Review - Teen Titans Rebirth

Teen Titans Rebirth - 

DC Comics

 

Written by Benjamin Percy

Art by Jonboy Meyers

Colors by Jim Charalampidis

Letters by Corey Breen

 

One of the most shocking events in DC Rebirth is (WARNING:  Spoiler for Detective Comics #940) the "death" of Tim Drake.  Tim didn't just leave his impression on Gotham, but on his friends, the Teen Titans.  Everyone deals with loss differently, but sometimes we don't have time to grieve.  Enter the latest Rebirth offering from DC Comics and, what appears to be, a new era for the Teen Titans.

 

The story is broken up into sections where you see each Titan (Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven & Kid Flash) on their own and seemingly moving on with their lives.  Each of them has a different reason for being where they are, be it mentally or physically.  What I love is that each of their emotions are pretty clear in either how they are dealing with the loss of Tim Drake or the fact that the Teen Titans are seemingly on their own.  One thing binds them together in this story, and that is a common threat.  What I love is, this will definitely not be dragged out.  We find out who is behind all of this right at the end of the issue, and I will say this, it will make you smile.  I'll just say, in the most spoiler free way possible, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 

Benjamin Percy is easily one of my favorite writers in the industry right now.  Even in Green Arrow, he has an uncanny knack of capturing the essence of each individual character.  With such a vast array of personalities, it's amazing how Percy makes you feel like he's been working with these characters for years.  Percy is also lucky to have another rock star artist like Jonboy Meyers, who brings a fun and exciting vibe to each panel.  The last page of the book is a big wow moment, and Meyers captures it amazingly well.  Rebirth has done well in turning the page and making the characters we love great.  What we're seeing here is a true Rebirth, in that it is a new era for a group that is no stranger to change.  The last page alone makes me want to keep going, but as a fan of the Teen Titans, I think there are very exciting times ahead.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY  

Review - Britannia #1

Britannia #1 - 

Valiant Comics

 

Written by Peter Milligan

Art by Juan Jose Ryp

Colors by Jordie Bellaire

Letters by Dave Sharp

Introduction Art by Raul Allen & Patricia Martin

 

Many great stories have been told about the Roman Empire.  From the Vestal Virgins to the rule of Nero, it was a time of great power.  It seems like it's been a while since a comic tackled this time period, so I was very excited to see that Valiant would be doing so.  Let's start our journey and head to the strange land of Britannia.

 

The story follows a man named Antonius Axia who, in the beginning of the story, is being asked a big favor by one of the Vestals.  The result of this would change his life forever and force him to make some difficult choices.  Not only do the Vestals have more plans for him, but the emperor Nero will have a say in his fate as well.  In the middle of the story, something happens that gets Nero's attention and forces him to find more about what is happening on the fringe of the Roman Empire, Britannia.  Antonius has rebuilt himself at this point, but is called upon by Nero to lead this investigation.  Turns out there are several alterior motives at play, and that is the least of Antonius' problems.  Once arriving, he sees that he will be dealing with something from his past that he thought was long gone.  With his closest friend by his side, the story hits it's highest point right as it ends.

 

There is a lot to like about Britannia, but there are also a few problems.  While the character development was very good, the book did drag a bit in the middle.  It seemed like there were a few pages that seemed a bit unnecessary, and didn't really serve a purpose to the larger story.  Aside from that, Milligan does a very good job of capturing the time period and essence of the Roman Empire.  You can really feel the emotional roller coaster that Antonius is on, and there are plenty of twists that keep this first issue interesting.  It's also hard not to get lost in the way Juan Jose Ryp paints such a beautiful scene, capturing the mood of each part of the story.  The background imagery of the Britannia setting alone is chilling and masterful.  The art in the introduction is also amazing, and does a very good job at setting the tone for what's to come.  I will be very interested to see how Milligan will balance what is going on with Britannia with what is going on back in Rome, since Antonius' problems reach both parts of the world.  I'm on board, but still a bit cautious.

