Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Vampblade #11

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As Katie’s search for the new Vampblade costume continues, will one giant blade give this warrior angel enough nerve to take on the latest and greatest other-dimensional foe?!? It’s Vampblade 2.0 – harder, faster, stranger!!!

Ah Vampblade, always a good, humorous and entertaining read. Katie manages to undergo a couple costume changes in this issue and an old bad guy returns, and seems to be more than he appears at first. Will Katie manage to survive the encounter with him, or will she perish? Writer Jason Martin continues to have fun with this series that is as much a send up of comics as anything else.

Katie trying to blend in with the 1% of the rich makes for an interesting sight to behold and artist Winston Young delivers the humor and entertainment in the art. Between the two costume changes in this issue, the anime-Esque one is my favorite (so far). It manages to give Katie/Vampblade a much more dangerous looking appearance. Not to mention one very badass looking sword.

Always a fun read and it never disappoints.

Story: Jason Martin Art: Winston Young
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Action Lab Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Those Dark New Hampshire Woods Vol. 1

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Released in 2016, Those Dark New Hampshire Woods. Vol. 1 by Desmond Reed is an interesting indie comic focused on the unsettling lives of an ever-expanding hoard of creeps living in the woods.

As the comic progresses the weird is added upon the weird as the comic itself is broken into multiple stories that eventually come together at the end. Each story is familiar and plays off each other in a way with a slight twist on an aspect found in each. It’s strange in a good way resulting in an experience that can’t be found in mainstream comics.

Reed’s work in both story and art reminds me of a combination of Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and R. Crumb with a little Harvey Pekar thrown in there for good measure. The art is the draw with a style that stands out from mainstream offerings and creates a look that perfectly fits the creepy world that Reed has created. It’s not completely unique as it does remind me of a few other artists, but it’s a style you just don’t see a ton of in mainstream comics, mostly relegated to indie offerings where the art is as experimental as the story.

This is an odd one that had me both enjoying the read and scratching my head trying to figure it all out. There’s a second volume released already and you better believe I want to see what else Reed does with these characters and style. For those into indie comics, this is one to check out as it feels unique in every way.

You can purchase the first two volumes now.

Story: Desmond Reed Art: Desmond Reed
Story: 7.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

Graphic Policy was provided with a FREE copy for review

Review: Giallo Gumbo #0

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Hip hop and anime, have flirted with each other for years, often leaving fans who loved both genres to wonder if there would ever be a creation that showed both. I remember when I first got into anime, the genre first mesmerized me with entries like Voltron and Robotech. I still felt out of touch, as I got older, my interest faded away, from that genre. My attention re-focused on hip hop, and the place where I found people who loved it just as much, and more than I did, was Japan.

By this time, the genre had invaded American shores, so when I found out Ghost in The Shell, Akira and Ranma ½, it had been a few years old, by the time I was stationed in Yokosuka. This is where I found the beauty of import CDs, where I picked up the import cd of Ice Cube’s Death Certificate, which had bonus tracks, that weren’t available on the American version. This is also where I found anime which spoke to me like Samurai Champloo which used breakbeats by the late great DJ Nujabes and Cowboy Bebop, which had a hip-hop attitude throughout. Years later, it is being not as hidden when shows like The Boondocks and Black Dynamite, had combined these two genres perfectly.

This is where Giallo Gumbo, brings the genre’s full on filtration in focus, as this story/collection, elevates these two in some ways which had not been seen until now. The book unfolds like a movie, with opening trailers and an introduction of each character. As the story goes, we get to see each character’s power in full effect, as we slowly find a certain character’s hidden powers by the end of the issue. As the art is the most alluring, there is a collection at least 20 pages long, at the end, that grabs you.

Overall, a fun book which grabs the reader with the art and keeps them with the interesting narrative. The story is funny, and if not for the fantastical elements, can be a page from real life. The art is amazing, as it deftly blends anime and realistic portrayals into beautiful sequential art. Altogether, a fun book that is worth everyone’s time, as it gives voice and perspective to a growing collective of artists in the South.

