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Review: The Wicked + The Divine #22

Posted on August 19, 2016 by SHAY REVOLVER

T TheWickedAndTheDivine_22-1 his issue of The Wicked + The Divine concludes the “Rising Action” story arc. After an almost four month hiatus The Wicked + The Divine came back with a wink and a massacre and it was well worth the wait. Issue #22 finishes the arc with a bang and sets up infinite possibilities for where the story can go from here and what the Pantheon will do next.

In case you’re not a regular reader, I’ll give you the cliff notes version of four episodes that lead up to the God Battle Royal that takes place in Issue #22. So far , our “heroes” have weathered an apocalypse style music/murder concert, a coup, a trip to the underworld, a kidnapping from the underworld, “human” sacrifices, double crosses, some back story magic, a slew of pop culture references, a rave fight battle with glow sticks turned light saber, Ananke going straight up evil with monologing included. The wait between issues has been torturous because, every issue since the series returned from it’s four month hiatus, has been downright , I could see this in a movie, magic. It was like Marvel’s Civil War but, with the Pantheon and it got hella messy.

Instead of taking the easy path, Kieron Gillen doesn’t pick up his story in the obvious place. He makes us wait for it and starts out showing us the big picture before drawing us in to show us what we came for. Instead of Issue #22 picking up on the creepy and, downright ominous final panels of #21 where Ananke is standing over poor Mini’s body in front of a whole lot of fire, holding a knife, we pick up with the sun god, Amaterasu, hunting for reinforcements. We also got to watch Dionysus rave his way through a battle, and the warring sides join forces to save Mini from danger. It was an action packed beginning to a story that gets somber towards the end.

Laura/Persephone is back from the dead, she wants vengeance & she wants it Punisher style as payback for Ananke killing her family. This issue is where Kieron proves how great of a storyteller he is and why the hiatus was worth it. After saving Mini from the sacrifice attempt, the group takes Ananke prisoner so they can pump her for info. Laura/Persephone is not there to listen and her friends try and stop her from attacking by pleading to her humanity and her memories of her parents. Just when you think she’s taken her friends words to heart and is going to let Ananke live, Laura/Persephone thinks of her little sister and with a snap of her finger blows up Ananke’s head. It was real, it was visceral, it was beautiful and , it was exactly what the story needed. It reminded us that at the end of the day these “gods” are “human” and flawed. It makes the reader connect to the characters because you can relate.

This issue not only works as a wonderful conclusion to the “Rising Action” arc but, it works as a stand alone issue. You can figure out what happened before and what’s going on now thanks to stellar storytelling and, the amazing art work courtesy of. There is a panel in the beginning where there is a giant lady robot, a la Loki’s Destroyer , shooting LASERS out of her metal nipples while holding a sword and you can see the craft it took to show not only the Destroyer-bot but, some of the carnage. Every panel is rich with so much detail that it adds to the story, even when the characters have nothing to say. So much care went into every aspect of every panel in this issue that I forgot I was reading a comic and not watching a movie.

This issue hit all the marks of a great comic book, right down to the ending of this arc setting up what I’m sure will be yet another great story arc in this already stellar series. There are so many directions that this story can take next and all of them are equally promising. Is Laura/Persephone on the run? What is the ominous Darkness that would make Ananke spend eternities sacrificing four of her god proteges? Has the Darkness been abated or are we about to have some Hellmouth or Cabin in the Woods type action? What’s going to happen to Mini? Does Ananke count as a fourth sacrificial? Issue #23 can go anywhere and, thanks to the lure set in this issue, I can’t wait.

Story: Kieron Gillen Art: Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson
Story: 9.1 Art: 9.2 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Cry Havoc #4

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Madison Butler

cryhavoc_04-1 With each issue of Cry Havoc, writer Simon Spurrier has the task of balancing three narratives that, while separate, are directly related. So far readers have met Louise Canton at three points in her life, denoted by location: London, Afghanistan, and the Red Place, with each place falling in this order, chronologically. The story isn’t as confusing as it’s made out to be, kept distinct by Ryan Kelly’s illustration and a legion of colorists.

By now, it’s clear that London was the first part of Louise’s journey, as she grappled with control over her inner monster. Afghanistan has been framed in the context of getting rid of the monster, and the Red Place would appear to be a mission gone FUBAR. The events leading up to the Red Place are still an unknown, but the first three issues ended with images of Lou, pregnant and locked in a cage. This is largely playing catch-up on the series, but it all bears relevance to #4.

With Cry Havoc #4, Spurrier finally discusses the elephant in the womb. (I’d say I’m sorry about the pun, but I’m not.) Lou was decidedly pregnant in issue #2 (and in #1, upon closer examination of the last page) something on which that the villainous Lynn Odell clearly means to capitalize.

Given that the only relationship Louise has been in was with a woman, it certainly seemed possible that the pregnancy was the result of unspeakably awful circumstances. However, Spurrier deserves the faith readers have invested in the story so far. While the events surrounding the pregnancy aren’t ideal, the way in which it’s handled brings the narrative into a clearer time frame.

