Category Archives: Reviews

Steam Age Chronicles: The Clockwork Armor #1 Video Review

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Steam Age Chronicles is a comic series from Buzz & Roar Publishing written by Stu Tighe and art by Declan McDemott. The series also has translators, Alison Piron and Jason Pape, as it has a twist to its dialogue.

The series is written in French and Japanese and with the included “translator” you’re able to see the English translation of the dialogue on the page. It’s a cool twist to the traditional comic.

Check out the comic and it’s creative twist.

You can get your own at their website buzzandroarpublishing.com or through Amazon.

 

 

Buzz & Roar Publishing 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: Start Again #1

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In it’s simplest form, Start Again is a boy meets girl story, except the boy is really a superhero who doesn’t tell the girl and she finds out during their one-night stand. Set in the United Kingdom the series creates a unique twist with the inclusion of paparazzi, something that’s not quite as big as a thing here in the United States. That aspect is original in a lot of ways as the intersection of superherodom and celebrity isn’t something that’s explored a lot in the world of comics.

In Start Again, Ajay Verma and Natalie Brown meet in a Nightclub in Leeds city centre and from there they really get to know each other. Unfortunately, it looks like Verma has a little PTSD and freaks out which leads to the nation to catching a bit more of a look at him than spandex allows. There’s solid comedy to that and writer Jamie Me digs into that a little, but mainly focuses on the dramatic aspects of it all, with some good laughs too.

What happens when the world catches a hero in his birthday suit? It’s something we see with celebrities and the first issue touches on the shark-like attitude and voyeuristic tendencies of the public when presented with such a situation. The first issue can only give so much but this first issue spends a lot of time discussing the aftermath. While the comic features a superhero in spandex there isn’t a lot of superheroing going on. It’s more focused on the fallout of everything in the I’m staying at home and eating a pint of Ben and Jerrys while I wallow in my misery. It’s relatable in that way and also a nice change from spandex battles.

The art by Toni Doya and colors by Sean Callahan is solid with some great sequences and good amount of detail. The comedic moments are played well and the more introspective moments have a bit of a down vibe to it. In other words, the art nails the mood of the scenes and does so in a way that it enhances it all. It’s also nice to see a non-white superhero in the lead as well as full frontal male nudity. The comic is equal in that department.

Start Again #1 is a solid debut and is a comic I want to read more of. It’s a nice break from traditional superhero comics and goes in a direction we’re not really seeing elsewhere. It’s original, fun, entertaining, and stands out from a crowded market of spandex and punching.

Story: Jamie Me Art: Toni Doya Colors: Sean Callahan
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Graphic Policy was provided with a FREE copy for review

TV Review: Legion S1E6 Chapter 6

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legionLegion, based on the Marvel character created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, dives into the action as David Haller (played by Dan Stevens) decides to take things back to the beginning where everything started.

The end of last episode was full of twists and turns and ended with Lenny capturing everyone in a twisted world that looks like the facility from the beginning of the season. This isn’t a start over, instead everyone is now under the power of Lenny who is the ruler of this world acting as the psychiatrist of the facility keeping her subjects docile and confused.

But as expected not everyone is completely bought into the make believe world and resists to some extent and it’s not who I thought.

While I thought it’d be David who would push back against Lenny, instead it’s Syd who stands up slowly putting together clues and anomalies that hints the world isn’t as it seems. And once again the show uses those visuals to entertain as much as the acting and plotting. This is a show you need to pay attention to so you can catch what’s going on visually.

Dan Stevens stars as David Haller in Legion

And while those visuals are important in this episode for Syd’s journey, what’s really interesting is seeing the various characters in this new setting. Everyone is a captive and how they act within this new constructed world is entertaining and telling as to who they are as characters. Syd, Cary, Ptonomy, Kerry, Melanie, and The Eye are all present and while most are straightforward, one is not. The Eye is his usual creepiness, especially in a confrontation with Syd. He mostly stands around and you never get a good sense as to what’s going on with him.

But, what I think is the biggest thing of the episode is the reveal at the end. For some time I’ve been debating (with others and myself) if David is schizophrenic or as the show has stated this is all his power or even another mutant! We get what I think is the answer here in the final moments of the show which gives us some revelations that not only makes what’s going on clearer but what’s stated seems to make the show more tied into the “X” world it’s based on.

