Tag Archives: joe sabino

Marvel Voices: Wakanda Forever is an excellent set of stories

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Marvel Voices: Wakanda Forever

When Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuted last year, we all waited with baited breath to see how they would address Chadwick Boseman’s passing. As the story addressed it, to showing how those left behind, stayed affected. As it created divisions amongst the nation, where none laid before. I was probably the most realistic depiction of grief , that had not ever been seen.

The film also talked about the importance of legacy. As Shuri struggled to lead her family, everything around her, crumbled. She also found out that she had a nephew, Tchalla II. In this gorgeous one shot timed to be released for Black History Month, we get Marvel Voices: Wakanda Forever, where we see the world of Wakanda like we have never seen before.

In “The Introduction”, the brilliant Frederick T. Joseph explains exactly what type of impact the Black Panther movies have had worldwide but also on the Black diaspora. In “The Old Ways” T’Challa visits the Ancestral Plane, to seek guidance on his future as Wakanda’s leader, as he soon learns he must win the battle within first. In “The Education Of Changamire”, we find that wisdom does not always in those who hold power, but those who keep the faith. In “Remember The Name”, Shuri sees a vision of how she dies,  and accepts it full heartedly   . In “The Illusion Of Fairness”, a Dora Milaje initiate finds out size has nothing to do with fight, but outsmarting your opponent is always key. In the final story “The Last Black Panther”, we find out how the world ends, and how Wakanda lives on despite .

Overall, Marvel Voices: Wakanda Forever is an excellent set of stories that showcases the ingenuity of  world building in the Black Panther mythos. The stories by the different creators are exciting. The art by the different creators are dazzling. Altogether, it’s a set of stories that will leave fans excited to have returned to Wakanda.

Story: Karama Horne, Adam Serwer, Murewa Ayodele, Dr. Sheena C. Howard, Juni Ba
Art/Ink: Alitha E. Martinez, Todd Harris, Dotun Akande, Marcus Williams, Juni Ba
Color: Rachelle Rosenberg, Jordie Bellaire, Dee Cunniffe, Marcus Williams, Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Bloodline: Daughter Of Blade #1 introduces a potential fan favorite

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Bloodline: Daughter Of Blade #1

Family is one of those things that we don’t have the luxury of forgetting. With friends, we can cut ties and have no reason to ever talk to them. Family is a little bit more complicated. As no matter the distance, you are bonded by blood.

This is where family history is almost as dramatic as a telenovela. Some family secrets can drive you over the edge. Then there are those secrets meant to keep someone safe. In the debut issue of Bloodline Daughter Of Blade, we find our protagonist who will soon realize that she is related to a famous superhero.

We meet Brielle Caulder, who goes from a kid who loves baseball  to someone who her teachers are intimidated by because of her intelligence, who are constantly in parent teacher meetings. Things suddenly change one day, when after going out with her mother, they are attacked by a vampire, and thankfully are able to vanquish them. She soon finds out vampires are everywhere and , including a new girl at school. By issue’s end, the man she knows of, as her father is on his way.

Overall, Bloodline: Daughter Of Blade #1 is an excellent debut issue which primes fans for what’s to come for the characters. The story by Lore is exciting. The art by the team is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that introduces what will be a fan favorite.

Story: Danny Lore Art: Karen S. Darboe
Color: Cris Peter Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 kicks off with a fun debut

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Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1

When reading Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1, it’s hard to not think of a series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They’re both kids in high school fighting vampires while trying to balance a normal life. And like Buffy, there’s a bit of pop fun about the series and a bonus in that it adds a little more to the concept than we’ve seen before.

Written by Danny Lore, Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 is a fun start and its focus is what makes it really work. Brielle is your average girl… beyond that whole Blade being her dad. She’s grown up and now experiencing strange powers which is helpful because there’s vampires all around she needs to deal with. Then there’s Brielle’s mom… who also knows there’s vampires and is an ass-kicker herself!? Wait, what?

Lore switches up the formula we’ve seen so many times with Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 and it works really well. Instead of a teenage superhero gaining their powers and hiding them, the series folds in the parents early to create a different dynamic than we’re used to. It’s a surprising twist that makes the debut stand out from what could easily have been a standard concept. They mother/daughter relationship is what makes this debut so well in that it extends to school and an administration that’s a little hostile towards Brielle. It takes familiar concepts and ideas and twists them more than enough to make things really interesting.

The art by Karen S. Darboe with color by Cris Peter and lettering by Joe Sabino helps with the concept. The style is one that I’d expect more in a BOOM! comic than Marvel and it works so well for the story and focus. There’s a look to it that fits its youthful focus and it does an excellent job of going from 0 to 60 turning mother/daughter time into mother/daughter kicking ass time. There’s also a solid focus on the reactions of everyone from a look on their face to the body language to drive home what’s on their mind.

