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Curse #1 Review

BOOM Studios, , ,

curse1

This debut issue of a 4-part mini-series has already grabbed my full, undivided attention.  Published by BOOM! Studios, Curse is a horror story, with themes of survival, family values, and self-worth.

Laney Griffin will do anything for his chronically ill son, Jaren.  A former football player, Laney resorts to selling his memorabilia, and re-financing his home to pay for Jaren’s medical treatments.  When a bounty is placed on a murderer in his community, Laney engages in a nightly hunt to track down whatever it is that’s been killing people and animals.  Laney comes face-to-face with the murderer, and discovers that it’s a werewolf.

This horror story is written by Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel.  I am familiar with Moreci’s writing from Hoax Hunters, so I knew this horror comic would be worth reading.  Well-written script with great interactions.  Pacing is a little slow for a mini-series, so I’m anxious to see how the story will unfold over the next three issues.  Dialogue between Laney and his sister-in-law, Crystal, is heartwarming.  Crystal wants to take legal guardianship over Jaren, but Laney refused the offer.

The ghastly visuals are provided by Riley Rossmo and Colin Lorimer.  Blood, bones, guts.  Definitely no complaints here.

I don’t recall when I last read a werewolf story, and since I’m a horror fan (especially werewolves and classic vampires), I plan to follow Curse to the end.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I definitely recommend this horror mini-series.  This debut issue gets a 4.5/stars.

The Phantom Stranger #15 Review

DC Comics, , , , ,

phanstrange15

Forever Evil, DC Comics crossover event, is still going strong.  The Crime Syndicate has claimed world domination, and many lives have been lost.  Forever Evil also has a crossover event, Blight.  An 18-part mini-event, Blight’s titles include Justice League Dark, Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger, Constantine, and Trinity of Sin:  Pandora.  We’re almost at the halfway mark, as The Phantom Stranger #15 is part 7 of Blight, a dark and gruesome event that involves the supernatural forces of the DC Universe.

We first saw Blight, composed of the billions of sins and evil of the human race, in Justice League Dark #24.  At that time, humankind’s darkness had formed into a dark, giant serpent.  Now it has taken Christopher Esperanza, a young man who Stranger brought back from the afterlife, as its host.

In order for Blight to fully control its host, it needs to destroy remnants of Chris’s human existence, including his family.  The Phantom Stranger plans to free Chris and save his family, but Stranger’s Divine Presence commands him to join, and support Blight.  Stranger confronts a possessed Chris, just as he was about to bring tragedy to his entire family.  Not able to bear witness to Blight wiping out the human presence of Chris, Stranger disobeyed the Presence for the first time.  But it may be too late.  Chris revealed to Stranger that he chose Blight.  Now they are one and stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, John Constantine makes a hologram of the Sea King, in hopes of learning what terrified him before he died and nearly drove Deadman insane.  By the way, Deadman is in the Sea King’s body.  Nightmare Nurse wants to free Deadman, but Constantine refuses to let her break the spell.

Stranger, who is wounded after his fight with Blight, drops in on Constantine, Nightmare Nurse and Swamp Thing at the House of Mystery.  Nightmare Nurse uses her healing powers to help Stranger.  The story ends with Stranger running through a mirror, with the others, including Sea King (remember Deadman’s trapped inside his body) at his heels.

J.M. DeMatteis is the writer of this chilling series.  Crisp dialogue, and phenomenal character interactions throughout the book.  Although a lot of ground is covered at a rapid face, it’s not hard to follow if you’re keeping up with the crossover.  DeMatteis also did a great job with the set-up for part 8, Constantine #10.

Amazing visuals by Fernando Blanco (artist), Miguel Sepulveda (artist), Brad Anderson (colorist) and Guillem March (cover artist).  Realistic looking characters.  The colors and tones produce the ghastly feel that’s needed to experience the full effects of this book.

I began reading The Phantom Stranger with the Forever Evil Crossover.  I plan to read at least the first arc after the Blight mini-event is finished.  If I like it, then I may have to make some adjustments to my current reading list.  But so far, I am definitely enjoying this title.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

This title is perfect if you’re already reading the crossover.  If you have not yet read this title, then I recommend that you read back issues (before the FE crossover) to get a feel for the Phantom Stranger.  Or start with the new arc once the crossover ends.

Great story with superb art.  I’m giving this issue 5/5 stars.

Random and Not so Random Thoughts of a Comic Blogger

Random Thoughts, , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Best Comics of 2013

10.  Sex Criminals, Image Comics

9.  Afterlife With Archie, Archie Comics

8.  Hoax Hunters, Image Comics

7.  Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel

6.  Morning Glories, Image Comics

5.  Thor:  God of Thunder, Marvel

4.  Deadpool, Marvel

3.  Justice League Dark, DC Comics

2.  The Fearless Defenders , Marvel

1.  Superior Spider-Man, Marvel

Top 2 Comic Mini-Series of 2013

2.  Superior Carnage, Marvel

1.  Screwed, Zenescope

Worst Comic Book of 2013
You didn’t think I would really throw that out there like that did you?  However, I did read a comic last year that is perfect for this category.  I was speechless after reading it.  I had no idea what that story was about.  Not only do I not remember the name of the book or publisher, I don’t even know where it is.

Comics I’m Looking Forward to Reading in 2014
Cursed
Magneto
Ms. Marvel
Nameless
Night of the Living Deadpool
Paradigms
Restoration
She-Hulk
Southern Bastards
Superior Carnage Annual #1
The Wicked and the Divine
Wytches

The list will grow as I learn of more upcoming titles, so let me know if there’s any titles I need to add.

Luke Cage vs. Jack Lawson
A question popped into my mind the other day, as to who I like the best.  Luke Cage from Marvel Comics, or Jack Lawson from Image?  For those of you that don’t know Jack (no pun intended), he is a lead character in Hoax Hunters, written by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley.  Chris DiBari is the artist.

Two handsome badass brothers.  In Mighty Avengers, Luke wants to settle down, be a hero-for-hire, so that he can be near his family.  On the other hand, Jack is full of attitude, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.  Nothing.  Don’t believe me?  Read Hoax Hunters #13 that went on sale last week.

But it’s all fiction.  In reality, a brother with muscles and an attitude would rather hang with superheroes, kicking the s**t out of villains, than stay home with his wife (or girlfriend) and kids.  Anyway, I don’t care for Luke’s soft attitude.  Sorry Marvel, Image wins this round.

Deadpool’s Wedding
I plan to attend Deadpool’s wedding, in April, from the comfort of my home.  I don’t want to be anywhere near the Marvel Universe because of Deadpool.  What follows Deadpool?  Violence, bloodbaths, and chaos.

Who is the bride-to-be?  My husband think it’s Lady Death.  I don’t have any ideas of who, or what, it could be.  One thing for certain is that Deadpool #27 will be the first comic book I will be reading that day.

I tried a few times to count the 200+ characters on the cover, but I kept losing track.  I am going to keep trying until I succeed.  Maybe I’ll use Marvel’s character list as a guide.

I wonder if Scott Koblish and Val Staples have carpal tunnel now.

Superior Spider-Man
Are the rumors true?  Is Superior Spider-Man coming to an end?  Will Doc Ock no longer be in Peter Parker’s body?  Is Peter coming back?  If so, then my bank account will be $7.98 (+ tax) fatter every month.  Enough said.

Hoax Hunters #13 Review

Image Comics, , ,

hoax13

While a review copy of Hoax Hunters #13 quenched my thirst, I can’t wait until its release date of January 8, 2013.  Holding a print copy in my hands will provide instant gratification, especially with Christian Dibari (artist) and Mike Spicer (colorist) providing the visuals.

The season finale is here, and will leave you in a WTF moment.  And the ending is more dark and twisted than all the issues combined.

While fighting the demon, in an effort to secure the Book of All Futures, Regan makes the shocking discovery that she’s more powerful than she realizes.  Fearing that Regan’s connection to the book will be discovered, Donovan warns her that they must flee to safety.

Meanwhile, the moment we’ve been waiting for is here.  Or is it?  Up until now, Jack Lawson, the handsome team leader, has been a loyal member of the Hoax Hunters.  But throughout the series, he’s been harboring his own hidden agenda on the sly.  Jack has been searching for his father, who went missing years before.  Earlier in the series, Jack was supposed to have given Donovan a multiverse device.  But he gave Donovan a replica of the device instead.  He kept the original to aid in the search for his father.  Getting into a heated argument with his dad’s business partner, Borges, only escalated the situation.  But this time, Jack has gone way too far.

Once again, Moreci and Seeley produced another dark and twisted horror story.  Hoax Hunters is definitely one of the best horror comics on the market.  Myths are explored with sharp dialogue and great character interactions.  Regan is so powerful, it’s scary.  Although I don’t fully trust Donovan, he does appear to have some good in him.  Jack appears to have gone stone crazy, and Murder is, well Murder.  You can’t read an issue of Hoax Hunters and not mention Murder, the crow filled spacesuit.

Dibari and Spicer are to blame for the eye-popping visuals, especially the chupacabras.  I also like when Donovan changes from a fine-looking young man into a demonic beast.

Without giving any spoilers, I’m posting a couple of pages so you can get a taste of both dialogue and art.  So if you’re looking for spoilers, sorry but you’re reading the wrong blog.

hoax13d

hoax13a

Now that Season 1 of Hoax Hunters is finished, the creative team is taking a break before Season 2.  If you want to read the first season in its entirety, then don’t pay outrageous prices on eBay.  Buy the trades or read them here.

If you’re a fan of horror, mythology, Mythbusters and X-Files, then Hoax Hunters, published by Image Comics, is a title you definitely should be reading.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I give this issue 5/5 stars.

Deadpool #21 Review

Marvel Comics, ,

deadpool21

If you are looking for a jump-on point, then you will want to start with this issue.  Not only is this the beginning of a new arc, Deadpool vs. S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s also a continuation of the first story arc, Dead Presidents. Although I enjoyed the stories in between the two arcs, this is the storyline I’ve been impatiently waiting for.

In case you missed the first arc, the presidents were raised from their graves by Michael, a necromancer and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.  Returning with evil intentions, Deadpool contracted with S.H.I.E.L.D. for a large sum of money, to re-kill the presidents.  Although Agent Preston was killed by George Washington, Michael was able to transfer Preston’s spirit into Deadpool, where she currently resides in his head.  After Deadpool re-killed the presidents, Agent Gorman refused to pay him.

In the current issue, Deadpool and Agent Preston consulted with Dr. Strange, in hopes of restoring Preston’s spirit into a physical form.  Meanwhile, Agent Adsit, Preston’s partner, made a shocking discovery when he attempted to order a life model decoy (LMD) of Preston.  There is already a Preston LMD running around town, and it’s not a good thing.  Turns out Agent Gorman is a bad guy, and has ordered a 10 million dollar hit on Deadpool.

The story ends with Adsit and Agent Phil Coulson in a secret meeting.

If the above events are not enough to entice you to jump-on, then obviously you’re not a candidate for Deadpool readership.

Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan are the creative writers.  This issue is packed with page turners, jokes, and of course, violence.  The best dialogue is between Deadpool and Agent Preston.  A mercenary with a mental disorder that has a sassy African-American woman stuck in his head.  The jokes are hilarious, but their friendship is worthy of envy.  Great character interactions, especially Agent Gorman and Preston’s LMD.  She’s dangerous, but funny.

Text is brought to life by Mike Hawthorne (artist) and Jordie Bellaire (colors).  Realistic characters and detailed facial expressions.  Agent Gorman scares me.  I especially like the panels with Deadpool’s thoughts, they reminds of The Three Stooges.  And seeing Preston’s spirit is very touching.  Awesome cover by Mark Brooks.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

Deadpool is one Marvel title I highly recommend.

Nova #11 Review

Marvel Comics, , , ,

nova11

If you haven’t already started reading Nova, now is the perfect time, but you will need to grab issue #10, the start of a new arc and writer.

Nova #11 is Gerry Duggan’s first full solo issue, after he debuted last issue with a back-up story.  I stopped reading Nova after the first arc, but upon learning that Duggan was taking over as writer, I made it a requirement to at least read the first story arc.  Duggan is the writer of one of my favorite Marvel titles, Deadpool.  Since Deadpool is nowhere near suitable for kids, I was curious as to how Duggan would handle Sam Alexander, a typical teenager with a powerful helmet.  Duggan is just as humorous on this title, as he is with Deadpool.

Sam Alexander is still that mouthy, full-of-attitude, impulsive teenager.  A mirror image of my tween son.

In the last issue, Sam appeared to have been going blind.  But in the current issue, Sam figures out what is really going on.  I must admit that it’s the perfect twist to begin a storyline.

Great artwork by Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), and David Curiel (colors).  Great facial expressions, and Sam’s little sister is a cutie pie.  I have no complaints at all in this area.

Nova #10 is the perfect jump-on point for new comic readers, or for those looking for a fun comic to read that’s suitable for all ages.  I plan to read this Marvel title, at least through the first story arc.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

If you’re a Nova fan, looking for new comics to read or a jump-on point, then I highly recommend this all-ages title.