Extermination #3 Review

Rating: 3/5
Publisher Name: Boom! Studios
Publisher Website: www.boom-studios.com

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Pencils: Jeffrey Edwards/V. Ken Marion
Colors: Darrin Moore/John Charles
Number of Pages: 22
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY – 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.

Publisher’s Blurb:
In the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion, the world’s greatest super-heroes and deadliest super-villains must form an alliance to prevent their own extermination. After saving the Promethean from the horrors of an EDDA survivor camp, Nox invites his old ally to join the resistance. But as the quest to find Absolute continues, Red Reaper finds that the crippled Promethean would be more useful dead than alive… Written by Simon Spurrier (X-CLUB, WOLVERINE: DANGEROUS GAMES)!

Reviewer’s Comments:
Another issue of Extermination has come and gone. The series has advanced in quality with each issue, and yet I am still not in love with it. In issue 3 we get a look into the past. Specifically, how Nox and Absolute’s pasts are intertwined. And to be totally fair, it’s an interesting, if very familiar, back story. I finally find myself caring for one of the characters beyond just the humor and badassery of the comic.

I do have a complaint, and it is in the art department. As you can see by looking at the credits for the penciler and colorist, there is basically two art teams involved. As it turns out, one team drew the present, the other drew the flashbacks. Both teams did bang up jobs, and the idea is an interesting one in theory. In practice though, at least in this case, it took away from the story. Instead of adding a new dynamic to the comic, it felt like two different comics mashed together, which just happened to have one mutual character.

I will say this in the comics’ defense. There is serious talent involved in it’s creation. By no means do I feel it is a bad comic, and I have the feeling something big is coming. It’s just a slower start than I’m accustomed to in terms of new comic series’. If every issue progresses and improves at the pace that these three have though, then it shouldn’t be too long before things start getting very interesting.

Bottom line(cause Stonecold said so): I like this comic. I do. I don’t love it. If you have extra cash on you, I’d check an issue out and see how you feel about, but I wouldn’t recommend dropping a series for it or anything. If that changes as the series moves forward, I’ll let you know.

Exterminaton #2 Review

Rating: 3/5
Publisher Name: Boom! Studios
Publisher Website: www.boom-studios.com/

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Pencils: Jeffrey Edwards
Colors: Blond
Number of Pages: 22
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY – 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.

Publisher’s Blurb:
WE LOST. THEY WON. In the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion, the world’s greatest super-heroes and deadliest super-villains must form an alliance to prevent their own extermination. Nox and Red Reaper continue their trek across the ravaged American countryside, amassing former friends and foes for the ultimate battle of resistance. But when old grievances rear their ugly heads, will the alliance survive the journey intact, or will it be torn apart from the inside out? Written by Simon Spurrier (X-CLUB, FEAR ITSELF: THE HOME FRONT, WOLVERINE: DANGEROUS GAMES), EXTERMINATION is a superhero survival story by an author that boldly explores the dark crevices of an entire genre. Don’t forget to ask your local retailer about the rare CGC 9.8 near mint variant by John Cassaday!

Reviewer’s Comments:
Upon hearing of this title I was quite excited to check it out. After reading issue 1, I have to say I was fairly letdown. Issue 2 was quite dramatically better than issue 1, redeeming the the series for what the first installment lacked. But, unfortunately, not redeeming it fully.

The odd thing is that while I am not loving this comic at the moment, it has nothing to do with the job the creative team is doing with it. Extermination is well written, expertly drawn, and paced brilliantly. On top of that, there is high action, spot on humor, and epicness of epic proportions. I think where the problem lies is in the characters, for me at least. While I can enjoy the characters for what they are, I am having a hard time feeling as if I know them and, ergo, really caring about them. I will say this, the character growth in issue 2 was quite substantial compared to issue 1. Perhaps the fact that the story starts in the thick of things and doesn’t get to character development until a bit into the story is the biggest issue in regards to this problem.

