Category Archives: Reviews

Universal Monsters Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Dives to the Depths of Monstrosity

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Universal Monsters Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! #2

Nearly drowning in the Amazon, reporter Kate Marsden caught a glimpse of a mysterious aquatic creature while looking for serial killer Darwin Collier. Similar to Kate, returning Doctor Thompson and his assistant Christiano have been investigating a series of mysterious drownings in the region and believe it to be the work of the Gill-Man. Kate, firmly on the trail of murderer Collier, thinks he is behind it. With mysterious black sand found in the latest corpse, the trio heads to the lagoon to discover the identity of the killer. Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 by Dan Watters, Ram V, and Matthew Roberts dives into the murky waters of this murder mystery. 

The lines between humanity and monstrosity get blurred as the characters not only question who can commit such horrific murders but also how they see the Gill-Man as well. Considering how Collier nearly killed Kate by drowning her while back, she understands how horror can exist in humans and cannot accept the notion of a monster genuinely existing. Thompson, who survived the events with the Creature from the first film, only sees a mindless killer monster who lacks humanity and needs to capture it to learn its secrets, akin to Ahab. Then comes Christiano, a local to the region, who understands and respects the power of the Creature. Lastly arrives Collier, who sees the Creature’s killing as a beautiful sight to behold. These differing and conflicting opinions demonstrate the extended staying power of the Universal Monsters, where the Creature can be as monstrous as he can be sympathetically human. The monster exists as a screen for the reader to place their fears, anger, joy, and other emotions to see what they believe exists within the Gill-Man. Much like the rivers it lies in, one only has to look in the water and see what it reflects.

Dan and Ram also evoke the original movie through mirrored moments. They never replicate or recreate said moments but hearken back to the powerful imagery, such as the Gill-Man swimming underneath the boat, Thompson wanting to find the Creature for scientific reasons, or the Creature falling in love with Kate. These aspects never come across as a rehash since they feel earned and essential to Dan and Ram’s narrative. With the comic acting as a sequel to the original, it makes sense to listen back to these famous moments, but they always do so with a twist. More importantly, Kate’s not knowing the Gill-Man and believing him to be imaginary adds a wrinkle to that relationship. 

Matthew’s art and colorist, Dave Stewart, continue their incredible work in this issue as they go from the gorgeous natural lagoon in the Amazon to moments of horrific action of the Gill-Man murdering a Narcos. Their paring brings a lush beauty mixed with shocking moments of violence to the comic that aligns with what came before in the original film. With letterer DC Hopkins, Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 is an immaculate work of art perfectly encapsulates why we became enamored and attached to the property. 

Dan, Ram, and Matthew have delivered another phenomenal issue that fully lives up to the legacy of the iconic monster. Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 accomplishes what every successful sequel does: build upon the original’s foundations and take the material in interesting new directions. The issue serves on both accounts as a love letter for long-time fans and an introduction to new people. Dan, Ram, and Matthew show that you can never kill the Gill-Man since he will keep swimming and re-emerge from the depths.  

Story: Dan Watters and Ram V Art: Matthew Roberts 
Color: Dave Stewart Letterer: DC Hopkins
Story: 9.6 Art: 9.6 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Read

Skybound provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Wolverine #50 wraps up the latest volume with ho-hum finale

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Wolverine #50

It’s all come down to this: the final battle between Wolverine and Sabretooth. The “Sabretooth War” concludes in the way it began – a violent, bloody battle – but WHO will be left standing? Wolverine #50 wraps up the brutal confrontation between Wolverine and Sabretooth delivering a hallow finale.

Written by Benjamin Percy and Victor LaValle, Wolverine #50 gives readers a final battle between the two foes wrapping up “Sabretooth War” as well as this latest volume of the series. The story up to this point has been brutal at times with a massive body count that has included some surprises. As expected, Logan and Victor battle it out until one is left standing. And, it’s a brutal one with body parts being sliced off and blood spurting. But, in the end, it all feels rather hallow.

There’s a lack of real emotion to Wolverine #50 as the main story wraps. Creed’s horrible actions are recounted emphasizing his lack of empathy or reflection on any of it. But, Logan shows that same sort of brutality with what feels like no reaction from him or anyone around him. Usually when a person is chopped into bits there’d be some sort of shock, but everyone comes off as rather numb which feels like it diminishes the contrast that’s painted in the text. There’s a disconnect with what we’re told makes Logan different from Creed. We’re told it and not shown it at all.

The art at times is solid and at others its a panned out mix of things that’s just ok. Geoff Shaw, Cory Smith, and Oren Junior all handle the visuals with Alex Sinclair on color and lettering by Cory Petit. There’s some solid action but like the story itself, the visuals don’t feel like they drive home the brutality of it all. Even with Creed laying at Logan’s feet, it feels more comedic than sad or shocking.