SPOILERS AND THEORIES!!! (Highlight to reveal the spoilers)

Lenny says she knows who David’s real father is and when she reveals herself to also be the man with the yellow eyes, who I’m guessing is the Shadow King. She says David was sent away to protect him from Lenny/yellow eyes. Since it’s clear Lenny/yellow eyes has control over the psychic plane I think it’s the best hint that Professor X is indeed David’s father in this television adaptation.

End Spoiler!!!

Ok, so if you read the theory/spoiler above you can understand my excitement and why I’m even more pumped for this series. It’s a fantastic twist that answers questions and has the series taking more from the comic world it’s based on.

Legion continues to get better and better with each episode and with each layer added and new reveal we’re forced to go back and think through what we’ve witnessed. An absolutely fantastic series that begs for multiple viewings.

Overall Rating: 9.85

TV Review: Arrow S5E16 Checkmate

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arrowOliver gets closer to the truth about Prometheus; Helix refuses to continue to help Felicity until she does a favor for them.

Arrow dives deep into the revelation of who Prometheus is with an episode where his identity is revealed to Oliver leading to a confrontation between the two and a revelation of why. It brings a lot together from the season, especially plot points that haven’t felt like they were relevant. It’s probably the best use of the flashbacks in a season.

Lots are thrown at viewers this episode forcing them to pay attention to every reveal throughout the episode.

And that forcing to pay attention involves Chase’s plans as the back and forth between him and Oliver feels like a game of one-upmanship as viewers are left to figure out who really has the drop on whom. It’s all interesting in a way but after a while, it feels like Bill and Ted playing with time to resolve their problems.

What’s most interesting in the episode is its ending which involves some interesting allegiances and a direction that feels like it plays well into Oliver’s past life. This episode is a good one in that it plays with expectations as to where things are going in the episode and the season. There’s a lot of confrontations and twists and turns that keep viewers on their toes. That sums up a lot of the season. Even Adrian Chase’s name gives a fake for comic book fans (the name is that of the original Vigilante, a character who has appeared on the show this season).

The episode is one of the stronger ones of the season connecting a lot of dots and giving us reveals and twists at the same time. This episode is a perfect example of that. We know the secret identity of the villain but there’s still reveals to go in the episode giving us a second villain to contend with. It feels like the latter half of this season is redeeming the slower earlier season and it’ll be interesting to see how things go from here.

Overall rating: 8.25

DC Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Harley Quinn Vol. 1 Die Laughing

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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 one more volume from DC Comics, the Rebirth launch, Harley Quinn!

Harley Quinn Vol. 1 Die Laughing collects issues 1 to 7 by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Timms, and Chad Hardin.

Find out what the trade has in store and whether you should grab yourself a copy. You can find both in comic stores March 15 and bookstores March 21.

Get your copies 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.

Harley Quinn Vol. 1 Die Laughing
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: Monsters Unleashed #5

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The final chapter is here as the Monsters Unleashed mini-event wraps up leading into the new Monsters Unleashed ongoing series out in April. This is it! The odds are stacked against our heroes and the situation seems dire. What is the imagination of Kid Kaiju worth up against the queen of the leviathans? Well, in this comic we find out in a finale that feels like it takes a page from 90s Japanese import kids shows in some ways.

Writer Cullen Bunn brings together in a way that they click making the series overall feel like an action series aimed at Tweens featuring crazy monsters and something that reminds me so much of Power Rangers and Voltron. But beyond the action elements, the issue shares more with those modern classic kids shows. Between those action segments, we’re filled with quippy jokes, and inspirational speeches and statements like “it takes five fingers to form a fist.” There’s something Afterschool Special set in a spandex world about it all that makes it charming in a way. Definitely geared towards the younger set, I see the potential here, but still a bit baffled as to how a whole series will spin out of this event and the character of Kid Kaiju.

You can really see Bunn’s influences with the series in this final issue which definitely changes the tone of things overall. For the first four issues, and the spin-offs, I’d have said the influence of the series is squarely in classics like Godzilla or the recent Pacific Rim, but in this final issue things change a bit as the series puts the spotlight on Kid Kaiju and letting him loose. There’s something fun about it all and while elements felt familiar, it’s such a different direction that it’s a bit unexpected (though telegraphed for a few issues).

