Review - Star Trek Boldly Go #5

Star Trek: Boldly Go #5 -
IDW Publishing
Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Tony Shasteen
Colors by J.D. Mettler
Letters by AndWorld Design



Not too long ago, we had Mike Johnson on the podcast talking about this series and it has never disappointed.  Boldly Go is just another in a long line of successful Star Trek comics from IDW.  This issue takes a deeper look at one of the breakout characters of the Star Trek Beyond movie.  Jaylah was definitely one of the most intriguing and strong characters in the movie, and now we get to find a bit more about her back story.

Do you remember that Seinfeld episode that started from the end and ended at the beginning?  That's exactly what happens with this issue, which is almost like tragedy in reverse.  The beauty of that is, the book ends on more of a happy and touching note.  Without spoiling anything here, we get to see just how much Jaylah has gone through in her young life, leading up to future at Starfleet Academy.  We actually get to see the depth of her family life and the bonds she had with each member of that family.  Seeing how each member of her family played a role in her future, and making it a spotlight, really makes you like her character even more.  The books ends on a very touching family moment that very much ties into the movie and the book itself.

Mike Johnson's appreciation for Star Trek is so front and center in all of his books, and really shines through here as well.  This is a strong, female character from the last movie and giving her more depth really sets up for even more great storytelling down the line.  As a matter of fact, reading this really makes me wonder if we should get a Jaylah spinoff series.  Even if it were just a six issue arc, I would absolutely be all for that if this creative team was on board.  Shasteen really did a great job at bringing the family moments to life, which I think really sold this issue.  Sure there is action, sure there are moments of evil, but this had almost a biographical feel to it.  I can't wait for more Boldly Go, but I'm really hoping we get even more of Jaylah going forward.




RATING:  PULL / BUY

Review - Forever War #1

Forever War #1  -

Titan Comics

Written by Joe Haldeman

Art by Marvano

Letters by Cat Connery

Translated by Gay Haldeman

When is the last time you read a great novel?  To me there is a distinct difference between a book and a novel, even though some may view them as the same entity.  More often than not, we get to see these stories brought to life and we get to see it outside of our own imagination.  Forever War started as an award winning novel, now Titan Comics is bringing it back and giving it new life.  Now let's see if it was a life worth resurrecting.

If you're not familiar with the story, life on Earth has expanded into space but it hasn't gone so well.  Earth vessels are under attack by extra terrestrial ships, and the result was the formation of the United Nations Exploratory Force.  This elite task force is meant to fight whatever force is attacking humans.  What we get to see in this first issue is, mostly, the extreme training that the team is going through.  On one hand, you get why it is so difficult.  As you keep reading though, you can't help but wonder if it's really worth it.  You're also given very little about the threat that they are facing, but that may be because it appears that little is known by anyone about said threat.  The story appears to be narrated by one of the members of this force, William Mandella.  Problem is, there is really no set main character that can be defined in this story right now.  We do get a focused story on someone, but it doesn't last long.  It's not until the end of the issue that the team actually gets set off on their first mission.

As I read this book, very early on I started to wonder if this was something that should have been adapted to a comic.  It's easy to see how this could work as a novel, but to me the first issue dragged on quite a bit.  Yes we do get to see a bit of a spotlight on Mandella, but not enough to really make you feel like he is the main protagonist of the story.  You also don't really get any attachment to any of the surrounding characters.  So when somebody dies, there is no emotional connection, other than the fact that they're all human beings.  You do get to see the struggles of what they're going though, and maybe even the absurdity of it all.  Problem is, what I didn't get, was invested.  It was like if they forced you to watch an entire NFL training camp from start to finish, then they drive you to the first real game and block it from your field of vision before it starts.  The art was a bit below average for me too, and didn't really seem to capture the vast space backdrop that I'd hoped it would.  First issues have to grab you, especially if you're not familiar with the original novel.  Fans of the original text may press on to get the visual of a story they loved.  For someone like me, who never read the original, there just isn't enough here to make me want to keep going.

RATING:  DROP / SKIP 

Review - Blood Blister #1

Blood Blister #1 - 

AfterShock Comics

 

Written by Phil Hester

Art by Tony Harris

Inks by Eric Layton

Colors by Guy Major

Letters by Dave Sharpe

 

The thought of possibly going to hell is pretty scary.  No matter what your belief system is, I think there is a fear deep in all of us about what happens after we die.  You also take stock in your life and wonder if you were a good person.  Even the most perfect human being has done a thing or two that they were not proud of.  Problem is, what if you're just a BAD person?  Enter lawyer Brand Hull and Blood Blister from creators Phil Hester and Tony Harris.

