Review: The Protector #1

Review by: Connor Russell Looking up “Maniac Cop” on IMDb I came across a short film of the same name done by a man named Chris R. Notarile. Looking up his stuff he's done many short films and it was a given he is a lover of comic books, with many of his short films being based on comic characters. I then learnt that he had put one of his original works into comic book format with company Hound Comics, The Protector.

Before it starts, Notarile gives a brief description on his thought of comics and you can tell he draws inspirations from the Silver Age of comics as he reflects on his ideals for a super hero being a purist.

Basically, it is a story about the beginning of our titular character The Protector and his secret identity, Allen Adams. He is an insurance investigator looking around a recent crime scene on a bank robbery in Republic City. Then going on home he receives a package from his mother, his costume. The next day he stops an attempted bank robbery, apprehends the criminals and shows himself to the public.

Reading this, you can tell Notarile loves comics and his handle of the character is well done. Superman is an obvious influence as it is in the essence of the story telling, but The Protector still stands on his own. Notarile comes across as having a clear idea of where he wants to take this story. It is a fun read and the older time period gives it a nice change and atmosphere.

His father, Chris Notarile, is the artist of this comic. A style of being almost a drawn photograph, (sorry I'm never really good at describing art). The light brown edging around the artworks emphasise the almost 50s feel of the comic and adds a nice touch. It may not seem like much of a compliment but his work on the hair and faces is definitely worthy of note. Hair often comes across as way too many lines or cartoony, but he gives nice detail that is realistic. And well, I just like his work on the faces. Heck, his entire work of art in this book.

Again as I said this is a comic that revives the life seen during the Silver Age and it is a nice change. It is almost a feel good story and is absent of being dark, gritty or full of angst. That again is a nice change. It is a story that I can see working for older and younger readers and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Superman. This is one that I hope continues because I'd love to keep reading it as I was quite surprised by the whole thing.

Score: 3/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Chris R. Notarile Self-Published Price: $5.00

Review: Rocketeer Adventures #2

We’re back with another set of short stories starring the Rocketeer and again it’s all top tier talent working on the book. Names like Mark Waid, Chris Weston, Darwyn Cooke, Lowell Francis and Gene Ha to name but a few. There is only one pin up by Geof Darrow, but the Alex Ross cover for issue three acts as a pretty good substitute. It depicts the Rocketeer standing with Betty beside him, and she is a striking resemblance to Bettie Page the original inspiration for the character. The first story by Waid is a tongue in cheek romp about superhero comics as Cliff decides its time he went public with his Rocketeer alter-ego. He’s about to upstage a male model dressed like the new comic hero Aeroman, when someone starts shooting at them. Cliff reluctantly helps the man that was hitting on Betty just moments before as he falls from a window. In an inspired moment that fits Cliff’s luck perfectly, he makes it look as if Aeroman is the one actually flying since Cliff is covered by his wings. It’s a great short story that makes tons of comments about the comic industry and the superhero genre in general for that era.

The second story written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke and colored by the great Dave Stewart, is presented as a weekly TV show. It recaps the last episode before breaking into the present with Betty wearing the Rocketeer gear and saving an injured Cliff. It’s cute and goofy and captures Betty perfectly in attitude and demeanor. The last story is from Lowell Francis and Gene Ha. The story has a great narration from the radio about the nights boxing match, which just so happens to coincide with the Rocketeer battle happening. Cliff is fighting someone else with a stolen flying pack, but instead of running on gas it uses propellers. Eventually Cliff gets the upper hand, but not without some luck first.

Again this series is a great set of short stories that don’t worry about continuity or even if you’re familiar with the characters. Honestly you’ll get to know the characters better from these stories than you would with a new series by one creative team. If anything IDW is using this to generate interest in such a series, but personally I think just doing the shorts is a better idea. No one is going to be able to out-do the creator so why bother trying.

This issue isn’t particularly as strong as the first issue, but it’s still a solid read. I got excited when I saw Waid’s name on the book. His story while starting off well, really became more of a message about comic companies acting back in that era rather than capturing what the Rocketeer was about. Otherwise the book is another great read, so much so that I look forward to it every month and hope that it continues at least for a while.

