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

Syphon #3

9/24/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
Syphon #3
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2021
Written by Patrick Meaney & Mohsen Ashraf
Illustrated by Jeff Edwards
Coloured by John Kalisz
Lettered by Troy Peteri

    When Sylas was gifted with the power to siphon other people’s pain from them and take it on himself, he never could have imagined that he was the latest in a line stretching back to the dawn of civilization or that his dark mentor Antonio has been killing those with the power for millennia. Trapped by Antonio, Sylas must go on a trippy mental journey to save himself from a fate worse than death and show that it’s possible to live a hopeful life no matter how dark the world gets.

    I’m really surprised that this is only a three issue series and that the guys managed to tell it as a complete tale in those three issues.  I would’ve expected this to go at least another issue to be truthful but the fact that this feels like I’m not missing anything or feel as if parts have been glossed over or even rushed and that’s a feat unto itself considering how much storytelling there is within these issues.  This issue cements Sylas as a complex and interesting man whose power has so many advantages and is someone we now want to see more.  

    I really rather 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 is exceptionally well 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 sensational.  How we see the personalities come to the forefront and how belief can such a powerful thing is inspiring.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow and how it moves the story forward is exceptionally well achieved. 

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is fantastic.  The layers open up some great avenues that could potentially be explored and are explored this issue.  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 impeccably achieved. 

    The interiors here are pretty stunning.  The linework is exquisitely rendered and how we see the varying weights and techniques to create this level & quality of mindbogglingly impressive detail within the work that we see is crazy good.  I mean I'm sorry but to see the blues, the purples and the reds like we do is beyond charismatic.   It is absolutely stunning work; it creates a sweeping epic all it’s own.  How we see the composition within the panels and how the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope comes to be is stupendous.  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 are brilliantly rendered as I mentioned.  
​

    I like the idea of him being an EMT and having these powers and then there is something else that kind of nags to be explored more.  He is holding onto things to keep himself going and he’s going to need to find that strength within himself and not rely upon others to keep him in check.  That’s the next arc of this that I’d like to see for whatever that’s worth.  That I am this invested and engaged in this book through only three issues should tell you just how well this has been done.  The writing is superb and the characterisation is interesting and complex while the interiors here have been mindbogglingly brilliant to behold.  

1 Comment

Killer Queens #2

9/24/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Killer Queens #2
Dark Horse Comics 2021
Created & Written by David M. Booher
Illustrated by Claudia Balboni
Coloured by Harry Saxon
Lettered by Lucas Gattoni

    The Killer Queens face their greatest threat yet . . . deportation! After their ship is shot down on a hostile moon, reformed galactic assassins, Alex and Max, find themselves locked up in a high-security detention center by some very hostile and very xenophobic aliens. When they get help from a tough-as-nails—not to mention smoking hot—rebel prisoner, they'll fight their way through the deadly facility. Can they break out in time to complete their rescue mission or will Max screw it all up by fawning over his new rebel heartthrob?

    This is kind of way over the top and it almost borders on stereotypes but it is so damn fun that it really doesn’t matter.  Alex and her seriousness balances Max’s flamboyance perfectly so that they both work together sensationally well.  Max is a horndog and all he thinks about is men and sex and it seems he’s not picky he’ll do anyone so long as he’s a he right and I hate to admit but in my 20’s I knew folks like this all too well.  There’s a part of me that thinks Alex is a little jealous of his single mindedness though I’m probably wrong.

    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 is marvellous in how it brings their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more we become embroiled in the events.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is marvellously shown.  I like how the layers within the story open up new avenues to be explored and they do this here with the characterisation and what they are up against.  The depth, dimension and complexity we see is magnificently rendered.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is nicely achieved.  

    There is something about the interiors that is utterly brilliant.  It has this complete Archer vibe to the work, that after hours kind of animation that we all love and honestly it really just works brilliantly here.  The linework is nice, clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights being utilised to create the detail within the work is extremely nice to see.  I do wish we’d see backgrounds utilised more but it doesn’t hurt the composition within the panels bringing 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 remarkable eye for how colour works.  The overall effect really does remind you of the Archer series and it's amazingly well rendered not to mention expressive.
​

    This is a lot more fun and interesting than I expected it to be.  I love David’s work and his Canto is among my favourite series so I should’ve expected to love this off the bat but it’s so wildly different from that and I have to say the man can pretty much write anything at this point and I’ll blindly follow along.  This is fun, sassy and interesting and full of balls to the wall storytelling and it’s a brilliant example of how words and visuals can work together in such sync to create this amazing series.  

