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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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Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1

5/27/2021

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Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1
DC Comics 2021
Written by Brandon Easton
Illustrated by Fico Ossio
Coloured by Rico Renzi
Lettered by Rob Leigh

    Spinning out of DC Future State, the story of how Shilo Norman became the Mister Miracle of tomorrow starts here.
     The Mister Miracle show used to be the hottest ticket in town, whether you caught him onstage escaping from perilous traps or spotted him on the streets of Metropolis taking out bad guys. What Shilo Norman forgot is the first rule of both showbiz and super-heroing: always leave them wanting more. Now it’s time to start showing the world what a miracle man can do. Showbiz/superhero rule #2: timing is everything. There’s a new performer in town who wants to knock Mister Miracle off his pedestal and stake a claim to his famous moniker! Can Shilo break free of this trap? (Why yes, that is a clue.)

    It has been a while since we’ve seen Shiloh and I have to say it’s rather nice to see him taking centre stage once again.  What Brandon is doing here is utterly brilliant in terms of storytelling and bringing to life what it means to be a black man in a costume in today’s world.  Part of me empathises with his decision to remain hidden behind the mask while other parts of me agrees with Vito that by letting the world know who he is there is the fight against racism or at least opens more avenues of discussion about it regarding superheroes today.

    The way that this is being told really is utterly brilliant.  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 phenomenal!  With the dialogue, character interaction and how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter fleshing them out as real human beings is just beyond comprehension.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages the reader becomes incredibly involved and engaged in what we see.

    I am super impressed with the way we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge and grow.  That these layers all seem to run int he same vein is no coincidence it’s designed that way to garner the maximum impact on the reader, make the think, engage their minds and relate to what we see in today’s world climate.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved to perfection.

    The interiors here are bloody gorgeous.  The linework that we see is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of quality in the detail work is truly astonishing.  That backgrounds are incorporated into the composition within the panels to create the depth perception, sens of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is mindbogglingly good.  That a lot of the imagery we see is literally ripped out of today’s headlines makes what we se that much more powerful and meaningful and really packs a wallop like you wouldn’t believe.  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 phenomenal!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a brilliant eye for understanding just how colour works.  
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    This is the perfect demonstration of how a comic book can tell socially relevant stories that start discussions on race and inequality which is highly reminiscent of the old Green Lantern/Green Arrow series.  Powerful, poignant and above and beyond what you could possibly hope for this is a sensational piece of storytelling and it’s only just getting started.

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Gung-Ho: Anger #1

5/27/2021

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Gung-Ho: Anger #1
Ablaze Publishing 2021
Written by Benjamin Von Eckartsberg
Illustrated by Thomas Von Kummant
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
Translation by Ivanka Hahnenberger

    Archer has been banished from the colony, falsely condemned for the rape of Celine. But Zack doesn't believe in his brother's guilt, so an expedition is launched into the danger zone. Unbeknownst to the rest of the community, the teens go to look for Archer...if he is still alive. The expedition will not be without risks though, nor without unpleasant surprises... Back at Fort Apache, confusion reigns and tensions are at an all-time high, as the adults look to safeguard the young and keep the colony intact. But with a "white wave" approaching, is it already too late?

    I will keep saying that this series is being perfectly published.  Arc after arc so that each one is a complete story that ties into the larger one that started with the very first issue is brilliantly rendered.  Even better is that you can jump into these arcs with the first issue and follow along making each one new reader friendly and considering how far in we are that’s quite a miraculous accomplishment.  Also now that we’ve seen these giant man-eating albino baboons I am dying to see more of them so whenever they pop up I get excited, not sure exactly what that says about me but oh well.

    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 perfectly presented.  The character development is fantastic and as we see the dialogue, character interaction alongside the way we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter help to flesh them out more fully as people.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we’re drawn into the drama of the personal connections.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers continue to grow, strengthen and emerge we are really privy to such amazing storytelling.  This is where the depth and complexity within the storytelling shines the most and it’s great to see how this constantly changes the dynamics.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is greatly achieved.