Score: 3/5

Review: Rocketeer Adventures #1

Rocketeer Adventures is a great collection of new stories set in the world of the Rocketeer. There is no continuity to worry about, no origin story to fuss with, just good stories from some of comics top creators. There’s three stories total and frankly they’re all really good and very different from each other. Some of the talent in this issue: John Cassaday, Mike and Laura Allred and Kurt Busiek. With pin-ups by: Mike Mignola with Dave Stewart and Jim Silke. The first story is written and drawn by Cassaday and you get a real sense that he put a lot of effort and heart into this tale (unlike some of his covers as of late). Beatty has been kidnapped and strapped to a bomb by some gangsters. Cliff does the only thing he can to save her and launches the rocket; he is the Rocketeer after all. It’s a great short story that really captures Beatty and Cliff’s character very well. The second story written and drawn by Mike Allred has more of a 70’s twist on the character. Everyone said "groovy" and "baby" a lot and the characters were very dynamic almost as if they were intentionally over acting their part. It was just a fun story and very different from Cassaday’s take on the characters. Neither one is wrong, but both are very different and good.

The third story hardly involves Cliff at all, but instead focuses on Betty. It takes place during World War II while Cliff has been sent to support the war efforts. It’s a series of letters from Cliff to Betty that become increasingly sparse. What’s worse is that with each passing day Mr. Stanhope, the lead of the play they’re both starring in, becomes more and more aggressive with his interest in Betty. The story is very good and Busiek does a great job of showing why the Rocketeer world is so strong, because it doesn’t need to rely on the main character to drive the tale. The art is solid throughout the entire book, of course when two of the three stories are written and drawn by artists, that isn’t hard to imagine.

If you’ve never experienced the world of the Rocketeer outside of the movie, then I highly recommend picking up this book. It’s full of great adventure stories and lots of history on the late creator Dave Stevens. This was in fact my first experience with the Rocketeer in comics and frankly it made me interested in picking up the earlier work from Stevens.

Score: 4/5

Review: Bomb Queen – Vol. 7 #1

Since launching in 2006 I’ve shared kind of a sordid history with Bomb Queen. I tend to give the first issue of each new series a shot and so here we are again the first issue of the newest series. I enjoy Jimmie Robinson’s over the top violence; he’s one of those writers that are willing to pull the trigger on the most disturbing idea possible. He’ll blow the head off of a character when you least expect it,or have them pee themselves in front of a crowd; things that I find to ballsy to write about. But he never pulls the trigger when it comes to the art. Sure the characters talk a big game and their very graphic with their dialog but nothing is ever shown. Now I’m not saying it needs to be and there are other places to get that sort of thing if you’re looking for it. What I mean is that the dialog and story are so graphic that it seems out-of-place not to go to the next step of being an 18 and up series. The newest volume takes place after the Bomb Queen kills herself and destroys the internet, but I’m generalizing. A team of Hawks has been sent into the site that was once her great (?) city to find a man that’s raped and murdered a woman. Now the Hawks are a part of the Shadow Hawk organization, in the future Shadowhawk can be summoned by anyone “jacked in”the system. Also they don’t speak in complete sentences so it’s like reading a damn text message from someone who’s stuck with 140 characters. After a lot of plot explanation it’s finally revealed that an underground society that values books and basically how our society functioned before the internet, wants to release the Bomb Queen programming into the Singularity.

I’ll just say right now that I know the “text talk” and VH1 style pop ups were supposed to be annoying, but it was beyond even that. I stopped reading the bubbles after the first page, I commend any writer that has a world with enough depth to write such things but it’s boring as a reader. In general the story was just another Bomb Queen ditty. I was honestly more interested in the future of Shadowhawk than anything else, but I know that Bomb Queen will destroy it all. That’s what she does, she says she’s going to destroy it all and by the end of the series she has. She’s the bad guy that always wins and that’s pretty much the point,but after six volumes already it’s kind of tired.

I also have to say the art was not as good as I remember it from previous series. The first three series had a great look to it and was very distinct, but the latest volumes have become really stale. The covers of course are still amazingly detailed and just fun to look at which is more than I can say for the interior art.

I’ll venture a guess that this is a love it or hate it type of book for most. I find myself sitting in the middle; it’s not the best or the worst and basically doesn’t try to sway me one way or the other. You’d figure that after six volumes the series would grow or change, but I find myself repeating the same phrase since the second volume, “Yup, that’s Bomb Queen alright.”