0 Comments

Eat The Rich #2

9/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Eat The Rich #2
BOOM! Studios 2021
Written by Sarah Gailey
Illustrated by Pius Bak
Coloured by Roman Titov
Lettered by Cardinal Rae

    Is Joey willing to pay with her life to uncover the gruesome secrets behind Crestfall Bluffs? Joey is beyond disturbed by what she has just witnessed and she has every right to be, but when she confides in her boyfriend Astor, his reassurance about his family's weird rituals and traditions only fuels her suspicions. Still, Joey will need proof in order to expose the truth of Crestfall Bluffs, but what she finds produces more questions and danger than answers!

    I love that this book is so crazy and that these barbecues are so not what they seem to be. It is incredibly scary for someone like Joey.  The way we see this being presented is exceptional to me.  This is modern horror on an intellectual level that runs through a spectrum of psychological responses and it’s just such a rollercoaster ride and we’re only at issue two and with the way this ends I cannot believe what we’re going to learn next.  

    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 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 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 are drawn into Joey’s world more fully.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificently rendered.  Joey talking to Petal and that whole conversation and what we see and learn well it is a lot to take in but dayum is it good stuff.  What these layers do is open up avenues to be explored and while some will be others won’t and regardless they all 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 extremely well achieved.  

    The interiors here are great and they have this nice classic comic book style feel to them.  The linework is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights being utilsied to create the detail within the work is incredibly well rendered.  Backgrounds are hit or miss really and I wish we’d see more of them because when we do see them they enhance and expand the moments nicely.  Still the imagery creates the mood, tone and feel nicely.  How we see the composition of the panels and how they bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is well achieved.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a very talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a nice eye for how colour works.

    I really am digging this book and at this point I cannot tell if Aster really knows the full extent of what’s going on or not and this is something that is bloody intriguing.  I mean I wanna know but at this stage I don’t want it revealed because I want that surprising shocking moment one way or the other.  I mean we know he knows things are odd within the family and he started drinking because of it but, yeah big but, does he know or repressed it?  This is how engaged I am in this that I'm already coming up with theories.  If you can be this engaged you know that the book is that good.  
​

    With some extremely strong writing and mysterious characterisation along with these great interiors create this psychological thriller that we’re not even sure what to really be afraid of yet. 

0 Comments

St. Mercy #2

9/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
St. Mercy #2
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2021
Written by John Zuur Platten
Illustrated by Atilio Rojo
Lettered by Troy Peteri

    When a desperate outlaw discovers Mercy's secret, he leaves her for dead and seeks the support of his former band of thieves to steal the cache of cursed Incan gold. But things begin to spin out of control when the gang and their leader, Frank, pay a visit to Mercy and her father, Neto, intent on taking the gold for themselves. Little do they know, there’s an ancient fire that they are about to ignite.

    With each issue I am getting into this more and more.  I found or find myself getting so engaged in this that I have even begun to think about why and how this gang is able to exist in this time period.  It is just written so well that you cannot help but think beyond what we find on the page and think about life and circumstances from back then.  If a story can do this to you then you know it’s incredibly well written.  Plus there’s the backstory featuring the Mexican, or Incan/Mayan, culture that adds a whole slew of other ideas and possibilities of what we see and their beliefs really makes this so gosh darn intriguing.

    I am 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 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 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 are left wanting so much more.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificently rendered.  The avenues that open up thanks to these layers may or may not be explored more fully 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 impeccably achieved.  

    The interiors here are absolutely bloody gorgeous.  The linework is exquisitely rendered and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work really brings this to life exceptionally well.  How we see backgrounds utilised to 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 is utterly mavellous.  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 brilliant eye for how colour works.  The way the visuals come to life and how the colour is able to age wood or use lightning and rain to change how we see the scene are done so bloody brilliantly and it just grabs you and nearly hypnotises the reader. 
​

    Secrets galore in this book and we’re starting to see and learn more of what these are and that we aren’t getting this quickly but at a naturally slow pace is how you build and keep intrigue at such a high place.  Also the Sheriff is a badass just going to put this out there.  This is beyond expectations and it just engulfs the reader and transports you to a time and place where the world was so different and incomprehensible to the one we know today.  It is brilliantly written and the characterisation is exceptionally done and these bloody gorgeous interiors just complete this entirely. 

