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  

Review - Supergirl Being Super #1

Supergirl: Being Super #1 - 

DC Comics

 

Written by Mariko Tamaki

Pencils by Joëlle Jones

Inks by Sandu Florea

Colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick

Letters by Saida Temofonte

 

There have been many versions of Supergirl across all of media. We've had the unsure, the naive, the angry, the girl and the woman.  How to define Supergirl is a debate that still rages on, but everyone agrees on one thing:  She is a strong woman who deserves a spotlight.  Fans enjoy the CW TV series like how grounded Kara is.  DC Comics turns back the clock a bit and changes a few things in a new comic series, Supergirl: Being Super, with a nearly all-female creative team. 

 

We start off with a high school aged Kara who seems to be leading the life of a normal teenager.  The story is also narrated by Kara, so we get a bit of internal monologue as well.  There is a change to her origin story, which I won't spoil here, but I will say it is not all that unfamiliar.  We get to find out a lot about Kara's life, her friends and something heartbreaking that she is struggling with.  For the longest time you'll read this book and be surprised about how...for the lack of a better word...normal, it really is.  An abnormal teenage girl with a secret, struggling with everyday problems.  Then, on her "birthday", something starts happening to Kara.  That's when everything starts to take a very odd turn.  Normal becomes next level very fast, and there in lies the cliffhanger of this first issue.

 

I did not want to spoil any of this super sized first issue, so it was necessary to be short on details.  I will say that I got lost in the story that Tamaki created.  We were all teenagers once, and even as a guy, I felt like she was trying to show the readers what the life of a teenage girls is like.  Normally in these situations, you keep waiting for something to happen.  This time, I didn't feel that at all.  Tamaki was telling a deeply personal story of Kara Danvers, and it was captivating.  Combine that with the gorgeous art by Jones and it just all felt right.  When the inevitable happens in any superhero story, and things go sideways,  you deeply care about what is happening to each of the characters you have been introduced to.  I know that Supergirl has already had her Rebirth, but I feel like this is the story I was looking for all along.  The only thing that upsets me about this book, is the fact that it is a limited series.  Supergirl fans, Kara Danvers fans, need more of this.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY 

Review - Divinity III: Stalinverse #1

 

Divinity III: Stalinverse #1 - 

Valiant Comics

 

Written by Matt Kindt

Pencils by Trevor Hairsine

Inks by Ryan Winn

Colors by David Baron

Letters by Dave Lanphear

Cover by Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic

 

Divinity has always been a solid story for Valiant, but often seems overlooked (in my opinion.)  Valiant has their main characters, and we love them, but from the start of the Divinity series you could make an argument that it was in the Top 3 of anything Valiant is putting out.  After gaining some press in Divinity II with the inclusion of Vladimir Putin, this unconventional sci-fi space epic is about to take a different turn of sorts.  Welcome to the Stalinverse, and the start of Divinity III.

 

Right when you open this book, you get a great timeline of what has happened in the Stalinverse up to this point, highlighted by key events on different years.  That allows you to jump right into the story without needing to have any filler.  I will warn about this MINOR SPOILER, just in case this isn't clear by the cover.  You WILL see some of the Valiant characters that you know, but definitely not the way you've seen them in the past.  Their presence is quite clear, and sets the tone for just how bleak things really are at this point in time in the world.  The first issue centers around Colin King (you know that name too), who is tasked with the security of the world and making sure that allies are staying loyal to the Union.  We find out a lot about those loyalists, but we also find out more about Colin than expected.  His role seems quite clear, and then suddenly, things take a fairly big turn. Maybe it will surprise you, and maybe it won't, given who we are talking about.  There is another player in this story that King pays a visit to towards the end, that may be the key to what happens next.  I will not reveal who that is, but if you've read Divinity or Divinity II, you will know exactly who it is.  It's where they are and what they say to close out the first issue that proves troubling.

 

I love Matt Kindt's work, but there's just something about the teaming of him and Valiant that I feel brings out the best in him.  The way he balances all the different personalities in this book, and the raw emotion of the state of the world, really keeps you drawn in for this entire first issue.  Surprises can often be used as a crutch to hide sub-par story telling, but not in this book.  Kindt weaves them in as critical moments at critical times in a way that really give them maximum value.  Then you add the team of Hairsine and Winn, who really take the mood that Kindt has set and run with it.  There's a particular page where there is a test of loyalty, and the way it is presented is both tragic and incredible.  Stepping outside of their comfort zone in this third arc, Divinity is a winner once again.  I can't wait to see how the players interact and how this world continues to change in future issues.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY 

Review - Optimus Prime #1

Optimus Prime #1 - 

IDW Publishing

Written by John Barber

Art by Kei Zama

Colors by Josh Burcham

Letters by Tom B. Long

If I asked you to name a Transformer right now, which one pops in to your head.  Whether he's your favorite Transformer or not, Optimus Prime is probably the first image you see.  Even someone who is barely familiar with the Transformers has at least a passing familiarity with him.  Any diehard Transformers fan (like myself), we have been through a lot with Optimus over the years, haven't we?  Well, now that Revolution has passed and the Hasbro worlds have officially combined, the leader of the Autobots finally has his own ongoing series.  So let's roll out for Optimus Prime #1.

This story takes place in two different time periods:  today and four millions years ago.  The flashbacks, for lack of a better term, set the tone for Optimus himself and the ideals that he brought to the present day.  At the same time, some things never change.  Trying to deal with and find a cohesive relationship with humans is still challenging.  Something happens at the beginning of the issue, in present day, that makes things even more complicated in post-Revolution Earth.  If those two things weren't enough, something else seems to be coming to cause a whole other set of problems.  Optimus has a team by his side, with some familiar faces, but all seem to agree that they will follow him in whatever he decides.  It's the weight of that burden that is really hammered home in this issue, and just how long Optimus has really been dealing with that.  Sure we have a cliffhanger ending in this first issue, but there is so much going on in a whole other sense, that there is so much to look forward to in the next issue.

Speaking for myself, and I'm sure others would agree, John Barber did a fantastic job with Revolution.  I think we've gone on at length on our show and here on the website about that.  What he's done here is move that forward, but also backwards.  He's telling us a story of the life of Optimus Prime, somewhat mirrored in what is going on in our world right now.  The best way I can describe it is, it's like merging exactly what is going on with our current political climate with the exact opposite, and having this end result that leaves you wondering how the world responds to it.  The weight of Optimus Prime is so palpable in this first issue, and Barber really hammers it home in the flashbacks.  We really get to find out who Optimus Prime was and why he believes what he does today.  That can be somewhat dismissive and uninteresting in storytelling, if not done correctly.  Here it is a compelling and necessary part of the ultimate main protagonist. If that isn't enough, the art by Zama completely sends me to the time of the Transformers that I love.  It has an 80s quality to it that is clean and so amazing.  It also almost feels like a found footage time capsule moment, where you're watching it through a video camera you found buried by time.  Transformers as a whole is a bigger brand than Optimus Prime.  Given time, though, I think this has a real shot to be right at the top of the greatest stories of Optimus Prime that has ever been told.

RATING:  PULL / BUY