Category: Comic Books

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was published, and included in the April 27th IGN Comics review roundup.

Story by John Rozum
Art by Frazier Irving

Having never read the original run of Xombi in the mid ‘90s, I wasn’t exactly prepared for John Rozum’s particular brand of whack-a-doo adventure. The first issue caught me off guard with its witty dialogue, offbeat humor, and goofball characters.

The second book picks up with David Kim in the grip of a deadly Snow Angel, waiting on a young nun-in-training-with-religious-super-powers named Catholic Girl to save his ass by blowing off his left arm. Not to worry, though: nanotechnology in David’s cells will rebuild the arm by pulling raw materials from his environment.

Rozum’s characterizations and dialogue take a front seat once again, quickly drawing you into a setting and story so absurd that – if handled even slightly incorrectly – could dip into laughably ridiculous. The writing strikes very close to the perfect balance with that absurdity, though, absorbing you into the setting and never dropping the pace. The action beats are fun and the interactions are interesting, driven by comic timing that drew out honest laughter in me more than once.

Frazer Irving’s artwork is a nice compliment to Rozum’s script. His choice of angles does wonders to enhance the dialogue and action, and his facial expressions add that extra bit of punch to the comedic beats. I’m not a fan of the way the book is colored, though: each environment is bathed in its own monotone, which changes occasionally depending on the action to depict specific events. It’s an interesting stylistic choice, but I’d really like to see Irving’s line work with a more natural coloring style.

Xombi is an off-the-wall title for DC, and I hope the series has a healthy run. If you like your books fast-paced and funny, with a heaping dose of weird, give this one a shot.

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was published, and included in the April 27th IGN Comics review roundup.

Story by Cole Haddon
Art by M.S. Corley

Alternate literary history is a difficult genre to boil down for mass consumption. It’s creators must walk a fine line, conjuring stories that are both referential and understandable. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic books are an example of how to do this well, while the movie version shows us exactly the opposite. The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde, while solidly evocative of the former, never quite finds a firm grip on its appeal.

We open on the familiar story of Dr. Henry Jekyll and his infamous serum, introducing us to the origins of the titular character before skipping ahead five years. The book then takes on the story if its narrator, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Adye, as he attempts to unravel the the crimes of Jack The Ripper. Upon finding frightening evidence of a killer with superhuman abilities, Adye (an amalgam of several of the Ripper’s real-life inspectors) realizes he is overwhelmed and seeks the counsel of the secretly imprisoned Jekyll, thought long dead by an ignorant public.

Hyde never finds its pace, becoming bogged down in excessive (if modestly interesting) dialogue. It just plods along, hoping that hooks so obvious as to be laughable (whether intended to mislead or not) will keep readers interested. Although plenty of side references may make the literati chuckle, Haddon’s script never finds an entertaining balance. Unfortunately, Corley’s artwork is similarly flat and uninspired. The final action sequence entirely lacks motion, feeling like a series of poorly posed mannequins and failing to elicit any feelings of tension, even at its climax.

The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde is an interesting concept that’s full of almosts, but misses the mark in almost every way. Fans of this style of alternate literary fiction may find nuggets of interest, but overall it left me completely underwhelmed.

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was published, and included in the April 27th IGN Comics review roundup.

Story by Andy Hartnell
Art by Chris Bolson

Anyone who’s read Danger Girl knows what to expect out of a Danger Girl comic, and the same can be said of anyone who’s seen Army of Darkness. It’s hard to make an intellectual analysis about a comic blending two properties that are so intentionally and successfully cheesy. So what happens when Abby Chase is sent on a mission to find a mysterious book on a raid in southern Africa? It can be best described by the phrase “hilarity ensues”.

This first issue follows Abbey, recruited to rescue the kidnapped brother of her most dangerous enemy in exchange for eliminating the price on her head. It opens like a typical action movie sequel (or perhaps an episode of Human Target), by introducing Abbey and the Danger Girl organization in a shower of explosions and carefully detailed shards of shattering glass.

The rest of the book is primarily setup, and reads like the first 20 minutes of the aforementioned action flick (which is surprisingly not a bad thing). Andy Hartnell’s scripting is passably cheeseball, complete with the requisite bravado and one-liners one would expect from a book with this title. It never makes you groan, but never really makes you laugh, either. Chris Bolson’s art is straight out of a 1997 Image book, full of bright and slightly overdone digital colors. The art solidly average, with the exception of the two-page title splash, which I found rather striking.

If you’re looking for intellectual, Eisner-nominee material, you won’t find it here. On the other hand, fans of either of the two series that combine in this book will find a fun, brainless action romp. I’m interested to see if Hartnell can live up to the task of not descending solely into fan service as the series continues.

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was not published on IGN.

Story by Cullen Bunn
Art by Brian Hurtt

A few months ago, The Sixth Gun took me by surprise. It was recommended by friends but back issues were scarce, and some local shops hadn’t even heard of it. When I finally picked up the first trade paperback (entitled Cold Dead Fingers) I was introduced to one of the finest examples of graphic storytelling I’ve ever run across.

The book follows Drake Sinclair, a pitiless scoundrel searching for the last of six mystical revolvers in the years following the Civil War. The first story arc told of Drake’s fight against the undead General Hume and his encounter (and eventual partnership) with Becky Montcrief, the reluctant new owner of number Six. The second arc sees Drake, Becky, and Gord Cantrell holed up in New Orleans while Drake attempts to find a way to break his unwelcome bond to the four pistols he’s already acquired.

