Tag Archives: ryan benjamin

Batman: The Black Glove features two forgettable stories on their own

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Fanhome has launched The Legends of Batman, an expansive series of hardcover graphic novels featuring the greatest adventures of DC’s legendary Caped Crusader.

This incredible series of stories brings Batman’s life story together in an epic full-color collection.

We check out Batman: The Black Glove which features Batman #667-669, #672-675.

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Story Grant Morrison
Art: J.H. Williams III, Tony S. Daniel, Ryan Benjamin
Ink: J.H. Williams III, Tony S. Daniel, Sandu Florea, Jonathan Glapion, Mark Irwin, Saleem Crawford
Color: Dave Stewart, Guy Major
Letterer: Rob Leigh, Ken Lopez, John J. Hill, Randy Gentile, Steve Wands, Travis Lanham, Sal Cipriano

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.

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Fanhome provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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

The Static: Season One DC Compact Comics edition is a nice introduction to the Milestone Universe

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Bullied nerd Virgil Hawkins wasn’t the kind of kid you’d normally find on the streets at a protest—but like everyone else in the city of Dakota, he was fed up. Unfortunately, the first time he stood up to raise his voice, the world turned upside down. The experimental tear gas released that day left some of his classmates maimed or dead…but it left Virgil, and others, with stunning new abilities. Virgil has power inside him now—real power, the ability to channel and manipulate electromagnetic fields.

But there’s anger burning inside him, too.

What is he supposed to do about all of this? And first and foremost—what is he supposed to do about his bullies, now that they’ve got superpowers too?

Story: Reginald Hudlin, Vita Ayala, Greg Pak
Art: Denys Cowan, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Chriscross, Jim Lee, Ryan Benjamin, Jimmy Palmiotti, Don Ho, Bill Sienkiewicz, Khoi Pham, Scott Hanna
Ink: Bill Sienkiewicz, Juan Castro
Color: Chris Sotomayor, Wil Quintana, Alex Sinclair, Hi-Fi
Letterer: Andworld Design

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.

Bookshop
Amazon

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

SDCC 2024: Abrams ComicArts announces Abrams Comics with monthly comics from Darren Aronofsky and Frank Miller

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At San Diego Comic Con, Abrams ComicArts announced a new initiative—Abrams Comics a new line of monthly-issue comics that officially begins this fall with the release of Human Nature #1 from filmmaker Darren Aronofsky! Abrams ComicArts is expanding into the direct market, working with phenomenal talent to create exciting new monthly single issues, available in comic shops across the country. This is one piece of ComicArts exciting expansion into new areas, as seen in the recent announcement of a new manga line, Kana, also launching this fall. 

HUMAN NATURE

Writers: Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, and Jeff Welch
Interior and Cover Artist: Martín Morazzo
Colorist (Interior and Cover): Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
1st issue on sale: November 20, 2024 (Monthly series) 

From Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky and his writing and producing partner Ari Handel, along with Jeff Welch, comes Human Nature, a social satire of a bizarre yet fathomable future. Drawn by comic book industry giant Martín Morazzo, Human Nature follows the ego-maniacal, Nebraskan chicken magnate Duke. Duke has almost all the world’s resources at his disposal. Once an everyman, Duke managed to work (and intimidate) his way into an endless fortune. Even though he has almost everything, there’s one thing even the richest man in the world can’t buy: immortality. Or can he?

Strange, thought-provoking, and, at times, gruesome, read the mini-series Human Nature to get a glimpse of a future resulting from unchecked greed, corporate corruption, and ethically questionable science.

PANDORA 

Starting with: PANDORA #7 

Frank Miller – Creator
Emma Kubert – Pencils, Inks, & Colors
Frank Miller, Chris Silvestri and Anthony Maranville – Script
Pete Carlsson – Letters
Frank Miller – Editor in Chief
Silenn Thomas – Artist Producer
Pete Carlsson – Assistant Editor in Chief
1st issue on sale: December 18, 2024 (Every other month series) 

Description: Following directly from the first volume, Annabeth finds herself in another world, one overwhelmed by dark magic and demons beyond imagining. Here begins her hero’s journey to face the monsters of the netherworld and discover its secrets. How will this change her? Is she ready for this test?

INVASIVE SPECIES

Frank Miller – Creator & Writer
Ryan Benjamin – Pencils & Ink Finishes
John Livesay – Inks
Alex Sinclair – Colors
Pete Carlsson – Letters
Frank Miller – Editor in Chief
Silenn Thomas – Artist Producer
Pete Carlsson – Assistant Editor in Chief
1st issue on sale: January 8, 2025 (Every other month series) 

Little Becky could fight the aliens if she could just get them out of her brain! Frank Miller, Ryan Benjamin, John Livesay, Alex Sinclair, and Pete Carlsson bring the classic Alien Invasion story to a little town just like yours. The aliens are not OUT there, they’re IN there.

