Review - Arrow: The Dark Archer #2

Arrow: The Dark Archer #2 - 

DC Comics

 

Written by John Barrowman & Carole E. Barrowman

Pencils by Daniel Sampere

Inks by Juan Abarran

Colors by Kyle Ritter

 

A lot of actors like to get into character, but this definitely goes above and beyond that.  John Barrowman takes Malcolm Merlyn from screen to page in The Dark Archer digital first series from DC Comics.  Many of the DC TV series have gone to comics, but this is the first spinoff (for lack of a better term) in print.  The question is, will this be the Merlyn tale we've been waiting for?

In true Arrow fashion, we start in the present day where Malcolm definitely finds himself in a bad situation.  We quickly jump to a flashback (not too far back, looks like only a day before) where he, and a small team with him, find themselves trapped.  In classic Dark Archer fashion, we see another layer of Malcolm Merlyn's past reveal itself, and we do get the name that they teased in the first issue.  There is a little bit of information revealed about the attackers as well, which could prove to be interesting as the story goes.  Speaking of the first issue, a character that seemed like a throw away at the time, ends up playing a key role in the story at the end.  You can almost sense the "cut to commercial" nature of the end of this issue based on the final panel.

I must admit, being a fan of Barrowman and the Malcolm Merlyn character, I went into this book with higher expectations than I probably should have.  At times it was hard for me to separate the dialogue you hear on the show and the words being written in the comic.  Still I think Team Barrowman has put together a nice story here and definitely captures Malcolm's personality on the page.  The art by Sampere and Abarran is absolutely stunning.  The level of detail, especially during a downpour, rivals that of any top notch DC Comics series out right now.  This is a character that definitely needed more of a story, and now, we may see a rival for The League starting to form.  To me, it doesn't matter whether or not this translates to the screen at some point.  After two issues, and what has been revealed so far, I'm ready to peel the next layer of the onion that is Malcolm Merlyn.

RATING:  PULL / BUY

 

Review - Bloodshot Reborn #10

Bloodshot Reborn #10 - 

Valiant Entertainment

 

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Lewis LaRosa

Colors by Brian Reber

Letters by Dave Lanphear

 

Bloodshot Reborn was one of the first comics I reviewed when we expanded to written reviews for our podcast.  Valiant was on a roll, especially with Book of Death, and did a great job with this storyline.  Now it's time to start anew and see where Ray and Magic go next.  What I didn't expect was to be taken to the future.

 

Fast forward 30 years and L.A. is a wasteland.  Bloodshot is obsolete, old and has taken up a role as protector of a small village.  A lot goes into how he and the people are surviving, and we also learn the fate of several other Valiant characters along the way.  If I'm being honest, things did drag along a bit after the first few pages, but I decided to read on.  The action starts to kick in towards the end, and after a quick jump to present day, we get a surprising reveal and conclusion at the end of the book.

 

While I loved this series from Issue 1, this issue seemed to lack a lot of the emotion of the previous issues.  Lemire's strength is in his dialogue and creating emotion, which I feel was definitely lacking in this issue.  To me this was too much of a Mad Max Fury Road meets Old Man Logan storyline, and lacked to emotion to draw the reader in.  The previous Bloodshot Reborn issues weren't necessarily filled with action either, but the story was intriguing, and Ray's internal struggle really made you want to read on.  That's a big piece that was missing here.  I will say bringing on Lewis LaRosa does kick the art up a notch.  The detail is very good, matched well with Reber's colors.  To me, this book just didn't live up to the expectations of previous issues.  I'm hoping that changes in Issue 11, so I won't give up just yet.

 

RATING:  PICK UP  

Review - Devolution #1

Devolution #1 - Dynamite Comics

Written by Rick Remender

Art by Jonathan Wayshak

Colors by Jordan Boyd

Cover by Jae Lee

Nobody does a post apocalyptic story like Rick Remender.  This time he has taken it to a whole other level with Devolution from Dynamite.  This story sets a very interesting premise and definitely makes you think.  So just how unique is the premise?

Human beings, animals, everything had devolved and it was done deliberately.  I won't spoil the premise of why it was done or what was changed, because I feel like that is the most interesting part of the story.  Speaking of the story, it follows a character named Raja and she is one of the last homo sapien  left on Earth.  She is on a journey to try and re-evolve mankind and save the species.  It seems like she is constantly under siege every time we follow her, which I suppose, can be expected in a completely uncivilized world.  There are actually a couple of cliffhangers at the end of this book, but one involves characters that sort of come out of left field.  I'm sure we'll find out more about them in Issue 2.

What I loved the most about this book is how Remender goes into great detail about why the world is the way it is in the present day of the story.  The social commentary on society and premise brought forth is both thought provoking, and at times, downright terrifying.  You could easily classify this as a horror book depending on how you look at it.  The art by Wayshak is nothing short of stunning and matches well with the story that is being told.  This book definitely takes you on a ride and gets your blood pressure up more than a couple of times.  I definitely can't wait to see where this one is going.

RATING:  PULL 

Wolf #5 - Image Comics

 

Written by Ales Kot

Art by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz

           Lee Loughridge

 

A new arc and a new artist is not the only change in Wolf #5 from Image Comics.  For those who don't know, Wolf follows paranormal detective Antoine Wolfe who seems like a much more stressed out and serious version of John Constantine.  In the first volume he is joined by an orphan teenager, who turns out to play a bigger role in his life than he expected.  So, after the events of Issue 4, where are we now?