The comic features two additional stories. One features writing by Larry Hama with art by Daniel Picciotto, color by Yen Nitro, and lettering by Cory Petit. The other features a story by Benjamin Percy, art by Javi Fernandez, color by Matt Hollingsworth, and lettering by Petit. Both have their moments and would feel right at home in an anthology celebrating 50 years of Wolverine but here there’s a feel like they’re just tacked on and not as much a celebration.

Wolverine #50 wraps things up and celebrates 50 years more with a whimper than a bang. The comic isn’t bad but it also doesn’t quite excite either. It’s perfectly fine wrapping up the story arc and the series. What it doesn’t do is excite for what comes next beyond a few pages shown and doesn’t feel like much of a celebration of an iconic character.

Story: Benjamin Percy, Victor LaValle, Larry Hama
Art: Geoff Shaw, Cory Smith, Oren Junior, Yen Nitro, Javi Fernandez
Color: Alex Sinclair, Matt Hollingsworth Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

A Business Proposal Vol. 5 is the best volume yet. A fantastic rom-com

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The big day is finally here. Taemu takes Hari to meet his grandfather and receive his blessing…only for her to be flat-out rejected! But Hari has come too far to give up. Fishing, hiking, watching dramas―if it means getting on the chairman’s good side, she’ll do it all! Meanwhile, Yeongsuh faces relationship problems of her own when her father tracks down the lowly secretary who dares date his daughter. And when Sunghoon comes back from the meeting, he seems a changed man, his face devoid of its usual warmth and sweetness…

Story: Haehwa
Adapted by: Perilla
Art: Narak
Translation: Tapas Entertainment
Letterer: Abigail Blackman

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon
Kindle

Yen Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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Alterations is a wonderful graphic novel about family and finding confidence

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Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either–being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee?

Story: Ray Xu
Art: Ray Xu

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

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Amazon
Kindle

Union Square Kids provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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Man’s Best #3 Complicates the Pets’ Mission and Relationships

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Man's Best #3

Trapped in an alien world, mech-suited animals Athos, Porthos, and Lovey continue to traverse the strange landscapes to find their owner, Doc. After Lovey gets incapacitated by a tiny alien, the other two pets are transported to another realm of the planet. With tensions between Athos and Porthos continuing, they must sort through their problems in a trippy psychic realm that leaves them both emotionally open. With emotionally solid writing, imaginative sci-fi world-building, and lovable characters,  Man’s Best #3 by Pornsak Pichetshote and Jesse Lonergan remains a unique and remarkable title. 

Athos and Porthos’s rocky and complicated relationship serves as the emotional crux of the issue. Athos wants to be the leader but lacks confidence, and Porthos never listens to his friend, creating this rocky rift they must overcome. Pichetshote never paints either character as entirely wrong but highlights the difficulty of working together as a team. Their differing viewpoints create engaging interpersonal drama that makes survival a goal not only for the planet but also for the survival of their relationship. Lastly, this conflict humanizes Athos and Porthos by giving them these relatable characteristics and emotions that further our investment in them and their relationship. 

Pichetshote and Lonergan’s decision to make the world even more alien and weird makes the sci-fi elements stand out even more. Going from a robotic world to a winter realm filled with sentient psychic ice, the readers wonder where the pets could end up next. It also helps to differentiate the challenges and obstacles the trio will face. Similarly, placing pets in this diverse world creates different problems and solutions than if a human were in this situation. It also helps drive the conflict naturally, such as when Athos and Porthos have an emotional argument where nothing is hidden due to their minds linked by the ice. Pichetshote and Lonergan continue to exceed our expectations of what type of realms the animals will experience by making them much more imaginative and different from the past ones.

Longergan’s art takes the readers to some of the most fascinating and offbeat sci-fi biomes and creatures in Man’s Best #3. Outside of the sentient ice locale, the way he depicts the psychic hivemind shared by the ice, Athos, and Porthos is mindbending and trippy, where it feels completely devoid of reality. Even with this out-there science fiction, his art and colors match Pichetshote’s strong emotional beats. With Jeff Powell’s lettering, Man’s Best #3 has excellent visuals and science fiction world-building, making it feel utterly alien from what we know on Earth.

As their literal and emotional odyssey gets more complex, Pichetshote and Lonergan force the three pets to overcome their grudges and issues if they want to find Doc and survive the dangerous world. Man’s Best #3 demonstrates the importance of being emotionally honest and open with each other to work correctly as a team. We might not have the luxury of psychic sentient ice to help air out our grievances and be open, but as humans, we still have complex and challenging relationships to overcome. True teamwork arises when we are all on the same page and understand each other.

