Farscape #22 The War of the Uncharted Territories
Farscape #22 The War of the Uncharted Territories Part 10: Talkin’ Kkore Blues
Boom Studios
Written by Keith R.A. Decandidio
Art by Will Sliney
Is there anyone out there that doesn’t remember this show from Scy-Fy? Well, Boom has taken off the TV and put it in print and has done a good job with it as well. Here’s a quick update on what happened before this issue (I really need to start hounding my editor for books starting at #1), The Kkore are from another part of space, the Grey Space, who are out to conquer anywhere they go. They have been to the Uncharted Territories before but are back. Now the crew of the living ship Moya has assembled the survivors of the areas that have already been destroyed and are trying to plan a counter attack. And you thought you had a rough job and lousy coworkers.
This is where I get torn over certain things. The first set of pages shows the story describe the prophecy of what’s going on, the text took a little getting used to but it does help the story. The writing was solid and what I would expect with what the story is about. Now, I’m a fan of the show that this is based off of. The show was shot in a dark manner and that added to the story. This is drawn in a lighter style, so to me, it didn’t fit but it was detailed and worked really well.
Reading this, I felt like I was watching the show again. The same draw of each character was there. How they had to work hard to first get along considering their histories and differences. Then growing to care about each other and doing what they needed to do get whatever the job, done. But those areas I pointed out, kind of stick with me as well. I’d say get the first one and work your way to this one, in my humble opinion. I give this 3.5 caps out of 5.
Hellboy: The Fury #3 of 3
Hellboy: The Fury #3 of 3
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Duncan Fegredo
Let me get you caught up on the action before this issue. Hellboy has quit the B.P.R.D., ended up in England where he turned down a coven of witches to be their king. They then, in turn, brought back to life Nimue who has declared herself one of the goddesses of war and gathered an army of raging demons. Hellboy has also found out he’s related to one of the kings of England, fallen in love again and given up an eye to get past the army of demons to get to Nimue to kill her for what she’s trying to do. Now, he’s stick in a final battle with her to try and stop her and to save the world. Since this has been buzzing I’ll say this, would you sacrifice yourself for the sake of the planet and everyone on it?
First of all, the art is standard for Hellboy. They have stuck with this same style that works with every issue I’ve read from him and they haven’t gone wrong yet. Paneling is also the same, simple square shapes and full-page panels. Again, it’s always worked, why change now. Now, here’s the point that I want to make, even thought there’s not that much dialog in this issue it is spot on. It gets the full message and story across without adding too much or leaving questions about this or that. In this issue, it seemed to work even better than normal.
Now, I lucked out because I was able to read all three issues in this story. The whole story flowed beautifully. I felt myself watching, as if I was on the sideline to what’s going on and feeling helpless to stop it. It really drew me in. This issue in particular, was so easy to lose yourself in. I know of the buzz around the issue that Hellboy dies, I felt as if I felt everything that was going on. I can’t say enough good about this one folks. In my humble opinion, you need to get all three and read them through it’s worth it. I give this 5 caps out of 5.
Abattoir #6 of 6
Abattoir #6 of 6
Radical Comics
Written by Rob Levin & Troy Peteri
Art by Wayne Nichols
Let’s get caught up on what’s been happening to poor (that’s an understatement) Richard Ashwalt. Ever since he turned down selling a house where a mass murder occurred, his life has gone steadily from bad to worse. He’s on the run for a murder that everyone thinks he’s done. He’s finding out that the person who offered to buy the house and eventually did Jebediah Crone, has been around for around 80 years, if not more and has been buying homes where murders have occurred. Richard thinks he knows what’s going on as he rushes headlong to face him but not before accidentally shooting and killing his wife as he gets his father’s old revolver . . . Yeah, he’s got it worse than any of us.
For the technical end, let me knock that out. The art is still in the same form from the other books and I’ve always said that it has truly added to the story, giving it that dark, haunting feel. You’re really feel the breath of the characters on the back of your neck reading this. The paneling is also the same; again, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Each frame leads you through the story effortlessly. Now, there wasn’t that much dialog in this story. Richard is doing most of the talking and I thought it could have used just a bit more. Something to really tie the story together, it was missing something.
