READING WITH A FLIGHT RING
  • About
  • reviews
  • Contact
  • Cosplay of the Day 2
  • Company News
  • Entertainment Section
  • Convention News/Updates
  • original artwork
  • My Best Books of the Week
  • Cosplay of the day!
  • FCBD
  • Interviews
  • Webcomics

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

Facebook Link

Good Luck #3

8/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Good Luck #3
BOOM! Studios 2021
Written by Matthew Erman
Illustrated by Stefano Simeone
Lettered by Mike Fiorentino

    You've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I Feel Lucky?"  The Unfortunates finally strike upon some Good Luck, though they have disappeared from the Kismet Zone.  Will Artie, Cherry, and Hilde uncover the reason behind their disappearance and be able to hold onto their luck, or is time running out for them?

    Just in case you needed it the opening has a nice little narration of who and where the constellations are currently.  This leads us into learning a little more about Kismet Zone where our overzealous, see power hungry and mad politician, villain has declared himself the leader of the project and will do whatever he can to amass the kind of power that makes him sound like some sort of crazed despot.  All in the name of the United States naturally.   What he doesn’t know however is that his machinations are doomed from the start, aren’t they always though?  I mean seriously those with delusions of grandeur usually fall and fall hard right on their face so why should this guy be any different.  Just how flexible his plans are and how he’s adept at thinking on the fly will have to come into play at some point and I’m interested in seeing how Matthew depicts this.

    I am thoroughly 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 we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continues to bring these characters' personalities to life beautifully.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing mad schemes, twists & turns and revelations we are left in constant awe with each new moment.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is rather impressive.  Within the layers where the bulk of the characterisation lies along with the new avenues surprising us as well as other bits and bobbles add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How everything works together to create the story’s eb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is beautifully achieved.

    The interiors here are actually quite lovely.  The creativity and imagination that we see throughout really opens the mind up to the possibility of these various constellations and sets them apart from the ordinary humans we see.  The linework is strong, clean and crisp and how along with the varying weights we see such great detail work coming to the forefront is marvellously rendered.  We get some great use of backgrounds here and how they 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 great to see.  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 is done exceptionally well.  That we see these kinds of computer blocks changing the scenery without the use of black lines is a real highlight for how we see the application of the colour.
​

    Four kids with seemingly no luck whatsoever, good or bad, have been tasked with stopping the event in Little Kentucky Ohio.  With the world thinking them dead and getting ready to move on to another phase of planning will these kids be able to regroup and accomplish their mission?  With some strong concise writing and hellaciously good characterisation wrapped up in these fine interiors we’re going to come back and find out and that’s a guarantee.  

0 Comments

Seven Swords #3

8/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven Swords #3
Aftershock Comics 2021
Written by Evan Daugherty
Illustrated by Federico Dallocchio
Coloured by Valentina Bianconi
Lettered by Dave Sharpe

    The swashbucklers take to the high seas and D’Artagnan is grudgingly forced to play captain to his motley crew of sword-masters.
     They must all hold fast if they have any hope of braving pirate-infested waters, storming the literal Bastille and rescuing the Man in the Iron Mask, a mysterious prisoner who apparently plays a key role in Cardinal Richelieu’s grand plan.

    There really are few stories like historical fiction to really capture the readers’ mind, imagination and creativity.  I mean these are all characters who existed throughout time though usually in works of fiction or are based loosely off real people.  That Evan has brought them all together in this story to face off against Cardinal Richelieu, who himself is a real person, in such a way that makes complete and perfect sense is phenomenal.  Also that we finally see all the players in this little drama finally coming together is fantastic.  Evan took his time to let the characters come together organically, see not rushed or feeling like it’s forced upon us, which means that the story takes on a bigger impact when it comes to seeing how this is being told.  

    I find myself being enamoured 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 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 brings them to life extraordinarily well.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the seventh and final member of the team the story gets under way in earnest.  

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificent to see.  I also really like seeing the Man in the Iron Mask and who Evan has chosen this character is going to be, after all his true identity was never revealed and while he is believed to have existed that’s all that’s known about him.  How all of this works to add depth, dimension and complexity to the story is wonderfully rendered.  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 mindbogglingly gorgeous!  From the characters to the backgrounds, what we see fleshes everything out in some truly superb ways.  The mood, tone and feel of the work really sets the stage for the book and it is like a dream come true.  The linework is exquisite and how the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality in the attention to detail that we see leaves me gobsmacked.  How the backgrounds enhance and expand the moments as well as work within the composition of the panels to bring about the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is magnificent to see.  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.  
​

    How we see the flow and the clip at which this story reads is truly astonishing.  It feels like you read it so very quickly but with a normal page count it really just reads like every other book it only feels like there’s a lot of information being thrown at you and that as a reader you devour it.  There is some absolutely stunning writing and characterisation that’s surrounded by these mind blowing interiors that conspire to create one of what could be history's greatest challenge.

