Robots, aliens, superheroes, ghosts, zombies, journalists, and talking cars. There's only one place in the comic book universe that you get all of that in one place, and that's the
Comixtreme.com Done-In-One Reviews! Join us, as always, while we serve up the most diverse comic review column on the internet!
Anchor #2 (Boom! Studios)
By Phil Hester, Brian Churilla, & Matthew Wilson
We get a glimpse of the Anchor's past as he moves on to Scotland to face the next of the great hellbeasts killing people and causing trouble on Earth. Hofi goes with him, but unknown to either of them, a mysterious American military man is after the Anchor. For what reason? They seem to know him, which can't be good. He meets a ghost who doesn't realize he's a ghost, and kills an odd looking beast who has some roots in Scottish mythology (but no, probably not the one you're thinking of). It's a pretty decent issue, a good read, but wow, am I reminded of Hellboy so very much. The artwork has a nice old fashioned feel that suits the story. In fact, this is one of those comics where the art and the story seem like a perfect marriage. That doesn't happen as often as it should.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Andrea Speed
Batman and Robin #6 (DC Comics)
By Grant Morrison, Philip Tan & Frank Quietly
With Batman and Robin captured, the Red Hood and Scarlet hack the airwaves with an intriguing proposition: one million calls and they'll unmask the Dynamic Duo on television. As Dick and Damion try to escape the trap, Jason and his new sidekick set out to prove their superiority by taking down the Flamingo. The in-joke about the phone calls is a nice touch, the sort of metafictional thing that Grant Morrison really makes work well. We also, finally, get a pretty definitive ending to Jason's story, at least for now, which is a good thing. Philip Tan's art is a natural match for Batman and Robin, and his depiction of the Red Hood is pretty solid too. The last-page "next issue" montage, as we've come to expect, is pretty intriguing, especially since we know the next issue of the book has been deliberately detained until after Blackest Night #6 comes out. I've really got no idea what's coming up next, but I'm highly curious.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Cars: Radiator Springs #3 (Boom! Kids)
By Alan J. Porter, Silvio Spotti & Magic Eye Studios
The stories of the Cars supporting cast continues as we get the story of how Luigi and Guido came to America and, ultimately to Radiator Springs. On the way over, the inspiration for their leaning tower of tires strikes, but it makes it hard to find a place to settle down until they find the friendly folks of Radiator springs. The story is okay, but it doesn't really have a lot of suspense. Mater's fantasy at the end is actually more engaging. It is a testament to the writer and artists, however, that the opening scenes are still perfectly understandable even though the dialogue is all written in Italian. It may as well have been a silent comic, but you still got the idea perfectly well. An okay issue. I'm looking forward to seeing whose tale wraps up this miniseries.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Blake M. Petit
Casper and the Spectrals #1 (Ardden Entertainment)
By Todd DeZago & Pedro Delgado
It's Casper's 60th anniversary, and Ardden has brought him back in a whole new way. Casper and the ghosts of Ghostburg are charged with the task of collecting "scare energy" to keep a malevolent beast at bay. Casper doesn't have the heart for scares, though, and drifts off to the neighboring towns of Deviland, Ogreville, and Goblin Gulch, before finally meeting a young witch named Wendy who shares his sensibilities. This is not your father's Casper the Friendly Ghost. While it's still perfectly kid-friendly, Todd DeZago and Pedro Delgado have started a miniseries with a lot more substance and imagination than the rather bland Harvey kiddie comics of the past. There's much more character development, a real backstory, and a true reason for Casper's uncles to enjoy the scares so much. I imagine the elevator pitch for this one included the phrase "Ghostbusters meets Monsters, Inc." Despite that, it maintains the characterization of Casper, Wendy and Hot Stuff, even while giving them all a reboot. This may well be the most interesting that Casper has ever been.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Doctor Who #5 (IDW Publishing)
By Tony Lee, Matthew Dow Smith & Paul Grist
The Doctor and his fellow inmates have crash-landed on a desert planet, barely escaping Finch's plan to kill the doctor rather than carry out his life sentence for altering the future of Earth. They wind up captured by a mob of Judoon guards, but as always, the Doctor has a plan to get them back into space and back into conflict with Finch. This is a nice little piece, showing off the Doctor's character very well. His cool, confident manner is just what you want out of this kind of hero. Smith's art is okay -- still a bit too sparse for my taste, but it tells the story servicably and gets us where we need to go. Not the best issue, but a good enough issue to get us where we're going. Looking to the future, I'm very curious about where this series can take us. We're set in the current period of the show, sort of drifting between the last full series and the next one, when a new Doctor will take over. I'm wondering how long the comic will reflect the tenth Doctor, or if -- when Matt Smith takes over -- it'll flip over to Doctor number eleven.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
DMZ #47 (DC Comics/Vertigo)
By Brian Wood & Riccardo Burchielli
I’ve always felt that anyone born in West still has the savagery to bring great harm to their fellow man, but we’re too civilized to live with it. Matty, for all his resolve to bring ‘peace’ to the DMZ through unorthodox and rather brutal means, is beginning to feel that twinge of guilt. The world is beginning to turn against Parco for his audacity in acquiring a nuclear weapon. The citizens of Manhattan are now bracing for the carnage that is about to come. But still Matty believes he is doing what is best for the people. Whether that is true and if he can live with his decisions is another matter all together. I have to say the tension and the drama never abates for a second. But the story is more focused on Matty and his growing moral quandary. I don’t think he’s as much a believer as he likes to admit. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4/5—Terry Verticchio
Ender's Game: Command School #3 (Marvel Comics)
By Orson Scott Card, Christopher Yost, Pasqual Ferry, Frank D'Armata
The Battle School commanders have once again changed the rules, sending Ender's army in for battle after battle, unfreezing the enemy soldiers, two battles in one day, two armies at once... every possible way they can stack the deck against him, they're trying it. And Ender can't afford to lose even once. As he struggles to hold it together, his old commander Bonzo Madrid wants to teach the youngest and most successful commander in Battle School history a lesson -- one that could be fatal. I'm actually surprised at how quickly this story is clipping along now. I thought for a while there would be another miniseries after this one, but considering where this issue ends, two more issues is probably just enough to reach the end of the novel. There's another one-shot in the works, based on the short Christmas novella A War of Gifts, but no word yet as to whether future stories in the Enderverse will also see adaptation. Personally, I really hope so. This has been a fantastic series, and I want more.
