Review by Chris Fenn
Coming in to this issue I didn’t know what to expect. I have seen the front cover advertised in previous ‘Bat’ comics, and I read the preview from Batman #28, but in all honesty I sort of didn’t know what to expect.
I am happy to say that this seems like a welcome blend of suspense, action and mystery. I feel like I’m going to like this comic.
The beginning of the comic really made me think of Grant Morrison. Now I know I seem to say that an awful lot, but hear me out; the city being on fire with Batman at the heart of the destruction seems very reminiscent of Damian’s possible future from Incorporated. I love the disembodied voice talking at Bruce, and the intensity and pain in the eyes of the fallen Batman.
The set up with the new cop was really nice. I don’t believe I’ve seen the corrupt cop before, but he reminded me of Flass, or at least that sort of dirty, power hungry archetype. I found that despite most of the cops being new they all fit in well and felt familiar; they had enough depth and character that I could believe in them all without wanting an entire issue dedicated to the GCPD.
The obvious mystery of this story will be what happened to Jim. As the reader we saw the gun Jim saw, but seemingly nobody else did. Is this all a dream? Is there somebody manipulating perception? Does this mean that Gotham may not really be burning? I certainly don’t know; but I do intend to keep on reading and find out!
For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989
Posted on April 10th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman Eternal #1 Review, Bruce Wayne, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, James Tynion IV, Jim Gordon, John Layman, Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley
By Daniel Cole
Daniel Cole brings you episode #007 of the Six Shooter!
Welcome to the Six Shooter! This is a weekly column that will review six specific comics. Big new releases, small interesting titles and random curiosities. All will be looked at. The way it works is that there will be a brief review of the comics followed by our rating system. Our ratings are:
Headshot (Best of the week)
Hit (Read)
Miss (Don’t Read)
Misfire (Worst of the week)
This week I thought it would be nice to take a break from the big two and focus on the rest of the comics market. However one DC licensed hero does pop up. Anyhow lets do this!
THE CROW CURARE #2 – IDW PUBLISHING
This is certainly a different tale than the one fans will be familiar with, but that doesn’t mean it is inferior.
Written by James O’Barr
Art by Antoine Dodé
This new Crow series has the benefit of having the Crow’s creator James O’Barr in the driving seat. This is certainly a different tale than the one fans will be familiar with, but that doesn’t mean it is inferior.
In fact this miniseries is utterly gripping. O’Barr once again looks at violence, grief and the search for justice. This time around the story follows Detective Salk as he tries to find who is responsible for the brutal murder of a young girl called Carrie. O’Barr’s script is often uncomfortable to read due to the horrific nature of the crimes being committed, but this doesn’t stop it from being so compelling. As a character driven narrative O’Barr manages to show just how far the search for justice can lead a man. Salk has already demonstrated that he is willing to interrogate suspects with extreme prejudice and as the narrative moves forward he has become wholly consumed with his quest.
Antoine Dodé’s art is moody and perfectly suits the tone of the story. His ability to create a sense of dread is excellent, as he depicts the kidnapping of another victim. His visual story telling is extremely strong and the book is at its best when O’Barr sits back and lets Dodé tell the tale. The art is often haunting with the scene on the swings the most emotionally effective scene in the book.
An excellent character piece and an interesting murder mystery; The Crow Curare is something of a triumph. It is utterly compelling even if it is uncomfortably brutal.
SIX SHOOTER RATING – HEADSHOT
WITCHBLADE #168 – TOP COW (IMAGE COMICS)
Seeley clearly has a plan and the plot isn’t a mess by any means, but there is a distinct lack of focus on anything interesting.
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Diego Bernard, Fred Benes, Allisson Rodrigues & Arif Prianto
The second part of “Absolute Corruption” continues at a pace befitting a three part storyline. However Tim Seeley’s script is having a hard time balancing all the plot elements.
Seeley clearly has a plan and the plot isn’t a mess by any means, but there is a distinct lack of focus on anything interesting. Characterisation is set aside for tedious exposition that expands the Witchblade mythology, but only by a fraction. The humour of the book doesn’t work, as Katarina isn’t really a fully formed character. It often seems that there is too much being crammed into these pages and our hero is sitting on the sidelines for most of it.
Diego Bernard’s pencils are functional, but lack any real impact. The clear and simple layouts allow the book to tell its story without incident. However the need for two inkers does seem excessive for such a simple looking book. Granted not every book has to be a work of art, but this type of tale needs something to make it compelling.
And that is the problem. There might be a lot of wheels turning in the narrative, but not much of it is interesting. It isn’t a disaster, but it isn’t good either.
SIX SHOOTER RATING – MISS
THUMBPRINT #2 – IDW PUBLISHING
Thumbprint isn’t a comic for everyone and the story is perhaps more suited to TV than this medium.
Written by Jason Ciaramelia
Art by Vic Malhotra
Thumbprint is a title that manages to justify its violence, but some of its more shocking moments go too far.
Jason Ciaramelia’s script delves deeper into the stories main protagonist Mallory. We see her life in the armed forces and how she was a person who was tasked to ask enemy soldiers questions. Of course this means that we get an unsavoury look on how she acquired knowledge from the enemy. For the most part the brutality of it all works within the confines of the narrative, but Ciaramelia does often go too far. The whole “fingering your wife” moment is utterly unnecessary, even if it shows what sort of character Mallory is. The comic has already stated her dark nature and that moment is a little too much. However Ciaramelia must be commended for showing the ramifications and the senselessness of war. His depiction of war may not be a revelation, but it at least brings depth to the books narrative and main character.
Vic Malhotra’s art is best described as David Aja-lite. He seems to mimic Aja’s deceptively simple pencils, but not his ability to inventively construct a page layout. This isn’t a bad thing as the book often looks good, but the instant comparisons don’t help the book. However the slight blur and colour difference in the flashback scenes are a nice touch.
Thumbprint isn’t a comic for everyone and the story is perhaps more suited to TV than this medium. Ciaramelia does go a little too far in places, but it does at least try and engage the reader in the horrors of war. But a lot of recent films/books/TV shows have already done this type of story and done it better.
SIX SHOOTER RATING – MISS
MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION #1 – DARK HORSE COMICS
It maybe a prequel comic, but it does not play out as one in this initial issue
Written by Mac Walters
Art by Omar Francia & Michael Atiyeh
Mac Walters, lead writer on Mass Effect 2 & 3, takes the franchise into the past with this new comic book series.
It maybe a prequel comic, but it does not play out as one in this initial issue. Walters hits the ground running with a fun script that involves a mysterious female agent. She has assassination on her mind and the way in which she gets to her target is playful. Using intimidation, a few disguises and the help of a child. It is a great secret agent style tale that has an excellent pace to it. Surprisingly the script is filled with world building and characterisation. Also that twist ending is very effective.
Omar Francia’s art is clean and clear for the most part. But there are few inconsistencies with his character work, namely body proportions. However the action scenes are kinetic and well rendered and Francia manages to emote his characters well enough to enhance the scripts character beats. He manages to fill each panel with imagery that helps create the world the characters live in, even if it is a little bland at time.
This might not instantly be recognisable as a Mass Effect comic, but it has enough about it to engage new readers and fans alike. The art does its job and produces a solid visual experience. But it is Walter’s fun script that sells this title.
SIX SHOOTER RATING – HIT
ANTI-HERO #2 – MONKEY BRAIN COMICS
This is a great title that tells a compelling story and presents it in a colourful way.
Written by Jay Faerber
Art by Nate Stockman & Paul Little
Jay Faerber’s blackmailed superhero story is a book that knows how to entertain you.
The narrative concept may not be original, but Faerber embraces it with such glee that you can’t help but get invested in it. The script is witty, fun and surprisingly character driven, as poor Paragon has to do business with a bad guy. The heroes and villains of this world have wonderfully ridiculous names that really work due to the light-hearted tone of the book. However it is light-hearted to a point as Faerber cleverly invests time in making Paragon a character the readers can empathise with. His new identity is an outward expression of his plight and the dialogue is so well judged in the more sombre moments.
Nate Stockman’s art is also a lot of fun. There is something nostalgic about the hero and villain designs, with each being both unique and a familiar. Paragon’s new suit takes visual inspiration from Stormwatch’s Midnighter and clearly pokes fun at the “dark” hero stereotype. The art is very expressive and vibrant. Giving the reader a rich visual experience.
This is a great title that tells a compelling story and presents it in a colourful way. It successfully show’s that a book can be mature in its character work without sacrificing the inherent fun that comes with the superhero genre.
SIX SHOOTER RATING – HEADSHOT
THE ROCKETEER & THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #1 – IDW PUBLISHING
Some great dialogue softens the lack of originality and Waid really excels in presenting how different these two heroes and their supporting characters are.
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Paul Smith & Jordie Bellaire
Mark Waid brings two of the most recognisable pulp heroes together for a nostalgia infused tale.
For a lot of readers this may fall flat as it relies on the nostalgia factor heavily and doesn’t really offer an interesting narrative to engage with. It has the familiar heroes meet, fight and then team up arc that happens in almost all stories of this ilk. It is nice that Waid gets this out of the way so issue two can move the narrative forward, but it is certainly a hurdle to overcome in this issue. Some great dialogue softens the lack of originality and Waid really excels in presenting how different these two heroes and their supporting characters are.