0 Comments

Broken Gargoyles: Sin and Virtue #3

8/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Broken Gargoyles: Sin and Virtue #3
Source Point Press 2021
Written by Bob Salley & Christina Blanch
Illustrated by Stan Yak
Flashback Illustrated by Ken Perry
Coloured by Robert Nugent
Lettered by Justin Birch

    As chaos is unleashed on the farm, Manco and Prescott square off. This time, Prescott is not so forgiving, as he was once before. With the crew facing a threat on all sides, sacrifices will have to be made in order to escape with their lives.

    I wasn’t going to review this because I don’t have all the materials I need to run a review the way that I like but this is such a dang good series I couldn’t miss two issues in a row.  Aside from the fact that this group of ragtag soldiers who are basically each other’s family and have more loyalty to each other than the government has for them is too interesting to not be reading folks.  This is the best example I can think of in comics where a family, much like in real life, is chosen by those you surround yourself with rather than by bond of blood.  This chosen family is what makes them so formidable and so effective when it comes to accomplishing their goals and it’s a pure joy to read.

    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 as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceedingly 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 really helps us see who they are at their core.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more intense and chaotic the story becomes.

    I am very much enjoying how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  It is within these layers where we see the bulk of the characterisation, the plot twists and just the overall way that this is being told as we see this great depth, dimension and 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 kind of crazy, crazy good that is.  The linework we see along with its varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the attention to detail we see throughout the book is pretty marvellous.  I wish we’d see more backgrounds in play because how the composition within the panels brings out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope could benefit from them.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The creativity and imagination that we see is completely and utterly marvellous and when we see the dude with that mask attacking he’s just all kinds of intense and we discern this through his visage.  The colour work is beautifully rendered.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a remarkable eye for how colour works and how to maximise its effects.  
​

    The black and white ending here is creepy as all get out.  It is what makes what’s to come build the kind of tension the reader can actually feel in their shoulders.  This is a book that kind of sneaks up on you and comes out of left field and you cannot fathom for the life of you why more folks aren’t talking about it.  With some amazing writing and stupendous characterisation wrapped up in these dynamic interiors this is going to impress and amaze you time and time again.

0 Comments

Checkmate #3

8/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Checkmate #3
DC Comics 2021
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Alex Maleev
Coloured by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Josh Reed

    All-new story! As the super-spies try to keep Leviathan from getting its hands on the Heroes Network, Lois Lane does her best to get to the bottom of the new truths in front of her. Meanwhile, her husband-the Man of Steel-has had just about enough of Leviathan. That’s right, finally! The man behind the rise of Leviathan, Mark Shaw, and Superman clash! Plus: Who is Mr. King really? Guest-starring Robin and Talia al Ghul! And Superman.

    It is bugging me that Shaw keeps referring to Markovia as his because while I may have been out of the main loop for a while as far as I know Brion Markov’s family still rules it so I need an in depth explanation as to why Shaw thinks this is his country now.  I mean Geo-Force wouldn’t let a man like Shaw have control of his country.  Now that that’s off my chest what a fantastic series this is!  Leviathan isn’t long for the world unless that facial covering Shaw wears is what keeps this personality in control and if that’s the case then the world needs its covert operations teams like Checkmate and the missing Green Flame. 

    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 being presented exceedingly 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.  This brings out the personalities to the forefront exceptionally well.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story it raises more questions that we want answered.

    How this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificent to see.  One of the aspects within the layers that we see is that Shaw wants an audience, he craves others to know what he’s doing or else he wouldn’t have orchestrated Checkmate’s return.  How this and the other aspects bring such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story is utterly amazing.  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.

