Tag Archives: Tony Brescini

Reveiw: Aliens: Defiance #9

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A fledgling alien, kept alive in a deep freeze for the purpose of learning its weaknesses, wages a psychological war on Zula, Davis, and Hollis. They try to keep it together, but an attack on the Europa by space pirates forces the trio to weaponize what they seek to destroy.

Something shocking is revealed about the fledgling alien in Aliens: Defiance #9. And with that, writer Brian Wood manages to make the situation for Europa go from bad to worse. What’s interesting and feels new is the use the natural lethality of the alien against the pirates. It does beg the question, were the pirates after the fledgling alien or was it just a matter of coincidence?

The art by Tony Brescini like previous issues is gruesome and violent. There’s some solid short fire-fights between the pirates and Zula. And even with all the action, the blood-drenched appearance of the alien is a terrifying sight to behold.

Story: Brian Wood  Art: Tony Brescini
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Robyn Hood #4

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robyn cov 004It seems to be all too often that in the build up to a series, that it will be marketed as “a great jumping on point.”  That is the case here with Robyn Hood, and the slogan actually works, only that what is being jumped onto still feels like a work in progress.  As Robyn tries to settle into a regular life, she is confronted out-of-nowhere by Britney, also known as Red Riding Hood in the Grimm Fairy Tales universe, and the two head out to battle a cult of vampires who have decided that it is that specific night that they will take to the streets.

While the story is a bit mundane, it does live up to being called a good jumping on point.  As the two heroines head out into the city they have already been established in who they are and what they have been doing and who they know.  Due to the ambiguous nature of being roommates with a lesbian witch, Britney even asks if Robyn and Marian are a couple.  In all the catching up with the characters is handled well, but the story doesn’t really match up to it.  As they end up in the battle with the vampires, things play out somewhat routinely and there are little real surprises here.

rob cov 004 aThe end result is not entirely bad, it avoids some of the overly convoluted stories of the main series which try to tie in differing plot points from fairy tales, literature, legend and mythology.  Instead this issue focuses on a slice of this universe and that helps to make it easier to enjoy, by keeping its attention where it needs to be.   The series also uses Britney Waters, who is one of the most underused characters in the Grimm Fairy Tales universe (and really deserving of her own ongoing if Robyn has one) and it employs her here not just as backup but as an equal which does her character justice.  At the same time, comic fans, and especially those outside of regular Grimm Fairy Tales readers will probably find little going on here that they haven’t seen or read before.  The characters have a decent depth, but nothing new, and the plot isn’t particularly fresh either.  This is a fine attempt to get some new fans into the Grimm Fairy Tales stories, but still a little short of the mark despite using two of its more approachable characters.

Story: Pat Shand Art: Tony Brescini
Story: 6.7 Art: 7.0 Overall: 6.7 Recommendation: Pass

Review: Helsing #3

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Helsing03_coverAThough not a particularly big vampire or Grimm Fairy Tales fan, for some reason I’ve always liked the Van Helsing character in the Dracula story. He reminds me of a gothic Indiana Jones, with a crossbow instead of a whip. As such, I decided to give Zenescope‘s four-issue mini series Helsing a look, in the hopes that their Grimm Universe packs more than just the heaving bosoms of their covers. Alas, this third installment missed the proverbial mark.

After spending more than a century in a hellish dimension, Liesel Van Helsing, daughter of the famed vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, arrives in the present day to investigate her father’s hidden past and take on the evil that comes with it. Having dutifully started with the first issue, I wasn’t halfway through before I let out a groan. Pop culture references to Nickleback, Edward Cullen, and smartphones already? Ugh. I was on board with a sultry, steampunk Helsing daughter in the 1800s, but not a time traveling vampire killer that takes selfies.

The nail in the coffin is writer Pat Shand‘s ubiquitous narration. Every word Liesel thinks is in a caption, and at at times the captions consume the pages (more so in the first two books than this one). Let the art do some of the talking. The touch of a hand or a passing glance speaks just as much as words. Artists Tony Brescini and Andres Esparza are more than up for the task, but it’s tough to enjoy illustrations of a story that doesn’t grab me. That said, the smoky, shadowy London they create lends a historical feel to this issue, almost as if they are back in the time and place they should be! Also, I want to give a rare shout out to letterer Jim Campbell for his work on Renfield, he definitely captures the essence of the character.

The potential is there, especially how Shand introduces Harker, Mina, and Renfield (which are hopefully familiar names to most). Couple that with some subtle, tongue-in-check present day references and it could have been a wholly different read. Unfortunately, the depth of the storyline didn’t match the depth of the plunging necklines.

Story: Pat Shand Art: Tony Brescini, Andres Esparza
Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5 Recommendation: Read

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review