The story also continues to make some interesting points about how, culturally, stories are valued and told. Other characters continue to develop while the world of inner demons, for lack of a better term, develops.

As usual, one of the highlights of the story is the art. Kelly’s illustration is highlighted in different ways by each of the three colorists, and the palettes begin to blend a little more as each place comes closer to the next in terms of the timeline. Lee Loughridge emphasizes the characters in red hues more than any other aspect of the Red Place, giving the sense that Lynn and Lou are the most important players in the game. Nick Filardi’s London colors but equal focus on the characters and their surroundings, which are most often portrayed in colors that have an underlying blue tone. Matt Wilson’s Afghanistan is a blend of the two–most often neutral, but with some spectacular pops of color that highlight each mythical being in a unique way.

Cry Havoc is still a fun and engaging read four issues in, with solid pacing that reveals enough to both move the story forward and to keep readers feeling like they’re not waiting forever. That said, the endgame largely remains a mystery, as does the fates of many of the characters.

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Ryan Kelly Colorists: Lee Loughridge, Nick Filardi, Matt Wilson
Story: 8.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Image Comics Announces 20 Comics and More at Image Expo

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

Today at the Showbox Market Theater in Seattle, Washington, Image Comics kicked-off Emerald City Comicon with Image Expo and a slew of exciting creator-owned announcements.

They also announced a new initiative Creators for Creators as well.

Image Comics revealed the following creator-owned projects set to launch in the coming year and beyond.

AFAR by Leila del Duca & Kit Seaton

Critically-acclaimed, Russ Manning nominated SHUTTER artist Leila Del Duca teams up as co-creator and writer alongside artist, colorist, and letterer Kit Seaton (THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY, EVE OF ALL SAINTS) for an original graphic novel, AFAR.

In AFAR, Boetema suddenly develops the ability to astrally project to other worlds, unintentionally possessing the bodies of people light years away. Inotu, her inquisitive brother with a pension for trouble, finds himself on the run after he’s caught eavesdropping on an illegal business deal between small town business tycoons and their cyborg bodyguard. When Boetema accidentally gets someone hurt while in another girl’s body, the siblings are forced to work together to solve the problems they’ve created on their planet and others.

AFAR hits shelves this Fall 2016.

BLACK CLOUD by Jason Latour, Ivan Brandon, Greg Hinkle, Matt Wilson, Aditya Bidikar, Tom Muller, edited by Maria Ludwig
Co-creators Jason Latour (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Spider-Gwen), Ivan Brandon (DRIFTER, VIKING) and Greg Hinkle (AIRBOY, THE RATTLER), team up with colorist Matt Wilson (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE), letterer Aditya Bidikar, designer Tom Muller, and editor Maria Ludwig for an all-new series called, BLACK CLOUD.

Once upon a time…They built a world where dreams come true… And those dreams went to war. In BLACK CLOUD, we meet Zelda: exiled to Earth, her dreams of revolution are gone, but she still holds the key to the world she left behind. And it’s for sale.

BLACK CLOUD is set to launch in Fall 2016.

THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS by Jonathan Hickman & Tomm Coker
All hail god money! From Jonathan Hickman (EAST OF WEST, Secret Wars, Avengers) and Tomm Coker (Undying Love) comes a mythical reinterpretation of modern global economics.

THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS is classic occult indoctrination where the secret schools of magic are actually clandestine banking cartels who control all of society—a hidden world where vampire Russian oligarchs, Black Popes, enchanted American aristocrats, and hitmen from the International Monetary Fund work together to keep ALL OF US in our rightful place.

Each issue contains world-expanding bonus content like maps, corporate organization charts, decoded apocrypha, and stock tips to die for.

THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS is a brand new, crypto-noir series about dirty, filthy, money… and what kind of people you can buy with it. Set to launch in Fall 2016.

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin (SATELLITE SAM, BLACK KISS, AMERICAN FLAGG!) with the able assistance of Jesus Aburto on coloring, and Ken Bruzenak on lettering, unleashes THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA.

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA is set in the aftermath of a dirty bomb that wipes New York City off the map, as what will come to be known as the Second American Civil War shatters the domestic landscape in isolated pustules of violence…and a team of five private contractors is charged with stemming this tide of rage and bringing the bombers to justice.

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA launches in Winter 2016.

GLITTERBOMB by Jim Zub & Djibril Morissette-Phan & K. Michael Russell & Marshall Dillon
Fan-favorite writer Jim Zub and newcomer Djibril Morissette-Phan come together with colorist K. Michael Russell and letterer Marshall Dillon for GLITTERBOMB.

“Probably the only thing I love more than comics is cinema,” said Morissette-Phan. “Which makes Glitterbomb a dream project since it’s a perfect blend of both.”

Set in Hollywood, GLITTERBOMB is a horror story about failed fame and blood-soaked revenge.

GLITTERBOMB is set to launch in late Summer 2016.

