Review: Figment #2

Blarion Mercurial’s journey into a fantastical new world continues in Figment #2! The highlight of the book is of course the title character. Figment provides excellent comedic relief from having no clue what piliferous is to sounding out kah-cough-phony and mentioning a Chair Man.

The world Blair and Figment have arrived in is gorgeous. Jean-Francois Beaulieu uses bright, vibrant colors from pink trees to red birds and dark green plants to long, flowing blue valleys. Artist Filipe Andrade provides a vast landscape with a multitude of terrains. He fills the world with interesting creatures including the aforementioned red birds, but also a giant winged dog-like creature. Andrade really sells the creature as dog-like in its mannerisms from a lolling tongue to its hidden grin as he leads Blair on a game of catch-me-if-you-can.

Writer Jim Zub allows Andrade and Beaulieu to carry much of the story with many of the first pages involving Figment and Blair plummeting to the surface of this new fascinating world. He does build upon their relationship with a combination of serious questions from Blair and playful, pointing out the obvious answers from Figment. However, parts of the dialogue seem forced and unnatural to the characters speaking the words. At one point, a storm is brewing on the horizon and Blair wonders what it could be; Figment responds “You talk too much. This place is wonderful. Let’s explore!”

The book also in parts carries a very different tone from the first one; it becomes more serious especially when the Chair Man attempts to close the portal. Zub introduces the counter to Blair’s imagination and chaotic creativity, Order. The introduction of this character removes the importance of the journey through imagination that Blair is on. The focus shifts from the journey to the apparent villain he will eventually face. This new threat does add another dimension to the realm of imagination. It is not always a joy ride along a yellow brick road, but can sometimes be filled with nightmares.

One of those nightmares pops up in the form of winged-aliens. The winged-aliens set out to capture our lead characters, but in doing so they must use alliteration to “Capture the clowns, quick and quiet!” Zub’s ability to incorporate alliteration into everything the aliens say adds the fun back into the story and he balances a direct, serious threat with fun dialogue.

7.0	The fun journey into imagination is halted with the appearance of a very serious threat, which will need to be confronted.

Review: Genius #1

Genius #1 is the story of Destiny Ajaye and her rise to power in uniting all of the Los Angeles gangs against the Los Angeles Police Department. Writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman begin with a mixed message letter to a Brigadier General that not only identifies Destiny as the leader of the Los Angeles gangs but also refers to her as “Suspect Zero” the unknown leader that only one man, Detective Grey, believes exists. The letter is not really a letter at all, but appears to be a summary and lead-in to the ensuing pages of the book disguised as a letter.

Following the letter to the Brigadier General, Bernardin and Freeman set up a good comparison between how Destiny and her crew are preparing in contrast to the police. Destiny’s crew is stocking supplies, readying weapons, and resting while the police are scrambling, moving into assault mode without a plan, and sending in a desk jockey to figure out what exactly is going on. The two sides could not be further apart when it comes to organization.

However, the meat of the story does not begin until Detective Grey muses on how “Suspect Zero” rose to power through the ranks. The combination of Bernadin and Freeman’s writing with Afua Richardson’s visual portrayal is harmonious. They portray Destiny as a person who “will do anything to keep from getting noticed” through a simple multiple choice test where she erases Portugal and circles Germany to answer which country is not an Axis Power. It is extremely simple but conveys the powerful message of needing to fit in to survive. There is one panel where she discovers the game of chess and her face is superimposed over the board. The reader can tell she just gets it and her intellect for tactics will be hard to rival.

The police find out the hard way. Destiny deploys her troops wonderfully when the police move in. The way she is able to eliminate the police air support is exceptional and really shows how brilliant her tactical strategies are. Not only does she have an excellent tactical mind, but she is ruthless too. Richardson once again does a good job of presenting the reader with the visual, highlighting Destiny in red to portray her brutality. The red ribbon she uses on the page to connect Destiny to her victims is an added effect, symbolizing not only the bullets’ paths but also a trail of blood she leaves in her wake.

Not everything is rosy; there are some minor annoyances including what seems to be a recurring theme in opening books— multiple time jumps from the past to the present without any cues to let the reader know. There also seem to be some panels that are forced in to create a transition, but come off as awkward and out of place.