    The interiors here are beautifully rendered.  I love seeing how computer generated artwork can be so expressive, lovely and charming as we see the linework through its varying weights are utilised to create such intricate detail work.  How we see backgrounds being so integral to how we see the story and how it works within the composition of the panels bring such great depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the book is utterly marvellous.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a magnificent 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 how to add depth and dimension to the work through the application of colour.

    For a while now I've been wanting to see what happens when the kids band together and defy the adults and I am finally starting to see this begin to happen.  Granted there are those among the kids who believe that he raped Celine and its this schism that’s going to either be their downfall or end up uniting them when the truth is finally revealed for all to see.  The adults know the truth and they’ve been using this to their advantage really adds that nighttime soap opera aspect that should be the next thing to blow up in their faces.  There is so much going on here and it’s absolutely glorious to see it all and wonder and wait for what you think is going to happen.
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    This is one of the all-around strongest books on stands right now and it’s been that way from the very first issue and from the looks of things that will never stop being true!

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The Blue Flame #1

5/27/2021

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The Blue Flame #1
Vault Comics 2021
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Illustrated by Adam Gorham
Coloured by Kurt Michael Russell
Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

    THE BLUE FLAME is a cosmic hero. The Blue Flame is a DIY vigilante that fights crime on the streets of Milwaukee. The Blue Flame is a blue collar HVAC repairman named SAM BRAUSAM. In the wake of a horrific tragedy, the boundaries of the Blue Flame’s identity blur even further. Now, before a universal trial, the Blue Flame must prove that humanity is worth saving. But in order to do that, Sam Brausam has to save himself. Can he?

    Imagine if you will a group similar to Formerly Known As…. only with a much more serious attitude to it and you’ve got the Night Brigade.  This is the group Sam belongs to and it is also where we get to learn a lot about Sam.  it is a great way to kind of introduce us to his world and his life and his potential girlfriend as well as serve as the catalyst for what else we see throughout the book.  I’m really very impressed with the way we see this being done and how everything is able to tie together to create what we see.

    I like the way 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 extremely well.  I actually like that we don’t see this told in such a traditional way and instead we start off in what appears to be the present and then backtrack to the events that lead up to this.  It doesn’t have a traditional feel but it is a great way to get the reader involved in the story.  The character development that we see is fantastic!  With the dialogue, character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really flesh them out beautifully.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, these characters and this world it is so easy to feel comfortable here.

    Love seeing how this is being structured and how the layers within the story emerge.  This is where we really see the bits and pieces that make up the bigger picture take shape.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is do well achieved.

    I love the interiors here and the linework is so clean, crisp and strong and with the varying weights we see such wonderful detail work coming to life.  While it would benefit from more backgrounds being utilised what we do see is fantastic.  On a side not those boxer briefs are a nice touch and it’d be nice to see more of that.  We get some great depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story through how we see the composition within the panels.  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 is fabulous!  I like how it feels softer and not as saturated as a lot of superhero style book.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is rendered extremely well.
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    This is more than a pleasant surprise to me and I have to say I was already holding this in higher regards before it came out.  That’s what happens when you know it comes from Vault Comics you expect a certain level of quality to the storytelling.  This book is so smartly written and beautifully illustrated that it welcomes the reader with open arms making you feel like this world has been around for a lifetime.

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Steam Patriots #1

5/26/2021

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Steam Patriots #1
Silverline Comics 2021
Created by Scott Wakefield & Rory Boyle
Written by Scott Wakefield
Illustrated by David Mims
Coloured & Lettered by Dan Hosek

    Steam Patriots is the story of Felix Ward,  a young colonial Mechanician’s Apprentice with an unmatched memory for details set in the American Revolution.   As British troops storm ashore, Felix discovers information that could change the balance of  power in America’s war for independence. The  entire world changed when Ben Franklin refined the steam engine and  ushered in a technological revolution. Now Felix’s world is thrown  upside down as he’s swept into war and must evade the British  juggernaut to help the cause for freedom.

    One of the aspects of what I do that I really enjoy is that folks send me books to review that wouldn’t normally be on my radar.  I’d never heard of Silverline Comics so that this was sent to me cause me a nice deal of excitement and then the premise of it was something else that I hadn’t seen before so I was excited for this as well.  This engaged my mind right from the get-go and that’s something which it should do as it made me think of da Vinci and his futuristic designs during his lifetime and what would’ve happened had steam engines actually become something real.