HORIZON, by Brandon Thomas, Juan Gedeon & Frank Martin (Skybound)
Writer Brandon Thomas, artist Juan Gedeon, and colorist Frank Martin team up for an all-new series from Image/Skybound titled, HORIZON.

In HORIZON, Zhia Malen thought she’d fought her very last war, until she learned her planet was targeted for occupation…by a desperate world called Earth. The people of Earth will be told that her arrival on our planet means invasion. These are lies. This is retaliation, and Horizon explores what happens when our planet finally runs out of second chances. And when we meet an alien race just as committed to survival as we are…

HORIZON is set to launch from Image/Skybound in July 13, 2016.

THE HUNT by Colin Lorimer, Jim Campbell, and Joana Lafuente (Shadowline Comics)
Critically acclaimed writer/artist Colin Lorimer (Harvest) teams up with letterer Jim Campbell and colorist Joana Lafuente for THE HUNT.

At her father’s deathbed, Orlaigh Roche came face to face with the age-old myth of The Slaugh; a group of soul-stealing spirits so evil that not even hell would take them. Years later, and with the belief that her father’s soul is still trapped in some form of the netherworld, she goes looking for answers—beginning a journey that leads her down a path to discover what really happens to us after we die.

THE HUNT begins in 2016 from Image/Shadowline Comics.

ISOLA by Brenden Fletcher & Karl Kerschl
Bestselling creators Brenden Fletcher (Batgirl of Burnside, Gotham Academy) and Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy, The Abominable Charles Christopher) re-team for ISOLA—an epic fantasy adventure series with the scope of Game of Thrones and the spirit of Princess Mononoke.

ISOLA is set in a mystical land where the queen’s brother enacts a treacherous plot to transform her into a tiger. The captain of the guard, a woman of great skill, brings swift and lethal vengeance, unaware the wicked prince alone has the power to reverse the spell. The two women—one on two legs, one on four—must undertake a perilous journey halfway across the globe to the fabled island of ISOLA, gateway to the underworld, where they hope to find the spirit of the queen’s late brother and return her to human form.

ISOLA is set to launch in Spring 2017.

KILL OR BE KILLED by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Elizabeth Breitweiser
Bestselling writer Ed Brubaker (THE FADE OUT, FATALE), artist Sean Phillips (THE FADE OUT, FATALE), and colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser (THE FADE OUT, FATALE, OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA) reunite for KILL OR BE KILLED, the ultimate pulp crime comic.

KILL OR BE KILLED is the story of a troubled young man who is compelled to kill bad people, and how he struggles to keep his secret, as it slowly begins to ruin his life and the lives of his friends and loved ones.

Both a thriller and a deconstruction of vigilantism, KILL OR BE KILLED is unlike anything Brubaker and Phillips have done together in their long partnership.

KILL OR BE KILLED is set to launch in Summer 2016.

LAKE OF FIRE by Nathan Fairbairn & Matt Smith
Co-creators Nathan Fairbairn (Scott Pilgrim, Batman Incorporated) and Matt Smith (Barbarian Lord) come together for an all-new series titled LAKE OF FIRE.

In LAKE OF FIRE it is 1220 AD, and the gears of the Albigensian Crusade grind on. When an alien mining craft infested with legions of bloodthirsty predators crash-lands in the remote wilderness of the French Pyrenees, a small band of crusaders and a Cathar heretic are all that stands between God’s Kingdom and Hell on Earth.

LAKE OF FIRE is set to launch in Summer 2016.

MOONSHINE by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso, edited by Will Dennis
From Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso—the Eisner award-winning creative team behind the crime classic, 100 Bullets—comes the brutal new series, MOONSHINE.

MOONSHINE is set during the Prohibition Era, deep in the backwoods of Appalachia and tells the story of Lou Pirlo, a city-slick “torpedo” sent from New York City to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in West Virginia, one Hiram Holt. Lou figures it for milk run—how hard could it be to set-up moonshine shipments from a few ass-backward hillbillies? What Lou doesn’t figure on is that Holt is just as cunning as ruthless as any NYC crime boss and Lou is in way over his pin-striped head. Because not only will Holt do anything to protect his illicit booze operation, he’ll stop at nothing to protect a much darker family secret…a bloody, supernatural secret that must never see the light of day… or better still, the light of the full moon.

MOONSHINE #1 will hit stores in Fall 2016 and marks the first time Azzarello and Risso have worked together with Image Comics and reunites the acclaimed creative team that defined modern crime comics with 100 Bullets… and now puts a horror-twist on a classic gangster tale.

MOTOR CRUSH by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, & Babs Tarr
From the creative team behind the popular, New York Times bestselling Batgirl of Burnside—Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr—comes MOTOR CRUSH—is a stylish, neon-soaked, revved up science-fiction action series.

By day, a Domino Swift competes for fame and fortune in a worldwide motorcycle racing league. By night, she cracks helmets of rival gangs in brutal, illegal bike wars on the city streets to gain possession of a rare and valuable contraband: an engine-boosting “machine narcotic” known as MOTOR CRUSH. But the origins—and ultimate purpose—of this mysterious substance are unknown, and could put her on a collision course with danger…

MOTOR CRUSH rides into town this December 2016.