I have to tell you folks; I didn’t like this one as much as the others. There was so more that could have been told; the stories could have been tied together more. To me, there were more questions at the end than answers; I don’t like that even when you’re leaving room for another series, story or whatever. Also, the ending, to me, was not the ending that it needed. I really wanted something else. It built to this great crescendo but didn’t deliver in the end. Again, that’s just me and what I would have liked to have seen. In my humble opinion, still get this and let me know if you liked it. I give this 3 caps out 5 caps
Word Girl: Coalition of Malice
Word Girl: Coalition of Malice
Kaboom!
Written by Chris Karwowski
Art by Steve Young
If any of you out there have kids that are between four to about seven years old, you know who Word Girl is. For the rest of you, allow me to introduce you. She’s a character on a PBS kids show that helps children expand their vocabulary (my son has always been a fan) and learn more about language. Word Girl is a superhero that fights all sorts of interesting villains with her sidekick, Captain Huggy face who’s a monkey (remember, kid friendly and PBS). In this offering, she faces The Coalition of Malice, a collection of her fiercest villains and the second story has her facing off against Lady Redundant Woman (yeah, I know).
The writing is definitely for the younger audience. It runs just like one of the shows. Each character has the same personality and characteristics that made the show a hit. It has the same moments where words are being defined for no reason, this worked. But if you don’t know the show, it may catch you off guard. The paneling was simple and easy to follow. Again, this is written for kids. Something simple for the to get into comics and to have a hero of their own, I was very appreciative of that. But the one thing that got to me was the art, I don’t know if it’s because I have a digital copy or what but the art wasn’t the same as the show. It just seemed to be just a little different. I’ve pointed that out before that if you’re going to create a comic off of a cartoon or show. You want to have it carry the same art.
I enjoyed this book as did my son who read it with me. It was fun and whimsical (it means given to fanciful notions but you probably knew that). It did feel like we were reading and watching one of the shows. This is good for you folks out there looking for either a kid-friendly book to start them on comics or something else for them to read, I just have that one complaint. In my humble opinion, if you have kids of that age, get this. I give this 3.5 caps out of 5.
The Traveler #10
Boom Studios
Written by Mark Waid & Tom Peyer
Art by Chad Hardin
One of the main lessons I’ve learned watching sci-fi and reading comics is, never mess with the space/time continuum. Well, that’s what The Traveler does. But he tries to set it right. In the latest offering, he ends up teaming with Soldier Zero to keep the earth from being ripped apart with different times. Some places have time slowing down; other places time is speeding up. Not to mention, Soldier Zero and Traveler don’t get off on the right foot with each other. Oh, did I mention the fact that one of Traveler’s big time villains is offering to help. All I can say is: have you ever had one of those days?
This was an interesting read. The art is solid and truly brings the story out. It doesn’t dominate the story or hinder it from being told. Reading the story, the paneling flowed. It was more advanced than the basic square here and there. The story flowed with this and added to what was being said. Now, we get to the writing. Almost all of the writing was spot-on. But I found a few typos. It just bugs me when I see them in print, so I point them out. But other than that, I liked the story and what it was saying.
As I just said (sorry for the redundancy), I liked this team up and story. You have the hero who is more into doing things with force and the other who changes time to get what he needs done. They blend very well and I look forward to Boom putting them together a little more often. If you’re a fan of either or both of the characters, this book is definitely for you. In my humble opinion, get this one and you’ll want to get the one before it. I give this 3.5 caps out of 5 (the typo brought it down).
Atomic Robo #1 of 5: The Ghost of Station X
Atomic Robo #1 of 5: The Ghost of Station X
Red 5 Comics
Written by Brian Clevinger
Art by Scott Wegener
Well, Robo has advanced in the world since the last time I reviewed him. This time around he has a team of people either in the present or the future. He’s called by one of the space agencies to rescue a group of astronauts stuck in space and he has only seven hours to do it. After brainstorming ideas of how to get up to him, he gets a call from London about a mysterious invisible building that just disappeared (oh yes, it was there and no one saw it and now it’s gone, go figure). But his contact there has a note that references him having something to do with the building. There are deadlines and then there are deadlines.
This is an issue that you can pick up and run with. The writing is very well done because there are previous stories but you don’t need to know them to have an understanding of what’s going on. When you look at the art on the pages, it’s in the same style as the previous books but it works for the story. The features and style are just a little exaggerated to give it that other place feel. Each panel will lead you to the next well, very simple and it works very well.