 

As you read this story, you find out pretty quickly that there is nothing to like about Brand Hull.  What's even worse than having no redeeming qualities, is how he turns on the charm and tries to hide it when it's convenient for him.  Third strike, he even knows how much of a prick he is.  Every time I thought I couldn't dislike him any more, I would turn the page, and it would prove me wrong.  Something happens to Mr. Hull about halfway through the book that seems like nothing at the time.  It turns out it was a much bigger deal later on, and one of his sins (for lack of a better term) ends up putting him in a situation that is the stuff of nightmares.  The questions you're left with at the end is:  What's next?

 

That really is the question here because, even thought this appears to be an ongoing series, it almost doesn't feel that way.  I got a very one-shot feel when I read this first issue.  What I mean is, I'm not sure if the Brand Hull story is going to continue or we're set up with a whole new horrible human being in Issue 2.  The story is good, and is definitely creepy as hell at the end, but I'm just not sure who's story this is yet.  The art is definitely what you want out of a horror book.  It's dark, dirty and even takes a transformation in the page layouts when things start to get scary.  I'm definitely interested to see where this goes, but finding out who or what is at the center of this story is going to go a long way in deciding whether or not I'd want this in my weekly pull. 

 

RATING:  PICK UP

Review - Back To The Future Biff To The Future #1

Back To The Future: Biff To The Future #1 - 

IDW Publishing

Written by Bob Gale & Derek Fridolfs

Art by Alan Robinson

Additional Inks by Jamie Castro

Colors by Maria Santaolalla

Letters by Chris Mowry

 

A lot of people may not know that Back to the Future is easily one of my Top 3 fandoms.  It's one of those movies I can put on at any time and enjoy it just as much as I did the first time, and that goes for the sequels too.  I've also enjoyed what IDW Publishing has done with the recent Back to the Future comics.  As a true fan, I don't want any more movies, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to know more about certain stories.  So, let's grab our Sports Almanac and find out more about how Biff got his fortune!

 Obviously if you've seen Back to the Future 2, you know how the story goes.  Old Biff gets the Sports Almanac, gives it to young Biff and he makes a fortune.  That's where this story picks up, and we get to meet a character that we never actually met in the movies.  Not only does she play a pivotal role in this book, but in finding out why Biff is the way that he is.  When Biff tries to place his bets, he runs into a small problem.  This problem snowballs into a HUGE problem that he creates for himself, which leads to a major turn in the story.  Something that Biff does changes everything, and once again, explains his character in the alternate 1985 timeline.  True to the story, we do see Biff win his first million and this issue ends by announcing a change of scenery going forward.

As a huge fan of the franchise, this was always one of the stories that I wished I could have gotten more of.  Sure when Marty was at the Biff Tannen Museum we got the cliff notes version, but this moron turned millionaire story just seemed to have more to it.  Knowing Bob Gale is at the helm always puts me at ease in knowing these stories will be told the right way.  The two new faces that we meet in this issue, who I won't spoil here so other fans can enjoy the surprise of at least one of them, really shape Biff's future and go a long way in finding out how he started on his dark path.  There is plenty to make you smile about as well, so don't think this book is serious or dark, at all.  It starts to fill a gap in the Back to the Future story that was just waiting to be told.  I guess what I'm saying is...just read the comic, butthead.

RATING:  PULL / BUY  

Review - Lucifer #14

Lucifer #14 -
Vertigo Comics
Written by Richard Kadray
Art by Lee Garbett
Colors by Antonio Fabela
Letters by Todd Klein
Cover by Dave Johnson

If you've listened to our podcast, it's no secret that we love the Lucifer TV series on Fox.  That is also with the understanding that it is very different from what is presented in the comics.  So...why have we never given our opinion on said comics?  Well, with a new arc, comes new opportunities.  So let's start exploring the "Blood in the Streets".


I'm going to try to be spoiler free here, but there is a lot going on in this issue.  Lucifer, Mazikeen and Gabriel are discussing how to go about executing a plan that Lucifer has.  Unfortunately for them, that plan is to kill someone very powerful.  What they know for sure is, more power is exactly what they need.  This is where the story takes a turn, because Gabriel has another task that he promised to complete.  That leaves Lucifer and Mazikeen, who also split to complete different parts of the plan.  Lucifer goes to find a familiar face (HINT: look at the cover) and Maze goes to a familiar place.  As if things weren't complicated enough, they all find themselves in trouble (even if they don't know it yet) for different reasons.  I want to give you the opportunity to read this all for yourself, so I really don't want to go into an detail here, other than to say each situation is unique and dangerous in who it involves.

