Eternity Girl #1
DC’s Young Animal Writer Magdalene Visaggio, Artist Sonny Liew, Colorist Chris Chuckry, Letterer Todd Klein
The first new title from DC’s Young Animal 2.0 relaunch gets off to a really good start and gives me hope that the line can get back on track after some growing pains after the first year. Magdalene gets this first issue story on solid footing out of the gate and while there is a great deal of mystery she makes sure that the readers don’t get lost in the story. One of the best things about her script is that she makes Caroline very relatable and that is one of the books strongest points. It also deals with living without being alive which is very intriguing concept to the comic and it really gives this the series a great possibility down the road to explore. The other thing that works well for this first issue is there is a lot of promise and openness in the mystery of the story. It will be interesting to see how she continues the story from this great first issue. The other big win for this book is Liew’s artwork that really makes this phone work so well his style really captures the motions of the characters in the book and gives it a real sense of warped reality but at the same time very normal. He is able to capture both the normal real world and the weight you would call another dimension almost her basically subconscious almost and that really gives this book a strong visual footing that makes it a really great read.
Is this book worth your time and money? I have to say that this first issue is one of the strongest of the DC young animal wine so far north of the other ones have been not as strong but there was something about the combination of the Visaggio script and Liew’s artwork that made this first issue a real winner. With an intriguing story and wonderful art this is a really great start to an intriguing series and is a must read this week. VERY RECOMMENDED!
Vampironica #1
Archie Comics Writers Greg and Meg Smallwood, Artist Greg Smallwood, Letterer Jack Morelli
With the odds of ever seeing afterlife with Archie ever again then Vampironica does a very nice job of filling that void left by that book. Smallwood gets this first story off to a really solid start and even though it’s a fairly quick read it really has a lot of excitement in this first issue. The one thing that works really well for this book is that he make sure that it keeps the tone of the Riverdale universe which is a key for a book like this working so well. He also he also gets the character Veronica spot on in this first issue and makes sure that all of the other characters fit into the story very well. This first issue is a pretty quick read but it does surprisingly satisfies you and gives you a good reason to come back for more. Smallwood keeps it pretty straightforward in this first issue with the script and dialogue. The big win for the book is Smallwood’s art which really is very nice and really makes us one of the best looking Archie comics going now. He not only does a real nice job with his artwork but really backs it up quite well with the coloring. He is able to capture both the classic Archie happy universe but is able to switch very quickly to the darker side that needs to make it work.
Is this book worth your time and money? Well it’s a very quick read for this for this comic but I actually really enjoyed this very much and it does all the things that it needed to do with the first issue even though a little short. There is enough reason to come back for more and is well worth looking at checking out this week.
Infidel #1
Image Comics Writer Pornsak Pichetshote, Artist Aaron Campbell, Colorist Jose Villarrubia, Letterer Jeff Powell
Horror comics are real tough nut to crack because you have to not only make this make the script scary but also the visuals need to back that script up the one great thing about this first issue of Infidel is that Pichetshote goes the route of making this more of a moody and gets under your skin instead of a bloodbath. One of the main reasons that this book works is because he takes the time to let the readers and get to know the characters and once you have that then you can introduce the horror elements and the mystery of the story into the mix. He also puts a lot of subtle elements in the script that will pay off later down the road and that actually makes this book very intriguing because you can tell if there’s going to be more pay off as it goes along. One of the other reasons of this book works as a really solid horror comic is Campbell‘s artwork on the book and gives it a really nice gritty visual feel that really brings that script of life. It’s very difficult to visually sometimes to deliver mood but in this case Campbell really nails it and not only with the horror but actually just as well in the dramatic dialogue scenes are actually done quite well.
Is this book worth your time and money? I was really intrigued with his first issue Infidel and there’s a lot going on but yet there’s much more to uncover as the series goes along. While there are some familiar story tropes here he does a really good job of giving a nice new spin on the story that you have read before. With strong visuals it is really good marriage of story and artwork that’s why this work so well. If you’re looking for a good horror comic then you’ve come to the right place and this is well worth checking out this week.
Dry County #1
Writer/Artist/Colorist/Letterer Rich Tommaso
I’m a really big fan of Tommaso‘s work especially with his last series Spy Seal and Dark Corridor was really impressive. His new series Dry County is kind of slice of life that is very relatable on many levels. What I liked about this book was actually Lou Rossi and the fact that he is pretty much like every guy I’ve known in the sense of he wants what we all want in life and is both strong in insecure at the same time and that makes him very relatable. What Tommaso does here is kind of infuses a slice of life with film noir the gives this book a unique feel that you don’t see in comics that much today. The other thing the other thing is the way that he delivers the script as if you’re reading from the diary gives the book a unique feel while you’re reading it and really adds to the overall story while you’re reading it. As much as I like his script it’s his art that really impresses me about this book in his others it has a great underground visual feel that makes it just really stand out while you’re reading it and makes it even more relatable. He not only does the art but also the coloring in the lettering and really makes this a complete package. One of the reasons why this comic work so well it just has a real visceral feel while you’re reading it that I just love.
