Reviews. We’ve got a lot of ‘em here at Comixtreme. But despite the wealth of different comics our regular reviewers cover each and every week, there are still a few that sometimes slip through. Here in the Done-In-One review thread, we bring you quick capsule reviews of comics not covered in a regular review! We try to cover everything from superheroes to horror to movie adaptations and everything in between, but even here, some books may get missed. If there’s a comic you want us to review, make the request and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!
Caliber #5 (Radical Publishing)
By Sam Sarkar, Garrie Gastonny, & Imaginary Friends Studios
The end is here for this title, as Arthur and his group head for the big showdown with Leary and his people. It’s basically a huge fight scene, as there are gunbattles and physical clashes, although Whitefeather and Morgan seem to have a more mystical clash of wills. There are some liberties taken with the Arthurian legend, but it’s an action packed and fun issue, even though one or two stereotypical additions made me want to scream. (The Asian woman is of course going to have ninja like flipping skills and be gifted with knives - aren’t all Chinese women? Especially if they‘re hot.) The art retains its smoothly painted look, becoming almost eerily 3D whenever Gwen appears (the artist loves her), but some of the stiffness that appeared in previous issues seems to have finally been worked out. A unique take on Arthurian legend, this wrap up should satisfy fans, especially those keeping their fingers crossed for a sequel.
Rating: 4/5 --Andrea Speed
DMZ #34 (DC Comics/Vertigo)
By Brian Wood & Riccardo Burchielli.
Well it’s election day in the DMZ and like every such moment in war torn countries all over the world there are those that will do their level best to see it fail. And just like those same war torn countries the people of Manhattan come out in droves in defiance of the threats and the violence. Such is the spirit of casting your vote. Even after all the attacks the end result is never in doubt. But that means the real battle is about to begin. This is a wordy issue, but wow, what Brian has Parco say is just stellar stuff. He pushes all the right buttons and so much so that I wish our own politicians would speak as profoundly and eloquently. This also marks I believe the end of Matty’s career as Reporter. He chose a side and so lost his objectivity. Which is a good thing, as the character was in need of forward movement. I’ve kept with this title for going on near three years now and I must say it hasn’t lost a lick of steam yet. I look forward to seeing what Matty does in the new world order and how he can pull New York out the hellish nightmare it has sunk into.
Rating: 4/5 --Terry Verticchio.
Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1 (DC Comics)
By Grant Morrison, Doug Mahnke
In Final Crisis #3, Superman was spirited away from Lois's deathbed on a mad quest to save her. This two-issue miniseries (expanded from a one-shot) focuses on the Man of Steel's adventure through the 52 Earths, desperate to save them to win a cure for Lois's injuries. Story-wise, this book is a knockout. Morrison focuses on the different "Supermen" of the various Earths, including the usual Ultraman and Overman, the not-surprising Captain Marvel of Earth-6, and the cosmic Dr. Manhat-- ahem... that's Captain Atom of Earth-4. This is Morrison playing with his favorite toys, getting metatextual and illuminating a great character's influence in the process. Doug Mahnke's artwork is strong as well, and works quite well with the 3-D segments of the book. I'm not entirely sold on the necessity of the 3-D, to be honest. It looks fine, but for a book like this, one would almost hope for a story that couldn't be told without it, and that isn't quite the case. I'm not upset with the 3-D, but this is a case where I could take it or leave it. Still, very strong story, and a lot of fun.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Freedom Formula #2 (Radical Publishing)
By Edmund Shern, Kai, Jennyson Rosero, & Yina Goh
Zee finds some news friends and a new purpose in the city, whilst the corporations plot and scheme, as they are wont to do. I find this to be a very frustrating comic for a couple of reasons: there are some really good ideas here, but they’re not meshing terribly well; at times, the story becomes almost incoherent. Who’s doing what to whom? Most of the time you know, but sometimes you’re just guessing. The art has improved since last issue, as there are panels where you can see the manga style faces of the characters (and it’s an attractive manga style), but then here’s an action scene that makes no frigging sense. What just happened? I don’t know, I’m relying on the characters to tell me. Until the artwork and the story shakes out a bit more, this is only semi-decipherable at best.