Almost Dead #1 reads like a bad point and click game

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Almost Dead #1

After having an accident on her way home to visit her family, Sara Walker awakens to find that the world has changed. Now she must travel up the Eastern Seaboard, using suppressed survival skills she learned as a child, in hopes of reuniting with her loved ones during a viral pandemic that has turned humans into monsters. Set in modern day 2005, Sara unites with old acquaintances and new friends along the way, and her struggle to survive will be both an unexpectedly exciting journey and an absolute horror. Almost Dead #1 is a rough start that feels more like playing a point and click game than reading a comic.

In the solicit for Almost Dead #1, it says it “redefines the genre, with its cinematic approach and attention to detail.” Having read the first issue, it feels more like a step back and missing a lot of details instead.

Written by Galaxy, Almost Dead #1 is your typical zombie horror comic that teases it might be something else. Sara arrives in Maryland and falls in the bathroom hitting her head. During her recovery, all hell breaks loose as the zombie apocalypse descends. When she eventually comes through, she walks around rather oblivious remarking about luggage and cars left around but not noticing much else. All of it hints this might be in Sara’s head but until things are shown otherwise, it’s the details and dialogue that add to a frustrating start.

The comic boasts its “attention to detail” but throughout there’s small details that are missed. Sara loses a shoe which is mentioned later but that shoe just mysteriously comes off. It’s not shown off her foot or around her when she wakes up, she’s just missing it. In the car she takes, in one panel the back hatch is open, perfect for zombies to climb in and kill her while she’s passed out but when she wakes up the hatch is closed. When she lands in her plane it deboards on the tarmac!? Unless it’s a tiny plane, and this doesn’t look like it, not likely. And generally there’s no reason to present the scene like that.

Then there’s the narrative that switches between Sara’s thoughts in her head to eventually what reads like details you’d get when playing a point and click video game. It’s a jarring switch that makes little to no sense at all when it comes to the storytelling itself.

The art by Ryan Benjamin is good but doesn’t stand out too much. There’s all this damage and destruction as Sara shuffles her way to the destination but the comic never uses its visuals to really tell a story. We get some zombie looking people here and there but overall the world feels a bit too empty and clean for whatever has happened over the three days Sara was passed out. It feels more Rapture than zombies.

Almost Dead #1 kicks things off with an opening we’ve seen many times before and it just doesn’t do it well. When there’s so many options out there for this type of story, it doesn’t make a case this is the one you should check out and stick with.

Story: Galaxy Art: Ryan Benjamin
Story: 6.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass

Ablaze provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Almost Dead – Post Apocalyptic Horror Comic Book Series Launches November 1st

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Somewhere between pure exhilaration and sheer terror is Almost Dead! After having an accident on her way home to visit her family, Sara Walker awakens to find that the world has changed. Now she must travel up the Eastern Seaboard, using suppressed survival skills she learned as a child, in hopes of reuniting with her loved ones during a viral pandemic that has turned humans into monsters. Set in modern day 2005, Sara unites with old acquaintances and new friends along the way, and her struggle to survive will be both an unexpectedly exciting journey and an absolute horror.   

Relentlessly vicious, Almost Dead isn’t your typical apocalyptic story. Tying in conspiracy with historical flashbacks and showing how perhaps everything we learned in our textbooks has been altered over time.

Featuring a story by Galaxy, art by Ryan Benjamin, and published by Ablaze, Almost Dead #1 debuts on November 1st.

Almost Dead #1

Ablaze launches Almost Dead, a post apocalyptic horror series

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ALMOST DEAD #1

story by Galaxy
artwork by Ryan Benjamin
SRP: $3.99
Available September 6th   

Somewhere between pure exhilaration and sheer terror is Almost Dead!  

After having an accident on her way home to visit her family, Sara Walker awakens to find that the world has changed. Now she must travel up the Eastern Seaboard, using suppressed survival skills she learned as a child, in hopes of reuniting with her loved ones during a viral pandemic that has turned humans into monsters. Set in 2005, Sara unites with old acquaintances and new friends along the way, and her struggle to survive will be both an unexpectedly exciting journey and an absolute horror.   

Relentlessly vicious, Almost Dead isn’t a typical apocalyptic story. It adeptly weaves conspiracy with historical flashbacks and shows how perhaps everything we’ve learned in textbooks has been altered over time.

