Taskmaster #2 (of 5)
(W) Jed MacKay (A) Alessandro Vitti (CA) Valerio Giangiordano
Rated T+
In Shops: Dec 16, 2020
SRP: $3.99
TARGET: COULSON!
Taskmaster heads to DC for his first victim, Phil Coulson! But Coulson isn’t alone, he’s got an entire squadron on speed dial…
Taskmaster is one of those characters that deserves such a spotlight and generally has been underused through the years. Whenever he’s be used, he’s stood out and weirdly never became a huge hit. Even as a background character he’s stood out over the years and become even better in recent decades. From a generic villain with some cool powers to a smart-ass super villain with cool powers, it’s his personality that has been the focus. Taskmaster #1 nails the character down, mixing action, humor, and some intrigue.
Written by Jed MacKay, Taskmaster #1 has the character on the run after he’s possibly framed for the murder of Maria Hill. There’s now a price on his head and he’ll have to prove his innocence.
The comic is beyond fun with a great mix of action and humor. It kicks off with Taskmaster as a partner during a golf tournament to raise money for mobsters. It’s the kind of set-up that sets the tone so well. The duo he’s facing features Bullseye promising a gold game even I’d watch. But, what it really does is set the tone. The comments between the two are great and really let you know what type of character Taskmaster is. From there’s action, some more laughs, and a focus on what we can expect going forward.
It’s a solid opening that has such a firm grasp on its voice and tone. There’s little doubt as to what you’re going to get with the issue and now the series. It’s a comic that establishes itself and makes you ask why it’s taken so long to get something like this.
The art by Alessandro Vitti is great. Though Taskmaster features a skull mask, you’re still able to get a full feel as to what’s going on when it comes to emotions. The comic has an exaggerated aspect to it with the action having an almost Looney Tunes aspect of it. It’s just over the top as Taskmaster must deal with his would-be assassin having to use what he can to fire back and ducking the bullets flying at him. Guru-eFX provides colors while Joe Caramagna does the lettering and the art team just nails it all down.
Taskmaster #1 is a hell of a lot of fun. Not sure what else to really say. There’s a mix of action and humor and anyone can pick up the comic and enjoy it. It’s not deep. There’s no deeper themes. It’s a simple frame job that has the main character in the crosshairs of others who want him dead in revenge. It’s a simple concept but executed so well. I was hoping the comic would be entertaining and it exceeded my expectations getting me to laugh out loud and leaving me with a smile.
Story: Jed MacKay Art: Alessandro Vitti
Color: Guru-eFX Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
Taskmaster #1
(W) Jed MacKay (A) Alessandro Vitti (CA) Valerio Giangiordano
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 11, 2020
SRP: $3.99
TASKMASTER HAS MURDERED MARIA HILL!
Or at least that’s what the whole world thinks. Now the greatest spies in the business are hunting him down and won’t stop until Taskmaster is dead or clears his own name! Follow JED MACKAY (BLACK CAT) and ALESSANDRO VITTI (SECRET WARRIORS) on a globe-spanning adventure that will send ripples through every corner of the Marvel Universe’s espionage community!
Previously announced titles, Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova and Taskmaster will be at your local comic shop this November! These action-packed series will serve as a perfect introduction to the covert cast of characters who make up Marvel’s world of espionage and will star in Marvel Studios’ upcoming film, Black Widow.
Writer Devin Grayson, one of the creators of Yelena Belova — the Red Room recruit who once nearly killed Natasha Romanoff — returns with a brand–new story drawn by rising star Michele Bandini in Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova. Yelena has spent years trying to figure out who she is. Once she thought the Black Widow mantle was her destiny, but fate had other plans. Now the past is catching up with her — and with Alexi Shostakov, a.k.a. the Red Guardian! Alexi has worn many titles, including husband to Natasha, but while the Widow played her avenging games, the Red Guardian waited in the shadows. Now a new day is dawning — and this time, no one will stand in his way. The first issue features a cover by Mike McKone.
Meanwhile, the world believes Taskmaster murdered Maria Hill! Now the greatest spies in the Marvel Universe are on the hunt and won’t stop until Taskmaster is dead. Follow writer Jed Mackay and artist Alessandro Vitti in Taskmaster, a globe–spanning adventure that will send ripples through every corner of Marvel’s espionage community and beyond! The first issue features a cover by Valerio Giangiordano.
BOOM! Studios has announced BRZRKR, a twelve-issue limited series from the iconic Keanu Reeves in his comic book writing debut alongside New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt and acclaimed artist Alessandro Vitti, colorist Bill Crabtree, and letterer Clem Robins in a brutally violent new series about one immortal warrior’s fight through the ages. BRZRKR #1 will debut in comic shops October 2020.
The man known only as Berzerker is half-mortal and half-God, cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, Berzerker will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence…and how to end it.
BRZRKR #1 features main cover art by superstar illustrator Rafael Grampá as well as variant cover art by Vitti and artist Mark Brooks.
Secrets of Sinister House #1
(W) Paul Dini, Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone, Bryan Hill, Dan Watters, Others (A) Rafael Albuquerque, Cian Tormey, Jorge Fornes, Others (CA) John Romita, Bill Sienkiewicz
In Shops: Oct 09, 2019
SRP: $9.99
Witness what hides within the Sinister House-the DCU’s most horrific secrets and mysteries! Travel alongside Harley Quinn, John Constantine, Detective Chimp, Zatanna, the Atom and others as they face this macabre devastation firsthand! And in the bowels of this dark mansion…we return to the world of the legendary Red Rain to meet once again with the dreaded vampire Batman. Don’t miss this year’s DC Halloween special-because if you do, it’ll haunt you!
Celebrate the Halloween season with this anthology of spooky tales featuring DC’s superheroes and villains!
Story: Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone, Robbie Thompson, Dan Watters, John Layman, Paul Dini, Che Grayson, Diego Lucero Lopez, Bryan Edward Hill
Art: Rafael Albuquerque, Tom Raney, Sumit Kumar, Jorge Fornes, Cian Tormey, Miguel Mendonca, Phil Hester, Alessandro Vitti
Color: Dave McCaig, Hi-Fi, John Kalisz, Jordie Bellaire, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., Bill Crabtree, Jeromy Cox, Adriano Lucas
Ink: Ande Parks
Letterer: Tom Napolitano, Rob Leigh, Troy Peteri, Steve Wands, Travis Lanham, Dave Sharpe, Andworld Design, Willie Schubert
Get your copy in comic shops now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Marvel Comics Presents #7
(W) Charles Soule, Ryan North, More (A) Paulo Siqueira, Alessandro Vitti, Rod Reis (CA) Arthur Adams
Rated T+
In Shops: Jul 31, 2019
SRP: $4.99
Welcome to the 21st century! A new age dawns for Logan in his mission to stop the demon Truth! Iron Man faces the biggest financial crisis of his lifetime! And a hero reborn for a new millennium, the Winter Soldier returns in brand-new tale by D.C. Pierson (Crap Kingdom, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Alessandro Vitti (Secret Warriors)!
Following up on 2017’s DC House of Horror #1 and 2018’s Cursed Comics Cavalcade #1, witness what hides within 2019’s Secrets of Sinister House #1—revealing the DCU’s most horrific secrets and mysteries! In this new prestige-format 80-page one-shot special featuring a cover by John Romita Jr. and Bill Sienkiewicz, travel alongside Harley Quinn, John Constantine, Detective Chimp, Zatanna, the Atom and others as they face this macabre devastation first hand! And in the bowels of this dark mansion…we return to the world of the legendary Red Rain to meet once again with the dreaded vampire Batman.
Secrets of Sinister House will feature a Vampire Batman short (from the classic Batman & Dracula: Red Rain) written by Rafael Scavone and Rafael Albuquerque with art by Rafael Albuquerque, a Constantine story written by Bryan Hill with art by Alessandro Vitti, Paul Dini writing an 10-page Harley Quinn and Zatanna short with art by Cian Tormey, a creepy bit on The Atom written by Dan Watters with art by Sumit Kumar, an incredible Justice League Dark story written by Robbie Thompson with art by Tom Raney, and a classic haunted house short story, “House of the Dead,” written by Jon Layman with art by Jorge Fornes. Those are only a few of the tales within, but if they’re not enough to get you screaming, what is still to be revealed will stop you dead in your tracks!
Don’t miss this year’s DC Halloween Special—because if you do, it’ll haunt you! Look for the 80-page Secrets of Sinister House #1 on October 2, 2019.
Out now is Avengers Arena: The Complete Collection which brings all 18 issues together for one handy read. The series features the Runaways, Avengers Academy, X-23, the Braddock Academy, and more on an island where they must battle it out to the death. Yes, it’s teenage superheroes meets Battle Royale!
Avengers Arena is by Dennis Hopeless, Christos Gage, Kev Walker, Alessandro Vitti, Jason Gorder, Riccardo Burchielli, Karl Moline, Mark Pennington, Rick Magyar, Frank Martin, Rain Beredo, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Joe Caramagna, Dave Johnson, Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Greg Horn, Mike Del Mundo, Kaiman Adrasofszky, Mike Deodato, Jr., Francesco Francavilla, Jon Moisan, and Bill Rosemann.
Get your copy in comic shops and book stores now. To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
