Review - X-O Manowar #2 (2017)

X-O Manowar #2 (2017) - 

Valiant Comics

 

Written by Matt Kindt

Art by Thomás Giorello

Colors by Diego Rodriguez

Letters by Dave Sharpe

Cover by Lewis Larosa w/ Brian Reber

 

There are certain characters that need no introduction in the comic book world.  Not just because of longevity, but because of the quality of the stories and the demanding presence of the character themself. X-O Manowar definitely carries that  mantle in the Valiant universe.  Aric has recently started a new chapter with a new creative team, and the first issue was nothing short of brilliant.  Let's see what the follow-up issue has to offer.

 

Starting a new life has never worked out well for Aric (or any other hero for that matter), in the past.  It looks like this time will be no different, as his new home of Gorin, where the Azure are headed for war with the Cadmiums.  Beyond that, there is a very interesting dynamic going on with Aric and Shanhara.  What you saw in the first issue was he (SPOILER ALERT FOR ISSUE 1) has given up the suit, but not entirely.  We get a bit of a deeper look at that to start this issue.  We also find out that Aric may have a problem beyond the Cadmiums themselves, and much closer.  Still the start of the mission forges ahead and we get plenty of action in this issue.  As we get to the last couple of pages, something happens that very much alters the course of the mission.  So we are left at quite a pivotal point, and with a nice, juicy cliffhanger.

 

Coming fresh off Stalinverse, and still part of a very successful Ninjak run, Matt Kindt is red hot right now.  It's not a surprise at all that he has been able to carry that over to a character like Aric.  He gives us plenty of legacy, but at the same time, makes the story feel fresh and compelling.  Let's also talk about the phenomenal art and coloring of this book.  Valiant continues to have consistently stunning art in, what seems like, every book they put out.  This is no exception, with stunning action sequences that almost seem like they're being brought to life on screen.  We very well be seeing one of the best X-O Manowar stories ever told unfolding in front of our very eyes.  I think we should enjoy the ride.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY 

Review - Harley Quinn #18

Harley Quinn #18 - 

DC Comics

 

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner

Art by John Timms

Art (Pages 1-3) by Joseph Michael Linsner

Colors by Alex Sinclair & Jeremiah Skipper

Letters by Dave Sharpe

 

Harley Loves Joker Story Credits

 

Written by Paul Dini & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils by Bret Blevins

Inks by J. Bone

Colors by Alex Sinclair

Letters by Dave Sharpe

 

If you have been a fan of our podcast from the start, you know how much I love Harley Quinn.  Lately though, I had found myself drifting away from the book since Rebirth.  Maybe it was because it wasn't as much of a change as the other books?  Maybe I'm slowly going insane?  No matter the reason, I decided to jump back aboard on Issue 17 during the Red Meat arc to see if it grabbed my interest again.  So, let's dig in!

 

Quick rundown for anyone who didn't read the last issue, here's what is going on.  Homeless people are disappearing all over the city, including a guy named Skipper who Harley has somewhat befriended.  Long story short, Harley decides to help out the police by going undercover to find out what is happening to them.  That's where Issue 18 picks up, and we find out exactly what has been going on.  I won't spoil who's involved, or the manner in which they're disappearing, but the uneasy alliance that has been created by those involved certainly gets complicated near the end of the issue.  Something also happens with Harley that brings Red Tool to the rescue and sets up for a possible showdown in the next issue.

 

While I do like the current story, I will say that I am a bit disappointed, but probably not for the reason you think.  In the first few pages of this book, a character gets introduced that one can assume will be a factor in later issues.  It's great, but I was so excited about that, it made me want it now.  I realize that's a bit unfair, but seeing that made me a lot more interested in what's to come and not what's in front of me now.  The art is great throughout the book, and the story is fine, but I feel like those first few pages is what I've been waiting for since about halfway through the New 52 relaunch.  I feel like they're about to go big with this book, and everything leading up to that is an opening act.  Sure I'll stay in my seat for the opening act (and the backup story by Paul Dini and Jimmy Palmiotti), but I'm going to be sitting there more excited for the headliner.  There's also a chance I'm of a sucker for nostalgia, and classic Harley/Joker antics of Batman The Animated Series, than I want to admit.  I promise that I'll try to be patient until that comes.