PRIMA by Jen Van Meter, Rick Burchett, Eric Newsom, edited by Jeanine Schaefer
Spies.
Thieves.
Ballerinas.
PRIMA.
You don’t always see who’s standing in the spotlight.

Creators Jen Van Meter and artist Rick Burchett team up to tell an all-new story about a dance company—comprised entirely of former spies—righting the wrongs of the Cold War in a series called, PRIMA.

PRIMA follows Sophia Forais and Pauline French are the soloist and Managing Director of a dance company that once served as a front for a Resistance cell in France. Engaged for a long run in New York, the dancers have turned their attention and unique skills to aiding a veteran of the Romanian underground now being blackmailed by her American husband. The small operation should prove simple, but Sophia, Paulina and their colleagues will quickly learn that the war has not really ended, and the world is no less ruthless than it was when they were smuggling information and refugees during the Occupation.

An espionage/romance adventure set in the arts world just after WWII, PRIMA is a warm-hearted series of intrigues: To Catch a Thief goes to the ballet.

On stands in FALL 2016.

PRINCE OF CATS by Ron Wimberly
PRINCE OF CATS written and drawn by Ron Wimberly, lettered by Jarred Fisher, and featuring design by Jorden Haley returns to print from Image Comics.

PRINCE OF CATS was first released from Vertigo to critical acclaim in the summer 2012. It was out of print before the following summer. After three years, it will be returning to print through Image Comics.

PRINCE OF CATS is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead meets The Warriors meets Sword of Doom. PRINCE OF CATS sets Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in an alt-universe, mid-eighties New York where dueling with live blades evolved as a cultural phenomenon alongside New York’s other street cultures; it eschews the story of the titular star-crossed lovers to follow the tragic story of Tybalt, the Prince of Cats.

PRINCE OF CATS, the definitive remastered author’s edition, is set to release in Fall 2016.

ROCKSTARS by Joe Harris & Megan Hutchison
Fan-favorite Joe Harris (THE X-FILES, SNOWFALL) teams up with artist Megan Hutchison for an all-new, ongoing series a la Almost Famous meets Supernatural called, ROCKSTARS.

ROCKSTARS follows a pair of young, rock ‘n roll investigators as they uncover a mystery involving a legendary band, dead groupies, human sacrifice and a supernatural undercurrent connecting so many famous—and even more undiscovered—secrets, myths and conspiracies peppering rock music throughout the ages.

When a pattern of unsolved ‘groupie’ murders dating back to the 1970s resumes in present-day Los Angeles, nobody makes the connection except for Jackie Mayer, a young rock nerd who not only knows everything about music history, trivia and its myriad secrets and factoids, but also harbors a mysterious, almost magical ability to ‘see’ what most people miss, and determine and divine what’s going unreported.

Joined by a music writer and aspiring investigative reporter named Dorothy Buell, and his loyal cat, Skydog, they soon uncover a vast mystery involving a legendary band’s exploits, their mercurial guitarist’s occult associations, demonic possession, and sacrifices to the dark gods of rock.

Each story arc will feature a case sprung from a different rock n’ roll era—British Invasion, Punk, 80s Heavy Metal, etc.—and draw on Jackie’s unique connection, knowledge, and darkly magical associations to crack them.

The series will launch in Fall 2016.

ROMULUS by Bryan Hill & Nelson Blake II (Top Cow Productions)
Fan-favorite writer Bryan Hill (POSTAL) and Nelson Blake II come together for an all-new Image/Top Cow series in ROMULUS.

Set in the near future, ROMULUS follows the last in a line of near-mystical martial artists wages a revolutionary war against The Order of Romulus, the ancient secret society that trained her—a global organization, hidden in plain sight, that’s controlled the world since the days of Ancient Rome.

Their plan? Cull the population with genocide and rule a New World Order. Her plan? Kill them all or die angry.

Romulus launches from Top Cow/Image in Fall 2016.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY by Rick Remender & Jerome Opeña
Writer Rick Remender reteams with collaborators Jerome Opeña (Uncanny X-Force, Fear Agent) and Matt Hollingsworth (TOKYO GHOST, WYTCHES) to bring readers a modern fantasy series following Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, on a mission to rid his world of an insidious God who ensnared him in a Faustian deal.

Gharils Sulm, The God of Whispers is a Machiavellian warlord who holds sway everywhere in the world of Zhal. He’s spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdoms; one of his spies hides in every house, every family, every hall, spreading mistrust and fear.

Adam must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperate bid to free their world of the evil God’s burden or give in to the The God of Whispers’ promises of salvation and safety.

The series is set to launch in the Fall of 2016.

SURGEON X by Sara Kenney & John Watkiss, James Devlin, & Jared K. Fletcher, edited by Karen Berger
Writer Sara Kenney and artist John Watkiss come together for an all new series, SURGEON X, and join forces with the award-winning Karen Berger, founding editor of DC’s Vertigo imprint.

