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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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Suicide Jockeys #2

9/30/2021

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Suicide Jockeys #2
Half Evil Comics/Rising Spirit Entertainment/Source Point Press 2021
Written by Rylend Grant
Illustrated by Davi Leon Dias
Coloured by Iwan Joko Triyono
Lettered by HdE

    After learning that his lost love might still be alive, adrift somewhere in the vast ocean of space and time, Denver Wallace must convince his estranged team to set aside years of bad blood, saddle up, and bring her back home. Also, there's a pretty funny reality show subplot, a panel where a dog takes a massive dump, and you know... plenty of cool monster-fighting stuff.

    The opening here is utterly fantastic and it really has a nice impact on the reader as it recaps a reality that may or may not have been for the Jockeys.  This does a nice segway into the story itself where we continue to meet the various Jockeys in the lives they currently live and we start with Rory.  Now why is it that the most difficult one starts things off and takes the longest to resolve?  It really is like this in real life, it’s the one you dread the most but try to contact first because you just know a headache is involved.  Also these television folks yeah they are as superficial as they come and I feel like they are as fake as canned laughter.

    I’m completely into 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 impeccably rendered.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  This brings their personalities to the forefront and a hell of a lot of hostility to boot.  The pacing is excellent and as it5 takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we’re drawn deeper into this.

    I am very much enjoying the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  What I love seeing is the layers opening up new avenues that may or may not be explored to go with those that have been already opened and being explored, it’s like a tree branching off and these all add such depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  The way we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is immaculately achieved. 

    The interiors here are really rather very solid.  The linework that we see is clean, crisp and strong and with the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work that we see is amazingly well rendered.  I like it more when we see backgrounds being utilised than not, though the crosshatching and other techniques being utilised do make it look better than pure blank space.  The way they enhance and expand the moments is beautifully done.  How we see them 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 strong 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 of how colour works.
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    The group dynamics here are absolutely fascinating and if I were a psychology student I could graduate writing a thesis paper on them.  They are that complex, angry, driven and trusting and there is this hatred and I’m pretty sure it’s pure hatred running through some of them and love, deep rooted love among them no matter how much they think otherwise.  This is a bloody brilliant book with so much depth and complexity in the characterisation alone which showcases how well this is actually being written.  Then with these stellar interiors bringing it to life there’s no excuse for you to be missing out on this series. 

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The Box #2

9/30/2021

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The Box #2
Red5 Comics 2021
Written by Joshua Starnes
Illustrated by Raymond Estrada
Coloured by Steven Dellasalla 
Lettered by Dave Lanphear

    PREVIOUSLY
    When the world’s leading expert on The Box goes missing, Leo is the natural top suspect.  Facing another plot to steal his partner and ruin his life Leo turned the tables on his pursuers... and came face to face with a very old man who could make The Box do whatever we wanted, including killing a man ...

    I was hooked on this with the first issue and this one just amps up the story exponentially and I gotta say I’m way past hooked on this.  How Joshua manages to write this and how he creates the scenarios where Leo uses the box or the box uses Leo to get away, escape from capture or just in general really shows a mad genius in action because I’m not sure i’d be able to keep up with how many different uses there are, could be and have been.  Okay I am thoroughly engaged and I think of situations that aren’t on the page and we all know how I feel about that, it’s wonderful and it goes to show just how skilled, talented and exciting a writer Joshua is to pull in this deep so quickly.

    I am such a massive 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 exquisitely.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  This does a magnificent job in bringing their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we’re really treated to some of the most exciting storytelling.

    I am thrilled by the way this is being structured and how the layers continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  What these layers do so expertly is open up avenues to be explored and while some will and others won't, what they all do is add this delicious 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 immaculately achieved.  

    There is a very distinct style to the interiors that seems to match the story perfectly and It really creates the mood, tone and feel for every given moment that we see beautifully.  The linework is fantastic and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work is fabulous to see.  There is a pretty fair balance of backgrounds and blank spaces which does enhance and expand the moments and then there’s 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.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows 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 how colour works and a stellar understanding of how to maximise their effects.
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    I think this series is amazing and it’s got this bloody marvellous flow to the sequence of events as they unfold where you can’t exactly predict what is going to happen.  When you think one thing is happening and another beats that to the punch it’s crazy.  It keeps you on your toes and makes you pay attention to what’s happening.  There is some incredibly smart, intelligent writing and solid, interesting characterisation happening here that’s wrapped up in these perfectly suited interiors bringing it all to life.  

