Review - Weird Detective #1

Weird Detective #1 - 

Dark Horse Comics

 

Written by Fred Van Lente

Art by Giui Vilanova

Colors by Mauricio Wallace

 

There's weird, and there's weird for the sake of being weird.  The question is, when do you cross that line?  When you see a title like Weird Detective, it's right there, so you have to expect it going on.  This new Dark Horse title definitely bring plenty of it.  So, let's see just how weird Fred Van Lente's newest offering gets.

 

The story follows Detective Sebastian Greene, who was once an average cop, now turned top detective.  There is actually quite a bit of narration that explains the character which, without it, you would be completely lost and out of touch.  Along with that we have a very strange case that no one seems to be able to figure out, so enter Detective Greene.  Everyone knows there is more to him than it seems, but they all have the same explanation for is.  I won't say what it is, because it's actually kind of funny (at least the first few times.)  As most detective stories go, Greene finds himself with a new partner, and he doesn't like it.  What he doesn't know is, there is a reason the two have been paired up.  The investigation takes a MAJOR turn, thanks to a connected case, and that drives most of the story.  Fast forward to the end, it definitely sets up a very interesting scenario for the next issue.

 

While I did enjoy the story, and the narration, I did feel like this issue actually could have ended a couple of different times.  There were two reveals in this issue that I feel would have made a better ending, and actually made the reader want to come back more.  There is a joke that runs it's course, but one of the characters actually echos that sentiment, so I applaud Van Lente for that.  The art is decent, but you won't be blown away by it.  This story really walks a fine line between weird and unnecessarily weird.  With the story of who Greene is and the case itself, you find yourself trying to figure out which story you want to know more about, but don't feel like you can fully focus on both.  If you like weird, this is definitely for you.  You do get answers to a lot of questions right away, so there isn't too much to get dragged out.  At the same time, this second issue definitely needs to drive up the intrigue.

 

RATING:  PICK UP  

Review - Micronauts #2 (2016)

Micronauts #2 - 

IDW Publishing

Written by Cullen Bunn

Art by Max Dunbar

Colors by David Garcia-Cruz

Letters by Tom B. Long

Cover by J.H. Williams III

When do you know a war is truly a war?  Could a false battle be conjured to cover up the real fight behind the scenes?  The return of the Micronauts from IDW give us a glimpse of this war inside a war with the characters you loved from the past.  After a solid first issue, it's time to find out if we know what is truly going on for Acroyear and the gang.

In the first issue we saw the Micronauts headed towards a satellite pharmaceutical station, only to find themselves in a free fall, while still under attack.  It should be know great spoiler that our heroes survive and find themselves on an unfamiliar planet in dire need of repairs.  They're also wondering if one of the people that crashed with them may know more than she lets on.  Things get really complicated, really quickly and we finally get a look at the true motive of the station that they originally went to investigate.  Plenty of action leads up to a reveal at the end of someone that Oziron knows all too well.

The underlying war between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Science is a clever device that is used by Bunn in these first two issues.  You really try to get a sense of what's real, what isn't and what is simply manufactured.  The art by Dunbar is very true to the era, and certainly makes you feel the nostalgia you want to feel in this story.  It also feels like we will slowly be introduced to more of the characters fans will recognize in future issues.  One problem is, if you are not a diehard Micronauts fan, some of these reveals may get lost on new readers.  You can easily jump into this story in Issue 1 and not be lost, but you may not feel as familiar and excited as someone who was already a Micronauts fan.  This is definitely something I want to keep reading, but must caution that new readers may find it a bit more underwhelming.

RATING:  PICK UP 

Review - Batman #52 (2016)

Batman #52 - 

DC Comics

 

Written by James Tynion IV

Art by Riley Rossomo

Additional Inks by Brian Level

Colors by Ivan Plascencia & Jordan Boyd 

Letters by Steve Wands

Cover by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki & Fco Plascencia

 

How do you follow a legend?  At the very least, how do you follow a team that has had one of the most (if not THE most) successful comic book runs of the last few years.  Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's names will forever be etched in the history of the Batman mythos...but there is a Rebirth coming.  James Tynion IV, also no stranger to The Dark Knight, is tasked with the initial process of the transition.  After the events of the last issue, and the coming changes, what lies ahead for this 52nd issue?

 

From the first couple of pages, you realize that this story is all about moving on.  A fitting theme for us readers, struggling with having to move on from something we are so familiar with.  So we get flashes of Bruce Wayne's past, combined with a heist he is trying to stop in the present day.  We quickly find out that this is no normal heist, something very important from Bruce's past has been taken.  It almost feels like an after thought, because you will easily get lost in the personal inventory of Bruce Wayne and his relationship with Alfred.  In this instance, I think you will be very satisfied with the ending (if you want to call it that) that you are given.

 

As talented as James Tynion IV is, I can't help but wonder if he felt he was given an almost impossible task.  At the same time, it was an incredible honor to be the one to bring this amazing 52 issue run to a close.  Flashbacks can be an unnecessary tool, but the mastery to which they were used here showed just how vital they can be to the story.  Rossomo did a fine job with the art, but it is going to take some time before you see Batman and tell your brain that it isn't Greg Capullo at the pen.  This did not feel like goodbye, more like "see you later."  A great job by everyone involved, and a wonderful way to pass the torch to Tom King in the upcoming Rebirth.

 

RATING:  PULL 

Review - Punisher #1 (2016)

Punisher #1 (2016) - 

Marvel Comics

 

Written by Becky Cloonan

Art by Steve Dillon

Colors by Frank Martin

Letters by VC's Cory Petit

Cover by Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire

 

Ever since Daredevil Season 2 on Netflix, the popularity of The Punisher has skyrocketed.  Given the venue to do justice to the character, Marvel was able to bring a true version of the character to life for, in my opinion, the first time on screen.  With the family friendly angle that the publisher has been on early, bringing Frank Castle back to comics won't be easy.  So when I saw a new Punisher series was coming, I had to see for myself what they would do.

 

The story is based around a drug operation that could change the landscape of military operations and crime forever.  We're quickly introduced to the ground level thugs and their crazy boss.  When I say crazy, this guy just keeps dialing it up, and the reveal at the end is crazy.  You know that The Punisher will be all over an operation like this, but what he didn't expect was to run into someone from his past.  You also know that the government will play a role in this, which we also see throughout the issue.  We also get the classic "who is responsible for all this" type of ending to this first issue.

 

So did Marvel hold back?  No they did not.  You see The Punisher as he's supposed to be, and Steve Dillon is a major reason for that.  His art is spot on, matched very well with Frank Martin's colors.  Cloonan's writing is good, and she definitely sets the stage with the supporting characters, but wasn't really able to take her new Frank Castle toy out for a spin personality wise in this issue.  Given what we have so far, I'm confident she'll be up to the task.  This book definitely isn't a "penny and dime," but is a worth addition to your pull list.

 

RATING:  PULL