Tag Archives: marte gracia

Mini Reviews: The Domain, X-Men, and Kid Cudi Presents: Moon Man

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The Domain #1

Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

The Domain #1 (Image) – So this is the actual in-universe comic being put out by Syd Dallas in Chip Zdarsky’s Public Domain, and it’s a pretty good one. More sci-fi than superhero, Zdarsky and artist Rachel Stott chronicle the story of three space nerd friends who find alien tech and gain great abilities. Most of the issue focuses on them as people and their life’s struggles before the spaceship crashes, the action starts, and powerful forces are arrayed against them. I love that Stott goes away from the superhero ideal and gives the leads a diverse range of body types. This is a fun pickup for any fan of extraterrestrials. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

X-Men #1 (Marvel) – I literally just read the 2023 Hellfire Gala last weekend so maybe I’m not the best qualified to judge issue, or maybe I am because I haven’t been in the loop. Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, and Marte Gracia relaunch the X-Books with Cyclops leading a team holed up in a decommissioned Sentinel factory in Alaska. The Scott Summers-led strikeforce fights an Orchis/AI/U-Men hybrids while trying to rescue Wolverine and six new mutants who aren’t what they seemed while a very non-war criminal Beast tries to smooth things over with the police chief. I think the U-Men is a great metaphor for this issue ; it’s a launch comic grafted from the parts of better eras in X-Men history, including Grant Morrison’s New X-Men (The Xorn/Glob Herman/U-Men of it all), Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men (Quentin Quire and Idie’s relationship), and even the most recent Krakoa era with references to Orchis and a heroic Juggernaut. MacKay writes fun banter between unlikely pairings like Juggernaut and Magik, but the first enemy is boring. Also, when they’re introduced, it’s hard to follow Stegman and Mayer’s visuals although they excel at the big action splashes, or the issue’s few quieter moments like the police chief interacting with Beast, Xorn, and Glob Herman. X-Men #1 is a perfectly serviceable mutant comic and feels like a beat ’em up cartoon instead of exploring any deeper themes. Like a punning Magneto, seriously? Overall: 7.5 Verdict: Read

Kid Cudi Presents: Moon Man #3 (Image) – Scott Mescudi, Kyle Higgins, and Marco Locati slow down the pace for an issue to show protagonist Ramon’s feelings about the loss of his friend Glenn and also come to terms with basically everyone knowing about his abilities. In the age of social media and surveillance states/corporations, the secret ID is dead, and Mescudi and Higgins use this to raise the stake as Janus Corporation wants to harness Ramon’s abilities and are already working with his colleagues. My favorite part of Moon Man #3 is Ramon and an old NASA colleague Janelle (Maybe their relationship was deeper than that.) reminiscing about old times and the vastness of the universe like a philosophical Kid Cudi lyric. Igor Monti’s colors continue to be the best thing this comic has going for it from complex, rich night skies to a flat, loud palette for uses of superpowers. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy (I purchased a copy.)

X-Men #1 Kicks Off a Mixed Start for Post-Krakoa

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X-Men #1

This is it. Krakoa is gone, Orchis has fallen… but the X-Men continue on. Now, split into multiple teams, Cyclops leads a team featuring Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper, Magik, and Juggernaut out of their new headquarters and home in Alaska. X-Men #1 kicks off the next era for the X-Men and the result is… ok.

Written by Jed MacKay, X-Men #1 is an interesting debut and start for the new mutant era. It’s a bit mixed in the results from the writing to the art, creating a rocky and disappointing start. The issue is packed with action but splits its time between a mission and an introduction to the new status-quo and headquarters. Cyclops leads his team against a break-off group from Orchis who sees the future as a merging of artificial intelligence, humanity, and mutants into something else. MacKay teases some intriguing concepts as these adults have been able to turn on their X-Gene and register as mutants while two individuals lurk in the shadows. It’s decent action with some bad dialogue and moments but also mixed with really great moments too. It’s a swing in quality that changes from page to page and panel to panel. It packs in a lot though. There’s references to past storylines for characters as well as teasing past romances. It’s not quite as new reader friendly as you’d expect with those diving in possibly feeling like they’re missing something. It does a lot of that with clunky dialogue that doesn’t feel natural for the moment and instead feels like its only goal is to drop a factoid.