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Swamp God #2

9/30/2021

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Swamp God #2
Heavy Metal Comics 2021
Written by Ron Marz
Illustrated by Paolo Armitano
Coloured by Werner Sanchez
Lettered by ALW’s Troy Peteri

    At the end of the American Civil War, a ragtag squad of Confederate soldiers calls upon the ultimate evil to save the South. Now, the remains of their unit must team with Union soldiers to survive the horrors of the Swamp God.

    This is a great book and I think the setting, place and time, have a huge impact on how I feel about this.  That it is this era lends a greater air of credence to the story because you would find the legends of the swamp witch being more prevalent and believed.  They were more superstitious then and to see that play out as we do this issue just reaffirms what we believe of that time.  Without being there and only records or journals for guidance the truth is often blurred into legend and myth.  By the way for the record the one dude is right they taste like chicken and I make some mean gator grub.  I am very much enjoying the way Ron is telling this story. It's intelligent, interesting and the reader comes into this issue already engaged and invested in what’s happening which simply increases exponentially with this issue.

    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 exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  This does a magnificent job bringing their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more engaged and invested we become.

    I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  These layers do wonders in opening up new avenues and exploring those already opened and how they all add this wonderful depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  I have to say the witch and what immediately happened after she agreed on that one condition was absolutely stunning.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is amazingly well achieved. 

    Oh I am a fan of the interiors here.  The linework that we see is strong, clean and crisp and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this much sensational detail work is beyond my expectations.  From the swamp life, to the uniforms, to the people themselves what we see is so well executed and that each one is an individual and the attention and care done to ensure that yeah I’m incredibly impressed.  That we see backgrounds being utilised to this degree makes me a happy camper as they 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.  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 of how colour works and how to maximise their effects.
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    The further we get into this issue the more interesting things become.  I mean that the last page alone should be enough to ensure that anyone and everyone would be enticed to come back.  I love this, it has horror, war, action/adventure and it's all set in a time period of the civil war and the Confederate Soldiers having to work with the Union Soldiers moving forward is going to be something extraordinary to see.  Strong, intelligent writing and characterisation alongside some gorgeous interiors make this another home run for Heavy Metal.  

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10 Years To Death

9/30/2021

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10 Years To Death
Aftershock Comics 2021
Written by Aaron Douglas
Illustrated by Cliff Richards
Coloured by Guy Major
Lettered by Dave Sharpe

    The Shawshank Redemption meets The Sixth Sense, inspired by an eerily bone-chilling true story.  A newly-hired prison guard, a notorious mass murderer finally incarcerated for his crimes, and the death that binds them together. What happens when the murdered becomes the murderer? 

    This is the kind of story that wins the night when you are sitting around the campfire telling ghost stories.  This is the epitome of that creepy halloween story that can just chill you to the bone after it’s spent all this time making you feel uneasy.  What Aaron does with this story is completely and utterly brilliant.  I know it’s supposed to be based off true events but I’ve never heard this tale so it’s brand spankin new to me.  I am blown away with this story and how one man tells the tale to his nephew because he has to tell it before it eats him alive and the kid is the only one around to tell.  Just the overall way that this is constructed and how it comes across to the reader makes this seem like such an amazing story, the content alone is phenomenal but the way it is structured and how it affects the reader is sensational.

    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 exquisitely rendered.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter is magnificently achieved.   Seriously the personalities are at the forefront and it’s really nice that we get such a good feel for these characters.  The pacing is excellent. I'd almost say perfectly done mic drop.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge, grow and evolve is masterfully done.  I mean these layers open up avenues that you want to see explored and others that you know are there for a brief momentary reason and what they all do is 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 impeccably rendered.

    I love the interiors here, they are utterly bloody sensational!  The linework is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail in the work that we see is astonishingly well rendered.  I adore the fact that we see backgrounds being utilised to be so prevalent throughout the book as they enhance and expand the moments perfectly.  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 masterful eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a fabulous eye for how colour works.  How colour can help create that perfect mood, tone and feel and chane how we see say brick or cement or even chanlinks is utterly mindbogglingly bloody brilliant to see. 
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    This is the kind of story you read on Halloween to the kid you’re babysitting, your own child, niece or nephew and let them get scared to death.  It might sound mean but it’s actually kind of brilliant.  Speaking of how brilliant, that’s how this is being told, the writing is phenomenal and the characterisation is bloody clever and these interiors are mindbogglingly brilliantly rendered.  This is that rare book that is worth more than your time. It's just one of the best things you are going to read point blank period.