When I read this I was surprised of the time change from the first issue I read. But because of how it was presented, I wasn’t lost. It was a fun read and I can’t wait to see how they are going to take the next issue with the ending left in this issue. Oh, if you can catch the Star Wars reference, you’ll get a kick out of it. You’ll want to read this one and, most likely, the ones that come after, in my humble opinion. I give this a 4.5 caps out of 5.
Kult #2 of 4: Don’t Touch that Dial
Kult #2 of 4: Don’t Touch that Dial
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Jerry Barlow
Art by Iwan Nazif
Tell me if this sound familiar to you. The world we know is just an illusion, controlled by a main being and a group who work for it. A small group of people is looking for a person who can drop the vale and free mankind from the imprisonment, and they will teach this person to use a hidden ability to get this done. This person is just as lost as the rest of us in this illusion but has ideas of what’s going on but isn’t sure how or why things are happening. This person is a man and the main person who wants takes on the duty of protecting him is a woman who has feelings for him. Do the words: “Follow the White Rabbit.” ring a bell?
Now, having said that, let’s get into it. The art is nothing like the comparisons I brought up, so it made it more unique. The feeling that comes from it is more demonic and basic. I was very thankful for that. For the paneling, not as elaborate as other things I’ve seen from Dark Horse in the past but for this book it worked well. I read this and automatically saw the similarities of a certain movie I hinted at but there are enough differences to keep it interesting and to have me keep reading.
I’m a writer on top of what I do for this website and try to create new things. I never want to have something so close to another, rather famous and successful, franchise. Yet, I could keep going with this and see where they made it new. Instead of the controlling force being a machine, it was a group of ancient demons and the world is more dungeon feeling. The characters compare where they are as being in a maze (that came a little close to what I’m saying) but it was still more unique. I’d say pick up the first one and see the comparisons. If you liked the franchise, you’ll like this, in my humble opinion. I give this 3.5 caps out of 5.
Bonnie Lass: The Legend Part 1 of 4
Bonnie Lass: The Legend Part 1 of 4
Red 5 Comics
Written by Michael Mayne & Tyler Fluharty
Art by Michael Mayne
Here’s another character that you’re not sure if you want her to be a friend, party it up all night, get in to bar fights and go out on adventures. Or not have her as a friend for the exact same reasons. Bonnie Lass is the daughter of “The Cutlass” one of the great pirates. She’s just like him but she wants to be better because they don’t have that good of a relationship. She has her brother and another crewmember out doing this. This book has her getting out of town in a hurry (guess why) when a business deal didn’t go so well.
This was a fun read, I’m guessing geared toward the mid-teen and up. The writing is well done and allows the story to flow throughout. If you look at the art, it gives an anime feel but is a little more traditional. The world that is created looks like a port town from the turn of the 19th century. Yet, it included email, phones and cars. I really got a kick out of it. You can go from one scene to another with the paneling style that the use.
I read this and was thinking to myself how fun it was. I got into the story and felt like it was something that could easily transfer to a novel, TV or movie. You find yourself rooting for Bonnie trying to get out of this port alive. The action was there with just enough humor, and the right style of humor, to move you to the next frame and scene. The story gave you enough history so you’re up to date and keeps enough hidden to show in future issues. Get this one and I’ll be you’ll want to get the next three, in my humble opinion. I give this a 4.5 caps out of 5.
Five Senses
Five Senses
Viper Comics
Written by Jake Black
Art by Justin Wayne
You’re on your way to a big business deal that’s going to put you on easy street; you’ll be set for life. You grab a bite to eat and flirt with the help and when they leave, you sum up the guts to approach them. But when you get outside, she’s being murdered. The killer runs off and you stand there. When the police arrive, what do you tell them? Well, Chad Bowman says nothing; he has more important things to do. At that moment, his life goes downhill, he losses one of his senses and someone or something is following him. Ain’t karma a . . .
I looked at the art in this book and all I could compare it to was episodes of “The Twilight Zone” because it looked like real life but just off a bit, this added to the story. The paneling was simple and for a story like this one, you couldn’t do better. Finally, the writing, I dang near fell into this book because it draws you in. This was a solid effort. The story flowed through every frame and hit the points you would want it to hit. They leave just enough out to have you want more.
Reading this, I couldn’t find anything wrong with this offering. You could feel Chad’s attitude about everything before the murder and then after it. You can feel him recognize that something is not right and he no longer has full control of his life. This makes you question what would you have done and if you do what he did, what would happen. In my humble opinion, this is one that you want to get now and follow it to whatever the end is. I give this 5 caps out of 5.
Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth
Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth
Dark Horse Books
Written by Malachai Nicolle
Art by Ethan Nicolle
This book reminds me of when I play with my son who’s the same age as the writer of this book; they’re both six-years-old. When my son plays with different action figures, he creates these fanciful stories that goes all over the map. This book is just about the same. Axe Cop came about because a top artist was playing with his little brother and thought it would a good comic. They posted it to the web and it was a hit. If you have children or younger siblings, you’ll relate as you read this book. Then again, I have flashes of doing the same thing, so we should all relate to it.
I have to start with the writing, the story keeps the flow going but you can tell that parts of it, if not the whole thing was thought up on the fly. If this were any other book or if they didn’t explain how this was written, I wouldn’t have liked it but because I know the background, it was fun. The art is solid, blending seamlessly into the story and giving it the visual look that you could see coming from the mind of a six-year-old. The paneling fit too. It was easy to follow and get you to the next scene.
If I didn’t read the intro, I would have been really questioning the writer with the thought of, “What is he, a kid?” Well, yes he and if he keeps this level of imagination up, he’s going to be a force. I laughed a lot while reading this. For me, it was a nice little escape. Normally, I would explain the story a bit but, to be honest, I can’t. In my humble opinion, if you need a little escape from our reality or the reality of the “mainstream” comics, get this book. You’ll really enjoy it. I give this 4.5 caps out of 5.
Jenny Finn: Doom Messiah
Jenny Finn: Doom Messiah
Boom Studios
Written by Mike Mignola & Troy Nixey
Art by Troy Nixey & Farel Dalrymple
This one was a bit out there for me. Jenny Finn takes place in a fishing village in what looks like old London. People are turning into half human, half fish. Joe Kettledrum is a country boy who stumbles into a situation were women are being murdered and, for some reason, the upper crust and higher-ups of this village want Jenny. A man is murdered by an angry mob that thinks he’s the killer, but is he? Did I mention that all the fish are saying “doom,” I think I covered the jest if what’s going on in this trade. Don’t worry folks; I kind of had the same reactions.
I’ll say that the art in this had a classic feel to it. It’s done in black and white pencil, giving the story this ominous feel. In this it did help. The paneling was very simple, like the pictures that were drawn were placed on a page and sent out. It was easy to follow the story with the art that was used. The writing was as good as it could be. Each character had the accent that fit them, whether it was a cockney accent of the workers to the proper British accent for the “sophisticated class.” But the story, for me, was hard to understand and follow.
Now, mind you, I’m not into macabre or super-strange stories. This is one of those that I read it and wondered, what is going on with this? At times, I couldn’t follow what they were doing until a few frames or pages in. Because the story was out there, it didn’t help me when they would leave things hanging, not to mention I couldn’t tell if that’s what they wanted to do. The story has merit and I can pull out, for a lack of a better term, good out of the story, but it definitely wasn’t for me. In my humble opinion, if you like steampunk or H.P. Lovecraft, you’ll like it. The rest of us most likely won’t. I give this 2 caps out of 5.
Grandpa Won’t Wake Up
Grandpa Won’t Wake Up
Boom! Town
Written by Simon Max Hill
Art by Shannon Wheeler
Have you ever watched, listened to or read something that you knew was wrong to laugh at because it was just wrong, unholy, utterly insane or insert your term here, you ever do that? Well, I have a new one I can say with this book. Two kids are trying to wake up their grandpa. No matter what they try and they everything they can think of, he doesn’t wake up. You can guess where this is going but, even so, you keep reading. It’s almost involuntary, you want to see what they do and it will shock you what they do.
This book is written like those simple children’s books from back in the day (you have to see where owner puts their name in it). It even has a gold spine, so if you’re not paying attention, you’re children are going to get a surprise bedtime story. There are only one or two sentences on each page, true to form. The art is very simple, again just like those classic books. It fits for what they’re doing with the story. There’s no paneling in this because it’s actually a book, yeah I was surprised about that too.
Reading this, I just kept thinking the obvious, yet I was see the things they were doing and then going to, oh no they didn’t. But there they went. Then it was, they didn’t go, but the writers did then it went to, this is wrong and that morphed into the inevitable, why am I laughing at this? In my humble opinion this is one that you should pick up. But if you do, let me warn you now, if you have kids make sure you keep track of this book and they never see it! I give this 4 caps out of 5.
