Alex K Cossa, Author at Graphic Policy

Author Archives: Alex K Cossa

Review: The Resurrected #1

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

“In a future where death is not always the end, a lonely yet resolute Aboriginal-Australian detective challenges the world’s most powerful corporation in a battle to save his people from almost certain extinction. If he is to succeed, he must re-discover his Indigenous roots while also finally learning to overcome the loss of his family who died in the techno-plague that ravished Australia five years earlier.”

The Resurrected #1 is a comic that blends a noir style detective feel with some moderately futuristic technology into a story that evokes BladeRunner comparisons, but with a touch more light and brightness (now, shock and horror, I’ve never actually seen BladeRunner, so the comparisons are – at best – to my idea of the movie rather than the movie itself). Written by Christian Carnouche the comic offers a harsh look at the treatment of the indigenous peoples of Australia in its first few pages, but aside from a general theme of an exiled people, that segment doesn’t have as big of an impact as I’d have expected on the story this issue; though it will doubtless have a larger effect on later issues.

A bigger question asked by the comic is whether if you could resurrect somebody, should you? The potential social ramifications are explored as the more front and center detective story unfolds before the reader, and it’s that question that will drive me into coming back to the comic as the comic seems ready to really explore a break apart the prejudices between those on e their first life, and those on their second (or third) lives. How this will comment on other, more real world issues remains an interesting proposition.

Artistically, the comic is pretty good; the figures are dynamic and detailed, and the backgrounds full of detail. although the historical inaccuracy of the Union Jack took me a little out of the story right away (Northern Ireland’s red diagonal cross wasn’t added to the flag until the early 1800’s), but other than those minor quibbles, the art is solid, and at times jumps right from the page. Crizam Zamora and Salvatore Aiala provide a level of polish to the comic that you may not necessarily expect from anything other than one of the bigger publishers, and minor niggles aside, are remarkably solid throughout the comic.

Ultimately, The Ressurected #1 is a comic that’s worth checking out if you’re looking for a change of pace from the atypical superhero stories. Yes, there are flaws, but nothing that will hamper your enjoyment of an indie comic that holds enough potential to bring you back for the second issue.

Story: Christian Carnouche Pencils/Inks: Crizam Zamora Colours: Salvatore Aiala
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.8 Overall: 7.6 Recommendation: Read

Carnouche Productions provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Ninja-K #3

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

“At last, Ninjak is about to find himself face-to-face with the surgically precise killer that has been eliminating the operatives of MI-6’s most elite intelligence service – the deep-black training unit known as the “Ninja Programme” – one by one. But this shocking truth will also bring a devastating realization about Colin King’s own past screaming into the modern day… With a gun at his back and a sword at his side, Britain’s most elite super-spy is about to have his faith in queen and country tested like never before…”

I’ve been trying to think of how to start talking about this book without just spewing hyperbolic superlatives and praise right from the get go, but it’s tough. I really loved this book. The preview text above actually understates the impact of this book for Ninjak during his confrontation with the series’ villain; although, calling the character a villain is doing a disservice to the complexity of the character and Christos Gage‘s story.

Whilst Ninja-K reveals the dark history of the Ninja Programme through some well written dialogue, your eyes are treated to some freaking brilliant action scenes. Tomas Giorello‘s produces some utterly wonderful pages – whomever ends up owning the original art work here is going to a lucky sod. Diego Rodriguez uses a colour pallet that’s heavily reliant of blues and purples, which at times has the effect of blending the two ninjas into the background as they interact. You may think that this would be a bad thing, that the art would turn out muddied and blase, but that’s far from the case. Although the coloured art has moments where the ninjas blend into the page, it’s done when there’s less action on the page which only heightens the emphasis that these men are living, and very lethal, ghosts.

There is literally nothing I can (truthfully) say against the art in this comic.

Oh, and there’s also a really cool back up story as well, featuring art by Ariel Olivetti that takes place during the first world war and focuses on Ninja-A, scratching the itch of those of us who need to learn more about the previous ten ninjas to have been apart of the Ninja Programme. It’s a nice addition to a comic that’s already well worth your time and money, increasing the value-for-money substantially when you look at the quality of the creative output.

