Tag Archives: cory petit

Imperial Guardians #1 Delivers a Familiar Concept but Fun Debut

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Imperial Guardians #1

Gamora, Captain Marvel, Amadeus Cho, Darkhawk, Cosmic Ghost Rider! Five unlikely operatives recruited by Maximus of the Inhumans. Their mission? Protect the delicate balance of new Galactic Union by ANY means necessary…and failure is NOT an option. Expendable, deniable and disavowed, they are the Imperial Guardians. But can they do Maximus’ dirty work and keep their consciences clean? Why has a Kree Grand Admiral gone rogue and attacked Hala? What’s going on with Darkhawk’s mind? What deluded fool thought COSMIC GHOST RIDER was a team player? And, most importantly…what kind of game is Maximus REALLY playing? Imperial Guardians #1 doesn’t break any ground, but it does deliver an entertaining start.

Written by Dan Abnett, Imperial Guardians #1 brings together a rather motley crew to go on unofficial missions to help keep the peace. There’s a lot to like about the debut issue. The team’s members all bring something interesting to the table and something new when it comes to cosmic teams. It’s concept is one we’ve seen many times, taking X-Force in some ways, mixing it with the Avengers, and making it cosmic. Brought together by Maximus, the comic hits the beats you’d expect with little trust between the team’s leadership and Maximus and the initial threat being an extinction level threat. We get to know the dynamics while setting up a lot of what’s to come. It doesn’t deliver anything groundbreaking but it does deliver an entertaining read.

The art by Marcelo Ferreira is good. With ink by Jay Leisten, color by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering by Cory Petit, the comic looks nice and the action feels a bit chaotic, capturing the moments well. The characters are all recognizable and the choice to forgo team uniforms adds to the feel of the comic of a team that works together but doesn’t need to get along. This isn’t a tight unit like past Guardians of the Galaxy teams.

There’s some potential here as Imperial Guardians #1 feels like a black-ops cosmic adventure. The return of Abnett to the cosmic universe he helped shaped so much is welcomed and here’s hoping we get the sweeping epic he’s delivered so far. While the debut issue doesn’t really surprise, it does deliver a fun, somewhat safe, start that is a nice addition for the ever expanding cosmic portion of the Marvel universe.

Story: Dan Abnett Art: Marcelo Ferreira
Ink: Jay Leisten Color: Rachelle Rosenberg Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Exclusive Preview: Alias: Red Band #1

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Alias: Red Band #1

(W) Sam Humphries (A) Geraldo Borges
(C) Arthur Hesli (L) Cory Petit
(CA) David Mack (VCA) Elena Casagrande and Matt Milla, Jeehyung Lee, Lucas Werneck, Luciano Vecchio

THE RETURN OF JESSICA JONES!

A series of grisly murders in Hell’s Kitchen pulls JESSICA JONES into a mystery more sinister than she could’ve ever imagined. As the wife of Mayor LUKE CAGE, she’ll have to tread carefully as she forms a dangerous alliance with TYPHOID MARY to track down the killer. But as she delves deeper into Hell’s Kitchen’s dark underbelly, the evidence she finds presents more questions than answers…

Follow the mystery in an all-new RED BAND miniseries written by SAM HUMPHRIES (NEW AVENGERS, LEGENDARY STAR-LORD) and drawn by Geraldo Borges (THUNDERBOLTS), celebrating the 25th Anniversary of ALIAS!

Alias: Red Band #1

Exclusive Preview: Wolverine #17

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Wolverine #17

(W) Saladin Ahmed (A) Martín Cóccolo
(C) Jesus Aburtov (L) Cory Petit
(CA) Dan Panosian (VCA) Gabriele Dell’Otto, Sanford Greene, Puppeteer Lee

HOT TIME AND A COLDBUG! WOLVERINE and SILVER SABLE heat up while a chilling NEW VILLAIN attacks the NEW MORLOCKS encampment. A difficult decision awaits! PLUS: A return you won’t want to miss!

