Tag: ruth redmond

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Comics Reviews

Alien #1 delivers a cold and familiar start

In deep space spins a world infected by the universe’s greatest killers. Most people – sane people – would construct a barrier thicker than the hulls of ten Nostromos and leave it to rot. But where most people see a death trap, Weyland-Yutani sees the biggest payout in the history of civilization. And if it costs a few human lives to secure? Those come cheap here. Alien #1 continues the classic sci-fi and horror series picking up on the previous volume but also delivering a fresh start for new readers.

In the previous volume of the Alien comic series, we were taken to a frozen world where threats were all around, stuck in the ice all around. Alien #1 returns to the icy moon of LV-695 as Weyland-Yutani attempt to retrieve the Boreas which sits at the bottom of the frozen lake. But, it’s Weyland-Yutani, so you know there’s a more nefarious reason for the mission. It’s just a question as to what it is (beyond getting Aliens for bio weapons) and how many are going to die before everything is revealed.

Declan Shalvey does a solid job with Alien #1 allowing new readers to dive right into the action. While it’s good to have read the previous volume, you don’t need to. This new volume is a solid starting point that you can dive right in to and enjoy without really needing to know what happened before. You can get a sense of the all hell that’s broken loose already just by what Shalvey shows and any major info is provided in a recap (which you really don’t need to read).

Where the comic differs a bit is lack of subtlety. There isn’t a build to the xenomorph reveal and attack and there’s little teasing as to what lays around. Instead things are pretty blunt hitting the reader, and characters, over the head quickly. That’s provided a bit by the art of Andrea Broccardo and Shalvey who are joined on color by Ruth Redmond and Shalvey, and lettering by Clayton Cowles. The comic doesn’t play that tense build and instead just gets straight to the point with attacks, action and letting us know the what lays waiting under the water. There’s something interesting about this approach that jettisons the tense build up.

Alien #1 is another solid chapter start expanding the classic sci-fi franchise and delivering exactly what fans of it enjoy. There promises to be lots of action and a high body count and it should be interesting to see exactly how this shakes out and where it takes everything from here.

Story: Declan Shalvey Art: Andrea Broccardo, Declan Shalvey
Color: Ruth Redmond, Declan Shalvey Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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Comics Reviews

Thanos #1 is interesting but really geared towards fans of Thanos and Marvel’s cosmic epic

The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him! Thanos #1 kicks off the next chapter for the cosmic titan, and it’s… interesting.

Written by Christopher Cantwell, Thanos #1 isn’t bad at all. I’ll admit, I haven’t read recent comics featuring him and it’s been such a long time since his ongoing series, I had no idea where he was/is and what his status is. But, this is his return and it’s very Independence Day.

Thanos is back after vacationing wherever and he’s focused on Earth to get… something. We’re not 100% sure what but with all of the hints, readers can make a good guess as to what’s up. Like a good alien invasion, Cantwell delivers over the top destruction that feels like it’s ripped right out of a Michael Bay/Roland Emmerich film. The scale of destruction and what happens is made for the big screen in all the best ways. It’s pure invasion/destruction fodder… and kind of fun due to that.

Thanos #1 challenges you to not think. The response to Thanos’ actions feels a little scaled back and very late either signifying his swiftness in action or everyone else is on vacation I guess. But, like those big apocalyptic films, the comic begs you to not dwell too much about that and enjoy the symphony of destruction.

Part of the fun are the visuals from Luca Pizzari which teases the over the top destruction of Thanos’ actions. With color by Ruth Redmond and lettering by Cory Petit, it feels like highlights of what’s going on. The art never lingers enough to really let what has happened soak in. Instead once things gets rolling, it all feels like rather quick hits. Planes are destroyed, a city is… yeah. We don’t get the cinematic nature that the moments really call for. But, it’s still entertaining in that B-movie pop culture sort of way.

Thanos #1 isn’t a bad comic and in many ways it delivers some cheesy cosmic fun. But, unless you’re invested in the character or that corner of the Marvel universe, it’s not really enough to suck you in. Still, the return of Mad Titan and what’s teased has some potential there. Still, this is one that’s more for the hardcore invested fans.