Where that also comes is a tour of the new headquarters as Beast gives a tour to the local sheriff. We get a better idea of what has happened post-Krakoa literally building off of what has come before. There’s also an interesting mix of characters with Beast playing good cop to Magneto’s bad cop. Again, it teases some potential for what’s to come.

The art by Ryan Stegman is… just not good. I usually love Stegman’s work but this just doesn’t feel like his. With ink by JP Mayer and color by Marte Gracia, the art feels like a fill-in artist you’d get in-between story arcs. The characters look odd at times with Cyclops switching between stick thin and normal look and Juggernaut being inconsistent in looks. There’s a kinetic quality to the action sequences but this isn’t what I expected visually going into this and just doesn’t feel like Stegman’s usual high quality art. It’s like Stegman mixed with Romita.

X-Men #1 is a bump of a start. There’s aspects that are good and aspects that are bad but overall it feels like a lot of potential. It sets things out well and presents something that feels new to deal with. But overall, it feels like it attempts to balance the past, present, and future, and does so at the detriment of the experience. There’s a bit too much dwelling on the past and dancing around past plotlines instead of charting a new path for what’s to come instead of saving all of that for future issues. It’s a new era that feels like it has a foot in the past.

Story: Jed MacKay Art: Ryan Stegman
Ink: JP Mayer Color: Marte Gracia
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

The price paid to end Blood Hunt causes a dramatic power shift in the Marvel Universe

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Right now, readers are experiencing one of the most brutal events in Marvel Comics history in Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz’s Blood Hunt!

The saga kicked off last month as Earth was enveloped in darkness and overrun by hordes of vampires united for the first time in millennia by a new master—Blade! The opening issues saw the Avengers defeated by a band of super vampires known as the Blood Haven, heroes like Doctor Strange and Black Panther turned into blood suckers, and Bloodline, the daughter of Blade, tasked with taking her father down! Things have never been more dire, and the cost to reverse the world’s fate will have dramatic ramifications for the foreseeable future of Marvel storytelling. Today, fans can get a sneak peek at the startling finale, Blood Hunt #5, as well as check out all the covers, including Gabriele Dell’Otto’s full connecting piece that ran across all five issues.

Don’t miss the issue that will shape the next era of Marvel Comics! Preorder Blood Hunt #5 at your local comic shop today! It features covers by Larraz, Dell’Otto, Mahmud Asrar, Peach Momoko, and David Baldeon, and the colors by Marte Gracia.

Preview: Blood Hunt #3

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Blood Hunt #3

(W) Jed MacKay (A/CA) Pepe Larraz
Rated T+
In Shops: Jun 12, 2024
SRP: $4.99

NIGHT HAS FALLEN. WILL THE SUN RISE AGAIN? As the heroes rally at the Sanctum Sanctorum, they must first deal with a threat close to their hearts! And while they raise the torch of defiance, the new lord of the vampires enacts his dreaded scheme!

Blood Hunt #3

Blood Hunt #3 continues the surprises

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Blood Hunt #3

NIGHT HAS FALLEN. WILL THE SUN RISE AGAIN? As the heroes rally at the Sanctum Sanctorum, they must first deal with a threat close to their hearts! And while they raise the torch of defiance, the new lord of the vampires enacts his dreaded scheme! Blood Hunt #3 keeps readers on their toes by switching up the surprises.

When it comes to Marvel’s events, recent ones have been lackluster. The concepts have been better than the execution and they often began to run out of gas by the second or third issue. Blood Hunt #3 seems to be the exception delivering an issue that still packs surprises but changes up exactly what that is.