Set against the backdrop of an antibiotic apocalypse in near future London. Rosa Scott, a brilliant and obsessive surgeon becomes Surgeon X, a vigilante doctor who uses experimental surgery and black market drugs to treat patients. But as Surgeon X, Rosa soon develops a godlike-complex, deciding who will live and who will die. Ultimately, she believes that to survive in this compromised world her own warped moral code is the one she must follow—even if it endangers those closest to her.

The comic is informed by hundreds of conversations with scientists, physicians, historians, economists, ethicists & philosophers to create this deeply disturbing, yet authentic future world.

SURGEON X was funded by a Society Award from Wellcome Trust, an independent global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health. They support bright minds in science, the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education, public engagement and the application of research to medicine.

SURGEON X will launch in Fall 2016.

VS by Ivan Brandon, Esad Ribić, Ive Svorcina, Aditya Bidikar, Tom Muller, edited by Sebastian Girner
Writer Ivan Brandon (DRIFTER) and Esad Ribić (Secret Wars) team up with colorist Ive Svorcina, letterer Aditya Bidikar, designer Tom Muller, and editor Sebastian Girner for a futurist drama in, VS.

VS follows the rise and fall of Satta Flynn, a wildly popular soldier in a time when War has been privatized and is a form of entertainment.

Armies financed and equipped by super-corporations. War medics that double as Pit Mechanics. Satta’s every move is LIVE on TV. And for the first time, Satta finds out what it’s like to lose.

VS is set to launch in Fall 2016.

WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD by Steve Niles & Alison Sampson
Writer Steve Niles teams up with artist Alison Sampson, colorist Stéphane Paitreau, and letterer Clem Robins in WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD.

Sampson used 1970s horror films for inspiration on the artwork and described the book’s overall look as: “about 70% Americana, slightly heightened, like True Blood, and about 30% ripping off of heads.”

A horror-adventure story, WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD follows a family with a teenage son and what happens when their road-trip goes wrong and they find themselves stuck in a town full of satanists.

WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD is set to launch in Fall 2017.

Review: Cry Havoc #3

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Madison Butler

Cry Havoc continues its bloody campaign with #3, in which writer Simon Spurrier pulls no punches and artist Ryan Kelly renders each page in clear, gruesome detail. Once again, Cry Havoc proves itself to be something more than just werewolves, delving headfirst into a diverse cast of mythological beings. So far, three different characters (wolf, Hildisvini/Battle Pig, and most recently, the vampiric Adze/Swarm) have gotten a moment in the spotlight on Joe Kelly and Emma Price’s gorgeous covers, though Louise Canton remains the main character within the narrative.

For as much as Cry Havoc confounds using myths and time jumps, it also gives generously. The plot progresses significantly in #3 while continuing to flesh out the character of each of Lou’s companions. Perhaps the most enticing information is background on the mysterious and much discussed Lynn Odell. As with the previous issues, pages about the Red Place bookend the beginning and middle of Lou’s story. However, the events of the Red Place provide more to chew on literally and figuratively in this issue more than either of its predecessors. Cry Havoc has miles to go before the Red Place’s mysteries are known, but one sure thing is that the Red Place is far more significant and larger than Lou’s cell in the cave would have readers think.

The coloring and art once again work harmoniously to provide a narrative that is certainly connected even though it isn’t linear. Kelly’s art is clean and consistently great, highlighted wonderfully in different ways by each of the book’s three colorists. As far as time jumps go, Cry Havoc’s are easily navigable because each is so distinct in its setting and color scheme. Nick Filardi’s mostly-blue scheme has subtly shifted in a way that sets Lou apart from the rest of London. The red undertones in her skin emphasize her difference. Lee Loughridge also employs a distinct palette made up of warm colors, particularly consisting of yellow hues. The contrast of red with blue-toned shadows emphasizes not only the characters, but what’s inside them as well.

Matt Wilson’s Afghanistan colors are particularly stunning in this issue. For the most part, Wilson’s colors are less dichotomous than the distinct palettes of London and the Red Place. The more natural scheme is used to an advantage, though, and with it Wilson is able to emphasize certain scenes and create some unbelievably striking pages.

Spurrier’s inclusion of writer’s notes in the backmatter is both interesting and educational. They contain little hints about future events, but largely provide information about turns of phrase and situational history that are relevant, but wouldn’t necessarily have a place in the story. Overall, the complexly woven narrative, use of color, and inclusion of mythology continue to make Cry Havoc an interesting read.

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Ryan Kelly
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Review: All-New Classic Captain Canuck #0

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Alex K Cossa

When it comes to Captain Canuck, I must admit that I haven’t read nearly as much as I want to read. Captain Canuck #0 goes someway toward rectifying that, but it’s not entirely new material. If you’ve been reading Chapter House Comics’ Captain Canuck series then this zero issue is a reprint of the seven or so back up strips from the first seven issues, so there’s very little new here for you.

