by Matthew Erman
Illustrated by Lisa Sterle
Coloured by Gab Contreras
Lettered by Andworld Design

    The Hounds of Love are hunting. Next stop: San Sangre, a city of blood, faith, and bad vibes. The stomping grounds of curse-hunters and gunslingers. But with a special kind of horror watching from the utility sheds, do our vampire biker dirtbags know what they're getting themselves into? Find out in Witchblood Chapter 3: The Darkness in the Sheds of Town!

    This is a rather fun little book.  It is completely unexpected in the way it introduces us to new characters and as it delves deeper into those that we have already met we get a much more complex look at these characters.  I more than pleasantly surprised by just how intense this book is and how with Lisa’s work on the interiors we this kind of dichotomy that doesn’t always match up but still leaves us with such a marvellous feeling.  That these long lived witches are being chased by vampires, who love drinking witches blood which apparently is of much higher quality than regular humans.  I’d equate that to drinking Wine by Lamborghini to wine out of a box there just isn’t much by way of comparison.  

    I am in love with the way that we see this 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.  The character development is extraordinary to see thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter.  I also like that when characters meet up and they are interrupted followed by another interruption as all the players seem to converge at once.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story, the characters lives and mixing in this wonderful action we’re glued to the page.

    I am greatly appreciating how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story grow, evolve and strengthen while new ones emerge.  It is these layers that build up the tension and near awkwardness of learning about them.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is exceedingly well achieved.

    The interiors here are deceptively sweet.  Lisa has a very distinct style. The linework is phenomenal and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to create the detail work that we see is superb.  That what we see is elevated all-ages style, this is as I see it, and then to add the horror elements create and leave such a bigger impact on the reader.  The creativity and imagination here is sensational and when we see a witch like Yoshi that creativity is incredibly important.  The way we see the composition within the panels, mostly without backgrounds much to my chagrin, we get some rather nice depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a marvellous eye for storytelling.  The colour work is beautifully rendered as the various hues and tones within the colours are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work.
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    The way we close out this issue is phenomenal!  It seems that all the good bits really happen at the back end of the book and leaves us with a great cliffhanger ending.  The only downside to this is that now we have to wait another month to see how this is going to play out, this again is a great way to keep us coming back to see what will happen.  This is a fantastically written story with some delightful interiors that honestly takes you by surprise at how intricate and involved it is.

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Cult of Dracula #3

5/31/2021

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Cult of Dracula #3
Source Point Press 2021
Created & Written by Rich Davis
Illustrated by Puis Calzada
Coloured by Trevor Richardson
Lettered by Dave Lentz

    Ask anyone from rural Appalachia, there are just some roads you don't go down if you know what's good for you. That old saw has both literal and figurative means.

    I have really been enjoying this book.  When I first started reading this I figured that it would be about a cult of people who worshipped Dracula.  Ya know normal but misguided folks who thought that a fictional character was real and as such made sacrifices and drank blood as a symbol of their devotion.  I wasn’t expecting the reality of the situation that’s for sure.  So right away Rich made me sit up and take notice of what this was going to be.  This issue is exciting for a myriad of reasons but I love that we go back in time and get to see  few scenarios that kind of tell of the legends in the area that go from myth to reality and it’s extremely exciting.  I never know what to expect and that alone makes this worth its weight in gold and that I’m thrilled beyond belief every time I turn the page.  You don’t get that too terribly often and I cannot recommend this highly enough.

    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 exceedingly well.  The character development we see is fantastic!  This is thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they find themselves in.  the pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story along with the twists & turns make this super interesting to read.

    I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen not to mention new ones emerging.  These layers hold some of those moments that seem odd and out of place but in reality are important to the larger picture that we’ll see down the road.  How everything works together to create the ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved beautifully.

    The interiors here are fantastic!  The linework with its varying weights and techniques not only create a unique and distinct style but it creates some stellar detail work as well.  I will say when he comes out of the house nekkid I was hoping we’d see him swinging around as he took care of business and if a bloke is going to naked we should see what he’s made of.  We see backgrounds utilised judiciously and i wish we’d see more of them as when they are utilised they are utterly gorgeous.  We do get some great 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 marvellous eye for storytelling.  The creativity and imagination is spectacular as well.  The colour work is fantastic and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is expertly rendered.
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    There is something huge on the horizon and it has the potential to change the world as we know it and it’ll be up to a select few to try and destroy these creatures before those plans are able to come to fruition.  I also have to say that seeing him in jail and the cop with all the pictures and learning about a world he never knew existed is one of those amazing layers within the story that may be the catalyst needed to thwart the queen and her plans.  This is one of those unexpected gems that engages the reader perfectly and helps their imagination along for this ride through these spectacular visuals.

