The Owl Tribe Book 1
Self-Published 2017
By Lukasz Wnuczek


     A blend of Scandinavian and North American myths and legends ... Having discovered America, the Vikings try to settle there, but the natives began defending and war ensues. Shortly afterwards, northern tribes are decimated by Awaheya, an unknown beast ravaging their lands. A handful of survivors embark on a quest to track it down, but they soon discover that they might need the help of Arosen - a viking hunter raised by one of the tribes...

     So as my recognition grows I am getting an increase in people asking me to read and review their books. I’m more than happy to take a look at them and if they are something I you all should see you know I’m going to tell you about it. This one for instance really caught my attention because in all honesty I love the fact that Lukasz does the entire thing himself is beyond impressive. This is one of those that I look at and think what kind of beautiful mind can come up with this and bring it to life so beautifully.

     Before Columbus brought people to the new world the Vikings had already come. They tried to settle the land and met resistance in the form of the natives. Instead of making contact and working out some arrangement the Vikings literally ignored them thinking if they ignored they in turn would be ignored. But the native tribes saw how they plundered the forest and didn’t care for that so then the attacks began. This would explain a few things historically and in case you are wondering I do believe the Vikings were known to the native tribes and as far south as the Inca or Mayan civilisations dwell.

     So what happens when you take the Norse mythology and introduce it to the Native American mythology? Theoretically peace or chaos would ensue. I think more than anything you have to understand that universally the Pantheons each worship are basically the same in idea and structure. This story however makes you think about what you are seeing, think about how at that time the reliance upon their gods made such influential decisions that much more complex. What Lukasz does here is engage your mind, question what you believe and expand how you see the world and it’s past. Not an easy feat to accomplish.
     The interior artwork here is utterly sensational. That I cannot tell whether it’s just expert use of pencil, pen and colour or watercolour painting is phenomenal to the eye. The emotion that the work is able to bring to the table is perfectly suited tot the subject matter. The way he’s able to capture the landscape is breathtaking to me. His depiction of the Natives and the Norse are extremely well done and very nicely able to tll the difference in cultures. The use of page layouts through their angles, perspective and even backgrounds are exquisitely done and show a very solid and seasoned eye for storytelling.

     I love how a Viking child raised by a local tribe is the key to this story. A man now part of both worlds and yet belonging to neither. It’s not a new concept but it is handled beautifully here as we get to see how both mythologies apply to one man. Then of course there’s the love of a woman in this as well complicating matters. I love the characterisation here and how we see all these people playing out their roles. This is as close to some real life scenario that you could dream of.

     This is like entering a world you’ve only known existed in history books and even then they never would’ve contained that the Vikings were here first. This truly is one of the most exquisite piece of works that I have personally seen in quite some time. Self-Published is one of of the hardest things to do and have it be successful so I’m hoping that you find this and give it a go because it’s just such a beautiful read.

     You can find a link here to Amazon where it’s offered in a larger scale. Amazon: www.amazon.com/Lukasz-Wnuczek/e/B0738B31L6- available as kindle / paperback / extended paperback (with artbook section)

Stabbity Bunny #1
Scout Comics 2017
Created & Written by Richard Rivera
Created & Illustrated by Dwayne Biddix
Coloured by Liezl Beunaventura
Lettered by Jaymes Reed


     Seven-year-old Grace, still clutching her adorable plush bunny, is kidnapped by supernatural forces that have been hunting her family for generations. She awakens in a shack on the outskirts of town, and for the first time in her life, the little girl can't sense her mother's presence. Her captor knows the family's secrets, and that link has been severed. When her escape attempt fails, it seems there will be deadly consequences, but an unlikely protector intervenes. It's a big mistake to kidnap a child with a plush toy named Stabbity Bunny!