But if you haven’t been reading Captain Canuck for whatever reason, then this 64 page collection is a great place to start.

Myself, I only read the first two issues of the series, despite absolutely loving them both, due in part to an ordering snafu at my LCS and also my lack of noticing the issues on the racks (which is almost entirely down to me running into the shop and out again far too quickly), and so getting a chance to read the collected back-up strips was actually quite nice. Because there are seven back-up strips that make up All-New Classic Captain Canuck #0 are comprised of three two part stories and the beginning of another (that will continue in issue #1 later this month), there’s a very quick pace to this comic. It really didn’t feel like the 60 odd pages that it actually is, because of the shorter nature of the individual stories.

A really nice touch that Chapter House Comics have done is include an additional strip that will catch new readers up with what this Captain Canuck has had to go through, stretching all the way back to the original stories from the 70’s. If that sounds like a daunting proposition, it really isn’t; the recap strip likely doesn’t cover everything, but the narration boxes are brilliant and very concise and, coupled with the art, giving new readers all they need to catch up (and long time fans a ice refresher).

This is a great collection that is worth the price of admission, especially with the promise of issue #1 around the corner.

Story: Ed Brisson
Artists and Colour: George Freeman, Simon Roy
Art: Marcus To, Scott Hepburn, Micheal Walsh Color: Rosemary Cheetham, Irma Kniivla, Matt Wlson
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Black Widow #1

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Brett

Black_Widow_1_Cover She is the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous super-spy. Capable of hunting her targets with lethal precision. But what happens when the hunter…becomes the hunted?

Black Widow #1 kicks off with a bang. Black Widow is now S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most wanted and that exciting twist is courtesy of writer Mark Waid, artist Chris Samnee, colorist Matt Wilson, and letterer Joe Caramagna. This is the team who resuscitated life in to Daredevil giving is a sleek, fun, and cool version of the classic character, and after this first issue, it looks like they may be doing the same for Marvel’s deadly assassin.

Usually a first issue will give lots of information about the character, maybe the situation, setting up what’s to come, but Waid and Samnee have given us an action sequence worthy of a Bond opening in a comic that’s mostly wordless. Only have the pages have speech bubbles and those pages that do only have 2 or 3. In fact Black Widow’s first words aren’t spoken until the very last page.

That’s a hell of an exciting start that had me visualizing the comic as if it were on the big screen and my sitting back enjoying some popcorn and smiling with a huge grin. This first issue is that fun and action packed.

It’s a visually driven start and Samnee’s art, along with Wilson’s colors, absolutely nails it. Body language speaks wonders. The sense of motion as Widow hurtles through the air is felt as if you’re falling. It’s a kinetic display on the page that oozes off.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting in this first issue, but I can definitely say this wasn’t it. Waid seems to have redefined a first issue giving us one that’s worthy of being the opening sequence on the big screen. Comics are supposed to be fun, and Samnee and Waid have nailed it.

Story: Chris Samnee and Mark Waid Art: Chris Samnee Colors: Matt Wilson
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Cry Havoc #2

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Madison Butler

Cry Havoc #2 is out (coincidentally, one of two werewolf-related comics published by Image this week) and it’s just as good as the first issue. However, as much of a presence as werewolves have in popular culture, Cry Havoc has twice proved itself to be something more than its monsters, so to speak.

Writer Simon Spurrier pushes the boundaries of traditional werewolf stories by incorporating shapeshifters from all backgrounds and cultures. In Cry Havoc #2, readers are introduced to more Hydes than Jekylls, as the plot of each place in the story progresses. More of Lou’s dramatic life as a shapeshifter is revealed, giving some potential hints about where her story is going and how she landed in The Red Place. Readers also get to meet other shapeshifters of different nationalities.

Spurrier has clearly done his homework, and while not all of his research makes it into the story, the backmatter for issues #1 and #2 consists of writer’s notes on each page of the story. He also includes information regarding the geographical background of each shapeshifter, something that doesn’t necessarily belong in the story itself, but makes for incredibly interesting supplemental reading.

The story itself is also notable for its threefold plot, with the reader seeing the main character, Lou Canton, at three different points in her life. Each “place” in the story (London, Afghanistan, and The Red Place) would seem to be relatively close in terms of the character’s life, though it hasn’t been formally stated. Despite having three narratives running parallel, the story is fairly straightforward. The time jumps are easily navigated by paying attention to the distinctive color scheme and panel structure of each place.

As with Cry Havoc #1, each place was colored by a different artist (Nick Filardi on London, Lee Loughridge on The Red Place, and Matt Wilson on Afghanistan). Though each place is denoted by a different color panel border, each artist’s style is distinctive enough that it’s not totally necessary. It is a unique concept though, and each color scheme highlights a different aspect of Ryan Kelly’s art. Kelly is a versatile artist, and the emphasis on varied color schemes is an innovative concept that really shows how the art can evoke a specific mood in relation to the writing.