Story: Jahni Brooks Art: Nommo, Philip Johnson, Mikhail Sebastian, KC Bailey, Luis Figuerido, Chase Conley, Tovio Rogers
Story: 9 Art: 12 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Giant Days #25

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GiantDays25CoverIt’s safe to say that most people act differently around their family versus their friends. This idea permeates an extra-sized, holiday cheer filled Giant Days #25 where writer John Allison, artists Max Sarin and Liz Fleming, and colorist Whitney Cogar take a break from the escapades of Daisy, Esther, and Susan to focus on Susan’s return home for the holidays. On top of her parents’ marital troubles, she has five older sisters, a gaggle of nieces and nephews, a very Greek grandmother, and possibly her ex-boyfriend McGraw to deal with. This makes for riveting and hilarious reading and also shows us a different side of the usually stolid, “friend mom” Susan Ptolemy.

Giant Days #25 solidifies Sarin and Fleming’s status as cartoonists of the eyes, especially the bright, shining, belongs-in-a-Magical-Girl-anime variety. They and Allison intersperse the comic with small flashbacks of Susan’s childhood where she was simultaneously shamed and spoiled as the youngest daughter. One thing that connects the past and present scenes are wide and bright eyes when something in keeping with “the Christmas spirit” happens. For example, young Susan is happy that she got an Easy Bake oven just like she’s happy when her long lost sister Ellie shows up at the Christmas to break the tension between her parents and be a buffer with her crying child and giant backpack.

The Ptolemy family gives the Tenenbaums a run for their money, and Allison, Sarin, Fleming take this dysfunctional dynamic to whatever the British equivalent of Fort Knox is and withdraw some comedy bullion. There’s the patheticness of Susan’s dad living out in his camper, eating food out of cans, shrugging and saying it’s just an “escape valve” while her mom spies at him with binoculars. They’ve been together forGiantdays25interior a long time and have had to parent six very different girls, and that takes a toll on a person. The reason that Mr. Ptolemy is living in his “caravan” is super hilarious though.

Geoffrey Ptolemy smoking alone outside is pretty sad, and Sarin and Fleming go for the feels again with Mrs. Ptolemy, who can’t hide her sad face as she laments the simpler Christmases of days past. Apparently, Mr. Ptolemy’s mom puts a lot of pressure on her to have the perfect holiday feast that can only happen when you bake until 4 AM with the help of your drunken daughter. There’s lots of hustle, bustle, and verbal sniping until you want to close the comic book and get away from it all like Susan and her Charmed binge watch. Susan is usually the boss when she’s with Esther and Daisy at university, but when she’s with her sisters, she’s the one who can’t get a word in edgewise and has to resort to random acts of adorableness (Like hanging mistletoe everywhere.) to get attention.

While building on her dad’s sorry plight in the previous, John Allison, Max Sarin, Liz Fleming, and Whitney Cogar do something a little different with Giant Days #25 by looking at family drama instead of friendship from the POV of Susan Ptolemy. She cuts a heroic figure in trying to save her parents’ marriage, but solving other people’s problem doesn’t end her own, especially if they involve McGraw.

Story: John Allison Pencils: Max Sarin Inks: Liz Fleming Colors: Whitney Cogar
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

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

Review: Kill Shakespeare Juliet #1

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Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1 is kind of an Elseworlds story set in a world where all of Shakespeare’s plays happened in a shared universe. (Most of them did happen in Italy so this kind of makes sense.) More specifically, it’s a world where Romeo died, and his lover Juliet lives on. There’s intrigue with King Lear and possibly Richard III too, but the intersection between Romeo and Juliet and Merchant of Venice gets the most attention from writer Conor McCreery, artist Corin Howell, and colorist Shari Chankahamma because Lady Capulet is now married to Shylock.

That relationship development and the status of the feud between the Capulets and Montague makes it seem like the previous Kill Shakespeare miniseries is required reading. (Except McCreery, Howell, and Chankahamma literally blow up the comic’s status quo towards the end with pyrotechnics that would burn the minds of Elizabethan audiences.) However, McCreery’s gift for Shakespearean language and soul searching look at how Juliet felt after losing Romeo gives the story resonance. Juliet has a death wish and wants to be reunited with Romeo leading to a haunting scene in a crypt where she talks about how she is responsible for the death of so many people, including Romeo and Juliet supporting characters Tybalt, Mercutio, and Paris.