Yes, my friends, I am more than happy to say that without a doubt, Ninja-K is currently one of the best series currently being published by any publisher, and is an absolute must read. This is a prime example of what a comic should strive to be.

Story: Christos Gage Art: Tomas Giorello Colourist: Diego Rodriguez
Story: 9 Art: 9.8 Overall: 9.9 Recommendation: Buy

Although Valiant provided a FREE copy for review, I picked up this comic from my LCS

Review: X-O Manowar #11

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

“Aric of Dacia’s bone-crushing climb to the throne of an alien world earned him scores of allies…and a legion of scorned enemies. Now, stripped of his crown and cast out of his kingdom, the man known as X-O Manowar must return to his roots as a sword-wielding warrior of Earth if he is to survive the relentless band of intergalactic bounty hunters that have been hired to kill him cold. But with few places left to turn, could the last Visigoth’s best hope be the all-powerful…but insidious…weapon he once swore away: the X-O Manowar armor?”

Usually when a hero saves the world and wins a war we don’t get to see the fallout of the victory, we tend to move on after a happy ending and a nondescript amount of time. But with X-O Manowar #11, Matt Kindt explores what happens when a man entirely unqualified to rule a planet ends up as said planet’s emperor, and for all his good intentions, Aric’s rule is beset by very legitimate problems that, being the conquering hero, he had never thought of. Couple this with his refusal to rely on the sacred armour of Shanhara, the sentient and incredibly knowledgeable armour in almost any capacity other than as a tool, and you have a man who knows he is running out of time to unite the peoples of the planet Gorin, but is seemingly incapable of moving past his own stubborn belief he doesn’t need any help.

Needless to say, some of the people Aric rules over have had enough of his chaos, and have hire bounty hunters to remove him. Last issue introduced those bounty hunters to the reader, and with X-O Manowar #11 we see them being introduced to our hero in a remarkably well written book.

Ryan Bodenhiem brings a different aesthetic to the comic than the previous artistic team, and his depiction of Aric’s beaten and scarred body against a stark, desert like landscape has an odd sense of poetry about it; coupled with this, the page layouts also have an elegance to them that balances the harsh, yet oddly beautiful palnet Gorin (fans of desert vistas will know exactly what I mean by this). Bodenheim may not be an artist I’m as overly familiar with as some of the others previously attached to this series, but I love the differences in visuals he brings to the comic. In doesn’t hurt that the colouring work of Andrew Dalhouse is, as ever utterly fantastic.

Without stepping into spoiler territory too far, there’s a moment in the comic that has echoes of a scene a few issues ago, only with somewhat different results. Kindt’s not-so-subtle reference to the earlier issue is made all the better by the subversion of your expectations; just because something has happened before, doesn’t mean it will again. And by shifting your expectations, he also gives you a glimpse into the other side (again, this is a vague statement to avoid the spoiler hammer) of the coin. Although if you’ve read the solicitations, you’ve probably got an idea as to where the outcome of this three part story is heading, I can’t wait to see the political journey that sets Aric up for X-O Manowar #14.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Ryan Bodenhiem Colourist: Andrew Dalhouse
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided a FREE copy for review, but I’ll be buying this anyway.

DC Rebirth Roundup: Jan 17th’s Comics

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

Welcome to Graphic Policy’s DC Rebirth: Recap And Review where we take a look at the comics released under DC‘s Rebirth banner and try to work out just how accessible they are for new readers – we’ll also be providing recap of sorts for the relevant story beats up until the issue in question in order to help you figure out if the series is something you’re interested in.

Each comic will receive a rating of Friendly or Unfriendly based on how easy it was for new readers to pick them up; the ratings are based solely on the issues released in the post-Rebirth ongoing series. More consideration regarding the comic’s accessibility will be given for the specific issue being read rather than the series overall, but if reading a back issue will help, then that will be mentioned. You’ll also notice that each comic will get a rating that falls on Graphic Policy’s typical ten point scale, which is there to help you pick between issues if you only want to check out one or two.

Not every comic is covered week to week, and that’s because I sometimes forget to read them (although that doesn’t happen often), or I really can’t bring myself to pic up the issue. If I have missed an issue, typically I won’t go looking for back issues to catch up on events – this feature is all about accessibility for new readers, after all.