Score: 3/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Jimmie Robinson Publisher: Image and Shadowline Comics Price: $3.50

Review: Rust – Vol. 1: Visitor In The Field

Rust is sure draw comparisons to Iron Giant and the Rocketeer due to the boy with the jetpack and giant robot on the front cover. In reality this all age’s tale is nothing like either of its “sources” and only people who have never watched or read either product would make such a careless comparison. Rust is in all actuality one of the grimmest sci-fi worlds created and could be seen as Metropolis in the country. The story begins 48 years in the past as it silently shows a war between two fractions that resembles WWI. The two sides continue to “one-up”each other with technology in a Looney Tunes sort of fashion, until the robots come into play. We follow one soldier as he crawls through the battlefield looking for dead robots so that he can steal one particular part. In the modern time line we’re introduced to Roman through a letter he writes his father. He tells his father in the letter about the day Jet Jones came to the farm by crashing into their barn. Again we flashback to see the event of Jet’s arrival and sure enough he crashes through the barn, but there seems to be some question of whether it was from within the barn or not. Jet is being chased by a giant robot killing machine. Roman discovers this as he’s trying to get Jet help, but Jet seems to be doing okay even after the robot throws his through a tree.

From there the two battle until Jet tells Roman what to do in order to stop the robot. After everything is settled, Jet stays on the farm to help Roman. Roman on the other hand is rebuilding one of the robots from the war in order to turn it into a helper on the farm. Jet gets really upset by this and spills a fact about himself… he was a part of the war. What other secrets does Jet have and how long before Roman is the only to work the farm?

Rust was a great story; I really enjoyed it through and through. I loved the world that Royden Lepp created and just the sheer richness of it all. I became emerged in the world that is Rust and became invested in the story and the two main characters.The story was perfect from beginning to end and I really couldn’t find any fault in it. I’m looking forward to the next volume for sure and hopefully Archaia doesn’t keep us all waiting too long. I did have some issues with the art as I found Lepp’s style to be lacking in detail a lot of the times. It was still very impressive, but in general I think he’s coloring and foreground/background work saved the art a lot. I would love to see Lepp’s style develop more as this was only a good start. The art is still good and doesn’t distract from the story which is the most important part. I just wish it added more to the story rather than falling kind of flat.

I’ve been interested in Rust since Archaia announced it at Wonder Con this year and I have to say I’m more interested in the next volume than I ever was in this one. That is to say that this first volume was so good that I’m hooked on the series and will be waiting with bated breath for its return. This is a solid all-ages book that is simple enough for children and yet if you dig deeper you’ll find its very complex for adults as well. Don’t let the “source material” fool you; this book is far more complex.

Score: 4/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Royden Lepp Publisher: Archaia Entertainment

Review: Mouse Guard – The Black Axe #3

I’m not a big fan of series that suffer huge delays, but with Mouse Guard I understand that there is a lot of work that goes into it on creator David Petersen’s part. Finally after several months though we have the next issue of Black Axe and it’s so much better than the last issue. I really didn’t care for the second issue since it seemed like a filler issue. It was literally just the characters on a boat getting to the shore they needed to get to with the typical “storm sequence” crashing the ship. The third issue has our main character Celanawe waking up on the beach shore with a raspy voice and no sign of his kin and the captain of their destroyed ship. He begins searching and finally finds Em, the two of them continue looking for the captain but only find her book amongst the wreckage.After another turn of events they’re set on their way to find that creature that has the Black Axe in their possession. It turns out that it’s a ferret king that ate the mouse that came to his land with the axe. The reveal is that it wasn’t Celanawe or Em’s kin, but rather another mouse named Merek. As the story continues Celanawe finds himself in a race against the clock as he must hunt down an enemy that’s bigger and greater than he is in order to save Em and claim the axe.

I really enjoyed the story, it kept suit with a lot of the story telling that was found in Mouse Guard:Legends of the Guard as Celanawe finds himself facing a natural predator for Mice… the fox! There were at least two instances of mice fighting larger predators in Legends and each ended with the mouse victorious, but I have to wonder if this will truly have a happy ending since Mouse Guard is known more for its bittersweet endings.