    I am really 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 exceptionally well.  The character development is sensational and between the dialogue, the character interaction alongside how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter continue to flesh these characters out is extremely impressive.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, the characters and this world is the perfect blend of history and fiction.

    I rather like the way we see this being structured and how we see the layers within the story emerge and continue from off-screen is well achieved.  That these layers are where we see the bulk of the story begin to take shape and where it deviates from history is where the depth and complexity of the storytelling really grab hold of the reader.  The way that we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is so incredibly nice to see.

    The interiors here are interesting to see.  The linework takes on this sketchy quality to it which interprets the clothing rather nicely.  There are times that the faces and body proportions are a tad out of sync with what we think of people looking like it’s okay because the facial expressions and body language work wonders in furthering the characterisation.  We do see backgrounds being utilised fairly well and they do a great job of working within the composition of the panels to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and the 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 solid eye for storytelling.  The colour work is also well done.  The way we see various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is great to see.

    I love seeing history’s heroes being brought to life here and while we’ve yet to see a lot of steampunk style work I am looking forward to when it makes itself more prevalently known.  Also that our hero here is Felix Ward who happens to be a young man is someone everyone can relate to.  He’s who we’ve all wanted to be at some point in time, the kid who saves the world as we know it from the forces of tyranny, I mean who hasn’t had that dream?  Show me a comics fan and if they say they haven’t then they fibbing.  This is going to be a fun, exciting story and I look forward to seeing how it continues to unfold.
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    This only has a few days left on Kickstarter, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rolandmann/d2sp1/, so if you miss it there you can head over to Silverline Comics and find it there, along with the line of books they put out. https://silverlinecomics.com/ 

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Trogs #1

5/26/2021

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Trogs #1
American Mythology Productions 2021
By Richard Bonk

    Superstar illustrator Richard Bonk (Hatchet, Beware the Witch's Shadow), delivers a startling new vision of savage action and visceral horror. In a prehistoric world, a lone warrior struggles to return a lost girl to her people. Surrounded by enormous dinosaurs and bloodthirsty monsters, they will discover if his strength and her faith are enough to overcome the horrifying demons that wait to devour them. This is the independent horror comic event of the year! Trogs #1 is available with two covers, both by Richard Bonk.

I really want this be a series of limited-series because this was absolutely amazing.  Though the only thing I would change is that if the women in this can be nude then we can see the men being shown fully as well.  The opening here is spectacular and how we see the events play out engages the readers mind, imagination and creativity which in turns cause them to want to see and learn more.  It does exactly what it is supposed to do and I love that, and I adore that its crafted in such a way is able to really send shivers of fear and excitement down the readers spine.  

    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 extremely well.  The character development that we see is interesting to say the least and that’s mainly because there isn’t a whole to the characters at this stage of human development.  It is burgeoning yes but it really is fight, kill, mate and so forth.  Still I have to say this may appear simple but simple is always the hardest thing to do and do it well so that this is brilliantly done.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story alongside the twists & turns along the way is great to see.

    I am in total love with the interiors here.  The black & white style is the most unforgiving there is and yet it is also the most rewarding because the sheer level and quality of detail work that we see throughout the book is mindbogglingly brilliant!  The linework with its varying weights and techniques is exquisitely laid down and then to see the blacks and gray tones throughout for the shading it all has this immaculately clean look to what we see.  The creativity and imagination is gorgeous and how the creatures are brought to life is thrilling to me.  How we see the backgrounds being utilised as well as how we see them work within the composition of the panels bringing us depth perception, that sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the book is magnificent.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such masterful eye for storytelling.  One of the most impressive things about this book is the sheer fact that if you stripped the words away you’d be able to perfectly understand the entire story by the visuals alone.

    Sledge is a great character and to be honest I’d love to see more of his adventures.  He’s got neither that quite caveman or neanderthal quality about him but the beginnings of a great hero and adventurer about him.  Also that we see Trogs and see how they live and proliferate the landscape it wouldn’t be a bad thing to see him being on a mission to wipe them out.  Or course there was a moment after a Trog bit him that I thought maybe he was going to be raped as well which I would’ve found much more interesting but hey I’m not sure exactly what was happening there but I’d like to see more.

