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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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Never Never #5

11/28/2021

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Never Never #5
Virus/Heavy Metal Comics 2021
Written by Marc McCann
Illustrated by Phil Buckenham
Coloured by Angese Pozza
Lettered by David Withers

    As armies of killer king Petros, strike the heart of the pirate stronghold, Winter must make a last effort to free the denizens of the Never and get back home. Aided by the fairies, will it be enough to get past legions of feral boys and the killer king himself!

    Well here we are with the end of what is presumably the first chapter in this story.  I say this because of how we see the ending as I feel it sets up the next chapter in this tale.  Which I’d very much like to see because I know they all think the creator is responsible for the Never Never and while he very much is once you create an idea and it’s published then who's to say that the public and their reading of the work and their own creativity and imagination doesn’t sustain the world he created?  One of things that I adore about this series is that it takes the reader off page and engages their mind in ways that make you think more existentially than you might have you realised you would do.  After all, how do you kill an idea? 

    I absolutely 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 are 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 fleshing out their personalities even further.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more we’re engaged and our minds are taken off page and it’s a stunning thing to have happen.

    I’m a huge fan of the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I’m also a fan of the way that the layers open up new avenues to be explored.  Whether these avenues are created by McCann or the readers’ own mind is not relevant because it all adds 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 are impeccably handled.  

    I have noticed that with each issue that has come out we’ve had the pleasure of watching Phil grow more comfortable and skilled with the level of work he’s doing on the interiors.  This issue is the best work he’s done on the series so far and I’d cannot wait to see what he has in store for the next arc as it’s been a real joy to watch him blossom as an artist.  The linework is strong, clean and crisp and the varying weights we see being utilised to create the detail within the work is nicely rendered.  I would still like to see more backgrounds being utilised, that being said how we see the composition within the panels bringing out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is fabulous.  I’m impressed with the double page spread fight scene and how it embodies everything I’ve been talking about here.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work are extremely well rendered.
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    A far cry from J.M. Barrie’s original writing though it does tend to depict the madness that would extend from being eternally youthful and it’s a more in your face, shocking portrayal of the after effects such an existence would create.  With some bold writing and interesting characterisation all wrapped up in these interiors this isn’t for the faint of heart but for those who love a good old fashioned twist to a classic tale. 

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Barbarella #5

11/28/2021

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Barbarella #5
Dynamite Entertainment 2021
Written by Sarah Hoyt
Illustrated by Madibek Musabekov
Coloured by Ivan Nunes
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual

    The domino's keep falling, but still, there are more to tumble as Barbarella seeks the source of a malevolent evil that enslaves, mutilates, and now can add mass kidnappings to the list. And so, Barbarella brings the love -- and the outrage -- to the pleasure planet, Rio, ‘cause there’s nothing pleasurable about being kidnapped -- or on the wrong end of a Vix scorned!

    I’m really enjoying this series a heck of a lot more than I was expecting it to be and the fact that Barbarella questions not only herself but those around her and their intentions really goes to show just how human Sarah has managed to make her.  I like that we see her a lot more vulnerable than usual and how those around her have been vocal about how she affects them really goes that extra mile in revealing more about her than we’ve seen in the past.  I am also enjoying that this seems to be a long running arc that has these pit stops along the way, each world or mission that she’s been on has allowed us to see that much more of her abilities, her brains and her beauty and how it all works to her advantage not to mention that the larger picture never leaves the scene.

    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 are presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through 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 showcasing these ever changing and evolving personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story and we get caught up in what feels like is going to be the dramatic conclusion of the arc we are enthralled.

    I like the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I am also liking the way that we see these layers open up new avenues to be explored.  These new avenues add so much depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.

    I’m in love with the interiors here.  The linework is truly exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work throughout is awe inspiring.  I love that this can be so sensual at times without it crossing into something stronger, or smuttier.  How we see the backgrounds being utilised to enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.   The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show an amazing eye for how colour works. 
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    Babarella’s unwavering belief in the good of people is what makes her so unique and beloved.  Well that and she’s always the centre of attention and everyone who meets her wants her in some way shape or form.  I’d like to see her use her brain, and science, more often but that’s just me.  In the meantime with this kind of strong writing and dynamic characterisation alongside these utterly brilliant interiors here’s hoping there’s still a lot more to come. 