Petersen’s style is still impeccable. His amount of detail is amazing and always impresses me how much the art plays into the tone of the series. I like Mouse Guard because as all ages friendly the book is, it has a very dark undertone to it. The only way I can describe the feeling of the book is to compare it to Dark Crystal, very creepy but yet so hopefully. Petersen’s storytelling and art may not have made leaps and bounds since the last issue,but it continues to pave the way for Mouse Guard to become a classic. If you’ve been following the series then keep reading it’s worth it and if you haven’t then you’re in luck because each issue of Mouse Guard is very accessible.

Score: 4/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: David Peterson Publisher: Archaia Entertainment Price: $3.99

Review: TMNT – Micro Series #1: Raphael

If you've been paying attention to the site you’ll notice that I’ve really enjoyed the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from IDW, simple facts is that I can’t keep gushing over it each month so Eric will be reviewing issue #4 when he can. With that in mind I went in thinking that this “micro series” was going to be a cheap tie-into the series and just a reason to sell more Turtles. I was wrong. This book is every bit as good as the ongoing and that’s very shocking for me to say. I will let you know that you need to read the fourth issue of TMNT proper before reading this book or you’ll spoil the issue for yourself. That being said, you should probably do that before reading this review as well. Raph and Casey are patrolling in Casey’s neighborhood basically looking for something to hit. Casey is very inquisitive about Raph’s new life and his brothers, but Raph being Raph doesn’t want to talk about it.It becomes transparent to the reader mid-way through that Casey is in awe of his family since his is non-existent. The two find some trouble when they find a cloaked person running for their life from two familiar looking thugs. Raph and Casey make quick work of the thugs and discover another mutant that is also familiar to long time Turtle readers… Alopex!

That’s all you get of the story since the actually dialog and story are pretty short and sweet. In a way this series is looking to be building the overall story arc that will play out in the ongoing and I really like that. The idea of a mini or micro-series covering an element of the ongoing so that the main series doesn’t suffer or get held back from naturally progressing is very smart. I really felt like this added to the fourth issue and acted like a companion issue rather than a cheap cash in on the series. I know that companies love to say that they’re responding to the success of the series, but the time and release schedule always proves opposite. It’s clear that there was thought and effort put in this series and that’s good to see.

The creative teams of writer Brian Lynch and artist Franco Urru do a great job of continue the success from the ongoing. Urru’s art style is very different from Duncan’s, but it works in a positive way and plays to Lynch’s story the way it needs to. I would have to say that as good as the story is there was a lot of art and very little story or dialog, when there was some it was quite good but there needed to be a better balance between the dialog and the captions. Otherwise Lynch and Urru have added a noteworthy chapter to the Turtles story. This week doesn’t have a lot of stuff coming out,but I recommend picking up both issues of Turtles and stop back for Eric’s review of the fourth issue with his fresh prospective.

Score: 4/5

Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99

Review: Red Spike #2

Fourteen years ago Matt’s father was a part of the first Red Spike experiment and went nuts and executed his own wife which resulted in his day being shot to hell by the military. Matt is then taken to a boarding school where he’s unknowingly groomed for the Red Spike program. This is your first indication that this is the origin story and it doesn’t get much better from here on out. In-between flashes of Matt and Greg’s past, that includes the first time Greg arrived on the base, we’re treated to boring details about his surgery to help them control him more. Also the sub story is played up more about an original member of Red Spike project trying to take over the program once again with political black mail. It fails and he’s force to hit the drawing board again. The rest of the issue is a sparring match between Greg and Matt which breaks any sense of time the book had going for it. It could be two days after Greg's surgery, or an hour it's really unclear.

This book was just passable. It sticks to a very strong formula that neither excites nor bores, but rather gives it a familiar feel. The components in play are simple: Government created the situations in which the men are supplied for the program, a cover up, the angry ex-partner, love triangle and an experiment that’s starting to lose control. Who would have thought that giving a con super strength was a bad idea? The character of Greg is annoying. He’s completely unlikable and it’s as if the writers want us to blame it on the program, which is until they show him before the program being equally shitty. Matt is an even worse character since he’s the exact opposite of Greg. He doesn’t accomplish anything and is always yelling after Greg stating the obvious like, "Hey don't walk on the grass." There’s no grounds for their “friendship” and no hints of one shown in their past, yet it seems to be a pivotal aspect of the story.

