Category Archives: Reviews

Supergirl S2E4 Survivors Review and Recap

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spg204c-0006r-207945Supergirl continues season 2 in fighting form. Last night’s episode showed us how Mon-El ended up on Earth, treated us to an alien fight club, a little spark of possible romance between Maggie and Alex and, showed us some Miss Martian.

Alex and Maggie team up on a case, leaving Kara out of the loop. After a lead has the duo getting knocked out by a strike team, who kidnaps their prime suspect, the trail leads the two to an underground fight club run to entertain the wealthy by any means necessary. Before Alex and Maggie get caught Supergirl drops into the ring disrupting a fight between Miss Martian & their prime suspect. Supergirl gets the wind knocked out of her by a supersized alien gladiator.

Kara and Alex break the news about Miss Martian to J’onn who goes out to get answers. Winn and Mon-El bond a bit in Mon’s attempt to get out of the DEO solitude. The boys take out on a boys night out to a dive bar where Mon accidentally breaks a guys arm during some arm wrestling. When J’onn confronts Miss Martian she explains the situation she’s in and how powerful and dangerous the people running the fights are. After a heated exchange, she tells him who’s running the fights, Veronica Sinclair aka Roulette.

spg204b-0102r-207944The episode wraps itself up nicely with Lana Luthor giving Kara the address to the fight so she can save a kidnapped J’onn who finds himself in a martian vs. martian battle royale to be the last martian standing. A backup alien is sent in to kill them both and Supergirl arrives and defeats him thanks to a tip from Mon-El. Kara turns in her story and mildly impresses Snapper and Alex gets snubbed by Maggie who is already seeing someone.

Overall this episode was top shelf awesome and I’m really loving the direction that this series has taken since it’s been on the CW.

Overall: 9.1

TV Review: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S2E4 Abomination

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legends-of-tomorrow-season-2Last nights DC’s Legends of Tomorrow was on point. It served up diversity, history, and ZOMBIES. The episode kicked off with a time pirate landing in Mississippi in the middle of the civil war. The team picks up a distress beacon and follows him there. When ordered to stay on the trip with a suitless Ray, Jackson gives a wonderful and poignant mini speech about how the team shouldn’t be worried about him leaving the ship because of the time period because a black man, there isn’t a period in time that is safe for him. The speech and the handling of Jackson’s character is one of the many things I love about the series, they don’t shy away from race relations , racism, sexism and LGB-phobia.

When the team touches down in the past, they rescue a free man and discover a horde of zombies. They were affected by the space pirates cargo which is a bioweapon that turns those who come in contact with it into zombies. Mick gets infected trying to help Jackson and Ray tries to find a cure. The team discovers that the free man was to deliver a message to Ulysses S. Grant that would turn the tide of the war. The team decides to stay and finish Scott’s mission which leaves Sara and Steel having a conversation about women’s equality and how he should do the talking and Jackson & Vixen having to stand by and do nothing while a slave is being whipped for burning a table cloth.

Steel keeps dropping history lessons like some Civil War soldiers were women in drag and he gets to meet one of his heroes, Ulysses S. Grant. Ray and the Professor are trying to cure Mick who is turning at a super fast rate. Jackson and Vixen go undercover as slaves still shook up about the assault they witnessed in their attempt to get the plans for the Union army. There’s a bit of levity injected into the seriousness of the episode thanks to the Professors irrational fear of zombies, the writers keep it funny without taking away from the story itself.

Sara goes on a solo mission to explain zombies to the Union army, which leads her to dropping a severed yet alive head on the desk in the Union camp. Jackson ends up in hot water after accidentally shaking the hand of a white woman to apologize. Mick attacks Ray and the Professor in his almost fully zombified state and they end up stranded in the galley. The Professor feels Jackson’s anger and fear at being chained up in a barn for his “misstep” and Sara and Steel are in a camp that’s being overrun by zombies. There’s a real sense of longing and despair as the team is split into different groups and unable to help each other. You can feel the isolation in their performances, the scene staging, and the writing.