This was self-published before it came to Scout which is now available through Diamond for a release on January 31st so yes I’d highly recommend you get to your shoppe or subscription service now to order it for you.
     Ya know at first glance I thought what the heck did they send me some cutesy all-ages book? I mean I was surprised to say the least and then I started to read this, after all it was sent to me so I’d thought I’d least give it a go. Oh boy I have to say this took me by surprise and thrilled me beyond belief. Grace is just the cutest sweetest little girl who carries her stuffed animal everywhere and loves Panda Bears. Well who doesn’t love Panda’s I mean they are my absolute favourite animal in the world. Her class at school is going to the zoo and she can’t wait to see the Panda’s.

     Then something happens and I thought what the hell kind of book is this. A child at the zoo transfixed by the Panda’s doesn’t move onward with her class and suddenly she’s gone but for a lone ribbon. Even the mama Panda and her baby know what happened wasn’t good. She was kidnapped and it’s incredibly creepy and extremely disturbing and ultimately train wreck, rubber necking fascinating. Why because while we are instantly appalled we still wanna see what happens even against our better nature. It’s the same thing or quality that makes us watch horror motion pictures when we seem to know better.

     It is almost as if the artwork here is intentionally offsetting the tone of the story. I mean I like it as it has this cute all-ages feel which totally goes against the grain here. Dwayne has a good eye for storytelling as we see through the use of page layouts with their angles and perspective. I’m going to go half and half on the attention to detail though because in this kind of style it’s hard to get that across unless it’s in the backgrounds. Which are also well utilised when in play meaning I want to see more of them used.

     I purposefully did not put the company description of the series here like I would normally do. Why because I want you to pick this up and discover what lies inside without preconceived notions or knowing where this series is placed, genre wise, or given too much information on just the kind of series it is. I wish I hadn’t read it but hey that’s okay I can still enjoy this, and so could you.

     The characterisation here is excellent and surprising to me as the characters that are introduced and we get to meet them. Richard does an excellent job with the structure, pacing and story development within these pages. The ebb & flow of the story here is good, solid stuff and the fact that I’ve never heard of him before now makes me kind of sad and happy as now I’m excited to see what he can do. He has a fresh new perspective and it’s damn good stuff mixing the creepy, the real and the unknown into something so bright and colourful.

     Folks this is one to watch out for!

Imaginary Fiends #1
Vertigo 2017
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Stephen Molnar
Coloured by Quinton Winter
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual


     This is the first title of the re-launch of the Vertigo imprint from DC comics. I have to say that this is pretty much exactly what was needed too. It takes something innocent from our childhood and twists it into something dark, menacing and completely enthralling. Tim’s ability to reach into that darkness is something he’s extremely good at and this was a damn near spectacular first issue.

     The opening alone is worthy of causing nightmares. We see Cameron Cole hanging with older kids and taking what was probably is his first hit off a joint when things go horribly awry. Cameron can hear this soft voice calling his name, he knows the voice and is annoyed until…..

     Welcome to the world of imaginary friends, the kind that need, want and crave power. The power to become real and enter our world or at least strong enough to effect things in our world. So how do they get that power? You’ve seen the headlines friend kills friend because such and such said to, which usually prescribed to mental illness and current urban legends. Here however it’s not that easy to dismiss if you were the one doing the harm. Your stuck in a sort of limbo as you’ve given this being power over you and it’s damn near impossible to get rid of it.

     Just ask Melba Li. Her actions put her in a mental facility until she’s 18 and then it’s off to a hardcore federal prison. All because of her inability to resist her imaginary friend. So we are going to follow Melba as her life suddenly becomes more complicated. I like this it almost has that X-Files feel to it as well, the general atmosphere by the end of the book is where you’ll see and feel that.

     I found myself transfixed here and kept wondering what the heck was going on here. The opening is spectacular and grabs your attention and you are into this book. Then we get into Melba and her current situation and life. It is some strong characterisation I’ll say that much and seeing as she is this complete loner, who doesn’t like to shower, and only colours pictures as she refuses to create anything. There is fear in that and as a reader I’m dying to know why! See there’s darkness and something off about Melba but Tim makes us want more.