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Echolands #4

11/27/2021

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Echolands #4
Image Comics 20211
Created & Written by J.H. Williams III & W. Hayden Blackman
Illustrated by J.H. Williams III
Coloured by Dave Steward
Lettered by Todd Klein

    Hope Redhood and her allies have been pursued by a violent golem, attacked by a giant sea serpent, and imprisoned by a former friend. No matter the threat, the team is determined to discover the secret behind Teros Demond’s stolen gem. But when an unexpected clue arises, they’ll have to brave the depths of the ocean to face their future with the enigmatic Oracle!

    I was a tad intimidated by the first issue of this because of the way it’s set up and just how stunningly gorgeous the interiors are.  But now that we’ve reached issue four I’m head over heels for this series.  The way it feels like such a sweeping epic as the group gets whittled down and yet they still fight on to escape the grasp of the Wizard’s Daughter.  They are a family at this point whether they believe this or not and how we see them interact with each other it’s painfully obvious at least to me.  Also at this stage I have to say that the more I see them together and the more they help one another out the more I find myself caring about them.  

    I’m 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 are presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the opening 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 with fleshing out their ever evolving personalities.   The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way as well as the revelations we are transported almost as if through the looking glass into this weird and wondrous world.

    I am absolutely loving the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I am also liking the way that these layers open up new layers to be explored.  The Son of Jupiter, the Oracle and the Key all manage to add such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.  

    The interiors here are absolutely bloody mindbogglingly brilliant to behold.  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality in the detail within the work we see throughout the book is truly extraordinary.  How backgrounds expand and enhance the moments bring this world alive with such verve and imagination.  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 work is marvellously rendered.  The creativity and imagination we see throughout is off the charts and causes such awe and wonder within the reader.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show such a master colourists eye for how to create the maximum effect the colours are capable of. 
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    Between the mix of characters and their personalities, the obstacles they encounter and overcome as well the strength of their bonds increasing makes for some of today's most exciting and absolutely gorgeous reading.  I’m loving the way that this is being written and with this amazing characterisation and these utterly bloody brilliant interiors are just the icing on the proverbial cake.  This really is an epic story in the making and it’s glorious to experience. 

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St. Mercy #4

11/27/2021

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St. Mercy #4
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2021
Written by John Zuur Platten
Illustrated by Atilio Rojo
Lettered by AW’s Troy Peteri

    As ST. MERCY reaches its explosive climax, Toctollissica stands up to her god rather than be dishonored, as the human sacrificial temple is overrun with blood and horror. Meanwhile, Mercy finds herself transformed by the cursed Incan gold. Mercy and Toctollissica, working together through time, are determined to retrieve the stolen gold that has changed them both forever. Even if that means killing anyone who tries to stop them.

    This is a spectacular ending to the story.  I mean sure there are things that are still up in the air and that need resolving and there’s room for another adventure to be told but regardless, the way that this issue plays out is utterly phenomenal to see.  Mercy really has a chance to embrace her heritage, become something more than she ever was and fulfil a destiny that was passed down through the generations.  It has all the right elements of revenge, supernatural horror and the old west with desperadoes whose evil knows no bounds and when it all comes together the way that it does there’s no sight greater.  John does such a brilliant job in bringing all the pieces together to create this whirlwind ending that’s about as exciting as it is logic defying.

    The way that this is being told is pretty damn brilliant.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information are presented exceptionally well.  The character development is literally insane to see, 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 phenomenal job with their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story the more the worlds get fleshed out the more we want to see.

    I’m impressed with the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I am also liking the way that the layers within the story open up new avenues to be explored. Supay and his godlike desires and abilities and more about who exactly he is and what he represents is one I’d like to see explored.  What these avenues add is such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled. 

    The interiors here are great.  Between the past and the present we had seen something that almost felt like two different styles happening and now it all feels connected in a way it hasn’t before as the past and present almost feel like one place.  The linework is fantastic and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is extraordinary to see.  I would like to have seen more backgrounds being utilised but what we do see does a great job with the mood, tone and feel of the story and how it works within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is well achieved.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a stellar understanding of how colour works.  
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    I really love the way that ancestral memory comes into play here and I know the curse plays a part in this but still that just unlocked what she needed to know to do what she had to do.  It’s violent, bloody and without remorse and I was entranced and bewitched by what we saw.  The written here is strong and powerful while the characterisation is intriguing and unpredictable while the interiors really shine a light on how we need to see and feel at every given moment. 