McCreery and Howell really double down on the angst and rage in Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1, but there is room for comedy too. Howell draws Benvolio, the heir of House Montague, like a complete and utter fool as he follows Juliet everywhere on her mother’s orders. He’s the clown character in the dark tragedy that this comic ends up becoming and lets Howell draw some hilarious facial expression to break up the pain and sadness. There is also another mysterious comedic character whose appearance is definitely the most intriguing part of Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1. His identity seems pretty obvious, but who knows in this topsy turvy tragedy of a universe.

 Without Romeo in the way, Conor McCreery is free to explore the emotions and yearnings of Juliet as her life is basically over in her eyes. He digs deep into her thoughts as she wanders Verona and wonders what to do now. Juliet’s existential crises would make Hamlet proud, and she has a similar desire for death’s sweet release like the Prince of Denmark. There is also some social satire as Lady Capulet wants to keep up appearances and her family’s high state even though she is married to someone that anti-Semitic European society would disapprove of. Her romance with Shylock, who is a strict dad, but much more sympathetic than he is portrayed in Merchant of Venice . gives her more depth. Corin Howell even relaxes his wild and bombastic facial expressions for just a moment to show him praying in Hebrew like a true man of faith. Lady Capulet’s relationship with Shylock ensures that her character isn’t just being the strict, annoying, and less than memorable mother figure.

Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1 has verbal sparring, well-placed comedy, and musings about life and death that would make the Bard of Stratford proud. Conor McCreery’s ability to create original dialogue in the manner of Shakespeare even if some of the character relationships and worldbuilding is a bit hazy for readers who haven’t read the previous comics.

Story: Conor McCreery Art: Corin Howell Colors: Shari Chankahamma
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.8 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing/Top Shelf provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

TV Review: Riverdale S1E9 Chapter Nine: La Grande Illusion

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riverdaleArchie gets an offer from the Blossoms, which could help his future; Veronica befriends a classmate who was hurt by her father’s illegal actions; Hermione is conflicted about telling Fred the truth; Alice seeks revenge on the Blossoms.

Riverdale shows off that the parents of Riverdale are the ones who are completely out of their minds in an episode that feels like it shifts the focus of the show a bit from Archie, Veronica, Jughead, and Betty, to their parents. And while you might expect teenage drama, the show has more than enough drama from the parents alone.

There’s two main stories for the episode with a third thread. One is Archie getting closer with Cheryl, the next being Veronica getting closer with Ethel, and Fred dealing with Hermione and the attacks on the project he’s working on.

Most of it has an air about it that feels like it’d be perfectly in place in the movie Cruel Intentions which this show more and more feels like it’s riffing from when it comes to the creepiness of family.

And that creep is turned up to 11 as the episode revolves around the ginger Blossom family. I mention the ginger part as red is a striking color used in various shades throughout their scenes. That red is often contrasted against a winter white as snow falls around them creating an almost Red Riding Hood motif to it all. The main story is who will take over the Blossom clan with Cheryl looking to be the heir, but she’s not exactly liked. Enter Archie, who is used by her parents in hopes of making her look stable. There’s also Polly and Archie wanting to see how she’s doing for Betty. It’s an interesting plot and shows we have yet to see an adult in Riverdale that’s sane and has their act together.

Then there’s Veronica and Ethel. Veronica wants to do some good, but she also realizes that her father has screwed over Ethel’s family. It’s an interesting twist to Veronica, and character in comics that isn’t exactly the most altruistic. It adds some depth to her here but as a viewer, I knew it wasn’t going to go well. I winced at every instance.

All of this ties into the ongoing storylines for the series and it’s one of the greatest strengths of the series in that it’s able to focus on different things like the Blossom clan but still tie it into the greater storyline. And, when doing so it seems to strengthen the characters adding depth every chance it can.

Again, Riverdale is able to give us solid stories that drive the ongoing plotline while focused on other aspects and add layers to the world, characters, and more. It’s impressive storytelling and super entertaining. Riverdale continues to be some of the most entertaining television on today.