Wolverine #17

Infernal Hulk #4 takes us into the Hulkscape teasing the battle to come

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Infernal Hulk #4

INTO THE HULKSCAPE As the Infernal Hulk’s Age of Monsters rages across the globe, the INCREDIBLE Hulk is effectively dead, his consciousness locked away in the brutal depths of the Hulkscape. But Hulk discovers he’s not alone… his previous alters are locked in with him, as well as the countless victims and vessels of ELDEST. Could one of the Hulks possess the key to taking back their stolen body? And could they have a way to communicate with their long-lost companion CHARLIE? Infernal Hulk #4 is an interesting chapter in the series but one that might leave new readers a little lost.

Infernal Hulk is a solid series so far. While it builds off of the previous Hulk series written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, it generally has been easy to dive in to for new readers. As long as you knew the basics you were fine and could follow along. Infernal Hulk #4 feels like the exception to that as it dives into a world called the Hulkscape where the Hulk remains as an evil god runs around in his body. While the concept, like the series overall, is pretty straightforward, there’s a lot of details here and some teases to the previous volume of the series that will likely go over the heads of those new to the series. While it’s generally easy to understand the concept, there’s just a lot that feels like is missed.

But still, even with a focus on a follow up to the previous volume, Infernal Hulk #4 is a solid issue with various Hulks battling it out in a strange world and teasing what might be the solution to this problem. But more importantly, the comic also teases the reaction to this new Hulk running around. So far, this Hulk has destroyed American armed forces, battled a giant in the ocean, and is clearly a threat. That’s beginning to be acknowledged teasing a major confrontation to come and wondering who or what might stop this new Hulk?

The art by Nic Klein continues to shine. With color by Klein and Matthew Wilson and lettering by Cory Petit, the series has a sickly glow about it perfectly capturing the otherworldly aspect of this Hulk and what’s going on. The Hulkscape is packed with detail that I’m sure long time readers will appreciate and the various Hulks look great. This is supposed to be a nightmare-like world and it comes off as such in every aspect. This is a series whose art is on point emphasizing its horror roots and helping to elevate the series as a whole.

Infernal Hulk #4 works really well as a piece of the puzzle. There’s small details and teases here that are sure to pay off as the series progresses. But, while it’s a needed chapter, it builds off of the previous volume in a way that new readers might feel lost. But, even with that, it’s an interesting issue that builds on an excellent series.

Story: Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art: Nic Klein
Color: Nic Klein, Matthew Wilson Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

The Punisher #1 shakes things up just enough while also sticking to the basics

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The Punisher #1

As unflinching and uncompromising as ever, Frank Castle’s memory is damaged and he’s hunting for answers and criminals alike! He’ll get more than he bargained for of both when the notorious and bloodthirsty JIGSAW returns…with THE PUNISHER dead in his sights! The Punisher #1 is the return of Frank Castle to an ongoing series with a debut that sticks to the formula that works while giving something new.

When I was heavily collecting comics in the 90s, I bought up everything featuring the Punisher. The character felt a bit adult for my barely teen self, the R-rated comic I probably shouldn’t have been reading. So, I have a bit of a nostalgic spot for the character. That and the fact Benjamin Percy has taken on the writing duties for this new ongoing series made The Punisher #1 a comic I had to check out.

While the comic is a debut issue, it isn’t a clean one. Percy dips a bit into the recent Punisher: Red Band series, making it a recommended read to get completely caught up with what’s going on. But, with some details missing, the basic concept of the Punisher is simple. Frank is back out there killing criminals but now he has some memory trouble.

Percy’s writing takes on a noir-ish vibe to it with a lot of narration as Frank struggles to function. While the vigilante justice is quick and sporadic, Percy focuses in on the physical struggles the Punisher is having and it causing him to pass out. It creates an unpredictability for the character and takes him from being the unstoppable killing machine to a vulnerable man that you know will collapse at an inconvenient time endangering himself.

Percy too shakes things up with the first villain on the deck. While Jigsaw is a classic Punisher foe, this comic also changes things up for him, giving him a new focus and goal. It has potential to spill out from beyond this series, impacting other street level New York City characters and could be one of the more intriguing aspects to spin out of the series.

The art by José Luis Soares is solid. With ink by Oren Junior, color by Frank D’Armata, and lettering by Cory Petit, the comic looks solid. There’s a grittiness to the comic that matches its vigilante tone. The comic at times has a noir-ish/detective tone to the writing that the art reflects. You almost expect Frank in a trench coat and fedora at his desk as he has a spell and passes out. But, Soares and the team delivers far more with small details that emphasizes the physical struggle Frank faces. You can see by his body language the frustration at what’s happening to him.