0 Comments

Second Chances #2

9/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Second Chances #2
Image Comics 2021
Written by Ricky Mammone
Illustrated by Max Bertolini
Lettered by DC Hopkins

    After navigating the tragedy of the Ramos family, Leblanc is now painfully behind schedule. Desperate for a solution, he is coerced into going on a “date” with his ex-lover, and psychopathic hit-woman, Miss Nobody. Things will most definitely get weird.

    I am already a fan of this book and we’re only two issues in.  There is something about the premise that is super intriguing and how it is being executed is sensational.  The opening is great and just adds and reveals another layer to Leblanc to the man and it really sticks with the reader and leaves you wanting to know more about him.  It’s extremely well done and huge kudos for being able to add and reveal at the same time all the while not giving us anything that concrete.  There are a few things that happen within this issue that manage to keep the action moving forward, revealing bits and pieces of the characters and just continuing to capture the readers’ attention and creativity with the more that we read.  This is so smart and intelligently written and it’s got this incredible vibe to it and all this is thanks to how Ricky manages to utilise his gifts, talent and skill to his advantage.

    I’m loving the way that we see this being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented 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 is exceptional in bringing us their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we are pulled deeper and deeper in.

    I am enjoying how this is being structured and how we see the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  The avenues to explore that are opened up through the layers that we see are magnificently rendered and I have to admit that I am thoroughly enjoying how we see this depth, dimension and complexity added 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 expertly achieved.

    I love, love, love Mark’s work on the interiors here.  The black & white style is definitely one that few can master this well and what we see and how we see it being done with the various hues and shades of blacks, whites and grays being utilised the way that they are is mindbogglingly brilliant.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques to create this level & quality of detail within the work is extraordinarily well rendered.  That backgrounds are so prevalently utilised and how they enhance and expand the moments is beautifully done.  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.  
​

    Everyone here, okay all three of them, work so well with each other and the work is so synced to each other that it creates this story, these characters and this world and brings it to life with such aplomb.  The machinations of the individual characters and how these tie into the main arc are delicious little side notes that excite and thrill the reader with the potential that they bring to the table.  This is so smartly and intelligently written with some stellar characterisation and the utterly brilliant interiors make this the surprise hit of the year.

0 Comments

Some Strange Disturbances: A Cold Winter's Eve

9/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Some Strange Disturbances: A Cold Winter’s Eve
Headless Shakespeare Press 2021
Frame Story 
Written by Craig Hurd-McKenney
Illustrated by Peter Gross & Vince Locke
All Lettered by Lucas Gattoni
Short Stories by 
Melisa Jones, Keni Thomas, Lauren Franklin, David Aguado
    Kameron White, G. Romero Johnson & Michael W. Conrad

    With a break in the action, Prescott, Delilah and the Comtesse gather ‘round the hearth to share the Victorian Christmas tradition of ghost stories with each other. As the stories unfold, each crafted by a different comics creator, the night builds to the biggest shock of all…!

    This is an anthology series and I have to say it’s put together in a really good, strong way that holds the readers’ interest and manages to actually use the short story format in a way where each vignette is done so that it is not only complete but it doesn’t make feel the desire to see more of it.  This is a good thing, it’s a complete story and it serves its purpose extremely well and it’s the frame story that really holds it all together and is the one that we want to see and know more of.  This is why I enjoy what I do, because this was sent to me with a request for a review and I’m glad that it was because I really enjoyed this.

    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 as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a fantastic job fleshing out their personality.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story in a fascinating manner.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow is extremely well done.  The short stories are related to the group's conversation and the way that these evolve from the first to the second is exceptionally well thought out and executed.  How all of this adds such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story is extremely nice to see.  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 rendered.

    Now the interiors are a little more tricky to talk about because there are so many vignettes.  There are EIGHT artists working on this issue so i’m going to keep this as simple as I possibly can and to that end i’ll say the mini stories will be subjective to the reader and that is just normal.  I’m going to talk about the Frame Story interiors.  I absolutely adore the frame story interiors and how we see the linework and its varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is astonishing.  That we see backgrounds throughout the book is phenomenal as they enhance and expand the moments.  They also work well within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  I love that this is in black and white because this really shows flaws if there are any, spoiler there aren’t.
​

    I love what I do and this is one of those very reasons why.  These are the types of books you find at conventions in small press or artists alley and fall in love with.  This was funded by kickstarter so you really should be checking that out for some great books.  This will be available through Diamond in October or you can go to hspcomix.com and I really encourage you to check this out.  

