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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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Dune: House Atreides #9

8/31/2021

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Dune: House Atreides #9
BOOM! Studios 2020
Written by Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert
Illustrated by Dev Pramanik & Mariano Taibo
Coloured by Alex Guimarães
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire

    Was foul play involved in Leto's father's untimely death? Follow the new Duke Atreides as he stops at nothing to find out.
Power, lies, and corruption continue as Baron Harkonnen hatches a plan to frame Leto for an attack on the Tleilaxu even as Shaddam prepares to usurp the throne from his father once and for all.

    Had this been my introduction to the franchise I might have actually enjoyed the first novel and possibly the dry film much more than I had.  As it stands thanks to this I think I am actually ready to tackle the novel again and for me to say this says a lot about how good this franchise truly is.  One of the things that I really like about this series is how frequently this changes from scene to scene so we don’t hang around too long at any one place and instead manage to get the fuller picture as we watch it all unfold.  It really is among the most intelligent and smartest written series that we’ve seen in comics in a very, very long time.  

    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 exquisitely.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  This spotlights their personalities and how they keep changing, growing and evolving.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story and the twists & turns along the way we get so wrapped up in the drama of it all and it is absolutely delicious.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen we see some absolutely magnificent storytelling.  What I particularly love about this book and how we see the layers within the story add so much depth, dimension and complexity it’s enough to make the writers of Dynasty and Dallas jealous of the intricacies involved.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.  

    The interiors here are really very lovely.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work that we see throughout the issue is magnificently rendered.  The way that backgrounds are being utilised to enhance and expand the moments and really bring us what these worlds, cities and places look like is unparalleled.  How they also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is utterly fabulous.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a magnificent eye for how colour works and how to maximise its effects through how it is applied.  
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    This series is absolutely phenomenal!  This being told in the format that it is so that we don’t overstay our welcome at any one locale is smartly done.  How the story manages to flow through the pages and it engages the reader and invests you in what we’re seeing and reading is pretty spectacular to witness.  The writing is intelligent and the characterisation is sharp and witty that are surrounded by these sublime interiors really make this franchise come to life beautifully.  

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That Texas Blood #9

8/31/2021

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That Texas Blood #9
Image Comics 2020
Written by Chris Condon
Illustrated by Jacob Phillips

    "EVERSAUL, 1981," Part Three-
     A tense confrontation on the Wellman ranch, once a bastion of the psychedelic dream, leads to a growing rift between Eversaul and the Law in Ambrose County.

    After the sensational first arc of this series we’re back in time to a previous case and one of the current sheriff’s first.  This has all the excitement and tension that the first arc had and in a lot of ways it’s so much more tension and creepy.  I say this because while we think we know what to expect we are far from being in the realm of correct in our thinking.  This is a different case and has different folks and while it contains some massively grotesque imagery already there is still so much more to come.  I like the addition of the private investigator to this story because of what he adds to the mix as not only an unknown quantity but as his status as an outsider to this community as well.  There are aspects to this that are added which we aren’t expecting or haven’t seen yet that really manages to add to the whole creepiness factor.

    I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continue to flesh these characters out in ways that we’ve never seen before.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, the twists & turns and the revelations along the way we’re glued to the pages.  

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificent to see.  What I love about these layers are how we see different avenues open up and how all of these add such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably achieved.  I’m so very impressed with the way that this actually reads and how as a fan of the medium it brings the reader into this like a fully immersive experiment.

    If there is one thing negative I can say is that I wish we’d get to see more backgrounds being utilised.  Otherwise, the linework that we see is fantastic and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to bring out the detail work that we see throughout is utterly fabulous.  I love how we see the faces and facial expressions throughout the book as well as they expand the characterisation beautifully.  The backgrounds we do see expand and enhance the moments while also working within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story is marvellous.  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 gorgeous!  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows such a stellar eye for how colour works.
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    Time and again this series has remained amazingly well told. It also retains the high quality of storytelling that we’ve seen since the first moment it hit stands.  We are seeing some of the most amazing writing and intriguing characterisation alongside some brilliantly rendered interiors.  This is why folks love this series and if you haven't read it yet do yourself a huge favour and make sure you start picking this up.