Aquaman #32 Perhaps the sleeper hit of all of DC’s comics right now; this series has been consistently brilliant for some time. With Aquaman no longer King of Atlantis, and instead leading an underground revolution to replace the corrupt King Rath with a better monarch, Mera is suddenly without her ability to breath underwater. 8.75/10

Batman #39 It’s a Friendly enough issue, but also one of the more mediocre ones in Tom Kings run. 6/10

Batwoman #11 I honestly don’t remember anything relevant for this book, but it seems to essentially be a single issue thriller that is a Friendly story. 7/10

Green Lanterns #39 A fun, yet quite powerful, conclusion to an arc that explored the tensions between two alien races after one offered sanctuary to the other as their planet died. In the midst of this, the Green Lanterns have arrived to help solve a murder (hint: it was the villain) only to get caught in the midst of an extremist uprising. A kinda-Friendly comic, but enjoyable nonetheless. 7/10

Nightwing #37 An issue that details a bit more of the history between Nightwing and the SM_Cv39_ds Judge while simultaneously catching you up on the gist of the series. As far as comics go, it’s Friendly enough if you want to delve in. 7/10

Super Sons #12 The finale of a multi-series crossover isn’t going to be the best place to hop on board, but you’ll still get the essence of the series with this issue, and the relationship between the super sons and their respective fathers. A solid book that sets the tone for a few different series across the DCU. 7.5/10

Superman #39 Quite simply one of the best Superman comics around. As a standalone story, this is very Friendly, and well worth reading. 8/10

Trinity #17 Assuming you know who Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman are, then you’ll be right at home with the first part of this arc, and you’ll find it quite Friendly. 7/10

That’s a wrap for this week folks. I’ll see you next time!

Mini Reviews For The Week Ending 1/6

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

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 short reviews from the staff of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full review for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews.

Logan

America #11 (Marvel)– Writer Gabby Rivera is really starting to hit her stride on this book as America Chavez balances life at college and finding info about her home planet. Artist Stacey Lee nails the warmth of the relationship between America and her abuela as well as some fierce portal punching action. My favorite bits involve the college campus where Prodigy exhibits some character growth and speaks out against the surveillance state. Rivera’s writing has finally caught up with America’s always strong art, which is sad in light of its impending cancellation. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Justice League #37 (DC)– The Justice League battles one of their biggest fans while trying to clear their extralegal activities on an international in another clever issue from writer Priest and artist Philippe Briones. The issue is non-stop action with narration telling the Fan’s origin, and Priest also uses the story to address racist superhero fans, who don’t like anyone other than straight white males fighting crime. Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz take center stage and basically rip to shreds the idea that only the original (He’s not.) Green Lantern Hal Jordan should have the title. But to keep things interesting, Priest pokes some holes in the morality of the JL’s actions. Briones’ art (Especially poses and anatomy.) and Gabe Eltaeb’s colors are a little too much mid-90s Wildstorm for my taste, but it doesn’t hinder the momentum another excellent chapter of Priest’s run on Justice League. Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Ryan C

Batman #39 (DC)** – They almost had me with this one. Joelle Jones’ art is superb, and Tom King’s story has a simple and nifty premise for teaming Batman and Wonder Woman up. Everything’s going along swimmingly, really, until the last-page cliffhanger, and then — come on, DC. You don’t wanna go there. You really don’t. Did you learn nothing from the Superman/Wonder Woman “romantic” debacle? Overall: 5 Recommendation: Pass

Superman #39 (DC)** – Barry Kitson’s art on this issue is really just sort of “meh,” but Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason deliver what is probably the most charming and un-ironically sentimental Superman story in just about forever. Everything you love about super-heroes but never get to see anymore is packed into this slim, quickly-read little comic. Magical enough to melt even this hardened cynic’s heart. Buy Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Assassinistas #2 (IDW/Black Crown)** – This ain’t deep, but it sure is fun. Tini Howard has cooked up some compelling, if not exactly complex, characters, they move through absurd situation with ease, and Gilbert Hernandez’s art is — well, Gilbert Hernandez’s art. Which means, of course, pretty much perfect. This isn’t a book that’s up to “Love & Rockets” quality by any means, but it’s not really even trying to match that standard. It’s comfortable simply being the enjoyable, kinda stupid, throwaway yarn that it is. I’ll take it. Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Buy

Jimmy’s Bastards #6 (Aftershock)** – More trademark sick-and-wrong fun from Garth Ennis and Russ Braun as our James Bond stand-in cracks when he finally realizes he’s had literally hundreds of illegitimate kids and that some of his “girlfriends” over the years were actually — uhhhmmm — yeah, anyway, the less said the better. You’d lose your marbles, too, trust me. Depraved shit, even by this creative team’s standards — and yes, I mean that as a compliment. Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Buy

Christopher

Dept H #22 (Dark Horse) The survival of humanity depends on who manages to get to the surface. Revealing that Mia’s father had the cure in locked away in the same room he was killed in. Bringing in an important point, was he saving for humanity, or was he protecting it from humanity? Overall: 8.5

Patrick

Mage: The Hero Denied #5 (Image)**: This is getting a little frustrating. On the one hand, Kevin’s little family life is pretty charming. On the other hand, five issues in, he hasn’t goten around to addressing the real problems in his world. He’s foreverwaiting for people to show up, whether they’re gods, monsters, good guys or bad guys. He sings his wife Magda’s praises for being heroic, yet isn’t doing any of the really heavy lifting. For a hero who’s supposed to be the Pendragon, Kevin isn’t assuming the role of the next phase of that journey and becoming a king. Matt Wagner’s art is lovely, his writing of domestic scenes is pitch-perfect, but the story doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere. Overall: 7. Recommendation: Read

Mage: The Hero Defined (book 2, vol 3) (Image)**: This trade collects #1-8 of the second part of Matt Wagner’s trilogy. There is a lot of fun to be found here – especially for me when the story moves to my hometown of Montreal (where, indeed, there is a giant illuminated cross on top of the small mountain in the centre of the city.) We meet a fun cast of mythical characters – speedy trickster Joe Phat, herculean Kirby Hero, bumbling mage Wally Ut. The action moves along fairly sprightly, the dialogue is nice, and I enjoyed the creative use of its setting. What’s missing is the sense of “why”: why is Montreal the nexus for all this mythical badness? What is Kevin fighting for? Why is the universe suddenly creating all of these vessels and warriors? The work stays firmly – and lightly – on the surface, grazing its themes but never truly digging in and getting to an emotional or visceral core. Fun, playful, yes – but at the same time Mage aspires to be a more meaningful and serious work that, for me, never manages to really challenge and transform its hero. Overall: 7. Recommendation: Read

Kill or Be Killed #15 (Image)** – Brubaker, Phillips & Breitweiser kick off the next arc by taking us to group therapy in the institution where Dylan is trying to get away from his family demon. So we’re really getting into the question of whether this is an actual demon from the spirit world or madness. As always, Dylan’s girlfriend Kira is trying to do the right thing the wrong way, erring on the side of normalcy and not helping in the least. Dylan spends the issue trying to talk about the demon and being shut down time and again, and the pills aren’t helping either. Then, when he finally does share in group… well, let’s just say that, contrary to what he says, Dylan is not taking back control of his life. Excellent. Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Well, there you have it, folks. The reviews we didn’t quite get a chance to write. See you next week!

Please note that with some of the above comics, Graphic Policy was provided FREE copies for review. Where we purchased the comics, you’ll see an asterisk (*). If you don’t see that, you can infer the comic was a review copy. In cases where we were provided a review copy and we also purchased the comic you’ll see two asterisks (**).

Those Two Geeks Episode Fifteen: Year’s End Part Two

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

On the docket this week: The geeks talk about the five movies from the world of geek that really excited them this past year.

As always, the Alex and Joe can be found on twitter respectively @karcossa and @jc_hesh if you feel the need to tell them they’re wrong individually, or @those2geeks if you want to yell at them together on twitter or email ItsThose2Geeks@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you ~~next week~~ in the future!

Underrated: Comics Not In Diamond’s Top 100 For December

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Comics not in Diamonds top 100 sellers for October.

