Comics Archives - Page 7073 of 8968

Category Archives: Comics

Review: Batman Beyond #4

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Brett

Everyone knew he wasn’t good enough to be Batman, and now Tim’s mistake has put humanity at risk. But when all seems lost, an old friend takes him back where it all started. Will a gift from the past give Tim what he needs to save the future?

Batman Beyond has taken DC’s weekly series Futures End, and stretched it out, throwing us into that familiar, but different future. Much like Tim Drake, we’re figuring out what’s different, what’s new, and what happened!? This issue has a lot of that in what’s a pretty action-packed story that has the future Batman battling brother Eye, and then catapulting that battle into a new battlefield that I wouldn’t have expected for another few issues at least.

Writer Dan Jurgens has amped up the battle, making it really feel like a final last stand. This is a series whose future might be a bit tedious, and the story feels like anything can happen because of that. This is a good thing as it had me excited to see what’s next and I really felt like anyone could die, be turned, or, well, who knows! It felt like a more adult action cartoon throughout.

Jurgens also digs into Drake’s past and mines the self-doubt and shoes he has to fill. Not just the previous’ future Batman’s but also Bruce Wayne too. It personalizes the story a bit more, and fills it into the legacy of the character nicely.

All that action is brought to us by Bernard Chang who mixes the war-torn environment into a future scape, and a future city with a seamless flow where everything goes together though it really shouldn’t. Brother Eye’s forces too are a mix of familiar robot constructs and twisted nightmares.

The comic felt like one big fight, not something I generally enjoy, until the end, which features a twist that ties in what’s currently going on in the various current Batman series directly into this. It’s not something I thought about, and it shows there’s a greater plan out there for what’s going on. That ending had me more excited to see what’s coming in the next issue.

Story: Dan Jurgens Art: Bernard Chang
Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.35 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Weirdworld #1 Brings the Strange & Bizarre to the Marvel Universe This December!

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Graphic Policy Team

Just when you thought the journey was coming to an end! This December, book an extended stay in the Marvel Universe’s newest and most dangerous destination in Weirdworld #1 – a brand new ongoing series set in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe! Critically acclaimed writer Sam Humphries joins forces with fan-favorite Weirdworld artist Mike Del Mundo for a brand new adventure ripped from the pages of Secret Wars and planted firmly in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe!

In an interview with Marvel.com, Humphries said:

Weirdworld is a place where anything can happen. Weirdworld is a place inside the Marvel Universe. Weirdworld is a place where the lost can be found. But only if you’re strong enough…

Imagine a world of sword and sorcery, a land where lost things go. Now imagine being trapped there with zero sword or sorcery experience! Meet Becca, an ordinary girl in an extraordinary world with one mission in mind – GET HOME ALIVE! Easier said than done! But how did she come to be here? And how can she hope to escape in one piece?

Barbarians! Wizards! Goblins! Even tricked out sports cars! All await Becca around every turn in the depths of Weirdworld. Be there as Marvel’s own twisted fantasy realm comes alive before your eyes as Humphries & Del Mundo plunge headlong into Weirdworld #1!

WEIRDWORLD #1
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art & Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
On Sale This December!

Review: Lazarus #19

Posted on September 2, 2015 by

Lazarus has enjoyed a relatively long run under its publication by Image, and it has done so almost completely through the use of its titular character, the Lazarus protector of the family Carlyle, holding the spotlight for a vast majority of the time in the series. There have been other moments which have examined the post-apocalyptic world which the character lives in, as well as other asides some as the Lift for the elevation of regular citizens into something more, but Forever Carlyle has maintained most of the focus, whether it be her general appeal as a female superhero or whether it be the questions which pertain to her background. A little of that changed in the last issue with the closing panels as Forever was shot and presumably killed with a head wound that she did not seem to be getting up from. The question then becomes exactly what is this series without its main star.

Not surprisingly it is still a lot, and for the first time this gives the other characters time to shine. With Forever out of commission, the squad questions how to proceed, as after all they were supposed to be a small unit on a covert operation, and without Forever they don’t seem to have much hope for the success of the mission. Casey, once lifted in Denver and now a soldier, refuses to back down as she takes command and forces the mission to completion. Meanwhile Michael at the Lazarus compound works feverishly for a solution to the various medical problems, the most obvious of which is Forever’s supposed death.