Bernardin, Freeman and Richardson have created a riveting story where the biggest question yet to be answered is can Detective Grey stop Destiny before the LAPD is wiped out?

7.8	An exhilarating story of a rise to power and a gang war against the LAPD make Destiny Ajaye one to keep your eye on.

Review: Dead Letters #2

Writer Chris Sebela shifts gear from the heart-pounding action of Dead Letters #1 to begin to shape the world of Here. The reader is exposed to a short history lesson of what Here is, how it was supposed to function, and how it all went wrong, mainly underestimating people and their ability for free will.

The history and world building create a nice flow for Sam’s new employment. He sets off investigating the disappearance of a woman named Beryl who was in deep with both of the major gangs led by Jones and Ma. Sam’s internal monologue once again steals the show as he dives into his work in an attempt to save his mind. Sam is not only distracting himself when he begins to follow Beryl’s footsteps through Here, but Sebela uses the opportunity to build up how society has changed when time is no longer the most important commodity. And maybe the most frightening aspect is Sam’s idea that it hasn’t really changed much at all. “Life ain’t fair. Turns out Death ain’t either.”

Beryl’s path eventually leads Sam to a club and her former husband. The setting is perfect for a nice shoot ‘em up sequence. Chris Visions’ art during the action sequence again is great; he includes the fine details of the shot glass being splattered by the bullets to the alcohol running off the bar into Sam’s hair. Jones’ big thug is especially terrifying in his red suit and yellow shirt with his evil smile screaming “I’m evil and I’m going to hurt you.” One of the best panels in the book is when Jones is recounting his life before he arrived in Here. Visions combines Sebela’s narrative with a fantastic visual of Jones’ past being shown in his sunglasses from the barn where he was raised to the tools he used.

Following the initial world-building process and an enjoyable action sequence, Sebela gets back to character development and discovering more of Sam’s hidden talents: specifically his resourcefulness, street smarts, and most importantly his talented tongue. Sam is a masterful politician playing Jones and Ma off each other as he continues to dig up more information about Beryl and what happened to her.

The ending of the book gets a little bit confusing attempting to follow the panels, although that might be because what is happening in the panels is chaos. At one point Sam slips away and appears to find what he has been looking for. Yet it is not clear exactly what he has found - whether he is peering into the past using an advanced relic or has actually found hard files. After finding the information, the story jumps to one of sheer terror and one thing is for sure Sam’s talents might not be able to get him out of the mess he has found himself in.

8.7	The book starts off a little slow as Sebela and Visions build the world of Here, but ramps up the action, mystery and sheer terror towards the end.

Review: Storm #1

Storm #1 takes the reader on Storm’s journey to find out where she belongs. It is an interesting premise especially when Greg Pak unloads all of Storm’s identities and places she has called home on the second page! It is also surprising the story ends up being a journey of self-discovery. Since on the first page Storm declares she is older and a little wiser, which leads one to believe she has already found herself and is comfortable in her own skin.

Storm also doesn’t seem to be wiser at all; she is stubborn, impatient, and quick to anger. Despite being the Headmistress of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, she doesn’t feel a part of the school. Instead, she seems to be more independent, free from the school, doing her own thing, and even questioning her association with the school.

One of the strangest scenes in the book is when Storm is confronted by one of her pupils, Marisol Guerra, who is homesick and upset she is not able to be home. Marisol gets in Storm’s face calling her a sellout and accuses her of kidnapping her and stealing her from her home. The argument seems altogether ludicrous since everything this reviewer has read is all students voluntarily come to the school and no one is forcing them to stay. Storm is befuddled and does not address this issue at all, but attempts to address an accusation of mutant ideology indoctrination. The argument escalates and Storm reacts violently summoning a lightning storm within the school and stomps out of the room like a spoiled brat. Pak himself admits the insult shouldn’t bother Storm, but it does and she abandons her responsibility to Marisol and the school in a fit of a rage unbecoming of a Headmistress and a supposed wiser and older Storm.

