Tag Archives: the ministry of compliance

Mini Reviews: Kid Cudi’s Moon Man, Wolverine, Charred Remains, Jill and the Killers, and so much more!

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Moon Man #1

Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Moon Man #1 (Image Comics) – Kid Cudi (Billed as Scott Mescudi) seamlessly transitions from music to comics in his new series Moon Man with co-scripter Kyle Higgins and artists Marco Locati and Igor Monti. The protagonist of Moon Man, Ramon, is a stand-in for Mescudi with much of the comic taking place in his real hometown of Cleveland. Plus there’s the lunar and cosmic imagery that have been a part of Kid Cudi’s lyrics and sound from day one, but are visually intensified in this comic. Monti’s color palette has a field day as Ramon’s abilities are unlocked, and he goes back to the mysterious events on his billionaire sponsored moon voyage. There is a lot of Jack Kirby and early Fantastic Four in the more sci-fi elements of Moon Man #1, but its world is very much our own with plutocratic monopolies and income equality. I especially love the conversations Ramon has with his little brother Micah about the current generation (Z and Alpha, I guess) not having the same opportunities as previous ones, but also pointing out that Ramon’s corporate astronaut gig is why Micah has shelter, food, and can go to college. Moon Man #1 captures the tension between resigning one’s self to the rat race and wanting something more in a gorgeous take on superhero and science fiction stories. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Brett

Avengers: Twilight #2 (Marvel) – While the concept of a world where corporate/fascism has taken over is interesting, there’s something that feels surface level in this future take on the Marvel Universe. The art is decent, action interesting, but the concept continues to be far better than the execution. Overall: 7.0 Verdict: Read

Charred Remains #2 (Mad Cave Studios) – The series is a horror version of Backdraft and what’s real, what’s not is an intriguing part of it all. The fire focused psychological thriller features beautifully haunting art and an overall concept that’s some solid and entertaining horror. Overall: 8.25 Verdict: Buy

Jill and the Killers #1 (Oni Press) – Crime podcasts and shows are a hot thing and this series plays off of that. Jill’s mother has disappeared as well as kids in her town. Are they all related? And what’s with a mystery game box that seems to be involved too? A solid start full of emotion and questions. Overall: 8.65 Verdict: Buy

Local Man #9 (Image Comics) – The action amps up in this issue as everything comes together in this revitalization of Image’s superhero comics. The series continues to be a highlight for the publisher delivering with every issue. If you’re looking for a superhero comic that’s not one of the Big Two, look no further. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

Ministry of Compliance #2 (IDW Publishing) – All hell has broken loose for the Ministry of Compliance as they’ve been cut off from their homeworld and there’s treachery from within and from outside forces. This is an action drama from John Ridley that shows how amazing Ridley is at world building. Overall: 8.35 Verdict: Buy

Moon Man #1 (Image Comics) – Something has gone wrong on a corporate funded mission to the moon, but what? The series is most solid in its discussion of corporate takeover of our lives and while we work for horrible corporations, they do provide us with opportunity. Some art is a little muddied and hard to make out what’s happening, but overall, an interesting start. Overall: 7.75 Verdict: Read

Punisher #3 (Marvel) – Absolutely fantastic action with a solid villain and what’s next looks awesome. This series really brings back a classic Punisher feel and is a must for fans of the character. Overall: 8.45 Verdict: Buy

Resurrection of Magneto #1 (Marvel) – Focusing on Storm attempting to bring Magneto back from the dead, unless you’re really into that aspect, this one’s a pass. But, if you’re deep into the story, it feels like a must. I’m not too into it, so it was rather blah for me. Overall: 7.0 Verdict: Read

The Deviant #3 (Image Comics) – Such an amazing comic. If you’re into horror, it’s a must. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

Wolverine #42 (Marvel) – Again, we were promised a brutal and bloody Wolverine story and this delivers. Holy crap is this R-rated fun. Overall: 8.25 Verdict: Buy

Preview: The Ministry of Compliance #2

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The Ministry of Compliance #2

(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Stefano Raffaele
In Shops: Jan 03, 2024
SRP: $4.99

The Devolution has ceased communication with all the Ministries on Earth, and there’s no way for the members of the Ministries to get off Earth. They are on their own and being hunted by murderous Earth assassins. Avigail, Quinn, and Kingsley will have to go up against a large group of assassins in order to get answers about their current catastrophic predicament. And the conspiracy of who is working against the Ministries from the inside festers.

The Ministry of Compliance #2

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Pine and Merrimac #1

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Beware the Planet of the Apes #1 (Marvel) – Cornelius and Zira must trust a human named Nova to find their missing nephew Lucius.

Conan the Barbarian #6 (Titan Comics) – The new Conan series has been excellent with solid storytelling and great art. This issue kicks off a new arc and should be a solid spot to dive in.

Fall of the House of X #1 (Marvel) – Krakoa has been broken and the current phase of the X-Men begins to wind down with this series.

Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 9 (VIZ Media) – The series has been a solid twist on the monster/kaiju genre full of twists and solid action.

Kneel Before Zod #1 (DC Comics) – General Zod now has a planet to rule. What happens next?

Maple Terrace #3 (Uncivilized Comics) – Noah Van Sciver’s biographical comic has been intriguing and a curtain pulled back on the Van Sciver family growing up.

Marvel Meow #1 (Marvel) – The all-ages webcomics that have come to print has been really cute so far and we expect more of that.

Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 #1 (Marvel) – Spider-Man 2099 and Blade 2099 team up to take on Marvel Zombie 2099.

Ministry of Compliance #2 (IDW Publishing) – John Ridley spins conspiracies of an alien race who has been manipulating Earth and those in charge of that have no been cut off from their bosses.

Pine and Merrimac #1 (BOOM! Studios) – On the corner of Pine and Merrimac sits a small, unassuming town… Just a simple place, simple people, and one horrifying secret that could change everything…

Unnatural Order #2 (Vault Comics) – The first issue was part of Vault’s new distribution test of giving it away for free. The ending was rather intriguing and enough for us to come back to see what’s next.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1 (Marvel) – Moon Knight is dead! What’s next?

Preview: The Ministry of Compliance #2

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The Ministry of Compliance #2

(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Stefano Raffaele
In Shops: Jan 03, 2024
SRP: $4.99

The Devolution has ceased communication with all the Ministries on Earth, and there’s no way for the members of the Ministries to get off Earth. They are on their own and being hunted by murderous Earth assassins. Avigail, Quinn, and Kingsley will have to go up against a large group of assassins in order to get answers about their current catastrophic predicament. And the conspiracy of who is working against the Ministries from the inside festers.

The Ministry of Compliance #2

The Ministry of Compliance #1 is a hell of a start to an interesting world

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Thirty-seven years ago, Earth was secretly invaded by an alien force known as the Devolution, and they have been shaping the direction humanity has been going in ever since to prepare us to be assimilated into their empire. The Ministry Of Compliance #1 introduces a world behind the curtain, a subtle sci-fi epic full of political intrigue.

Story: John Ridley
Art: Stefano Raffaele
Color: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Ariana Maher

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
Zeus Comics
Kindle

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The Ministry Of Compliance #1 feels like the start of a grand story

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The Ministry of Compliance #1

 Thirty-seven years ago, Earth was secretly invaded by an alien force known as the Devolution, and they have been shaping the direction humanity has been going in ever since to prepare us to be assimilated into their empire. The Ministry Of Compliance #1 introduces a world behind the curtain, a subtle sci-fi epic full of political intrigue.

Writer John Ridley has a hell of a career dominating film, television, and comics. He’s a master storyteller that crafts tales that will often make you think and rarely delivers things in black and white. There’s a lot of grey when it comes to Ridley’s stories and they can challenge your perception and thoughts on particular topics. He’s able to craft a story where even the worst of the characters have something about them you can sympathize with.

The Ministry Of Compliance #1 kicks off a story of administration, bureaucracy, and corruption. Ridley, through some interesting storytelling, lays out the world and how everything works. The Devolution has thirteen ministries, each responsible for manipulating a different aspect of human life. The Ministry of Compliance, the most feared of all the ministries, led by the fierce Avigail Senna, makes sure all the ministries stay in line and remain focused on the Devolution’s mission. Unfortunately, some Ministries have become corrupted, taking on the less admirable qualities of the people on Earth. This forces Avigail to act, relieving some of their duties just as the assimilation of Earth is to begin. But, something goes wrong before that can happen, leaving Avigail and the dysfunctional Ministries to deal with things on their own.

At its surface, Ridley delivers a story of corporate bureaucracy and unflinching loyalty. There’s something here to chew on as far as assimilating the masses and accepting whatever you’re told to do by the higher ups. There’s also a lot about not doing one’s job and becoming content, bloated, and corrupted by one’s role and power one has gained from that. Whether Ridley is talking about corporations, the political/non-profit space, both, or more, remains to be seen, but it’s more than enough to chew on in just this one issue.

The art by Stefano Raffaele is intriguing. With color by Brad Anderson and lettering by Ariana Maher, the visuals are both cold and corporate but also an action style that’s a dance to watch and a body count and blood splatter that’d make Tarantino proud. It’s a comic whose visuals deliver a weird balance of well tailored suits and rather icy and lifeless buildings mixed with blood flowing all over. It’s interesting to look at and plays off of some of the themes and concepts that percolate underneath.

The Ministry of Compliance #1 is another intriguing series from Ridley. There’s potential here for a hell of an epic and one that’ll be packed with details and worldbuilding. As a start, it should suck in those that enjoy sci-fi that’ll make you think mixed with a little John Wick action. It’s another excellent release that shows off Ridley’s talents that we need more of in comics.

Story: John Ridley Art: Stefano Raffaele
Color: Brad Anderson Letterer: Ariana Maher
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: The Ministry of Compliance #1

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The Ministry of Compliance #1

(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Stefano Raffaele
In Shops: Nov 15, 2023
SRP: $5.99

Eisner Award-nominated comic book writer John Ridley (The Other History of the DC Universe, I Am Batman) delivers a bold, new vision of science fiction with THE MINISTRY OF COMPLIANCE. Thirty-seven years ago, Earth was secretly invaded by an alien force known as the Devolution, and they have been shaping the direction humanity has been going in ever since to prepare us to be assimilated into their empire.

The Devolution has thirteen ministries, each responsible for manipulating a different aspect of human life. The Ministry of Compliance, the most feared of all the ministries, led by the fierce Avigail Senna, makes sure all the ministries stay in line and remain focused on the Devolution’s mission. As it appears the Ministry’s mission is on the verge of being completed and Earth will be assimilated, things begin to go terribly wrong, and a conspiracy among the ministries breaks out that Avigail must deal with head-on.

The beginning of comics’ next sci-fi epic in this oversized debut issue from John Ridley and acclaimed artist Stefano Raffaele (The Joker, GCPD: The Blue Wall)!

The Ministry of Compliance #1

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Animal Pound Ashcan

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Alien #1 (Marvel) – A world is infected by the universe’s greatest killers, Weyland-Yutani sees a payout even if it costs a few human lives.

Animal Pound Ashcan (BOOM! Studios) – Get a look at the new series from Tom King and Peter Gross that’s a new reimagining of George Orwell’s classic. How it’ll stand out from that other recent take, Animal Castle (which is amazing), will be intriguing.

Batman and Robin #3 (DC Comics) – The series has been fun so far as it balances the superheroics with Bruce and Damian attempting to be a normal father and son.

Dark X-Men #4 (Marvel) – The series has been fun so far remember the dysfunction within the X-Men that can be so entertaining.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 (Skybound) – Larry Hama continues his epic run with artist Chris Mooneyham!

Lotus Land #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Something about technology that promises to end entropy itself and an attack on that program brings out a retired Detective. It sounds intriguing and the art looks great.

Outsiders #1 (DC Comics) – The Outsiders are back in this stealth launch of something bigger… something more… Planetary.

Rose Wolves Vol. 1 (IDW Publishing) – This wordless two-color graphic novel is an enthralling fable about disability, companionship, and transformation, set in the haunting beauty of the wild.

Speed Force #1 (DC Comics) – DC’s expanding the world of the Flash and we’re intrigued where this aspect of it all goes.

Star Wars: Visions #1 (Marvel) – Peach Momoko does Star Wars.

The Deviant #1 (Image Comics) – As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called “Deviant Killer,” who still maintains his innocence from behind bars.

The Ministry of Compliance #1 (IDW Publishing) – Writer John Ridley with artist Stefano Raffaele? Yes please! Thirty-seven years ago, Earth was secretly invaded by an alien force known as the Devolution, and they have been shaping the direction humanity has been going in ever since to prepare us to be assimilated into their empire.

Around the Tubes

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Universal Monsters: Dracula #1

The weekend is almost here! What geeky things are you all doing? Sound off in the comments below. While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web to take you into the weekend.

CBR – New Initial D Manga-Based Movie by Fast & Furious Actor in Development – Uh…

ICv2 – DC Boss Exits Warner Bros. Discovery – The time there seemed rather contentious.

ICv2 – RIP Hisaya Nakajo – Our thoughts are with their family, friends, and fans.

The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Read the full first issue of Terry Moore’s STRANGERS IN PARADISE – Free comics!

Reviews

CBR – Amazons Attack #1
CBR – Betwixt
The Beat – Cereal
The Beat – Gannibal
CBR – The Ministry of Compliance #1
Collected Editions – Punchline: The Gotham Game
CBR – Universal Monsters: Dracula #1

IDW reveals John Ridley and Stefano Raffaele’s The Ministry of Compliance

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For 37 years, humanity has been manipulated by an extraterrestrial organization called the Devolution. Utilizing 13 ministries, these cunning alien agents have infiltrated every aspect of humanity’s culture, weakening civilization by strategically destabilizing it and flooding the planet with misinformation to accelerate chaos and division among mankind. This has all been in an effort to take over and reshape the planet, and these secretive saboteurs truly believe they are helping humanity in the long run. But what happens when the interstellar operatives begin to turn on each other, and humanity is caught in the middle of the cosmic conflict?

Eisner-nominated storyteller John Ridley reunites with GCPD: The Blue Wall collaborator Stefano Raffaele to present The Ministry of Compliance, a sociopolitical sci-fi thriller that is full of extraterrestrial espionage and excitement as the creatives take a look at the world we live in today through the lens of an inconspicuous alien invasion.

The Ministry of Compliance #1 goes on sale November 15, 2023, featuring primary covers by Raffaele and colorist Brad Anderson, letters by Ariana Maher, and variants by Ryan Sook, Claire Roe, and Edwin Galmon with more to be announced soon.