The change in focus works really well here as the secondary characters get more of the spotlight for the first time in this series. Of course as the series has a presumably preset path upon which it is going to unravel some of the mysteries of this world, it would be nearly impossible to tell this story focusing solely on the main character. Her future allies seem set in the discussion of where she is going and only the question is of how she will get there. In the mean time this was an excellent issue to draw some of the focus away from her only in this series and to put it elsewhere. It adds another layer of complexity to the series and helps to elevate by doing so.

Story: Greg Rucka Art: Michael Lark
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Buy

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Review: Silk #7

Posted on September 2, 2015 by

Thanks to the monthly format of most comics, one of the strangest trends in comics is the rushed final issue. While the creative team has a bigger story to tell for the series main characters, an editorial decision is made elsewhere to cancel the series and what is left is a final issue that has an entire story arc (or more) worth of developments instead crammed into 20 or so pages of panels. The reasons for the cancellation of the series are usually poor sales, but sometimes in the case of Silk it is something else, and that is in this case the tie-in to Secret Wars. While Secret Wars has drawn in most of the main characters into its huge crossover, it has left a few others alone, with their ongoing series somewhat untouched, except by the final end of the Earth, and this has been the case with Silk as well.

This issue tells the story of Silk’s and the Earth’s final hours. Still dutifully responding to her job as a journalist even as the world is falling down around her, she is given an “assignment” by J. Jonah Jameson to go find her brother, or at least the person that might be her brother. She has to make her way through apocalyptic New York City, saving people along the way, unaware that anyone that she saves is getting only a few extra hours of life, not a few extra decades. This does allow the creative team to highlight her character, and she is soon thrown into the situation which the series seemed to be poised to answer over the course of a long run, not rushed into this final issue, the location of her family.

Unfortunately but also predictably, the story ends up missing its mark because of it. The rushed nature of the story detracts already from what has come before, but the tie-in to Secret Wars makes it all the worse as the story is chaotic and unordered. In effect the lasting legacy of this final issue is almost to erase all of the good that was done in this short lives series with this character. She could have used a better send-off, and while she will presumably return in the new Marvel Universe, her handling here is maybe not the best bellwether for her return as this ends up being a rushed mess that does little good and unfortunately leaves the new series on a low note.

Story: Robbie Thompson Art: Tana Ford
Story: 5.5 Art: 5.5 Overall: 5.5 Recommendation: Pass

Review: Mockingbird S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary

Posted on September 2, 2015 by

There has never been a better time to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Although Marvel’s top spy agency is never exactly under the radar, the cinematic universe has added new interesting to the organization as first Nick Fury and Phil Coulson, and then Maria Hill and the members of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pushed the group into the spotlight. Riding the wave of the renewed interest was Mockingbird, a character that had previously died in the comics and was given new focus after her introduction into the television series. Never a headliner, the character had a decent comic past, as a romantic interest for other heroes or as a superhero herself as a member of the Avengers. What has never really happened though is a story which is up to par with what made the character one that could make it on to Earth’s strongest superhero team without any actual superpowers.

If there was ever to be a story about why Mockingbird made it into the team then this just might be it. The story is a relatively simple one as she awakes one morning to find that her mentor is dead. Not willing to take the official answer for the death, she leads her own investigation, one which spends the majority of its time in a morgue room. Although there might not have ever really been anything in the character’s past to make her approachable or even likable, this does as good a job as any to focus on her character and to give her a makeover at the same time. There is also a backup story which focuses on a new hero called the Red Widow, who comes off looking a bit like Black Widow’s teenage sidekick, though it is told in a way which is an interesting take on a superhero origin story.

Some might be turned off of the title from the start because of words like “Anniversary” being in the title, but this issue actually manages to surprise as one of the better releases for Marvel this week, and one which is not thrown into the monumental undertaking that is Secret Wars. Instead it focuses on the character and the plot to tell a compact yet entertaining stories, with some great visuals as well. The main story is much better than the backup story, but both are good enough to pass the test. If this is any indication of the Marvel that is to be in the post-Secret Wars landscape, then it looks as though the company will have some nice surprises in store.