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 is a fun debut with some youthful energy and story decisions that makes it stand out. Instead of going the familiar route, it changes things up keeping readers on their toes. Blade and the Vampire Nation have been getting more of a focus lately and here’s to hoping this series continues the solid storytelling they’ve been delivering so far.

Story: Danny Lore Art: Karen S. Darboe
Color: Cris Peter Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Thunderbolts #5

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Thunderbolts #5

And thus ends the latest chapter for the Thunderbolts, a story far too short, and a team that begs to be explored even more. Thunderbolts #5 wraps up the miniseries with the team confronting the big bad and reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses.

Written by Jim Zub, this latest incarnation has been a fun ride. With Clint Barton at the helm, the team has been generally a group of screw ups, attempting to fill a role both difficult and near possible to do. Luke Cage has tasked them with not only fighting the superpowered crime in the city but also wage a public relations battle none of the members are prepared for. But, behind the scenes they’ve been manipulated and attacked by an unknown force who is finally revealed in this issue.

As it goes, Thunderbolts #5 is a fine conclusion to this story arc. Things come together nicely and set things up for the future. But, it’s that future that’s a hinderance. There’s so much left to explore with this team and group of characters. It’s unknown if we’ll get the chance. And there’s the problem. There’s a lot left hanging and questions to be answered. Hopefully we get more but with all of that out there, the finale is a little frustrating.

But, Zub does a solid job of focusing on the individual characters as much as the team. This a group of characters that have a lot of confidence issues and have experienced a lot of crap in the past. So, Nightmare using them makes a lot of sense. In their battle, and after, Zub explores a lot of that really emphasizing how messed up this team is. Which, only makes me want more of them. This is an imperfect team who are expected to be perfect for the public. There’s so much to explore there, so much left to do.

The art by Sean Izaakse and Netho Diaz is solid. With Izaakse on ink with Victor Nava, color by Java Tartaglia, and lettering by Joe Sabino, the art has bit of a throwback style to it all. The grit and gritty isn’t present, but there’s more than enough trauma and drama in the visuals to up the action. Panel layouts are very unique and interesting matching the disjointed fight Nightmare is waging against the team.

Thunderbolts #5 is a fine ending to the series. But, it leaves us wanting more. Gutsen Glory and Eegro deserve arcs of their own exploring their history and backgrounds. Hopefully we get more with Zub at the hub. The series has balanced mystery, action, humor, and a great team dynamic and deserves more to expand all of that and entertain readers more.

Story: Jim Zub Art: Sean Izaakse, Netho Diaz
Ink: Sean Izaakse, Victor Nava Color: Java Tartaglia Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Midnight Suns #1

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Midnight Suns #1

I remember the first time I read a team up in comics. It felt cool whenever your favorite characters would get together. This is initially what drew me to the animated series Spiderman and His Amazing Friends as a kid. Peter’s interactions with the Firestar and Iceman made the series so entertaining and fun.

I did not know it then but it was giving me the foundation of how it is to work within a team. It definitely helped me in organized sports, knowing that you have to work with each other to win. This absolutely made it crystal clear when I joined the military, as we all had our part. In Midnight Suns #1, a new team is formed to face a very evil threat.

We’re taken to a town called Centerville, where a young woman that goes by the name of Mary Beth Zoric, is being threatened with a gun, for practicing Black Magic. We are also taken to the Strange Academy, where we meet Zoe Laveau, is a new student at the school, who is having a hard time adjusting, but right when it looks like she will be just fine, she has a dark vision, one that looks to change her whole life. Blade summons the Midnight Suns, as Nico Magik saw the same vision as Zoe. They take it as a harbinger of evil to come. By the issue’s end, they fend off an attack by a hoard of demons but find an unlikely foe in Dr. Doom.

Overall, Midnight Suns #1 is a fun issue but somewhat predictable. The story by Sacks is serviceable. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, it’s a fine team up but not one which I can exactly say I am compelled to continue.

Story: Ethan Sacks Art: Luigi Zagaria
Color: Antonio Fabela Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 6.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Wakanda #1

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Wakanda #1

When Chadwick Boseman passed, the world pretty much stopped. As everyone was dealing with fatigue of COVID and the deaths related. Never would anyone think that someone like him would pass. As he was the first actor who played a superhero whom many of us saw ourselves in.