 

Fast forward four years and things are not looking good for Wolfe.  He's in a prison and there is definitely some mystery behind it all.  Something is being done to him, and readers of the first volume may pick up on a few subtle hints here.  Anita is all grown up and trying to find him, but for an atypical teenager, she is definitely having some typical teenage issues.  She sets off on her own investigation and finds out some very interesting things about Wolfe's whereabouts and the world around her.  Now how she handles what she has found will set off the next issue in the arc.

 

If you enjoyed the first volume, this story will not disappoint.  Ales Kot does a great job with the dialogue, really making you feel like you'd know how these characters sound and act if brought to life on screen.  While the art was good in the first volume, I feel like Ortiz's style suits the story a little better and gives it a little more grit that kicks it up a notch.  I will say, if you didn't read the first volume, this is not a book you can just jump right into.  The story is good, the characters are interesting, but read Volume 1 before deciding to grab Issue 5.  Otherwise, the added depth and some shock value, will be lost on you.

 

RATING: PICK UP 

 

Review - Sheriff Of Babylon #2

Sheriff of Babylon #2 -
Vertigo Comics

Written by Tom King
Art by Mitch Gerads
Letters by Nick Napolitano
Cover by John Paul Leon

Ever since we interviewed Tom King on the show last year, I was looking forward to reading this series.  With his background in the CIA, I was really excited to see how he would structure the story in a post-9/11 Iraq (actually based after the fall of Saddam in 2004.) The first issue was full of intrigue and that does not stop in issue 2.

Christopher is the American contractor and he is working with Nassir to return the body of one of his men to his family.  The biggest question I asked when I read this issue is, who is on who's side and what is their agenda?  Another thing that amazed me was how different groups of people handled the situation they were in.  Some were mortified, some appeared desensitized and others seemed to be in it just for personal glory.  I don't want to give anything away, but it's really interesting dynamic that is created.  If you read the first issue though, you know there is more than one body at play here.  In both cases the questions remain, and Sofia seems to be a key figure it both instances.  Question is, was she behind the shocking ending to this issue?

What I love about this book is, there are so many great stories going on at once it's easy to get lost in one or the other.  I don't find myself wanting to stay with one character or the other, and that is a credit to how Tom King structured their origins in Issue 1.  The way Gerads captures the brutality and humanity together in this series is almost unparalleled, especially when stacked up with similar books.  I feel like I'm right there with them, and I think that's the best compliment anyone can give a creative team.  I can't wait to read more!

RATING:  PULL 

Review - Lobster Johnson: The Glass Mantis

Lobster Johnson: The Glass Mantis (One Shot) -

Dark Horse Comics

Written by Mike Mignola & John Arcudi

Art by Toni Fejzula 

Letters by Clem Robins

Cover by Tonci Zonjic

Fact or fiction can be a tricky thing in the comic book world.  Especially when you're dealing with a character in a comic that is thought to be a fictional comic book legend.  Lobster Johnson is very real, and Dark Horse has given him his own spotlight outside of the world of Hellboy.  His mission can definitely be described as unique.

It's hard to find too many unique storylines these days, but if this book excels at one thing, it's that.  Set in the 1930s, Lobster Johnson finds himself investigating a shooting at an exhibit of a Turkish artist and glass blowers in New York.  There's something I bet you thought you'd never see.  It's after the shooting where things get really interesting.  It gets tot he point where you feel like nobody is who you thought they were, and you end up being right.  Great part is, for a one shot, this comic is full of surprise reveals.  Without spoiling anything, the actual investigation takes a major turn mid-story and leads to a whirlwind action sequence at the end.  It's still a Hellboy story, so what happens at the end may not surprise you, but it was an interesting finish.

Having Mike Mignola writing part of this story really adds credibility and authenticity, since he created "The Lobster" originally.  For a period piece it didn't feel like the character traits were trying to force that issue.  The art by Fejzula had a noir quality that did a fine job of transporting you to a pre-World War II era New York all on it's own.  If this book does have one minor failing, it's that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.  For a one shot, I expected a bit more of a conclusion.  Good news is...I WANTED that conclusion.  To me that's the mark of a good book that, I hope, revisits this case at some point.  Hellboy fan or not, you'll enjoy this.

RATING:  BUY  

Review - Dreaming Eagles

Dreaming Eagles #1 - 

Aftershock Comics

 

Written by Garth Ennis

Art by Simon Colby

Colors by John Kalisz

Letters by Rob Steen

Cover by Francesco Francavilla 

 

You've heard us talk about the impressive creative teams lined up by Aftershock Comics, but now it's time to see what they've got.  Dreaming Eagles is their fourth new release of the month of December, rounding out their initial round of releases.  This one takes a huge risk, question is, does it pay off?

 

This story is billed by Aftershock as a story of "first African American fighter pilots to join the United States Army Air Force in WWII."  I quote that because, I feel like this first issue was so much more than that.  It dealt with race relations in 1960s America and the different perspectives between the African-American youth and their parents during that time period.  We see the story of former pilot Reggie Atkinson and his son who is very interested in the words being spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr.  We go back and forth between flashbacks of Reggie's days as a pilot and the present day relationship with his family.  The two things intertwine, leading to Reggie eventually deciding to tell his son his story inside and outside of that plane.

 

The tension in this series, especially in the early pages, is so gripping.  Ennis has done wartime aviation stories in the past, but the depth he adds to this particular story may be one of his best yet.  You really feel what's going on with these characters, and you really get a good look at Reggie's mindset.  The art, especially in the flashback scenes, was very solid.  What I love here is that everyone involved wasn't afraid to take a risk on telling a story about race relations and inspired by a true story.  If these are the kinds of comics that Aftershock is going to publish, they will become a major player in the industry over time.

 

RATING:  PULL