Jackson gets a history lesson and some truth about the evils and pain of slavery after a conversation with some of the slaves he is chained up with. Vixen searches for Jackson since she can’t reach him on his comlink and comes face to face with a monster. Sara & Steel try and find a way to save the Union army from the oncoming zombie invasion while Ray & the Professor try and fins a way to aerosol the vaccine so they can get Mick back. Vixen rescues Jackson and frees him and the saves that he was being held with, among them is a woman from her village who recognizes her amulet and her strength as a warrior but, the rescue goes awry when the barn gets surrounded by a horde of zombies. Jackson finds the plans with the help of one of the rescued slaves and the evil plantation owner gets attacked after refusing to give them weapons to aid in their defense. Sara and Steel formulate a plan to kill a metric crap-ton of zombies by leading them off with the help of some fire and back on the ship the Professor has to face his biggest fear, irrational or not.

The episode wraps up in a pretty realistic, zombies aside, way. Steel lures the zombies that were attacking the camp off to a crate of dynamite and “Steel up” to ignite it, killing them all. Jackson and Vixen escape the plantation as it burns taking the zombies with it and revel in the end of the cruelty. The Professor saves Mick right before he’s about to use him as lunch with the help of the retooled fire extinguisher zombie vaccine delivery system. Jackson delivers the plans to Grant and Sara has a heart to heart with him about being a leader. Ray confides in Mick about feeling useless to the team and they have a nice talk with very little words that ends with Mick giving him the freeze gun of their fallen friend and says that he can be his new partner, making Ray feel like he’s a part of the team again. Jackson and the Professor have a really good mental health check in, about the cruelty of slavery and how hope and dignity will save humanity. The episode ends after this conversation with an old negro spiritual that ties everything together and seems perfectly timed and placed, giving us a somber but , beautiful ending to this episode’s story.

Overall this episode was both heavy and light. It tackled some real issues and didn’t shy away from them. It also provided some light hearted zombie fun. The writers for Legends are amazing and they keep true to the characters and their complexity. They also tell compelling stories and this episode is proof that they are on the right track. The show keeps up with its one battle per segment ratio which gives action lovers something hella fun to see and nothing seems out of place.

Overall Rating: 9.8

Movie Review: Doctor Strange

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Doctor Strange PosterLike a good magician Doctor Strange focuses on the spectacle rather than the substance giving us a visual feast that lacks much depth. follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Based on the classic Marvel character, Doctor Strange was created by Steve Ditko in 1963 first appearing in Strange Tales #110. Known for its trippy visuals, the movie is a basic adaptation of the character focused on special FX as opposed to the story itself.

After having watched the film, it struck me that the movie and character is very much a mystical Iron Man sharing a lot with that character’s first movie and its main character Tony Stark. Both characters are narcissistic womanizers who live fast and play hard, each with their own god complex and only accepting perfection. Each character is injured and seek help to heal themselves eventually getting a suit of armor to help them survive and fight their battles. In Iron Man’s case it’s a literal suit of armor and with Strange it’s an armor of spells… and a cloak. So, Iron Man, but with Christopher Nolan’s aesthetic from Inception.

Directed by Scott Derrickson the film bends reality literally as buildings shift and characters jump around space as if it’s a game of Portal on acid. All of that is impressive and the strongest part of the movie. It distracts you from a main character that doesn’t grow a whole lot and generally unlikeable as a person and a supporting cast that doesn’t have a ton to do.

The content of the film remains pretty faithful for the character hitting the right moments and keeping the basics. Magic is given a bit more of a scientific explanation, and characters and locations are changed a bit as well (which is a whole other issue).

Benedict Cumberbatch does a fine job in the lead role. Lets face it a lot of the film is him being a dick and the rest is his waving his hands and arms in the air casting spells. But, we see a little growth for the character, but there’s still issues that make him generally unlikeable. An example is his inability to take responsibility for the results of his actions. He’s right and do what he wants, then maybe apologize later. It’s a similar role Tony Stark plays, but Stark has a deeper back story and has absolutely grown through his films (and that is a difference, one film from a half dozen).

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, and a wasted Benjamin Bratt are all in supporting roles and generally their talent isn’t used enough. Ejofor is used the best and his Baron Mordo will be a character that should be very entertaining in films to come. Swinton’s role is the mystical guru and her line readings are like a child telling you there is no spoon. McAdams plays flustered or confused for most of the film while Benedict Wong stands out among the bunch. Mikkelsen’s villain is rather boring and he’s a step up and change from the usual evil businessmen that populate previous Marvel Cinematic films. There’s line readings, but the acting isn’t there. I rarely felt realy emotion.

The story itself we could debate if there’s a bigger meaning involing religious extermists, but maybe that’s a discussion for another time.

The movie is amazing visually as the world shifts and turns and 3D is a must. This is the first film I think I’ve seen where the 3D is an absolute and you should skip the 2D. And it’s the visuals you’re going for. They are the draw of a film that feels like it suffers from Marvel’s usual first movie blues. It’s entertaining, but we’ve seen so much better.

Overall Rating: 7.65

Advanced Review: Voracious Feeding Time #1

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Voracious_Vol.2_01_KS_VariantWhen I read the first issue of Voracious, the four-issue miniseries by writer Markisan Naso, artist Jason Muhr and colourist Andrei Tabucaru I immediately fell in love with the series’ incredibly well crafted story, the luscious artwork, and the humour that seemed to flow from the pages with such an incredibly deft pace. In a year with some truly brilliant stories released in comics, from Valiant’s Divinity II, Titan Comics’ Johnny Red and Image’s The Goddamned and Huck, the first Voracious miniseries is still the one sitting at the top of my Best Of 2016 List, in part because of the notion of a dinosaur sandwich, but more so because of the sheer enjoyment the series gave me.

I honestly couldn’t believe it was the creators Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr‘s first published comic. So when I saw that the two had launched a Kickstarter to fund the second series, I jumped at the chance to back what turned out to be my first Kickstarter, only to find out that there was no international shipping (I live in Canada). After a quick email or two, a solution was found, I made  my pledge, and did a little to help the comic get successfully backed.

The digital Kickstarter rewards have been emailed out, including the first issue of Voracious: Feeding Time; a comic that I’ve read twice since receiving it in my inbox.

There’s going to be spoilers for the first series from here on out, so if you haven’t read that yet, do so. Do so now.

As ingenious as the concept of time-traveling chef Nate Willner opening a diner using dinosaur meat is, it was the subtle, almost throwaway line that while killing things in the past may not be the best idea (what with the future consequences, and all), hunting dinosaurs in the past won’t have any impact on our future because the asteroid destroys everything anyway, so why worry?

But what if it wasn’t our past that Nate was returning too? What if his actions were having unintended consequences that he was utterly oblivious too?

That’s the question that Naso asked in the final pages of the original Voracious, and there’s no time wasted as Feeding Time #1 begins in a wonderfully realized alternate timeline introducing Gus Horncrusher, an evolved dinosaur detective who is struggling to remember something that he’s forgotten. It doesn’t take long to figure out why he’s forgotten what he has or who’s fault it is, but by emphasizing the obvious emotional thoughts that Gus is going through Naso allows the audience to immediately switch our position on the dino detective (I can’t be the only one who assumed he’d be the villain in this arc); his ability to infuse so much personality and emotion into the character in such a short time is nothing short of amazing.

A big part of the immediate sense you get of knowing Gus and his partner is down to Jason Muhr’s artwork. I’m reminded page after page just how good this guy is at what he does, whether it’s because of the all-too-human expressions on the very non-human faces, the glimpses of forgotten memories, or the panel layouts, Muhr has delivered the best looking comic in the series to date. But if Jason Muhr has hit a home run, then Andrei Tabucaru has sent the ball out of the park with his colouring work. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name on the Eisner nominations next year.