ALMOST DEAD #1

Review: Batman: Fear State Omega

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Batman: Fear State Omega

“Fear State” is one of the best Batman events in years. Not only did it up the villain of Scarecrow in quality, it also introduced so many new and interesting elements to the series and Gotham. Impressively, the “Fear State” also balanced “Future State” teasing out the future Gotham we witnessed in that mini-event. As much as we got to enjoy what Scarecrow’s plans were, we also sat back to see if Simon Saint’s vision for Gotham becomes a reality. A lot was going on and the storyline balanced all of its elements really well. Batman: Fear State Omega wraps up the event with a bit of a kicker issue taking us through the fate of the characters in the story.

Writer James Tynion IV wraps up the event with Batman driving Scarecrow to the new facility he’ll be held in as the two discuss what has happened and what might have changed. Much like the final issue of the event, Batman emphasizes his hope for the future rejecting the dark brooding cloud that we associate with him. This is in juxtaposition to the Scarecrow who only “fears” what the future brings. It’s some interesting banter but it’s the fate of all of the characters from the event that’s more interesting.

Tynion touches on a lot of the key players from “Fear State” including Simon Saint, Miracle Molly, the Gardener, Harley and Ivy, Magistrate-01, and the Unsanity Collective. Much like the event, there’s a lot to go over and each is given just enough time to either wrap up their role or set up what’s to come. And in many ways, that’s what this issue feels like, a bridge from what was to what’s next. For better or worse, it’s handled in this single issue instead of the main series, and in some ways it feels a bit like filler. But, it does what it needs to, lets the reader know where things stand in so many ways.

The art is handled by a group of creators, Riccardo Federici, Christian Duce, Ryan Benjamin, and Trevor Hairsine. They’re joined by Chris Sotomayor on color and Clayton Cowles‘ lettering. The art is decent though with so many involved there’s some clash of styles as the issue shifts its focus. None of the art is bad at all, it’s just not all of it works together creating some rough transitions between styles. The issue likely would have been stronger with a single artist instead of the rotating team.

There’s nothing inherently wrong or bad about Batman: Fear State Omega. It acts as a real finale to the event letting readers know what the fates of so many characters are. But, beyond that, it doesn’t quite feel like it does anything shocking or interesting that the finale in Batman didn’t already. Whether it needed to be a one-shot instead of just another issue of Batman is the real rub. While it delivers some closure and sets up a lot to come, it doesn’t deliver as memorable an ending as the “end” of the event in Batman #117.

Story: James Tynion IV Art: Riccardo Federici, Christian Duce, Ryan Benjamin, Trevor Hairsine
Color: Chris Sotomayor Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

Preview: Batman: Urban Legends #5

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Batman: Urban Legends #5

Written by: Marguerite Bennett, Meghan Fitzmartin, Chip Zdarsky, Matthew Rosenberg
Art by: Sweeney Boo, Belén Ortega, Eddy Barrows, Ryan Benjamin

Red Hood: Meet Cheer, the villain behind the insidious Cheerdrops altering the citizens of Gotham. When confronted with a man responsible for taking the lives of so many, including Tyler, the kid Jason Todd swore to protect, will Red Hood be able to stop himself from taking vengeance for a whole city? Grifter: Through four chapters of blood, bullets, and Batman, the true reason for Cole Cash emerging in Gotham City reveals itself at last…but it’s not what you think! Tim Drake: Tim is determined to find his friend Bernard, who was taken by a Chaos Monster before his very eyes. But this case is different from any Tim has taken on before, and the cracks are starting to show. Batgirls: Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown are just two teenagers breaking into Wayne Manor so they can play some video games. But when Oracle gives them a mission, the Batgirls suit up and head to an abandoned arcade to investigate.

Batman: Urban Legends #5

Preview: Batman: Urban Legends #4

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Batman: Urban Legends #4

Written by: Meghan Fitzmartin, Matthew Rosenberg, Camrus Johnson, Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Eddy Barrows, Ryan Benjamin, Loyiso Mkize, Marcus To

-The penultimate chapter of the Grifter story is here! Grifter’s walking a deadly line between Lucius Fox and Halo’s plan…can he survive the endgame? Oh, and yeah, now Superman is after him! -As old wounds threaten to sabotage Batman and Red Hood’s investigation into the Cheerdrop drug turning Gotham City upside down, they run afoul of Gotham’s coldest criminal, MR. FREEZE! And the force behind the Cheerdrops will be banking on the former dynamic duo’s demise… -TIM DRAKE has returned to the streets of Gotham City and is seeking a new purpose, but what he finds is a string of young adult kidnappings committed by someone known only as “the Chaos Monster.” will Tim be able to get to the root of the kidnappings, or will he fall prey to them? Critically acclaimed Future State Robin Eternal writer Meghan Fitzmartin returns to tell this Tim Drake story with rising star artist Belén Ortega. -Acclaimed creator and actor Camrus Johnson writes an action-packed story featuring Luke Fox-the character he portrays on the CW’s hit television series Batwoman!

Batman: Urban Legends #4
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