Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #1

July 31, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

First adventures are always continuations of the past, whether you see it or not. You think the Super Sons are finished after their last series, and yet here is another new number one. The story is far from over, as it is in both comics and life. There are so many great things on the horizon and the series takes place before them, it takes place in the past as that is what is needed for the future of the series. This takes place before Bendis’ Superman run and doing so ensures one last adventure before the series, and Superboy’s life is forever turned upside down. Superboy is young and has so much promise and adventures ahead of him; boy is in his name, which implies one day he will be a man. Before Superboy grows up, he has to go through what being a boy means. There is one great tale left for him before his life is forever changed and his next chapter comes.

Review: Redneck #13

July 25, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

New Start. Redneck seems to take drastic turns in between each arc, or so it has between the first and second, and now the second and the third. The very appropriate title, Redneck, about, well, redneck vampires continues with some dramatic turns. Perry is in trouble after the events of the last issue, so we see some vampire reunions after being separated, from the original family to a brand-new introduction of another family being introduced. The issue serves as set up, beginning with a flashback between a past love of Bartlett’s to a cliffhanger no one saw coming, well sarcastically. This issue does not serve as being strong for twists, but for being strong for set up to start Redneck's third arc.

Review: Justice League Dark #1

July 25, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

A dark, beautiful, way too verbose introduction. James Tynion IV, just coming out of his nearly 50 issue Detective Comics run returns, spinning out of No Justice, which he co-wrote with Snyder and Williamson. Justice League Dark directly spins out of No Justice, with magic failing. Wonder Woman is given a task by the League to create a magic based Justice League. She begins the task, and the issue revolves around the five members of the team, either present or future. Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, and Detective Chimp all have their own struggles and their team up is only beginning in this first issue. If fans are looking for a more magical, more horror-based Justice League team, they are in luck.

Review: Ice Cream Man #5

July 18, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Free falling. The most surprising thing about the series is how strong it began, and how it does the impossible and keep getting better and better. If you missed issues 1-4 do not worry, each issue is a stand-alone tale thus far. Typically, the plot is about madness caused by the mysterious titular character, the Ice Cream Man. This issue is no difference besides the fact that he is never shown in the way he usually is. His catchphrase “lickity-split” is what distinguishes him and this time it is said by various other characters. This is what happens when an entire business building becomes affected by Ice Cream Man. The issue goes from a man jumping off a 100-floor building and confessing his sins, counting down to the bottom, and it moves to the business building and the madness that ensure. This is Ice Cream Man at his most ferocious, or at least so far.

Review: MCMLXXV #1

July 18, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Welcome to 1975. Think about everyday life in 1975, if you were old/young enough to remember such a time. Think about the music, and the atmosphere of big cities. Think about the gangs, monsters, and ninjas associated with that time period. If you cannot remember all three of the last part well then you are in for a treat. MXMLXXV introduces 1975 in a vibrant, dark place. The people in this town city are all having to deal with a world that is hard to get by without some random attack from ninjas or the like. The series revolves around a cab driver, who is sexual partners with the DJ who loves to do what a DJ does and constantly play music, this being from the 1970s. The protagonist, the cab driver, is full of fight in her as one has to be in this time.

Review: Plastic Man #2

July 11, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Not much of a hero. The last issue summed up the origin of Plastic Man, now we see what type of ‘hero’ he truly is. After the last issue, Plastic Man has become wanted by the police, and he met a boy with whom crossing paths with does not exactly bode well for either of them. Plastic Man realizes he must help this boy with whom when Plastic Man was faced with a vital choice between hero and coward, let’s say hero lost. Eel O’Brian may have been a crook before, but now he is more than a crook… He is almost, kind of, a superhero. He just has to gain confidence, gain courage, and gain, well, grow his heart bigger, which this series shows it’s kind of getting there.

Review: The New World #1

July 11, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Perfect description is just what Image says, Romeo and Juliet meet Mad Max. Welcome to an alternate future where five major cities are all randomly bombed. No one knows who did it and no one is admitting to it. A second civil war breaks out, and New California reigns supreme. In New California, there exists a reality show all about hunting criminals led by an extreme cop. Against the government comes a contradictory hacker anarchist who substations from any drug (including alcohol) and any meat. Like all good romances, romance ensues after a hook up from these two, and thus the story begins right where the first issue ends. This issue is super-lengthed and serves to introduce all the background needed. Prepare to be immersed.