The Punisher #1 feels like a new concept for the character who has struggled over the decades to deliver something new. From instrument of god to Frankenstein, the character has had change ups that haven’t often worked. But, The Punisher #1 does. It sticks to the basics while adding in a new obstacle for Frank to overcome and a new mystery to unfold. It has the DNA of the character and what fans can expect but makes sure to give us something a bit more to keep readers on their toes.

Story: Benjamin Percy Art: José Luis Soares
Ink: Oren Junior Color: Frank D’Armata Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Ultimate Spider-Man #24 succeeds because it brings all of what made this book great to a crescendo

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Finally, one of the Ultimate Universe books sticks the landing, and of course, it’s the flagship title Ultimate Spider-Man with Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, David Messina, and Matthew Wilson concluding the series on a suitably heartfelt note. The strength of this series has been its focus on the web (Pun intended) of relationships between Peter Parker and his family and friends, and the extra pages in Ultimate Spider-Man #24 gives plenty of space for character-driven grace notes as well as an exciting battle royale against Kingpin, Mr. Negative, Mysterio, and Earth 6160’s Anti-Venom, who is a gnarly love child of Todd McFarlane spaghetti webbing and John Romita Jr. bulky design with a sleek high tech Hickman twist.

To use a vastly different comic as a metaphor, Ultimate Spider-Man #24 has a nice balance of love and rockets. Checchetto and Messina draw some big, physical action sequences especially when an enhanced Wilson Fisk is involved. However, they and Hickman also make a flashback to when Mary Jane realized she was pregnant with Richard end up becoming the crux of the issue and probably the whole run. There’s a clear throughline to Peter unexpectedly becoming a father and also obtaining superpowers, and it’s been cool to see his relationship with his son Richard develop throughout the series as he takes on the mantle of Spider-Man, er, Venom. (I was kind of sad to see Peter’s interactions with May kind of tail off because her being the only one to know he was Spider-Man was an adorable highlight of early Ultimate Spider-Man issues.) Richard levels up and has a big damn superhero moment in Ultimate Spider-Man #24, but it’s nice that the comic doesn’t end with some big blast of energy instead giving the Parker family some time to breathe and reflect before leaping headlong into the action of Ultimate Endgame in which Peter plays a key role.

Ultimate Spider-Man #24’s excellent rounding out of character arcs doesn’t just apply to the Parkers, but to their friends the Osborns as well. Harry Osborn wants to be a heroic figure like his friend Peter Parker, but he’s caught in the middle between his wife who has merged with four other people to be Mysterio and his father Norman, who taunts him via AI. So, he doesn’t really do anything in the big final battle except watch the Maker’s Council try to rebuild and watch Mysterio consolidate power and not resemble the woman he married in the slightest. These scenes and Harry’s whole arc in Ultimate Spider-Man explore what if your family was a negative influence on you as a hero instead of giving you something worthy to fight for. This search for motivation is what ends up being the last stop for Harry in Ultimate Spider-Man (I’m sure we’ll see him in Endgame.), and it’s cool seeing Peter take up a mentor role in his life as well as being his best friend. In a positive way, it reminds me of Peter and Harry’s relationship in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films sans the James Franco smarminess and with more cool tech because this is in fact a Jonathan Hickman comic.

Without gratuitous guest stars and through an epic broadcast/monologue from those truth-searching newspapermen Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson, Hickman, Marco Checchetto, and David Messina align Ultimate Spider-Man with the anti-fascism and capitalism of Deniz Camp and company’s The Ultimates. The narrative captions add a heft and relevance to the book’s extended fisticuffs/whatever is going on with Richard Parker’s web fluid/symbiote. You can see why these characters play a key role in Ultimate Endgame, but as I mentioned earlier, Jonathan Hickman doesn’t focus on big political statements, but every day resistance through the lens of an iconic superhero and his supporting cast.