The art is still very good. I believe that Mark Texeria is doing the breakdowns which give the art a very tight sequential story. Salvador Navarro continues to be a very solid artist, but nothing is very dynamic and the entire book has a very dated look to it. The fashion of all the characters leaves a big question mark for the reader to figure out which era this book is taking place in. Especially when it flashes back fourteen years and everyone is wearing leather caps and matching leather jackets, that's definitely not fourteen years ago from today. I can’t even fathom a guess as when the book takes place which gives the reader no frame of reference.

Red Spike really has the best intentions of trying to be a new IP, but it falls short on capturing the modern comic reader. There’s nothing in this book that hasn’t been done before and won’t be attempted again. I wouldn’t say that others have done this type of story better, but I wouldn’t say that Red Spike is on the top of the mountain either. If you’re looking for solid action and a very easy story to follow with a main character that’s a prick, then you’ll probably enjoy this second issue.

Score: 2/5

Publisher: Image Comics

Review: Red Spike #1

Red Spike is an action filled story that basically tells you to shut up and enjoy the ride. The two main characters have had their bodies altered so that they’re pumping max adrenaline at all times. With their built-in gauge they can check to see when they’re close to maxing out, which is a nice way of saying they can see when they’ll make their hearts explode. They’re not super humans per say, but they are pretty extraordinary. Their first mission begins with the infiltration of a terrorist facility. Their goal is to bring the place down with explosives. Everything is going very well, but the two men become more and more competitive as the mission continues. As they receive the all clear to leave, Greg decides to put on a little show and take out a group of terrorists before leaving. One of them gets a shot off on him and injuries him. Now the two men have only seconds to get out of the facility and are close to the end of their safe adrenaline levels.

This story is all rock. Two thirds of the book is just the mission and action with beautiful pages by Salvador Navarro. Every action sequence is intelligently drawn with crisp clean lines that keep the pages from being cluttered. The two men lack some in their design as they both look like Ken dolls with different color hair; otherwise their almost carbon copies of each other in height, hair and build. The art is very consistent, but in general looks a little out of date compared to other comics on the market. If the inking had more dynamics it would have given it a modern look, but instead it’s lined very lightly over the pencils in most parts.

The story is interesting, but the characters are none existent. Writer Jeff Cahn, does a good job of sprinkling information about Project Red Spike throughout the conversations with the two men and the control station monitoring them. The art isn’t drowned out by caption boxes explaining every detail of the world making the book easy to follow and understand. There is an attempt to make you care about the main character Greg who has done nothing but act like a shellfish jerk and that fails pretty miserably, but I’m sure they’ll build up his character in the next issue.

If you’re looking for a strong action title this is your book. It hits the ground running and never tries to stop. The best part is that it’s not a mindless action story, there’s actually very well thought out plot devices and an underlining mystery that’s happening admits all the action.

Score: 3/5

Your Holiday Gift Guide Sucks

I'm not going to lie, I love the holidays; no humbugs from me. What I hate about the holidays are gift guides. Every site seems to have one and most of the time they're either from the their sponsors or extremely expensive, which doesn't make any sense based on their demographic. Well this year, every single comic site seems to be pumping one out and they're terrible. One that I looked at for 20 seconds before rolling my eyes and closing the tab actually had comic writers and artist listing their gift choices, or in other words plugging their product or making up some crap. Since then I've seen them everywhere and their all bad. Here's the honest facts about buying for a comic nerd... they don't want books for Christmas, we buy that shit all year long so don't bother. Yet that seems to be what most sites talk about because they feel they have to. Granted if you're an indie creator you don't have shirts and action figures to pedal like everyone else, but that's really what nerds want. That being said, here's some places to check out. You can lie to yourself and say that it's for gifts, but we all know that you're buying for yourself. If for some reason though you need to give someone else ideas and you don't know how to explain your need to own every Green Lantern corps shirt then send them links to hide your shame. Keep reading you Bastards!

For the DC Bastard

Are you a DC Fanboy or need to shop for one? Well check out Graphitti Designs they are the number one supplier of licensed DC shirts along with other properties such as Frank Miller's Dark Horse work. This is your one stop place for anything DC though without going from comic shop to comic shop wondering why they only have XXLs. They also have other crap and slew of Kevin Smith products, if memory serves me he owns the company but don't quote me on that.