    Alex is a hugely underrated artist in the industry today.  The linework we see is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work throughout the book is sensational.  I do wish we’d see more backgrounds being utilised but what we do see expands and enhances the moments.  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.  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 colour work show a great understanding of how colour should work and how to maximise its effects.
​

    This is a diverse cast of characters and each one adds something to the group as a whole that is needed to figure out what Shaw is up to and how to stop him.  Sometimes we forget that a few of these characters are so much more than what we think of them as being, and as Lois and Steve are seen as supporting characters they have skills that many don’t readily think about.  We also see another character in these pages for the first time and I cannot wait to see his presence expanded upon.  This has all the excitement, intrigue and electricity that a well written counterintelligence novel would have.  With some phenomenal writing and stellar characterisation wrapped up in these perfectly suited interiors this is what has been missing from DC’s repertoire for a while now.

0 Comments

Darling #3

8/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Darling #3
Source Point Press 2021
Written by Michael Fleizach & Todd Hunt
Illustrated by Dave Mims
Lettered by Zach Turner

    A missing girl; a city on the brink of an all-out drug war; and our beloved anti-hero just trying to keep it all together - we're in for one hell of a night. With every page turn, our girl's identity becomes more crystal; with every passing moment Francis becomes more dope sick. Can he stay straight long enough to save her?  We're stumbling towards our destiny, now: eyes like glass, veins full of poison, and a cast of boisterous bohemians that are just too strange to be real. But on the off chance they might be, let's strap in. The bloodshed is about to begin; the Queen is dropping by for tea.

    Well as the Queen was leaving she was giving the order for off with their heads.  Now we open up right where that left off and I have to say this is so much more of a daring do than I had anticipated it being.  Of course with Francis hiding out in the bathroom after shooting up a hit he’s really missing out on all the action and somehow I don’t think he sees it that way at all.  This is what drugs do though, I’m not up to snuff on heroin so I don’t know if it makes you cowardly but you’ll protect yourself so that you can make it to your next high, nothing else but that matters.  

    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, Finch’s impromptu sign language, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter all conspire to make their personalities become so prominent.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages we’re drawn into this unbelievable situation so fully.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen while adding this much depth, dimension and complexity to the story is utterly magnificent to see.  It really is impressive that so much can be inferred by the reader so that each one will have a different takeaway.  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.

    I wish we’d see more backgrounds, especially if we’re going to see something from Francis’ drugged up point of view, because what happened in that bathroom could’ve been stupendous.  The linework is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights being utilised to create this level of detail work throughout the issue is marvellously rendered.  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 beautifully done.  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 pretty solid and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a nice understanding of how colour works.  Though again with his drug addled brain there is room for some really inspired work to happen.
​

    Is it live or is it memorex?  We have no idea what Francis is experiencing and what he’s hallucinating thanks to how much and how often he shoots up.  That’s half of the interest factor though because we want to know what is real and what if anything isn’t.  The boys are doing a bang up job in bringing this heavy heady tale to life with it’s amazing writing, dynamic characterisation and super solid interiors.  

0 Comments

Barbaric #3

8/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Barbaric #3
Vault Comics 2021
Written by Michael Moreci
Illustrated by Nathan Gooden
Coloured by Addison Duke
Lettered by Jim Campbell

    Everything's gone to sh*t. But what else is new for a barbarian cursed to do good, who has to follow the commands of a bloodthirsty axe? It's just that today's a little worse. With Owen's back against the wall, and his enemies eager to chop him to bits, things are looking especially grim as the first arc of BARBARIC comes to a close.

    I’m a little upset that this is a three issue arc and we’ll have to wait until some time next year for the next one to come out.  Thi is just way too much fun and just as we’re settling into the book wham bam thank you Sam it’s over.  If this weren’t as good a book as it is then I wouldn’t be as upset as I am but since the boys here have created and brought to life one hell of a book everything is up in the air.  I do like how we become invested in these characters in such a short amount of time.  The level of the writing here far exceeds any and all expectations and considering it’s Moreci I already expected a lot. 

    I’m 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 as seen through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continue to show facets of their personalities we weren’t aware of previously.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we are pulled into this in some mighty strong ways.

    I do greatly appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I love how we see the layers here with their characterisation, plot twists and unexpected moments that really 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 achieved exceptionally well.  

    The interiors here are phenomenal.  The linework is great and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the attention to detail we see throughout the book is completely and utterly marvellous.  We see some decent use of backgrounds here, though we could always use more, and how they are utilised to enhance and expand the moments.  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.  I love the creativity and imagination that we see throughout and that talking axe getting drunk on blood just kills me every time we see him, he really steals the show or moments we see his face.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling.  The colour work we see through the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work really demonstrates a sublime eye for how colour works.
​

    This book is superb and it’s a solid good read, no not a solid gold read or even dancer.  There are moments that we certainly don’t expect to see and it’s nice that we do and all things considered it’ll be nice for Owen to have someone to talk to other than the axe.  Though let’s face it the axe is pure comedic gold baby.  With some incredible writing and extraordinary characterisation wrapped in these interiors that are perfectly suited to the story Barbaric this is one series that we need oh so much more of!

