Tag Archives: jodie troutman

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 Delivers Tense Political Horror

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The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1

First, it was America…now, England. It’s 5:00 a.m. at 10 Downing Street. The prime minister gets a call that bolts him upright out of bed: The royal family has been lost at sea. Parliament and Buckingham Palace explode with action in the aftermath. Some suspect the prince and his wife, the princess, were attacked. Others whisper their tragedy was the result of a long-standing family curse…Either way, playboy and recovering addict Theo Belmont is next in line to the throne. Can he step up to the role? Or will he be consumed by his demons? The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 is a tense debut full of emotion and mystery.

Written by Hannah Rose May, The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 is a fantastic debut that’ll keep you guessing as to what’s going on. At its surface level, the story involves the mysterious disappearance and fallout of some of the royal family. Did they vanish due to a curse or was another nation involved? That alone could drive a series, with a focus on an investigation and the political impact of the event. But, May dives deeper focusing on the next in line to the throne and a past that haunts him.

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 explores trauma and addiction as Theo Belmont fights to stay sober while also clearly uneasy about his royal lineage. But, the crown that weighs is forced upon him as he’s declared the next in line for the throne and struggles with his addiction that has afflicted other family members. It’s a story of ghosts that haunt but ones of addiction and family trauma.

The comic delivers a perfectly moody look with the art of Kelsey Ramsay. With color by Heather Breckel and lettering by Jodie Troutman, the comic has a haunted style that perfectly captures its ominous feel. I can’t say anything as far as the details of the royals and England, but the comic nails a haunting feel and the visuals add to the tension that builds throughout the issue. The art is perfect for the overall vibe, adding to every emotional moment.

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 is the type of comic you can enjoy on the surface level or dive deeper in to. It’s a solid debut that’ll suck readers in, leaving them guessing as to where this could go. It’s a fantastic debut that delivers a haunting read as the weather warms up.

Story: Hannah Rose May Art: Kelsey Ramsay
Color: Heather Breckel Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Flow #5

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Flow #5

(W) Paula Sevenbergen (A) Claudia Balboni (C) Fabi Marques (L) Jodie Troutman

The bloody end is here! Will the curse be lifted from these former bullies…or will they face a fate worse than death when Dara, their childhood target, finally surfaces? Shocking truths about the past lead to an explosive confrontation in the present. Will they have a future? Don’t miss this revealing final issue!

Flow #5

Preview: Flow #4

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Flow #4

(W) Paula Sevenbergen (A) Claudia Balboni (C) Fabi Marques (L) Jodie Troutman

Desperate to end their suffering, Moe, Conley, and Alister finally reach the house of Dara, the girl they once tormented…but she’s gone. So they head to the scene of their childhood crimes, the now-eerie old campgrounds, where they’re hit with searing pain and loss of bodily control. Just when it seems things can’t get any worse in this penultimate issue, they do–a lot worse!

Flow #4

Preview: Flow #2

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Flow #2

(W) Paula Sevenbergen (A) Claudia Balboni (C) Fabi Marques (L) Jodie Troutman

Random blood stains. Coughed-up insects. Dirt-caked kisses. All things Moe and Alister are plagued with—and all reminiscent of what they did to that girl at summer camp years ago. Have they been cursed? They confront their ringleader from back then, Conley, now a tech star, to see if she has also been bedeviled. But she dismisses them, claiming not to recall much of that summer. Is she telling the truth, or still a master of deception?

Flow #2

Preview: Dick Tracy Halloween Special

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Dick Tracy Halloween Special

(W) Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, Chantelle Aimée Osman (A) Craig Cermak, Brent Schoonover, Emiliana Pinna
(C) Mark Englert, Warnia Sahadewa (L) Jim Campbell, Jodie Troutman

THE GHOULS AND GHOSTS ARE OUT IN THE CITY – and so are some of Dick Tracy’s deadliest Rogues…or are they? As Tracy, Pat, Sam, and Tess try to piece together the return of one of The City’s most bloodthirsty killers, other Tracy baddies start to creep out from under the woodwork. But the heroes dig deeper into the twisty mystery and discover something new – and perhaps more sinister! Featuring the Mad Cave debut of one of the most iconic Dick Tracy characters ever – THE KID!