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Blade Runner 2029 #7

8/31/2021

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Blade Runner 2029 #7
Titan Comics 2021
Written by Mike Johnson
Illustrated by Andres Guinaldo
Coloured by Marco Lesko
Lettered by Jim Campbell

    Can Ash save Los Angeles from Yotun’s fanatical army?
     A relentless band of super-human Replicants is out to kill Ash. Will she be able to protect the ones she loves?

    I really like seeing the backstory of Ash being explored here.  How she ended up being a detective and what she did before that happened and how she’s always had this sassy attitude has been a joy to see unfold.  It is always nice to see those events that shape who a person will become as well as the fact that she’s had this back brace long before becoming a cop.  Then to see how things are in the present and how her attitude is one that really sets her apart from her contemporaries regardless of whom they might be showing that while some things change the more others stay the same and her drive, passion and determination are among those.  Now that Ash has been remade as a Replicant and that process has been interrupted I am more anxious than ever to see how the uncomplete process both changed and didn’t change who she is.

    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.  The character development we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continue to shine a spotlight on their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story, both past and present, we are pulled into this deeper and deeper still almost becoming an accomplice after the fact.

    How this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen are magnificently rendered.  How we see the layers being explored and whether they are in the past or present, how they affect the main story or swirl around it, they add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceptionally well.

    I am a huge fan of the interiors here.  The linework that we see with its varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this quality of detail work that we see throughout the book is amazing.  I would like to see backgrounds being utilised in every panel because when they are utilised they enhance and expand the moments beautifully.  How we see them work within the composition of the panels bringing out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is fabulous.  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 various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a great eye for understanding how colour works.
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    With Ash going after Freysa to save her from Yotun and telling the others not to follow, which in my experience is usually the cue to actually follow her and not tell her you are doing that, so she will end up at the heart of the action is something I look forward to seeing.  The way that we see this amount of complexity and intricacies in the writing has this way of making it hard to separate yourself from the story and at this level of storytelling you find a new appreciation for what Mike is able to do.  There is some extraordinary writing and intense characterisation wrapped up in these outstanding interiors all of which makes this one of the most influential science fiction stories.

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Alien #6

8/31/2021

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Alien #6
Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Illustrated by Salvador Larroca
Coloured by GURU-eFX
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles

    IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN! Epsilon Station is losing its orbit. Gabriel Cruz is losing his son. Can anything be saved?

    Last night I watched the extended cut of Aliens and I was thinking how nice it would be if Gibson’s actual screenplay had been made into the third film and now here I am with the latest issue ready for review.  This one takes us all by surprise with what we see and to be honest what we see Bishop being able to do and what Gabriel is willing to do in order save the others really takes things to a whole new level.  This is the epitome of the evolution of the franchise.  Unless it is going to be rebooted with a new cast to a true sense of the screenplays this really is where the next level of fear and horror comes from.  Comics can do things that fill cannot and while they are both adept at hiding something in plain sight what comics can do that film cannot is layer the characterisation, plot and storyline so they overlap the way we see Philip having done here.  

    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 exquisitely.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter which continues to make these characters more and more believable.   The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we are so caught up in what we see and what the ramifications are sometimes we forget to look at the larger picture.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificently rendered.  What we see in the layers and how they impact the short and long term story arcs are done in such a marvellous way and how they add that much more depth, dimension and complexity to the story is mind boggling.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward with such apparent ease.

    The interior artwork here is mindbogglingly brilliant to behold.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail work that we see throughout the issue is astonishing to see.  The way that we see backgrounds being utilised to enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story are masterfully rendered.   The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.  The creativity and imagination that are on display here is mind numbing and whether it is how we see the hair, the wounds, the xenomorph or whatnot everything comes to life with the same aplomb.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a master colourist at work.  The light sources and how they change the hues and shades is pure magic to see.
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    This has become one of my favourite series from Marvel and it comes as no surprise that’s a film franchise that’s done it.  The sheer volume of creativity and imagination needed to bring this to life through such amazing writing, spectacular characterisation and brilliantly mind blowing interior artwork to the masses as successfully as it does leaves me gobsmacked.

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Robin #5

8/30/2021

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Robin #5
DC Comics 2021
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Gleb Melnikov
Coloured by Luis guerrero
Lettered by ALW’s Troy Peteri

    Robin reunion! Nightwing, Red Hood, Tim Drake, and Spoiler guest-star as they track Damian down with a plan to bring the young hero back to Gotham. Back to his family. But the son of Batman plans to win the Lazarus Tournament and refuses to return. What starts as a happy reunion quickly turns into a Robin rumble!