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Chariot #3

5/31/2021

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Chariot #3
AWA Upshot 2021
Written by Bryan Edward Hill
Illustrated by Priscilla Petraites
Coloured by Marco Lesko
Lettered by Andworld Design

    The Chariot was a Cold War-era secret government project to provide its star agent with a weapon unlike any other in the form of a supercharged muscle car. It sank into the ocean decades ago, and the agent along with it. Now, a petty criminal looking to reform his life has stumbled upon the Chariot, and he's about to find out that the agent's consciousness is still controlling it in this synthwave thriller.

    The more we see the more we want to see and the deeper we get into the story and we start to see some of the hidden agendas start to emerge and become stronger adding to the depth, complexity and some absolutely delicious tension to an already tense story.  This isn’t like anything else out there and to be honest any similarities I might have though of in the beginning have completely gone out the window.  Yes there are elements taken from here and there but this is as unique and original as it gets and I have to applaud Bryan for the work he’s doing here.

    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.  The character development is amazing as we see the dialogue, character interaction along with how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really does flesh them out beautifully.  My biggest surprise that I enjoyed is that Sadie and Gillian actually do meet and Sadie is just too distraught and too tired to argue with who or what Gillian is and it’s their interaction that is one which makes the most impact on me here.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story as well as the twists & turns along the way the blend of all we see is terribly exciting.

    How we see this structured with the layers within the story growing, evolving and newly emerging is where the depth and complexity really come from.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved extremely well.  

    The interiors here are fantastic.  How we see the linework with its varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work is amazing stuff.  There are some real wow moments here like seeing the computer generated grid pattern on the car and basically every time we Gillian.  I do wish we’d see a lot more backgrounds in use, still we get some beautiful 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 such a marvellous eye for storytelling.  The colour work is exceptionally well rendered.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is great stuff. 

    This feels like that huge issue where the reveals are spectacular and have this massive impact on what’s to come.  With Gillian’s sister wanting immortality and not quite understanding the what Gillian has is a curse not a blessing and yet will do whatever she can to possess it is part of what makes this so bloody interesting.  I can imagine the deceit, misdirection along with the lies and half truths that are still to come and this is how invested and engaged in the story I am.  I’ve gone above and beyond what’s presented in the story and I've let my own creativity and imagination run rampant with the ideas of how this will go.  There is no guarantee of course that I’ll be remotely close but that just means I have to come back to find out if my own thoughts are even close.
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    With such an intelligently written story and dynamic interiors this engages the reader in the most wondrous of ways.

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Alien #3

5/30/2021

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Alien #3
Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Illustrated by Salvador Larroca
Coloured by Guru-eFX
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles

    DANGER ON ALL SIDES! 
Epsilon Station is overrun with danger, not all of it from Xenomorphs! Cruz holds mission information back from his soldiers, but he’s not the only one with secrets. We are not who we say we are.

    I am absolutely in love with this book.  That Gabe’s son is among those responsible for Epsilon Station being in the state that it is holds the right amount of drama and intrigue to start things off.  While Gabe and his companions had such a head start and the staff on Epsilon Station either dead or carrying a new generation inside of them which means that the Xenomorphs food source is quickly dwindling, time is a commodity no one has.  We also meet a new character here and she’s the one who got Danny to get them onto the station in the first place and boy is she a piece of work.  I love what we’re seeing and how the dynamic of this book keeps changing with each new character and the deaths of others and how this is portrayed by Phillip leaves me gobsmacked.

    I adore 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.  The character development that we see extraordinary thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction along with they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter.  I really impressed with these encounters between the characters and they do add a whole lot of tension and intrigue to the proceedings.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story as well as the twists and turns along the way we feel like we’re in one of the franchise films.

    I am very much enjoying how I see this structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen.  These layers swirl around the main arc increasing the creepiness and horror factors as the soldiers who have no idea what’s really going on start showing the first cracks in their demeanour.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is perfectly achieved.  