While both Naso and Muhr have said that Voracious: Feeding Time can be read independently of the first miniseries, you can pick the first trade up at your local comic shop for a very reasonable $15. It’s worth every penny for you to get the most out of this comic.

A comic with only one, albeit pretty major, downside: the long wait to the second issue. Y’see, with issue #1 hitting shelves in December, the disadvantage to the Kickstarter reward is that there’s going to be at least a two month wait until I get my hands on the second issue.

Story: Markisan Naso Art: Jason Muhr Colourist: Andrei Tabucaru
Story: 9 Art: 10 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Review: The Wicked + The Divine #23

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tumblr_ocdihkx6kh1tuoa2wo2_1280Before the start of this latest arc of The Wicked + The Divine titled ‘Imperial Phase (Part I),’ writer Kieron Gillen told readers to expect decadence as the Pantheon finds a newfound freedom in the wake of Ananke’s destruction. Well, decadence was certainly right on the button as we enter the Imperial Phase with a world building issue from Pantheon Monthly. Because of course, there’s a monthly glossy mag dedicated to the Pantheon.

The structure of this issue was mostly done as a way for Team WicDiv to collaborate with Kevin Wada, whose gorgeous and fashionable art has graced many a comics cover and a Twitter feed, but has never been interior for a comic. Instead of making Wada’s style conform to traditional comics format, we instead see a format suited for him: drawing the gods of the Pantheon in the way of a fashion shoot spread. Even Morrigan gets in on the action, which a beautifully gothic set that adds a pop of color to the None More Goth goddess. In fact, all of Wada’s pieces capture the Pantheon’s individual style in such a way that we usually don’t get to see in the regular issues. This is not as a diss to Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson, who still get to shine in this issue with their “advertisements” from Baal and Persephone, but rather highlights how strength in drawing fashion can mean different things with different artists.

The issue pushes the magazine format even more with Gillen taking on more of an “editor” role and asking several of his journalist friends to write interviews with the gods. The results are astounding, from beginning to end. Leigh Alexander’s interview with The Morrigan is especially haunting, not just for the dark imagery Alexander captures, but for how she manages to humanize The Morrigan as someone she could have known back in school. While we as the readers will remember Marian’s backstory from the ‘Commercial Suicide’ arc, this piece is presented as the first time people in the world of The Wicked + The Divine have seen press for The Morrigan. Alexander strikes that balance well, alluding to the backstory of The Morrigan without delving information that isn’t known in that universe.

My personal favorite interview though had to be Laurie Penny’s interview with Woden, titled “Sympathy for the Nice Guy.” Penny constructs the interview as an unwilling assignment, preferring to talk to a “nice” God like Amaterasu or Dionysus and getting the reviled Woden instead. I’m not certain how much of his reviled status is an allusion to his status as the most hated character in WicDiv or is a true in-universe fact, but it’s good to know everyone hates him. Penny throughout the interview tries to understand Woden at least in the way he thinks, but also doesn’t give him quarter for his actions either. Reading it was fascinating and unsettling, and I was worried that something was going to happen to Penny by the end of it. It doesn’t, but it does end with a highly ironic remark from Woden regarding the more problematic aspects of Game of Thrones. Problematic, says the sexist sociopath…

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Through the interviews and notes from our “editor” Kieron, we start to get an idea what life is like for the Pantheon so soon after Ananke’s death. It’s a lot of mystery and growth, with Valhalla being abandoned for The Strand and Baal assuming de facto leadership of the Pantheon since he was the first of the gods to “ascend.” Minerva is struggling some with the death of her parents and the other gods are trying to find balance in the wake of it all. The presence of Persephone worries Woden especially, but you have to wonder how much of that is Woden and how much of that is Persephone. You also get some fun little background details of the gods, such as Amaterasu becoming a god on her birthday/the winter solstice and running to tell Lucifer while she’s in an interview with Mary HK Choi. It was an unexpected surprise to get those kind of details, to say the least.

