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Review: Daredevil #1

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Brett

Back in black and on his home turf, Daredevil begins again in New York City as a new enemy emerges. Meanwhile his alter ego, Matt Murdock, is on a new side of the law in the District Attorney’s office. Fighting crime in the shadows, prosecuting bad guys in the light, it’s a whole new chapter for our man without fear—including the arrival of the devil’s advocate. Welcome to Hell, Blindspot.

While some things are familiar, some things remain the same with the fifth volume of Daredevil kicking off with this week’s Daredevil #1. Written by Charles Soule, a real-life lawyer, Matt Murdock and Daredevil are again a secret with Matt Murdock practicing law in New York and Daredevil aiding him to deliver justice.

But, there’s some things that are very different. No longer defending individuals, Murdock is now prosecuting bad guys bringing together his day and night-time activities. Now, working as an Assistant District Attorney, Murdock is using his knowledge and skills to send criminals to jail through the legal process, instead of just implementing vigilante justice.

That subtle change is a big different in the Daredevil world.

Before, there’d be times where those two roles, defense attorney and superhero, would clash having justice being delivered by Murdock only in after hours. Here, he does double dose, and Daredevil is used more as a way to protect those needed to properly prosecute. Daredevil has gone from offensive to defensive in that way. An interesting switch which should be fun to see how it plays out.

New too is Blindspot, a new character who was introduced in the recent Point One comic. It’s helpful to read it to catch up on the character, but his introduction will be fascinating to see how it plays out. His use in this first issue feels a little forced in, and not natural for those who might have missed that comic. He kind of comes out of no where, pun intended. But, Daredevil with a protegé, especially this one, is something that could make this run stand out or sink depending on how he’s used.

The art is awesome and in many ways pays homage to two greats Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Artist Ron Garney just does a fantastic job of presenting the character immediately cementing his vision for the series, and not playing off of the visuals of the past two. Garney is helped with Matt Milla who I assume is the one who’s responsible for the minimal color use, sticking to shades of black, red, white, and blue. It’s just a beautiful comic to look at.

Soule, Garney, and Milla set out to create a distinctive voice and look from the previous run, and they succeed. It’s best not to judge on what has come before since this is so different and is clearly trying to be. So far so good, in that the character is being brought back to his roots in many way, and at the same time we’re being given new things to keep us on our toes. I expect the first issue to be solid, and this team delivers an entertaining read.

Story: Charles Soule Art: Ron Garney
Story: 8.1 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.3 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: X-O Manowar: Commander Trill #0

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Alex K Cossa

From Aric of Dacia’s escape with the X-O Manowar armor to the destruction of his own home world, pain and consequence have haunted the life of the alien general called Commander Trill. Now, on the eve of the most devastating assault yet, find out why with an essential, standalone zero issue detailing the battle-scarred life and origin of the Vine’s mightiest military leader…and an all-new prelude to X-O Manowar’s most terrifying clash of the year!

Valiant ave billed this as an all new jumping on point, and it is, but is it worth reading?

Well that ultimately depends on how familiar you are with the publisher’s comics.

It’s always interesting to get some background on a villain prior to a massive battle, and getting to explore their motivations, so being able to see the reasons behind Commander Trill‘s hatred for Aric of Dacia is an interesting opportunity for one such as myself how is only relatively new to Valiant‘s rich history. I’ve had some small exposure to the character of Commander Trill in the past with only the barest hint as to what drives the alien, so this was a welcome insight into the history of a character who’s poised to become a much bigger threat in the future.

Written by Robert Venditti, with art by Francis Portella the one shot X-O Manowar: Commander Trill #0 is basically an extended biography of the alien general. That’s not a bad thing, however, as this is a really enjoyable comic with some fantastic art work.

But, and let’s be totally honest here, if you’re not already reading X-O Manowar then you’ll probably skip over this, and I can’t really blame you for doing that, but you’re missing out on one of the best series on the racks right now, and this one shot will provide some interesting (if not entirely required) back story to a character that’s set to become a major threat to Aric of Dacia in the future.

Scoring this is a bit of a conundrum; if you’re already reading X-O Manowar, then you can add another half point to the overall score and switch my recommendation to a read for this comic. If you’re not already reading the series, then I’d highly encourage you to start, but probably not here; so pass, for now, on this comic. Instead look for either issue #39 (the start of Exodus) or issue #43 (the start of the next arc). You don’t necessarily need to read the first trade (I haven’t) to get an idea of the characters origin as Valiant do a bang up job of catching you up on that with their recap pages.