    This is one of those books where the snippet is never enough.  I want more and even if it isn’t with Sledge but others living at this time finding themselves in a fight for their lives against the Trogs would be a welcome sight.  

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Redshift #1

5/26/2021

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Redshift #1
Scout Comics 2021
Written by H.S. Tak
Illustrated by Brent McKee
Coloured by Sebastian Cheng
Lettered by Joel Rodriguez

    While humanity grapples to survive on Mars, the Ministry of Exploration pins mankind's last hope of resurgence on an astronaut who's scared of space. In this space odyssey brew of Total Recall and Interstellar, Hellener and his team of explorers hunt for a new home while civil war threatens to obliterate the last bastion of human life.

    This is a very interesting and enjoyable book.  I mean Mars is where humanity is trying to survive and resources are running out and the Ministry recruits astronauts to go in search of new inhabitable planets.  Now mind you there are more intricacies than i’ve oversimplified here and you really have to read this to fully understand what is happening here and the subtlety that is within the story itself.  All in all I have to say this surprised me a lot more than I was expecting it to, and definitely in a very good way.  It has a very interesting premise and as for introductory issues this one really raises the bar for what we should come to expect out of them.

    I am really enjoying the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see is rather extraordinary as well.  How we see the dialogue, the character interaction and how we see the act and react to the situation and circumstances they encounter continues to really flesh them out.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way as we get a glimpse of these characters and this world its so easy to fall in love with this and want to see so much more.

    I am really impressed with how we see this being structured and how the layer within the story emerge, continue-yes from elsewhere-, strengthen and evolve is magnificent.  It is with these layers that the backstory comes to life and how that shapes the future of the story moving forward.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved extremely well.  

    I am digging the interiors here.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of quality detail work is stupendous.  I mean to see Tiberius and all the lines in his face that could very easily go very wrong work out so incredibly right is utterly amazing to me.  I’d like to see more backgrounds being utilised it’s the only thing that’s really missing in my eyes but we do manage to get some great 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 very talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is just simply beautiful to see.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights adds some wonderful depth and dimension to the work.
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    The concept here is sensational and I like the idea of it and even better is the fact that the past remains the past and at this stage a mystery.  There is no real need to go explore it or learn how they ended up on Mars because that just takes away time for moving the story forward and the only past we need concern ourselves with is Hellz mother and why he quit the Academy anything else is a matter of semantics.  Scout Comics continues to impress with the choices they make and how the quality of the storytelling is far superior to much else that we see out there.  Now if only there was a way to shorten the time between issues one and two.

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Justice #1

5/26/2021

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Justice #1
Wingless Comics 2020
Written by Brian “Bats” J. Lambert
Illustrated by Gleidson Ribiero
Coloured by Nestor Redulla
Lettered by Rune Makerz

    Issue #1 sees Justice among the rooftops of Las Sombras, the City of  Shadows, where gambling meets the sea. The days grow darker and evils that once hid in the shadows prowl the streets. With his quest weighing heavily on his mind, Justice intervenes when the Children of the Night give into their bloodlust.

    I was sold completely here through the opening of this book.  Now I’m not sure who the dude on the right was but his reaction to conversation between Mr. King and John McClain was precisely what mine was a lot of eye rolling and full out laughter.  It was the first page and by George I knew I was going to love this book.  If you can look at the first page and have it connect this solidly with you well then you should know you are in for a heck of a great read and I have to say that while God, heaven and angels are a theme here, not once to feel preached to or tried to be influenced by someone else’s beliefs and feelings.  So massive kudos to Brian for being able to write this kind of story and have remain in neutral.  

    I really 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 is presented extremely well.  The character development is marvellous and I love seeing Justice speak to folks.  The dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really do wonders in bringing them to life.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing this world, introducing new characters and setting the stage for what’s next we’re very firmly planted in our seats.

    I like how we see this being structured as well and how the layers within the story story emerge, evolve and strengthen.  This is where the drama and intrigue happen, not to mention it is also where we learn a few details along the way about the characters.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow a well as how it moves the story forward is really well achieved.