Rating: 4.5/5 --Blake M. Petit
Farscape: D'Argo's Trial #4 (Boom! Studios)
By Keith R.A. DeCandido & Caleb Cleveland
Well, this series comes to an end ... kind of. Actually, there's another miniseries that will show us whether D'Argo gets revenge on Macton or not. And that feels like a real cheat. This issue shows us the railroading of D'Argo, his swearing of vengeance against Macton ... pretty much everything you'd expect if you've been following this series or are a Farscape fan. This gets the rating it does because I continue to be impressed with Cleveland's softly lined artwork. But boy, was I disappointed with this series.
Rating: 3/5 --Andrea Speed
R.E.B.E.L.S. #10 (DC Comics)
By Tony Bedard, Andy Clarke, Kalman Andrasofszky
Most Blackest Night crossovers begin with a dead hero or villain rising. R.E.B.E.L.s. kicks it off with a living hero being killed and then forced into the ranks of the Black Lanterns. A good start, but the book doesn't really hold my attention after we get past that. Dox's son is apparently converting to more villainous ways, and Dox and the Space Heroes run across a squad of Sinestros fleeing a Black Lantern of their own. The subplot about Vril Dox's son is kind of bland, and the Black Lantern that chases the Sinestros doesn't really make sense, if the Blacks are supposedly chosen for the emotional effect they have on the living. While this is a character we certainly expected to see as a Black Lantern, the character has nothing at all to do with the Sinestros. I'm usually a big fan of Tony Bedard, and I'm in the awkward position of wanting to like this book much more than I do. I'm just hoping the surprise on the last page of this issue makes part two more interesting.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Blake M. Petit
The Walking Dead #67 (Image Comics)
By Robert Kirkman & Charlie Adlard
As far as The Walking Dead goes, this is a relatively quiet issue. It begins with Carl and Rick sharing a heart-to-heart conversation about... well... all the things that have been dying in their immediate presence lately. It's a really good scene, in fact, and it helps Carl's character immensely. Understanding just why he did some of the stuff he's done lately makes a big difference. Then, when Rick turns to Eugene to check the radio, he makes a discovery that puts their whole mission in question. Eugene's character, like Carl's, is cast in a totally different light, but Carl came off much better for it. This is a sad moment for Eugene, and it could have really bad repercussions for our entire cast. Bad moments, though, make for good stories -- a lesson few writers know better than Robert Kirkman.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit
Wall-E #0 (Boom! Kids)
By J. Torres & Morgan Luthi.
I really like the movie Wall-E. I saw it on TV and it put the hooks in right away. Wall-E was like Cary Grant and Che Guevara all rolled into one. Not to mention that Eve was one sexy robot. But like everyone else, I wondered how and when, did Wall-E became self-aware. How did he evolve from a single-purpose machine into something with a distinct personality? Well, this is J. Torres’ own imagining of his origins. It has Wall-E working out of that burned out truck, but he’s not alone. There are several other Wall-E units still functioning with him. One day, as they travel to work, something in the distance catches Wall-E’s attention and so instead of following his fellows, he takes a detour to see what it is. And with that divergence from routine, Wall-E begins his journey of self discovery. As can be expected there isn’t much dialogue, and to be honest with the inclusion of other Wall-E units, it was a bit difficult to distinguish between the free-thinking Wall-E and the others. But it becomes clearer as the book progresses. As well, you get the feeling that the other units are also developing their own personalities and if they hadn’t malfunctioned they would becomes like Wall-E too. I am intrigued by where this series is going, though the absence of Eve is a bit of a disappointment, but it can’t be helped.
Rating: 3/5—Terry Verticchio
November 14th 2009, 12:38 PM
Linear Mode