The art by Adam Kubert is pretty decent. There’s issues with panels where the character design isn’t solid with some characters looking a bit rough and the bigger action sequences though entertaining the action is a bit muddled too. It’s not bad though and like the writing and plot, the art is fun and feels aimed at a younger reader.

This final issue twists things a bit which is good as it’s an improvement over the last four issues. Kid Kaiju steps up to take on the enemy and his powers are interesting harkening back to some retro stories. It’s clear what the intended audience is for the upcoming series based on this final issue, but I’m also a little baffled how an ongoing series is spinning out of this. I have some ideas and this final issue has me intrigued as to what’s up. What’s really impressive is this final issue boosts what has come before and makes the whole series an interesting read.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Adam Kubert
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Kill or Be Killed #7

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KillOrBeKilled_07-1MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

To put it simply, this is one of the best comic books out. That’s doesn’t mean it is one of the best non-superhero books, or best crime or noir books, it is one of the best comic books out in the entire medium right now. This is the type of story made by masters of their craft, and this crack team are certainly that. This isn’t their first comic together, or even their first crime comic together, and it shows. You always hear act like you’ve been there before, well these three have, and it shows in Kill or Be Killed #7.

The story does not start off or even touch much on Dylan’s situation much until the end of the book, and even then it is all seen through Kira’s eyes. If you do not remember or know who Kira is, she is the old friend and former lover of Dylan, oh and the ex-girlfriend of his roommate. Yeah, sometimes life is messy, and this story nails real flawed people, and how crazy life can be. None of this odd love triangle or square at this point feels forced, cliché, or unbelievable. This issue felt earned because I have been with these characters on a journey. Kira’s return felt real, and something I have seen in my own life, where an ex returns out of the blue because they want the other person back, or have some other plan. Let’s just say that when Kira does return, she finds some things that she does not like, including that other woman.

Ed Brubaker made an issue that I think could have been pretty boring and while it took me a bit to get into it the way I did, I then realized what he was doing. He took an entire issue and put a ton of character development into it. I feel like I know Kira so much more, and I am so excited to see where this story goes with her back in it. This issue also set up some big things for future issues with what she finds that I won’t spoil. The world seems to be ready to come down around Dylan, who thinks he’s still pulling all of this off, but we know in the real world, things don’t work this way. Dylan is not some expert assassin. He’s not The Punisher. He’s someone in over his head, and he now has a curious and scorned ex as well as a detective looking at things he doesn’t want or know are being looked at.

Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser are the other half of this crack team. They have been with Brubaker on other classics, and they absolutely blew me away with this issue. From the brilliant use of panels showing Kira and her psychiatrist, which again helped so much with her character development, to the photo album filled with old pictures of Kira’s family members that had died, which by the way was a very haunting idea that her family did that. You can see many layers to Kira, as if she was a real person because that’s how real people are. I know I have repeated that quite a bit, but to me it’s one of the most impressive things about this book, and this team. The hard to look awkward scene at the end of the book where Kira is let’s just say eavesdropping on Dylan was depicted so well. From the dialogue, and having it told through her eyes and her ears was a fantastic use of storytelling.

You should read Kill or Be Killed. I think it’s a book that anyone can appreciate. You don’t have to just like crime books, or detective books, this is about real people in real situations, and in real trouble real soon. Dylan is on a crash course for a bad ending, but the book keeps me guessing, and I love it for that. It is continuously one of my favorite comics every month, and I highly recommend to everyone.

Story: Ed Brubaker Art: Sean Phillips Color: Elizabeth Breitweiser
Story: 9 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.25 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #16

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In Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #16, writer Kate Leth expertly weaves together a tapestry of plot threads and connects Patsy’s  “pandimensional stress flu” to her general feelings of inadequacy about balancing superheroing and a temp agency plus her strained relationship with arch-frenemy Hedy Clarke. She, artist Brittney Williams, and colorist extraordinaire Rachelle Rosenberg use reality warping illnesses, hell dimensions, and magic in general as a metaphor for negative feelings and interpersonal tension. And along the way, Williams continues to make Hellcat one of the cutest comic book existence by even making a demon named Belial hella adorable. (He’s so cute that he made Itty Bitty Hellboy jealous.)

Hellcat #16 is all about Patsy Walker the human being, how she’s changed over the past 16 issues, and who she wants to be. Is she a superhero, is she a queer and superhuman friendly entrepreneur and job creator, or is she just a sad, freaked out woman? Leth and Williams give Patsy all these qualities as she keeps switching up reality and even sends everyone to hell for a spell. The supporting characters, like Jubilee and her landlady Sharon King, are mostly played for comic relief with Jubilee changing form yet again to a Bela Lugosi-style vampire, and Sharon remaining focused on getting her building back in the midst of demons and mean girls. Their comedy keeps Hellcat #16 from getting overly dramatic and makes sure the book never loses its sense of fun.

Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors act as kind of tether in a comic that is constantly switching mood and locale, much like its heroine. She uses a pink background interchanged with a devil red in the foreground to show Hedy’s unlikely romance with Belial, who she calls Benny because sweater rocking, dog petting demons deserve pet names. Throughout Hellcat #16, she uses a light orange to show Hedy’s trip to Hell, which is much smoother than Patsy’s and ends with her getting a boyfriend. Orange is less intense than the reds that Rosenberg predominantly uses for Hell and makes it easier to relax and laugh off the non-stop drama of Daimon Hellstrom, who banishes people to Hell first and then asks questions.

Daimon is a hilarious character, and it’s nice that Leth and Williams brought him back before the end of the series complete with overwrought dialogue and pentagram. A shared laugh over his ridiculousness is the first time that Hedy and Patsy haven’t been antagonistic towards each other and is the first small step in repairing their relationship that ends with an apology, hugs, and ramen. Holding grudges sucks, but revenge is also a powerful feeling, and sometimes it takes the pissy Son of Satan to drive that point home.

Towards the end of Hellcat #16, Kate Leth and Brittney Williams tag team with powerful dialogue and timely panel angles to create an overflow of emotion as Patsy talks out her feelings to Belial, who is taking on the form of her best friend, Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk. Williams does an extreme close-up of Patsy’s face and eyes as she admits that Jen’s injury shook her up. Patsy’s misses Jen’s ability to be a rock in the midst of dealing with all the stressful things in her life. But Belial, who is honestly the nicest demon in existence, switches to Jen as Williams’ art fades away, and Patsy cries in her arm and finds a bit of catharsis. It’s super tender and a great reminder of how important their relationship is. And even if Hellcat is ending, the bond or lack of one between Patsy and Jennifer is an important part of Mariko Tamaki and Nico Leon’s Hulk series.

In Hellcat #16, Kate Leth, Brittney Williams, and Rachelle Rosenberg prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that feelings are tougher to come to terms with than supervillains or hellions. They do this while throwing together the previous Hell dimension storyline and the current short flu arc to create one tasty concoction of a showdown between Patsy and Hedy. Also, Williams continues to draw Jubilee as the cutest X-Man turned vampire ever.

Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Divinity III: Escape From Gulag 396 #1

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Gulag 396 coverIn the Soviet-controlled world of the Stalinverse, there is a place where liberty is sentenced to die…and it’s Gulag 396. A maximum-security prison where the only escape is through death, the gulag is the final stop for all enemies and detractors of the world’s oppressive authority. But when public enemy Obadiah Archer is admitted as the latest inmate, could his gospel of goodwill and optimism be the spark that ignites a new faith in the prison’s population…including the immortal undesirable known as Aram Addi-Padda?

There will be two types of Valiant fans interested in this story; those following Divinity III and those who follow the adventures of Archer and Armstrong. I’ll tackle the latter camp first, because if you’re not reading Divinity III but are a fan of Archer and Armstrong, then you’re going to enjoy this standalone alternate reality style take on the two characters.

When I say that this is a standalone  story, I genuinely mean that the main story has nothing to do with the overarching Divinity III events, which is ideal if you’re not reading that story, but less so if you’re looking for a comic that sheds a little more light on the main miniseries – the backup story by Matt Kindt (writer) and Juan Hose Ryp (artist) does give us a little bit of background on The Pioneer, but it’s not nearly enough to make buying the comic worth it if you don’t care about either Archer or Armstrong.

You may be thinking at this point that I don’t care for the comic, but nothing could be further from the truth.

With Escape From Gulag 396 Eliot Rahal tells a story that captures the essence of both Archer and Armstrong and their relationship that we’ve come to know and love over the years, while simultaneously showing their first meeting in the Stalinverse. There’s also some fun little Easter eggs for their fans scattered throughout the pages, but if you don’t catch them then it’s not make or break.

As a tie-in comic this is pretty good, but when you read this as an Archer and Armstrong comic then it will reinforce everything you thought you knew about the characters in a story that’ll make you want to read it several times over. Rahal‘s understanding of the two unlikely heroes is awesome, and really comes across in the story – if he were given a shot at an ongoing series featuring Archer and Armstrong then I’d be all over that like sprinkles on a donut.

Story: Eliot Rahal Art: Francis Portela Colour Art: Andrew Dalhouse
Story: 9.5 Art: 8 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Head Lopper #5

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HeadLopper_05-1MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

Head Lopper is back! One of the weirdest, most violent, yet beautifully drawn books in comics returns, and I am excited. This title was one of my favorites last year, even with only four issues. Now, they’re four long issues, but we still only had four issues total. With Head Lopper #5 comes a new arc called “The Crimson Tower” and for good reason. This issue has a lot of blood, some heads being lopped, and more blood. It is a ton of fun. This book is part fantasy, part Viking, part eighties movie, part Adventure Time, and all awesome. This comic takes elements from all of those things and blends them into one of the most unique things out there right now in any medium, and it works very well.

Andrew Maclean writes, draws, does the letters, and designs the look of the comic book. Certainly, he isn’t the only creator to wear multiple hats in the comic book industry, but what is incredible is he is one of the ones who wear all of those hats so well. The story is great, the art is jaw dropping, the books overall design fits into the book’s tone perfectly, and even the lettering has his style all over it. The only other person that helps Andrew on the book in any of the art, is Jordie Bellaire. By now you should know who that is, as they are one of the best colorists in the industry, and the colors in this book are a large part of what makes it great. The art looks like stills from a cartoon and a great cartoon at that. There are certain scenes where I was prepared to start seeing the water move, or a torch flicker. It is that good. It looks like I paused my TV, and at any moment, I can hit play, and watch it all play out. So as far as the art goes, I don’t think you get much better than Maclean, and Bellaire.

HeadLopper-05_cvrB

Variant Cover

As for the story itself, we follow our favorite head lopper, Norgal, and the grouchy witch head on his back, Agatha. We again get some great comedy relief from Agatha and others from the book, but to me, she always makes me laugh the hardest. Maclean knows the ridiculousness of having a witch head that was a head that Norgal lopped on his journey with him, and it gives some great moments in the book. With the head lopper are Xho, and Zhaania, two warriors that have joined his side, with their own cause and quest within the tower. They arrive at The Crimson Tower, which is on an island where a race called the Fonga believe that having one of their own enter the tower will bring greatness to their people. This also gives us Bik, and Twerpal, two brothers. Twerpal is tasked with watching after his little brother, Bik by his mother, but when he finds he has wandered off, he soon discovers where he went, and that brings the both of them to the tower, and where our heroes are. From here the book has everyone that is in the tower fighting and solving puzzles to survive and escape it. This is similar to stories like The Hunger Games or The Running Man or even Krull for you eighties fantasy fans. This is where the book cranks it up to eleven, and leaves it in a spot where I cannot wait to return with the next issue.

I won’t lie, Head Lopper is a violent book. Yes, it’s in a fun cartoon style, and in the vein of shows like Samurai Jack and Adventure Time as I mentioned before, but there is well, obviously, head lopping, and quite a bit of blood. Somehow, the book is still one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. That’s a testament to how good Maclean and Bellaire are. I loved the first four issues, and I loved this as well. This issue showed there is no sign of stopping with Head Lopper, and I cannot wait for the next three issues of this arc. The first chapter as Maclean calls it of “The Crimson Tower” is fantastic, original, and so much damn fun.

Story/Art/Letters: Andrew Maclean Color: Jordie Bellaire
Story: 9.0 Art: 10 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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