Ultimate Spider-Man #24 succeeds because it brings all of what made this book great to a crescendo. There’s the action against colorful, tech savvy, ultracapitalist villains, a grounding in family and friends, and even some romance, both mature between Peter and Mary Jane and developing between Richard and Black Cat. Add the gorgeous art from Marco Checchetto and David Messina and solid coloring from Matthew Wilson (He nails the flat colors for the Venom/Anti-Venom fight scene.), and this is a memorable final chapter in this superhero comic for grown-ups that still know has to have fun and will go down as an evergreen run for Marvel’s mighty webslinger.

Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Marco Checchetto and David Messina
Colors: Matthew Wilson Letters: Cory Petit
Story: 8.6 Art: 8.6 Overall: 8.6 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Exclusive Preview: The Infernal Hulk #4

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The Infernal Hulk #4

(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson (A) Nic Klein
(C) Nic Klein, Matt Wilson (L) Cory Petit
(CA) Nic Klein (VCA) Ario Anindito, Tony Daniel and Jay David Ramos, Mike McKone and Morry Hollowell

INTO THE HULKSCAPE

As the Infernal Hulk’s Age of Monsters rages across the globe, the INCREDIBLE Hulk is effectively dead, his consciousness locked away in the brutal depths of the Hulkscape. But Hulk discovers he’s not alone… his previous alters are locked in with him, as well as the countless victims and vessels of ELDEST. Could one of the Hulks possess the key to taking back their stolen body? And could they have a way to communicate with their long-lost companion CHARLIE?

The Infernal Hulk #4

Ultimate Spider-Man #24 is a pretty solid finale for the series

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THE END OF THE LINE! This is it, folks – the last you’ll see of Spidey and his Ultimate friends by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto!

Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Marco Checchetto, David Messina
Color: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit

Get your copy 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.

Zeus Comics
Kindle

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

Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 kicks off a new chapter full of mystery

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Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1

MOON KNIGHT: MISSING! Marc Spector has been many things – an Avenger, a Fist of Khonshu, a Karnak Cowboy and now… KIDNAPPED?! But by whom? And why?! Don’t they have any idea they’ve trapped MOON KNIGHT?! Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 delivers the start of a new chapter for the character and it’s an intriguing one.

Writer Jed MacKay continues his journey of Marc Spector and Moon Knight with a new series that delivers one hell of a mystery. Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 has Marc captured. We’re generally told by who but beyond wanting some information from him, we don’t really know why. It’s an issue of psychological torture as Marc’s tormentors overlook his rat in a maze and cage life. But, can psychological attacks break Moon Knight? That’s a big part of the discussion of the comic along with how he’d react to physical torture as well. While that might seem strange, it’s an excellent way to teach new readers about the character and the challenges he presents to villains.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 is an interesting comic. It’s a first issue of a new chapter but it continues the weaving tale MacKay has concocted for the hero. While you don’t have to know what has happened before, the issue’s ending will probably hit harder if you do. I’ve read a smattering of what MacKay has released so far and it’s solid, but having not kept up with it, I can’t say if the main villains play into anything that has come before. But, the way the issue is presented, it doesn’t really matter if they have.

The art by Devmalya Pramanik is fantastic. With Rachelle Rosenberg and lettering by Cory Petit, Marc’s plight feels hectic and chaotic and you can feel the mental beat down he’s experiencing. It’s a comic that relies heavily on psychological torture an it feels like the way the pages are laid out, the panel shapes that are chosen, all play into the labyrinth that holds Moon Knight within.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 kicks off an intriguing mystery. It’s one that’ll keep you guessing the specifics but delivers the general take on what you need to know. It’s a solid debut that’ll have readers coming back to find out more about this mystery and see the beatdown that’ll be coming in the second issue that’s teased at the end of the issue. The debut issue isn’t so much a reboot or starting point, but a new chapter in Moon Knight’s journey in the hand of writer Jed MacKay.

Story: Jed MacKay Art: Devmalya Pramanik
Color: Rachelle Rosenberg Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Ultimate Wolverine #14 keeps the series focused on the hunt for Illyana Rasputin

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The search for the missing mutants takes a terrifying turn when Wolverine and Jean Grey discover that the captives may be trapped in Magik’s Limbo realm! Their mission to find Illyana leads them straight into a brutal battle with the Eurasian Republic’s forces, including the devastating, all-new Ultimate Lady Deathstrike!

Story: Chris Condon
Art: Alessandro Cappuccio
Color: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Cory Petit

Get your copy 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.

Zeus Comics
Kindle

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

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