Bottom line(cause Stonecold said so): Not a bad comic, not a great comic. I could see Extermination heading in an amazing direction by the time they hit issue 6, but I just don’t feel it’s there yet. But, it’s selling well, so if you see it in a shop thumb through it for yourself!

Fanboys VS. Zombies #2 Review

Rating: 4/5
Publisher Name: Boom! Studios
Publisher Website: http://www.boom-studios.com/

Writer: Sam Humphries
Pencils: Jerry Gaylord
Inks: Penelope Gaylord
Colors: Nolan Woodard
Number of Pages: 22
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: T+ TEENS AND UP – Appropriate for most readers 13 and up, parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children.

Publisher’s Blurb:
Have you heard the one about the time zombies took over Comic-Con? No one noticed until Sunday! The good news is you’re at Comic-Con. The bad news is you’re hungover, you can’t get over your ex-girlfriend, your best friend is a d-bag, and there are roughly 165,000 slathering, slouching members of the undead family in between you and freedom. There is no more good news. Written by indie sensation Sam Humphries (OUR LOVE IS REAL) with art by hot new talent Jerry Gaylord!

Reviewer’s Comments:
I went into this title with low expectations. I figured it would be a fun, campy read. Maybe get a few laughs out of me. I was right. What I wasn’t anticipating though was that I would enjoy FvZ as much as I did. Sam Humphries and Jerry Gaylord are the perfect duo to handle a series like this one. They share a similar sense of humor/storytelling(and technical prowess) at their respective writer and artist position that keeps the ridiculousness and story in harmony, rather than in competition. Not to mention, there are a nice amount of subplots and unrevealed histories that the creators are delving into along the way. And the pacing is genius.

When you boil it down, Fanboys Vs. Zombies is the most fun approach to murderous, rotting corpses I have seen in any media. Unlike the Walking Dead, which can be enjoyed by folks who have never read a comic before in their life, FbZ has a much clearer niche: Comic nerds. Big time zombie enthusiasts should check it out as well, just to see a new approach to their favorite ghoulies. In the end though, this is a comic made by comic nerds, for comic nerds. And I just find that to be downright beautiful!

Bottom line(cause Stonecold said so): If you’re a pop culture geek, especially when it comes to comics, I can nearly guarantee you’ll like this book as long as you go into it with the right mindset. Meaning, expect some giggles and good lighthearted jabs and references. If you’re a deadhead(phrase I totally just invented for zombie fans, pretty original, huh?), it’s a less safe buy, but I’d recommend at least checking it out. As long as you’re not one of those pretentious people who can’t take a new take on anything they like, that is(Soooo a comic book fan?(BURN!)).

Ice Age: Playing Favorites Review

Rating: 5/5
Publisher Name: BOOM! Studios
Publisher Website: http://www.boom-studios.com/

Writer: Caleb Monroe
Pencils: Shelli Paroline
Number of Pages: 26
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: A – Appropriate for age 9 and up.

Publisher’s Blurb:
Before the spring thaw, KABOOM! is serving up a mammoth heap of ICE AGE! Join the bumbling Sid the Sloth, the practical Manny the Mammoth, the cunning Diego the Saber-tooth Tiger, and the hilarious saber-toothed squirrel Scrat in an exciting all new frozen adventure! Featuring wacky, beloved characters from the hit film series!

Reviewer’s Comments:
Ice Age is a wonderful funny film series and there’s to be another film on its way to theaters in July. While you’re waiting for the next film installment, you can read this Ice Age comic book which is just as funny and entertaining.
I found this comic to be really good, it’s enjoyable not only for kids but for grownups as well. Caleb Monroe does an excellent job of letting the story run smoothly. I like how the main story is interrupted at the right moments by Scrat the squirrel’s quest to obtain his precious acorn with painful but hilarious results. Shelli Paroline’s artwork is great, I love the brightness of each panel.
Ice Age is an enjoyable book and I hope there are more books to come before the next film.