0 Comments

Rabid World #3

8/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Rabid World #3
Scout Comics 2021
Written by Todd Cinani
Illustrated by Oleg Okunev
Lettered by Lucas Gattoni

    Soldiers from Ft. Levine embark on what may well be a suicide mission to save a doctor and maybe open the road to a vaccine. Meanwhile, the crew of the Jibberish find themselves in the Atlantic Ocean, low on rations. Do they risk returning to land, infested as it is with the infected?

    I am a sucker for a zombie story. I don't know what it is about them but the end of the world post apocalyptic event that turns people into flesh eating monsters has the potential to really take horror to new levels of frightening.  That this one in particular manages to take the science and make it a focal point which is something that many zombie tales leave out completely.  So that Todd manages to create science for dummies work in his favour so that the reader understands what the characters are discussing is phenomenal.  This isn’t the only thing that is different about this story thus far and I think it is being done so smartly by combining the familiar with the unfamiliar.  You need to push the boundaries to have a story such as this step away from the crowd and while it definitely has elements of Romero it also has some great originality to it as well.

    Everything about the way that this is being told is sensational.  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 is complicated and that's thanks to 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, the twists & turns and so much more we are left wondering what could happen next.

    I love how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  That these layers contain so much depth, dimension and complexity make for reading this that much more of a joy.  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 utterly spectacular.  The linework is clean, crisp and sharp and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality in the attention to detail is absolutely stunning.  The creativity and imagination combined with a knowledge of anatomy really brings certain moments to life with just the desired effect.  How we see backgrounds being utilised throughout to expand and enhance the moments while also working within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale as well as 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.  I love the pops of colour and that it feels like it’s black & white on beige paper as it really tends to give this a whole different look, tone and feel.  
​

    That there is some dark humour mixed in with the storytelling is great and trying to joke in awkward situations is very much a self-defense mechanism so seeing it here just adds another layer of reality to the story.  The writing is phenomenal and the characterisation is beyond intelligently done and this level & quality to these brilliantly rendered interiors take fear and the genre to new heights.

0 Comments

Vinyl #03

8/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Vinyl #03
Image Comics 2021
Written by Doug Wagner
Illustrated by Daneil Hillyard
Coloured by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire

    As Walter continues to go even deeper into the sunflower death cult's underground gore bunker, his serial killer friends decide to split up to sew their unique brands of chaos. New wickedly disturbing monsters are revealed on both sides. Who wins when the criminally insane take on pure evil?

    The more we see of this series the more disturbed it gets but also the more completely and utterly fabulous it gets as well.  I shouldn’t be this enthused about a book featuring serial killers but by god what these boys are doing with this not only brings a genuine smile to my face but in the end it's just a feel good kind of story.  After reading this through the first time I was able to go back and read it again and pick up the signs that I missed, or were right under my nose.  That Doug is able to do that is amazing to me because it is something that more likely than not anyone should be able to spot and wonder about.  But you get so caught up in the fabulousness of this book that sometimes you don’t see the forest for the trees.  

    Everything about the way that this is being told is phenomenal.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is exquisitely rendered.  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 continues to flesh them out as people magnificently.  I could talk for days on end about the characterisation here and not once get bored it’s just that singularly incredible.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story, the revelations and twists along the way we’re made to feel like a part of this story.

    How this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificent to see.  How all this adds such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story is so exciting to see.  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 amazing to see.  Sure it has this very comic book style oriented artwork but it works for this series and it works extremely well.  The house could use more detailed backgrounds but we’ll let it slide.  The work we do see enhances and expands the moments beautifully and 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 phenomenal to see.  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 sensational eye for how colour works and how to maximise their effects.  The creativity and imagination that we see throughout is stunning and it just amps up the whole crazy factor way past ten on the dial.
​

    I love how we see Vic throughout all this as well.  She went from reluctant prisoner to caring about Walter in the span of three issues and I think as she begins to learn more about him, his predicament and that he genuinely considers Dennis his best friend, honestly it’s heartwarming.  There is so much going on here with Walter and his little family which now includes Vic and by extension Dennis that is completely unexpected and the impact that it has on the reader is a shock to the system.  With some of today's most inspired writing & characterisation wrapped up in these stunningly brilliant interiors this is going to change how you see the world around you.

0 Comments

Far Cry: Rite of Passage #3

8/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Far Cry: Rite of Passage #3
Dark Horse Comics 2021
Written by Bryan Edward Hill
Illustrated by Geraldo Borges
Coloured by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt

    The appropriate response to pain is not to escape it, but to embrace and conquer it. The infamous preacher, Joseph Seed, illustrates this lesson in two ways: showing success with strength over pain, but also, caution, when one isn't strong enough.

    I am sorry but if my father treated me the way we see happening within this opening I’d have called child and family services faster than you could blink.  Of course different parts of the world and those who are in much different walks of life do things much differently than my comfortable suburban upper middle class upbringing.  Of course what we do see here does make for some incredible reading and Bryan does know what he’s doing.  The man does look like Lance Henrickson, it’s kind of uncanny really.  Then of course there’s the whole Seed segment of the story and I dunno what voices these folks are hearing but it’s more than a tad creepy if ya ask me, not that anyone has.  Regardless, what all this does is engage the reader in the story in some really nice ways.

    I am impressed 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 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 all of which conspire to bring these characters to life beautifully.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more intrigued we become.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is really magnificently well rendered.  Within the layers we see a lot of the stellar characterisation, the plot twists and oh so much more and what these bring are extra depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  I like that some of these moments are creepy as all get out and explain why we see some of what we do and the implications are enormous.  The way we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably rendered.

    The interiors here are really rather strong.  The linework that we see along with the varying weights techniques showcase so much great detail work throughout the book.  How 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 book is wonderfully achieved. 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 an extraordinary eye for how colour works and how to maximise its effects.
​

    I know this is another book based off of a video game but honestly as a non-gamer this is a phenomenal stand alone project.  So whether you play the game or not this is going to capture your mind, imagination and creativity and make you feel you are a huge part of the franchise.  There is some absolutely stellar writing and characterisation wrapped in these sensational interiors that will engage your mind beautifully.  This is what the power of comics is all about.

0 Comments

Everfrost #3

8/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Everfrost #3
Black Mask Studio 2021
Written by Ryan K. Lindsay
Illustrated by Sami Kivelä
Coloured by Lauren Affe
Lettered by Jim Campbell

    Off to a creepy ice island out on the frozen ocean - what could go wrong there? Van teams up with the Bloom to find some answers, which is *possible* when you end up in the place where answers go to die, but no one’s going to have a good time of it. Van is going to discover that this future hellscape is dynamic enough that it can be tailored just for you. 

    Part of me thinks that Van would’ve been much happier had she never come back to town looking for her people.  Ignorance is bliss after all though is it really?  Nay, Nay I say.  Before leaving this world she had things she wanted to take care of but with her son and former husband she was sidetracked by the planet's ruler that was meant to deal with her in a way that they deemed necessary.  It’s a great and shocking plot device that keeps her planetside and out of the way as much as possible.  Sometimes the “human” spirit is much more indomitable than a machine is capable of realising.  I think what Ryan is doing with this story is truly outrageous in the size and scope of the story he’s undertaking.  

    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 narration, the dialogue, the character interaction, as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a great job in bringing these characters to life.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we are treated to some great unexpected moments.

    I like the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow and evolve.  I love seeing the layers being explored here as Van finds an ally and takes the fight back up north.  What we see out of these layers adds so much 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 extremely well.  

    I do very much like the interiors here.  The linework we see is fantastic, clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work we see throughout the issue is spectacular.  There are moments like seeing the frozen city as they enter enhances and expands the moment so incredibly well.  How we see the backgrounds work within the composition of the panels to bring  about the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story marvellously 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.  The various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a brilliant eye for how colour works and how its application can change the mood, tone and feel of any given moment.
​

    I’m fascinated by this story.  It started off with this complex and dynamic story and with each issue it’s been growing increasingly complex.  The more that is revealed the more that’s hidden away and it’s this game of give and take that never gives more than it takes and it is nearly infuriating in that we come back time and time again to see, know and learn more.  Ryan has created and crafted this amazing story thus far and it's only getting better and better.  With some amazingly complex writing and dynamic characterisation wrapped up in these dramatic interiors we get one of the more fascinating and unusual stories on stands today.

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.