Written by Jed MacKay, Blood Hunt #3 features two sides to the story but both sides in similar positions. The Avengers are beaten and bruised having rallied around Doctor Strange. They need to figure out their next steps as well as deal with Miles Morales who has been turned by Blade. Blade has been beaten a bit and is rallying his crew, having a turned T’Challa looking for something in Wakanda. This is the bridge as to what happens next after the first two action-packed issues.

And MacKay does a solid job of it all. It’s a quieter issue comparatively but it still feels important as each side focuses in on what they need to do next. Like the second issue MacKay gives us a very “Avenger” moment as Sam Wilson addresses the world to try to give them hope, but like the second issue, that hope is dashed as Blade has something up his sleeve. There’s some patterns to the first three issues but it all works and works really well.

Pepe Larraz‘s art helps it all delivering a solid look that’s dark but not “lights out” dark as some comics do. That’s due to Marte Gracia‘s colors which take the familiar tones and dials them down a bit giving us a gloomier look that doesn’t cross into depressing. Cory Petit‘s lettering is solid delivering some emotional moments throughout as well. The comic does a great job visually of taking its superhero roots and blending them with the horror aspects of the event.

Blood Hunt #3 is a solid issue with an epic ending that feels familiar but grand at the same time. What’s been interesting is that while the event is on a planetary scale, it still feels small and focused. It’s very smart in a lot of ways keeping the distractions to the tie-ins and mini-series that have spun out to it. While the threat is huge, it’s an intimate story of hope while facing the threat of annihilation.

Story: Jed MacKay Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Blood Hunt #3

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Blood Hunt #3

(W) Jed MacKay (A/CA) Pepe Larraz
Rated T+
In Shops: Jun 12, 2024
SRP: $4.99

NIGHT HAS FALLEN. WILL THE SUN RISE AGAIN? As the heroes rally at the Sanctum Sanctorum, they must first deal with a threat close to their hearts! And while they raise the torch of defiance, the new lord of the vampires enacts his dreaded scheme!

Blood Hunt #3

Blood Hunt #2 is another solid issue but the “Red Band” adds very little to the experience

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The vampires’ first strike has laid low the world, and their endless legions run riot across the planet. The broken Avengers join the fighters of the Midnight Mission and unlikely allies BLOODLINE and DRACULA in seeking out the one man who can do something about this: Doctor Strange.

Story: Jed MacKay
Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia
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.

Blood Hunt #2
Zeus Comics

Blood Hunt #2 Red Band
Zeus Comics

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

Blood Hunt #2 Has Plenty of Vampires, Action, and Avenging

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Blood Hunt #2

As the Darkforce Dimension continues to engulf the world, Blade leads the Bloodcoven and the vampires to take over the world. After suffering significant losses, the Avengers abandoned the Impossible City to regroup and create a new attack plan. Forced to team up with Bloodline, Dracula, and the Midnight Mission, the rag-tag group heads to the Sanctum Sanctorum to get assistance from Doctor Strange. As the night and their odds get even darker, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must find a way to defeat the vampires and make the sun rise again. Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz continue the endless night of the Marvel Universe in Blood Hunt #2 as bloodlust and vampires flood the world. 

 Since the first issue, I have enjoyed the focus on the unconventional lineup of characters protecting the Earth. Seeing Captain Marvel, Vision, and Captain America needing to team up with Doctor Strange, Clea, Spider-Man, Hunter’s Moon, Tigra, Dracula, and Bloodline makes it an exciting team due to their various realms of the Marvel universe and various team histories. MacKay understands how to write compelling team narratives while ensuring each member holds a specific point of view and reason for the team up. And with the Bloodcoven being outside the usual wheelhouse of Avengers threats, it makes sense for them to join forces with the world’s more mystical and horror sections. More importantly, the team reflects the bombastic horror tone of the event, where it is not only Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but also the more street-level and non-heroic characters. Indeed, the world needs avenging, but every character must fight back the darkness.