    The interiors here are bloody gorgeous! The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques we see being utilised to create this level of quality in the detail work is truly astounding.  You know you are in for this visually stunning experience just by opening the book to the first page.  I would like to see backgrounds utilised more effectively, they are on a space station and the corridors aren’t as wide as we see them so I’d love to see that cramped quarters feeling to really add that claustrophobic feel to what we see as the Xenomorphs rush towards them.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a brilliant eye for storytelling.  The colour work is absolutely stunning.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows such a mastery for colour.  The way the red lights cast their glow and alter the shading is brilliantly done.  The black is shiny and creepy like weather leather in all the right places.  That shot of the Xenomorph coming out of Mitch oh mummy is that a moment.
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    This is like being in a film and makes me wish that we’d see this in the franchise coming to life on screen.  As it stands it does work with that way thanks to the writing and the visuals.  This is spectacularly written and stunningly illustrated and reinvigorates the horror back into the franchise beautifully.  

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #3

5/30/2021

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #3
IDW Publishing 2021
Story by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird & Tom Waltz
Written by Tom Waltz & Kevin Eastman
Layouts by Kevin Eastman
Illustrated by Esau & Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop & Kevin Eastman
Coloured by Luis Antonio Delgado
Colour Assists by Samuel Plata

    Unexpected allies from the past reveal a possible path to salvation! As the Foot Clan sweeps NYC for the rogue Ronin, a final desperate plan in the name of vengeance is made! Spanning decades, this issue's action and intrigue will set up the astounding final issues!

    I’ve never really been a fan of the Turtles, somehow at the beginning I missed out and the cartoon came out when I was busy in High School and working so I really didn’t get into them at all.  A few times here and there there are stories or series that I have enjoyed immensely but this one, this one has me completely and utterly mesmerised by the scope of the storytelling and how it is able to draw you in and deliver a story that is one wow moment after another.  I thought that Shredder In Hell was the best Turtles related story I’d read and then the guys said hold me beer and here we are.  

    I am in love with 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 perfectly presented.  The character development is bloody brilliant to see!  This is thanks to the dialogue, character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances is utterly spectacular to see.  Shredder’s grandson is stark raving bonkers and I love it!  His monologue is one of the best things I’ve read in my lifetime and it’s not just brilliant but it speaks volumes about the man-child making it.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story along with the twists & turns along the way you are glued to the pages.

    The way we see this being structured and how the layers within the story grow, evolve and change is spectacular.  The layers here is where the bulk of the depth and complexity of the story take place.  Just seeing the story April tells Mikey and the layers within that bring so many possibilities to life that the reader is fully engaged in this.  How we see everything working together as well as how it moves the story forward is perfectly achieved.

    The interiors here are mindbogglingly brilliant to behold.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques utilised to bring us this level of quality in the detail work is mind numbing.  To see this level of work period is extraordinary and I could stare at each page for hours without ever getting even littlest bit bored.  The way that backgrounds are utilised throughout and how they work within the composition of the panels bringing out this depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story beautifully.  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 a master colourist at work.  
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    There is nothing about this book that isn’t absolutely brilliantly done.  To see familiar faces that aged in such a way that’s powerful and poignant in how its seen.  I’m thoroughly amazed by everything we see in this book and I cannot stop reading it over and over again.  Three issues in and it is already this huge epic story that thrills everyone whether they are longtime fans of the Turtles or like me casual readers.  With exceptionally intelligent writing and mindbogglingly brilliant interiors this is the best thing out there.  

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Helm Greycastle #2

5/30/2021

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Helm Greycastle #2
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2021
Written by Henry Barajas
Illustrated by Rahmat M. Handoko
Coloured by Bryan Valenza
Lettered by Gabriela Downie

    Helm and the gang are tasked with locating MEXICA's greatest warrior: Camazotz! But will Camazotz join their crusade to overthrow Montezuma III?!

    The opening here is perfectly done and Prince Vadjit is one hell of a great character!  This young man is so completely and utterly delightful to see and his appearance here is something that makes you want to see and know more about.  I certainly want to see more of him and that he claims to be the last of his kind makes me sad but still whomever has taught him to behave in this manner deserves some kind of parenting award.  This is one of those that books that feels like an RPG adventure playing out before our eyes, as if a group played this and this is how it went for them.  Something that I’ve wanted to do each time I start a new campaign so that it feels exactly like what I have imagined doing causes me to have that connection with the story.  Anyone who reads this will find their own connection to the book in their own unique way.

