Review - Masked #1

Masked #1 - 

Titan Comics

 

Written by Serge Lehman

Pencils by  Stéphane Créty 

Inks by Julien Hugonnard-Bert

Colors by Gaétan Gorges

Letters by Cat Connery

Translated by Edward Gauvin

Some cities are stranger than others.  If you spend enough time in New York City, there are probably very few things that would strike you as odd.  As an outsider, you can't help but notice these things.  This week, Titan Comics takes us to Paris (or what was once Paris) to a futuristic world where strange things have been happening.  That brings us to this new series, Masked.

We start off with almost a mission briefing, while witnessing a group of soldiers investigating an incident in a secluded area.  It's important to pay attention to the details in both the art and the writing here, as this will be important as the story goes on.  The current world presented in this story is somewhat of an aftermath to that, and the story of Frank Braffort.  I won't go into too much detail, and spoil what I just mentioned, but Frank has been through a lot and is just trying to put his life back together.  His sister is helping him, but it's not too long before someone tries to pull him into his old life.  All the while people are seeing what are being called "anomalies" throughout the city, something Frank is no stranger to in his past.  These phenomenon are causing an "us versus them" mentality amongst the citizens and the government/protectors.  You get the feeling that Frank is more important than even he realizes as the first issue comes to a close.

The story definitely provides intrigue, but part of me feels like it's almost too much.  It's got a good base for a sci-fi action thriller, but there's not quite enough thrill to match the mystery.  I wouldn't say it is overly complicated, as the initial pages paint quite the picture of what happened with Frank and his connection to everything, but it seems like we should have gotten more of a clear indication of what's to come.  The reason I say that is, this is a 4-issue series, so there isn't much time to make everything clear without cramming it all in.  If this were 6 issue, I would probably be less worried.  At the same time, the character base is good, blending sci-fi with a bit of international intrigue never hurts and you do get that feeling of wanting certain reveals that you don't get right away.  One reveal did fall a little flat, but you get the sense that it was just an appetizer for a larger meal going forward.  The art is very good, in a series where each detail is clearly very important.  There are a couple of action sequences that were executed very well, and the art alone makes you want to keep reading.  I think Titan really has something here.  My main worry (and I think it's a legitimate one), is that they will end up having to cram a lot into the last 2 issues and things will get to jumbled up at the end.  I'm going to stick around and see what happens.

RATING:  PICK UP

Review - Batgirl & The Birds Of Prey #4

Batgirl & The Birds Of Prey #4 -
DC ComicsWritten by Julie & Shawna Benson

Art by Roge Antonio

Colos by Allen Passalaqua

Letters by Deron Bennett

Cover by Yanick Paquette & Nathan Fairbairn





During the staggered launch of the DC Rebirth initiative, we reviewed the initial issue of Batgirl & The Birds of Prey.  It was definitely one of the most charming Rebirth books, but our only worry was that Huntress would overpower the story.  That has not been the case, but it has made us want a Huntress comic from the Benson team.  Let's dive into this latest issue and see if all of those things still hold true.

If you've been reading this series, minor spoilers of previous issues lie ahead.  We know that the team has been on a mission to track down the Oracle imposter.  Huntress was always a reluctant member of the team, and we know there was a bit of a fracture there.  So now Huntress has gone off on her own, to a certain extent, and once again adopted her lone wolf ideals.  What I didn't expect, was the amount of setup and back story that we would get on Helena and the Bertinelli family.  We get a lot of information on what happened to the family and what happened to Helena at a very young age.  It really ties her motives together and also explains her relationship with Batgirl and Black Canary very well.  Minor spoiler (that you should see coming), they reconcile and find that the mission to find imposter Oracle may be involve more than they first thought.  The final few pages of the issue will definitely make Batman fans smile, and give you a nice final page to set up, what I suspect will be, a big reveal coming.

This book has been very stead and consistent.  The team dynamic that Julie and Shawna Benson have given us is one that is both heartwarming and badass.  Those aren't things that always go together, but these three ladies just work so well as a team on the page.  I still want a Huntress comic, but I'm not sure I ever want this team to break off on their own.  They can all stand on their own, but are just so entertaining and strong together, it makes me look forward to this book even more with every passing issue.  The art has been very consistent as well, and I loved the detail in the final pages during the action sequences.  The setting of the flashbacks were also spot on and really lent to the larger story.    Julie and Shawna Benson not only know how to write some of the strongest female characters in comics, but they show that they know how to craft a story that can be funny, interesting and action packed.  I'm not sure how comic book fans can ask for any more than that.




RATING:  PULL / BUY

Review - Mayday #1

Mayday #1 - 

Image Comics

 

Written by Alex de Campi

Art by Tony Parker

Colors by Blond

 

There have been a lot of stories about the Cold War, both fiction and non-fiction.  Add in the Vietnam War, and you're combining two of the most volatile and uncomfortable periods in American history.  Alex de Campi and company bring it all together in Mayday from Image Comics, with a twist.  Let the tension begin!

The U.S. government has just found out that the Soviets may have agents active in Vietnam in 1971, and they have someone that can prove it.  That's where the story begins, as these government agencies try to coordinate and keep this person in a safe house.  As you can imagine, the words "safe house" don't always work out well in any fictional story (and that goes double for comics.)  As the events that surround this asset start to unfold, a crazy series of events follows it.  Then there is one agent with the FBI that seems to stand out from the rest.  I wasn't quite sure what to think of him, until you read on and found out what he did to something in the house.  It seemed like a small detail at the time, but became far more important at the end of the story.  In the last couple of pages, a story that had largely been in three different places quickly converges and you're left wondering what the next step will be.

I had high hopes for this book, given the premise, but I have to be honest.  This book was a little too random and frantic for my taste.  Sometimes that is a good thing, but there really didn't seem to be any sense of structure here.  The story just wasn't together enough for me and I found it really difficult  to get invested in any of the characters.  There were also times where elements were added for shock value that just seemed completely unnecessary.  Without spoiling anything, one of the characters makes a really horrible decision that I just don't see someone in that position making.  Given the circumstances, and who that character worked for, it just didn't make sense.  This book lacked the tension that I was hoping for and, other than the time period, didn't really capture the feel of the Cold War.  That could be harsh for just one issue, but I just didn't feel like there was much of a reason to stick around for more.  The art is good, and I do like how they worked music into the story, but it's just not enough to save a book that is too random for it's own good.

 

RATING:  DROP