Story: Chelsea Cain & Margaret Stohl Art: Joelle Jones & Nic Leon
Story: 9.2 Art: 9.2 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Detective Comics #44

Posted on September 2, 2015 by

Detective Comics #44 has forced me to say something I never though I would. There is too much Batman and not nearly enough Harvey Bullock in this comic.

The story by Brian Buccellato opens with Harvey Bullock’s partner Yip, being bribed by the Falcone crime family in exchange for the seating position of every police officer at the upcoming circus. It is this story, that has been at the heart of the recent arc of Detective comics. Bullock continues his fight against Montoya to protect his partner, even though they both are aware of Yip’s corruption. This dynamic is endlessly interesting and the conclusion of their story at the end of the issue is well thought out and rewarding; even if the twist was a bit predictable. The problem with this comic is, the story spends too much time on Batman filler, rather than focusing on the relationships within the Gotham City Police Department. Batman spends a good portion of the issue fighting Joker’s Daughter and her enormous Joker robot. She is more of a farce than an actual threat to Batman though. Her reasoning for wanting to destroy the city also falls flat, deriving solely from seeing Batman in a suit and wanting one too. She is quickly dispatched and the narrative really gains nothing from the battle. This causes the conclusion of the Harvey, Montoya, and Yip story to feel rushed. Batman again quickly solves their problem with no real closer for those characters who urgently run to the scene to help but, do not actually do anything. With more time on the actual key characters in this story, this could have been a very solid tale of police drama and distrust.

The artwork by Fernando Blanco on the other hand is fantastic throughout. The Joker robot looks large and intimidating and the destruction it causes feels violent and visceral. There is also a great use of shadow throughout the issue, which takes place entirely at night. The panel layouts are solid and every panel flows well into the next, never taking away from what the fiction is trying to accomplish. Also, the lettering was fantastic in the conversations between Batman in his robot suit and the Joker robot. Each had their own distinct style which really added a uniqueness to the characters.

Overall, this is a solid issue with a bit too much filler in the middle. If you do not mind having Batman take up some space in the middle of a good story, then this is a worthy read.

Story: Brian Buccellato Art: Fernando Blanco
Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25 Recommendation: Read

New Poet Anderson Collection & Art Book with New Angels & Airwaves CD

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Graphic Policy Team

Magnetic Press has announced, in collaboration with To The Stars, a very special hardcover, Collected Edition Art Book for Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker. This gorgeous hardcover collects the entire Poet Anderson comic book series from the vibrantly creative mind of Angels & Airwaves and Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge, co-written by screen writer extraordinaire Ben Kull and illustrated by French illustration virtuoso DJet.

Also included in this edition is a special, limited first edition pressing of the instrumental Poet Anderson album, Dream Walker, by rock giants Angels & Airwaves.

Simultaneously a graphic novel and art book, this edition also compiles the original, never before seen Poet Anderson Universe concept designs, as well as original Poet artwork from a murderers row of the industry’s most talented artists. All of this stunning artwork is presented against a backdrop of an extensive, 12 page interview with Tom Delonge.

More than just a prequel to the film and novel trilogy, the Poet Anderson graphic novel is his must-read origin story. Here is where we meet the Dream World, where this universe’s deep mythology begins to unfold, and here is where Poet’s long and vibrant journey begins. A journey that not everyone may survive…

Hastings and Valiant Entertainment Team for “The Craft of Comics”

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Graphic Policy Team

Hastings stores across the nation have joined forces with Valiant Entertainment for “The Craft of Comics” – a groundbreaking comic book workshop live-streaming with live audience Q&A for four weeks this fall. The month-long in-store event will launch Saturday, September 19th and continue every Saturday through October 10th.

Broadcasting live into more than 140 Hastings locations nationwide, each installment of “The Craft of Comics” will feature a live tutorial with an all-star Valiant creator as they detail the practice and principles underlying one of the four key disciplines involved in the creation of comics: writing, penciling, inking, and coloring.

Each Hastings guest will receive a free exclusive “The Craft of Comics” workbook produced by Valiant Entertainment to create and refine their skills over the course of the four-week workshop. Inspired guests can then enter “The Craft of Comics” contest, where one lucky contestant will emerge victoriously and earn immortal bragging rights by having his or her work published in an upcoming Valiant comic.

Creators schedule to stream live during the workshop include:

WEEK ONE – WRITING:
James Asmus (Writer, Quantum and Woody)
September 19th at 6pm ET (5pm CT, 4pm MT, 3pm PT)WEEK TWO – PENCILING:

Clayton Henry (Artist, Archer & Armstrong)
September 26th at 5pm ET (4pm CT, 3pm MT, 2pm PT)

WEEK THREE – INKING:

Ryan Winn (Inker, Divinity)
October 3rd at 5pm ET (4pm CT, 3pm MT, 2pm PT)

WEEK FOUR – COLORING:

David Baron (Colorist, Bloodshot Reborn)
October 10th at 7pm ET (6pm CT, 5pm MT, 4pm PT)

Contact your local store that will be participating in these events regarding streaming times and other details. Come ready for fun weekends of learning invaluable comic skills and experiencing your exclusive chance to become a published comic book artist!

Review: X-O Manowar #40

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Alex K Cossa

In the aftermath of a horrible tragedy sprung upon him from a series of small yet cataclysmic decisions, Aric of Dacia is caught between the two worlds he’s sworn to protect. As X-O Manowar, Aric has made it his mission to protect the Vine’s mass of alien refugees as they seek asylum on Earth, even though his people want them dead. As he finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, a new threat looms on the horizon, which could endanger the entire planet.

The Valiant Universe has continue to impress me, lately, and this issue is no exception to that. X-O Manowar #40 continues the arc started in the previous issue, Exodus, where we find the eponyous hero trying to forge a peace between the Vine, and, well, everybody else. Although it’s still too early to judge whether the line wide reverberations that will be felt from Exodus will be as hard hitting as Valiant are teasing, thus far the story arc is shaping up very nicely.

Written by Robert Venditti with art by Rafa Sandoval, the second chapter in this arc continues the pace set by the previous issue, and that’s no bad thing.

The art work is of the high quality that I’ve come to associate with comics published by Valiant, and there are some stunning large panel shots in this issue, not to mention some fantastic shots of X-O Manowar in action; Rafa Sandoval captures the inherent power within the suit, and the noble yet deadly nature of the man wearing it very well. Over the past few issues, I’ve really come to enjoy the war in which Aric speaks; Robert Venditti has given him a somewhat unique way of speaking that effectively conveys a man out of time without falling into the faux Shakespearian patterns that certain other characters from history and/or mythology are wont to do.

As far as the story itself goes, I can’t say that I was genuinely surprised by how well the story carried on, because that would be a bit of a lie; what I will say, however is that X-O Manowar #40 met my already high expectations for the issue, which is something I’m excited about. I’m not going to say much more about the story as I’m afraid of giving too much away for those who are yet to read it, but I’m really enjoying the arc so far, and I can’t wait to see where it ends up.

Story: Robert Venditti Art: Rafa Sandoval
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant Entertainment provided Graphic Policy a FREE copy for review.

Preview: Suicide Risk Vol. 5 TP

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Graphic Policy Team

Suicide Risk Vol. 5 TP

Author: Mike Carey
Artists: Elena Casasgrande, Haemi Jang

The Men of Gold, the alternate earth police corps that sentenced Requiem to a life sentence in the F.A.U.L.T.Line for his crimes against humanity, have decided enough is enough. If Requiem refuses to submit to their authority and accept his punishment as his due, they’ll do anything to ensure that justice is served. Even if they have to destroy Earth to serve it… Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten) and Elena Casagrande (Hulk, Hack/Slash) continue the mysterious superhero world of Suicide Risk in this fifth arc, which also includes the celebrated standalone story illustrated by spotlight artist Haemi Jang (Clive Barker’s New Testament). Collects issues #17-20.

« Older Entries Recent Entries »