Story: Christopher Cantwell Art: Luca Pizzari
Color: Ruth Redmond Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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Comics

Find out who Adam Warlock is in Who Is…? Adam Warlock!

Who Is…? Adam Warlock #1

Writer: Ralph Macchio
Artist: Damian Couceiro
Colorist: Ruth Redmond
Editor: Mark Basso
One-shot launches on Friday, May 5

Get ready for a cosmic journey like no other! From the cocoon of his creation as “HIM” to wielder of the INFINITY STONES, expand your mind across the stars and learn…WHO IS ADAM WARLOCK?

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Comics

Revisit the origin of Matt Murdock in Who Is… Daredevil available on Marvel Unlimited

An all-new WHO IS… story has launched on Marvel Unlimited with Who Is… Daredevil? #1. The series provides a deeper dive into the origins of your favorite Marvel heroes, as told in one-shot specials throughout the year! Perfect for new readers and those looking for entry points, the Who Is…? lineup revisits the backstories of major characters from every corner of the Marvel Universe. 

Who Is… Daredevil #1 is written by Ralph Macchio with art by Damian Couceiro, colors by Ruth Redmond, and edited by Mark Basso.

Learn about the origin and key adventures in the life of Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, the swashbuckling, death-defying Man without Fear!

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Comics Reviews

Review: Damage Control #1

Civilians in a superhero world seems to always be a a good opportunity for comic relief. In just about every season of The Boys, they have been our eyes into that world and how damage done by super powered beings can be detrimental. They did it in such a way that it becomes tangible to the viewer. It was not all done in a serious way , there were some comic points throughout.

Then there was the short-lived Vanessa Hudgens sitcom, Powerless, which showed flashes of brilliance. It was about an insurance company set in DC’s world of superheroes. It is important for these type of stories to remind us that these heroes are there for a reason. In Damage Control #1, we get a peek behind the scenes of Marvel’s own “cleanup crew”, as they take care of incidents throughout the world in two exciting stories.

 In “Into The Mailstrom”, We meet Gus, a fresh newcomer on his first day at work, where his boss gives him a rundown of what to expect,  but as soon as they enter their headquarters, nothing could prepare him for what he sees.  As he gets first big task, which is to deliver mail including an ice cream, while having hilarious encounters with Nick Fury and Ghost Rider, before being helped by Nightcrawler to deliver the mail to everyone before 5:00p.m. with the exception of one, this is where Quicksilver helps him out, and saves the day.  In “Zapped and the Mother Dimension” , we meet Bart, an intern, whose mother just came by to visit him, embarrassing him at every turn including revealing his crush. By issue’s end,  Bart’s Mom gets into an interdimensional fight with Thanos when she gets a hold of the reality stone, but defeats him and sends him back to his dimension.

Overall, Damage Control #1 is a funny set of stories which offer some irreverence in an often unforgiving world surrounded by supes. The story by the different creators is hilarious. The art by the different creators is gorgeous. Altogether, readers will be happy to go back to the Flatiron to enter the zany world of Damage Control.

Story: Adam F. Goldberg, Hans Podionoff, Charlotte Fullerton McDuffie Art: Will Robson, Jay Fosgitt
Color: Ruth Redmond Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 10 Art: 9.6 Overall: 9.7 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

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Comics Reviews

Review: Swamp Dogs: House of Crows #2

An interesting slow grind of a horror series that feels like it’s building to something interesting.

Story: J.M. Brandt, Theo Prasidis
Art: Kewber Baal
Color: Ruth Redmond
Letterer: Steve Wands

Get your copy 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.

TFAW
Scout Comics

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Comics Reviews

Review: X-O Manowar #9

A city overrun by an unstoppable threat. A clash between titans. And a diabolical plan revealed.

The epic conclusion of Dennis Hopeless and Emilio Laiso’s X-O Manowar run cannot be missed!

I’ve made no secret that I’ve felt this series has had it’s ups and downs. Nothing like a rollercoaster ride, mind, because when the series has been good it’s been very good, and when it hasn’t been good it’s still far from bad. A good part of the series being as consistent as it has been lies with the artwork of Emilio Laiso and colourist Ruth Redmond; the pair haven’t had a misstep in nine issues more often than not being the high point of each issue for me.

