Tag Archives: matt horak

Review: The Punisher #11

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Writer Becky Cloonan serves up twenty plus pages of pure action packed power in issue The Punisher #11. There’s minimal dialogue here, but from the challenge gauntlet thrown down by Condor on the first page to the Street Fighter friendly FINISH HIM style final word bubble, this issue lays down the fire. There’s so much tension built up and so much 80s action film realism that it’s hard not to enjoy this intriguing romp through The Punisher’s escape and Battle Royal with the Condor team. The only thing missing from this issue is the agent gone rogue side story that has been running parallel to the current arc and, while it was noticed it wasn’t really needed to push this issue along. In fact, having that part missing from the story gives us some sense of hope for our ultra violent anti-hero that he might get saved by the female agent. The ending leaves possibilities for a strong ending to the arc wide open and even with bare bones dialogue, the story moves along beautifully, full of signature clever quips, snarky and sometimes scared villains and nemeses.

Matt Horak‘s lines make for the perfect template for Frank Martin‘s brilliant color scheme. The artwork is simple yet poignant. There’s a sense of darkness, perfect splatters of blood, well-defined punches and bruises in every panel. The Punisher #11 is drawn like the perfect storyboard for the action movie of your dreams.

The latest issue of The Punisher is one of the most effective placeholder/fill-in issues that I’ve read in a long time. There’s not a wasted panel or word contained in all of this issues 28 pages. While it doesn’t provide any new information, we all know that Condor is crazy AF and pretty much a grown up militia style ,bad boy, Lord of the Flies crew, this issue does give us an in-depth look at Frank Castle and how strong he is, mentally and physically. It also shows how hard he will fight to stay alive and make the bad guys suffer. There are moments in his fights with various Condor members that he uses excessive force, even when it isn’t necessary to get away from his captors. This issue is a case study in Frank Castle and, it’s everything you could ever want from a look inside his head, making it a good read from cover to cover.

Story: Becky Cloonan Art: Matt Horak and Frank Martin
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: The Punisher #10

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Becky Cloonan knows good Punisher style carnage and she isn’t afraid to write it. The Punisher #10 has Agent Ortiz on the hunt for Condor with a bloodied Face still getting the crap kicked out of him in the back seat while Ortiz pumps him for information on Condors location. We also see a really hostile takeover of Condor and Frank saving the wrong hostage leaving him in a world of trouble. This issue was non-stop awesome with a side of two levels of female badassery that had me begging for the next page like an EMC addict. This issue was one of the best-written issues I’ve read in a while and I’m so beyond here for it that I literally scrolled up a few times after it was all over hoping to discover a page that I missed just so that I could have more of it.

The artwork provided by Matt Horak was a perfect addition to an already amazing issue, it was simple yet well defined and felt reminiscent of 80s Marvel darkness and despair. Not to be outdone Frank Martin with some help from Guru-EFX turned up the color palette to glib making Frank of all people the brightest spot in the story. The way they made him stand out in the madness and chaos was killer and pulled focus to title character of the comic perfectly. Every bruise, blood trail and violent action feels real and is so well drawn with the color to match that it causes a real reaction. The shadows even speak to the omnipresent feeling that something sinister this way comes and the art really does become an extra character in an already amazing story.

This issue does a lot of things well, chief among them telling an amazing, believable and followable story. This arc is full of crosses, double crosses and mayhem so much so that it would have been easy for the writer to fall into a trap and leave Frank swimming in a convoluted story line that only served the purpose of raising the carnage count. Lucky for us that Cloonan is on point and giving us a focused Frank Castle doing what he does best and supporting characters that not only make sense but, are relatable and have their own agency. Double kudos to Cloonan for giving us not one but TWO kick ass ladies who are autonomous as part of a bigger story and can not only hold their own but, make you pity the poor person who crosses them because you know their vengeance will be swift and painful.

This issue is so well written that it can stand alone and even though it’s not the beginning of an arc, it’s easy enough to follow that it would make a nice entry point into the character and the story as a whole. There’s so much to love about this issue, from it’s easy to follow along with plot to its easily identifiable Gillian’s, to its characters with clear motives and personal agendas who don’t come off as one-dimensional, cookie-cutter bad guys. The only I didn’t like about this issue is that there wasn’t more of it and now I have to wait to see what happens next to Frank, Agent Ortiz and Condor as a whole. But, I know with Cloonan at the helm it’ll be well worth the wait.

Story: Becky Cloonan Art: Matt Horak, Frank Martin, Guru-EFX
Story: 9.4 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel comics provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review 

Preview: The Punisher #10

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The Punisher #10

(W) Becky Cloonan (A) Matt Horak (CA) Declan Shalvey
Parental Advisory
In Shops: Mar 15, 2017
SRP: $3.99

AGENT OF DESTRUCTION!

Agent Ortiz is no longer hunting Frank with the D.E.A. Now, as they say, it’s personal. Agent Ortiz is now up against both the Punisher and an entire deadly mercenary outfit. Agent Ortiz might be in trouble.

Doctor Crowe Sold Out Day One!

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215 Ink has announced that Dr. Crowe#1 has sold out at the distributor level. It seems some stores still have a few copies on hand, but they’re going fast!

Unrelenting otherworldly terrors lay hidden in shadows of our world, but one man dares to stand in their way…in the name of science! Follow the harrowing adventures of Dr. Victor Crowe, an adventuring scientist, expert on the occult and all-around pulp hero as he travels the globe using advanced technologies to battle gruesome, supernatural horrors.

This Corey Fryia project has many talented contributors adding their special stamp to the book – like Matt Horak, Tony Gregori, Joshua Jenson, Taylor Esposito, Doug Garbark, Mark Dale, and Felip Cunha.

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Preview: The Punisher #7

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The Punisher #7

(W) Becky Cloonan (A) Steve Dillon, Matt Horak (CA) Declan Shalvey
Parental Advisory
In Shops: Dec 21, 2016
SRP: $3.99

“INTO THE WILD” STARTS NOW!

You can’t keep Frank Castle buried for long. The Punisher’s mission to bring down a super-powered drug ring reaches new heights. As his quest sends him deep into the woods of the Northeast, it’s time for the Punisher to go off road. But as he gets deeper into the wilderness, has the predator finally become the prey? Plus, Agent Ortiz chased Frank into hell and came out the other side. Now she’s out for revenge…

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EarthQuaker Devices Announces Octo Skull

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Ohio-based effects pedal company EarthQuaker Devices has launched EarthQuaker Comics with the release of Octo Skull, its first foray into the world of comic books on September 1st, 2016.

Octo Skull is an epic fantasy adventure set in a magical and unforgiving universe with characters and locations inspired by the company’s colorful and inventive line of musical effects pedals. Legendary barbarian warrior Octo Skull is on a quest through the haunted Ghost Echo canyon to the murky Depths to defend the world from demonic invasion at the hands of the merciless Hoof Reaper.

Octo Skull is written and drawn by EarthQuaker Devices staff artist Matt Horak, with colors by Chris O’Halloran, and letters by Crank!.The

The five page online prologue launches at EarthQuakerDevices.com on September 1st with new pages premiering every Tuesday and Thursday, and will feature an exclusive soundtrack with original music by EarthQuaker Devices artists. A print edition will be released down the road.

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Preview: The Covenant #1

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The Covenant #1

Story By: Rob Liefeld
Art By: Matt Horak
Cover By: Rob Liefeld
Price: $3.99
Diamond ID: APR150505
Published: June 3, 2015

In ancient times there was no weapon more devastating than The Ark of The Covenant, containing a power that collapsed enemy nations and destroyed hostile invaders. The Philistine army, led by General Thane, seeks to crush the Israelites as they populate the surrounding territories. A bold move on the field of battle robs the Israelites of their mythical weapon, empowering their most deadly enemy. A young priest, Samuel, determines to steal back the Ark and assembled a group of mercenaries to aid him in the most daring raid in history. An untold tale of the Bible that shifted the balance of power in history.

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Review: The Covenant #1

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Covenant01_CoverBIn ancient times there was no weapon more devastating than The Ark of The Covenant, containing a power that collapsed enemy nations and destroyed hostile invaders. The Philistine army, led by General Thane, seeks to crush the Israelites as they populate the surrounding territories. A bold move on the field of battle robs the Israelites of their mythical weapon, empowering their most deadly enemy. A young priest, Samuel, determines to steal back the Ark and assembled a group of mercenaries to aid him in the most daring raid in history. An untold tale of the Bible that shifted the balance of power in history.

I’m not much up on my Bible or Torah, in fact I detest religion, so I went into this brand new series written by Rob Liefeld, with a bit of skepticism. I’m generally not the biggest fan of biblical epics in the theaters, having avoided them like the plague in the past. The Covenant #1 comes off on the outside as one of the recent big budget epics, like Exodus: Gods and Kings, but in comic form. The interior though, was quite different from what I expected. While Liefeld in the past has had a very Michael Bay quality in his storytelling, this comic was actually a bit subdued for the comic creator.

Whether it’s due to the setting, or by choice, the first issue has a much quieter, pared down feel about it. Its focus is just a handful of characters, and where there could be over the top moments, instead things are not quite over done in the way I’d expected them. Hell, the comic almost feels like a small budget indie movie compared to past comics I’ve read created by Liefeld. The story itself is not that bad, setting up the conflict, running us through the various factions, and teaching us the history of The Ark. Its done in a solid flow that allowed me the breeze through the first issue. While it didn’t quite blow me away, I left wanting to check out the next issue.

Liefeld’s helped by artist Matt Horak. When I first read the comic, other than it being done by Liefeld I had no idea what the credits were on the issue. Horak’s art reminded me a lot of Liefeld’s, so much so that I thought the latter actually did the art of the issue. The big difference is while some of the character design, and general look is similar, Horak doesn’t display some of the tendencies that Liefeld is known for.

I went into the first issue expecting one thing, and came out of it surprised. While it isn’t totally my cup of tea as far as setting or story, it’s much better than I expected, and I’m sure it’ll find a devoted audience. If you’re a Liefeld fan, or a fan of biblical stories, this is one you’ll probably want to check out.

Story: Rob Liefeld Art: Matt Horak
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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