Steed and Mrs. Peel #4 Review

Rating: 4/5
Publisher Name: Boom! Comics
Publisher Website: http://www.boom-studios.com

Writer: Grant Morrison
Pencils: Ian Gibson
Number of Pages: 22
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: T+ TEENS AND UP – Appropriate for most readers 13 and up, parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children.

Publisher’s Blurb:
From the one and only Grant Morrison — the conclusion of “The Golden Game!”
Psychedelic secret agents John Steed and Emma Peel search for Tara King as
she leads them to a secret society obsessed with deadly games. Will our
heroes survive The Leopard People? Featuring artwork by Ian Gibson, best
known for his work with Alan Moore on “The Ballad of Halo Jones.” The
original British TV series The Avengers helped define the “Spy-Fi” genre and
now Grant Morrison is serving up a science fiction/spy fiction mash-up with
two of TV’s most iconic heroes! The original British TV series The Avengers
helped define the “Spy-Fi” genre: from January 1961 to May 1969, for 161
episodes, The Avengers was a staple of fandom, one of the longest-running
hit espionage series alongside Mission Impossible and a small screen
counterpart to that other famous United Kingdom spy, James Bond! A science
fiction/spy fiction mash-up from Grant Morrison and two of TV’s most iconic
heroes!

Reviewer’s Comments:
Quick disclaimer: I have not seen the 60′s Avengers show. I don’t think you need to to be able to follow this series, but I’m sure someone who has seen it will find this a more rewarding read than I did. That said, I have enjoyed the series so far. I mean, it’s written by the trusty Grant Morrison, that alone is worth a minimum of 3 out of 5. Imagine me giving one of his books a 2… pfft.

As stated in the blurb, Steed and Mrs. Peel is a spy comic(honestly, I haven’t seen much of the sci-fi aspect yet) based on an old TV show. That basically describes the feel of the story. Everything about the book just feels like an old comic in a very good way. It’s a murder mystery, so it is kind of dark by nature, but it approaches the darkness in such a lighthearted manner that it remains fun even when tragic. Aiding in said lighthearted fun is artist Ian Gibson, whose style is very soft and toony, sometimes even bordering “cute”, while still maintaining a definite edge when needed. A few characters look like they could have been pulled straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. I hope that doesn’t sway anyone who may be otherwise interested, because the art and story really work well together. Also, in four issues there has been one night scene, which helps give Steed/Peel a different tone from most spy comics.

This issue was the conclusion to the “Golden Game” murders. John Steed is given a book of riddles in issue #1 and all of the murders in this arc take place according to certain riddles in the book. They are also performed in ways derived from old games, Hangman being my favorite of the bunch. Sounds campy and fun huh? It totally is! My only complaint is that while I did not in any way see the killer coming… it was because it was someone who, I’m guessing, was in the TV show, since he knew Steed so well, but was never shown in the series until his reveal. That’s not a big gripe, but when I feel like I’m reading a whodunnit, I wanna see whodunnit before they tell me whodunnit so I can try to take a stab at who-freakin’-dunnit!

Okay, I’m better. That one gripe aside, good stuff. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but if you’re in the market for a fun read and a break from the darkness and broodiness of the average spy comic this is probably a pretty safe buy, so long as you can get your hands on 1-3. There are, apparently, two more issues in the series. Since this one was such a definite ending I’m not sure what they’re going to do with the next two. But I can’t wait to find out. And I’ll probably be back here to share the news with you fine folks!

VALEN THE OUTCAST #1 Review

Rating: 4/5
Publisher Name: Boom! Studios
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Pencils: Matteo Scalera
Inks: Matteo Scalera
Colors: Archie Van Buren
Number of Pages: 21
Price: 1.00
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY – 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.