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Human Remains #3

11/27/2021

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Human Remains #3
Vault Comics 2021
Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Sally Cantirino
Coloured by Dearbhla Kelly
Lettered by Andworld Design

    Disparate lives are woven together in this terrifying, new world where strong emotions are hunted by monstrous creatures. While General Sullivan tries to lure the lifeforms into a fight, Jessica finally finds the courage to leave her own domestic monster. Meanwhile, Naresh is about to investigate a community where there have been no attacks...before being delayed by an act of gut-wrenching horror.

    I think that with this being three issues in and we’re no closer to knowing what exactly is going on here has me all a twitter with excitement.  I mean it isn’t often that we get this far and we’re still in the dark and that the General tried to use his brute force approach and failed miserably made me such a happy camper.  I mean might doesn’t make right and I’m tired of seeing the military types thinking it does.  I love seeing Naresh’s approach and I’m hoping that she manages to really accomplish something with her line of inquiry.  In the meantime i’m a bit sad and a bit happy with what we see throughout this issue and if you are reading you’ll know exactly what that’s about, if not you need to read this because trust me when I say this is unlike anything you’ll ever read.

    I’m 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 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 with how we see their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more mysterious these creatures become.

    I’m pretty impressed with the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I’m also liking the way that we see the layers within the story open up new avenues to be explored.  How we see these avenues being explored add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.

    I wish that these creatures were a lot more menacing looking but I do appreciate the way that we see bits and pieces of them as they go about their business so that the readers’ minds get to expand those moments which is always more terrifying than we actually see.  How we see the backgrounds being utilised to enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  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 shows such a great understanding of how colour works. 
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    I don’t know what these things are but to see how subtly they are evolving or at least how we are seeing them grow and change is fascinating stuff and that we aren’t privy to what this is means we have to keep coming back and watch how these characters learn on their own what’s going on and this lends an air of excitement all its own to the story.  There is some really enticing writing and some transfixing characterisation with some solid interiors bringing this all to life.  

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Task Force Z #2

11/27/2021

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Task Force Z #2
DC Comics 2021
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Pencilled by Eddy Barrows
Inked by Eber Ferreira
Coloured by Adriano Lucas
Lettered by Rob Leigh

    After Task Force Z’s first bloodbath-err, sorry, first mission goes awry, Red Hood must rethink how to lead a team of unstable monsters against some of the most organised ranks of Lazarus resin dealers in the world. To manage this unruly bunch, Jason Todd is going to need a deputy in the field whom he can trust to be his eyes and ears…but on this team, such an ask isn’t limited to the living. A ghost from Suicide Squad past returns in the cameo no one will see coming (that’s a clue)! Plus: Bane’s rampage, the Resurrection Twins get carried away, and more clues to the secret identity of the team’s benefactor!

    I’m still on shaky ground here but that’s okay.  Here’s why, the Lazarus Pit is suddenly this tool that way too many people know about and use to their advantage.  For this story instead of using it to resurrect the villains they feed them just enough to reanimate their corpses.  Now it’s always been my understanding that the pit causes madness, uncontrollable rage and more side effects when the user emerges from its waters and yet here there aren’t any such noticeable side effects.  So I’m a bit curious as to how it is possible to use the pit in this way at all, which hopefully we learn at some point in this story.

    I’m 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 does a really nice job with their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more questions arise and the more answers we hope to see.

    I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I also like how we see these layers open up new avenues to be explored.  How did Kobra, who used to be major leagues with his own series once upon a time, end up with someone they were after?  Unless Jason has something to hide (be ashamed of), let him strut around buck ass naked for us all to see.  What this does is add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.

    The interiors here are really strong.  The linework is sensational, the attention to detail is superb and I’d like to see more of Jason, literally.  How we see backgrounds enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story are extremely nice to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The fact that the inks and pencils look like one person did them all is remarkable as well.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show an excellent eye for how colour works.
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    I’m engaged in this book, almost against my better judgement, and I’m racking my brain and unless Talia, Ra’s or even Vandal are involved behind the scenes I’m going to be super shocked.  Then again part of me is hoping for that to happen because I am a fan of being shown I can’t figure everything out.  With some interesting writing and engrossing characterisation alongside these really superb interiors I’ve been thoroughly sucked into this series. 

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The Winchester Mystery House #2

11/27/2021

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The Winchester Mystery House #2
Source Point Press 2021
Written by Joshua Werner
Illustrated by Dustin Irvin 
Lettered by Justin Birch

     Chapter Two: The Puzzle
     The Winchester Mystery House has grown to a behemoth of a mansion, the construction never stopping a single moment for years. Sarah Winchester's niece, Marion, gives a small group of workers a very special task... To hide her Aunt's greatest treasure in a secret room deep within the house. James Handler and Sarah's long time lawyer and confidante, Francis Reid, have a deep conversation about what the house's purpose is. But things take a deadly turn when the workers find something hunting them in the basement of the house... What has the house uncaged?

    If you are looking for a quick scare book then I’m sorry this isn’t for you.  If you like reading books that build mystery, make you think and more than a bit uneasy, kind of nervousness I would say, then this is for you.  The Winchester House was a project that never stopped as long as Sarah was alive and that it was filled with spirits who would become trapped and in addition anyone who died on the property, and there were quite a few who did, they too would be trapped within the house and grounds is something that is infamous about the property.  The respect in how this is being told by Joshua is amazing to me and I’m loving seeing this unfold before us.

    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 are 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 marvellous job in continuing to flesh out the characters' personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story it manages to entrance and enthral the reader.

    I am very much liking the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I’m also liking the way that we see the layers opening up new avenues to be explored, rerouting entries or blocking others off for example.  What these do is add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.  

    The interiors here are absolutely lovely!  First and foremost the house is a character in the story, the biggest and main one as well actually and while we get a lot of good shots of it it should be featured in every panel where they are inside.  Just my opinion.  Still the use of backgrounds that we see and how they expand and enhance the moments are beautifully rendered.  The linework and how the varying weights and techniques are utilised to bring the characters to life is extraordinary to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a stellar understanding of how colour works.  
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    While we have yet to really become connected to any of the characters, including Sarah and Marion, the way this is being told and how the house is being built is where the mystery really lies.  The book is shrouded in mystery, an enigma to those building it and a fascination for the reader because you don’t know why this is happening.  All told this has some spectacular writing, with interesting characterisation and some mighty fine interiors bringing it all to life.  

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Dungeons & Dragons: Mindbreaker #2

11/27/2021

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Dungeons & Dragons: Mindbreaker #2
IDW Publishing 2021
Written by Jim Zub
Illustrated by Eduardo Mello
Coloured by Luis Antonio Delgado
Lettered by Neil Uyetake

    Minsc, Boo, Delina, Krydle, Shandie, and Nerys have returned from their adventure in Avernus, only to discover a sinister force has pervaded Baldur’s Gate, from the head librarian of the Knowledge-Hold to Nerys’ beloved Father Alby in the Church of Kelemvor. After surviving a battle with a pair of displacer beasts, our heroes find Alby conducting a dark summoning ritual in the Knowledge-Hold—with the head librarian as a sacrifice!  As Krydle, Delina, Shandie, Nerys, Minsc, and Boo disrupt the portal ritual and narrowly escape the cultists, they find themselves with more questions than answers. To find those answers, the party decides to split up! What could possibly go wrong?

    Any time we get to see Minsc and Boo makes me a happy camper even if he uses phrases like Space Hamster or Hygiene which sound odd when you think about what kind of time frame these are set in.  Though whomever was paying his character might have said something like that and it sounded funny enough to keep.  Regardless, they are my favourite characters.  So how we see the opening here is great and it picks up nicely from where we left off and it leads to our heroes thinking logically albeit misguidedly.

 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 are presented is exceptionally well done.  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 with the personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more we want to see.  

    I appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layer within the story continues to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I also very much like how we see the layers here open up new avenues to be explored.  While all the avenues except one seem to lead to the bigger picture I’m loving these side adventures.  What all this does is add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story's ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled. 

    The linework is nicely rendered and how we see the varying weights being utilised to create the detail within the work that we see throughout is extremely well executed.  Though I have to admit the interiors seem different, less threatening or scary and more comic book style cute.  That eye-beast thing should look terrifying but it looks almost harmless. It's like Disney got a hold of the book.  We do see some absolutely stellar use of backgrounds throughout and how they enhance and expand the moments and 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 exceptionally 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 an exceptional eye for how colour works. 
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    The group thinks it’s one big conspiracy and they need to find out what their contacts know to inform them more fully.  I get that it’s a good strategy actually only their contacts are targets in their own rights and there’s this whole right place at the right time, depending on your point of view, thing happening.  It’s actually very exciting to see and how each grouping fares against the Absolute Acolytes.   With some strong writing, stellar characterisation and solid interiors it’s nice to see our group of heroes on another adventure. 

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Night of the Ghoul #2

11/26/2021

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Night of the Ghoul #2
ComiXology Originals/Best Jackett Press 2021
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Franco Francavilla
Lettered by Andworld Design

    In the film Night of the Ghoul, it’s 1918 and our nation is rejoicing as soldiers return from the battlegrounds of the Great War. But what if something has come back with them? In the real world, a father and son discover the blurred line between fiction and reality.

    Ooh child this issue is better than the first one.  The opening is creepy as all get out and it does a brilliant job in getting us ready for and back into the swing of things.  If you are anything like me you read a lot of books each week (because yes so many are worth reading) and this opening just hits you and we’re back in horror mode.  Also now that Kurt and Johnny are back home it’ll be interesting to see how Kurt goes about life now especially with his son being around.  Now I’m going to give a little spoiler here but Johnny sticks around and If I didn’t know better it’s like Alex has two dads.  Still, that Scott is able to navigate between the then and the now so effortlessly and then to tie them together in such a way that feels so much larger than what’s on the surface is really something special.

    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 are 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 keeps their personalities moving vividly and seemingly alive.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more of it I want to see.  

    I’m really very impressed with the way that we see this being structured.  Not to mention how we see the layers within the story continuing to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I’m liking how we see the layers opening up new avenues to be explored and how the correlation between the film and real life is tied so closely together.  How all this adds so much depth, dimension and complexity to the story is extremely nice to see.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.  

    The interiors here are pretty brilliant.  Seeing Mr. Merrit’s face throughout the book and how hideously deformed it is now next to Forest, Orson’s father, is striking.  We see some great use of backgrounds throughout, though I'd love to see more, and how 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, those burned film cels for instance, and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling.  The pops of colour that we see within the gray scale is beautifully done.  The light sources show how that changes the mood, tone and feel of the book.
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The further we get into this the creepier it becomes and it’s just building up exactly like it should be and I’m more than terribly excited for the next issue already.  With what each character is going through, something alone would be terrifying but happening simultaneously so that help isn't on the way is downright horrific.  Scott’ writing is damn near brilliant and the characterisation is flawless and Francavilla captures our hearts and fears beautifully.

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Deathstroke Inc. #3

11/26/2021

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Picture
Deathstroke Inc. #3
DC Comics 2021
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Howard Porter
Coloured by Hi-Fi
Lettered by Steve Wands

    Deathstroke hunts the deadly Cheetah to the last place you'd expect…the legendary land of Che-terra, a storybook fantasy of Cheetah’s creation! To get to Cheetah, Deathstroke must hack his way past evil witches, murderous unicorns, and an army of cat warriors! Plus: Black Canary went undercover with T.R.U.S.T. to learn who was really pulling the secret organisation's strings, but she is not prepared for what she finds!

    I was intrigued enough to pick up the first issue and here we are at issue three and I'm still intrigued.  The reveal at the end is great and I’ll be honest I had to google their history because I was aware of only their first appearance and vaguely recalled the most recent and now I’m thrilled to see what’s to become of this here.  Now the main part of the story it’s been a while since I’ve seen her too, well either of the featured women really.  I guess this is Slade’s book technically so it makes sense he’s the one who goes into this unknown realm in search of the target without Dinah, though she’s got things to do too.  Part of me is over Slade and seeing him trying to figure out which direction he wants to go in and which side of the angels he’s fighting.  It’s Black Canary and Toyman that make this worth reading.

    I’m 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 are exceptionally well rendered.  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 with their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story the more we eagerly await what’s going to come out of the ending.  

    I’m a fan of the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I’m also liking how we see the layers opening up new avenues to be explored.  Whether or not they are explored they all add this great death, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are extremely well handled.

    The interiors here are really very interesting to say the least.  I love the Dinah segments and while not my thing the Slade segments are brought to life with such aplomb, they really are fanciful with a flourish.  That we see backgrounds utilised in such abundance makes me happy as they expand and enhance the moments.  They also work well within the composition within 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 an extremely talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a sensational understanding of how colour works.
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    This is a solid book.  Nothing over the top spectacular and I’m waiting to see how much Black Canary is going to learn and where exactly Toyman fits into all this.  Slade is a mercenary and he’s for hire so there’s no real wonder what his motivations are here, I'm sure he’s getting handsomely paid.  Either that or this isn’t the real Slade Wilson.  Now wouldn’t that be a twist worthy of the knickers.  The writing is solid, the characterisation is pretty  interesting and the interiors are extremely well rendered. I’m still intrigued by this book and want to see where it is going to go next. 

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