Review - Ninjak #10

Ninjak #10 - 
Valiant Entertainment

Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Doug Braithwaite
Colors by Brian Reber (w/ Soto)
Letters by Taylor Esposito

You have heard us praise all aspects of Ninjak before, whether it was in Book of Death or in his ongoing series.  If you were looking for a good place to jump on board, this is it.  Issue 10 begins the Operation: Deadside arc and brings in a different cast of characters.  To me, this does change the mood of the series a little bit.  First, let's dive into the story itself.

A top secret MI-6 facility has been destroyed and led to a prisoner escape.  A mission into a parallel dimension went wrong, and now Ninjak must follow the only agent to make it back home back to the Deadside to find the team.  To say this is a rough go for Ninjak is an understatement.  For someone who is typically such a tough character, he really has a tough time with this journey.  Maybe it's the new suit?  I did love to X-O Manowar joke about that.  After having a rough entry, there is a confrontation with the escaped prisoner.  It's quick and it doesn't go well.  To be more specific, it almost turns into the strangest Uber ride ever that leads them exactly where they wanted to go.  What they see, wasn't necessarily shocking, but definitely strange.

While I do love the character, I think they went a little outside of what Ninjak normally presents.  This badass assassin really doesn't have an easy time in the other dimension.  I don't know if it's unfamiliar surroundings or what, but Ninjak is quiet pedestrian in this issue.  His counterpart (which I won't spoil should you read the issue) definitely looks like the stronger of the two.  Braithwaite's art is stunning, as always, giving such great attention to every detail.  I'll also give a nod to Reber's colors, which made all the mystical and action scenes pop.  I guess I am just trying to get past how weak Ninjak seemed in this issue.  There was also a case file narration in the issue that I found a bit distracting.  We'll see what happens in Issue 11, but I'm not giving up on this one.

RATING:  PICK-UP 

Review - Batman/TMNT #1

Batman/TMNT #1

DC Comics/IDW Publishing

Written by James Tynion IV

Art by Freddie Williams II

Colors by Jeremy Colwell

Letter by Tom Napolitano

 

If you would've told me a few years ago we would get a comic with Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles together, I would have laughed in your face.  Now here we are with the Turtles in Gotham!  This was the series I was looking most forward to after it was announced at SDCC this past year.  Question is, would it live up to the hype?

 

We definitely get a good amount of time with both the Turtles and Batman, with each of them crossing paths with a villain from the other's mythos.  In classic Batman fashion, he isn't sure if the Turtles are friends or foes as he goes about his investigation.  Major components are being stolen from Gotham research facilities, and it's not clear why.  While that's going on, we're trying to find out why the Turtles are in Gotham in the first place.  That wasn't made clear, but it becomes somewhat secondary once you get caught up in the story.

 

 I thought the challenge here would be the ability of Tynion IV to take on all of these iconic characters.  We've seen how well he's written Batman in the past, and I must say, he captured the personality of each Turtle very well.  The mix of humor and grit was perfectly melded together throughout the story, with the action elements falling perfectly throughout the story.  The art from Williams II is solid and STRONG.  Each major character was really given a chance to be larger than life on the page, including the villains (who I won't spoil for you, so you can see for yourself.)  You really get a sense that great care was taken to make sure each of these fan favorites were allowed to share pages together, without feeling like one was out shining the other.  I can't wait to read more!

 

RATING:  PULL 

Review - Garfield's Cheesy Holiday Special (One Shot)

Garfield's Cheesy Holiday Special (One Shot) -

KaBOOM!

Part One

Written by Mark Evanier     Art by Andy Hirsch

Part Two

Written by Scott Nickel     Art by David DeGrand

Colors by Lisa Moore

Letters by Steve Wands

Cover by Andy Hirsch

Holiday specials are one of my favorite things about the Christmas season.  It takes you back to your childhood, and for that short amount of time, makes you feel like a kid again at Christmas.  Being a big Garfield fan, I jumped at the chance to read this Cheesy Holiday Special!  You get two different stories in the issue, along with a few classic comic strips at the end.