Issue 11 concludes the arc with a hairy confrontation between the trio and Marinette of the Dry Arms, a vicious loa who enters the physical realm through one of her worshipers to pursue Drake and the guns. Cullen Bunn seamlessly blends historical and fantastical, and his use of Haitian voodoo mythology adds a welcome and unique flavor to the conflict – a flavor I’m sure many readers (myself included) were previously unfamiliar with. Brian Hurtt’s artwork is a revelation of simplicity, evocative of ‘40’s Sunday comics (Dick Tracy comes to mind). Although verging on cartoony, his artwork never detracts from the book’s gravity, and smaller details (look for the panel inside the streetcar) add an immediacy that ramps up the tension nicely.

Although not the best issue to date, #11 is still an exceptional read and it continues to be one of the best books on the market. If you’re not reading The Sixth Gun, you should be.

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was published, and included in the April 20th IGN Comics review roundup.

Story by Kieron Gillen
Art by Salvador Espin

After the first story arc in Generation Hope, I was struggling to find a reason to continue reading. The characters at the story’s foundation were sidelined, none of them defined well enough to develop any attachment. If I had begun to find a connection to the book, issue #5 killed it, beginning with McKelvie’s simplistic and repetitive art and ending with Kieron Gillen’s rambling and overly angsty script.

The latest issue is a mixed bag for me. The first third of the book flips between Hope and her five newly-rescued Lights, giving us little snippets of each as individuals. This section is unfocused, never allowing time for the dialogue or story to develop enough for us to get to know any of the characters. It would have been better housed in issue 5, which was clearly a filler issue to bridge the first and second story arcs.

The last two-thirds of the book, however, make solid strides toward finding the story’s voice. Hope and her new unit are given a purpose, and thus more of the spotlight than they’ve seen so far. We see more of their interaction as a team and delve into Hope’s role as their leader, giving us clear looks at both her strengths and her very obvious failings. Gillen seems to have finally hooked into a direction for Generation Hope, and more of this type of dialogue and interaction would be very welcome. Salvador Espin’s artistic return was also a pleasant surprise; his lines are cleaner and his style more clear than in previous outings, giving the book a more defined personality.

It’s a shame that it’s taken 5½ issues to get here, but if the last half of this issue is a glimpse of the future, Generation Hope could find a solid place amongst a sea of X-books.

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was published, and included in the April 20th IGN Comics review roundup.

Story by Kathryn Immonen
Art by Phil Noto

Wolverine and Jubilee began as the tale of a girl who had lost her way, and the mentor who was trying to help her find it. The first 3 books focused almost exclusively on the relationship between Jubilee and Wolverine as her father figure, and did an admirable job of representing her as a young girl caught in a dreadful upheaval. Likewise, Wolverine was well handled as her guardian, in moments that were less action and more interaction. This issue picks up after Wolverine is confronted by the woman who betrayed Jubilee during a moment of vulnerability in order to bait Wolvie into her service. Having successfully drawn the pair into her scheme she kidnaps Jubilee, giving Wolverine little option but to do her bidding.

Issue #4 is a departure from what was previously a dialogue- and introspection-heavy series, replacing that interplay with an action set-piece that is, overall, a little disappointing. I feel that there were single pages in earlier issues that did more to advance Jubilee’s character than the entirety of this final issue, and even Rockslide’s side-plot feels shoehorned into this final battle. It’s not entirely terrible, but it feels like the creative team struggled to find a solid wrap up, relying instead on a tried-and-true X-Battle to bail them out. Even Phil Noto’s art – which has been clean and subtly beautiful leading up to this – feels rushed and almost sloppy.

There’s a brief moment of introspective revelation for Jubilee here, but it’s fairly quiet and doesn’t overcome what is otherwise just a big battle in a goofy environment. As a conclusion to the limited series it feels somewhat anticlimactic, and might be a disappointment to anyone who’s read this far. I know it was for me.

In April of 2011, IGN Comics began allowing MyIGN users to submit articles for their weekly review roundup. Any that live up to IGN’s editorial standards are be published alongside IGN’s staff reviews. Any that I write, I’ll post here, whether they get published or not.

This review was published, and included in the April 13th IGN Comics review roundup.

Story by: Hoang Nguyen, Khari Evans, Paul Gardner & Mike Kennedy
Art by: Khari Evans, Kinsun Loh & Hoang Nguyen

After Carbon Grey #1, I’ll admit I was lost. I gleaned that it’s set in a WWI inspired sci-fi world with a steampunk sensibility, and that the sisters Grey are the protectors of a ruler called The Kaiser. There are dirigibles, Lugers, swords, boobs, and lots of blood… but very little story development. At its heart, the story is about Mathilde and Giselle Grey, the first twins born to a line of protectors that was traditionally a set of three. Issue #1’s disjointedness must have been apparent, though, since #2 starts with an entire page of expositional history, picking up with Giselle as the prime suspect in the Kaiser’s murder.

Upon finishing #2, I’m as lost as when I finished #1. Although the art is above par (with three credited artists, though, I’m not sure who’s responsible), the writing fails to draw me into any of the characters in the book. We’re still unsure of the purpose of side characters, aside from Dina Cumming attempting to steal “level 5 Comsec clearance” from Elliot Pepper (posing as a dead officer), and their bloody escape from a pursuer (the “Baron”). Their story intersects with Giselle’s, but we’re waiting to see where it leads.

Overall, I found Carbon Grey incoherent. The art is pretty but shallow, the plot is buried so deep that it’s difficult to follow and, frankly, they’ve failed to make me care. It could develop into something more cohesive, but right now it feels almost as unintelligible as the original movie version of Akira. Almost.