Tag Archives: ronda pattison

Review: Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #1

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Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #1

I was a fan of the show Cheaters when it was on. As I found many of the episodes very hilarious. There were some that were truly heartbreaking. What the series did not reveal to viewers is what happened to them before the cameras turned on.

AS we don’t know what lead the one that cheated to find comfort elsewhere. We don’t know how the person affected behaves behind close doors. As relationships are hard, and truth is more than black and white. In this beautifully put together one shot, Stan Sakai weaves a delicate story in Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #1, a love story with 3 sides. .

In “Frost & Fire”, Usagi gets a job  to locate swords left behind by a samurai who was killed in another village. As Usagi starts his investigation, he soon finds out that there is more to it than the widow revealed. As we find out that he had a mistress because his wife was cold and he had fallen in love with her, hoping for an honorable death. By issue’s end, greed takes over, leaving one dead and ill gotten gains.

Overall, Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #1 is an excellent story which proves that comics are some of the greatest literature one can intake. The story by Sakai is powerful. The art by the creative team is astounding. Altogether, a story that shows love in different strokes.

Story: Stan Sakai Art: Stan Sakai, Ronda Pattison, and David Petersen
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle

Review: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

When it comes to who is the most fascinating character in all of comic books, no one comes close to Batman. Bruce Wayne is a modern-day case in childhood trauma. He somehow manifested the death of his parents into a lifelong crusade against evil. As many fans who have read the comic books know, he is much darker than the cartoon version.

Many of us who grew up reading him know the dark recesses of this conflicted hero. This is why we are drawn to him and are attracted to heroes similar to him such as Moon Knight. His crossover adventures with other heroes are legendary, and it helps if his partners are a bit like him. In Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams, we find him with another complicated protagonist, as they hunt down an incessant evil.

We are taken to Gotham City, where Maxx’s delusions have led him to be amongst the homeless, which draws the attention of Batman, who thinks he belongs in Arkham Asylum. As Maxx gets admitted into Arkham, Batman soon unleashes chaos as the world Maxx sees and Gotham merges because of the experiments conducted by an unconventional doctor at Arkham, Dr.Disparu,  leading Batman to take drastic measures. He and the doctor must use the evil minds, some of which are Batman’s rogues, to find a solution to stop the worlds from converging. Eventually, Batman searches out Julie Winters, to enter a dimension hole, where they meet an alternate version of Harley Quinn while Disparu continues his experiments on the Joker, The Penguin, and Harley, which causes unsettling effects on Maxx. By book’s end, Disparu’s secret is revealed and our heroes fight one last stand against the deadliest versions of Batman’s rogues to protect the Outback, in a glorious victory.

Overall, Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams is a true mind-bending journey with the Dark Knight and one of Image Comics’ most complex protagonists. The story by Keith is fun. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, an adventure that takes the reader on a bunch of twists and turns, an adventure that will have readers revisiting to see what they missed.

Story: Sam Keith Art: Sam Keith, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – TFAW – Bookshop

Review: Usagi Yojimbo: Dragon Bellow Conspiracy #1

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Usagi Yojimbo: Dragon Bellow Conspiracy #1

As a fan of the Star Trek movies, I have had many misgivings with the different iterations. Each cast brings its own flavors and also presents its own limitations. The movies have highlighted why fans have loved each of these casts but also shows why many of these shows’ stories never truly translated to the big screen. In fact, if you watched the first-ever Star Trek movie, hopes for a sequel would be far off based solely on that film’s success.

It’s the sequel movies that came which introduced this universe to generations who were not even born yet when the original TV series aired. One of the best movies to come from this series of movies was Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country. The film utilized canon and cross-pollinate with some other genres, spy thriller, being the most prominent. In Usagi Yojimbo: Dragon Bellow Conspiracy #1, a plot as dense as Star Trek IV emerges, in one of Stan Sakai’s best stories.