Story: Robert Venditti Art: Francis Portella
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: It’s complicated.

Valiant provided Graphic Policy a FREE copy for review.

Review: Heart of Weirdness

Posted on November 30, 2015 by

Strap in readers for one heck of a ride! Heart of Weirdness is a romping genius of a comic, which unites color and art with good minimalist writing, allowing the reader to become absorbed in the artwork and really feel the story. The use of color throughout is strikingly impressive and immersive.

The issue centers around a mad military scientist who has turned on his colleagues (an alien species) and is fully armed, dangerous and a bit of a psychopath! A soldier is selected to travel to the same alternative universe and “neutralize” the threat. Chosen for his previously demonstrated mental strength, this soldier is deemed the least likely to suffer mentally as a result of the mission. This is a central consideration as nobody actually knows how far the soldier’s sanity will be stretched when traveling to an alternative universe, or in deed, locating and dealing with the target.

The soldier is given a nifty device which really does come in handy in multiple sticky situations. I absolutely love the way that this device is drawn and the label descriptors that allow the reader to understand how the device works, and the purposes it might be helpful for. It’s a really good touch to bring the reader into the story.

The writing, by Seth Andrew Jacob, in this issue is minimal, used only where needed, and there are several pages with absolutely no writing. This is something I particularly liked about this comic as all of the writing is good, with no elaborate and unnecessary embellishments.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this issue. It is bright, colorful, weird and most importantly: something different. If you are looking for something fresh then this is definitely the comic for you.

Story: Seth Andrew Jacob Art: Alchemichael Colours: Pete Toms Letters: Colin Bell Design: Dylan Todd
Story: 8 Art: 10 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Seth Andrew Jacob provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for rview

TV Review: The Walking Dead S6E8 Start to Finish

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Brett

With no way out, Rick and the people of Alexandria must defend the community against the invading herd.

The Walking Dead wraps up with a mid-season finale that some how makes an epic story feel really small. The story focuses on two groups of survivors as the walkers flood in to Alexandria. The first is a group led by Rick and the second is Morgan and Carol.

The first group involves Rick, Michonne, Carl, Deana, Gabriel, and more. The group is an interesting focus in that it’s a microcosm discussing life and death in this new world. Individuals do die, and others wish they died, or attempt to. And, some actions make things even more difficult for the group.

It’s all fascinating, in that with what we expected to be a grand episode with lots of action was anything but. Instead, it’s a character study, like much of the series. The walkers are just props to see how a group and people would act in this world.

That’s also the focus on Morgan and Carol’s story arc. Carol knows something is up with Morgan who is hiding one of the member’s of Alexandria and a Wolve in his basement. This leads to a confrontation that’s best not to spoil. Again, it isn’t about the fight, but the debate about what should be done. Whether in this world enemies must die, or does killing make them no better than the walkers? It’s a fascinating debate that will rage for the rest of the season and well in to the next.

Started by a major moment, leading into an invasion of walkers, instead of a action filled shoot-em-up episode, we get what amounts for a quieter episode that focuses on who these people are, and what it means to survive in this new world.

Overall rating: 9.65

Holiday Gift Guide: Pandemic and more games!

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Brett

Graphic Policy is going over and showing off some great choices for gifts this holiday season. In this video I discuss Pandemic from Z-Man Games, a fantastic game for 2-4 people and a great gift for folks looking to get more in to board games.

This is a fantastic game for folks who want to get in to board games and is not sure what to get after Ticket to Ride or Settlers of Catan.

Here’s some of the best prices we’ve found for Pandemic.

You can also find more board game deals just in time for Cyber Monday.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Unboxing: KOVOT Gamer Chip and Dip Dish and Review

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Brett

KOVOT reached out to us to give a review of their Gamer Chip and Dip Dish.

The ceramic chip and dip tray looks like a video game controller, making for a fun piece for gaming night or a gift for a gamer friend.

The dish is an interesting piece that at least fits a theme if you wanted to put something out to match a gaming night. There’s some heft to the ceramic piece, and because it’s ceramic that also means you need to handwash it. The good is that it’s relatively cheap and provides a fun piece to discuss things. The downside is that the painted buttons on mine weren’t centered well, and it doesn’t fit a whole lot of chips. Check out these images.