All in all, the team on this book works extremely well in terms of art and writing. The idea of a threefold narrative colored by different people is a concept that could come off as gimmicky if done poorly, but this comic is not done poorly. It’s engaging and fresh in both its writing and structure, and it’s definitely worth a read.

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Ryan Kelly, Nick Filardi, Lee Loughridge, and Matt Wilson
Story: 8.5 Art: 9 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Black Widow #1 Reunites Eisner Award Winners Waid & Samnee in March!

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

She is the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous super-spy. Capable of hunting her targets with lethal precision. But what happens when the hunter…becomes the hunted? This March, the Black Widow becomes…S.H.I.E.L.D.’s MOST WANTED! And it’s all happening in Black Widow #1 – the brand new series from Eisner Award winning Daredevil creative team. Writer Mark Waid, artist Chris Samnee, colorist Matt Wilson and letterer Joe Caramagna re-team for the next explosive chapter in Natasha’s life!

She has spent years gathering secrets. Knowledge and intel on friends and enemies alike. But when some of those dark secrets mysteriously begin to go public, no one is safe! Now, Natasha has become the one thing she never thought she’d be – public enemy number one! Betrayed by her former accomplices, with friend and foe alike nipping at her heels, all bets are off. With a lifetime of training and ingenuity at her disposal, she’s out for answers, and she’s going to get them any way she can. As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t get her first!

Prepare for a knock-down, drag-out tale of action, adventure and espionage! All eyes are on the Black Widow. With her enemies closing in at every side, it’s time to show everyone why she is and always will be the world’s greatest spy.

BLACK WIDOW #1 (JAN160743)
Written by CHRIS SAMNEE & MARK WAID
Art & Cover by CHRIS SAMNEE & MATT WILSON
Hip-Hop Variant by PHIL NOTO (JAN160744)
Variant Cover by TULA LOTAY (JAN160745)
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG (JAN160746)
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (JAN160747)
Women of Power Variant by KEVIN WADA (JAN160748)
FOC – 02/08/16, On-Sale – 03/02/16

Review: Paper Girls #5

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Janine Fleri

Paper Girls #5 dropped on Wednesday, and while certain things are becoming clearer, my overall interest is starting to wane. I think I’ve held out hope longer than other folks, based on some of the reviews I’ve read of previous issues, but I’ve finally caught up with the “Get on with it, already” chorus.

*Spoilers ahead*

We pick up in a ‘Whenhouse’ (time travel humor, ha!) where Heck and Naldo are treating Erin’s gunshot wound with a swarm of stolen insects. As it happens, Heck and Naldo are scavengers, because sometimes “yesterday’s trash is tomorrow’s treasure!” They explain how they have to utilize a spaceship in order to time travel since the Earth is always moving, and that they’re working to get Erin fixed up and back to her friends. Erin dismisses her fellow paper girls as “just some people that shot me” so clearly she’s not feeling too kindly towards a reunion. Heck and Naldo become increasingly endearing in this scene but the elders attempt to interfere with their ship and things don’t exactly go well for them, so don’t get too attached.

Speaking of Earth, back on Erin’s home planet Tiffany, Mac, and KJ are still standing in the woods where we last saw them. KJ has a “Eureka!” moment where she remembers the spaceship they discovered in the basement in Issue #1 and pieces together that they may be one and the same. As they decide to head back that way they’re intercepted by Cardinal, the female warrior fighting for the elders. Tiffany whips out the gun, which readers know from the previous issue in unloaded, and effectively disarms Cardinal with an empty threat to shoot her pterodactyl. It’s a clever bluff, and another great display of artist Cliff Chiang’s knack for drawing sneers. Unfortunately for Cardinal, Mac is the one to take away her weapon and winds up inadvertently using it against her, much the same way she accidentally shot Erin. The girls take off and when Cardinal regains her senses she places a call to Grandfather, reporting that the girls are now armed and should be tried as adults. Grandfather decides to step in and take care of business himself.

As Erin starts to come to her senses back on the spaceship we see that Heck and Naldo aren’t doing too well, and they appear to die just before landing. Erin makes her grand entrance, emerging out of the spacepod and into the basement where the other girls are waiting for her. Her earlier bitterness towards them has worn off, and apologies are exchanged as Grandfather calls to them from outside. As he tries to explain that Heck and Naldo were juvenile delinquents and that the girls have unfortunately waded into the middle of a complicated generational conflict, the house folds in on itself, transporting the girls into the future where they are met with a very familiar face.

One of the things I like about the series so far is that neither the elders nor Heck and Naldo seem to qualify as legit bad guys outside of their own conflict. Both sides seem to have a genuine interest in preventing harm to the girls, which I’m guessing means the girls will ultimately lead to some form of peacemaking between the generational factions. I also like the little snarky exchanges that pepper the Paper Girls world with humor and add personality to the characters, but I’d really like to know what pre-existing bonds KJ, Mac, and Tiffany share. It also would have been more interesting to this particular reader if Erin had been holding more of an active grudge upon reuniting with them.