     The interiors here are pretty solid and Stephen has a good eye for storytelling. His use of page layouts through their angles and perspective are very well done. I’ll be honest I found the opening and the flashback much more solid work than Melba in the institute but the weight of the linework throughout is great. There’s a nice attention to detail here that when used in the backgrounds make the scenes pop. Also the creativity and imagination in these Imaginary Friends is great to see.

     The way the book is structured makes this feel like it’s an oversized issue and yet it is standard. Kudos to Tim for making me feel like this was something huge when in reality it was just an average length issue. The compartmentalised use of the opening then the Institute and finally the now part all conspire to really make you feel like this is something large and impressive. The way characters are introduced is well done and the characterisation gives a great look at who these people act, but not really who they are. That’s something I look forward to seeing though because there is deception, duplicity and outright manipulation going on here on all fronts.

     Fresh, interesting, new and full of potential there’s a great balance between storytelling and psychological horror that this one will make your butt wiggle on occasion.

Betty & Veronica: Vixens #1
Archie Comics 2017
Written by Jamie Lee Rotante
Illustrated by Eva Cabrera
Coloured by Elaina Unger
Lettered by Rachel Deering



     Well I love the simple fact that the folks at Archie are so open minded enough to expand their titles to include books like these. From the line of darker books to these that diverge off the normal path they all conspire to really make the most of the characters. Seeing them from different points of view acting in ways we could see happening but never expected this is what the power of storytelling was meant for. Also that this is an all female crew on a female focused series well that’s just icing on the cake for me.

     We open up the newest ongoing series from Archie with a group of women riding their bikes and making a statement to the Serpents. Then we see them take down this literal male chauvinist pig which is a great way to get the reader instantly involved and wondering what the heck is going on and how did this happen? Which of course is the response being looked for and as the saying goes ask and you shall receive.

     I like how this story is structured and after the catchy opening going backward to seeing how we got there is well done. The characterisation here is nice to see and it actually fits with the girls very well. This is kind of like merging both the Riveredale television show with the sixties version of the comics and that is priceless. it’s an interesting take and one that immediately stands out as something that makes us want to read more. The way that Jamie Lee brings us the story, the whys and the call to action well it is so fun to see play out.

     So why did I include the sixties in my description? Well that’s easy to explain really but it’s thanks to Eva that I felt that way. There is this heavy throwback feel to the clothes that we see here and the fashions are fantastic. While it is no Sharks vs Jets there’s still a feel to that from her work. Plus I mean c’mon Betty’s outfit at Pop Tate’s that’s something Cheryl would’ve worn when saying “not today Cha Cha I was born for this moment.” Then there’s the use of page layouts with their angles and perspective and it all shows a nice eye for storytelling. That the characters have this all-ages girlie, almost pin-up, feel to them only heightens the experience.

     I love the girls of Riverdale High simply because they are brainy and ballsy enough to do what their boyfriends aren’t. I mean the guys come up with ideas that get them in trouble and it’s the girls who have to come to the rescue and it’s been that way for a long time now. So very quietly they’ve been incredibly good role models for a lot of folks and why I firmly believe that they will retain their iconic status in the annuls of history.

     Motorcycles and gangs oh my. So the boys think being in a gang is cool and all the rage these days and decide to form their own. However the area already has the Serpents and they aren’t ones you wanna mess with. When dealing with the likes of Archie however, the world’s clumsiest boy, things will escalate in ways that were never intended or wanted. It is like seeing old Happy Day’s reruns where Fonzie has to tell Richie what is and isn’t cool and I can’t past how much that makes me smile. While Principal Weatherbee says gangs won’t be tolerated by Riverdale students you know the boys will cave which then puts the girls on a path that will change the way we see them forever.

     Cute, endearing, sexy and empowering this is what is possible when you’ve got a killer premise and the skills and talent to bring it to life, pure simple fun!

Void Trip #1
Image Comics 2017
Written by Ryan O’Sullivan
Illustrated by Plaid Klaus
Lettered by Aditya Bidikar



     This is the story of Ana and Gabe, the last two humans left alive in the galaxy. They're low on fuel, they're low on food, and they're low on psychedelic space froot, but they're still determined to make it to the promised land: hippy-paradise, super-planet Euphoria. This is the story of their journey, the friends and enemies they made along the way, and how the universe responded to those who dared to live freely within it.