Overall, a cute item that might be nice as a present for someone you know is a big video game player, but there’s definitely better dishes out there for those looking for something practical.

And you can order one if interested.

KOVOT provided a Gamer Chip and Dip Dish for FREE for review, as well as paying Graphic Policy for review.

Review: Illuminati #1

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Troy Powell

I love a good redemption story, and I must confess I have a love for all of Marvel‘s naughty and secret clubs. That was my main draw to the latest Illuminati title which sees Parker Robbins AKA the Hood venture forth with his own iteration of the iconic group. Illuminati is essentially a redemption story, and follows the struggle of Titania as she adjusts to post-incarceration life. It’s an endearing story and Williamson does a very good job building pathos for the character. Long story short Titania is set up to fail courtesy of the Hood, who usurps her attempt to go on the straight and narrow with a strategically timed set up. Hood then later inducts her into his new Illuminati.

Though it was nice to see Titania make an earnest attempt to turn over a new leaf, it was a bit painful to see her get duped like this. Doubly so considering her recent possession by the Serpent/Skirnn during the Fear Itself event. Side note I had a bit of disappointment that this was not mentioned at all hopefully it will be addressed in a subsequent issue. The Hood was one member of Norman Osborn’s past Cabal who I felt did not get to flex his muscles enough with the other members. To me he was so perfectly conniving and resourceful that I always wondered how he would perform in non-criminal settings. His ability to network, his knowledge of what battles to join in, and his endless ability maneuver any leverage point he could was and remains very impressive.

Speaking of rehabilitation, and transitioning to the non-criminal world, Illuminati #1 offers some interesting arguments regarding the state of criminals. Where Titania seems to champion the premise that one can make a change and that it would make for a better life, the Hood’s sentiments are more fatalistic. The Hood maintains the view that villains will never be accepted for anything other than what they are, and any attempt to change that will relegate them to a second class citizen status. The Hood somewhat undermines his argument, in that he actively sabotages Titania’s attempt to explain herself, after her foiled employment gig. If Hood truly believes that villains are doomed to constant disenfranchisement he probably wouldn’t have intervened personally as quickly as he had. This adds an interesting wrinkle to his relationship with Titania vis-a-vis their membership in the new Illuminati. It is based on mutual self-interest but mostly cemented through deception that should lead to some interesting developments going forward.

The Illuminati has become a recognized brand and property, and by virtue of that, this newest iteration will have some big shoes to fill. For me the main draw to previous titles has been the political intrigue of the group’s respective missions and some of the controversial memberships. I judge each Illuminati by the influence and connectedness of its membership and what they set out to accomplish. By this standard I am a bit underwhelmed by the current team up. We have the Black Ant, Enchantress, Thunderball and the Mad thinker, who are joined by both the Hood and Titania. Kind of a lackluster assemblage in my opinion. The Hood introduces the teams inaugural mission which will be a heist of Asgardian Weaponry. If this sounds familiar it should. Norman Osborn’s black ops thunderbolt team tried to pull of the same gig during the Siege event. I don’t want to throw out the baby with the bath water, Illuminati is a curious title that sheds light on the disenfranchisement of Marvel’s villains, at the same time however it will need to do more to distance itself from patterns and themes we are already familiar with and show us why it’s members are worth their salt. I’ll keep reading for now just out of curiosity and my soft side for the underdog.

Shawn Crystal‘s art was a pleasure, to my knowledge this is the first time I am seeing it. He does a good job capturing some really menacing expressions from the Hood, whose power set also lends itself well to some creative artistic expression. No matter what power set or demon Hood has sold himself out to at a given time (Norn Stones or being pimped out to Dormammu) Hood has always had some interesting artistic effects to showcase his power set, this issue was no exception in that regard. Crystal also had some fun dragon effects when Iron Fist was fighting Titania that was really fun to see.

Story: Joshua Williamson Art: Shawn Crystal
Story: 7 Art: 10 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

Review: Comic Bento November 2015

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Alex K Cossa

Comic Bento is a subscription mystery box service from Blind Ferret that’ll run you from $20 (or less depending on how many you sign up for) plus shipping, with a different theme each month to give you an idea of what to expect. This is the second Bento I’ve received, and after really enjoying the first one back in September, I was curious to see how good the comics in this one would be.

