Tag Archives: eniac

Review: ENIAC #4

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ENIAC #4 wraps the series up in some interesting, but predictable, ways. Visually great but a bit of mixed quality as far as the story.

Story: Matt Kindt
Art: Doug Braithwaite, Doug Lapham
Color: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Find a comic shop to get your copy

Or, buy your copy at the link below:

Zeus Comics

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: ENIAC #3

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The paranoia ramps up in ENIAC #3 and another twisted “heroic” story with a B-Side of The Hero Trade.

Story: Matt Kindt
Art: Doug Braithwaite, Doug Lapham
Color: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Find a comic shop to get your copy.

Or, buy your copy at the link below:

Zeus Comics

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: ENIAC #3

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ENIAC #3

ENIAC #3 continues the mission to stop an out-of-control artificial intelligence. But, it’s beyond the action that really stands out. It’s the paranoia that permeates throughout the storytelling that’ll keep readers at the edge of their seat.

For those catching up, ENIAC is the story of an artificial intelligence developed during World War II that has been growing its reach through the decades. Now, in modern times, it has launched a countdown until something. What that is is unknown. But, it’s expected to be bad. A team has been gathered to track down ENIAC and stop it from its mission. In the previous issue, we discovered that Fletcher’s mother was involved somehow and may hold the key to stopping ENIAC.

Writer Matt Kindt continues a great mix of storytelling in the issue. There’s a tense nature about it with a little bit of action but it’s really the setup before the confrontation. Kindt plants seeds in the reader’s mind forcing them to question some of what we know and where things are going. It’s all a bit too convenient and pre-ordained. Is ENIAC ahead of everyone or is there something else at play here?

A lot of those twists and reveals are fun but ENIAC #3 has some minor bumps in its storytelling. It’s a little too convenient that Fletcher’s mother is involved. The world is a bit too small in a way. But, with some teases and hints and one key moment, that might be part of the point of it all. There’s also the use of the Challenger Explosion which felt a little in poor taste. It could be the fact it’s an event I lived through and witnessed live on tv but it being a part of the narrative doesn’t quite work. The series has weaved real history in and out of its narrative for a while but this is the first time that has given me pause.

Doug Braithwaite’s art continues to impress. With color by Diego Rodriguez and lettering by Dave Sharpe, the issue lets it all hang out. There’s some solid emotion driven by the images and it’s use of nudity creates an interesting dynamic with the very tech driven nature of the series. There’s also some great perspectives in what’s delivered that brings a cinematic quality to the visuals. With beautiful color and sharp lettering, it all comes together with fantastic visuals that continue to shine and pop on the page.

The issue also features another B-side of The Hero Trade. Matt Kindt continues to deliver intriguing stories along with artist David Lapham. Each story has felt like something from The Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt and is beyond entertaining on its own. This one features the selling of parts of a missing superhero. Gruesome stuff and a twist that’s solid. My issue continues to be not with the quality but the disconnect between each story as far as focus. One is a techno-thriller, the other a horror story involving superheroes. The lack of theme is a bit head-scratching.

ENIAC #3 continues a quality series from Bad Idea. The production quality is excellent from the card cover to the quality of the paper within. It features a solid story with fantastic art. The series has its followers and deserves far more delivering the high-quality entertainment I’d expect from this creative team.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Doug Braithwaite, David Lapham
Color: Diego Rodriguez Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Purchase: Zeus Comics

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Heroes Reborn #1

Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Batman #108 (DC Comics) – Batman’s undercover to discover what’s up with the new group in town while things are in motion elsewhere bringing together the future Gotham we witnessed in Future State.

Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #2 (DC Comics) – The first issue leaned more heavily to fans of Fortnite so we’re intrigued to see if the second issue is more friendly to people new to Fortnite.

Becstar #1 (Mad Cave Studios) – A star-hopping mercenary-gone-full time-gambler. Yeah, that kind of sounds awesome.

Broken Souls Ballad #1 (Scout Comics/Black Caravan) – Saint Abigail’s Institute creates monsters – and those monsters are teenagers! The teens discover they have abilities tied to their psychosomatic conditions.

ENIAC #3 (Bad Idea) – The two issues so far have been entertaining with a nice mix of alternate history and action. We’re hoping for more of the same in this tech-thriller.

Eve #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Eve wakes up to a world she wasn’t traiend to live in, a future dystopian America.

The Good Asian #1 (Image Comics) – Following Edison Hark-a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective-on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown. Yeah, we’re in.