The first story really felt like an episode of the Garfield & Friends animated series.  Jon gets a job as Santa at a store, and as it usually does, it takes Garfield and Odie on a wild adventure.  For a moment in this story there's moment that will leave you saying, "REALLY GARFIELD!?"  I won't spoil what happens in the next panel, just keep going.  The story does take an oddly serious tone near the end, but the message is a pretty good one.

The second story, for me, just didn't hold my interest.  The art was vastly different from the first story, as well.  Having an evil lasagna plotting against Garfield is a good idea in theory, but just didn't play off well to me.  They even try to break the 4th wall a couple of times, and it fell a little flat.  I get that this isn't really geared towards adults, but as a long time fan of Garfield, this story just seemed out of place.

The classic strips speak for themselves, and serve as a reminder of the joys the Sunday paper used to bring.  This book as a whole definitely had it's ups and downs, but was definitely able to bring some holiday spirit.  Evanier definitely captures the Jim Davis spirit of Garfield, and the colors by Moore are solid throughout.  If you don't mind a slight misstep in the middle, I think there's a chance you'll enjoy this with your kids.

RATING:  PICK UP

Review - Ghostbusters Annual (2015)

Ghostbusters Annual (2015) - 

IDW Publishing

Written by Erik Burnham

Art by Dan Schoening

Colors by Luis Antonio Delgado 

 

Strap on those proton packs, because this is a supersized issue!  I felt like this was the perfect time to pick up a Ghostbusters comic from IDW and see if it reminded me of the classic films.  What was great about this annual is, they give you a quick recap of what's been happening and give you the ability to dive right into this new story.  Unfortunately, things are not great for the guys early on.

 

The Firehouse is in shambles from their previous battle, and focus seems to be on the future, until a case comes walking through the door.  Since he's on the cover, I can tell you that it is the Sandman.  What I love is that they definitely add a creepy factor to the Sandman that you wouldn't expect from a book that's so lighthearted.  There is some tension during a battle in the middle of the issue that makes you REALLY wonder if something is about to happen to one of your favorite characters.  What's great is that, you get the sense that these are the characters that you know and love, not just some comic book knock offs.  Their personalities are captured well, but I will say Winston is a bit more grumpy than you'll remember him.

 

With this comic, you get a great main story, but you also get even more.  There are a bunch of one shot comic strips towards the end of the book from different artists and writers that are very entertaining.  The main story itself definitely makes you want to see where it's going beyond this one issue.  With all the change surrounding the Ghostbusters movie franchise, this series may be a good place for you to find your center.

 

RATING:  BUY/PULL  

Review - Orphan Black: Helsinki #1

Orphan Black: Helsinki #1 -

IDW Publishing

Written By John Fawcett

                   Graeme Manson 

                   Heli Kennedy

                   Denton J. Tipton

Art By Alan Quah

Inks Assisted By Jeffrey Huet

Colors By Chris Fenoglio

Letters By  Neil Uyetake

 

As someone who has just started getting into the Orphan Black series (and loving it so far), I have been looking for an opportunity to jump into the new comics IDW.  Not only is this an opportunity to do that, but it's a chance to dive into the codename Helsinki!  The clones of Project Leda are in danger, and they may not even know it yet.

 

The story follows Veera Suominen, and it starts off very much like the first season of the Orphan Black series.  Veera has no idea she is a clone, but a shocking discovery at home leads her to find that out.  Right away you're disgusted by the actions in the first few pages, but as you keep reading, you can't help but think back and wonder what the true motives were.  The difference in this story is that, unlike Sarah in the TV series, Veera is very unsure of herself and socially awkward.  This is making it difficult to carry our her plan, despite the fact that she's very smart.  Then final page is very awkward for everyone involved, but definitely adds to the shock factor of the situation.