     I love having no idea what I’m getting into when I start reading a book! Why because it’s the experience of discovering something unknown to you is really a thrill. More so when it’s something different, unique, wacky and all kind of strange. It’s kind of like Will & Grace (where Will is straight as far as I can tell) were Cheech & Chong travelling through space having Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Now if you can picture that madness that I tried to mash up then you are going to love this!

     I think the fact that this starts off the way it does is well done. I like that there’s no beginning, no how they met, no why they are together none of that it just starts at a point in time and moves forward. It also happens to be a point in time where they are stealing fuel and end up getting for free through a series of incredibly funny events. Right off the bat the humour in this is going to be totally adult, totally stoner and totally funny and the fact that Ryan is able to write humour in this way is amazing. Also on a note to Ryan how much “research” did you do to understand the behaviour?
So I had no idea what some of the wordage that’s being used here and I don’t think we’re supposed to, at least not right away. We get some of the lingo as the story goes forward and it makes things easier to understand and then the visual humour comes into play, which we’ll get into in a bit but the subtle stuff is delightful. Alright so we know they steal fuel and apparently run from the space cops, uhm the flying police cars laughing my butt off on that one!

     We are also introduced to someone or something that combines Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes into one being. Again subtle humour involved with him too but make no mistake the man thing well okay yeah that’s all I’m going to say for now.

     Plaid, A. what cool name, B. what an amazing talent find here. The work he does suits this book better than I would’ve imagined. His use of page layouts by using angles and perspective are well done and I appreciate his eye for storytelling. There’s a creativity and imagination on display here that’s marvellous to see play out before our eyes. The alien species he creates, the hallucinatory adventures of an octopus headed man was a stellar standout moment. The subtle use of imagery throughout is adventurous and almost a game to spot. He really manages to breathe the right kind of life into this.

     This is one instance where coming into the middle of something isn’t a detriment. This grabs your attention, makes your mind wonder and wander, engages the reader in ways that leave you wanting more. That is exactly what it’s supposed to do. It is definitely a bold and daring way to start off a series but it pays off in dividends. I love Ana’s attitude while not understanding her fear of the A.I. but I agree with it’s not the destination that matters it’s all about the journey getting there!

Tomb Raider: Survivor’s Crusade #1
Dark Horse Comics 2017
Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
Illustrated by Ashley A. Woods
Coloured by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Michael Heisler



     Lara Croft has unfinished business. After facing Trinity in Siberia, she's more confused than ever about her father's mysterious death. She's been training and following flimsy leads, preparing herself to figure out what really happened to Lord Richard Croft. Now, she's ready to put everything on the line to uncover the truth.

     Well I do love me some Tomb Raider and over the years I’ve had that up and down ride of her adventures. Some were great, some not so much at least for me so here are we go again another first issue of an arc or limited series with Lara and company. I’ll tell you what I really liked about this issue and that’s the writing. The creative use of using voice mail the way it’s done here not only tells us what Lara is doing, where she is and why, along with the story we see, but it expands the story in ways you don’t expect it to. That and the characterisation here is incredible to see.

     Lara is off on her own and honestly that is how she works best. I like that while this follows everything else that’s come before and that it’s new reader friendly at the same time. We’ll get into why I haven’t read her adventures lately later on for now we’ll stick with this. So with the rather creative storytelling technique in play we get to really see what, how and the why of what Lara is doing. Backstory is for another day as I’m sure we’ll learn what the events were that led her to be where she is now. In the meantime I gotta say she sure does like to do things the hard way doesn’t she? Like getting into the city of Corniglia.

     There a few massive story elements here that just make me so happy and sad at the same time. That huge statue carved out of the cavern wall is something that should be but is and the scale of screams out for explanation. Then that moment she see the map of Antarctica from 200A.D. well that brought an even bigger smile to my face. OH you have no idea how much I hope that this arc takes here there and she discovers some sort of ancient city underneath the ice. Or that Erebus somehow created a pocket where life still flourishes, see yeah Antarctica makes me geek out.