Rating: 2.5/5 --Andrea Speed
Halloween: 30 Years of Terror #1 (Devil's Due Publishing)
By Stefan Hutchinson, Danijel Zezelj, Jim Daly, Brett Weldele, Jeffrey Zornow, Lee Ferguson, Tim Seeley
Devil's Due returns to their popular comics based on the Halloween franchise with an all-new special celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original film. Five short stories, all written by Stefan Hutchinson (the man who was behind the 25th anniversary documentary about the franchise) delve into lots of different aspects of the mythos. The first tale slips in-between scenes of the original movie, putting us in the heads of the old couple Laurie sends her babysitting charges to for help. A highly effective silent story gives us the point of view of one of Michael's victims. The third story is a little less clear -- we seep into the dreams of a woman in a sanatarium, and although it's never made explicitly clear, I think the character is supposed to be Laurie Strode. Perhaps someone who's a bigger Halloween fan than I am could tell for sure. Next is a really weird tale, a snippet from an old horror comic about a "Tarantula Man." I'm not entirely sure where Hutchinson is going with this one -- the cartoonist who reads the old comic is clearly inspired by Michael Myers, but the connection is tentative. It's a really good story, I'm just not sure where it fits. The book ends with a tale of Dr. Loomis, the Javert to Michael's Jean ValJean, and Hutchinson does a great job of explaining the horror he must have felt every day of his life. The Halloween comics have really been good, and as long as Hutchinson stays with them, I'm confidant they'll stay that way.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Hercules: The Thracian Wars #5 (Radical Publishing)
By Steve Moore, Admira Wijaya, Imaginary Friends Studios & Sixth Creation
In this final issue of the series, Hercules and company lay siege to Cotys and the army they helped train for him before they knew of his betrayal. If you’re expecting a bloodbath, you get it, although it’s not a big all out fight scene - they have to come up with some strategy to face an entire army, so they’re very sneaky, and there’s actually only a handful of all out battles depicted, and about half of those are Tydeus making you question whether he could actually ever be seen as a good guy. (You know, I’m a woman with a macho attitude problem, but even I’d run away from Tydeus. That bugger’s crazy.) Then there’s an ending sequence involving Cotys and hidden passageways that could almost be taken from an old Hercules film, except this is a bit more competently written and constructed. I was a tad let down by predictable elements (the Atalanta catfight, for example), but this series has banked enough good will from me I can let it slide, especially considering that this series could only end one way. I mean, let’s be reasonable here. And Cotys’s end is wonderfully brutal. The art has that softly painted house style of Radical, and almost seems fuzzy at times, but that could just be a problem with the copy I got. Otherwise, it all looks damn good. A fun, bloody series for fans of barbarian comics and mythology alike.
Rating: 4/5 --Andrea Speed
Jack of Fables #25 (DC Comics/Vertigo)
By Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Russ Braun & Brian Bolland
After a rather dark change of pace, it's back to a more lighthearted story this month with the first chapter of "Turning Pages." This issue looks at Robin Page, who seems to have fallen in with a particularly disreputable crowd. Jack and his little gang, meanwhile, are simply trying to avoid the girls' father, unaware that they're after an artifact that could mean the end of Fablekind. This is an interesting little twist -- Jack certainly isn't the hero type, but as he'll be as dead as any other Fable if the Golden Bough is destroyed, it seems logical to see him make the effort to save it. The subplots involving the other two Page sisters are also each developed a bit here, and by the end, it really feels like this book is back on some familiar territory. Russ Braun's artwork impresses me greatly -- his style fits perfectly with this book's look. A strong issue, and probably a pretty good jumping-on point as well.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Legion of Super-Heroes #45 (DC Comics)
By Jim Shooter & Francis Manapul
When a scattered United Planets turns to the Legion of Super-Heroes for help, their new "manager" steps up to bat. Meanwhile, Atom Girl tries to deal with her recent defeat, Saturn Girl tries to deal with her boyfriend, and a Young Heroes audition turns into a battle zone. Shooter has, as usual, managed to sprinkle in several storylines without giving the short stick to any of them. Atom Girl and Saturn Girl are both taken into very interesting directions this month, while M'Rissey is well on his way to being the most entertaining new Legion character in a long time (even if I'm not entirely sure how to pronounce his name). Francis Manapul's artwork rocks, especially the really energetic, exciting cover piece this month. And the fight scene at the end is just plain fun. This really is a good time to be a fan of any version of the Legion.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
The Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs #4 (DC Comics/Wildstorm)
By Hans Rodinoff, Joel Gomez, Jonathan Wayshak
As Sam and the Frog Brothers take on another vampire, Alan is turning, Gramps is dying, and Edgar's story is coming to a close. The book's framing device -- that of an older Edgar telling the story to a young wanna-be slayer -- has been a good one, but in this last issue, it gets kind of weak. The book doesn't really have a satisfactory conclusion. I always expected the miniseries to lay some groundwork for the Lost Boys: The Tribe movie which was recently released, but this is almost a cliffhanger. There's no real sense of conclusion here, just a metaphorical wink at the camera and the clear message that you've got to pick up the DVD to find out what happens next. A miniseries should be able to stand on its own and tell a complete story, and the fact that this doesn't disappoints me to a degree. I've really enjoyed this book, and I even enjoyed this last issue, but that point where you put it down and say, "That's it?" really hurts it.