0 Comments

Impossible Jones #1

9/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Impossible Jones #1
Scout Comics 2021
Written & Inked by Karl Kesel
Pencilled by David Hahn
Coloured by Tony Aviña
Lettered by Comicraft

    Explosive first issue! The grin gritty origin of comics' newest sensation! A thief gets powers, is mistaken for a superhero... and runs with it! With no intention of giving up her criminal ways, mind you! (With these powers? Are you crazy?!) All she has to do is fool all of the people all of the time! It's not impossible - it's Impossible Jones!

    It’s a Batman Adventures style, what if Plastic Man was a front for Eel O'Brian, that kind of series and this idea got me before I even opened the first page of this.  Colourful costumed heroes and villains running amok and it is completely and utterly a sensational new series that centres around a female lead.  I’m really impressed with this debut issue though I shouldn’t be because not only is Karl an industry veteran but he’s also a storytelling genius.  He knows how to craft a story and bring the characters to life and he’s got a wicked sense of humour to boot.  I do love the throwback style of bringing us an origin story right off the bat as well.  This is the kind of book that this works well with and it amplifies the concept of the story beautifully.

    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 as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job in bringing us their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story we’re pulled in exceptionally well.

    The way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow is executed exceptionally well.  I like how we see the layers within the story open up avenues to explore and how we see them add such 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 exceptionally well achieved.

    I love the interior artwork here.  The linework is strong, clean and crisp and how the varying weights are being utilised to create the detail within the work that we see throughout is incredibly well rendered.  I love that we see backgrounds being utilised so prevalently throughout the book as they enhance and expand  the moments beautifully.  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 extremely well.  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 brilliant eye for how colour works.  That giant red lightning energy that changes the hues and tones with its light is really something to see.
​

    This is a great debut issue.  We get a great look at Impossible Jones, what motivates her and how she got her powers.  What we still have to see is her being mistaken for a heroine and how she decides that this facade is one that is going to work for her as she moves forward in life.  I love the heroes that we are introduced to in this issue as well and as much as it will make some cringe I wanna see a solo Polecat or Even Steven story.  This is so incredibly well written with some brilliant characterisation alongside these wonderful interiors that bring this to life exceptionally well.

0 Comments

He Who Fights With Monsters #1

9/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
He Who Fights Monsters #1
Ablaze Publishing 2021
Written by Francesco Artibani
Illustrated by Werther Dell’Edera
Coloured by Giovanna Niro
Lettered by ALWS’ Troy Peteri

      On All Hallows’ Eve, a community struggles under the boot of the Nazi war machine when supernatural forces come to play a part in the conflict! From the artist of the bestselling Something is Killing the Children comes a Halloween tale that will send shivers up your spine…
     It's World War 2 and the struggle between good and evil is in full force. In Prague, the great Bohemian city is being oppressed by the Nazi occupation and the population lives in terror, while the resistance forces try to organize themselves in the shadows. It is an almost impossible task. With the ruthless SS tightening their grip on every street and neighborhood with overwhelming might, only one hope feeds the struggle. A crazy hope, which rests on the fragile foundations of an ancient, monstrous legend….

    I came into this not knowing what it was about, only that it was from Ablaze and that it had to be on my reading list.  I’m telling you if it’s from Ablaze it’s worth reading point blank period.  What I found here is a story of the past that resonates with me personally on a very strong and unique level.  History, mysticism and war are embattled and embroiled here.  

    I’m super 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 we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter really does a magnificent job in bringing us an early look at their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and how we see it take us through the pages revealing the story is exceptionally well handled.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow is pretty smartly done.  I like the then and now storytelling we are seeing utilised here and it’s also well executed.  How the avenues within the layers are opened up are excellent to see and that they add this fantastic 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 phenomenally well achieved.

    With the mood, tone and feel of the story, which we see shine through, being created by the interiors here it really suits this story.  I love the fact that more often than not we see backgrounds being utilised throughout the book as they really enhance and expand the moments in all the right ways.  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.  How we 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 show a superb eye for how colour works.  This great distinctive style that promises so much more than what we see is beautifully rendered.  
​

    There is so much potential here and whether or not Jewish Mysticism takes on an extremely active role or is just the inspiration isn’t as important as the fact that we are seeing this here.  I’m super impressed with this introductory issue, it grabs your attention and makes you want to see and know more and it does this right from the get go.  There’s some spectacular writing and strong characterisation with these superb interiors are bringing the past to life once again.  