    I am definitely a fan of the interiors here.  The linework is sensational and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level and quality of detail work really blew me away.  Super impressed for sure and with the way we see backgrounds as well, the brick walls closing in the alley is great to see.  Now if we get only see more of them in use.  The composition within the panels allow for us to see this 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 such a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  I love the colour work as well.  The way the blues float off Justice always pop in just the right ways and the cop cars red light really does wonders for that moment.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work showcases an extraordinary eye for how colour works.
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    I love this already.  Justice is on a mission, maybe not one from Elohim but that’s okay because the world is too dark a place for heaven to hear the prayers of the innocent and it’s high time someone quieted that noise.  Will he survive long enough?  Not if the Children of the Night have anything to say about it but then again i’m sure there will be an issue three, the one after the big fight!  This is fresh, exciting and interesting and it does a beautiful job in engaging the reader as well.  I recommend you head over to their website, check em out and get a copy of the book.
    https://www.winglessent.com/

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Honour and Curse #11

5/25/2021

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Honour and Curse #11
Mad Cave Studios 2019
Written by Mark London
Illustrated by Nicolás Salamanca
Coloured by Tekino
Lettered by Miguel Angel Zapata

    Yua confronts Master Yazuro about her father's death and Akemi decides to make peace between the Iga and the Koga. Sawa's killer is finally revealed, paving the way for the explosive finale of the second arc.

    This story is one of my favourites because it focuses on a culture and a tie that is so foreign to the Western World and it’s told so beautifully.  Over the first and this second arc we’ve seen Genshi come to terms with the creature that resides inside him as he learns to harness the power it gives him while Lady Akemi has come to hate the man she once loved blaming him for her fathers death.  It has truly been one of the closest stories to a night time soap opera as we’ve seen in comics.  With lies, intrigue, deception, misdirection and all out action it’s continues to be one heck of a thrillride issue after issue.  Plus just the fact that honour means something to these characters in ways that are harder to comprehend in today’s world and reminds us that a man’s word is his bond is something that we should still be living by today.

    I love 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 perfectly.  Learning lessons the hard way and overcoming pride and hubris isn’t easy but to see it portrayed in the characters the way we do makes the character development utterly magnificent.  How we see the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter continue to shape who they are and who they are becoming.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story alongside the twist & turns along the way pulls us into this in some really magical ways.

    I am very much enjoying the way that we see this being structured as well as how we see the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen.  It’s the way these layers are seen throughout the story that give it depth and complexity and make us want to be a part of this world.  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 a nicely done.  The creativity and imagination in what we see is special and the tengu is meant to have this awesome and fearful visage.  I do wish we’d see more backgrounds being utilised, especially with Fanuk changing as that could’ve been a tad more claustrophobic in my humble opinion.  How we see the linework, its varying weights and techniques in being utilised to create the detail work is nice ot see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a solid eye for storytelling.  The colour work is nicely rendered as well.  The gradation effects are beautifully rendered and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is great to see.
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    This is one of those weeping Eastern epics that takes the fantasy of a sword & sorcery genre to new heights. Mark is writing a spectacularly intelligent story with a cast of diverse characters, warring tribes and trying to come into a new era of friendship and peace that’s in jeopardy thanks to the chaotic nature of Fanuk and his Tengu.  There is this inherent excitement and intrigue in what we see and a tension to it that makes you wonder if Genshi took too long in trying to reign in his own Tengu or if they can work together in a way that will save the woman he loves and the kingdom as a whole.  

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Stillwater #7

5/25/2021

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Stillwater #7
Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics 2020
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Illustrated by Ramón K Perez
Coloured by Mike Spicer
Lettered by Rus Wooton

    Chaos in Stillwater erupts! With the Judge out of commission, Ted and his militia storm the town and take control. But in this small town where no one can die, there are others willing to go further…

    This is a phenomenal little series and now after it was secretive, violent and overly protective it has gone completely off the rails and I couldn’t be any more excited by this!  I mean there’s a new element in town and it is going to be hell on earth for the foreseeable future and I gotta say it sends shivers down my spine thinking about what we’re seeing and the possibilities that they represent.  This is engagement on a whole new level and if you thought you were engaged before forget about it this is outrageous at the very least.  I’m more excited now than I have ever been for this series and since the first issue instilled such a fervour in me for the possibilities that now that the guys have ramped this up to a level I never though was possible to reach well i’m left gobsmacked.

    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 perfectly presented.  The character development is beyond amazing and through the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really flesh them out as people.  That we know the knew characters, their motivations and who they are so quickly is a testament to how well Chip is able to use his god-given talent.  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 we’re drawn into this so we want to be in this town, we want to be a part of this and we want to stand up alongside Daniel.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve, strengthen and emerge anew is what keeps this feeling fresh, new and exciting.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is stunningly well achieved.  

    The interiors here are mindbogglingly brilliant to behold.  The linework is exquisitely laid down and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level and quality of detail work is phenomenally rendered.  Backgrounds are judiciously utilised throughout and yet the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story really makes an impact upon the reader.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a brilliant eye for storytelling.  The colour work is utterly magnificent.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a sensational eye for how colour can work to create mood, tone and feel that changes literally on a dime.  That this is more muted or hazy in its appearance shouldn’t go unnoticed or unmentioned because that we see it so well rendered in this manner is truly stunning.

    I sit here and remember how the first issue went down and what happened to Daniel’s best friend and now here we are with this whole new craziness going on that ties right back into that first issue.  When you are forever young and are able to learn and become to think like a grown adult things are bound to happen that lets you get away with things because of your appearance you are literally underestimated.  This is one of the most brilliant series that you could be reading and with such intelligent writing and beautifully drawn interiors its now wonder that this remains a fan favourite.

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Scout's Honour #5

5/25/2021

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Picture
Scout’s Honour #5
Aftershock Comics 2021
Written by David Pepose
Illustrated by Luca Casalnguida
Coloured by Matt Milla
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual

    Determined to bring the truth behind Doctor Jefferson Hancock's death to her people, Kit will be forced into the fight of her life against the forces of Scoutmaster Shepherd — but with the future of the Colorado Badlands at stake, can even a Scout’s honour be enough to win the day?

    Well the finale to the series is finally here and its do-or-die for Kit as she tries to free the Scouts from the grip of madness that is Scoutmaster Shepherd.  This has been one heck of a roller-coaster ride right from the get-go and it never let up.  How David has managed to write this story so that yes it feels complete and there is a natural ending it still feels as if there’s a place to revisit should the desire ever arise and those are the best kinds of stories.  This has been so well crafted and incredibly written so that everything we think is going to happen doesn’t or it does but just never int he way that we think it will.  That it’s so intelligently done that we are kept on the edge of our seats and toes wondering what exactly is around the next corner is utterly marvellous.  

    I love the way that t his 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 interesting and as we see the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter continually shapes them into the people they are meant to become and like real life this is a never ending process.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story it’s easy to find yourself lost in the world and becoming very much a part of it.

    I am very much enjoying how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, strengthen and evolve.  While some end naturally others are left open ended and the way this engages the readers mind and imagination is sensationally well done.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is so greatly achieved.

    The interiors here are bloody gorgeous!  How the linework we see through its varying weights and techniques are being utilised to create the detail work we see is astounding.  How the different weights utilised on different characters to really stress the mood, tone and feel that is needed at that time is absolutely phenomenal work.  The creativity and imagination is wonderfully shown through I wish we’d see more use of backgrounds throughout.  Still how we see depth perception, that sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the book is extremely well rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong, talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is amazing and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is beautifully rendered as well.

    David really has emerged as one of today’s stronger writers and that he’s been able to create this world based off a single object, the Scout’s Guide book, and turned that into a religion which of course is how men are so easily swayed and controlled is mindbogglingly well done.  Seriously this is a fully realised world and we’re visitors in it as David writes it in a way that makes the reader think, think of the book, think of using religion in various ways, think about sexism and so much more.  This isn’t just a fun little post apocalyptic tale it’s so much more with this wide range of ideas happening within it.  It is a modern day mini-epic and its just an outstanding story in every way it can be.

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