Rating: 3/5 --Blake M. Petit
Star Wars: Legacy #27 (Dark Horse Comics)
By John Ostrander & Omar Francia
Here's a cool little standalone issue. Darth Krayt, lord of the Sith, is suffering from the Yuuzhan Vong coral implants inside his body. To try to save him, Darth Wyrlok attempts to delve the lost Sith knowledge of a master called Darth Andeddu, who found a way to animate his own body even after death. Andeddu doesn't consider Krayt and Wyrlok worthy of his knowledge, though, and Wyrlok beings an intense battle for the life of his master. The Sith of Star Wars: Legacy are all really intriguing characters, and John Ostrander's decision to spotlight them this month makes for one of the best issues of this title since its inception. Although none of these characters are heroes, Wyrlok does manage to become a more sympathetic character, a character you can (almost) root for in his battle against Andeddu. Omar Francias artwork is fantastic -- cool-looking aliens, nasty zombie Sith, an awesome painted cover. The whole package is extremely well put-together. If you're a Star Wars fan, again, this is a book that stands on its own. Go ahead and check it out.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Voltron: A Legend Forged #2 (Devil's Due Publishing)
By Josh Blaylock, Mike Bear, Jean-Francois Beaulieu
After a somewhat confusing first issue, the second issue of A Legend Forged becomes considerably clearer. The Lion Voltron team has somehow been hurled back in time and forced to land on a strange planet along with Lotor. Taken captive by a strange barbarian race, our heroes wind up getting rescued by a strange -- yet familar -- group of heroes. Back in the future, the Vehicle Voltron team tries to find its counterpart, but recognizes that they still don't really know how Voltron works. It's been many years since I watched a Voltron cartoon, but the mystery of the Lions was always something that seemed ripe with story potential. Blaylock's story seems to finally be on course to unlock that mystery, and now that the second issue has made the timeline clearer, I'm enjoying the ride. The artwork still doesn't seem to quite fit this book -- the style was fine for G.I. Joe, but is a little too rough for this sort of science fantasy tale. Still, it tells the story well, and the design for the "primative Voltron" is really cool -- the sort of thing you'd want to see an action figure of in the near future. Good book for the Voltron fan in all of us.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Blake M. Petit
Zombie Tales #4 (Boom! Studios)
By Terry Morgan, Chris Morgan, Gabriel Hardman, Minck Oosterveer, Jason Ho, & Cris Peter
This issue takes a different tack, as it tells one story broken into three parts, this of a samurai warrior in ancient Japan who is trained to fight zombies along with his brethren, instead of telling several short stories. We get hints that maybe ancient Japan isn’t really that ancient, although the story is told in a quasi-mythical style, as we follow Toshiro and his small clan of warriors as they struggle to put an end to the zombie (or as they call it, “zaambi”) threat, which seems like a fruitless quest. But after learning a terrible secret about his country and encountering an outlaw who knows something that may be the key to defeating the zaambi, Toshiro embarks on what may very well be his final quest. It’s a good story, and one of its strongest points - the appropriate narrative tone - also bogs the story down a bit in a couple of places, although the ending, which reminded me a little of a Hellboy style story, was a good one. The artwork shifts between story parts, although the artists do strive for a certain consistency. It’s still a little uneven, but they do a generally good job of meshing. An interesting one-off, and certainly different for this series so far.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Andrea Speed
August 30th 2008, 11:21 AM
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