The abandonment does lead to a foreseeable climax where Victor Ibanez gets to show off more of Storm’s impressive powers, tossing tanks through the air and sending soldiers flying with a gust of wind. Ibanez really excels in the emotional range he is able to convey through Storm’s facial features from remorse and happiness to anger and pride. However, not all of the artwork is as impressive. Beast looks more like a walking hunchbacked ape than an intelligent and strong mutant.

Returning to the story, Pak attempts to bring Storm’s journey of finding herself full circle, even making a jab at it by hinting Storm herself will “lose and find where she belongs a hundred times.” The story is a slap in the face of the reader telling us Storm is wiser and older, only to have her go and lose herself and act like a young, immature, hotheaded teenager.

4.8	A plot line that takes the reader from a wise, strong and in-charge Storm to a loose cannon who forsakes her responsibilities in a fit of rage disrespects not only the reader but the character as well.

Review: Low #1

Humanity has fled the surface of Earth into the depths of the oceans to avoid the expanding sun and its blistering heat. They have fled to an underwater city known as Salus, where the Caine family uses an advanced robotic suit technology to hunt the predators of the deep and provide sustenance for the citizens of Salus.

Writer Rick Remender uses the beginning pages to introduce the reader to the world of Low, life under the dome of Salus, and the Caine family. Salus is luxurious and artist Greg Tochinni makes sure the reader understands it. He uses bright greens, yellows, oranges, and blues to highlight a roaring fireplace, sweeping staircases, towering skyscrapers, and lush vegetation among a few of the niceties in Salus.

Everything is not hunky-dory. Stel Caine tracks thousands of deep space probes in their effort to find a habitable planet for relocation. In the meantime, Johl Caine, Stel’s husband is “the last Great Helsman of Salus” and in order for the city and his family to survive he must take on the role of the hunter. The two are not alone and they have three children, two daughters, Della and Tajo, and a son, Marik. In what seems to be fashionable, typical gender roles are reversed among the children. The daughters wish to follow their father and learn to be helmswomen, while Marik is content to stay in Salus and takes after his more cerebral mother.

Remender takes his time introducing the story and allows Tochinni ample opportunity to use a 1950s-esque art-style to show off the world of Low. Eventually, Remender takes the family minus Marik out past the confines of Salus on a hunting mission. Not only are there massive underwater creatures, but there is also the threat of the Scurvy Horde.

Strangely, both the massive underwater squid-like creatures and the Scurvy Horde are able to communicate and execute a well-timed ambush. Tochinni adjusts the coloring adding in more reds signifying the seriousness of the danger. The leader of the Scurvy Horde oddly does not resemble the rest of the Horde at all. He is very humanoid and resembles the Caine family, while the rest of the Horde appears skeletal and not of the living breathing world.

Remender uses interesting dialogue for the villain, having him taunt the Caines with every word he says attempting to wound their soul rather than physically harm them. However, the dialogue cannot cover the overall ease the Horde has of taking over the Caine ship, especially after building up the family’s mythos in the preceding pages. There are also a few panels where it becomes hard to follow via the artwork. At one point what appears to be the Helmsman technology hits the ground, but in the next panel the Horde is vacating the Caine’s ship. In general, Tochinni’s artwork does a fabulous job of complementing Remender’s story creating both an intriguing world as well as strong emotional characters.

Remender creates a good origin story, one that has made the likes of Batman and Spiderman legendary although Remender changes the formula up just a tad adding in a dose of hope.

8.4	Fantastic artwork with only a few missteps and a good solid origin story with an intriguing new world and strong characters have Low being nowhere near the bottom of the stack.

Review: Bodies #1

Bodies explores four detectives investigating four murders in four different time periods with each time period having its own artist! The only thing connecting each of the four different story lines, the same murdered body in the same location, Long Harvest Lane, London. And of course the number four.

Writer Si Spencer starts the reader off with the familiar, dropping them in modern day London in the middle of a large protest being broken up by the police. The dialogue is fun and even flirtatious in some parts; Spencer uses it to make some political commentary on immigration, minority issues especially in regards to the Muslim community, and police brutality. Meghan Hetrick artwork does a good job of representing the time frame, it is realistic although D.S. Hasan’s hijab did not clearly portray it was a hijab, this might have been the fact she is a detective in riot gear bashing demonstrators skulls in.