Shipping on a monthly schedule with a different theme with each box, Comic Bento will set you back about $20 (for the standard month, but longer subscriptions are available at a lower cost per box) plus shipping costs (just over $12 to Canada, $5 to the US), which really isn’t too bad. Now, obviously, the type of graphic novels you receive may not all be your cup of tea, or you may love each and every one in the box but that’s often the risk you run with any of the numerous subscription boxes out there. That being said, however, the value of getting four books for $20 or less before shipping is hard to argue with. The theme for November was “Button Mash,” and I was pretty sure we’d get at least one or two video game based comics, and I wasn’t wrong.

So, what I’m sure you’re all wondering is what was in the box?
Included this month, along with a handy dandy card to give you all the info about the comics are, with all prices are listed in US dollars:

Marvel Superhero Contest Of Champions (Marvel) $7.99

Penny Arcade: Attack Of The Bacon Robots (Dark Horse) $12.95

Tomb Raider: Season Of The Witch (Dark Horse) $19.99

Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man: Worlds Collide (Archie) $11.99

The total value, based on the prices listed on the back, comes in at $52.92. Not too shabby for a $25 – $32 box, eh?

Now, monetarily the value is there if you look at the prices on the back of the comics, but these aren’t exactly brand new comics, either, although there are at least three I’m very interested in reading. The other? I’ll read it anyway because, well, why not?

How do those fit into the “Button Mash” theme? Well, that should be fairly obvious for three of the four, and the included card gives the reason for Contest Of Champions being included as an homage of sorts to the fighting game genre. I’ll not complain.

When it comes to the graphic novels within the box, I’m really happy with the Penny Arcade comic. It’s been awhile since I used to check their website regularly (but then again it’s been awhile since I was checking any videogame related website regularly), but the webcomics were always very interesting. The Tomb Raider comic looks pretty interesting, and I’m curious to delve into a series that I otherwise wouldn’t. The graphic novel I’m most excited for is the Contest Of Champions from Marvel. It’s a reprint of the 1982 mini series (this particular reprint is frm 2015) that’s a glimpse into the state of the Marvel Universe over thirty years ago. The comic ‘m least interested in also exemplifies the theme in the best way (for me at least) Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man features the character that I remember so clearly from my childhood; Sonic the Hedgehog. Although this is the one that holds the least interest for me, I have a feeling it’ll be one of the comics I enjoy the most.

If you’re looking to read full stories, or at least a full graphic novel or four each month rather than single issue comic books from your subscription mystery box, then Comic Bento is definitely something you should check out. The deadline to sign up for each box is around the middle of the month (the 15th), and the theme for December is “Throwbacks.” If you want to check out Comic Bento, click here and use promobento5 to save $5 on the single month, or promobento10 for $10 off the next level up.

This post, also posted on Ramblings Of A Comics Fan, contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Mini Reviews For Week Ending 11/29

Posted on November 29, 2015 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.

Alex

All-New Wolverine #2* wasn’t as captivating for me as the first issue. It did advance the story a fair bit, perhaps more so than the first issue, and there was some nice glimpses into Laura’s life away from the X-Men and her skill set. But it just felt… lacking to me. Perhaps a victim of my own high expectations? If you read this comic, I genuinely hope you enjoy it more than I did. Overall Rating: 7 Recommendation: Read

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1* – Yeah, this series is going to be amazing. The set up this issue is fantastic. Overall Rating: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy now so you don’t have to play catch up later

Tempered Steele #1 looks like it came straight out of the 90’s. It probably could have stayed there. Overall Rating: 6 Recommendation: Pass

Brett

Angela: Queen of Hel #2 * The comic has fantastic art, which is generally better than the story which feels a little plodding. It has some of the narrative issues that I found irritating in The Mighty Thor in its last run. Still, the concept is interesting and I want to see what a Hel is like with Angela in charge. I’m just not sure I’ll stick around to actually see that. Overall Rating: 7.4 Recommendation: Read

All-New Wolverine #2* – I wasn’t blown away by the first issue and the second doesn’t quite do it for me either. Again, the comic feels like its cribbed a bit from Orphan Black, but missing what makes that show fun. Overall Rating: 6.5 Recommendation: Pass