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Totality Ashcan Advance Look

9/30/2021

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Totality Ashcan Advance Look
Scout Comics 2021
Available at NYCC
Written by Brendan Deneen
Illustrated by Mauricio Melo
Coloured by Igor Paz
Lettered by Fabricio Grellet & Magic Eye Studios

    Reeling from the sudden death of her husband, army veteran Jen Shaw decides to take her two daughters on a road trip to witness the totality -- a complete eclipse of the sun that can only be seen from a small section of the Earth.  At the moment of the full eclipse, however, everyone within the path of the totality collapses and wakes up hours later to a blood red sky.  With all technology no longer working, Jen quickly gets her girls into the car and starts to head back home.  However, beyond the path of totality, the entire world has turned into a burnt out wasteland, and anyone who ventures there dies instantly, painfully.  Soon, Jen and her daughters are separated and the only safe place is within the path of totality, where society is quickly beginning to break down....

    Well I am a fan already.  What this ashcan does is get Jen and her girls to a place that is out of the way to watch the total eclipse of the (heart) sun.  It is pretty revealing in and of itself with everything we see here.  

    I like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a  marvellous job in bringing their personalities to life.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages introducing us to the story, the characters and the world they live in.  I am not kidding when I say that the character development is utterly amazing to see throughout this part of the story and if this is what we have to look forward to then this is going to be a huge story.

    I enjoy seeing the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow.  I also really like the way that this ends as well because it’s just at the right moment.  The layers we see open up avenues to explore and whether or not some will and some won’t they still add some great 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 achieved exceptionally well. 

    This has some classic comic book style interiors and these are really nicely rendered.  I would like to see more backgrounds, they really enhance and expand the moments and it would be nice to see more of them.  The composition within the panels does bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The linework is strong, clean and crisp and how the varying weights are utilised to create the detail within the work is incredibly well rendered.  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 shows a strong eye for understanding how colour works. 
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    This is like what an opening for a book is supposed to do.  It grabs your attention, makes you want to see and know more about what is going on here.  The last page isn’t the cliffhanger you expect and honestly I like that because the real cliffhanger happens halfway through the issue.  More folks need to do Ashcan’s of their stories because it’s a great extended view of what is to come and it allows the creators to really flex some muscle so to speak and give their story a proper start, or at least a better backstory for what’s to come.  I got news for ya too, because this checks off every box for that.

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Deathstroke Inc. #1

9/30/2021

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Deathstroke Inc. #1
DC Comics 2021
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Howard Porter
Coloured by Hi-Fi
Lettered by Steve Wands

    After suffering too many losses, Slade Wilson decides it’s time for a change. When he’s enlisted to work with an ages-old secret organization called T.R.U.S.T. who want to take down the heavy-hitter villains, he’s all in. They’ll supply him with an all-new team and resources for his new mission into the depths of the weirdest parts of the DCU, including a new partner…Black Canary! Wait what?! Enjoy explosions, kick-ass action, and new outrageous adventures as DC’s meanest S.O.B. gets tangled up in a major mystery building in the shadows of the DCU.

    Okay colour me intrigued and here for the long haul.  I was a little worried with the title of the book, which is both on trend and yet misleading but that’s okay it’s all done for the popularity of the character.  Now I’ve not heard of this organisation before and since Checkmate I have been saying we need to see more of these spy type organisations though this feels like a shadowy one without the spy aspect more like a direct assault on super villain bases with an even more ambiguous leader with their own agenda and I can’t wait to see how T.R.U.S.T. is exposed for what it really is.

     I like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.   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 brings their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it introduces us to the story, the characters and their niche in this world it raises more questions as it intrigues the reader.

    I like how we see this being structured and how we see the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow.  Joshua is good at this too because the avenues that are opened up here are fantastic and they add this wonderful depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  He understands how to write characters who do, don’t or won’t cross certain lines and yet make it come damn close to it.  Everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as moving the story forward exceptionally well.

    The interiors are nice.  The linework we see really has some great flow to it and thanks to the varying weights and techniques the detail we see within the work really stands out nicely.  Backgrounds are utilised fairly well, we could always see more of them in use, as they enhance and expand the moments as well as 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 strong, 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 understanding of how colour works.  
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    One thing I will say is that I doubt Batman would let this organisation anywhere near his gear and technology, so regardless of Hiro I question this aspect of the story.  Even with his current state of mind I’m not buying it 100% so I wanna see Bats either come after them or Hiro and see what the whole deal with this is really about.  This has some great strong writing and on point characterisation along with this great classic comic book style interior that makes for a fun, interesting and intriguing read. 