Story: Pornsak Pichetshote Art/Colors: Jesse Lonergan Letterer: Jeff Powell
Story: 9.3 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Read

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Kindle

Blood Hunt #2 Has Plenty of Vampires, Action, and Avenging

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Blood Hunt #2

As the Darkforce Dimension continues to engulf the world, Blade leads the Bloodcoven and the vampires to take over the world. After suffering significant losses, the Avengers abandoned the Impossible City to regroup and create a new attack plan. Forced to team up with Bloodline, Dracula, and the Midnight Mission, the rag-tag group heads to the Sanctum Sanctorum to get assistance from Doctor Strange. As the night and their odds get even darker, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must find a way to defeat the vampires and make the sun rise again. Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz continue the endless night of the Marvel Universe in Blood Hunt #2 as bloodlust and vampires flood the world. 

 Since the first issue, I have enjoyed the focus on the unconventional lineup of characters protecting the Earth. Seeing Captain Marvel, Vision, and Captain America needing to team up with Doctor Strange, Clea, Spider-Man, Hunter’s Moon, Tigra, Dracula, and Bloodline makes it an exciting team due to their various realms of the Marvel universe and various team histories. MacKay understands how to write compelling team narratives while ensuring each member holds a specific point of view and reason for the team up. And with the Bloodcoven being outside the usual wheelhouse of Avengers threats, it makes sense for them to join forces with the world’s more mystical and horror sections. More importantly, the team reflects the bombastic horror tone of the event, where it is not only Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but also the more street-level and non-heroic characters. Indeed, the world needs avenging, but every character must fight back the darkness.

Blade’s role as the overall mastermind of the attacks makes him a unique villain due to his ties to the Avengers and the supernatural aspects of the Marvel Universe. Considering his complicated past relationship with his vampiric lineage, I am interested in learning more about why he decided to become leader of the Structure and kick off the uprising. Even outside of his vampiric abilities, Blade still poses a significant threat due to his tactical training and skilled mind. His past work with the Avengers, the mystical arts, and the supernatural makes him a challenging threat that the Avengers cannot face alone. And with the Bloodcoven, he continues to become an even worse threat. MacKay showcases Blade as a truly formidable foe for the Blood Hunt event.

Larraz continues to showcase his artistic superstar status in Blood Hunt #2. Juggling many different tones seamlessly, every page and panel is an engaging and gorgeous piece of art and talent. Especially with the red band version of the issue where he is allowed to let loose and be as bloody and graphic as he wants to make that version worth it. Every bit of this issue demonstrates why Larraz is one of the best artists currently at Marvel. Larraz works above and beyond to make Blood Hunt the premiere summer event, along with Marte Gracia’s colors and VC’s Cory Petit’s coloring.

Blood Hunt #2 showcases MacKay’s and Larraz’s talented partnership with another incredible issue. The pair demonstrate how fantastic of an event Blood Hunt is with solid character writing, artistic direction, and tonal balance. I am excited to see where the event goes next and the upcoming issues. MacKay and Larraz have given me a lot to sink my teeth into.

Story: Jed Mackay Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Story: 9.3 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.4 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Tokyo These Days Vol. 2 continues the fantastic drama focused on the manga industry

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After 30 years as a manga editor, Kazuo Shiozawa suddenly quits. Although he feels early retirement is the only way to atone for his failures as an editor, the manga world isn’t done with him.

Shiozawa forges ahead with an independently published manga project. But the manga creators around him are crumbling into chaos–Chosaku drinks himself into ever less productivity over worries about his career and family, a longtime creator can’t discern the difference between fiction and fantasy, and Aoki disappears rather than face the deadlines for his new hit series. Sometimes, the simple pleasure of an apple is worth more than all the fame and toil of making manga.

Story: Taiyo Matsumoto
Art: Taiyo Matsumoto

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon
Kindle

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Ultimate Spider-Man #4 is another amazing and engaging issue even without action

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Ultimate Spider-Man #4 has Harry and Peter out to dinner with their wives!

Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: David Messina
Color: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics
Kindle

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

Upstaged captures the drama that is school drama and musicals and those difficult early relationships

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Ever since sixth grade, Ashton Price and their best friend and enduring crush, Ivy Santos, have spent their summers together at theater camp. Now it’s their last year before they part ways for high school, and Ash is determined to end it on a high note!

Story: Robin Easter
Art: Robin Easter

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon
Kindle

LB Ink provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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

Plain Jane and the Mermaid is a wonderful graphic novel with a great story and beautiful art

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Jane is incredibly plain. Everyone says so: her parents, the villagers, and her horrible cousin who kicks her out of her own house. Determined to get some semblance of independence, Jane prepares to propose to the princely Peter, who might just say yes to get away from his father. It’s a good plan!

Story: Vera Brosgol
Art: Vera Brosgol

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon
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First Second provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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

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