For The Marvel Bastard

Now buying a Marvel shirt is easy. Stumble into any Target, JC Penny or Hot Topic and you'll see what I mean. But finding one that doesn't suck or isn't just a cover that Mad Engine has pooped on is difficult. So I present you We Love Fine or Mighty Fine as I prefer to call them. Not only do they have some really cool shirts buy Marvel, but they also have a ton of 80's properties as well. Although I don't give two shits about My Little Ponies, they seem to have a lot of shirts with the disgusting creatures on them. At any rate if you're looking for a Marvel shirt that you won't see on some guy at the grocery store then this is the place. I'll warn you though the prices on the shirts and shipping are higher than most places so you'll really have to love something in order to buy it.

For The Indie Bastard

Being an indie comic fan is difficult during X-Mas since indie stuff isn't exactly easy to find to begin with. Hopefully someone that cares about you bought you something at one of the conventions this year and is waiting to give it to you. Otherwise this is the one Bastard that might enjoy getting a graphic novel or a hard to find issue. If that doesn't work get them the Mouse Guard Role Playing Game, it's co-created by the series creator David Peterson and packed full of extra Mouse Guard content!

Smelly Bastard

I'm sure you have some friend that's way into comics and not really into bathing. You like him, but never want to car pool. Well drop him a hint with the aroma of Captain America, you may need to buy an extra one to spray him before going into cons and dealing with his sweaty ass all day.

The Bastard That Only Like Punisher

I've met plenty of guys who just like the Punisher. They don't read the books and they give a shit to, but they enjoy all of the bad movies and most of the skull on the shirt. So what do you get that guy? Fucking everything Punisher duh.

Got me some slippy puns to keep my tootsies warm!

Now you'll look extra cool when ignoring the world while listening to shitty music.+

I'm pretty sure this is just a gun belt buckle and has nothing to do with the Punisher...

The Otaku

Where to begin with this right? I haven't a clue so I'm just going to recommend the only Anime I've liked in five years and that's Sekirei. I can't even begin to find a cool shirt for this series without getting put on a waiting list. In the meantime check out the first volume I enjoyed it a lot. Also it has boobies galore (like an R rating), so you may not want to pass it to your twelve year old that loves Bleach.

Stupid Bastard

This could also be called "Jerk Bastard", since it works both ways. If you have a friend that eats up stupid weird comic shit then perhaps he'd like that onesie that Kevin posted on earlier this week. Or maybe he'd like these stupid glasses that everyone loves talking about but never buys. This is where you can be a jerk because this next one can go either way. Say you have a friend that's really into Thor you could get him this ugly ass bouncer pal. Sure he doesn't have a use for it, but he might get a kick out of it and you'll get away with being a jerk.

There you have. It's not a detailed list or even the coolest, but there are some random things to buy a comic fan that aren't a giant fucking book that they've probably already read. The point is you're list sucks and there are plenty of cool things out there to buy that are related to the world of comics. Happy Holidays and hopefully you get the nerd shit you desire. If you find that Sekirei shirt you let me know so I can buy my own Christmas present thank you very much.

Review: '68 - Hardship

‘68 is a series of comic book stories revolving around the Vietnam conflict and well, the undead. Overall it was a fun series but is there more to tell in that zombie ridden faux time line? The one shot from the same creative team entitled; ’68: Hardship says hell yeah solider. Teddy Calhoun is vet returning from one of the worst experiences any human could go through, war. Now in Hitchcock County Teddy sits on his family’s farm land while he faces a few questions from the local authorities about a call that they received regarding his sick mama. As the law makes their way towards the house to investigate, they’re greeted by a claymore that Teddy has left behind the front door. The explosion obliterates the three law men, thus leaving Teddy to continue on his way. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Hitchcock County, Teddy is suffering from battle fatigue and schizophrenia. So everyone is the enemy, everyone is “Charlie”, that special kind of undead Charlie ’68 is known for.