This week we’re going to be looking at a list of comics that are all fantastic, but don’t get the attention that they deserve. Now I’m not even going to pretend to have a definitively exhaustive list of underrated comics here, because we’re hoping that you decide to check at least one of these series out next time you’re looking for something new either online or at your LCS, and giving you a huge list to check out would be counter productive to that. Instead, you’ll find four to six comics that are worth your attention that failed to crack the top 100 in sales. You’ll notice that there’s only one comic from a publisher featured – this was done to try and spread the love around, rather than focus exclusively on one publisher.

Where possible, I’ve also avoided comics that have appeared on the last version of this list, but the only hard stipulation for this week: not one of the comics made it into the top 100 for November’s comic sales, according to Comichron, which is why they’re Underrated.

Catalyst Prime Noble #7 (Lion Forge)
December Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 442 /925
Obviously this isn’t a first issue, but it’s still a criminally unread series that is part of a fantastic and exciting superhero universe. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything under the Catalyst Prime banner.

Skin and Earth #6 (Dynamite)
December Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 263 /4,689
A comic written and drawn by the musician Lights as a companion to her recent album, the comic may not be on your radar, but it’s one that you should take your time with; allow the music and art to permeate your brain and circle around the grey matter before digesting the story. It’s ambitious, but it works.

Judas #1 (Boom!)
December Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 224 /6,671
A very interesting look at Judas after his betrayal of Jesus. It’s a surprisingly ambitious comic that deserves your attention, not necessarily for the subject matter, but rather the unique way the comic is constructed.

Ninja-K #2 (Valiant)
December Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 167 /10,396
A new look at Valiant’s purple clad spy, and the history of MI6’s Ninja Programme is explored in this series. It doesn’t hurt that it’s some of the best writing Ninjak has seen in some time, and the comic looks fantastic; plus, it’s still early enough for you to hop right into the series without having to play significant catch up.

Unless the comics industry ceases any and all publication look for a future installment of Underrated to cover more comics that aren’t cracking the top 100.

DC Rebirth Roundup: Jan 10th’s Comics

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

Apologies for the brevity this week; I’ve been feeling less than stellar this week and put off reading these comics to beyond the last minute.

Action Comics #995. Superman traveled backward in time to witness the destruction of Krypton, but screwed up the timeline and Krypton didn’t blow up. So time traveler Booster Gold went to stop him, and now they’re trying to escape. Or, rather, they did escape, but not alone… this Friendlyish comic can be read without much of a recap. But.. it isn’t great. 6/10

Detective Comics #972 Batman has been rehabilitating Clayface, quite successuflly, but the Victim Syndicate just drove Clayface back to his villainous ways via pain and the removal of his inhibitor bracelet (that kept him human, and somehow by being human in appearance he was less like a monster). Chaotic, Friendly, and not that bad. 6.75/10

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #36 The Guardians have been kidnapped by the Controllers, who are using the Guardian’s life forces to create new Controllers (the two races share the same origin point). Hal Jordan, Kyle Raynor, Guy Gardner and Jon Stewart have mounted a four man rescue mission. The conclusion is pretty Friendly for all. 7.2/10

New Super-Man #19 A day in the life of Laney Lan. It’s Friendly, but not worth reading. 5/10

Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 Bizarro is no longer as thick as a plank, thanks to a little case of death and rebirth, and is creating incredibly tech for the outlaws in their war on crime in Gotham City. The issue is Friendly enough – and I say that as somebody who didn’t read the last issue (or forgot he did). 7/10

Suicide Squad #33 The first part of a new arc. which is typically the best place to jump on board with any series, and this is no exception. Prevous events are utterly irrelevant to this comic, making this nice and Friendly. 6.5/10

Superwoman #18 It’s the final issue. So…. not the best place to jump in.

Wonder Woman #38 Another series that sees the first part of a new story kicking off, which means that, once again, this is a Friendly comic. And enjoyable to boot. 7/10

Titans #19 The Titans saved the world, but it almost went wrong. This issue starts dealing with the fallout, and it is Friendly. 7/10

That’s a wrap for this week folks. I’ll see you next time!

Mini Reviews For The Week Ending 1/6

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews.