Green Lantern #2 (DC Comics) – The first issue was a bit choppy but our new favorite Green Lantern Jo (from Far Sector) debuts in this issue and we’re excited!

Heroes Reborn #1 (Marvel) – It shares a name with that other event but isn’t related. A new world where the Avengers never happened and only Blade remembers… yeah, we want to check this out.

Marjorie Finnegan: Temporal Criminal #1 (AWA Studios) – Garth Ennis writing a new series. That alone has this comic on the list.

Nocterra #3 (Image Comics) – A world of darkness and an amazing new villain. Nocterra is so well thought out at so many details.

The Secret to Superhuman Strength (Mariner Books) – Alison Bechdel goes over her fascination with fitness crazes.

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha #1 (Marvel) – It’s a major crossover event in the Star Wars universe as bounty hunters are all after the same bounty… Han Solo frozen in carbonite!

Suicide Squad #3 (DC Comics) – The first two issues have been full of action with some interesting personalities. Add in a body count that’s already high, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Whalesville x Rocks and Minerals (Bad Idea) – The comic sounds like it’s more geared towards all ages and with a new format for Bad Idea, we want to see what they have in store for fans.

Bad Idea’s Whalesville x Rocks and Minerals Has Sold Out and New Printing is Unknown

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The next release from Bad Idea is almost here and the publisher has announced that Whalesville x Rocks and Minerals is sold out at the distributor level.

Whalesville x Rocks and Minerals will debut the same day as ENIAC #3. Unlike previous releases, this comic features a brand-new, perfect bound format featuring two stories in one epic 72-page, ad-free read.

Even with an over-print the comic has sold out. Due to its unique printing its unlikely the comic will receive a “Not First Printing”.

This means, those that must have the comic should contact their shops and make sure they have one reserved.

Whalesville is by writer Matt Kindt with art by Adam Pollina, and color by Matt Hollingsworth. Rocks and Minerals is written by Kindt with art by Tony Millionaire, and color by James Campbell. It features a cover by Adam Pollina and Matt Hollingsworth. The retail price is $9.99.

Locate a Bad Idea retailer here.

First, from the limitless imaginations of New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (River Run), virtuoso artist Adam Pollina (Pyrate Queen), and Eisner Award-winning colorist Matt Hollingsworth (Whalesville…duh) comes a very special whale tale for all ages (and species) in the tradition of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli and Pixar!

When young Wawae – the seaborn son of a whaling captain – is knocked overboard and swallowed by an enormous whale, he discovers the town of “Whalesville” – a colorful, cobbled-together village inhabited by all the astounding sea creatures that live in the belly of the beast.  A crab named Caleb, an angler fish called Angela, and a seadragon that prefers to go by Lilly. But, to Wawae’s new friends, Whalesville isn’t just their home, it’s their whole world – they don’t realize they live inside of a whale — and they can’t fathom that Wawae’s father will stop at nothing to destroy the creature that stole his son!   To rescue his new friends and save Whalesville, Wawae will have to convince them of the truth and escape the whale…before his own father sends them sinking into the murky depths forever.

Then, Matt Kindt’s highly developed brain musculature joins forces with multiple Eisner Award-winning living legend, Tony Millionaire, and the color stylings of James Campbell, for a tale of friendship and adventure in the far future.

In the time after the Great Polishing, organic life is no more.  Earth is ruled by highly evolved rubble, rocks and minerals. They walk. They talk. They are free. But their age is just beginning and the world is still a largely unknown and very scary place. When the Rock Queen’s daughter and her two best friends venture into the forbidden unpolished zone, they find the world mankind left behind and meet what they think is a very quiet new green rock. To their surprise it sprouts a head, four legs and a very loud voice. This is no rock. This is Elpis the turtle, and she needs help getting back to her pond in time to lay her eggs. But what is a pond? For that matter, what’s a turtle? The three friends must venture further into the unknown to help Elpis to unravel a secret the Queen herself has fought to keep from her people. A tale of high adventure in the second stone age!

Review: ENIAC #2

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The mission to take out ENIAC really begins but how do you stop a computer that’s five steps ahead?

Story: Matt Kindt
Art: Doug Braithwaite, Doug Lapham
Color: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Find a comic shop to get your copy

Or, buy your copy at the link below:

Zeus Comics

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: ENIAC #2

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ENIAC #2

ENIAC delivered a solid debut with a story that mixed action and a bit of history. The combination felt like a story that came from the headlines but with a fantastical spin. ENIAC #2 delivers more of the same quality with an issue that features more history and a lot of action.

Matt Kindt does a nice balancing act of a story that feels like classic 80s action films. But, mixed in the clichés and explosions is some history and 90s paranoia. ENIAC #2 delivers a story about technology gone wrong. ENIAC is loose and counting down to something which has forced a crack squad to attempt to destroy the computer. What we learn is ENIAC is far more advanced than we first expected. The computer isn’t just toying with life but also delivering peace as well. It has created the balance and safety that social systems like Marxism promised. The computer has achieved what humans could not. But, at what price?

Kindt delivers a wrinkle in that way. The series could easily be a countdown to destruction, much like the latter half of Wargames. But, with this new bit of information we’re challenged to debate if ENIAC is all that bad. ENIAC #2 creates a bit of a gray area for our villain. It also throws up a huge question mark for readers to questions the motives surrounding its destruction. Is this computer really a threat? We assumed the countdown would lead to destruction. What if it would bring peace to the world instead? Isn’t that as much a threat to leaders?

Dough Braithwaite’s art continues to be top-notch. It dances between the past and present with a detail and look that’s fantastic. Diego Rodriguez delivers colors and Dave Sharpe the lettering. The look of the comic balances that action vibe with that of horror. ENIAC #2 really is an action-horror story. Numerous images deliver a shock while others increase the tension as you wonder who will survive or what might explode. The art nails down the tension that Kindt’s story sets up.

Kindt also delivers a backup story with artist David Lapham. “The Bloody Mess” feels like a solid Twilight Zone addition. The story is about a husband who crawls out of a shallow grave only to be accused of killing his wife. The mystery zigs and zags and leaves you guessing until the very end. Its punchline is a direction that’s unexpected. The only downside is the story doesn’t match in “tone” to the main feature creating a combination that’s a bit disjointed. They’re both quality stories though.

ENIAC #2 is a great second issue. The series is a hell of a start and high bar for new publisher Bad Idea. It mixes solid action with a techno-thriller mixed in with a little bit of horror. The combination is a fresh take on a classic concept. The series may be hard to get being limited to a couple hundred comic shops but it’s one that’s well worth seeking out.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Doug Braithwaite, David Lapham
Color: Diego Rodriguez Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Purchase: Zeus Comics

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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ENIAC #2

Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Avengers #44 (Marvel) – “Enter the Phoenix” wraps up and leads into “Heroes Reborn”!

Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1 (Dark Horse) – An elder member of the occult-battling pack of Wise Dogs recalls a harrowing mission in U.S-occupied Japan after World War II. Yeah, we’re in for this.

Championess (Legendary Comics) – Based on the true story about female bare-knuckle boxers.

Batman #107 (DC Comics) – The series has really found its footing post-Future State and with the seeds being laid out for that fascist future, we want to see how it all plays out.

Crime and Punishment (Digital Manga Distribution) – We don’t know much about the publisher but the title and description caught our eyes. On the eve of the revolution a young student murders a pawnbroker but an innocent man is quickly arrested.

ENIAC #2 (Bad Idea) – The first issue about a computer gone mad was solid. We want to learn more.

Far Sector #11 (DC Comics/DC’s Young Animal) – The series is soon wrapping up and we want to see how it all comes together in this very socially relevant series.

Geiger #1 (Image Comics) – Geoff Johns and Gary Frank team again for this new series about the scavengers of a dying Earth post-nuclear war.

Green Lantern #1 (DC Comics) – We want to see what the future holds for this series as DC’s cosmic side of things attempts to get things in order.

The Impure #1 (Scout Comics) – Nero must stop his sister before she causes humanity’s downfall.

King in Black #5 (Marvel) – The event wraps up and looks like it’ll have some interesting ramifications on the Marvel Universe.

Magic #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Magic: The Gathering returns to comics!

Nocterra #2 (Image Comics) – The first issue of this world plunged in darkness was very entertaining and we want to see where it goes and how it uses the darkness to tell its story.

Nottingham #2 (Mad Cave Studios) – This new take on Robin Hood was fantastic in its debut and we’re expecting more quality.

Project Patron #1 (AfterShock) – Years ago a hero battled a beast as Earth’s protector. What the world doesn’t know is he died that day and was replaced.