Overall Rating: 9.45

TV Review: Powerless S1E7 Van v Emily: Dawn of Justice

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powerlessbigWhen Emily has to put up a fight to get her own office, she challenges Van to a competition. Meanwhile, after Teddy’s life is saved by Green Fury, he goes to great lengths to see her again.

Powerless is interesting with a bit of a shuffling of episodes and bringing this one to us a bit earlier than the episode release order that’s been released, but that’s not a big deal at all as the series gets back to its more humorous roots with the expected lessons learned from situations.

There’s two main stories, Emily wanting her own office and challenging Van to get it and Teddy becoming obsessed with Green Fury after falling off a ledge and being saved by her.

The Teddy story with Green Fury is a bit weird and what is supposed to be cute comes off as weird, especially when he’s an utter dick towards the woman he’s actually seeing at the end of the episode. He attempts to get Green Fury’s attention through various means and it feels like it’s a little stalkerish. It is nice to see tropes flipped and the man being saved by the female superhero, but Teddy’s follow up is a bit odd. And in fairness, I always though Lois falling for Superman after being saved was odd too.

The other part of the episode again revolves around Van and his being an utter dick to the staff. It’s a weird follow up to the previous week when he shows the same behavior over use of his bathroom. I think the use of Van of the series is some of its biggest missteps where it can’t decide if he’s supposed to be the bumbling comedic boss (like Michael Scott on The Office) or if he’s supposed to be mean and petty. These last two episodes lean too heavily on the latter making Van an almost unlikeable character sucking the humor from the episode and series. It’s weird to see and the writers feel like there’s just not a good handle on Van being the joke, the center of jokes, or just being mean.

The overall episode is better than the previous week but when half of the episode is borderline mean spirited it’s hard to get completely into the show. When Van’s character gets better settled, the show will see vast improvement.

Overall Rating: 6.35

Marvel Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Captain America, The Mighty Avengers, & Guardians of the Galaxy

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It’s Wednesday which means new comic book day with new releases hitting shelves, both physical and digital, all across the world. We’ve got four new volumes from Marvel featuring Captain America, The Mighty Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy

Captain America: Justice is Served featuring Captain America #318-322 & Annual #8, Amazing Spider-Man #278, and material from Marvel Fanfare #29 & #31-32 and more!

The Mighty Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis the Complete Collection collects issues #1-20 by Brian Michael Bendis, Frank Cho, Mark Bagley, Marko Djurdjevic, Alex Maleev, Khoi Pham, John Romita Jr., Stefano Caselli, and more.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Road to Annihilation Vol. 2 featuring Sensational She-Hulk #44-46, Thanos (2003) #7-12, Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl and Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos #1-6 and #1 Director’s Cut.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Prelude featuring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Prelude #1-2, Giant-Size  Avengers #4, Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) #1, and Guardians Team-Up #12 by Will Corona Pilgrim, Chris Allen, Andrea Mutti, Scott Hanna, Roberto Poggi, and Andres Mossa.

Find out about the trade and whether you should grab yourself a copy. You can find both in comic stores April 5 and bookstores April 18.

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

Captain America: Justice is Served
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

The Mighty Avengers
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology

Guardians of the Galaxy: Road to Annihilation Vol. 2
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Prelude
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

 

 

 

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies 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.

DC Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, Green Arrow, and Superman

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It’s Wednesday which means new comic book day with new releases hitting shelves, both physical and digital, all across the world. We’ve got three more volumes from DC Comics, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, Green Arrow, and Superman!

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Vol. 1 Who is Oracle collects issues 1-6 and Birds of Prey: Rebirth by Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Claire Roe, and Roge Antonio.

Green Arrow Vol. 2 Island of Scars collects issues 6-11 by Benjamin Percy, Stephen Byrne, Juan Ferreyra, and Otto Schmidt.

Superman Vol. 2 Trials of the Super Son collects issues 7-13 by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, and Mick Gray.

Find out what the trade has in store and whether you should grab yourself a copy. You can find both in comic stores April 5 and bookstores April 11.

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

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Vol. 1 Who is Oracle
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

Green Arrow Vol. 2 Island of Scars
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

Superman Vol. 2 Trials of the Super Son
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

 

 

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies 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.