There is so much going on in this issue and starting this new arc.  What you think is going to be one story quickly morphs into three, but that's not at all a bad thing.  It feels like Kadrey wants to tell as much of the story as possible, and that is the best way to do it.  Hard to argue with that, and I am already invested in all three.  Each part has it's own little twists and problems, so it's easy to get fully invested in what's going on.  The detail work by Garbett is spot on, and a big shout out to Fabela for creating the mood with some excellent color work.  Tone and atmosphere is very important in this book, and everyone involved just nails it.  If you've never read Lucifer before, this is a good jumping on point where you won't be too lost.  If you're a fan of the show, this is definitely different, but definitely gives you the same charm and badassery.  Granted it's in a different way, but an enjoyable one.  If you're looking for a little flavor in your comics pull list, this will give it to you.  Also...never let the mayo expire.



RATING:  PULL / BUY

Review - Slayer: Repentless #1

Slayer: Repentless #1 - 

Dark Horse Comics

 

Written b Jon Schnepp

Art by Guiu Villanova & Mauricio Wallace

 

For over three decades now, Slayer has been one of the gold standards of metal bands.  Their intense and badass sound has always been entertaining, and now it's sending a message.  Like many other bands, Slayer is now bringing their sound to the page with a little help from Dark Horse Comics.  Repentless tells more of the story based on the Repentless videos from the new album of the same name.  Time to enter the brutal and unforgiving world.

 

The story centers around brothers Adrian and Wyatt, who have taken on two decidedly different paths later on in life.  They both suffered the same tragedy early on, then followed a dark path that only one of them would diverge from.  As we've seen in other stories, and in some cases art imitating life, you can't simply walk away from the "cause".  The tension in this first issue, from the brothers alone, is at an extreme fever pitch.  Speaking of extreme, there is some off the charts brutal scenes in this issue.  There is someone that Adrian calls upon later in this book, and let's just say, this is the absolutely last guy you want to run in to.  What brings it to that point is a very crucial "point of no return" moment in the middle off this issue.  As we head to the final pages, it's more than just brother versus brother or even brotherhood versus brotherhood.  It's all out war of epic proportions.

 

While this book did have some jaw dropping moments, I have to say there were a couple of problems with it.  There were a couple of moments where I felt the book really skipped ahead.  I actually would go back a couple of pages to make sure I didn't miss something, only to find out that I didn't.  I realize this is a companion piece to the videos, but there were gaps that I feel could have been filled simply with a few extra panels.  Beyond that, this story goes much deeper than you will expect upon reading it.  No matter what your belief system is, this book will stir something up in you and make you want to keep reading.  You have characters you can sympathize with, characters you'll hate and even characters that, despite their brutal nature, you will even route for.  Hate can be a risky theme, but the way the story is told, really sheds light on what hate can do and is capable of.  This is a limited series, so if this book can find a bit more structure and flow in Issue 2, I think Dark Horse may really have something special here.

 

RATING:  PICK UP  

Review - James Bond: Felix Leiter #1

James Bond: Felix Leiter #1 - 

Dynamite Comics

 

Written by James Robison

Art by Aaron Campbell

Colors by Salvatore Aiala

Letters by Simon Bowland

Cover by Mike Perkins & Andy Taylor

 

Bond, not Bond.  007 has spent plenty of years in the spotlight, but his supporting cast was never really given the same treatment.  At the same time, there are certain characters that Bond fans know, and one in particular that has been around since 1953.  Dynamite brought back James Bond comics this past year, and now, we're they're giving us a story about one of his biggest American allies.  So let's head to Japan with Felix Leiter.

 

When this book starts we find out that things are very different for Felix.  If you haven't read the last James Bond comic, Vargr, I will try not to spoil that either but there are details I cannot avoid in order to talk about this book.  Felix is trying to track down someone from his past that has wiped themselves completely off of the map.  We do get a lot of details about their past and how they know each other.  As a matter of fact, after a tense confrontation halfway through the book, we find out even more about that person.  James Bond does appear in this book, but really just to let us know Felix's current mindset.  The end comes a bit out of nowhere and could completely change where the story is going.  Like any good Bond story, however, it leaves you wondering if everything is somehow connected.

 

Felix Leiter has been around for a whole, and portrayed by many different actors on the screen.  Even with that, I felt like it was a bit of a gamble to have a Bond book with so little Bond.  As I kept reading, those fears were quickly put to rest.  The setting that Robison creates here, and the internal monologue in the story from Felix, really leaves you invested in Felix by the end.  There are so many characters that Ian Fleming created, and it looks like it's about time that someone told a story that let them stand on their own.  I also love how Campbell seemed to set the perfect scene to bring out whatever mood was needed at the time.  There is also a beautiful page during a flashback scene that was very well done.  Dynamite knows how to select the right creative teams to bring out the best in their classic character books, and this is no exception.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY