Category Archives: Comics

Comics, DC Comics, Reviews

Alan Moore, Brian Bolland ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’ Review

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When it comes to Batman and his lengthy history, there are a few must-read stories. Stories that altered the way we view and think of Batman, and some of his greatest foes. Alan Moore just so happens to be responsible for more than a single one of those stories. My personal favorite, however, is less about Batman and more about Joker than anything. It’s only appropriate that the book be titled Batman: The Killing Joke.

What we get here is no doubt the greatest Joker story ever told. It’s a bold thing to craft a Joker origin story. It’s far bolder to tell that story all the while pushing Batman’s greatest villain to depravities unknown even to this legendary monster. Never has the grinning one been so cutthroat and vile. Never has he pushed Batman in such fashion. Never has he been so frightening.

That’s another element of the book that steals my soul. This is a genuinely frightening Batman book, and that’s brilliant. While I adore the silliness that comes with some of the earlier Detective Comics issues, I’ve been much more keen on edgier tales (Shadow of the Bat was a brilliant run), and this fits the bill.

So, as we’re reading this issue, we find ourselves – for the first time in a long time – wondering if Batman will actually capture the Joker before he can slaughter an excessive amount of decent Gothamites. That’s a mystery we don’t typically get from Batman books, and it’s absolutely amazing.

What more can be said of this one other than major, major respect to the legendary Alan Moore and the master of cover art, and former boss of the insides, artist Brian Bolland. These two are mind bogglingly good together. These men don’t make comic books, they make very real, very respectful artwork that, as The Killing Joke proves, is truly timeless.

Rating: 5/5

batman the killing joke cover

Comics, Marvel Comics, Review

Throwback Review: Spectacular Spiderman #2

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The first issue of this amazing Spidey spinoff featured a showdown with the menacing yet unintentionally comical Tarantula. Tarantula’s a fun character, though few Spidey aficionados would likely place the man on any “Best of” lists. The villain introduced in issue two however, has quite a different following.

Kraven the Hunter pops up in this book, and of course, that means he’s not only going to tangle with Spidey, he’s going to tangle with Tarantula, who’s still hanging around, as well. But, these two aren’t occupying the same space by mere coincidence. Tarantula was hired to kidnap chancellor Lansky, but he was also hired to kill the mayor, an assignment he botched. That’s where Kraven comes into play, to try and get the mystery man’s plans back on track. So, like it or not, Tarantula and Kraven are in this devious plan together, and the plan has changed. Kraven and Tarantula’s new assignment is to capture Chancellor Richard Gorman – dead or alive.

Peter goes through the normal growth process. Problems with Mary Jane, concern for Aunt May. Education, employment. Peter’s always going through that crap, and when he’s not, he’s going toe to toe with Kraven or Tarantula.

It’s a back and forth affair between Spidey and Kraven, all the while Tarantula delivers Gorman to our mysterious villain only to be double crossed. Whoever pulls the strings is sharp, and cautious.

Eventually the book comes – sadly – to an end, but not before an explosive and definitive conclusion to Spiderman and Kraven’s battle. Wanna guess who picked up the W in that rematch? Speaking of Ws, what’s next for Tarantula? Is he a goner, and will this particular story arc reveal the mastermind early, or will we be forced to wait for issue four?

Another amazing, classic book that comes to us courtesy of stud writer Gerry Conway and personal favorite with the pencil, Sal Buscema. Again, this really is a beautiful book.

Rating: 5/5

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Comics, Dynamite, Reviews

Army of Darkness: Furious Road #1 & #2 Review

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Army of Darkness: Furious Road is an awkward but gripping piece that brings Ash toe to toe with Universal Monsters who travel as only a Road Warrior could. It’s strange, make no mistake, but it’s one of the strongest story arcs we’ve gotten from an Army of Darkness run in quite some time.

The story pretty much unravels as most Army of Darkness titles do, with Ash tangling with Deadites over the Necronomicon. As we’ve seen over the years Ash isn’t opposed to teaming up with folks if it means clearing the Deadite mess up once and for all. This time around we happen to get modernized takes on Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, The Daughter of Dracula and of course, a spunky Wolf Man. It’s a fine batch to work with, and it earns big points from me, as I’ve always been an extreme Universal Monster enthusiast.

Two issues in and the pace is just right. We’ve had a few bad ass action sequences, a glimpse of the Delta, Ash’s evil twin is in town. It’s all here, as you’d hope. But the monsters – the heroic lot, not the undead – add an interesting dynamic to the story. At this point it’s an exciting and engaging story.

Nancy A. Collins does fine work paying homage to Mad Max as well as the older icons featured in the tale, but Collins isn’t alone in success. Kewber Baal’s artwork is mean. It’s sharp and it mirrors the mood of the narrative. More points from me.

This is one of the finer Army of Darkness books. It’s worth the cover price, so if you’ve been curious but haven’t been too certain of where or when to jump in, now is an excellent time.

You can pick up both issues right here.

Rating: 4/5

Comics, Marvel Comics

Throwback Review – Spectacular Spiderman #1

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It’s time to rewind the clocks and jump into one of my favorite Spidey comics, Spectacular Spiderman.

The inaugural issue absolutely rocks and today holds a nostalgic charm you don’t get from every book out there. It also pits Spiderman in a rematch with the nimble and extremely able Tarantula. Who takes this round? And who does the Tarantula have targeted? He isn’t back for Spidey alone, no. He’s also got his peepers on the Vice Chancelor of Petey’s school. He’s destined to run into both, but what will be the final outcome?

I love this book. Probably – I’ll find out soon enough – every single issue. And while I think Marvel could have kicked this one off with focus on a villain that holds a bit more of a marquee appeal, Tarantula is a fine starting point, as it leaves the book – already very solid – with nowhere to go but up.

Gerry Conway’s story has a hint of a throwback charm and a reasonable dose of contemporary style to it, simultaneously. That mixture prevents the book from feeling too dated, but also summons a strange idea of innocence. It’s an unorthodox but engaging mix.

And, of course, I can’t possibly move on without issuing huge praise to one of history’s greatest Spidey artists, Sal Buscema. Buscema did it all. He drew for every major book from the 70s up well beyond the old Y2K mark. His style is very clean with plenty of animated faces and smooth lines. We’re talking about a legend of the pencil who’s got the respect of everyone in the industry.

We leave the first issue with questions on our minds. There are some things to be resolved, and by the end of this story arc we’ll likely see Spidey and Tarantula tangle on a few more occasions. It’ll be close folks, but we’re picking Spidey by TKO!

Rating: 4/5

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Comics, DC Comics

Sweet Tooth #1 Review

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In Sweet Tooth we meet a frightened boy with a strange deformity. He’s got a nice pair of antlers growing right out of his melon (think Joe Hill’s Horns, and then think… nothing like that… really) and that’s quite obviously a problem with regard to fitting into society comfortably. His father is old and ill and he too is petrified by the thought of his son being forced to face a dangerous world.

It’s a melancholy setup. And then it heads straight for chilling, disconcerting territory. The boy’s father dies. He’s left to fend for himself, but he almost has that chance taken away one day when he wanders into the woods, smack dab into a pair of savage hunters who aim to slaughter the boy.

Moments before this sweet little lad meets his end, one of the hunters’ head explodes in a mist of blood, brain and bone. A stranger stands at the ready, prepared to make his next move. But what will that be, and will that gun of his see more immediate action?

While I’ve given you plenty of details, they’re really not spoilerish in nature. The details I’ve given you all really serve as a primer of sorts. This story clearly doesn’t begin barreling forward until issue two, so don’t sweat the info you’ve now read about the book.

Jeff Lemire’s far-out tale is magnetic, to say the very least. He’s gifted the masses a book that stands alone in an occupied field of creativity. It just doesn’t get much stranger than this. It doesn’t get much more addictive, either. The man has done what few ever manage, and that’s create an atypical, daring and unpredictable story that sucks in you from the first word. It’s genius.

I’ve already gone out of my way to beef my digital collection up with the first 20 issues, and you can bet it won’t take long to blow through those twice over. This is a book to chase down and clutch with all of your might.

Order it right here.

Rating: 5/5

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Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Reviews

Hellboy Winter Special (2016) Review

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It’s hard to go wrong with any book that showcases the genius of Mike Mignola. Whether you’re a fan or not, debating the man’s place in comic book history is pointless. He’s a mountain toppler, and that’s all there is to it. Hellboy was a gift that I – ironically – could have deemed delivered by God… of course, we know the truth. Hellboy is Mignola’s creation, and Hellboy truly does rank amongst the finest heroes (Hellboy is actually a genius character that sometimes rides a fine line between hero and antihero) we’ve ever seen. When you examine the entire character and his origin, he feels a little paradoxical, which says a lot for the character, because whether we feel we understand every wrinkle of his personality or not, we sure do love the red devil!

If you love Hellboy, you’re going to love Hellboy: Winter Special. We get a small handful of stories from this one, and not one of those stories comes across as anything less than top notch work. But the big standouts are quite clearly Wandering Souls and Mood Swings, two radically different but ultimately charming tales that resonate.

Wandering Souls, the second story in the book is a good old fashioned ghost tale that puts a Chinese tribe, once slaughtered, now haunting the land in search of their very own bones, at the forefront of things. It’s a quick but solid read that feels as though it could easily be transferred to animated film, a la Sword of Storms or Blood and Iron, and it comes complete with a vintage Hellboy slugfest. Excellent work delivered by the pitch-perfect trio of Mignola, Chris Roberson and Michael Walsh.

The other homerun in the book is delivered by writer Chelsea Cain and artist Michael Avon Oeming, who come together to explore the intricacies of the blossoming youth while pitting Hellboy against off-putting little parasites known as Snow Geists, wicked little critters that climb inside snowmen, transforming them into animated and murderous monstrosities. While the expected battle between Hellboy and the Snowmen is awesome, this one really appeals due to the human charm of the tale, and the exploration of the female youth. It’s more great work, and certainly reason to campaign for more future Hellboy work from both Cain and Oeming.

The simple fact of the matter is this: I could spend a few hours praising this book, or I can cut to the chase, dish out a confident 5-star rating and tell you to order it right here. It’s a mighty fine investment worthy of more than a single read.

Rating: 5/5

hellboy winter special

DC Comics, Movies, News

What We Want to See from Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

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I haven’t made it over to see Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice yet, but it’s not for lack of trying. I drove by the theater 20 minutes before the day’s first showing. That crowd was as about as nasty as it gets, the line stretching the length of the theater and then some. It got me thinking, what in the world do I really hope to see from this movie? And, well, that simple thought leads me here, writing about a movie I should be watching right now.

A Prolonged Battle: The one thing I’d hate to see is these two comic icons duke it out for three minutes before they jump on the happy train by making up and joining forces, all a necessity to combat the wrecking ball that is Doomsday. Batman and Superman should be beating the snot out of each other for a solid 12-15 minutes if Snyder hopes to keep blood thirsty fans pleased.

Blood: We’re hoping to see this collision get a little bit bloody. In reality, Batman stands little chance against the physically superior Superman, and that should lead to a brutal beating, assuming Batman shows up to fight. We’re hoping Zack Snyder goes grimy and bloodies things up. In all actuality, there’s basically no way that Bruce Wayne walks away from this fight without looking like raw hamburger.

Let’s Make Doomsday as Tough as He Truly is: Doomsday is the absolute freak that once beat every last ounce of life from Superman. Literally, he killed our beloved hero. How Superman came to return to the spotlight is irrelevant, what is relevant is the impact that Doomsday has. He’s Batman’s Bane, Spiderman’s Green Goblin, The X-Men’s Magneto. Give him the respect he deserves, even it means we have to see at least one of these heroes revived in the inevitable follow-up film.

Batman Deserves to Know: We all know, based on the footage we’ve seen, that Superman knows Batman’s identity (he’s Superman, of course he knows!) in the film. But I haven’t seen anything to suggest that Wayne knows Superman’s alternative identity. But he has to know. He’s basically the world’s toughest detective. And he’s good. Here’s hoping the writing crew responsible for the screenplay respect Bruce’s intelligence.

No Cliffhangers: We all know that DC is gearing up to make a serious run at Marvel. They’ve basically got the same plan in motion, hoping to create a cohesive DC universe. We don’t know if it’s all going to work out yet, but we know it’s happening, and that’s why we deserve a definitive close to this film. It doesn’t really need the sequel we’re all expecting. These two can meet up and handle any lingering difference in one of the Justice League flicks, or one of the many other planned films (tell me it wouldn’t be cool to see Aquaman attempt to break up a fight between Batman and Superman). Let’s avoid any cliffhangers and completely abolish the idea of a sequel. There’s enough room to handle business in future DC films, no doubt about it.

Comics, Dark Horse Comics, News

Unveiling the Cover of Hellboy in Hell Volume 2!

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As a hardcore Hellboy fan, this little sliver of greatness just makes my day.

The cover of Hellboy in Hell Volume 2 has just been unveiled and it’s a certified winner. Appropriate, given how awesome the title is! Check out the image below, as well as some addition 411 from the official press release. You can find the image below!

Legendary comic book writer/artist Mike Mignola will conclude his critically acclaimed series HELLBOY IN HELL in 2016, when Dark Horse Comics publishes the final and tenth issue on June 1 and the trade paperback, HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 2 which collects issues 6 through 10, in October. In advance of the release of the series’ conclusion, Dark Horse Comics has released the cover to HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 2 by Mignola and award-winning colorist Dave Stewart. Following the conclusion of HELLBOY IN HELL, Mignola will take a year off from illustrating interior comic book pages in order to focus on fine art painting.

 

“Doing the cover to this collection was tough and of course I overthought the hell out of it,” said Mignola. “It’s the end of the series and so much happens. How do I get that onto a cover? In the end, after doing two self-rejected covers, I decided to just illustrate the title of the book. THE DEATH CARD. There is also a fairly subtle nod to the climax of the book in there, but mostly it’s illustrating the title while trying to do a composition very similar to the cover of the first collection. Since the two books do make one story, I really wanted to design the book covers so they would work well side by side.”

 

After facing off for a second time against the Vampire of Prague, Hellboy, dead and in Hell, comes down with a fatal illness, and seeks the help of an incompetent team of doctors. As he explores the geography of Hell, learning little from a confused pair of map makers, Hellboy gets a glimpse of the new World Tree that he helped to create, stands accused of murder by his own sister and, in a way, brings about the destruction of Pandemonium itself.

 

While 2016 will see the conclusion of HELLBOY IN HELL, ABE SAPIEN (which concludes in August) and B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH (which concludes in November), Dark Horse Comics will publish new issues of HELLBOY & THE BPRD co-written by Mignola and iZOMBIE co-creator Chris Roberson and illustrated by fan favorite artists, as well as unannounced titles which Mignola will co-write, but not illustrate.

 

HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 2 is available in comic shops October 5 and bookstores October 18. Preorder your copy today at your favorite retailer or local comic book store.
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HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 1 is now available from all major retailers.

 

HELLBOY IN HELL #9 and HELLBOY IN HELL #10 will be available in comic stores May 4 and June 1.

Hellboy in Hell 2

Comics, Dark Horse Comics, News

Dark Horse Preparing to Deliver Tree Mail in November

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Looking for a fine family read? Dark Horse will be taking care of you this coming cold season, as Mike Raicht and Brian Smith’s graphic novel, Tree Man will land on stands this coming November. We’re juiced, and you should be, too!

Dig on some more info from the official press release:

From the creative team behind Finding Nemo: Losing Dory comes Tree Mail and the world of Rudy.

 

“This book has been something Brian and I have been wanting to work on together for years,” says Mike Raicht. “If you’ve ever been an underdog, or had an impossible dream that was just too big for the world around you to contain, then Rudy the Tree Frog is the story for you.”

 

Rudy—a determined, optimistic frog—hopes to overcome the odds and land his dream job delivering mail to the other animals on Popomoko Island! Mike Raicht and Brian Smith deliver a full-color, all-ages romp that shows that the hopeful Rudy always hops forward, no matter what obstacle seems to be in the way of his dreams. And there are plenty of speed bumps, challenges, and detours on the way to becoming a full-time member in the island’s Royal Air Delivery Corps!

 

“I think he can inspire people young, old, and in between to chase their dreams and to truly become who they were meant to be, no matter what they’ve been told they’re ‘supposed’ to be,” says Brian Smith. “I think that is what Rudy and his adventures are all about. Becoming more than those around us, and maybe even we ourselves, believe is possible.”

 

The acclaimed creative team delivers a full, standalone adventure for all fans!

 

Tree Mail arrives on November 2.  Preorder your copy today at your local comic book store or favorite retailer.

 

Amazon

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