Logan

Runaways #5 (Marvel) After lots of moping and different varieties of angst, the Runaways finally have a team reunion and team up to spring Molly and Gert from Molly’s mad scientist grandmother. Kris Anka hits a new level of fluidity in his artwork that ups the comedy and emotional level of different scenes like Gert and Molly having heart to heart’s at night, Nico and Karolina’s complex reunion, and Chase and Victor picking up on their frenemy routine like Victor had never been disembodied. Rainbow Rowell’s plot hits a new level of urgency in this issue while maximizing character relationships by splitting the Runaways into pairs. Runaways #5 might have a little more razzle dazzle than previous issues, but Rowell and company continue to lean into the pain and awkwardness of Gert being snatched out of the timestream before her death in the previous Runaways volume. There are definite consequences. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Mister Miracle #6 (DC)– Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ work in Mister Miracle #6 is a near flawless example of the ability of story and art in comics to create parallel narratives and contrasts. In the issue, Scott and Barda are running away from Orion’s executioners in a series of nine panel grids (And variants) while having Tracy and Hepburn rapid fire banter about how they’ll renovate the bedroom. It’s technically an argument, but Scott and Barda clear all kinds of obstacles in a fluid manner so they’re definitely on the same page relationship-wise. King gets to spend a whole issue focusing on Scott and Barda’s personalities while Gerads gets to unleash his inner video game level designer and give them on hell of a gauntlet to run through. Gerads’ colors on the “underwater level” are especially striking, and there’s a tinge of sadness any time Scott or Barda bring up their upbringing on Apokolips. Mister Miracle #6 seems like a study in formalism a la Watchmen’s “Perfect Symmetry”, but King and Gerads break the rules and page in the end and provide a suitable mid-series climax. Overall: 9.6 Verdict: Buy

Ryan C

Action Comics # 995 (DC)** – The only thing that could make this bog-standard “What If Krypton Had Survived?” Superman/Booster Gold team-up any less inspired would be having Brett Booth come on board as artist, and whaddya know — that’s exactly what happens in this issue. Dan Jurgens obviously has more time for his own creation than he does for this book’s ostensible protagonist, but in this case that’s not such a bad thing because what’s happening with Booster is a lot more interesting than what’s happening with Supes. Which is probably all you need to know about what’s wrong with this comic right there. Overall: 2.5 Recommendation: Pass

Old Man Hawkeye #1 (Marvel)** – I bought this book on a lark, and I guess it wasn’t too bad — but I’d probably rather have my four bucks back. Marco Checchetto’s art is striking and dynamic, aided in no small part by Andres Mossa’s more-than-solid colors, but writer Ethan Sacks delivers more or less exactly the type of story you’d expect given the premise he’s operating with, so — if you’re really into this sort of thing, you’ll probably enjoy it okay, but for the casual and/or curious reader, like myself, there’s nothing on offer to “grab you” in any sort of significant way. Overall: 4.5 Recommendation: Pass

Deadman #3 (DC)** – If you thought Neal Adams wasn’t making any sense before, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Both story and art are completely off the rails here, to the point where not only do I not understand what the fuck is going on, I no longer think it even matters. In other words, this is the most fun I had reading a comic this week. Is it good? Dear God no. But I wouldn’t want to miss out on it for anything in the world. Overall: 0. Recommendation: Buy. Yes, you read that right.

Grass Kings #11 (Boom! Studios)** – After a little bit of a lull, Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins deliver what could very well be the best issue of this series to date, as the central mystery that’s been anchoring the plot is finally resolved — until it isn’t. This book could certainly use some tighter editing of Kindt’s script, as he engages is some weirdly repetitious dialogue, but most of it’s just fine, the plotting is killer, and Jenkins’ watercolor-esque art makes the pages absolutely sing. Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Joe

Mister Miracle #6 (DC Comics) This could very easily be the comic book of the year for me. Yes I know that it is early. However it is THAT good. Tom King is my superstar writer. The selling point of this series continues to be how he takes these “Gods” and puts them in every day human situations without ever making them feel they are above the fray. The way Barda and Scot talk to eachother about making home improvements while effortlessly making their way through assorted death traps, fearsome foes, a sea dragon and fellow New Gods is an absolute joy to read and watch unfold. Mitch Gerads captures each moment with perfection. This has become THE series for me. No joke. I’d give this an 11/10 if I could. Overall: 10/10 Recommendation: Buy. (twice if you can)