Dick Tracy Halloween Special

Flow #1 Explores the Torture of Adolescence and the Trauma that Hangs Into Adulthood

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Flow #1

When blood began to run down Dara Lund’s legs at Nature Camp, she thought she was dying. Homeschooled by a protective dad after her mom’s mysterious death, Dara wasn’t told the facts of life. “It’s the Curse,” her bunkmates said, not revealing it was her period. “But we can lift it…if you do everything we say.” So began their week of torment, making naive Dara do torturous tasks for their amusement. But now, 10 years later, as they embark on their careers, the three tormentors find themselves cursed—so they reunite to track down the likely source: a vengeful Dara. And they’ll pursue her to the bloody end. Flow #1 spins horror out of childhood bullying.

Written by Paula Sevenbergen, Flow #1 is an interesting comic. While it focuses on an experience of women, the underlying concept is universal. Much like Carrie, Flow is a story about trauma, gender oppression, and vengeance over the humiliation experienced as a kid. While I am a guy and haven’t experienced this, I have been teased and made fun of for other bodily issues. Kids can be cruel and being bullied is a universal experience that knows no bounds. It makes the comic relatable no matter your age or gender.

Sevenbergen bounces back and forth between the past and present, introducing us to Dara and taking us through the trauma of her time at camp. We see the abuse directed at her not just due to her first period, but also her mother and her mother’s death. It also comes together to paint a picture of a child who had a traumatic upbringing in multiple ways and also tie into the experiences of her tormentors as adults.

In the present, strange occurrences are happening to Dara’s camp tormentors that tease they have something to do with Dara. Going into the comic, I wondered how these individuals would know it has something to do with her, but each experience perfectly ties back to camp and the torture they inflicted on the young girl. But, it’s also clear there’s more to these individuals’ current lives and they each have their own issues they’re going through beyond the strange happenings. It’s an interesting comic teasing the abusers are also abused as well and we’ll see if that’s explored more.

The art by Claudia Balboni is pretty solid with the characters showing some nice emotion and there being a tinge of horror in the every day life. The few instances of real strange experiences is so extreme, it shows a nice visual build towards the moment that really emphasizes the “scare.” The color by Fabi Marques and lettering by Jodie Troutman all combine to create a comic that feels like a slice of life comic but there’s a bit of unease about it all as well. The rather benign day to day leads to scares and a building of tension.

Flow #1 is an intriguing comic. It starts as a solid horror tale that feels like it is inspired by the classic Carrie. And, in today’s environment, it also feels like it has a lot of potential to entertain and scare while also having something to say underneath it all. It’s start is a solid example that horror can be about the scares as well as something deeper.

Story: Paula Sevenbergen Art: Claudia Balboni
Color: Fabi Marques Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Flow #1

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Flow #1

(W) Paula Sevenbergen (A) Claudia Balboni (C) Fabi Marques (L) Jodie Troutman (CA) Aneke (CB) Colleen Doran

When blood began to run down Dara Lund’s legs at Nature Camp, she thought she was dying. Homeschooled by a protective dad after her mom’s mysterious death, Dara wasn’t told the facts of life. “It’s the Curse,” her bunkmates said, not revealing it was her period. “But we can lift it…if you do everything we say.” So began their week of torment, making naive Dara do torturous tasks for their amusement. But now, 10 years later, as they embark on their careers, the three tormentors find themselves cursed—so they reunite to track down the likely source: a vengeful Dara. And they’ll pursue her to the bloody end.

Flow #1

Preview: In Mourning

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In Mourning

Story: Paula Cheshire Art: Paula Cheshire Letterer: Jodie Troutman Translator: Nannette McGuinness

When someone dies, there’s a void–a loss. No matter what. There’s a whirlwind of feelings and confusion. We don’t know what happens to the dead after death, but we do know what happens to the living. Paula beautifully narrates the loss of her mother and how she copes with the sudden loss in this charming and moving graphic novel.

In Mourning

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation #1 Teases an Interesting Mystery

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - The Seeds of Salvation #1

After plodding through uneventful mission after uneventful mission, Christine Chapel is itching for a real adventure. So, when an opportunity to reunite with her old scientist friend Jinare for research on the planet Poilant crops up, Chapel is excited to finally do what Starfleet does best: explore strange new worlds. However, when the Enterprise arrives in Poilant’s space, the crew cannot get into contact with Jinare or any of her researchers. Chapel, Una, Spock, La’An, and Scotty beam down, and they are greeted by…nothing…no one…and no signs of what caused their disappearance, only a robot named D6 who urges them to descend into the planet’s depths in search of his friends. But there’s more than scientists lurking in the watery abyss. Ancient life-forms and behemoths await—and they might mean more adventure than even Chapel can handle. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation #1 is a solid start that’s welcoming to Star Trek fans as well as new readers.