Batman: Endgame #1 Director’s Cut – The comic initially was a solid read, so to be able to check it out again, this time with notes from the creators and a look at the pencils is really cool. I’d love to see more of these types of releases especially in trades and graphic novels. The pencils especially are amazing to look at. Overall Rating: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 * – The second issue feels a lot like Ghostbusters in many ways. In fact dump Egon, Ray, Peter, and Winston and it’d totally be exactly that. It’s not a bad thing, and that type of comic is missing from the Marvel line-up. The comic is decent fun, didn’t quite blow me away, but the concept is interesting. I’d maybe prefer a more hardcore horror vibe and look, but I’m interested in still seeing where the series goes. Overall Rating: 7 Recommendation: Read

Superman #46* – I can see what writer Gene Luen Yang is going for in the current arc. There’s an attempt to talk about the mythology of the superhero through a fight club. It’s an interesting concept, but the execution doesn’t quite work for me. Also Superman’s return is being choreographed a bit too much. Just not clicking. Overall Rating: 6.5 Recommendation: Pass

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #2 * – The comic continues to be very cute and fun. It continues to find humor in the small things, and the writing is top notch when it comes to that. Just a solid fun comic that pulls of its goal of entertaining through humor. Overall Rating: 7.8 Recommendation: Read

Elana

The Fadeout #11 – The best noir comic. One point that needs to be repeated is that frequently when watching film noir or reading crime fiction there is a certain sense of alienation that the reader experiences from the subject matter. Here that’s not the case. I really care about the characters, the screenwriter protagonist, his friend the blacklisted screenwriter. But especially the women– both living and dead. It makes the cliffhanger at the end of this issue really hard! Stunning period perfect art too. Overall Rating: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Kaptara #5 – Super fun He-Man on acid with a queer sensibility. The art reveals more and more the longer you look at it. Seriously, go back and look over former issues to see funny and inventive details you missed. The final two page spread presents a cast of villain characters that’s quite something to behold! Overall Rating: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 – Funny and emotional too. I’m sure many kids in comic reading demographics will identify with Lunella’s problems at school (“too smart for her own good”). I’m glad to see key aspects of Kirby’s original designs and worldbuilding are still there. And boy do we need more protagonists like Lunella. I’d give it an 8.5 for kids.

Mr H

Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1* – Wow. All I could think while reading this is, why couldn’t this be what the Dark Knight Strikes Again have been? The art by Kuburt fantastically channels Miller in many shots (especially the long ones) I enjoyed seeing Diana and Lara again too. I liked the use of texting and social media in a stylized manner to tell the story’s introduction. I won’t spoil the ending but the cliffhanger was epic. The back up story drawn by Miller featuring The Atom was great too. This book was worth the wait. Only problem is I have another wait until the next one! Overall Rating: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Shean

Andre The Giant: Closer to Heaven TPB – I was a huge fan of wrestling when I was a child so definitely was hyped about this trade. Read the TPB by First Second, which was great , so was not sure how good this was going to be, in my opinion it surpassed it. Excellent overview of Andre’s life by Brandon Easton. Remarkable illustrations by Denis Medri.
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Definitely Buy

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

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 (**).

Review: Adam.3 #4

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Christopher Scott Author

Scott Kolins (The Flash, The Avengers) continues his career highlight with “Death”—part four of S.E.E.D.S. How can Adam survive when his paradise has transformed into a haunting nightmare? Family and friends all seem lost as the infectious monster JRMM reveals a new, dark secret! DO. NOT. MISS.

The dark creature continues its reign of terror and conquest like it did in the last issue. However in this issue it seems much more focused, on taking over Adam’s world. Even going so far as to attack, Adam’s wife. That combination of events makes this issue causes this issue to increase the pace of it, to an almost breakneck speed. Honestly, that defiantly makes this issue a thrill to read. Hopefully that pace continues in the last two issues.

This is continues the contrast, and balance of light and dark in its color scheme. Even the presence of the darkness brought about by the creature, is greatly tipping the color scale, towards the dark as it spreads over the land. However some color still remains in the vibrant golden dress worn by Adam’s wife is an abnormally bright spot. Along with the ocean, and its creatures oddly enough.

Story: Scott Kollins Art: Scott Kollins
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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