While there’s a lot of action through these first five issues, I don’t actually feel like there’s a whole lot at stake while reading it. Although characters I’ve liked have died, I didn’t get to spend enough time with them to really feel the loss. The characters that are still plugging along are entertaining and interesting, but not what I’d call solid. Each issue is a fun read, but at this point I’d expect a deeper emotional investment which has yet to come to fruition.

Story: Brian K. Vaughan Art: Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson
Story: 6 Art: 9 Overall: 6 Recommendation: Buy in Trade

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review : Cry Havoc #1

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Ryan C. (trashfilmguru)

STK694259

What’s the old saying again — “cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!” or something? Yeah, I think that’s it — except in this case we can substitute dogs with their nearest evolutionary relative, wolves, and be a small step closer in the accuracy department.

Or will we? I mean, sure, the promotional blurb for writer Simon Spurrier and artist Ryan Kelly’s new Image Comics series, Cry Havoc, definitely states that “It’s not about a lesbian werewolf going to war — except it is,” so perhaps “definitely” is a piss-poor choice of words on my part given that, ya know, there’s (supposedly, at any rate) very little going on here that one can state is “definite” in nature.

All of which is kinda funny because I found Cry Havoc #1 to be a fairly straight-forward read. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, because it was an engrossing and fun one, as well, but the conceit of splitting the story of busker-turned-lycanthrope Lou Canton up into three distinct times and places — London, Agfhanistan, and the mysterious “Red Place” — and then employing three different colorists (Matt Wilson, Lee Loughridge, and Nick Fialrdi) to handle the hues on each in order to give them a more distinctive individual look is frankly old hat to anyone who’s read, say, Bodies, where different artists altogether were utilized for the same purpose, or even to anyone who’s seen a Tarantino flick, where jumping back and forth along any given character’s timeline is a matter of course.

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All of which leads me to believe that CryHavoc desperately wants to be more “far out” than it is — which is pointless, really, because it stands pretty darn well on its own, no gimmicks required.

I’ve long been of the opinion that Spurrier is on the verge of the ever-elusive “something big” in his writing career : certainly he’s done the best one can possibly hope to following-up Alan Moore on Crossed + One Hundred and his soon-to-be-completed eight-part series The Spire is a fascinating exercise in world-building (also featuring, it should be noted, a lesbian protagonist) that perhaps sees his fine script overshadowed by the truly spellbinding art of Jeff Stokeley, but let’s be brutally honest here — when you’re stuck playing second-fiddle to either the person who came before you or to your monumentally-talented collaborator, it almost doesn’t matter how good the work you’re doing yourself is, because you’re still stuck in the “bridesmaid” role.

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Could this, then, finally be Spurrier’s chance to step to the forefront as the cliched “emerging talent” with a “distinctive voice” that he actually is? Time will tell, but so far all the signs look good : the characterization here is strong, the Abu Ghraib-esque subplot is still reasonably topical, his writing evokes a strong “sense of place” in each of the locales employed, and his only-semi-convoluted story structure serves its purpose of mystifying what’s actually a pretty simple plot that can be reduced, basically, to girl gets bitten by werewolf, then conscripted against her wishes into a mercenary force of other “differently-abled” folks, and finally finds herself (spoiler alert!) captured by the same person she’s been tasked with tracking down — and with whom she appears to share a rather unique bond. That’s certainly plenty to pack a debut installment with, and the breakneck-if-disjointed-by-design pace of Cry Havoc #1 doesn’t really slow down to give you much time to think — which is just fine in my book, especially given the fact that the backmatter at the end more than ably demonstrates that Spurrier has indeed done his homework here, most notably as it relates to werewolf legend, and that there’s more going on beneath the surface, as promised, than one would initially suspect given the rapid-fire rate at which events are occurring.

CryHavoc01_CvrB

So, yeah — all good in that department, then, and all good as far as the art goes, as well. Kelly’s always been an under-valued talent on the various projects he’s been involved with, but now that he’s got plenty to (sorry in advance) sink his teeth into, I expect him to continue the trend established here of leaving readers saying “wow, I never knew the guy was this good” in subsequent issues. The “multiple colorists” trope works really well, too, it must be said, flavoring each time/place with a little different metaphorical “spice” while not upsetting the “main course”(do I need to eat dinner or what?) to any noticeable degree. Wrap it all up under either Kelly’s main cover or Cameron Stewart’s uniquely-designed variant, and the end result is a comic that looks as good as it reads.

So, what the heck? Count me in for the foreseeable future, barring a drastic and unexpected drop in quality. I’m a little bummed that Image is joining Marvel and DC in sneaking more of their books up to $3.99 (and I paid for this one myself, no digital freebie here), but I guess it was probably inevitable, and I certainly feel like I got every penny’s worth in this case, since subsequent re-reads have revealed more than I caught the first time through. Maybe this will prove to be the Simon Spurrier-penned masterpiece he’s been hinting that he’s capable of?

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Ryan Kelly
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

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