Spencer switches from the modern era to the late 19th century where the reader meets Inspector Hillinghead; where again Spencer touches on a hot-button political issue. Spencer reveals more about the dead body specifically the types of wounds it has sustained. Artist Dean Ormston makes the world believable using the shadowing of blacks and greys effectively. Ormston also exposes the reader to Inspector Hillinghead’s crime photos with close-ups of the hand and face. However, Spencer creates a little bit of intrigue and mystery when the Inspector’s co-workers, apparent members of the Order of Mithras, discuss a beginning.

Following the mysterious meeting, Spencer cranks up the extremely weird in jumping into the future to 2050 to meet Detective Maplewood. London has changed in the 30 plus years since D.S. Hasan’s time and something known as the pulsewave affects the detective’s short-term memory. The dialogue seems to be an attempt at humor, but it came off as very strange. The strangeness doesn’t stop with Maplewood’s external dialogue with herself, but gets amped way up and brings back memories of the Shining. Tulo Lotay does a good job of capturing the horror imagery from the streaks on the wall to the shape of the puddle underneath the girl’s feet. However, Lotay’s artwork doesn’t inspire hope for the future, Long Harvest Lane looks abandoned and barren with the buildings crumbling apart. The rough shadow lines cast a bleak outlook. The biggest gripe is the body does not have the same feel or look in the previous two time frames. Lee Loughridge does a great job with his bright greens and yellows to display the face that the time frame is in the future.

Spencer moves to the final detective in Inspector Charles Whiteman, who looks more like an Al Capone gangster than a police detective. Spencer uses Phil Winslade’s artwork to a tee making an overt reference to police brutality, this time the brutality isn’t whacking a protestor with a billy club, but using a blow torch in some creative ways. Winslade’s art evokes noir from the cobblestone streets to the policeman’s helmet. Spencer brings the book full circle leaving the reader with a dead body, having us wonder who they are and what happened to them?

7.7	An inventive story filled with political commentary, intrigue, and at times the strange that is setback by mixed levels of artwork.

Review: Ragnarok #1

The gods have been slain and the world has been cast asunder. Thor, the mighty son of Odin is defeated by Terminus, the glorious offspring of Earth. This is the world Walter Simonson casts the reader into.

The story follows Brynja, a Black Elf assassin, on her assignment to kill a dead god. Simonson’s first introduction to the character is very intriguing and he switches up gender roles. Brynja is a female assassin, who leaves her husband and young daughter behind to pursue what she hopes will be her last mission securing the future of her family especially her daughter.

The story is familiar to many other hero stories and has many characteristics of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Brynja leaves her family and sets off on a journey. She makes a deal with a villainous character with high reward and high risk upon completion or failure. Her journey requires her to gather mercenaries as she travels across the deserted world to confront and kill a dead god.

There is a reason why the tale of the hero is so popular-- it can be extremely enjoyable, and Simonson does an excellent job of doing just that. He also spices it up with a little bit of mystery. The sequence of Brynja accepting her contract is extremely mysterious and adds a level of the unknown to what appears a very straight-forward story. Simonson ups the mystery even more when Brynja’s daughter, Drifa, experiences an all too real nightmare. The only problem is the writing can be a little too in-your-face with quotes like “We are there.” And “I have gold.”

Simonson really shines in developing an immersive world. Although much of it barren, it has areas where the world comes to life. Whether it is in the ruins where Brynja is meeting her mysterious and sinister boss or at Kliffborg, the Fortress at the Edge of the Worlds, there are many places to explore. Simonson’s artwork not only explores geographic expanses but captures the realm of fantasy through the different types of creatures and animals he introduces. Brynja’s mount is the most prominent: a horse with an elongated snout and teeth as sharp as razors. All of these details from the geography to the animals to the characters themselves create a very beautiful fantasy setting.

A fantasy world is not complete without magic, and the panels where Brynja is casting her spells are very intriguing especially since Simonson had the words of the spell outline one of the panels; it is an added touch that heightens the fantastical elements. Laura Martin’s coloring is up to snuff and she shows her ability to contrast timelines allowing the reader to easily transition from the first few pages to the introduction of Brynja and her family.

7.5	Fantastic artwork and a fun fantasy story rooted in Norse mythology will have you subbing before you know it!