 

RATING:  PICK UP

  

Review - The Greatest Adventure #1

The Greatest Adventure #1 - 

Dynamite Comics

 

Written by Bill Willingham

Art by Cezar Razek

Colors by Daniela Miwa

Letters by Taylor Esposito

Cover by Cary Nord

 

We have seen quite a few examples about how Dynamite can take classic, nostalgic characters that we love, team them up and give us an amazing story.  From Justice Inc. to Kings Quest, these limited series have always left me wanting more.  When I saw that we would be getting a team up of characters created by the great adventure writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, how could I NOT pick that up?  Let's see if The Greatest Adventure can live up to it's name.

 

You can see from the cover who some of the principle players are in this story, including Tarzan and Jane, but this first issue very much centers around Jason Gridley.  What started out as an innocent invitation lead to a strange encounter, that Gridley would soon find out could be devastating.  Since I'm trying to avoid spoilers, I will leave out the details, but the second part of this story picks up after his escape.  Gridley and Tarzan need to form a team to, and this isn't really a spoiler since it's pretty common, to save the world.  As they go through the process, we get a clear objective of what the first part of this mission would be.  The first issue has a bit of an anti-climactic end, but definitely gives the reader a starting point.

 

While the cast of characters set you up for what you believe will be an epic adventure, this first issue drags on quite a bit.  I know that there has to be some set up, and you have to get the "five W's" out of the way, but it seems like the explanations of a lot of situations went on a bit too long.  Then we don't really get to much depth on the actual creation of the crew itself.  We find out who they are, a short description, and off they go.  This is a series that I feel could have really benefited from a zero issue, because a lot of this read like a prologue and not a premiere issue.  Not much grabs you, and that makes it tough to stick around if you're a reader.  The art is pretty solid, and the kind of nostalgic feel that you expect from nostalgia books like this from Dynamite.  If you're a fan of the characters, or Burroughs himself, you may stick around on reputation alone.  Casual readers will definitely need something pretty significant in the next issue to do so.  Maybe I've set the bar fairly high based on past Dynamite team-up books, but with these characters, I think that's a bar that should be set.  I'm willing to see if that pans out.

 

RATING: PICK UP 

Review - Savage Things #2

Savage Things #2 - 

Vertigo Comics

Written by Justin Jordan

Illustrated by Ibrahim Moustafa

Colors by Jordan Boyd

Letters by Josh Reed

Cover by John Paul Leon

One of the greatest things about Vertigo is, they have never been afraid to push the envelope to tell a great story.  Imagine a group of killers, hand selected and trained since they were children, to carry out unspeakable acts.  Sound familiar?  Trust me...not like this.  This story, created by Justin Jordan and Ibrahim Moustafa, is so much more than that.  So if you're not familiar, let me introduce you to Savage Things.

(SPOILER WARNING:  May contain spoilers for ISSUE ONE of Savage Things, but I will not spoil any major details of Issue 2.)

Quick recap, we see the story about how Abel was brought into the fold in the last issue and we also find out a little bit about Cain.  Where this issue picks up is after Abel is apprehended by a strike team, essentially in response to the "message" that was sent in the hotel massacre.  We find out very little about what Abel has been doing, but we do get some nice details that we were unaware of in the first issue.  We also get another flashback story, which picks up where the last one left off, that is very important to the story going forward.  Perhaps the biggest thing we learn is the fate of Black Forest and what may be the driving force behind everything that's going on.  That leads to a confrontation later on in the issue with a familiar face at a local hospital.  The last back and forth between Abel and Lt. Singh really paints a chilling picture going into Issue 3.   

I'm an unapologetic fan of Justin Jordan's work as a whole, but this book immediately grabbed me from the first issue.  Not just because of the structure of everything that has been put together, but the raw emotion of it all.  It's brutal, and it lives up to the name savage, but this book DEMANDS your attention page after page.  You immediately have an opinion, one way or the other, about Abel.  No matter how you feel about him, it makes you want to keep reading.  It also brings up an ethical dilemma that create an even larger discussion.  That's what good comics do.  They entertain you, but they make you want to talk to your friends about them.  I certainly can't forget the amazing work from Moustafa, as well.  There were a couple of panels in this book specifically that really wowed me (in particular one that appeared before the takeover at the hospital.)  This will probably be the first issue I read in my weekly stack until the we get to the eighth, and I hope not final, issue.

RATING:  PULL / BUY