Review: Shade the Changing Girl #7

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Shade7CoverShade the Changing Girl #7 isn’t a “fill-in” story in the slightest. It’s a self-contained narrative about wanderlust,  the power of art and music, and the fleeting nature of  friendship with some interplanetary family drama thrown in for good measure. Writer Cecil Castellucci and exquisitely talented guest artist Marguerite Sauvage (Bombshells, Faith) join forces to show why Loma/Shade left her home world of Meta for Earth, a planet considered “primitive” by her adoptive Metan parents. (The bird-like Avians don’t raise their young, but give them for adoption by the human-like Metans.) The comic isn’t all flashback as they set up a new direction for Shade going into the second arc that is both connected to her obsession with the Metan poet Rac Shade, and the fact that the girl whose body she has taken over is a colossal bully.

The plot of Shade the Changing Girl is steeped in a science fiction milieu that’s a little on the strange side like most of the Young Animal books. But its ideas are universal. I know that some people are born, live, and die in the same place, but humanity is filled with wanderers. As an Avian, it is in Loma’s nature to flit from place to place, lover to lover, and eventually migrate to another planet or moon. Except she’s a little different with her love for Earth and desire to explore what Rac Shade called the “marble of blue” in a rapturous double page spread from Marguerite Sauvage showing Loma (in her Avian form) traveling the world. Outwardly, it seems like Shade is having a good time with her new friends, Teacup and River, swishing around in gorgeous dresses and talking about her past and the upcoming prom. But Castellucci’s blue caption boxes hint that Shade isn’t content with living the life of an Earth high schooler and that she wants to see the Pyramids and ride a dinosaur. (Shade’s Earth bucket list is kind of hilarious and lovable)

It’s always a treat to have full interior art from Marguerite Sauvage, and Shade the Changing Girl #7 is no exception. Her soft flowing lines, soothing color palette, and eye for fashion are perfect for a story that transitions between Earth and Meta, thought and reality and is paced like a bittersweet dream with the words of Rac Shade shocking Loma/Shade back to life. An underlying theme in Shade #7 are that Earth and Meta aren’t so different with similar romantic drama and interests like TV, book, and music, and Sauvage shows this by giving Shade similar dance moves in both her Avian and human body. Shade loses herself in music as faces and figures bleed together. I love that she’s a rebellious teenager on both Meta and Earth.

ShadeMeetsShade

However, in Shade #7’s climax, Sauvage’s art turns cluttered going from the frills and flounces of a teen movie to pure body horror with a scarlet palette. Shade is becoming secure in her new form as a human girl, but the baggage that Megan Boyer brought to the table is something she must bear. Like the college classes Loma is forced to take or her parents’ restrictions on her in Meta, she is still kept from full freedom as long as she stays in Valley Ville. She wants to live a life free of the misdeeds of someone she never even met, and Castellucci’s straightforward dialogue and Sauvage’s powerful pinks definitely convey this pivotal moment in Shade’s life.

The backup story from Cecil Castellucci, Archie Comics artist Dan Parent, and colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick is an episode of Life with Honey, the 1950s I Love Lucy-esque sitcom, that Loma watched in Meta to learn about Earth because it’s apparently the most popular show in the universe. Parent’s charming pinup style is perfect for this tale of domesticity in the light of the Cold War, and he channels the physical comedy of Lucille Ball through the women of Life with Honey. Fitzpatrick’s color palette makes the comic look like a romance comic straight from the supermarket racks of that time period. The tale is nostalgic, subversive for its “era”, and even tells us a little bit about Shade.

Shade the Changing Girl #7 is a comic book reading experience that you want to bask in to the accompaniment of your favorite song when you were 17 and wanted to travel the world. ( “Wanderlust” by Metric and Lou Reed does the trick too.) Through beautiful art and poignant narration, Cecil Castellucci and Marguerite Sauvage capture the bitter tang of leaving friends behind to go on glorious adventures inspired by the art we love.

Story: Cecil Castellucci Art/Colors: Marguerite Sauvage
Backup Art: Dan Parent Backup Colors:  Kelly Fitzpatrick
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics/Young Animal provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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