Paul Smith’s art evokes the style of those old comic strips and the highly stylized pencils give the book a distinct look. It is more cartoonish than realistic, but that is intentional and really sells Waid’s script. The action is kinetic and quite dynamic due to the sense of momentum Smith gives the flying sequences. It certainly works on a visual level.
What it lacks in narrative originality it makes up for with charm and playful art. It is a comic that focuses on delivering a fun tale with well-loved heroes and for the most part its successful in doing so.
SIX SHOOTER RATING – HIT
So this week has been a good one with two HEADSHOTS, two HITS and only two MISSES. A lot of books that focus on fun and just as many that focus on violence. IDW had a good showing this week and is definitely a company to keep an eye on. So all in all I declare this week a win for the reader.
Do you agree with the reviews? Did we get them wrong or right? Have any suggestions on what we should review next week? Get in touch in the comments section.
For more comic views and reviews follow Dan on Twitter at @gizmo151183
Posted on July 26th, 2013
Category: REVIEWS, SIX SHOOTER
Tags: Anti-Hero #2 Review, Comic Reviews, Crow Curare #2 Review, Daniel Cole, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Mark Waid, Mass Effect Foundation #1 Review, Rocketeer, Sic Shooter #007, Thumbprint #2 Review, Tim Seeley, Witchblade #168 Review
With Revival, Image Comics have done their best to show there can be a fresh perspective on the zombie genre.
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by MIKE NORTON
Cover by JENNY FRISON
With Revival, Image Comics have done their best to show there can be a fresh perspective on the zombie genre. Labelling it as a ‘rural noir’, the comic focuses on a small community in Wisconsin, USA, where a to-be-confirmed number of dead have risen back to life. Not overly original until the reader discovers these ‘Revivers’ are not the mindless, salivating zombies one might expect. Instead they return exactly as their previous selves.
As such, this small community is overrun by both the national media and the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) as the world seeks an explanation for this freak occurrence. In the meantime, the local population do their best to cope with this extreme situation as they are forced to remain within the town limits and those back from the dead are left to question how they fit back in to the world.
The local population do their best to cope with this extreme situation as they are forced to remain within the town limits and those back from the dead are left to question how they fit back in to the world.
In its first issue, Revival covers considerably more ground usually seen in a #1, as it raises several open-ended storylines in which the writers will hopefully have many issues to cover. What is the cause of all this? Will it spread out across the rest of America? How far will the authorities go to contain the situation? And what’s the deal with that alien??
It is perhaps not a huge surprise the first issue has adopted this approach given the highly competitive nature of the comic book market at the moment. Whilst the excitement of the DC re-boot has now died down, recent months have seen a steady flow of #1’s from Image, not to mention it receiving inescapable comparisons with arguably the company’s flagship series, The Walking Dead.
What is the cause of all this? Will it spread out across the rest of America? How far will the authorities go to contain the situation?
Whilst this is understandable, given both series’ central premise of the living dead, Revival couldn’t be much further removed from the exploits of Rick Grimes and I certainly hope it manages to create its own identity.
One easily identifiable difference between the two series is the role played by the ‘dead’. In The Walking Dead, they feature as the stereotypical zombie, mindless, bereft of personality or soul, as they aimlessly wander the land, driven only by a lust for blood. Switch to the ‘Revivers’ where their identities and personalities remain intact, essentially making them characters. The focus is on the community as a whole, inclusive of the dead. Already in the first issue, it questions whether they should go back to their previous lives of working in a convenience store or going back to school. Additionally, we see an elderly lady resentful at returning, happy that her time had come.
One easily identifiable difference between Revival and the Walking Dead is the role played by the ‘dead’.
A much needed feature shown is the search for exposition. Robert Kirkman, writer of The Walking Dead, has repeatedly stated the source of the virus will not be revealed. For that comic, it is not necessary as the focus is on survival and how humanity copes when stripped of even the basic elements of life in the 21st century. With Revival #1, the search for what happened is already underway as the main character, police officer Dana Cypress, is introduced as she gets dressed for work as she listens to a radio debate on the cause of events.
With the choice of location, it also puts rural communities at odds with the more mainstream aspects of society as they are placed under the magnifying glass. Along with the clash of theories between faith and science, it emphasises the level of conflict in the comic.
Not everyone is happy at the thought of returning!
It is certainly early days however Revival is looking like it could be one of the outstanding comics of the year and is definitely worth a read.
Rating: 4/5
Follow Stuart on twitter @Martel_79 or check out his website theonlywayisgeek.blogspot.co.uk/
Posted on August 11th, 2012
Category: REVIEWS, THE ONLY WAY IS GEEK
Tags: Comic Reviews, Image Comics, Jenny Frison, Mike Norton, Revival #1 Review, Stuart Ingram, The Only Way Is Geek, Tim Seeley, Walking Dead
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