Blade’s role as the overall mastermind of the attacks makes him a unique villain due to his ties to the Avengers and the supernatural aspects of the Marvel Universe. Considering his complicated past relationship with his vampiric lineage, I am interested in learning more about why he decided to become leader of the Structure and kick off the uprising. Even outside of his vampiric abilities, Blade still poses a significant threat due to his tactical training and skilled mind. His past work with the Avengers, the mystical arts, and the supernatural makes him a challenging threat that the Avengers cannot face alone. And with the Bloodcoven, he continues to become an even worse threat. MacKay showcases Blade as a truly formidable foe for the Blood Hunt event.

Larraz continues to showcase his artistic superstar status in Blood Hunt #2. Juggling many different tones seamlessly, every page and panel is an engaging and gorgeous piece of art and talent. Especially with the red band version of the issue where he is allowed to let loose and be as bloody and graphic as he wants to make that version worth it. Every bit of this issue demonstrates why Larraz is one of the best artists currently at Marvel. Larraz works above and beyond to make Blood Hunt the premiere summer event, along with Marte Gracia’s colors and VC’s Cory Petit’s coloring.

Blood Hunt #2 showcases MacKay’s and Larraz’s talented partnership with another incredible issue. The pair demonstrate how fantastic of an event Blood Hunt is with solid character writing, artistic direction, and tonal balance. I am excited to see where the event goes next and the upcoming issues. MacKay and Larraz have given me a lot to sink my teeth into.

Story: Jed Mackay Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Story: 9.3 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.4 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Blood Hunt #2 keeps up the surprises and delivers memorable moments

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Blood Hunt #2

The vampires’ first strike has laid low the world, and their endless legions run riot across the planet. The broken Avengers join the fighters of the Midnight Mission and unlikely allies Bloodline and Dracula in seeking out the one man who can do something about this: Doctor Strange. But after the apocalyptic events of Blood Hunt #1, what is left of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme? Blood Hunt #2 keeps up the quality, fun, and surprises of the first issue in another fantastic chapter.

While there’s some formula to it, Blood Hunt #2 is another impressive chapter that keeps readers on their toes and keeps up the hope that this is Marvel’s best event in a while. Things look grim and hope is slim as the world has been plunged into darkness and Blade has lead the vampire nation into dominance. Writer Jed MacKay is delivering bangers with each issue and this one is packed with “hell yeah” moments that remind you why the Avengers are the Earth’s Mightiest. There’s battles. There’s surprises. There’s more unexpected moments all delivered with a flair that emphasizes the epic nature of it all.

The art by Pepe Larraz is fantastic. It features multiple moments and panels that make the Avengers badass and will give readers pause. It’s all helped by the color of Marte Gracia which keeps things dark but not too dark to drawn out the visuals. The lettering by Cory Petit delivers an emphasis on the characters and where they stand in a way. It all comes together to deliver a comic that has so many cool moments punctuated by the art.

Blood Hunt #2 is a hell of a second issue that eases the fears the event would start with a bang and quickly wither. There’s another great surprise here that feels like it comes out of nowhere in a good way. There’s also some fantastic moments in battle that really show off how amazing the Avengers are. It’s an event that feels like Marvel is at the top of its game again. Here’s hoping it keeps up.

Story: Jed MacKay Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Blood Hunt (Red Band) #1 delivers a bloody surprise and a solid a debut

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The skies have gone dark, the sun hiding its face from the carnage to come. The children of the night, the vampires, have risen from the dark and hidden places of the world as one to drown the Marvel Universe in blood. Earth’s final night has fallen – can even the heroes of this doomed world stem the tide of blood that is to come?

Story: Jed MacKay
Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia
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.

Blood Hunt #1
Zeus Comics
Kindle

Blood Hunt #1 Red Band
Zeus Comics

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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