Reset #2 of 4
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Peter Bagge
Art by Peter Bagge

Would you allow yourself to be sent virtually back in time during your life to see how you deal with stress? Would you live your life exactly as it was or would you try and make it better or fulfill your wildest fantasies or relive them again? Well, that’s what’s happening to Guy Krause, a washed out actor who’s trying to do something until that next job comes around. Of course, there are those people who are doing the experiment and the higher-ups watching them. Add the usual politics and sexual tension and you kind of have this.

I had to read this really close but halfway through things started to catch for me. One thing that helped was that I was told some of what happened in the first issue, plus they did it with the art from the previous book, that I liked. The story was a little scattered at first though. The art had exaggerated features that really didn’t work for me with what was going on, the arms were too long and some of the other things didn’t fit. Also, it was done in black and white, which didn’t add or take away from the story.

Overall, I’m really not sure what to make of this. It’s meant to be funny and there were parts that were. But the story really didn’t flow in the beginning, which I had a problem with. Also, with what was going on, the art didn’t blend to the story. I don’t mind the longer features or rounded shapes but here, it seemed too much. But I would like to see what happens in the next issue, so it did peak my interest enough. I’d say, if you have the opportunity to get the first book, do so, and then get this one; in my humble opinion. I give this 3 caps out of 5.

Ragemoor #3 of 4
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Jan Strnad
Art by Richard Corben

I’m going to try and describe what I read in this issue so you can follow. A young lord, Herbert, is trying to protect baboons on his estate from a poacher by the name of Tristano. The butler is trying to get him to realize his other duties, like having an heir, but the butler is taking an extract of a plant that is giving him visions (with me so far?). Oh and the castle or home is alive and there are creatures living beneath it. I think that covers everything. All I could say as I was reading this was, huh?

Let’s get into the critical part of this; I’ll start with the art. It’s drawn in black and white, which adds to the ominous feeling of the story, a small plus there. The features were exaggerated to lend another bit of oddness. As for the paneling, simple basic squares and forms so they were easy to follow. Now, I have to get into the story. The biggest issue is nothing was said about the first two issues, plus what was on the page couldn’t give me enough of a back-story to have any sense of what was happening. So, me picking this up cold, I haven’t the foggiest idea what to think.

Most of the times when I get an issue in the middle of the story, either there’s a blurb on the inside cover to say here’s what happened before, not here. Reading this, I was lost from the word go. The story did move but I didn’t know the starting point or the partial destination that was at the end of the book. I couldn’t make heads or tails of anything that was said. Now, I’ll give this the benefit of the doubt that had I been given books one and two, I’d know what was happening (but I have a feeling, I wouldn’t). If you see this and haven’t read the first two leave it, in my humble opinion. I give this 2 caps out of 5.

House of Night #3
Dark Horse Comics
Written by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast
Scripted by Kent Dalian
Art by Joëlle Jones & Daniel Krall

When you were going to school, did you ever have to switch schools or move out of state to start new? What do you think you would do if that new school had classes that started at 8:00pm, they were teaching you about how to use the five elements, to control them and you’re going to die early because you are a vampyre. Someone who drinks blood, functions during the night and is being shunned by the Tulsa society that you live in. Well, meet Zoey Redbird. On top of the typical high school stuff she’s has all that do deal with too. Ahh, high school, fun times.

Now, this is based off of a novel and the story takes place in between issues. But reading this, I was able to know what was going on and follow the story; also they told me what happened before. This is a strong plus for me, because the writing was solid without it. As for the art, it truly added to the story. When they did a flashback, the art changed to represent what was being told, this really was good to help the reader transition between the two stories. Lastly, the paneling was simple and easy to follow as well.

Reading through this, I can see how people would latch on to the story and be drawn in. If you were a person in high school that didn’t fit in with the different groups and felt like an outside, you can see yourself being Zoey. Or have been persecuted for one thing or another, you can relate to her. Reading this, I could see myself checking out, not just the first two issues but the novel as well. This is something you should pick up, not just this issue but also the ones before and after, in my humble opinion. I give it 5 caps out of 5.

Boom Studios
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by Tom Derenick & Andres Guinaldo

Ok, let me see if I can sum this up. The Hypernaturals are a team in the distant future who defend the Quantinuum; they have different abilities, serve for five years and are selected from a bunch of different applicants (With me so far?). Now, Clone 21 is brought back to life by Chernovski so she can stop him from destroying the universe, which he’s already done. He offers to bring back her team to help her do it (keeping up?) Then the rest of the book is, what I’m guessing is after this is done and Chernovski is back because someone brought him back. There’s more to it but I’m lost at this point.

Now the art in this was well done. You have the feel for the different times just by the art. Even the cover art wants you to pick it up. With the layout, during the different times in the book, it has different paneling. This does help differentiate between the two. And now the writing, I’m thankful that I was given a little background in the beginning of the book but it didn’t help when I was in the heart of the story. I’m guessing that I’d have a better grasp if I read the first five issues, but maybe not. The story was hard to follow.

The idea, from what I can gather has promise and could go far. But to me, this needed to have better structure so the story can come out. The characters were labeled so you knew who’s who but even with that I couldn’t follow the action. I don’t think I’ve come across the concept like this before if that’s the main story, someone who destroyed the universe is remorseful and wants to correct his error. At the beginning and end, there were ads for products and services in the time that I think took away from what was going on. If you want to read this, get the first five, then this one. That would be best, in my humble opinion. I give this 2 caps out of 5.

Moonstone

Writer Mike Bullock

Here’s a question for you all, for your job, you got to go to the plains and jungle areas of Africa. You have to photograph the scenery and animals for a magazine (I know, sucky job all around). But you had the opportunity to stop something illegal happening. Would you? The reason why I ask is because I want you to get into the mindset of what happens in Savage Beauty, a new series from Moonstone Books. Two women take on the image of a jungle goddess to defend the people there from just generally bad people.

There’re a lot of things I liked about this book. For starters is that the two main characters have a real feel to them. They don’t show them talking to animals or something cliché, I’ll exclude the fur bikinis they are wearing. Also, how they got there makes sense, as does their fighting style when they do fight. Looking at the art, it doesn’t take you off to Africa but for what the story is, I like it. As most of us know, with any first book, everything is just being laid down and everything is going to build from there. At the end of this book, they point out this is a fictional situation but it does happen in real life and is something that needs to be addressed, I agree.

Now, there are a few things that didn’t work for me. There were no real accents to go with the characters. One character is French, but there was no change in his dialect then that of the African characters around them. Now, again, this could just be me but I like to know why your antagonist is evil. Now I haven’t met any African warlords or illegal arms dealers and really don’t want to but I want to know how they got to that level of evilness. Overall, it has potential and I’d like to see where it goes. In my humble opinion, pick it up and tell me what you think.

How many of you remember Saturday morning cartoons or coming home from school and turning on afternoon cartoons? Well, one of those characters was Darkwing Duck from Disney and Boom Studios has released an annual that took me back to those days. Good ‘ol DW, which his sidekick Launchpad McQuack calls him, faces one of his old foes in an old school, cartoon style throwdown. I’m trying not to give too much away, even though, if you are a fan, it would be just like one of his cartoons. Just written out in a comic book form.

I really can’t say anything bad about this book. It was fun from the covers, through the two stories inside, the action, jokes, everything about it. When I was reading it, I was happy that the art is just like that of the cartoon. There’s multiple reasons for that, one I’ll get to later. As I said, it took me back to the early ’90’s when I would watch after high school . . . oh, like you didn’t do the same. But I digress, in the comic, St. Canard seems to become bigger than the one in the cartoon and has more life.

So many things are right about this. One is that it’s just like most things from Disney, it’s very family friendly. If you check the website for the free comic book day, Darkwing is going to be one. The jokes are appropriate for the whole family. Some of the jokes, the adults will get and the kids might not but that’s half the fun. The violence is at the right level. There’s already a series but if you liked those afternoons with the Disney cartoons or if you’re looking for something to get your kids into comics, this is it. In my humble opinion.

*** Minor Spoilers
Hotwire: Deep Cut #3
Written By Warren Ellis
Art Contributions by Steve Pugh
Reviewed By Benjamin Leff
Recently, I read Hotwire Deep Cut: Book #3 From Radical Publishing. Here’s a breakdown of the story. The time is in a post-apocalyptic future where ghosts are everywhere. Cities have been able to control them, creating either antennas that put out radio waves that keep them away or with new ceramic cases that keep them locked in. The main character is Alice Hotwire who is trying to capture a dead soldier in a robot’s body carrying a woman who recently died. Hotwire is trying to do this with a group of hired security called Bear Claw trying to test a new weapon as well as stop this dead soldier.

I liked the fact that they give you a quick review of what happened in the first two books on page one to make sure you’re somewhat up to date. The art on it’s own was very well done and very detailed and the voices matched the characters with the accents matched with what was going on. But that’s about the most I can say about the book.

As I read, the story started getting disjointed and I couldn’t keep track of who’s doing what. Hotwire is jumping out of an air vehicle with two large items with equipment for her but in the next few frames, she’s on the ground and nothing is mentioned of what happened to them. My theory on something like that is if you establish something, use it. Now I did say that I liked the art, it’s the same style that’s going around. But in here it didn’t work, there’s so much going on in each frame that it becomes very cluttered and hard to follow.

In my humble opinion, I’m not expecting this to keep going but it’s a way to kill time if you want to read it.