    I don't know if it’s ironic or not but elsewhere, see other current DC titles, Damian isn't being written the same way and I like him a lot less than I do within these pages.  Don’t get me wrong he’s an insufferable twat on his best days but somehow seeing the way Joshua is able breathe life into him through different avenues and perspectives than I was prepared for makes him a much more interesting character.  I was a tad skeptical that all the Robins would be appearing this quickly in the series and with him having been on the Island taking part in the Lazarus Tournament to boot.  Turns out there’s a reason I trust what Joshua does and he keeps their encounter short, sweet and to the point.  Though we do learn a few things that once again change how we see the characters, in a good way mind you.

    I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceedingly well.  The character development we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter really does a marvellous job in bringing these characters to life.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story we’re caught up in the whole subterfuge of what we see.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is done in such a magnificent way.  With the revelations, characterisation and how we see all these events unfold they add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceptionally well. 

    The interiors here are a bit more all ages than I normally care for but it does fit with some classic Young Justice or Teen Titans style of artwork.  How we see the varying weights being utilised to create the detail work we see throughout is well achieved.  How we see the costumes and the contestants on the island showcases some great creativity and imagination.  The way that backgrounds are utilised to enhance and expand the moments are well done, we could always use more though.  How they also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is well rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see angles and perspective in the panels show a talented eye for storytelling.
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    We’re still in the midst of the first arc and so far I’m into this book a heck of a lot more than I had ever expected I could be.  Damian isn’t the greatest charaterr find but he’s certainly one of the more complex and frustrating ones to have made an appearance in the DCU.  The whole dichotomy of his lineage and his desire to find his own way in the world that straddles both sides of his family is definitely relatable to, though never in one so young.  With some superb writing and intriguing characterisation that’s wrapped up in these more all-ages style artwork certainly makes for an incredibly interesting read.

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The Resistance: Uprising #5

8/30/2021

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The Resistance: Uprising #5
AWA Upshot Studios 2021
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Illustrated by C.P. Smith
Coloured by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Sal Cippriano

    In the wake of the assassination of their leader, the Resistance is in disarray, disconnected from each other and hunted by authorities around the world – including an army of "reborns" recruited by the American government. To avert decimation at the hands of a fascistic government crackdown, the Resistance must discover the ace up their sleeve, and then the key to unlocking it.

    The overall quality of the storytelling here is beyond exceptional.  This story has so many different moving parts and with only a few issues left in this arc they are all starting to move in a converging pattern.  What I really like about this is the fact that this is just closing in one the end of an arc and that another one will be hot on the heels.  The way that this is being told so that we see one arc after another each one picking up where the last one left off allows for each arc to be self contained as an introductory point but as well as how for a segment in a much larger story.  

    I am such 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 and how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  How we see the character development through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continue to bring out their personalities.  This really makes them feel and seem like people we know and can relate to.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story it gets much more exciting and tension filled.  

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificently rendered.  It is within these layers where we see the majority of the characterisation and the twists & turns as well as the revelations.  What this does is add a great depth, dimension and complexity to the story fleshing it out even further.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.  

    The interiors here are mindbogglingly brilliant!  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality in the attention to detail throughout the book is extraordinary.  How we see the backgrounds being utilised to expand and enhance the moments.  They also do wonders working within the composition of the panels to bring out 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 masterful eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a master colourist at work.  
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    There are a lot of things going on here and how we see each segment affect the next is exceptional to see.  The cascade effect is something we just don’t see enough of and how each event and each set of characters is just as important to not only the story at that given moment but to the larger picture as well and it makes reading this that much more of a joy.  This is as much of a straight up action/adventure story as it is a night time soap opera and one that requires the reader to actually do a fair bit of thinking.  There’s no skimming this over; it takes a good hard read and possibly even more than one to catch all the subtlety one could miss on the first go round.  With some damn fine writing and dynamic & intriguing characterisation that is brought to life through these utterly brilliant interiors really turn this into something completely and utterly extraordinary.

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John Carpenter's Tales of Science Fiction: Hell #5

8/30/2021

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John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction: Hell #5
Storm King Comics 2021
Written by David J. Schow
Illustrated by Andrew Esparza
Coloured by Sergio Martinez
Lettered by Janice Chiang

    HELL #5 (of 8)
     IT'S HELL DOWN HERE IN ... HELL. Stef, Samples, Capt. Lamb and the entire CalEx strike team have incurred casualties the moment they set foot into the blistering purgatory of the Underneath. They are the first human beings to venture into this alien landscape, with a convicted murderer, a drunken scientist, and a half-human, half-reptile native as their "guides." But first they have to contend with an entirely new enemy ... a previously unglimpsed form of armored, mantis-like soldier bred solely for combat, engineered to protect and kill!

    We have a very interesting opening happening here as we see at least one person survive the nightmare that they’ve all entered.  There could be more but at the moment we are only focused upon one of them.  This of course leads us back down the rabbit hole where the remaining team members are quick to jump down and out of reach of the giant sand worms.  I have to say that I do appreciate how we see the denizens of this realm as creatures we recognise if they are in gigantic proportions that in turn turn them into these huge monstrosities.  It adds that little something extra to the mix that brings the creepy factor to a new level.  

     I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job in bringing these characters to life.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we’re left slack jawed at just how brutal an environment this truly is.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, evolve and strengthen is magnificent.  The layers here add so much depth, dimension and complexity to the story through the characterisation and the actions we see taken.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is beautifully achieved.  

    The interiors here are bloody brilliant.  The linework is fantastic and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of the detail work that we see throughout the issue is absolutely gorgeous.  How we see the backgrounds being utilised to enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is utterly marvellous.  The creativity and imagination that we see on display throughout the issue is dynamite and it enhances the creepy and horror factors exponentially.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a great understanding for how colour works.
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    The way that we see things escalate as they go from section to section means the remainder of the team has little time left to accomplish what they hope to do and find a way to get out of there alive.  While this landscape is far from idyllic at first glance it also just looks like a cavernous underground lair so this belies the hidden dangers that they face.  With some absolutely amazing writing and dynamic characterisation that goes hand-in-hand with these bloody brilliant interiors will forever change the way you view Hell.  

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The Blue Flame #4

8/30/2021

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The Blue Flame #4
Vault Comics 2021
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Illustrated by Adam Gorham
Coloured by Kurt Michael Russell
Lettered by Hassan Otsman-Elhaou

    Sam spirals deeper into darkness while the Blue Flame chooses to finally face the tragedy of his life on Earth. It remains to be seen if either of them will ever recover, and if they can still be heroes. As they grapple with their identities, Sam searches his soul and seeks relief in the arms of someone who may in fact be an adversary, while the Flame finds an ally in someone he thought was working against him.

    This is that issue where something within Sam clicks and he stops feeling sorry for himself and starts to move forward.  Mind you it isn’t just one event that suddenly gets him there but the catalyst itself is here.  The time for mourning has to end as he has to fight for mankind's future and those of his sister and niece.  Yes he’s been through a tragedy and yes he really needs to talk to a professional but he’s finally seeing himself as more than simply the victim or the one to blame for being the sole survivor, yes survivors guilt is a very real thing and not so simple to overcome trust me on this one.

    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 that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does this magnificent job in bringing their personalities to the forefront.  It is what makes the characters, Sam in particular, more relatable to.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we start to see Sam unravel the threads of his life.

    The way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificently rendered.  It is within these layers where the bulk of the characterisation lay as well as the twists & turns and revelations within the plot take hold.  What this does is add such delicious depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is beautifully achieved.

    I am very much enjoying the interiors here.  The dark gritty world of drunk Sam versus the bright shiny world of the Blue Flame are like night and day from one another.  We see this setting the mood, tone and feel cues being taken from the art and then working towards how expressive and thought provoking these moments can be.  The way we see backgrounds being utilised could be a tad better but they enhance and expand the moments nicely.  They also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, 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 remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is rendered exceedingly well thanks to how the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work.  
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    I really like this series so far.  It is different than anything else we’re seeing on stands and that they have powers and are more than a bunch of folks seeking attention, okay were, by playing dress up and fighting crime.  Sam has to remember why he got into this to begin with and follow his own moral and ethical code to get himself back to where he needs to be in that good mental place.  With some dynamic writing and sensational characterisation wrapped up in these stellar interiors these folks have created a real life superhero who faces the same day to day decisions as cops or firefighters would, let alone “regular” humans.  This will capture your attention and take you on as much a personal journey through the choices we make that could inevitably save the lives of untold billions.

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Silver City #4

8/30/2021

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Silver City #4
Aftershock Comics 2021
Written by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs
Illustrated by Luca Merli
Lettered by Dave Sharpe

    Ru harnesses her power as an ancient to timedrop back to LAX, just moments before the explosion, to get Junie out of harm's way. In doing so, however, she sees something she didn't before. Something that will change the course of her existence and challenge everything she knows as truth.

    Oh Mickey you're so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey.  It is kind of funny because the cover here looks like he’s one of two things Elvis or a Greaser and either way I’m really good either way.  The opening here gives us some great insight and backstory to him as well and I have to say he’s basically a good kid and I feel for him being where he is and for having been there for so long now.  Though you can tell his meeting Ru has changed his life, or afterlife if you will, for the better and has given him a new purpose and meaning to the ho-hum existence he was having.  The intricacies we see within this story and how the events play out for us are done in such a way that really allows for the reader to feel as if they are a part of it.

    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.  The character development we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter do wonders in bringing these characters to life.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we’re caught off guard by the twists & turns making this so much more interesting than it already is.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is achieved exceedingly well.  I like how we see these layers within the story continuing to evolve with the plot twists and how things take those unexpected moments and run with them which along with the characterisation add so much great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is wonderfully done.

    The interiors here are completely and utterly marvellous.  The linework is fantastic and then to see how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to create the detail work we see throughout the book is extremely well rendered.  The way that we see backgrounds being utilised to enhance and expand the moments is beautifully done.  How they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is handled exceptionally well.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a great understanding of how colour works.  
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    The more we learn about this world, these characters and what they can do the more we want to see and know.  This is so well written and has such great strong characterisation that is wrapped around some superb interiors and all of it works together to really create something we’ve not seen before.  With the mysteries surrounding Ru and those around her as they start to come to light we’re being pulled deeper and deeper into this in some ways that amp up the intrigue and interest factors well beyond their normal limits.  

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Becstar #4

8/30/2021

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Picture
Becstar #4
Mad Cave Studios 2021
Written by Joe Corallo
Illustrated by Lorenzo Colangeli
Coloured by Sweeney Boo
Lettered by Joamette Gil

    It's a race to the creation gauntlet in the penultimate issue of Becstar! With Sally #2 on board, Becstar and crew are on their way to Anyssa... but so is Mordecai and the Shadow Syndicate. Who will get their first and what will happen when they do?

    It shouldn’t surprise me but it does just how excited I got when I sat down to read this issue.  Granted I’m not a fan of this style of artwork, however, it certainly doesn’t detract from the story or the story’s enjoyment.  It is all about personal preference because the work is nicely done and I never want anyone to think they’ve not got the talent.  So with the race for the gauntlet of creation in full swing it is the final piece of the puzzle of artefacts that the group found all that time ago.  This journey that we’ve seen Becstar undertake has been pretty seriously detailed and how her reticence to open up has been broken down through all this has made such a great impact on me as a reader.  

    I am very much 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 exceedingly well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  This of course highlights their personalities and how we’ve seen them grow and change over the course of the series.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages the action builds like a crescendo. 

     How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  There are those that are self contained and those that have yet to be explored and then there’s the whole two Paprika’s business which we don’t know anything about.  What all these do is add depth, dimension and complexity to the story so it feels much fuller and more than meets the eye in greater scope of things.  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 well rendered.  It’s not my style of choice but it’s cleanly rendered and the expressions on the faces bring us great emotion and feeling from the characters.  I would like to see more attention to detail throughout the book especially when it comes to the way we see backgrounds.  Still how we see the composition within the panels bringing out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is well done.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is really nice to see here.
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    This is a great little book and as we’ve watched it grow and evolve from the first page of the first issue we’ve had such an amazing journey.  It is still up in the air if the girls are going to be able to stop Mordecai or not but according to my magic 8-ball it says “Better not tell you now” so I guess we’ll have to come back next month and find out for sure.  With some incredible writing and sharp witty characterisation along with interiors that suit the book it is great to see how good this book is.  

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