While I’ve seen all of the Star Trek films and watched a lot of the television shows, I’m not a Star Trek diehard. I know my basics and enjoy what I’ve seen but I haven’t watched the new shows on streaming (mostly because I don’t want to pay for yet another streaming service). So, I’ve never seen a full episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but know enough about it, that it’s a prequel to the original Star Trek series. And even that knowledge is unnecessary.

Writer Robbie Thompson delivers a debut issue in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation #1 that’s easy for anyone to dive into. There’s little you need to know about the series to enjoy what is a fairly basic concept, a team arrives at a base to find it empty and only clues as to where everyone has gone. Add in a feeling of danger lurking and you have this comic. It’s straightforward but it works well.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation #1 isn’t a comic lost in Star Trek lore and details. Instead, it puts its focus on the characters and the mystery providing a read that plays into the puzzle as to what happened and playing with tropes like readers guessing what’s lurking in a shadow or around the corner. It keeps things focused and simple in that way.

Travis Mercer‘s art, along with color by JP Morgan and lettering by Jodie Troutman helps things out by really playing into that slight tension of the story. The characters feel a bit antsy in the beginning which then builds into the tension as the team begins to explore their destination. The art has fun with that at times focusing visuals elsewhere as the team explores off the page, instead focusing on what lurks in the shadows. It just dives right into what can make horror work and goes with it. Add in a nice take on the actors where they’re all easily recognizable, and it all comes together for a comic that looks good and is having fun visually with the already entertaining script.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation #1 is a nice start. Star Trek fans should enjoy this adventure of the crew while new readers can just enjoy a sci-fi mystery and not get caught up on it being based on an existing property. It’s the best of both worlds in that case as it explores a whole new world.

Story: Robbie Thompson Art: Travis Mercer
Color: JP Morgan Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 shows us the classic cannon fodder at times survives to be badass

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Star Trek: Red Shirts #1

Prepare for a heartrending Star Trek comic that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Starfleet’s fearless and doomed crew members finally get their own story as main characters… and no one is safe. Featuring an all-new cast of characters, what is the true purpose of their deadly mission and who will survive? Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 is a fantastic start taking the classic punchline of “Red Shirts” and turning them into an expendable Dirty Dozen.

If there’s some things you can count on when it comes to science fiction, it’s that Star Wars’ Stormtroopers can’t hit anything and their armor is worthless while Star Trek’s Red Shirts die by the dozen. Writer Christopher Cantwell puts the spotlight on a group of Red Shirts recruited for an undercover mission to root out a spy.

Like classic films and shows that bring together a rag-tag bunch of screw-ups, Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 introduces us to each one by one highlighting their personalities and making sure we understand what sort of conflict they’re bringing to the mission that’s sure to go off the rails. But, Cantwell does more than that and delivers winks and nods and the inside joke of how expendable Red Shirts are and how unlikely you’ll meet one over the age of 30. The comic deftly uses the joke and turns it into a badge of honor making out its band of misfits to be more badasses than the color of their shirt denotes.

The art by Megan Levens is good with each character being unique and standing out. With color by Charlie Kirchoff and lettering by Jodie Troutman and the art feels like it’s a good match for the concept that’s both serious and not. The delivery method of how the crack unit gets to the surface is packed with humor but also a hell of a lot of action that you can imagine on the big screen and delivers a smile on one’s face. Like the overall concept of the comic, the art takes itself seriously and not at the same time.

Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 feels like it’s in on the joke. It has moments that feel like it’s played totally straight and serious and others where it haves fun with its expendable concept. The combination creates some great entertainment where you’re not sure if you want the mission to get all cool, stealth, and full of action, or go completely FUBAR and watch the Red Shirts die in creative and hilarious ways. But, the first issue shows, you can actually have both.

Story: Christopher Cantwell Art: Megan Levens
Color: Charlie Kirchoff Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Story: 8.5 Art: 7.6 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle – Golden Apple Comics

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