Publisher’s Blurb:
SPECIAL FULL FIRST ISSUE! The King is dead — long live the DEAD KING! King Valen Brand is a fair, just king as well as a great and mighty warrior. Killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm,an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul! From the mind of fan-favorite creator Michael Alan Nelson (28 DAYS LATER, HEXED, DINGO, ROBERT E. HOWARD’S HAWKS OF OUTREMER) comes OUTCAST, a visceral new ongoing series that blends “epic fantasy” with “sword-and-sorcery.” Perfect for fans of A Game of Thrones and Conan

Reviewer’s Comments:
True fantasy comics don’t make up a huge percentage of the comic book market place, so it can be especially refreshing when books like Orc Stain and Skullkickers try something fun and different to stand out from the myriad of traditional superhero fair.
Valen the Outcast shows such promise. Drawing inspiration from everything from Conan the Barbarian to Frankencastle, Michael Alan Nelson and Matteo Scalera have delivered a truly entertaining and gritty read.
The premise is that a Necromancer named Korrus Null is killing his way across an unnamed fantasy world, bolstering his numbers by reanimating the corpses of his defeated foes.
The comic begins with the death of King Valen Brand of Oakhaven at the hands of the Necromancer, who is reanimated and enslaved as another sword in his host. Valen is able to fight Null’s influence, and with the help of a sorceress named Zjanna is able to free himself completely. He then sets out on a mission to hunt down the Necromancer to kill him and reclaim his soul.
While he may have regained control over his actions and mind, Valen is now a pariah, an abomination that even his knighted brothers approach hostilely.
The action of the first issue is for the most part effective, but more often than not the panels and pages end up being cluttered and kind of confusing. Scalera is probably doing all he can with the high panel count and Nelson’s scripting, but there isn’t much clarity when the swords start swinging. I had to connect too many dots and make too many assumptions about how Valen’s various kills actually occurred for my liking. It felt like there were panels missing, or that Scalera was capturing the moment after every killing blow, or stab.
Despite the poor execution in the action scenes, I can say that I really enjoyed Valen the Outcast. Nelson and Scalera nail the aesthetics and tone needed for a book of this genre. The warriors are ripped and badass, and the women are scantily clad and mysterious. The body count rises with every blood spattered page, and I look forward to more.
Valen the Outcast is a gloriously brutal, campy, and gory exercise in barbaric fantasy. For the one U.S. Dollar it would cost you to pick it up, give it a shot. It is well worth it.

Hellraiser Vol. 1 Review

Rating: 5/5
Publisher Name: Boom! Studios
Publisher Website: http://www.boom-studios.com/

Writer: Clive Barker and Christopher Monfette
Pencils: Leonardo Manco and Stephen Thompson
Colors: Juan Manuel Tumburus, Charlie Kirchoff, Jordie Bellaire
Number of Pages: 128
Price: $9.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: MAX – EXPLICIT CONTENT – 18 years old.

Publisher’s Blurb:
One of the greatest horror franchises of all time returns, now under the control of its original creator! Clive Barker has touched HELLRAISER only twice: once to write THE HELLBOUND HEART, and once more to write and direct the original HELLRAISER film. Now witness Barker’s long-awaited return to tell a new chapter in the series’ official continuity—a trajectory that will forever change the Cenobites…and Pinhead! So prepare your soul for an epic journey into horror from one of the medium’s greatest voices, and starring one of the medium’s greatest characters, in an unforgettable new chapter of HELLRAISER.

Reviewer’s Comments:
So, this is a good week for me and getting to review things that I’ve been a long time fan of. Yesterday I wrote a review of the comic based on my favorite series of books, and today it’s one of my favorite authors from my childhood and college years.

I was a twisted little boy who got into horror at a very young age. I started reading early and beyond my level, and one of my first favorites was the other master of horror, Clive Barker. I read everything of his I could get a hold of, and in 1987, little 11 year old me went to see Hellraiser in the theater and loved every blood gushing moment.

After the disappointment of every Hellraiser film after the second one (only seven horrible sequels that felt less and less like the original? It feels like so much more) I was really worried about what I’d find once I started reading this. Clive Barker’s name in the credits reassured me a bit, but there was still some concern. Could even the master himself bring me a worthy follow up to one of the masterpieces of my childhood?

The 11 year old me says F$@! yeah! There was blood, and skinnings, and bodies ripping, and all kinds of nasty stuff. But there’s also so much more.