Review: Rocko's Modern Life #6

July 4, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Just a wallaby with his dog. The issue picks up where the last one leaves off with Rocko losing his trusted dog as his dog became a viral internet star and was taken away for a life of glory, away from his trusted owner. The issue goes back and forth between Rocko and his dog showing how miserable Rocko is, just wanting his dog back, to his dog just being a dog and not really having any comprehension for most of the issue of what is wrong. Rocko’s friends try to help him out, but sadly nothing will please Rocko more than having his simple life returned. The issue itself serves as a typical story for a beginning, middle, and an ending that leads directly into the next issue, which is stronger than the last issues twist. Similar to previous issues there is a backup story simply about cutting the grass, which of course gets over exaggerated in a huge fashion.

Review: Catwoman #1

July 4, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Keep reading this review if you have read Batman #50 (meow if so), or if sadly Batman #50 was spoiled for you (hiss). Do not keep reading if you have not found out what happens in the "historic" Batman #50.

Review: Teen Titans Special #1

June 27, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Well, this will be interesting. Held after No Justice, the world has changed. Life is not viewed as it was before this event. Robin was as affected by the events as much as those who stayed on Earth, such as Red Arrow and Kid Flash. Half of Rebirth’s Damian Wayne’s Teen Titans team has been separated. Raven and Beast Boy have been upgraded to being Titans whereas Starfire is now in Justice League Odyssey. Teen Titans now consists of Damian Wayne Robin, Red Arrow, and Kid Flash.

Review: Archie Meets Batman '66 #1

June 27, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Holy crossover, Archie. Nothing is groovier than Veronica’s costumes mixed in with the exploits of the evil villains of Gotham City. This comic begins in Gotham with the dynamic duo facing off against the evil Poison Ivy. The first half focuses on the Batman ’66 world before going to the retro Riverdale, full of 1960s outfits. There is a dastardly new villain in Riverdale with the despicable power to control men. Zoinks. Okay sorry, wrong franchise. This issue serves as a prelude to what is coming up with the story setting up the villains of Gotham going to Riverdale. This issue boils down to setting up both worlds and leading towards the promised crossover. Expect a good number of villains and heroics, along with the good-natured Archie gang.

Opinion: Censorship in Comics

June 22, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

HBO, Showtime, Netflix, all of these networks use profanity and nudity in some of their shows… a lot. It is not the fact they want to (well probably some), but the fact they need to. Imagine the stories on network TV. Game of Thrones on ABC might still look magical, but it would still lack in the impact the show makes. Girls on HBO works for how shocking it is. Just the one F-word allowed on Breaking Bad each season has such a strong impact on the viewer for how sparse it is used, and yet on TV it is censored. This piece is not to promote profanity, to promote nudity, to promote that every HBO show use such adult themes. Imagine HBO’s new hit show, Sesame Street, with Elmo and Abby Cadabby having an intense, explicit rap battle. Elmo is already nude, but that is beyond the point. Some things do not need to have that level of intensity as it should fit the audience. This is not about censorship having to do with free speech in riots, or whether or not cable TV should air South Park in all its glory. This is strictly about comic books.

Review: The Brave and the Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman #5

June 20, 2018

By Hunter Patrick

At least the art looks good. We are now at the penultimate issue of Liam Sharp’s Wonder Woman follow-up with Batman. The two deals with Celtic mythology. Wonder Woman is chosen while Gotham gets invaded and thus the two heroes team up. Out of the Trinity, Batman and Wonder Woman have the least amount of a relationship, and so the premise of these two together is strong. Do not get it wrong though; this is mainly a Wonder Woman story… at first. Where we are now being full-on Celtic mythology. The title of the book is a mislead, and for that, it worsens the book. It is expected to be an awesome team-up between the two characters. This issue balances between the mythology and the titular heroes, but it still may draw people out. If someone bought the first four issues, then, of course, this issue is a necessity. Not the best one, but still gorgeous.