     Alright so here’s the hard part for me. While I like the style of artwork Ashley does I don’t think it fits this book. The wall carving we saw earlier had no depth to it, it was bland and boring when it should have been fantastical! Better is the background we see when Lara gets to that room with the brick walls, the statues there again not so much. Maybe I got spoiled over the years as the comics were done in a way that had sleek tight linework and the attention to detail was through the roof versus nowadays where it seems this style is all the rage. It screams kids book to me that pre-teen/teen reading. I miss that strong, intelligent and sexy woman that she’s supposed to be.

     I love the story here and that more than makes up for everything else. What I want isn’t what I’m always going to get so you make the most of it and move on. I have to admire the fact that this entire issue had Lara sending the message then deleting them until she got it right, or at least the way she wanted to which coincided with the end of the issue. The structure of the book through the writing with it’s ebb & flow between action and pure storytelling is superbly used along with the characterisation that we get.

     You can’t keep a good woman down and this is proof of that.

Silver Sable & The Wild Pack #36 (1 of 1)
Marvel Comics 2017
Written by Christa Faust
Pencilled by Paulo Siqueira & Lose Luis
Inked by Cam Smith, Terry Pallot & Paulo Siqueira
Coloured by Rachelle Rosenberg
Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino



     After faking her own death, SILVER SABLE is back in the mercenary game, and this time she REALLY might not survive! In the wake of Norman Osborn's control of the Symkarian government, one of Sable's operations goes south, and she finds herself and a small group of hostages trapped in the clutches of a dangerous group of terrorists! With no equipment and no back up Sable has to make sure that she and the innocents trapped with her find their way out alive. Piece of cake.

     Can someone remind me again why this isn’t a regular ongoing comic? First of all Silver is one of those rare characters who has depth, motivation and will literally swing any which way the wind blows. Mercenary for hire with her squad behind her, anti-hero or heroine she’s been everything and there’s still so much more to tell. Christa for me nails the essence of who Silver Sable is here and all this does is make me want an ongoing series. Can anyone tell me what she’s been up to or when her last appearance was? Marvel has one of the most complex and interesting women around in Silver that rivals the Black Widow and she’s basically been left out to dry.

     Huge, huge fan of the way Christa wrote this story. The premise is great and then what happens during an OP is exactly the way things should have gone down. Also if there were a next issue I would hope that at least one character we meet here is brought into the Wild Pack, whom I am sad we didn’t see here. I mean c’mon I loved that Sandman was a vital member of her Pack and was playing at being the hero type it’s one of those rare occasions that he worked better than anywhere else. The premise, story advancement and characterisation all make this one of those books that reminds you that Marvel once had this wide range of books that encompassed so many different parts of their universe.

     So to be honest I hadn’t really noticed that so many different people were involved in bringing this book to life visually. So that’s a huge compliment to all involved that they made this as cohesive and connected as it appears to be. The interiors are gorgeous by the way they’ve got that astonishing attention to detail that I adore above all else. The use of page layouts with the angles and perspective that we see show wonderful eyes for storytelling. I like the way that they use backgrounds here it really makes the storytelling feel complete and the imagery, see the water rising in the ship, evokes memories of other instances and made me smile.

     Female comics characters have a range of types and I love that Silver Sable kind of defies them all and defines herself regardless of who writes her adventures. She wears a full body suit that fits like a glove and shows off her vivacious figure combining both modesty and sex appeal, she’s extremely intelligent and highly underrated. Of the many, many, see over saturated, Legacy books that are hitting stands is in itself a huge standout. Not only because the quality of the writing and interior artwork but because she right now is the kind of woman we need.

     With the orange peacock supposedly in charge of the United States and hate groups galore coming out of the woodwork it really is the perfect time for a woman who hates Nazi’s to make a comeback. What we see here is what we comic book fans and yes the world needs to see more of because honestly this this is the kind of book Marvel’s capable of doing at their finest.