The story here is solid and meaty, truly adding new depth and layers to the original. This is the most complete and fleshed out this world has felt. I really like the direction this seems to be going in. It’s creating a new path for these characters while also filling in more of the backstory. It’s very cool to see Kirsty again after 20-something years (yes, I’m purposely ignoring her appearance in Hellraiser 6) and how everything she’s been through has affected her. Without giving away too much, she has gathered up a group of other Cenobite survivors and is actively working to stop them for good. This gives the story some real purpose. This type of story could easily fall into the monotony of torture porn where “people find box, people get ripped to pieces” each issue, but Barker has crafted an ongoing story for both Kirsty and Pinhead that gives each a more complicated role to play.

My only complaint on the story side is that it took a while to introduce the cast of main supporting characters, and shortly after we meet them Kirsty goes running off on her own and we don’t get to see them much again. It was really interesting to see their introductions to the devices and the Cenobites and I’d like to get to know these characters better.

The art is exactly what it needs to be. It has a rough, dirty, realistic feel that perfectly fits the tone of the story. The colors are suitably dark and dreary, with blood probably being the brightest and most colorful thing.

It’s a lot easier to write a bad review than I good one. I could go on forever in a bad one picking apart everything that’s wrong. But I don’t have anything else to say here. I enjoyed this from the front cover to the back. It’s everything I could hope for in a Hellraiser book and I can’t wait to read more. It reminds me of the old while bringing in something new. It adds new levels of greatness to something I already thought was great.

Read this. Read it now. It’s $9.99 for 128 pages collecting 4 issues plus some extras. That’s about $2.50 an issue. You pay $3.99 an issue for DC’s New 52 junk (don’t deny it, I know you did!) and this has way more substance and quality in one panel than most of those books do in a whole issue.

Hellraiser_V1_TPB_CVR.jpg (36 KB)

SPACE WARPED #1 Review

Rating: 4/5
Publisher Name: KABOOM!
Publisher Website: http://www.boom-studios.com

Writer: Hervé Bourhis
Pencils: Rudy Spiessert
Colors: Mathilda
Number of Pages: 24
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: A – Appropriate for age 9 and up.

Publisher’s Blurb:
Far away, in a land long ago…there was an orphaned farm kid with daddy issues trying to rescue an orphaned princess unaware of her daddy issues! In the tradition of ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS and SPACEBALLS comes a loving, affectionate parody of the greatest science fiction franchise of all time! The first of a two-issue mini-series, this is a fan-pleasing romp that skewers one of the greatest adventure stories ever!

Reviewer’s Comments:
Please, resist your urge to face palm!

Generally when I see the cover of a parody book, 9 times out of 10 my initial response is to let out a very disappointed sigh. “Why?! Why oh why, is somebody doing a joke book?” But since this book is a Star Wars spoof I had to read it, and try to reserve my final judgment until after I finished it. (Star Wars and I go way back, I may or may not have Star Wars tattoos.) Well now that I’ve finished it, I’m here to say more than a few pages actually made me laugh.

Obviously ‘Space Warped’ is not going to win any Eisner awards, and once you get passed that fact you can enjoy the book. If you’ve seen Star Wars: A New Hope, then you already know the story of Space Warped. However, with Space Warped we’ve been magically transported back to a time before light sabers, spaceships or even the internal combustible engine for that matter. The book starts off in a similar chase scene that we are greeted with in the opening of the first Star Wars; but Bourhis has chosen instead of a Rebel blockade runner and Star Destroyer, two ox drawn covered-wagons. Soon after, the book got its first laugh from me when Ravi (R2D2) and Hal (C3PO) are trying to run away from the fighting and Hal mentions how confusing covered-wagons corridors are. This joke really sets the tone for the rest of the book, an in the moment joke that both references the current situation of the comic book, but then has subtle commentary on the Star Wars movie.

As I read through the book I found myself chuckling at the jokes made at the expense of the movie which in turn helped move the comic forward. The book stays pretty close to the flow of the movie, and rarely misses a beat (Hal “shutting down” was another funny moment). The artwork is made up of exactly what you see on the cover, simple but colorful and well thought out.