Early reviews of this issue harkened it to Watchmen in terms of how deep it lets the story run. While I don’t know if I can make the same comparison just yet, the way that The Wicked + The Divine #23 builds the universe of the comic while letting others play in the sandbox is kind of mindblowing. Wada’s art alone justifies the existence of this issue, but the articles by real journalists writing about their interactions with these fictional characters is what makes the issue shine in those spaces between the art. If Pantheon Monthly was to return for another arc, this The Wicked + The Divine faithful would certainly not argue.

Story: Kieron Gillen, Leigh Alexander, Dorian Lynskey, Laurie Penny,
Mary HK Choi, Ezekial Kweku
Art: Kevin Wada, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson
Story: 9.0 Art: 10.0 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Advanced Review: Harbinger Renegade #1

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hr_001_cover-a_robertsonAnyone you know could become a psionically powered “harbinger” with the potential to reshape the course of human history. Your neighbor. Your boss. Your best friend. Your kids.

Six months ago, a secret team of renegade whistleblowers leaked the existence of these extraordinarily dangerous individuals to a stunned world. Today, all across the country, crude, DIY psiot activation attempts have left hundreds brain damaged…or worse. The emergence of a new psiot in a community often leads to riots and mass violence. Gun sales are through the roof.

America is terrified of what could happen next.

With this revolutionary upheaval now in motion, Kris Hathaway, John “Torque” Torkelson, Faith “Zephyr” Herbert, and Peter Stanchek are about to discover their calling. Together, the HARBINGER RENEGADES are moving from town to town, building their ranks, and subverting authority one mind at a time…and setting out to prove once and for all that behind their power, there has always been a purpose.

Alright, so let’s get something out the way right away. I have only read one issue of Harbinger, so I have only the slightest familiarity with the characters involved in the comic – aside from Faith, that is. One of the questions I’ll be asking with this review, is whether new readers can enjoy Valiant‘s newest series, or if you need to read the thirty plus issues of Harbinger and Imperium before picking this comic up, which is a feat I intend to undertake after reading this issue. Which brings up another question: if you read this before the other related series, are you spoiling those for yourself?

Obviously, if you do read Harbinger Renegade #1 before either Harbinger or Imperium then there will be some spoilers; but if you’ve been reading Faith then you’ll already have a pretty good idea about what’s happened (or rather what will be revealed to you) in the other series, but aside from a very general overview, this issue alone doesn’t delve too much into the past other than a two page what has gone before type recap.

So, in answer to my earlier question, despite the rich history of these characters, this comic is absolutely accessible to new readers. Especially those who have found their way here from Faith, which I’m sure Valiant are hoping will happen.

But is the comic actually worth reading?

The short answer is absolutely. The way that Rafer Roberts has written the introductory pages is fantastic; everything a person unfamiliar with the Harbinger story so far will need to understand what follows will be a story about people taking responsibility for their actions. Roberts sets the story very well, showing a different side to his writing than he does with A&A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong‘s far more comedic slant, with Harbinger Renegade already feeling much different in tone than that series. Make no mistake, this is going to be a darker series than A&A, and as far as my understanding of the Harbinger story goes, that’s going to be a very good thing for fans.

Another good thing for fans is the artwork in the issue.

There’s three different teams contributing to the first issue, and they read like a who’s who of Valiant’s artistic talent. Raul Allen and Patricia Martin handle the art and lettering on the introduction pages, Juan Jose Ryp and Frankie D’Armata provide the art and colour art respectively for the prologue, with the main story featuring Darick Robertson on pencils, Richard Clark on inks and colourist Diego Rodriguez. Dave Lanphear is the letter for the prologue and the main story, tying those two teams together.