 

At first I was concerned with the number of writers working on this series, but those fears were quickly put to rest.  Involving a couple of the creators of the show definitely add to the continuity and authenticity of the story, and how it may tie in to the series.  The art is very good, especially in a story where facial expressions are key for adding tension to the story.  Even if you haven't watched the show, I believe this is a series you could still read and not be lost.  As someone who hasn't gotten past the first season of the show myself, I was not lost and really enjoyed it.  I think you will, too!

 

RATING:  PULL/BUY 

Review - Last Sons Of America #1

Last Sons of America - 

Boom Studios

 

Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Art by Matthew Dow Smith

Colors by Doug Garbark

Letters by Jim Campbell

Cover by Tonci Zonjic

 

As the proud parent of a one year old, I could not imagine a world without my child.  Now imagine that the ability to have children was taken away from...everyone.  What would happen to society?  That's what Boom Studios tackles with Last Sons of America #1.  A terrorist attack in the United States has left every family unable to have children.  Now adoption from foreign countries is the only option.

 

The story follows two adoption agents, Jackie and Julian, who are trying to convince parents poor parents in Nicaragua that their children could have a better life.  As you might expect, it's not a very easy task and they're struggling.  One thing I found in this issue is, one character is far more likable than the other.  I would even go as far as to say, you will really dislike Jackie before the end of the issue.  You know how the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.  Well Jackie does something, and it sets up a MAJOR plot point going forward with the big reveal at the end.

 

The story is very solid and intriguing by Johnson.  The way he skillfully crafts this world after such a tragic attack, and sets the mood of all the parties involved, definitely hooks you in this issue.  Even if you see the twist coming, the end result still leaves you wanting to read more.  I wish the amazing cover art by Tonci Zonjic continued into the pages of the story, but Smith takes great care in crafting just the right expression to match the situation.  It's not perfect, but it doesn't make you want to put the book down either.  As you read the story, whether you're a parent or not, it really does make you wonder what it would be like if this really happened.  The questions really start to pop up in your mind as you read, and to me, that is good and engaging storytelling.

 

RATING:  PULL/BUY  

Review - Call of Duty: Black Ops III #1

Call of Duty: Black Ops III #1

Dark Horse Comics

 

Written by Larry Hama

Art by Marcelo Ferreira

Colors by Dan Jackson

Letters by Michael Heisler

Cover by Benjamin Carre

 

  

It's no secret that Call of Duty is one of the most popular first person shooters of all time in the video game world.  Continuing a recent trend, Dark Horse it putting out this comic as a prelude to the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops III.  Larry Hama is definitely the go-to guy when it comes to military and warfare style stories, and he's well known for his work on G.I. Joe for IDW.  This, however, is a little different.

 

We start out with our soldiers trying to procure arms to complete the mission they are given to take down a target trafficking drugs and women.  If you're a fan of military jargon and weapons specs, you will definitely enjoy the early pages of this book.  If not, or you just plain aren't sure what they're talking about, this book will drag for you a bit.   Once we get that out of the way, and we learn a little more about the target, the action really starts to pick up.  Early on it's almost like there is a tease of action, but we finally get some towards the end.  We do see a surprising death in this book, and a mystery enemy that we really don't get to learn much about (other than the fact that everyone seems to be scared to death of her.)

 

 There is nothing wrong with Hama's writing, but the structure of the story in the first half is a little all over the place.  There is some humor, mostly the guys ripping on each other, which matches the subject matter very well.  The art by Ferreira is very good.  It's not easy to manage all the players when the bullets start flying, but the stop motion panels are very fluid and detailed.  The only pitfall of this story is that, there has to be somewhat of a disconnect when the writer of the game is not writing the comics.  This is a prequel, so there doesn't have to be too much continuity.  At the same time, if the intent is to tie in to the game, it's hard for someone on the outside to come in and adapt to someone else's story.  If you're getting this book because you love Call of Duty, you won't be disappointed.  If you're looking for an in-depth story with a great story, this probably isn't going to work for you.

 

RATING: PICK UP