This is the first issue of the two part mini-series and the timeline for this book runs from the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope, and it covers everything up to the blast off from ‘Moleskin’ on the ‘Centenarian Egret’ and the impending destruction of the ‘Lady Lecia’s’ home planet of ‘Aldenete’. I’m finding myself honestly awaiting the next book to see where they take the rest of the story.

If you’re bored of vampires, superheroes or elves, and are a fan of Star Wars, I would definitely recommend you check out ‘Space Warped’. Here is to hoping “Han” still shoots first.

Uncle Scrooge – #404 Review

Rating: 2/5
Publisher Name: BOOM! Studios
Publisher Website: http://www.boom-studios.com/

Writer: Michele Gazzarri
Pencils: Romano Scarpa
Number of Pages: 32
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: A – Appropriate for age 9 and up.

Publisher’s Blurb:
The classic 1966 Romano Scarpa tale “The Fifty Money Bins Caper” is printed for the first time ever in the U.S.! Scrooge McDuck shows some crafty initiative against the ever-looming threat of the Beagle Boys by constructing a fleet of fifty new money bins and hiding his money in a new one each week. This all sounds like a good idea until the construction costs come due! And when the Beagles decide to kidnap Donald Duck to track Scrooge’s coins…it’s not just interest that is compounding here!

Reviewer’s Comments:
Where do I begin with such an epic tale such as Uncle Scrooge #404? In the interest of full disclosure, I have never read or reviewed a book of this caliber. Until this point, my familiarity with Scrooge came from the DuckTales animated series that I remember vividly from my childhood (whose theme will never leave my brain). I was indeed quite shocked to discover that what I initially deemed to be a marketing gimmick for younger audiences actually has existed for over 400 issues. Wow. I was completely ready to take this comic seriously, because how could something that has run this long be bad (a logic I would never afford to anything written by Marvel or DC)? After a few pages I realized that this was not exactly the cartoon I was used to; Where are Launchpad and Gizmoduck, and why is Donald still in the picture? What I discovered was something a little darker than what I expected, and also a little more absurd, too.

When I read the solicit for this issue, I was not exactly sure who Romano Scarpa was, so I did a little research, to discover that he was an Italian artist for Disney, and regarded in quite high esteem within the company, developing many new characters for the company. This issue is, from what I understand, translated and reprinted from a story written by Michele Gazzarri and Scarpa in 1966. This sole fact makes a lot of the odd dialogue and plot holes understandable, but this Golden Age classic is still quite bizarre.

In short, this Scrooge is incredibly abusive (both verbally and physically) towards his nephew Donald Duck, who is more dimwitted than I ever remember. Donald steals an idea from Huey, Dewey, and Louie (Google the Donald Duck family tree if you get confused) that he pitches to Scrooge to build 50 different vaults for his riches, and his loot will be moved to a different one each month to keep the Beagle Boys on their toes. Logically, this makes no sense, when you consider the financial, real estate, and manpower implications of such a plan. Is Duckburg even zoned for construction like this? Of course the Beagles break into a few of the vaults and discover there is no money, all while Scrooge watches via camera, yet does not call the police. I am pretty sure that breaking and entering is still a crime, even if nothing is stolen. Eventually Donald gets kidnapped and tortured for the number of the vault. I won’t spoil the Beagle’s torture tactics, but it made me both audibly laugh and shudder with terror simultaneously. I am not sure if I would give this to a small child.

Golden Age or not, I could not get over the glaring plot holes ripped open in this story, and it would appear that there was no attempt to fix this in Gerstein’s translation. If there is one shining piece to this story, it is Scarpa’s artwork, which is quite clean and simple, yet masterful. It’s no wonder that he was such a success within Disney. Unfortunately, artwork is not really enough to support and sustain a story. It was an alright read, but I am not sure I would recommend it, unless you’re looking for some bizarre, Golden Age Disney fun.