 

RATING:  PICK UP 

Review - Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame #1

Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame #1 - 

Titan Comics

 

Written by Tom Williams

                    George Mann

                    Tauriq Moosa

                    Dan Watters

Art by Alan Quah

            Komikaki Studio

            Piort Kowalski

            Brad Simpson

            Damien Worm

            Nick Percival

Letters by Rob Steen

                  Tom Williams

 

It's a great time to be a gamer.  Video games have become so cinematic, with in depth story telling to go along with the game play elements.  That doesn't mean that there are not other stories to tell and more worlds to explore.  Titan Comics jumps into the world of video game comics once again this week with Dark Souls:  Legends of the Flame.  This limited series is a little bit different.

 

The reason there is such a large creative team is, there are several different stories within this one issue.  A traveler arrives to a place where an old woman tells him tales through a giant flame.  Each story deals with the curse that has plagued the world and how it affects different people and areas.  Even though this is a regular sized comic, none of these stories felt rushed or left anything lacking.  Surprisingly enough, they actually all seemed to tie in at the end, in their own way.  Each tale seemed to have a different warning, and a different lesson that needed to be learned.  Some moments were violent, some were heartbreaking and some left you wondering how they didn't see it coming.  The end of the story comes back to where it started, and uses the tales as a means to round things out and really kick off the remaining issues.

 

When I first saw how this book was structured (and how many pages there were), I will admit that I was worried.  Given the names attached, I probably shouldn't have been worried, but I just didn't see how this whole issue wouldn't seem rushed as it was structured.  The way that each story played to a similar theme, and how they really tie together nicely at the end, is a credit to everyone involved in this project.  Then you look at all the different art teams, and they too, did not miss a single step.  Even though each style is different, this is one of the most striking artwork of any comic on the shelf right now.  Each also sets the mood so well with the writer that they were paired up with.  Titan has done a lot of video game comics, and have a pretty good track record of delivering consistent winners.  This one may be one of their best yet, and right up there with Deus Ex: Children's Crusade.  Whether you are a fan of the Dark Souls games or not, you will enjoy this book.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY

 

Review - Skybourne #1

Skybourne #1 - 
Boom! Studios

Written by Frank Cho
Art by Frank Cho
Colors by Marcio Menyz
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
(Cover shown is the Frank Cho variant.)

If you love comics, Frank Cho is probably a name you know.  He has drawn a lot of the characters you, and even caused quite a stir regarding one of them recently.  So what happens when Frank Cho puts down the pen and picks up the keyboard?  This week I dive into his creator owned series Skybourne from Boom! Studios.  What has been billed as "Indiana Jones meets James Bond" certainly intrigued me, so let's see what we have.

I will preface this by saying, it is VERY important that you read the credits page right after the cover.  It introduces us to Abraham, Thomas and Grace Skybourne, who will be the major players in this story.  It also explains their abilities, which will prove to be an important piece of information as the story goes forward.  The focus of this first issue is more on Grace Skybourne trying to acquire something for her family.  As these things often do in comics, it doesn't go so well, and the action begins.  Actually, saying action doesn't even really begin to describe it.  Some of the scenes that follow are brutal, but great.  Grace does one thing in particular that was a huge WOW moment when her team drops the ball.  Once we find out what she was trying to acquire, you realize just how big of a deal it is.  Just when you think it's over, another player enters the fray and another battle begins.  That leads us to quite a shocking ending and a lot of questions going into Issue 2.

I know that Frank Cho has experience as a writer, but this may be his finest work.  The way he writes the final scene alone, and the way it's depicted, is top notch.  To address the elephant in the room, whoever thinks Frank Cho doesn't know how to portray strong women, needs to introduce themselves to Grace Skybourne.  She is tough, she is commanding and she does not react well when she is disrespected by the men in the story.  Imagine Lara Croft growing up with more edge, starting a foundation and suddenly becoming a metahuman.   The art is top notch, as expected, and really lets the action sequences jump off the page.  This series is a huge win for Boom! Studios, and I believe, could end up becoming one of their top titles.

RATING: PULL / BUY