Shean

Old Man Hawkeye#1 (Marvel) – In a “set in the same universe “ type story, the creative team gives us a peak into a different and older Clint Barton. As this being the first issue, a lot of it was mostly setup. My first impression is that they look to get into a “ bucket list “ adventure with a last page cameo from Bullseye. Overall, it was merely an okay story so far, I am hoping for more with the second issue. Overall: 7 Recommendation: Borrow

Patrick

Stray Bullets #31 (Image/El Capitan)** – Even with only one good arm, Kretch is still a killer. David Lapham shows us in just a few pages exactly what kind of guy he is by giving him a perfectly normal but frustrating situation – his reaction is perfect. Annie’s too. And Beth and company’s. I have never been so anxious about seeing a rainbow at the end of a story. Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini #2 (Hard Case)** – So Arthur Conan Coyle has hired 20s girl detective Minky Woodcock to investigate Harry Houdini and prove that he is actually a spiritualist. Houdini’s wife has hired her as Harry’s assistant to keep an eye on him. Neither of these things works out as planned. I picked this one up because, as a Montreal theatre guy, we all know about the punch to the stomach he got from a McGill University student, and that event is featured here. Cynthia Von Buhler’s art has a kind of paper-doll quality to it that’s interesting for a 20s series (if a bit stiff for a mainstream comic), but it’s her writing that really shines here. She balances historical events with a fast-moving plot and captures the thrill of watching Houdini work – on stage, debunking spiritualists, and seducing women. It’s tough to not make him the main character, but Minky herself is a treat. Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Buy

Well, there you have it, folks. The reviews we didn’t quite get a chance to write. See you next week!

Underrated: Ivar, Timewalker

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Alex K Cossa

My comic shop recently got the deluxe hardcover edition of Valiant’s Ivar, Timewalker in on a special order for yours truly, which collects the entire twelve issue run in one place for $40. You can also pick up the series in three softcover trade paperbacks, if you’re so inclined, but I’ve become partial to the oversized hardcovers (especially because of the bonus material in the back, but then I love that stuff). I had already read the final four issues of the series long before I started reading the hardcover, which some would think would be foolish, but when you’re reading a book about time travel then it suddenly becomes less foolish.

In order to give you a bit of context, you’ll find the preview text for the series below.

“At this very moment in Geneva, Switzerland, history is being made. A thousand meters underground inside the Large Hadron Collider, researcher Neela Sethi is about to discover time travel – and jeopardize her life in the process. But she doesn’t know that yet. Ten minutes from now, every deadbeat chrononaut, wannabe conqueror, and misguided protector of the timestream will be banging down her door. Good thing that the legendary Ivar, Timewalker, got there first…right? Now it’s down to history’s most jaded, most tempestuous time traveler to stop the worst of everything that is, was, and will be…before time runs out!”

The series was written by Fred Van Lente, who was joined by Pere Perez, Francis Portella and Clayton Henry with Robert Gill, the first issue being released in January 2015, with the final issue coming in December of that year. The twelve issue series is one of the more underrated offerings from Valiant Entertainment, as many people don’t tend to think about Ivar, Timewalker when talking about the great comics to have come from this publisher – myself included.

As a story about time travel, Ivar, Timewalker is a series that rewards multiple readings – indeed, you could reasonably start at the beginning of any of the three arcs within the series, though this is admittedly more difficult to do with the deluxe edition than the single issues or the trades. Van Lente put together a story that will leave you with as many questions as it will provide answers with an intelligent script that effortlessly blends a heartbreaking story of loss, hope and determination with a sly wit that will have you laughing out loud more often than you would expect in a series that, technically, isn’t a comedy.

Time travel, and effects travelers can have on history are touched on, and often provide some interesting flashes to a story that at its heart is a tale of two incredibly different people; Ivar himself, and Neela Sethi – the scientist who will invent time travel. For as fantastical as the scenery is in this series (and thanks to the artists, it truly is phenomenal), the true draw is the relationship between the two leads.

And that relationship is why you need to read this wonderful story at least twice. I didn’t realize how good this book was when I first read it, and I dare say it’ll only get better with time. Pardon the pun.

Time travel has never been so wonderful.

Join us next week where there will doubtless be another movie, series, comic or comic related thing discussed that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.

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