So when the news broke that they would continue on with a sequel to the modern classic, Black Panther, many did not know what to expect. As the world speculated that the role would be recast. To many fans great delight, it was not, and they found a way to carry the story forward in Wakanda Forever. In Wakanda #1, fans get to know more about the world where T’Challa was born and a true history of every Panther before him.

In “ Shuri”,  we find a Wakanda with T’Challa on the run, as his sister looks to use her lab for good, creating a synthetic type of vibranium. As she tries to understand how to navigate her future without her brother, Rhino uses smugglers  infiltrate his way into the nation state, but Shuri is there to stop him in his tracks. By story’s end, we find out Rhino was not operating alone, as an old foe surfaces. In “ History Of The Black Panthers Part One”, we are taken to 1,000,000 BC, in the Wakandan wilderness, where we discover how the first Wakandans survived and how many of their myths came to fruition and how the first Black Panther fought his way to the top to lead his people.

Overall, Wakanda #1 is an excellent debut issue which shows why fans have loved the birthplace of T’Challa, even before the movies. The stories by Williams and Narcisse, are funny, powerful and resonating. The art by the different creators are awesome. Altogether, a must buy for Black Panther fans.

Story: Stephanie Williams, Evan Narcisse Art: Paco Medina, Natacha Bustos
Ink: Walden Wong, Elisabetta D’Amico Color: Bryan Valenza, Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Deadpool #1

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Deadpool #1

When it comes to  Deadpool, there has never been a character that everyone loves like him for so many different reasons. As he is relatable in a way that many readers find him both sensitive and mean simultaneously. Where he truly shines  is his comedic sensibility. This of course is an off shoot from his creator, Rob Liefeld, as he imbued the character with such great comic timing even in the early depictions, and that eventually morphed into other creators using the character to poke fun at the seriousness of comic books.

The character does something that Joker really has never done, actually be funny while doing horrendous things. This is exactly why we love the Merc with the Mouth, because it is all in good fun making this former villain a superhero. In Deadpool #1, he must kill a supervillain to join an elite group while trying to figure out what exactly is growing inside of him.

In the debut issue, we find Deadpool in a very compromising position under duress from the Harrower. Her reason for capturing Wade is to implant a symbiote of Carnage in him as an experiment. Meanwhile, 40 hours earlier, we find Wade looking through a file of Doc Ock. Deadpool is auditioning for an elite assassin group known as the Atelier. As he gets the terms of his audition, he knows it may impact his reputation as a hired gun. By the issue’s end, all the various plotlines come together slingshotting the series into the kinetic insanity we’d expect from this series and character.

Overall, Deadpool #1 is a hilarious issue that reminds fans why he is the funniest character in all of comic books. The story by Wong is outrageous. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a must buy for any longtime or casual Deadpool fan.

Story: Alyssa Wong Art: Martin Coccolo
Color: Neeraj Menon Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Exclusive Preview: Black Panther #10

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Black Panther #10

(W) John Ridley (A) German Peralta
(C) Jesus Aburtov (L) Joe Sabino
(CA) Alex Ross (VCA) Jan Bazaldua, Taurin Clarke
Rated T+
In Shops: Oct 12, 2022
SRP: $3.99

The devastating finale of “RANGE WARS”! While the Colonialist keeps the Avengers busy fighting his army, he sends his most dangerous lieutenant, the Buffalo Soldier, to deal with T’Challa. With advanced weaponry that can damage vibranium, T’Challa must think fast if he hopes to survive this fight and keep Earth from becoming the latest acquisition of the Colonialist!

Black Panther #10

Exclusive Preview: Thunderbolts #2 (of 5)

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Thunderbolts #2 (of 5)

(W) Jim Zub (A) Sean Izaakse
(C) Java Tartaglia (L) Joe Sabino
(CA) Sean Izaakse (VCA) Stefano Caselli, Betsy Cola, Mateus Manhanni
RATED T+
In Shops: Sep 28, 2022
SRP: $3.99

WHO IS EEGRO THE UNBREAKABLE?
• How will his strange power help New York’s only official super hero team battle their enemies and balance their budget?
• Read on and discover, True Believers!

Thunderbolts #2 (of 5)

Exclusive Preview: Carnage #6

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Carnage #6

(W) Ram V. (A) Roge Antonio
(C) Erick Arciniega (L) Joe Sabino
(CA) Kendrick Lim (VCA) Declan Shalvey
RATED T+
In Shops: Sep 21, 2022
SRP: $3.99

The Carnage symbiote has a bloodlust unlike any other organism in the Marvel Universe. IN THIS ISSUE, its ruthless and aggressive efforts to quench that bloodlust reach new and never before seen heights. But what in the Hel is Carnage up to, and what will it do to anyone who gets in its way?!

Carnage #6
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