The Rise #1 (Heavy Metal) – A prequel to the horror franchise Night of the Living Dead!

Sam & His Talking Gun #2 (Scout Comics) – It’s John Wick… but with a talking gun.

The Silver Coin #1 (Image Comics) – A new horror anthology with each issue telling a story in a shared supernatural world.

Suicide Squad #2 (DC Comics) – The first issue was pure action and fun plus the bodies already began to pile up. We’re excited to see what happens next as the jailbreak of Talon continues.

Tankers #1 (Bad Idea) – A time travel story about oil execs and dinosaurs.

Bad Idea in June 2021 includes Tankers #2 and ENIAC #4

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TANKERS #2

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by JUAN JOSÉ RYP
Colors by ANDREW DALHOUSE
Cover by LEWIS LaROSA with LAURA MARTIN
PLUS: An All-New BAD IDEA B-SIDE
THREE ISSUES | BI-MONTHLY
$5.99 EACH  |  40 PGS.  |  RATED: T+  |  ON SALE JUNE 2, 2021

The CEO of global energy conglomerate Greenleaf Oil has just discovered a terrifying secret: the planet only has a decade or less of petroleum left before it’s gone forever. But he has a plan to make sure his great-great grandchildren can continue to generate maximum shareholder value – and secure his own legacy in the process. Rather than develop a game-changing renewable energy source through the power of corporate innovation, Greenleaf has perfected the next best thing – time travel (duh) – so that a team of six field-rat contractors armed to the teeth in individually customized mech suits can go back to the Cretaceous Period, tweak the trajectory of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, and give mankind another 500 millennia worth of oil reserves. What could go wrong? Only all of human history, of course – because when Greenleaf’s team of Tankers come home, they’ll discover that not only did the dinosaurs never die out, they’ve kept evolving for another 60 million years…and they’re more pissed off than ever.

Bone-shredding destruction! Wanton corporate malfeasance! Reckless use of industrial machinery! And lots and lots of ammunition. Like a Saturday morning cartoon that’s run irresponsibly over-budget, New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Justice League), blockbuster artist Juan Jose Ryp (Wolverine), and colorist extraordinaire Andrew Dalhouse (The Multiversity Guidebook) are here to take all of our insecurities about mankind’s most self-destructive impulses and turn them up until the knob snaps off with the second of THREE MEGA-SIZED ISSUES SHIPPING BIMONTHLY (that means every other month, don’t look it up). 

ENIAC #4

Written by  MATT KINDT
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Colors by DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
Cover by LEWIS LaROSA with DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
PLUS: An All-New HERO TRADE story as a BAD IDEA B-SIDE
FOUR ISSUES  |  MONTHLY  
$3.99 EACH  |  40 PGS.  |  RATED T+  |  ON SALE June 2, 2021

Seventy-seven years ago, the United States unlocked the key to defeating the Axis powers, but, in their desperation to end the war, accidentally created a far more powerful threat: ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer). Designed to be a cutting-edge breakthrough in supercomputing that could deliver a decisive victory to the Allies, ENIAC did just that…by ordering the bombing Nagasaki without human consent or approval. A fully autonomous A.I free from the bounds of programming or morality, ENIAC spent the decades since manipulating global superpowers from the shadows, secretly shaping everything we thought we knew about the history of the geopolitical order. And, throughout it all, one classified question has plagued presidents and prime ministers, generals and spymasters alike: “What is ENIAC planning next?”

Now, after years of silence, ENIAC has re-emerged with a 72-hour countdown until it unleashes every weapon in Earth’s atomic arsenal. Its motives? Unknowable to humankind. Its endgame? Destruction on an unthinkable scale. As ENIAC’s clock rockets toward zero, it’s down to two covert operatives to infiltrate a Russian black site and free the one man alive who knows how to kill the machine…before it erases mankind, once and for all.

Around the Tubes

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Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #1

We’ve got lots coming at you this week with reviews, previews, news, and so much more! While we get things rolling, check out some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

iO9 – Neil Gaiman Stars as Neil Gaiman in an Audible Original About Neil Gaiman – Well ok then.

CBR – When the United States Government Asked Stan Lee to Ignore the Comics Code – Some interesting history.

CBLDF – Bangladeshi Cartoonist Ahmed Kishore Released from Jail – This is a good thing.

Reviews

Collected Editions – Batman Vol. 2: The Joker War
The Beat – ENIAC #1
The Beat – Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #1
CBR – Suicide Squad #1

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