0 Comments

The Death of Doctor Strange #1

9/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Death of Doctor Strange #1
Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Jed MacKay
Illustrated by Lee Garbett
Coloured by Antonio Fabela
Lettered by VC’s Cory Petit

    DEATH COMES FOR THE SORCERER SUPREME! 
        Doctor Stephen Strange is the world’s greatest neurosurgeon and Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. He defends our planet from the supernatural and interdimensional threats no other hero is equipped to handle. But what would happen if he unexpectedly died? Who would protect Earth and keep the mystical evils at bay? And most importantly…who killed Stephen Strange?!

    Here's what I like about this issue, visually we see Stephen’s a bit of a slob and he still retains that arrogance about him that makes him so frustratingly interesting.  I love this combination because it just fits with the whole way people see their bedrooms when they are single and don’t expect to bring anyone back to their room.  Just an observation about what we see here and how that can relate to someone else, like me.  The opening here is spectacular and it does it’s job exceptionally well as it brings us into the story and leaves us wanting, nay needing to know more.  It also shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jed really craft’s an entire issue that makes you wonder, become engaged and involved and by the last page we need that next issue now.

    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 that we see the narration, the dialogue, the character interactions as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter bring the personalities to the forefront exceptionally well.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story the more we want to see.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow is really well rendered.  The layers here open up different avenues as they take us through Stephen’s day and within these avenues we see how the story takes shape from different angles and points of view.  All of this adds 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 achieved.

    I like the interiors here.  I mean Stephen needs a hairy chest but otherwise the linework is fantastic and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work that we see is utterly marvellous.  Backgrounds are utilised throughout the book extremely well as they enhance and expand the moments beautifully.  The creativity and imagination on display here is sensational and how we see the use of magic is exceptionally 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 great eye for understanding how colour works.
​

    I like seeing Stephen being taken through his day interacting with the hospital, at the school, and with people and criminals in general.  It is interesting to see just how well integrated into the Marvel Universe he is these days and has become someone who isn’t just called upon when the situation needs him or that folks are scared or worried to go to his house.  Well that house is intimidating but that’s another story entirely.  With the ending here what we see should excite the heck out of anyone.  So with exceptional writing and solid interesting characterisation alongside these superb interiors might make this one of my favourite Marvel events. 

0 Comments

Wonderland Annual: Reign of Madness

9/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Wonderland Annual: Reign of Madness
Zenescope Entertainment 2021
Story by Dave Franchini & David Wohl
Written by David Wohl
Illustrated by Eman Casallo, Ismael Canales, Juan Francisco Mota
    Allan Otero, Maxflan Araujo & Walter Pereyra
Lettered by Kurt Hathaway

    Hundreds of years before the Liddles ever stepped foot there, and long before it was destined for its inescapable chaos and insanity, there was Wonderland, the realm of dreams. It was a peaceful land of hope and imagination, but under its surface grew a darkness waiting to spread its tendrils into all that was.  And as it was finally released, the evil seeped out into this extraordinary world, pulling two sisters into the center of its plot to bring madness to the inhabitants of all it touched, turning all it corrupted into nightmares of their former selves.
     A war has been building for the very soul of this realm, and madness aims to reign over all that resides there. But, can the hope of a few and the love of a sister keep the evil at bay and fight what is destined to be?

     I have to say that I am a fan of this book.  The story fits perfectly into the world of Wonderland and goes a long way to showing how the Madness that still infects the realm today started.

    I very much am enjoying the way 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 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 magnificent job in bringing their personalities to the forefront.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story we get fully caught up in the madness and enjoy every single moment of it.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the layers of the story emerge, grow and evolve throughout the book is beautifully rendered.  I like seeing how the layers open up avenues to be explored and how there’s no clear cut ending so that we can still get more stories before the Liddles come to the realm.  The way these avenues add depth, dimension and complexity to the story is phenomenally rendered.  How everything works 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 beautifully rendered.  I do like that what we see is so cohesive and it doesn’t look like multiple creators are working on the project.  I am in love with the fact that backgrounds play as big of a role in this as they do 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 linework is sensational and how the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work that we see is sensationally well rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show some remarkable eyes for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show some beautiful understanding of how colour works.  The creativity and imagination that we see throughout is extraordinary.
​

    This is the kind of book that makes us want to see more stories set in Wonderland at various times in its history.  This is so well written with excellent characterisation and some absolutely beautiful interiors that brings the madness in wonderland to life in some truly extraordinary ways.  

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.