Is this book worth your time and money? What I like about Tommaso’s work is that each book that he does is completely different from the last book and that really keeps the readers on their toes because you don’t know where he’s going to go and makes it more exciting because you don’t see what’s coming. With Dry County he really has created a wonderful story that you just really fall in love with the characters in the setting and everything about it this is a real win for Tommaso and a wonderful book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Baby Badass #2
Action Lab Comics Writer D.E. Schrader, Artist/Colorist/Letterer Tim Larsen
Why I thought the first issue of Baby Badass was fairly decent the second issue does improve upon the first issue but still does suffer a bit from cliché ideas and familiar story tropes. I will say that the story is stronger in the second issue and of course Schrader has really ramped up the action in the second issue quite well. I will give the way that he gives his origin story is quite unique and has a nice little sly style to it at the same time. One thing that the book does well is it actually has a nice twisted sense of humor that does end up being quite fun and in a really bizarre way that is also sometimes horrifying way but it all works out in the end. While I think the concept for this book is good I think one of the problems that I struggle with is that the script is a bit on the uneven side. It just ends up not flowing that well and it’s not fatal but it is noticeable. There’s a lot of story elements of Schrader throws in here and it does become a bit convoluted it times and while I did like a lot of the humor he tends to have it be a bit of a one trick pony on a some of the jokes. While we do learn Baby Badass’s origin in this issue there still a lot of unsolved story threads that with only one issue after it’s gonna be really tough to pull everything together but hopefully Schrader can do that in the next issue. The art by Larson has its ups and downs it is better than most average independent book but it does suffer from an inconsistency. I will say that there are good elements within the book and honestly the two page spread of the wild sex scene is one of the best in the entire book and I was it always impressed with some of his color choices I will give it that it is a bit outside the box and does give the book or unique work that may not always work but at least it is visually something different.
Is this book worth your time and money? Well I’m not totally sold on the book but I will say that at least it’s trying to do something different even with the somewhat cliché story ideas. I think there’s a good concept here but not totally sold on the book. I will say that at least it is trying to do something different even with the issues I have with the book. I think there’s a good concept here it just might’ve been needed to be fleshed out a bit better. It’s one of those books that kind of falls in the middle there’s good ideas in there some not so great ideas but it has promise and hopefully the third issue will pull the story all together.
Giants #4
Dark Horse Comics Writers/Artists/Letterers Carlos and Miguel Valderrama
Giant continues to be one of the big surprises in comics this year with the brothers Valderrama delivering a really exciting story that has been told many times before but they have found a way to give it a fresh look and feel that give this book a very strong footing. This issue reunites Gogi with Zedo And unfortunately things don’t go quite as well as one would have hope they would with the reuniting of his best friend. What I love about this story is that they are telling a dystopian future that has a lot of heart to it and lot of pain at the same time and then they throw monsters on top of it which is just really icing on the cake of this story. This issues also shows the changes that people can make in their lives and sometimes the ones that they cannot make and that really gives the story a great foundation that makes the story work even that much better. The other big reason that it all works so well is their artwork that really captures the essence of the emotions that are involved with this story and in this issue particularly.There’s a lot of dramatic elements in this issue and the artwork really captures all of the subtle character moments in a way that when things play out the way that they do in the story really strikes a visual emotional impact that is one of the strong aspects of this book.
Is this book worth your time and money? This issue really sets the tone of where they have taken the story and where it’s going to go it all is starting to come together and it will be interesting to see how they pull off this epic story. With only one more issue to go its been a great ride so far and I cant wait to see how it all comes together in the end. VERY RECOMMENDED!
Mister Miracle #7
DC Comics Writer Tom King, Artist & Colorist Mitch Gerads, Letterer Clayton Cowles
Who knew that the birth of a baby could make one of the most exciting issues of Mr. Miracle yet. Once again King and Gerads have crafted a great story that is surprisingly mundane but that is why it works so well. This whole issue is devoted to the birth of Scott and Barda and who knew that the birth of a baby could make one of the most exciting issues of Mister Miracle yet. It’s amazing in the right hands of creators that a whole issue about the birth of a baby could keep you on edge and captures the odd humor of the New Gods heroes versus villains in the waiting room. This book still amazes me that King is able to come up with compelling ways to tell everyday life stories and make them so thrilling. With each issue that tops the previous one it’s is simply one of the best comics you should be reading. Gerads artwork on this issue is simply stunning because he is able to capture all of the emotions of childbirth and makes you feel like your are right there with Scott and Barda. This is the perfect marriage of artwork and story and that what makes it so great.
Is this book worth your time and money? Saying that this comic is a must read is a huge understatement. King and Gerads continues to surprise and impress with each passing issue. This is a book that is at the top of the reading pile each month and is simply a great comic book. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
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