The three art teams do a fantastic job overall, but it’s in the final pages that we find a brilliant sequence where the there’s no need for too much expository dialogue, and Rafer Roberts allows his artists to depict a superb sequence.

Harbinger Renegade #1 does two things; it gets you thoroughly invested in the series (which is exactly what you want), but it also tells a complete story. If this was a one-shot, I’d be happy with the comic, but as the first issue on the journey to Harbinger Wars 2, I’m as happy as a pig in shit with this comic.

Story: Rafer Roberts
Artists: Raul Allen & Patricia Martin, Juan Jose Ryp, Darick Robertson (P) and Richard Clark (I)
Colourists Frankie D’Armata, Diego Rodriguez
Story: 8.75 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

 

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Marvel Dice Masters: Deadpool: Angel Dust

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marvel-dice-masters-deadpool-angel-dust-chicagoan

This November sees the newest release for WizKids‘ Dice Masters, Marvel Dice Masters: Deadpool. The set is focused on Deadpool’s world including the X-Men and Weapon X, but the set also includes some other familiar characters and the first appearance of the Inhumans team affiliation. I’ll be reviewing a card a day until the set’s release in a few weeks. But, beyond discussing the cards and how they fit into the Dice Masters game, I’ll also focus on the characters themselves and if the card reflects their comic history.

Next up is Angel Dust: Chicagoan, the common version of the card.

Art: Shawn Martinbrough, Morlocks #1

Comic origin: Created by writer Geoff Johns and artist Shawn Martinbrough in 2002, Angel Dust was a mutant who ran away to join the Chicago faction of the Morlocks. She later returned home to her parents after helping the Morlocks and to her surprise her parents accepted her even though she was a mutant.

She lost her powers after the events of the 2005 “Decimation” storyline.

Angel Dust has the power to increase her adrenaline which gives her superhuman strength for a short time period. Her strength can vary depending on those levels and along with her strength her speed, agility, and stamina, are enhanced.

Live action version: Gina Carano played the character in 2016’s Deadpool.

Card playability: It’s interesting the character is a Hydra/Villain affiliation, though I don’t know enough about the characters so there may be an easy explanation for that. With a 5 FIST to purchase and combined fielding costs of 5 the die is kind of expensive to purchase and field, so her use will be in teams that stick around for a while. The card is pretty playable though. Combine it with other cards that force your opponents to block and you have a character that can grow really large easily. Also add in Overcrush and you’ve got a character that can deal some heavy damage too.

Card vs. Comic: Yes. Yes. Yes. The variation in attack and defense values perfectly reflect the character’s varying strength.

Final Thoughts: This card could be fun to play with, especially with a team that’s built around controlling who blocks and getting Overcrush out there. In fact… I might need to put one together.

 

WizKids provided Graphic Policy with FREE product for review.

TV Review: Arrow S5E5 Human Target

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arrowOliver must turn to an old friend when Tobias Church captures one of his new recruits; Felicity’s worlds collide when Detective Malone joins the anti-crime unit.

Arrow improves with this latest episode that has Oliver having to fake his own death to take on Church. It’s a plot twist that we’ve seen numerous times before and there’s nothing new when it comes to that.

To pull off that twist Oliver brings in the Human Target, another DC Comic character who actually had his own show at one point. There’s actually a good twist when it comes to that part that’s not revealed until the end of the episode.

But this episode is that false ending. They deal with Church but that only leads to something even bigger looming, which is a good thing because Church as a villain felt a bit too low level to sustain a season. The name Prometheus is mentioned which is a pretty big character in the DC Universe, so here’s hoping it’s a reference to that.

The bigger part of the episode is Diggle getting back into the groove of things but personal lives is a focus as Felicity’s relationship moves forward and Oliver has to deal with it. There’s a lot of will they, won’t they, but it’s cute and I’m not sure we’ve seen the last of them as a couple.

The end of the episode is where it’s at though. There’s an actual decent tie-in to Oliver’s five missing years and the mysterious archer that’s not the Green Arrow shows up with a pretty big act. We’ll see where it all goes as this is a big improvement from last week.

Overall rating: 7.65

Review: Foolkiller #1

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foolkiller_1_coverGreg Salinger was just your typical merc for hire – FOOLKILLER – killing those that he deemed to be “foolish.” And for money. But that life is behind him now. Today, he’s a psychiatrist, trying to help others. But now S.H.I.E.L.D. wants him to try to rehabilitate super villains. The catch? If these “patients” don’t make enough progress, they’re dead!

Solo, Slapstick, Foolkiller, it feel like the 90s are back in many ways at Marvel as they introduce each character in their own solo series. Written by Max Bemis the series introduces new readers to Greg Salinger, the second individual to take up the mantle of Foolkiller. This version of the character debuted in 1976 and got his own series in the early 90s.

Foolkiller #1 catches up readers and gives us the basics of who Salinger and Foolkiller are in a story that feels really comedic and original in many ways. Like Solo and Slapstick, I went in to the comic asking myself the important question of how this series sets itself apart from the other two or the Deadpool universe of comics the character was spun out of. It partially succeeds in that with an interesting aspect of his being a psychiatrist. The Doc Samson infusion feels like something new and interesting and a comic I’d want to read. And it’s done really well with a first patient that eases us into the concept.

The tone of the comic is what doesn’t feel unique. It has the jokey tone that we see in Deadpool or in Solo and that was perfected in Hawkeye. So, the comic feels like a cope of those series in many ways, just with a different setting. It’s like a write by numbers network sitcom. Change the characters and settings, leave a lot of the rest the same.

Still the idea of his being a psychiatrist is what’s interesting, along with an attempt to lead a normal life. The latter part of the comic indicates that may be the less dominant aspect of the comic, but we’ll see.

Dalibor Talajic‘s art is solid and adds to the humorous tones of the issue. There’s something about it that clicks and the daydream sequences with Salinger left me entertained. It’s solid art that really matches the tone of Bemis’ writing well.

The first issue has some good and it has some bad and as a first issue I want to come back and see what’s next. The big thing for me going forward is how this series sets itself apart from the group of comics it orbits in. So far, they all feel a bit too similar and lack that special something.

Story: Max Bemis Art: Dalibor Talajic
Story: 7.95 Art: 8.05 Overall: 7.95 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Motro #1

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motro-1-coverMotro #1 by Ulises Fariñas is the first entry of the story that spans more than century. The story follows the reclusive Motro’s life as he struggles coming-of-age with superhuman abilities, the death of his father, and deals with the consequences of his actions. The story is set against the intricate and beautiful fantasy world built by Fariñas that includes mechanical Golems, asexual slave dwarves, and ghosts that feed off the emotional events that take place. The first issue dives into Motro’s wild and surreal coming-of-age and introduces the enormity of the world he finds himself alone in.

Motro #1 is an interesting first issue that throws us into this new world with little explanation of it. There’s vehicles which seem to talk and a Mad Max vibe about it all, but the history and what’s going on is left to be discovered down the road.

That aspect is actually a lot of fun due to the fact that things seem to just happen, catching readers off-guard. Comments are made that tease a rich backstory, but we the readers are left to imagine exactly what that is. There’s an excitement about that and I found myself smiling as more and more is revealed along the way.

Fariñas art with Ryan Hill‘s colors has a Heavy Metal vibe about it. The world is interesting and the details for every character, vehicle, and building feel like each tells a story about what has happened. There’s also some great humor with the vehicles who talk but with images as opposed to words. That adds small, entertaining details that get you to chuckle throughout.

I still have no idea where this series is going or what to expect, but I’m interested in seeing where it’s all going and what Fariñas has in store.

Story: Ulises Fariñas Art: Ulises Fariñas Color: Ryan Hill
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.15 Overall: 8.15 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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