Review: Ice Cream Man Volume 1: Rainbow Sprinkles

June 20, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

What a feel-good time for everyone but the characters. Ice Cream Man is an anthology series. Each issue is its own one-shot, all being connected by the titular Ice Cream Man. This volume features four different issues and four different stories. Music, drugs, and various other main themes become present. Nothing is scarier than humanity. This is horror, pure delicious horror. The scares are all brief in the pages, but like all good horror, the more thought in this psychological terror, the more fear, and despair that will come to the reader. The horror sticks with you for the four different plots, each different than the last. If you want anything from trouble with couples to trouble with the self and isolation, go on and give it a try. Everything is sprinkled, delicious, terrifying sprinkles.

Review: Plastic Man #1

June 13, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Always liked Plastic Man, now it is a love. Instantly the story takes you to the origins of Plastic Man. If you do not know who he is, you will now. The origin is organic in the story and not at all forced. It fits the flow. Eel O’Brian is transformed from small-time crook to, well, Plastic Man. He digs into a mystery, one that haunts him at his core. This mystery ties into his origin. The more shocking aspect is the reveal at the end of the issue of who else is in this mystery, someone against Plastic Man. He may be in the Terrifics, but it is time for the world to meet and love Plastic Man thanks to the creative team.

Review: Titans Special #1

June 13, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Misleading name featuring Titans, still exciting nonetheless. There is no need to have read what followed, this is a perfect starting point, even if not having read Metal or No Justice/ The end of Metal happened as did the end of No Justice. The source wall has been destroyed. Before No Justice, the Titans also disbanded. The world is ending, and the threats have never been bigger. How do the Titans continue? Well, a new team of course. The Titans were not an ordinary team, they were formed over friendship. This new team will be different, an actual team. With the new threats, the DC Trinity asks Nightwing to lead a new team of his choice. Nightwing, Donna Troy, Raven, Beast Boy, Steel (Natasha Irons), and their ‘chaperone’, Miss Martian. Team members now have their abilities being altered thanks to the source wall broken and people need to be saved. This issue brings together this new team for the first time and also sets up the new era of Titans, with a team trying to be different than what came before. Welcome to the new unknown.

Review: About Betty's Boob

June 12, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Such a lovely message. Elisabeth is a woman who just lost her breast and hair after fighting a disease. She begins to be shunned by society, and even worse her significant other. He tries, he really does for her, but he cannot get over her having a single breast. She begins to have everyone turn against her and all values of beauty cause her to spiral worse and worse into loneliness and despair in society. Yep. Sounds pretty depressing. But as with all great tragedies there should be a little hope. This plays into hope. The metaphors are strong, and the social commentary is stronger. This is a book that unashamedly plays into femininity and beauty, it is all the stronger for not being afraid to put it all into its art.

Review: Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor #1

June 6, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

This felt like the complete opposite of a first issue, not even the previously on helped. A first issue should have all the information at hand or at least guide a reader into knowing where to read the story that came first. At the end of this comic, it had a handy-dandy guide for Doctor Who comics for the 9th-12th Doctor and a few other Doctors… Not the Seventh. There is no need to have seen the Seventh Doctor’s television run but be advised that reading what is before in the comics is what is needed. Find a guide online and read what is before. If you are prepared to go in for the Doctor be warned, this story has maybe 15 panels of the Doctor in each of the two stories in this comic, combined, with over 50 pages overall for this comic. This is not about the Seventh Doctor but his world, which is poorly executed on both stories.

Review: Rocko's Modern Life #5

June 6, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Such a fun time. Rocko’s Modern Life #5 does something very hard to do, it both holds the legacy of its past but also embraces the future (our present). Rock gets a cell phone, never having one before. This occurrence has something all too familiar for most people as he gets addicted to his phone and thus comes the humor. Rocko quickly becomes a success online with help from his dog. Rocko being mixed with everything has a lot of great laughs. Rocko fans will be happy with this comic, but maybe not the easily forgettable back-up included. Read this and expect fun similar to the television series.

Review: The Couch #2

May 30, 2018

By Hunter T. Patrick

Yet another issue that should be widely available. This is a world where superheroes and villains exist. That is true for almost every single comic world. The difference in this comic is the fact that this does not revolve around superheroes, and it manages not to be overshadowed by their presence, at least in the first issue. In issue two we meet The Wrecking Ball. The first issue succeeded with the heroes in the background, and this issue succeeds more with Wrecking Ball front and center. The couch refers to the psychologist chair in the protagonist’s place. Having a superhero on that couch makes for a very interesting dynamic. Most of the issue is flashbacks to when Wrecking Ball was younger, before his super days.