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Stranger Things: Tomb of Ybwen #1

9/30/2021

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Stranger Things: Tomb of Ybwen #1
Dark Horse Comics 2021
Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Diego Galindo
Coloured by Francesco Segala
Lettered by Nate Piekos

    It's January 1985 the Hawkins crew survived their battle with the mind flayer, but Will and Joyce are still reeling from the recent death of Bob Newby. Will's friends have been too busy with their girlfriends to notice how much he is struggling. After he and Mr. Clarke discover a mysterious map Bob left in a box of old nerdy memorabilia, Will rallies the crew to investigate. Is there a secret hidden in the hills of Hawkins?

    Everyone deals with grief and trauma in different ways and the boys just cannot understand what Will went through which honestly is a part of the problem.  The other part is they don’t know how to see past their own grief and needs to see that their friend is hurting the way he is.  I mean poor Will is doing his darndest to put on a brave front though honestly I don’t think he’s succeeding.  The others are coping the best way they know how, by trying to move forward and forget the past, which forgetting the past is usually the best way to repeat it.  So I’m a Will fan and this spotlight on him right here is really impactful upon the reader. 

    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 we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a marvellous job bringing their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages introducing the story we’re enveloped by this like a warm blanket on a cool night.  

    I am impressed with how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow.  The layers open up avenues to be explored and while some will be and others won’t be they all add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  Dustin is the one to look out for here because he knows Will isn’t right yet.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is extremely well achieved.

    I am completely in love with the interiors here.  That the likenesses are so amazingly accurate and yet the style of work feels so original is a very unusual thing to see at this level.  The linework is phenomenal and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is astounding.  That we see backgrounds so essential to the story, I’d like to see one issue without a blank background though, and expand and enhance the moments is a beautiful thing.  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 masterful eye for storytelling.  I lived through this time period as a kid and seeing the interiors of Will’s house, the kitchen especially, it really brings back my own memories and it’s amazing.
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    I love that these stories take place within the television universe and that they aren’t separate from it.  This is just the best possible extension of the franchise that we can witness and it really goes to this wonderful place that engages the reader in the story to wander off the pages and into their own minds.  This is what a comic book should do, entertain, engage and have you become invested in what you see and this does that with aplomb.  It is truly beautifully written with incredible characterisation and with mind numbing interiors.

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Inferno #1

9/30/2021

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Inferno #1
Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by Valerio Schiti
Coloured by David Curiel
Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino

   THE CULMINATION OF JONATHAN HICKMAN’S X-MEN BEGINS HERE! 
        “There will be an island—not the first, but the last…” Promises were made and broken. The rulers of Krakoa have been playing a dangerous game with a dangerous woman, and they are about to see how badly that can burn them.

    Considering the first Inferno story arc was what it was I was really expecting a Madelyne Pryor moment ya know, Demons, fire and brimstone that kind of thing.  So unless things start going up in flames, literal flames, I’m going to be disappointed with the title for this story.  Still there are many things, or moments, within this issue that are exciting to see and I wish it had more time and space to play out and culminate, explosively, in these pages.  Though what we do see is incredibly interesting, intriguing and above all else terribly exciting to know that Moira is about to exact her revenge upon Charles, Magneto and the rest of the mutant community with this arc.  Will this forever change the face of the mutant kind and will Krakoa still be standing when it’s all said and done?

    I am immensely 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 exquisitely.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter.  Which does a brilliant job of bringing their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it introduces the story, the characters and the overall mood, tone and feel of the book one cannot help but be drawn into the intrigue.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow is magnificently rendered.  The layers open up new avenues that can and should be explored, such as all those Wolverine adamantium skeletons and what use they could be, as they add this delicious 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 immaculately achieved. 

    I am a fan of the interiors here.  The linework is incredible and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is mind blowing.  That we see backgrounds utilised as we do to enhance and expand the moments are brilliantly rendered.  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.  Never underestimate the power that utilising backgrounds can bring and they should be prevalent in any and all books.  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 demonstrate a superb eye for how colour works and how to maximise its effects. 
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    The hubris of man extends to mutants as well for what are they if not men, generalised just for the sake of the saying.  It is interesting to see those who think they know best get bit by what they’ve enacted and have to pay the price for their hubris.  I’m not one who reads a lot of mutant titles, New Mutants is the only one really, so for me to be this excited by this story says a lot about how well it’s written and how sharp the characterisation is as well as how incredibly strong the interior artwork is.  Finally something with teeth that the reader can sink their own teeth into and it’s going to be a hell of a ride. 

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Corset #1

9/30/2021

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Corset #1
Scout Comics 2021
Written & Lettered by Jurii Kirnev
Illustrated by Elina Klyushnikova

    Master Gregoire d'Alpen is a world-famous fashion designer and inventor. His groundbreaking corsets fascinate and inspire millions of people around the world. It's been years since he showed his face in public, living in seclusion in his mysterious clock tower high above the gothic city. One night, a young and naive girl named Elize ruins the master's grand fashion show. D'Alpen invites her to his tower, where he plans to reveal his dark secrets to her-but first, she must give him something in return.

    I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but it certainly wasn’t this, and yes I love when I am surprised like this it just means the story is so much more than i could have dared to dream.  This has so many familiar elements and every time you think you know the direction that this is going to go it says hold the phone and suddenly it’s something completely different.  How all these aspects are melded into this story and how it is being told is so amazing to see.  I’m truly incredibly impressed with this story and how it conveys the feelings and emotions to the reader.

    I am enchanted 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 exquisitely.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a marvellous job bringing their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages introducing us to the story, the characters and the world that they live in leaves us feeling with that familiar comfortable feeling.  

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow is fantastic.  The layers open up some interesting avenues to be explored and while some are and others aren’t they all add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  I’m particularly fond of the relationship between Elize and Ronald and what this brings to the table.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is extremely well achieved. 

    The interiors here are really well done.  The creativity and imagination that we see throughout, particularly in Ronald and the designs he does are beautifully rendered.  The linework is strong, crisp and clean and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work is exceptional.  The fact that there’s a tinge of manga influence in the work interests me with how we see this as well.  I do wish we’d see more backgrounds in use for when we do they enhance and expand the moments nicely.  How we see the composition of the panels brings 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 an extremely talented eye for storytelling.  This is a version of a black & white coloured book, the base colour changes but it’s the various hues and tones within the base colour that are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work and it’s extremely well achieved.  I’m impressed with how we see the various sections and how they are brought to life.
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    I really am impressed with this book as it is nothing like I was expecting it to be.  Though through the title I should have had an inkling but honestly I was expecting something totally opposite of what we got.  I love being surprised by how pleasant this one is.  It is really sensationally well written with some lovely characterisation and some beautiful interiors that take us through the story.  This is a hidden gem for sure.

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Gun Honey #1

9/29/2021

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Picture
Gun Honey #1
Hard Case Crime/Titan Comics 2021
Written by Charles Ardai
Illustrated by Ang Hor Kheng
Coloured by Asifu Rahman
Lettered by David Leach

      The weapon you need, where you need it, when you need it – she’ll get it!
     When a gun smuggled into a high-security prison leads to the escape of a brutal criminal, weapons smuggler Joanna Tan is enlisted by the U.S. government to find the man she set loose and bring him down!

    Oh I really like this book!  I mean she’s not a fixer, not a James Bond wannabe nope she’s a woman who will get you a gun when and where you need it.  What happens after that isn’t her business, at least that’s what she tells herself and the Government thinks that she needs to do her thing but for them.  Plausible deniability is what it sounds like to me and as a freelance contractor they cannot be held responsible for something that goes wrong.  I mean on the surface it sounds like a sweet deal but let’s face it when working with the U.S. Government it’s more like a shitshow than a fine dining experience.  Still we’ll see what happens and what Joanna needs to do and if or when she has had enough.

    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 exceptionally well.  The character development we see is phenomenal thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter that beautifully brings their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it introduces us to the story, the characters and the world they live in we’re drawn into this like it’s a blockbuster film.

    I am enjoying how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow.  How we see the layers within the story open up avenues to be explored is exceptional work.  The avenues we see may or may not be explored but they all add this delicious 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 immaculately achieved. 

    The interiors here are bloody mindbogglingly gorgeous!  It takes a good strong hand, ability and skill to draw a woman that comes across as this sensual without going overboard into the cheesy or erotic realm and it is perfectly, I mean perfectly rendered here.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is extraordinary.  I love that we see backgrounds being utilised as they are. It makes me such a happy camper as they really 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.  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 fantastic eye for how colour works.  The flashback sequences and how those hues and tones are rendered is just impressive to me.  
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    I love these books from Hard Case Crime and not just because they feature women in these positions, though I’d love to see a half naked (gay) man doing things along these lines in one of them.  This is told in such a way that you cannot and do not want to escape from the story and instead you want to join what we see on the pages.  This is so incredibly well written with some extraordinary characterisation alongside these absolutely stunning interiors that bring us an adventure worthy of the silver screen.  

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