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Review: Yeahaw Blue #1

Posted on May 2, 2020 by pharoahmiles

Mathew McConaughey is one of those actors whose presence on screen is both captivating and powerful. People get caught up in how striking he is but that is not what has made him who he is. He’s a true actor, whose ability to become the character is something to watch.

One of my favorite movies of his is Reign Of Fire. In the movie, he plays a dragon hunter, whose job is to kill these very creatures that have ravaged the world to the point of an apocalypse. In the debut issue of a dystopian future where monsters rule, we get Yeehaw Blue, and only a specific set of people can save the world.

We meet Reya Moonstone, who lives in Coralle, and is plagued by creatures known as Teras, whose only goal was bloodshed. As the world turned to ashes because of these beings, a sect rose, known as Rangers, who are trained to defend humankind and kill these beings every chance they get. As Reya gets reprimanded for her performance at the Valant Academy, where the Rangers get trained, her headmaster appeals to her, as he knows she misses her grandfather, a legendary Ranger. By the issue’s end, she gets kicked out of the academy, but not before a Teras attacks her outside of the school, leaving her future truly uncertain.

Overall, an interesting character that you will be more than happy to dig into, as Danielle’s life is little bit more than complicated. The story by the creative team is out of the ordinary. The art by Shay Jones is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that is more than your typical.

Story: Shay Jones, Johnny O’Bryant, Marcus Johnson and Corey Mikkell
Art: Shay Jones
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Ordinal Tempest #1

Posted on April 19, 2020 by pharoahmiles

As a child of the 1980s, the decade has a clear resonance to today’s creators. Everything that has been created since has some string that leads back to some pop culture reference to that time. Take for instance, the Star Wars franchise, which has expanded since Disney’s purchase. The franchise started in the late 1970s, leading to its resonance in the 1980s and beyond. Which brings me to Steven Speilberg and his influence on creators since his entry in Hollywood.

You can look back at Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and see how he has influenced a generation of filmmakers who embrace science fiction and treat it as many book readers do, escapism. His influence can be seen in JJ Abrams’ Super 8, which had echoes of ET and that seminal film. The story of alien invasion and the power of the human spirit to fight was, and still is, timeless. Noir Ceasar has brought their own unique take on this storied canon in their debut issue of Ordinal Tempest.

We meet Fiora, an Intrepid pilot, who is carrying the body of her comrade, Drake, and soon finds herself caught in a fight with an alien. As she turns her blaster on it, she has no choice but to leave her friend, who is dealt a fatal blow, by the invader. Fast forward, Fiora gets a new assignment in the Frontlines, where she is expected to see more action and where we meet her new unit, which includes Lance, a brash young pilot, and Wende, an old friend. By the issue’s end, Fiora sees the Intrepid symbiote she will pilot, giving her high hopes of what’s to come.

Overall, an interesting story that reminds me of Robotech and blazes a trail all its own. The story by the creative team of Lawrence, Marcus Johnson, and Chris Krady is intriguing. The art by Krady is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that will have you pulling out old VHS tapes of Mecha Anime.

Story: John Lawrence, Marcus Johnson, and Chris Krady
Art: Chris Krady
Story: 9.0Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0Recommendation: Buy

Review: Arms of the Dragon #1

Posted on March 29, 2020 by pharoahmiles

As a fan of the show Man in the High Castle, I was sad to see it end. The book the series was based on mesmerized me as a preteen. Philip K. Dick’s classic imagined a world where evil won and factions of good souls fought against the dying of the light. Fast forward, to today, where dystopia is no longer a farfetched concept but a relevant reflection of today’s ills.

Even something considered high fantasy like Game Of Thrones tends to speak the inextricable complexities of the human condition. This is why the show’s finale gave us a complex view of a morally bankrupt world where the lines of morality are no longer blurred but simply ignored. In today’s world this seems more reality than fiction. In one of Noir Cessar’s first offerings, we get the debut chapter of Arms Of The Dragon, where a pair of street orphans must adapt or overcome.

We meet Shou, a young kid, who is exploring life through comics, ones he got from his big brother, and whose home life seems normal, as his parents own a restaurant, where a local gang leader is trying shake his father down for protection, something, his family feeds they don’t require. We also meet his best friend, Jun, who feels more like another sibling than a friend. Things change for the family one night when the same gang looking to shake the restaurant for protection money, kills Shou’s big brother. By the issue’s end, Shou confronts the gang leader, leading to a standoff that forces Shou to grow up in an instance.

Overall, an engaging crime noir story that gives us another epic to follow. The story by Marcus Johnson and John Lawrence is well developed and harrowing. The art by Chris Krady is beautiful. Altogether, a story that separates itself from other crime stories in its first chapter.

Story: Marcus Johnson and John Lawrence Art: Chris Krady
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy