Category: Reviews

Story by Kevin McCarthy
Art by Paolo Pantalena

Epoch tells the tale of a popped-collar action hero caught in the middle of the age old conflict between fiery blue demons and super-goateed angels in their battle for supremacy on earth. The story centers around Jonah, a New York detective investigating a series of grisly murders who finds out quickly that there’s more to this case than he could have imagined.

While McCarthy’s writing isn’t bad, there’s nothing really special about it either. He neither inundates the reader with exposition nor trusts them to figure things out, which makes the comic read strangely like a textbook. There are parts where a great deal of text could have been removed (like a pursuit scene where Jonah recaps the whole first half of the book), and doing so would have streamlined the story into something more entertaining than informative.

Anyone familiar with Top Cow knows what they’re getting artistically. In this case, Paolo Pantalena’s art is a solid mix of Turner-esque action and manga stylings ala Udon. Pantalena’s a decent enough artist, but his style just doesn’t fit this story. Every car’s a Lamborghini, every gun’s a high-tech paramilitary weapon, and don’t get me started on Jonah’s Ming The Merciless jacket. The writing here would have been better served by a more grounded, even gritty style.

I feel like I’ve seen this cookie-cutter approach to Heavenly conflict a few too many times. While reading Epoch, it reminded me of how a manga might approach The Prophecy, and by the time I finished it I just wanted to go watch The Prophecy.

Story by Cullen Bunn
Art by Tyler Crook

After the cliffhanger ending of issue #13, the latest issue of The Sixth Gun steps away from the main storyline to give us a glimpse at the origins of our newest villain, the 9-foot living mummy known as Asher Cobb.

Anything that builds the mythos of The Sixth Gun’s world is a welcome addition. Cullen Bunn deftly weaves his flashback tale into the current storyline, giving us even more insight into the events that preceded the current issue. After reading #14 I couldn’t help but re-read the current arc, and found a whole new layer to the events that unfolded on the Hidden Railway.

The world that our heroes inhabit deepens with each bit of canon that Bunn builds into it, which ratchets up the tension at every turn. Even though the issue doesn’t really address what’s happened to Drake at the end of the train battle, it calls into question much of what we’ve seen in the Bound storyline, setting up a fascinating left-turn in the plot.

Tyler Crook (of Petrograd and B.P.R.D fame) takes over artistic duties from Brian Hurtt for this issue. While I enjoyed Crook’s style here, I feel that it lacked some of Hurtt’s dynamism at times. Overall I think his art is well-suited to the storyline, but some of his looser renderings felt a bit awkward. Maybe Hurtt’s art has just become so synonymous with the series that I honestly have trouble judging Crook without direct comparison.

Issue #14’s detour was an oddly welcome one. Normally I’d be bothered by stepping away from the main story at such a crucial point, but in this case it adds depth and intrigue to Drake and Becky’s adventure.

Story by Jason Rubin
Art by Tyler Kirkham

Shortly into the latest issue of Mysterious Ways, our main character Sam utters the phrase “None of this makes any sense…”. This turns out to be an accurate (and prophetic) statement, since the rest of the issue is a jumbled hodgepodge of barely related imagery, full of clichés and red herrings.

The first issue’s plot was simple: Sam is a loser at the end of his luck who gets half-accused of a murder, and spends the rest of the issue running from the cops with some confusingly random teasers thrown in. The second issue almost completely re-hashes the plot of the first, in such aggravating fashion that I felt I was reading the same comic over again.

There’s little to nothing likeable about Sam or any of his surrounding cast members, and the attempts to build intrigue – like the pieces of an artifact that were introduced so poorly that we don’t even know how they came into Sam’s possession – simply result in eye rolling disappointment.

I’m equally disappointed with Tyler Kirkham’s artwork. His style is still couched in a mid-‘90’s aesthetic that forgoes simplicity for over-inking and excessive line work, substituting actual detail with swaths of cross-hatching and scribbles. The framework is fundamentally sound, but it’s buried under a clutter of needless rendering.

Recently, I rather harshly judged individual issues of Kurtis Weibe’s Green Wake for a perceived randomness that left the reader more befuddled than entertained. The conclusion of Green Wake’s first arc redeemed the narrative as a whole, even in light of the failings of individual issues. All we can hope is that the same is true of Mysterious Ways, but I’m less optimistic, and can’t recommend picking any of it up before it’s finished.

Story by John Rozum
Art by Frazer Irving

When I first began reading the new run of Xombi, I was caught off guard by its witty (and genuinely funny) dialogue, its quirky characters, and its slightly… okay really goofball slant. As I continued reading, what I was not prepared for was how complete – and how completely different – the world that Rozum had built around David Kim was.

Issue #4 picks up after the defeat of Maranatha, a god of rage who had been imprisoned for 30 years in the mind of a psychopath, and tells us the story of Annie, the woman who unintentionally released him onto the world. Normally I’m not a fan of flashback issues, but Rozum’s script handles this one with so much grace that I was instantly enthralled. The tale of Annie’s world and her history is crafted with such care and originality that we feel connected to her plight, misguided at times as it may be.

While Iriving’s art looks beautiful during action sequences and weird supernatural goings-on, his real talent is in the almost overly expressive faces of his characters. This being an entirely dialogue-driven issue allowed him to run hog-wild with his players’ reactions, to both hilarious and heart-wrenching effect. I’m still not entirely taken with his coloring style, but his linework is so beautiful that I can forgive him that one trespass.

Xombi has cemented itself as one of my favorite new titles. Unfortunately, all signs point to Xombi ending with issue #6, in light of the DCU reboot. It’s odd to me that this book was ever part of the core DCU upon its re-launch – especially since the original run was part of the Milestone imprint – and my hope is that it will see new life someday, perhaps as a Vertigo book.

Story by Cullen Bunn
Art by Brian Hurtt

Bound, the third story arc in Oni Press’s The Sixth Gun, finds Drake and Becky traveling with the monks of a religious sect called The Sword of Abraham on a mission to secure and conceal General Bedford Hume’s undead corpse on consecrated ground. Nothing is ever easy for Sinclair, though, as Hume’s widow has plans afoot to retrieve and revive her undead husband.

In every arc so far, Cullen Bunn introduces us to new environments and adds little bits to the world’s mythos. He also takes a very Whedon-esque tack with his antagonists, introducing a new “big bad” – in this case it’s a mercenary named Eli Barlow. With each new introduction, we are given just enough information to be intrigued – and to make the world feel fully realized – without bogging the story down in needless details or backstory. With just a few simple pages, we learn more about the nature of Missy Hume’s gun, and we’re given a glimpse into the perils that Eli Barlow will present to our heroes.

Bunn and his collaborator Brian Hurtt manage to choose exactly the right moments to tell us a sweeping story so efficiently that a single panel feels like a page; a single page like an entire scene. The transitions between dialogue- and action-driven set pieces feel natural, effortlessly carrying us from an implication-ridden conversation between Sinclair and Brother Roberto into a frenetic train battle. Hurtt’s artwork is as efficient as the script, sparing excess in favor of exquisite attention to just the right details.

Issue #12 presents a more action-oriented beginning than the last two arcs, without abandoning the individual charm of our favorite duo or the mythos that fills their supernatural western world. I can’t wait to see where The Sixth Gun takes us next.

Story by Kieron Gillen
Art by Salva Espin

When I first read the end to Generation Hope #7, I was worried. The book had just gotten its legs under it with the first legitimate mission for Hope and her crew. The catalyst of conflict finally made the book gel, and Kieron Gillen finally brought the team’s dynamic into full view. And they were about to step away from that. Issue 8 allows us to focus on the team in a moment of downtime, while also pitting them against an entirely new type of challenge: Teon’s parents have brought a lawsuit against the X-Men organization to return him to their custody.

I was pleasantly surprised by this latest issue. Gillen shows us the beginnings of the team as a family, as they have a chance to adjust to each others’ presence outside a major conflict. Each character gets a moment in the spotlight, but always within the context of their family unit. Their dialogue is appropriately witty, and we’re starting to see real personality in each of the characters, differentiating them from one another in deeper ways that just aesthetics and powers. I’m still annoyed by Idie, but now I’m wondering if maybe I’m supposed to be.

Alongside all of that, this issue is really about Teon. Up until now, he’s been mostly a mindless dog that can kick things really hard. While he’s been an interesting foil (especially for Hope), we’ve never seen what really makes him tick. The reveal of his mutation’s true nature could have come across asinine, but Gillen works a sublime turn with the scene that is simultaneously intriguing, heartwarming, and funny.

Generation Hope keeps surprising me, and the team’s family dynamic is poised for all the supreme joy and agonizing twists of a real family. I’m hooked.

Story by Daryl Gregory
Art by Carlos Magno

I continue to be impressed by Boom! Studios’ new Planet of the Apes series. Much like KotOR or Tales of the Jedi did for the Star Wars universe, this new book shows us the ancient future of the Apes world, and is doing a fine job of building a hefty mythology around that history.Issue 3 focuses primarily on Chaika, a Silent (mute) with revolutionary ideas – ideas her father won’t buy into as he searches for the person that assassinated the Lawgiver.

Although this is a sci-fi book set in a familiar cinematic world, the book’s lore and murder-mystery trappings set it apart from much of the rest of the Apes universe. Characters – both ape and human – are presented with depth and breadth that is absent in most of the movies. Nix and Alaya, especially, are noble and likeable characters, even when portrayed as antagonists. Gregory’s portrayal of Chaika as a strong willed and impetuous youth is touching and identifiable. She wants to prove herself to her father and her people, but her decisions lead her down a dangerous path.

And I can’t heap enough praise on Carlos Magno’s art. His depth of detail and subtlety of expression are astounding at times, regardless of whether he’s drawing a bloody action scene or a quiet discussion between father and daughter. His environments are rendered with as much stunning detail as his characters, which serves well to pull the reader even deeper into the mythos being created here.

Rarely does a comic book based on a movie property diverge so far and simultaneously live so completely within its source material, and still present a successful story without relying on referential fan service. Planet of the Apes is a must-read.

Story by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by Leandro Fernandez

The New Mutants – under the new leadership of Dani Moonstar – are now the X-Men’s clean-up crew, charged with closing all of the loose ends left behind by the core team’s many and varied conflicts. Their first mission: find Nate Grey – X-Man.

Issue 26’s first few pages introduce us to Donny, a young former-mutant who lost his powers on M-Day. Donny’s story is surprisingly compelling for the half-issue that’s spent on it, and Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning use it as an intriguing and elegant introduction to Sugar Man’s true objective. Donny’s arc in this issue is purposely predictable: you can see exactly where he’s headed, but nothing can be done about it, which makes you really feel for this kid who just wants his powers back.

On the other side of the coin, it’s nice to see the New Mutants out without a chaperone, following a purpose all their own. The “clean up team” angle is a nice tack to take with them, and this book feels a bit less like an X-book and more like a detective story. While I understand that no mutant-related story arc can go much more than an issue without fisticuffs, it’s nice to see the team work outside of a combat situation once in a while.

Abnett & Lanning’s concentration on dialogue in this issue really works to flesh out not only the team’s new objective, but lends weight to what could have been a forgettable side-character in Donny. Sugar Man has always been a bit on the absurd side, but he’s given an almost likable manipulative streak here that adds significant depth to his malevolence.

I hope to see more of the New Mutants as they are portrayed here: detectives hunting down the leavings of the X-Men’s poor planning.

Story by Tim Seeley
Art by Kyle Strahm

Following the conclusion of the first arc of the new Hack/Slash series, issue #5 is a one-shot centered around the return of a godlike jungle protector named Fantomah. Fantomah shows up on Cassie’s doorstep to recruit her for a mission, luring her in with the promise of being able to infiltrate and destroy the Black Lamp once and for all. But not all is as it seems…

Issue 5 is a comparatively weak follow-up to the first 4-issue arc. Very little of consequence occurs, and even the series trademark cheeseball is a little lacking. The entire car-ride with Fantomah feels discombobulated, an oddly pointless discussion that hints at later impact and leads nowhere. The fight that encompasses most of the latter part of the book feels equally muddled, and ultimately lacks consequence.

Much of this confusion can be attributed to Kyle Strahm’s art. Previously, Daniel Leister’s art was sleek and well suited to the subject matter, lending the requisite sexy charm to the leading ladies and humanizing characters like Vlad and Pooch enough to make them likable. The switch to Strahm’s rough figures and gritty linework will be jarring to readers accustomed to Leister’s art, and his characterizations of some of the characters (Pooch in particular) feel off. Everything in the book comes across monstrous, draining the women of their sex appeal.

Additionally, his choice of viewpoint and framing in many later panels adds undue confusion to the final few scenes, but Seeley’s script doesn’t really help. This book feels like a throw away story that Seeley tossed into the mix as filler between arcs, which is disappointing after such a strong start for the book’s new incarnation. Hopefully things pick up with issue 6.

Story by Zeb Wells
Art by Clayton Crain

After freeing herself from the artificial arm that contained a portion of the Carnage symbiote, Dr Tanis Nieves watches as it attaches itself to Shriek and the pair begin a murderous, mind-control fueled riot. Meanwhile, Spidey and Iron Man must deal with Mass Carnage, a new, partially mechanized form that Cletus Kasady creates using a mishmash of Hall Industries symbiote-hybrid armor and the corpses of the soldiers once contained within.

Zeb Wells spins a terrific tale with Carnage, a character that has caught a lot of flak over the years. His characterization is still simplistic – let’s face it, Cletus is a psychotic moron with delusions of grandeur, made even more dangerous by the symbiote. The mega-Carnage is a nice twist on the character, however, and the inclusion of Iron Man in the fight makes for some interesting interactions with the Hall Industries technology.

The conflict between Tanis and Shriek actually steals the show in this issue, though. While the fight against Carnage is a fun, shallow super-fight, Tanis’s arc has a more personal air to it. Her struggle in this issue is entirely internal, and the choice with which she is faced an agonizing one. The resolution of that half of the story was by far more compelling than Super Hyper Mega Action Go-Go Carnage.

Clayton Crain’s art – while gorgeous – shows shades of a deadline crunch at points. It’s clear that less care was taken with some pages than others, which is generally more obvious with painted art. That being said, the overall look of the book is simply stunning.

This is a fitting wrap up to an entertaining Carnage mini-series, and bodes well for Wells & Crain’s next team up, Carnage U.S.A.