    I am very much enjoying 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 presented exceptionally well.  The character development is amazing as we see the dialogue, character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter.  I am seriously impressed with the dialogue and how we see the interactions as they work really give us a very solid look at the character and who they are and what makes them tick.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story as well as the twists & turns along the way we appreciate more and more the way we see this being told.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen as well as new ones emerging we get some exceptional storytelling.  The depth and complexity within the storytelling happen in these layers that swirl around and through 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 achieved exceeding well.

    I so in love with how we see the interiors here.  The linework is phenomenal and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level and quality in the detail work is astounding.  There is this way that we see this coming to life so that the character possess such lifelike realness to them that’s utterly gorgeous to sit and see, not to mention stare at for endless hours.  That we see backgrounds utilised as we do and how they work within the composition of the panels as they create the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is sensational.  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 and shows that we are looking at a master colourist in action.  The various hues and tones within the colour and how they are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exceptionally well rendered.  Whether it’s bold and daring or soft and delicate the colour work really brings this to life in some spectacular ways.
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    I often compare these stories with superhero comics because you could easily take characters from DC (the Justice League, Titans or Legion of Super-Heroes or Marvel (the Avengers, X-Men or Defenders) and put them int his story and it would work in exactly the same way without any problems.  That’s what makes books like this one so gosh darn exciting.

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Summoners War: Legacy #2

5/30/2021

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Summoners War: Legacy #2
Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics 2021
Written by Justin Jordan
Illustrated by Luca Claretti
Coloured by Giovanna Niro
Lettered by Deon Bennett

    Rai hasn’t been a summoner long, but she’s already unleashed an ancient monster beyond control! Now Rai, mentor Abuus Dein, and proto Tomas must defeat this titan capable of annihilating entire armies…but there are summoners trapped on the battlefield who would gladly see them fail.

    I really like that this series just gets right into the action as a way to showcase what its about, especially for those like myself who’ve never heard of much less played the game.  I also really like the pace at which this story flows and by putting the reader right into the thick of things is a much better way to learn about what this is all about than some long winded information set up.  This way seeing the characters under pressure in a high risk situation we’re going to be able to learn more about them than you could possibly imagine.  Justin is one of the best underrated writers working today and if you want to see why or just read a smartly written and entertaining book than you need to pick this up.

    I am a big 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.  The character development is phenomenal to see!  With the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances continue to flesh them out beautifully.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story as well as the twists & turns keeps us so invested and involved in what is happening.

    I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen.  These layers are where we see things happen and the depth and complexity not to mention a chance to see different perspectives from the lesser characters.  It makes me want to see more of these other Summoners.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is extremely well achieved.

    Love the interiors here.  The linework is spectacular!  How we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to showcase this delightful detail work is stupendous.  The creativity and imagination that we see is beautifully showcased and this mainly comes in the creatures that are summoned.  I’m not going to suggest more backgrounds because of the setting this is in still because of the very nature of the book we get some perfect 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 an extremely talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work we see is astonishingly well rendered.  If you look at the big bad and you see those various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is mindbogglingly good.  This carries on throughout each character and the backgrounds and it really brings this to life in a spectacular fashion while demonstrating a brilliant eye for how colour works.

    Our main characters are still trying to learn about each other and themselves and in the midst of battle Rai is showing her age.  Justin portrays these character to perfection and he really understands what it means to infuse reality into how we see this fantasy story playing out.  I cannot stress how much I am enjoying this and I hope you give this is a chance because in all honesty you aren’t going to find anything like it.

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Black Friday #2

5/30/2021

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Black Friday #2
Scout Comics/Black Caravan 2021
Written & Coloured by Jon Clark
Illustrated by Travis Williamson
Lettered by April Brown

    Something is fighting its way through the floor and has broken into Star-Mart. Something very vicious, something very hungry. Store clerk Javier, and his fellow employees thought they were survivors by contending with the onslaught of excited customers racing to secure the right prize on Black Friday, but they had no idea what real survival was, now they're about to find out.

    Thankfully this is such a unique story that it was easy to remember what happened in the first issue even though it came out such a long time ago.  That it all came flooding back looking at the first page is a testament to how well Jon wrote that issue and how beautifully illustrated Travis made it.  The idea behind this is so strong and so interesting and while who knows what attracts this kind of evil to a location but if it’s going to happen a big box kind of store on Black Friday is certainly a place for it to happen.  That this is so dark and so creepy and yet the artwork is so light and reminiscent of Shel Siiverstein makes it one of those standout stories it’s becoming.

    I am a huge and of 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 presented exceptionally well.  The character development is utterly sensational and as we see the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter continue to flesh them out as people we know.  The pacing is superb and as takes us through pages revealing more and more of the story as well as the twists & turns along the way keep on the edge of your seat.  

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen while new ones emerge is so great to see.  These layers is where a lot of the tension, depth and complexity make themselves known.  It really does make such an impact to have them weave around and through the main arc as they do.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow and how it moves the story forward is so well achieved.

    The interiors here are really rather lovely.  It has this very simple illustrated feel to it that I find hugely appealing.  Then add into that these creatures that are also in that same vein yet are able to utilise the readers imagination to make them more terrifying and it’s beautifully done.  With this being a big box store I do wish we’d see the backgrounds showcase this and make the aisles feel smaller and more cramped as that would really add to the tension and fear for the reader and the characters.  Still the depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story are showcased well.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a talented eye for storytelling.  I really like the colour we see as well.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work works well here.  Also I’m a huge fan of the way that the linework influences how we see the colour as well and makes moments appear darker than they actually are which is superb!
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    There are so many wonderful moment that happen throughout this book and while the horrors of what they see drive them to action, once the sheer and utter shock has worn off that is, are portrayed extremely well.  This is probably as close to a real life reaction as we’re going to see in comics and I fully applaud this direction.  This is guaranteed to leave an impact upon the reader for any number of reasons and for me a big one is that pinup page revealing that face and those teeth with the pointed fingers.  This is a phenomenal book that need to have in your library!

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Lady Death: Malevolent Decimation #2

5/29/2021

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Picture
Lady Death: Malevolent Decimation #2
Coffin Comics 2021
Written by Brian Pulido & Mike MacLean
Illustrated by Diego Bernard
Coloured by Ceci de la Cruz
Lettered by Marshall Dillon

    Lady Death has always been the bad girl. But once upon a time, she was absolutely EVIL. Obsessed with annihilation, the diva of death sought to snuff out the entire human race and turn the earth into an endless graveyard. Thankfully, Lady Death changed her wicked ways to become a champion of the downtrodden and a scourge of demon-kind throughout Hell. For generations, the evil seething within the witch's soul lied dormant... forgotten... until now!

    Should Lady Death stay this way I wouldn’t be upset in the slightest.  Granted my favourite version of her is when she’s midway between good and evil, where she’s fighting for herself and a better world but isn’t upset in the slightest about doing away with someone and in fact kind of relishes it.  She fought for her place, for her mother and was kind of ruthless in doing so, that’s the woman I remember fondly.  So to see her unapologetic in her actions is both a blessing and curse but for now i’ll stick with blessing, after all her son seems like whiny little thing and needs to grow a pair.

    I am loving 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.  The character development is utterly phenomenal thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter.  This is all about how they interact and honestly it such a treat to see the dialogue especially from Lady Death to Johnny.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story alongside the twists and turns along the way are absolutely to behold.

    I am a huge fan of the way we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen.  These layers within the story is where we see the the depth and complexity of the story and how it adds the drama or changes the dynamic of how we view the characters.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is so immaculately achieved.  

    The interiors here are utterly spectacular!  The linework that we see is phenomenal and how the varying weights and techniques are utilised to showcase this degree detail work is astounding.  This is so visually stunning and every time you turn the page there’s something spectacular to look at.  I’d like to see backgrounds utilised more as when we do see them they blow me away with what they add to the moments.  We get such a great 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 remarkably talented 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 showcases such a stupendous eye for colour and how it works.
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    This is as thrilling a story as they come and this young man being at the centre of it all is really spectacular.  How we see this eclectic cast of characters all being there for different reasons and many of whom are there to stop Lady Death from her nefarious plan may just be in way over their heads.  This story, however, is why we love Lady Death because she is who she is whether that’s good, bad or ugly, though she’s drop dead gorgeous, she’s just one of the most amazing characters in existence today and this is how you keep her fresh, new and exciting.

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