Peanuts: Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
Peanuts: Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
Kaboom!
Written by Stephan Pastis & Craig Schulz
Art by Bob Scott & Vicki Scott
Charles M. Schulz created some of the most beloved characters ever. People everywhere know who Charlie Brown and the other Peanuts characters are. So, when this book was given to me, I was a little apprehensive because of my love for them. Yet, to my surprise, they still have the same charm and feel as the stories written by their creator. Here, we have poor Linus being told by his grandmother that he needs to give up the blanket by the time she comes out for a visit (Linus without his blanket, isn’t that a sign of Armageddon). So, the gang tries to help him kick the habit (good luck there!).
There’s so much I could say about this trade. I read through it and the writing seemed like it was that of Charles, the people they brought in knew what they had and the legacy they needed to honor, and they did. If you remember the comic strips and TV specials, the art is very distinct. That art was used here as well, again showing the love of the characters being used. Because of the audience (pretty anyone between birth and death), the paneling is simple and couldn’t have been done better.
I know this was a DVD story as well, to be honest, I didn’t watch it. So this is my first exposure to this story. I was truly impressed with how the people involved took care of the characters and story. They didn’t try to improve on them or modernize them. I’ve often said in these reviews; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It looks like everyone involved knew this and made sure that Charles would be proud. I think he is. In my humble opinion, this is quite literally for everyone, go and get it. I give this 5 caps out of 5.
Mass Effect: Invasion #1
Mass Effect: Invasion #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mac Walters & John Jackson Miller
Art by Omar Francia
Omega 4 is back, this time in it’s own book and it’s still dealing with a lot of the same issues. Because of its location, everyone wants to do business there, take it over or just hide out there. This first of four issue series, the station is overrun by Adutants, a form of bio-weaponry. Now, the head of the station and a few organizations in it, Aria T’Loak is trying to clear the Adutants out with the unwanted but needed help from Cerberus and make sure they don’t try to take over as well. Who ever said “It pays to be boss,” didn’t have this to deal with.
This is the second piece I read with Mass Effect, and as I said before, I never played the game. But the writing in this was good. I was able to follow for the most parts of what was going on but there were a few points that I got a tad confused but was able to catch up in a few frames. The art was well done, very detailed and just bright enough. Reading through the story, I’m not sure if it should have a darker feel to it (then again, I may be sticking to the original “Alien” movie feel). The paneling was exactly what the story needed no complaints there.
In this book, I was able to get a feel for what the story was and where it’s going but it left me wanting just enough to want to get the next issue. Other than the few small points where I got a little behind, it was good to read. You don’t know who the villain is going to be, it gives you and idea but nothing just yet. This is what I’m looking for in a first issue of either a book or a mini-series. I have a feeling this is going to be a solid series. In my humble opinion, I say get this one and we’ll probably not be disappointed with the rest of them. I give this 4 caps out of 5.
Darth Vader and The Lost Command Hard Cover
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command
Dark Horse Books
Written by Haden Blackman
Art by Rick Leonardi
The Star Wars universe is always expanding from the two setups of trilogies, the cartoon and the comics. Well, Dark Horse has brought another time into the fray, Bringing up the time after Darth Vader was ‘created’ and before we meet him looking for Princess Leia aboard that fateful starship. Here, he is fresh out of the empire academy and has taken his place as second in command behind Emperor Palpatine. Lord Vader is sent on a mission to find a missing Star Destroyer and the son of a high-ranking captain. Because he still has the fragments of Anakin in him, there are flashbacks and visions of Padme. Did you ever think Vader would be so conflicted?
Reading through this, I fell right into this universe. It was spot on and just draws you right in. The only thing you could use is the sound of the constant breathing unit Vader uses to make it complete. They didn’t use any fancy paneling, which in this case really worked. This story didn’t need to have any split boxes or anything that could have taken away from what was being said. My only complaint about the art in the background pages change color for no reason. They go from black to white, then to color and back to white. It took a little away for me. But the art is different from Vader’s visions to what is going on when he’s conscious.
This is a longer book with 118 pages and each one is needed. You can follow along as you can see Vader going from what he was into the merciless, evil character we all know. You can read and see how The Emperor’s influence has changed the character into what he becomes. Also, it shines through how the people around the two of them are thought of and treated. In my humble opinion, if you are a fan of Star Wars, like good sci-fi, or like a good comic, you’ll like this. I give it 4 caps out of 5.