Blood Brothers #3
writer: Fabian Rangel Jr.
artist: Javier Caba
cover: Javier Caba
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • Teen+
The Soliz Brothers aren’t seeing eye to eye on their next move. Diego believes that the missing skull they’re looking for was purchased by none other than Medusa, and wants to question her. His brother and their boss want to them to keep looking for Calavera. Diego disobeys and finds himself in serious trouble in the form of a raging Minotaur!
Blood Brothers #2
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
writer: Fabian Rangel Jr.
artist: Javier Caba
cover: Javier Caba
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • Teen+
In the second chapter of Hermanos de Sangre, it’s the Soliz brothers versus a pack of werewolf gangsters! Later, at an auction for magic items, the brothers find themselves having to deal with demon luchador, El Demonio! While Diego tries to find out who purchased the cursed Aztec skull, Gabe is in for the match of his life!
Blood Brothers #1
writer: Fabian Rangel Jr.
artist: Javier Caba
cover: Javier Caba
incentive covers: Javier Caba (“virgin art”)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • Teen+
Diego and Gabriel Soliz are two unusual brothers just trying to do their job in an even more unusual city. What’s their job? They’re detectives in a city populated by creatures from mythology and fantasy. When an Aztec skull is stolen from the museum, the BLOOD BROTHERS are assigned to the case!
Jack is back! Samurai Jack, that is, and he’s making his grand return to comics, courtesy of writer Fabian Rangel Jr. and artist Warwick Johnson Cadwell. Hot off the heels of the critically acclaimed Helena Crash, the pair are re-teaming for a bold new take on the iconic samurai.
The story, entitled “Quantum Jack,” sees Jack like we’ve never seen him before. After getting zapped by an experimental Quantum Ray, Jack is sent hurtling into one alternate reality after another, his memories erased, but his spirit intact. Can you imagine Jack as the leader of a ruthless biker gang of bounty hunters? Thanks to the warped minds of Rangel Jr. and Cadwell, you don’t have to. They’ve done it for you! And that’s just the beginning…
In addition to Cadwell’s highly stylized art giving Samurai Jack fans a different, yet familiar, spin on the character, artists Michael Avon Oeming, Alexis Zirritt, and Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky, will all be providing cover art for the debut issue.
IDW’s acclaimed history of publishing high-octane Samurai Jack comics will resume this September as a new chapter emerges from the time stream and new versions of Jack with it!
Growing up, having older family members who were also film buffs, I got exposed to movies that probably only film students get to see, at any age. I remember the first time, I saw Pink Flamingos, I was pretty freaked out. I remember the first time, I saw The Howling, and thought that Australians knew how to make movies better than we do. I also remembered when I watched The Good the Bad and The Ugly, and being blown away not only by Eastwood’s use of visual cues but also by Sergio Leone’s understanding of human nature.
This led me to dig more into European cinema, specifically the ones made by Italian directors, and I found some masterful ones, even the pulpy ones. The movies made by Dario Argento and Mario Bava, were the ones that intrigued me, as they understood their audience and the real meaning of entertainment value. What these two auteurs also brought to the world of film and of entertainment, is a genre all by itself, “Satanic Noir”, a genre that blended exploitation movies with elements of Devil worship. I thought for sure, most of those movies were of a bygone era, that is until I read Tarantula, which brought me back to that period when I discovered those movies.
In this book, we find three agents trying to bring order to a world in the throes of bedlam, as the reader meets a mayor who works for the devil. The first and most prominent of the characters, Tarantula, is investigating a string of deaths involving politicians, and something called Penumbra, where she must seek the help of certain sketchy individuals like Mister Muerte and Sombra. The reader soon finds out, the villain behind all of this, is an underworld figure known simply as Doctor Mandinga. By book’s end, our band of heroes vanquishes this evil, and Tarantula can this case as closed.
Overall, an excellent book full of tropes form this unique genre that you may seem coking but you can’t keep your eyes off of, as the ride is too good. The story by Fabian Rangel, Jr. thrills with its twists and turns as he keeps the story moving at speeds that should be illegal. The art by Alexis Zirritt is of the time it is trying to evoke and proves to be a psychedelic ride. Altogether, a ride that you will want to take a few times over.
Story: Fabian Rangel, Jr. Art: Alexis Zirritt
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
Colonel Conley is training new recruits when he receives a transmission from a long lost friend. The SPACE RIDERS have to get their sh** together and find the source of the signal. It leads them to the OMEGA STRUCTURE, the place where GODS GO TO DIE! Prepare yourselves as best you can for THE LAST TRANSMISSION OF MARGARITA PELIGRO!
Things get even stranger in Space Riders: Galaxy of Brutality #2 as two figures from the captain’s past return. A new threat begins to rise from the early days of the universe which sends the crew to the edge of the universe… literally. The captain is reintroduced to his mom, and her own past which sets up the next issue as this tale continues to unfold.
The art style continues it vibrant almost psychedelic look creating a lot of contrast. The show stealer goes to the Omega Structure with dark, with an almost Lovecraft like look.
Story: Fabian Rangel, Jr. Art: Alexis Ziritt
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
Black Mask Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
An ancient evil is gathering power throughout the cosmos, and it falls upon the legendary SPACE RIDERS to kick its a**! Having disbanded, the crew of CAPTAIN PELIGRO, MONO, and YARA must reunite for what may be their final ride! The cult comic that electrified comic readers in the brain RETURNS to blast your fragile human psyche into oblivion!!
Space Riders: Galaxy of Brutality #1 is a heroic beginning for the second volume of this series. Written by Fabian Rangel, Jr., this second volume manages to continue what made the first so impressive, a lot of action, and sparks of humor. This first issue hints at some strange events yet to come, and some troublesome past actions between Captain Peligro, and Mono.
The colorful, almost psychedelic art style by Alexis Ziritt continues on creating a comic that stands out from so much else on the shelf. It continues a high contrast environments, and characters. And when all is said and done, each panel is a small work of art in the process as well.
Story: Fabian Rangel, Jr. Art: Alexis Ziritt
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
Black Mask Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Helena Crash #4
Fabian Rangel, Jr. (w) • Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (a & c)
Having barely survived her duel with White Demon, Helena tries to get back to normal. But she realizes there’s no turning back when she discovers Hemingway has been abducted by Rojo’s men. Down but never out, Helena comes up with a plan. A plan that involves a good old-fashioned death race!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
SPACE RIDERS: GALAXY OF BRUTALITY #2
Written by: Fabian Rangel Jr.
Illustrated by: Alexis Ziritt
Lettered by: Ryan Ferrier
In Stores: June 14
Colonel Conley is training new recruits when he receives a transmission from a long lost friend. The SPACE RIDERS have to get their sh** together and find the source of the signal. It leads them to the OMEGA STRUCTURE, the place where GODS GO TO DIE! Prepare yourselves as best you can for THE LAST TRANSMISSION OF MARGARITA PELIGRO!
Helena Crash #3
Fabian Rangel, Jr. (w) • Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (a & c)
Having refused the White Demon’s request to take out her chief rival, Rojo, HELENA CRASH finds herself surrounded on all sides by sword wielding enemies. She’s in for one hell of a fight! When Hemingway is visited by Rojo’s goons, the stakes are raised and Helena can no longer remain neutral.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