The concluding part in the nine issue run that Hopeless has had on X-O Manowar #9 does end on a high note. Hopeless really brought Aric of Dacia’s costume/suit/armour Shanhara into her own as a character, emphasizing that X-O Manowar is an active partnership between Shanhara and Aric by delving deeper into their relationship and underscoring what Hopeless has been hinting at for the past nine issues; Aric and Shanhara may be very capable alone, but together they’re one of the most powerful heroes in the Valiant universe.

There’s an interesting use of colour in the comic, with green being featured heavily as a background and also as the primary colour of the Singularity. For me it serves as a subtle way to give a technology based threat a natural (read organic) undertones – the shades of green used aren’t the bright neon like colours often associated with technology, but rather colours you’d see in nature (or used to colour nature in comics), subverting what you know about the Singularity. I’m sure it’s a coincidence that the two primary colours of the X-O Manowar armour are blue and (almost) yellow, too.

X-O Manowar #9 is a satisfying end cap to the current creative team’s run. At the end of the day, you can say that Hopeless and Laiso’s run with X-O Manowar took the character to places that we haven’t seen him in before. They re-grounded Aric and established a life for him outside of the military life he’d led. Personally, I think it was a great direction for the character, and I wouldn’t mind seeing it explored a little more in the future.

Story: Dennis Hopeless Art: Emilio Laiso
Colors: Ruth Redmond Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

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Comics Previews

Preview: X-O Manowar #9

X-O MANOWAR #9

Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art by EMILIO LAISO
Colors by RUTH REDMOND
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
Cover A by RAHZZAH
Cover B by MICHAEL CHO
Pre-order Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM & ARIF PRIANTO
On sale DECEMBER 15th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

A city overrun by an unstoppable threat. A clash between titans. And a diabolical plan revealed.

The epic conclusion of Dennis Hopeless and Emilio Laiso’s X-O MANOWAR run cannot be missed!

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Comics Previews

Preview: X-O Manowar #8

X-O MANOWAR #8

Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art by EMILIO LAISO AND JIM TOWE
Colors by RUTH REDMOND
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
Cover A by RAHZZAH
Cover B by CHRISTIAN DUCE
Pre-order Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
On sale NOVEMBER 17th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

The truth about X-O Manowar’s armor revealed. A devastating plan unfolds. And the evil mastermind behind it all gets a cosmic upgrade.

The penultimate chapter of Dennis Hopeless and Emilio Laiso’s epic run brings big changes to the Big Apple…

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Comics Reviews

Review: X-O Manowar #7

A bond destroyed. Power wielded recklessly. A deadly force on the attack. X-O Manowar’s world will be shattered in X-O Manowar #7.

The good news about X-O Manowar #7 is that there’s still a lot of content packed between its covers. No, it’s not an extended issue, but Dennis Hopeless is able to really fill those pages without giving Emilio Laiso too much to bring to life. Visually at least, this has been a very consistent series with the art more often than not being the high point of each issue for me.

Where the series has faltered has often been the quality of the writing, because at times it feels as though Hopeless is cramming a little too much story into the comic. Normally this wouldn’t be a thing I’d be complaining about but this issue there seemed to be a little too much hinting toward the reveal that isn’t exactly going to be a surprise for any who have been reading the series thus far; it’s more a confirmation at this point.

Ultimately there’s a lot of good ideas in this series, and despite some less than ideal execution X-O Manowar #7 is still enjoyable; but as the series progresses I’m seeing fewer flashes of the brilliance that we had in the first issue or two (I am aware of the fact that my dislike for a certain character may be influencing my view of the comic as a whole, because the parts I am enjoying don’t involve Troy at all – the jury is out on that because if that’s the case then Hopeless is writing a much better comic than I’m giving him credit for).

I’m keeping an open mind with the series, and I will be reading this book for a third time to see if I can settle the jury, because even with my reservations there’s a lot of things I’m enjoying about the book. Hopefully next issue I’ll find just a little more to love.

Story: Dennis Hopeless Art: Emilio Laiso
Colors: Ruth Redmond Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 7.4 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – TFAW