We open on Tomoe, on a mission for Lord Noriyuki, one that she cannot fail, fiercely fighting her way through a brigade of soldiers. As the reader soon finds out Lord Hikiji, is looking for favor with the Shogun in changing his station, secretly amassing an arsenal, one that can possibly outmaneuver any rival. Gen soon uncovers the boxes of guns Lord Tamakuro is hiding, a piece of intelligence, which Lord Noriyuki would benefit from knowing. Meanwhile, we find Gennosuke, Zato-Ino, and Usagi coming together as they soon realize Tomoe has been captured. By the issue’s end, Tomoe must find a way to let Lord Noriyuki know what’s going on while her three friends look to rescue her.

Overall, Usagi Yojimbo: Dragon Bellow Conspiracy #1 is a tense thriller, one which shows the different dimensions to Sakai’s storytelling abilities. The story Sakai is engrossing. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, an excellent entry point for anyone interested in why this Samurai who just so happens to be a rabbit has gained so many fans.

Story: Stan Sakai Art: Stan Sakai
Color: Ronda Pattison Letterer: Stan Sakai
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

Preview: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reborn Vol. 2 Life After Death

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reborn Vol. 2 Life After Death

(W) Sophie Campbell, Ronda Pattison (A) Jodie Nishijima (A/CA) Nelson Daniel
In Shops: Apr 28, 2021
SRP: $19.99

The mutagen bomb’s fallout continues to affect NYC in increasingly disturbing ways. As the government struggles to come to grips with a growing humanitarian crisis, mutants start to go missing. The TMNT trace the clues to the waterfront and find something terrifying that is now living in the depths! Meanwhile, a falling out between Baxter and April could have dire consequences for Mutant Town. But life somehow finds a way to move forward, and in a standalone story that delves deeper into the denizens of Mutant Town, follow three interconnected stories as the TMNT immerse themselves in their new home.

Collects issues #106-110 of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reborn Vol. 2 Life After Death

Review: Usagi Yojimbo Origins Vol. 1

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Usagi Yojimbo Origins Vol. 1

When it comes to the early days of superheroes, fans love to find out how those characters’ nuances first came to be. That’s why Smallville was so indelible. It gave fans a view of how Kal-El eventually became Superman. The show focused not only how he discovered himself but also how his loved ones molded him. It also showed those trials and tribulations where they found their inner strength.

The show changed the narrative in many ways. We found out Clark and Lex were actually best friends before they became mortal enemies. The audience got to enjoy the journey while appreciating the fact that we know where he is going. In Usagi Yojimbo: Origins Vol. 1, we get a collection of stories of how this sword for hire came to be.

In “Samurai”, we meet Usagi’s teacher Katsuichi-Sensei. Katsuichi-Sensei trains him in the way of the Samurai and Usagi moves up the ranks under Lord Mifune quickly, before his untimely death and because of a friend’s betrayal. “Kappa” has Usagi saving a man from a water monster ad incidentally runs into his dead mother. In “Quiet Meal”, Usagi makes quick waste of a bunch of drunkards starting trouble. “Blind Swords Pig” features Usagi running into Zato, a blind outlaw, which eventually ends in a duel between the two swordsmen. In the final tale, “Lone Rabbit and Child”, Usagi takes a job to protect a young heir and his guardian, long enough to be installed as the head of his clan.

Overall, Usagi Yojimbo Origins Vol. 1 is an engaging powerful origin story which shows just how skilled Stan Sakai is, as a storyteller. The stories by Sakai are fun and gripping. The art by Stan Sakai and Ronda Pattison is awe-inspiring. Altogether, a set of stories that give excellent insight into what makes Sakai’s protagonist, still so magnetic to readers.

Story: Stan Sakai Art: Stan Sakai and Ronda Pattison
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW – Bookshop

Meet the Mafiosa in October

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The Roaring Twenties are back! With all the romanticism and brazen violence of mafia-dominated New York, Mafiosa sets the status quo ablaze–with style, class, and a smoking barrel this October.

Developed from an original story by Thomas Brooke of Portland’s Rainwerks Studio, creators Sunshine Barbito, Alessia Alfano, Débora Caritá, Ronda Pattison, and Mariacristina Federica bring you into the life of Nicoletta. The youngest in a Sicilian-American family, Nicoletta has aspirations to join her brothers in the family business–an organized crime syndicate running the streets of Manhattan. But when Nicoletta confronts her father and announces her desire to join the family business a crisis ensues. Refusing to take no for an answer, Nicoletta takes it upon herself to prove she has what it takes, moving steadfastly into a world of brutality with her own ideas to capitalize on the cocaine drug trade.

What transpires is not just a tale of a woman’s rise within the Marchesi crime family but a genre-busting look at how the players in this mafia story are transformed when Nicoletta proves better at the deadly game than her male coworkers. New York has a new player in town, and they ain’t seen nothing yet! 

Mafiosa TPB arrives in comic shops on October 13, 2021 and bookstores October 26, 2021 for $19.99

Mafiosa

Preview: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #5 (of 6)

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #5 (of 6)

(W) Ronda Pattison (A/CA) Jodie Nishijima
In Shops: Mar 10, 2021
SRP: $4.99

After rescuing the son of a crime boss, Jennika finds herself with an impossible task: train a new generation of assassins or she, and the boy, will face deadly consequences. Will Jennika be able to escape her past when others will stop at nothing to bring it back?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #5 (of 6)

Preview: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika

(W) Brahm Revel, Ronda Pattison (A) Jodie Nishijima (A/CA) Brahm Revel
In Shops: Nov 25, 2020
SRP: $17.99

The newest member of the TMNT team embarks on her own adventure in this stand-alone tale!

Trying to acclimate to life as a mutant, the newest Turtle, Jennika, will be forced to come to terms with both her troubled past and conflicted present. In search of a dangerous procedure to reverse mutation, will Jennika be tempted by the call of her old life? And how far will she go to save those who gave up on her long ago? Brahm Revel returns from his acclaimed TMNT Universe tale “What is Ninja?” to reveal more of Jennika’s backstory!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika

Review: Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderers Road #1

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Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderers Road #1

For readers new to Usagi’s adventures since series creator Stan Sakai packed up and left Dark Horse, IDW Publishing has been tasked with reprinting the older Usagi adventures in color. Usagi Yojimbo has carried on in black and white for so many years. While the stories were incredible without color, a series like Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderers Road #1 provides an excellent jumping-on point.

Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderers Road #1 reprints “The Tower,” which was originally published as Usagi Yojimbo, issue 7, volume 1. This one pre-dates the Dark Horse adventures as this was published by Fantagraphics. In this story, a tokagé, which is a small, green lizard, has inadvertently caused a shop-owner a considerable amount of trouble, only to find it chased by said shop-owner up a tower. Usagi sees a mob wanting to harm the creature. He shows a softer side by scaling up the tower to retrieve said creature. The shop-owner isn’t too happy about his involvement. In the end, Usagi befriends the creature, eventually named Spot, who would be Usagi’s pet/friend. Along the way, a lot of comical elements befall the shop-owner.

Ronda Pattison’s coloring adds an additional layer to the art. Now that I’ve had the chance to partake in the adventures being colored, I’m starting to almost prefer the coloring over the black & white classics. Almost.

I own the original issue 7 from long ago and had the chance to compare the two. The transfer is spot on. The adventures of Miyamoto Usagi hold up as some of the best all-time adventures in this medium. Stan Sakai’s storytelling is on par with the best in this industry. I know his art can pale when compared with the detail that some put in their respective style. When I look at Sakai’s art, I feel it carries with it its own layers of detail and precision. I do like the art a hair more in these older adventures than what’s currently produced but Sakai hasn’t lost much at all with the pencil.

Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderers Road #1 is highly recommended and this issue alone is a masterful reminder of what a creator can do with just one issue.

Story: Stan Sakai Art: Stan Sakai Color: Ronda Pattison
Story: 10 Art: 8.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Purchase

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

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