Teddy returns to the barn to find out that his scared little brother Jake had made the call to the sheriff. Teddy scolds him and rants about the fact that he needs to stay off the radio because "Charlie" watches the radio. Jake agrees and then informs Teddy that he believes that their mother is dead. In denial Teddy tends to his “dead” mother and gives her some “medicine” that he has found. As their mother feasts on the medicine, Teddy struggles to deal with a few more memories that his little brother’s comments conjure up, memories of Linda, Teddy’s ex-girlfriend. Flustered, Teddy leaves the barn to clear his head. As he surveys the farm he sees a group of Viet Cong approaching the barn, so with the help of the farm’s thresher he lays waste to the threat. His victory is short lived because in the distance a tornado begins to brew, but before it can touch down,Teddy retreats back to his mother and brother in the barn. Teddy opens the door just in time to see his little brother pull the trigger on their mother and blow her away.

Damn, ’68 was one hell of a year and Hardship was one hell of a read. For a genre that is completely fucking tired and played-out I found myself really digging the creative team of Mark Kidwell, Jeff Zornow and Jay Fotos and their zombie adventures. As corny as it sounds, Hardship and the ’68 series as a whole is the best example of zombie books written by zombie fans, for zombie fans. Hardships could have gone many different directions. It could have been a dramatic, a heavy character piece or it could have been a balls out gore fest—the real truth is that either one would have worked. I would of loved to have read a massive build up with Teddy on his tour and coming home as he slowly sinks deeper and deeper into his schizophrenia. But that’s just me, but fear not ’68 fans, they went in the notorious ’68 balls-out direction. It also raises the question, is the universe of ’68 growing into something that will hold a deep and rich experience with each new story told or is it going to play itself out and start to suck ass? Here’s hoping it’s not the latter.

Score: 4/5

WTF: You Sir are an Asshole, a Complete Asshole!

Look at this turd and his Batman Onesie.

This Kicks All Kinds of Ass: Spider-Eye Collage

Your head just EXPLODED true believer!

Warning: This Shirt Is Limited

You may recall the limited edition Thanos Power Glove shirt from last week? Well its gone and something new has taken it's place. We have another shirt for you that's also limited edition, but this time from another site. You'll have to pay for shipping so I'll just state that up front, but this Hulk shirt is probably the coolest Hulk shirt you'll find. If you want the shirt head over to Qwertee.com and pick up this bad boy from designer Doodle Dojo, but do it quick!

Review: Blade of the Immortal – Vol. 24 – Massacre

Blade of the Immortal is one of the few long running Manga’s that I’ve followed. I was heart-broken when Dark Horse stopped publishing the series monthly and opted for the collected trade paper backs, but I understand that the alternative would more than likely have been its cancellation. Because of this though I miss its releases quite often since most comic fans don’t understand just how awesome Blade of the Immortal is; due to that fact I was very excited when I received a copy of volume 24 “Massacre” from Dark Horse comics. Admittedly I sat on reading it for a while until I knew I’d have enough time to read it uninterrupted and I’m glad that I did.

One of the strongest elements of Blade of the Immortal is that it’s like a long running soap opera.There is several characters always in play in the story and due to thee extremely detailed art the story moves slower than an average comic. This gives new readers the chance to kind of jump on at any volume and frankly I found the story recaps in this volume to be very detailed considering how far along in the series it is. It recapped Manji and the Itto-Ryu, but in a way that was interesting. It also hinted at previous story lines but in a way that made you want to read them rather than have them explained at detail.

This volume is basically all about the Itto-Ryu storming the Edo castle. The group lead by its leader Anotsu storm the castle with just four total Itto-Ryu. It’s unclear at first what their goal is as they begin cutting down wave after wave of men. The crazy part is that this is the gate under the heaviest guard. What follows is a display of the Itto-Ryu’s true strength as they literally massacre everything in their way to get to the main floor of the castle. Along the way they meet what I can only describe as special guards on duty at the castle and they two are taken down like lowly dogs. There are also several scenes outside of the massacre that play to the overall story developing in the series and one particularly messed up scene with a character named Shira. It is one of the most messed up things I’ve read in the series thus far and that’s saying a lot.

The story and art are always amazing in Blade of the Immortal. Creator, writer and artist Hiroaki Samura is a rare talent as each page is filled with story, history and extremely detailed art. Hiroaki’s art is some of the most detailed in all of comics. Everything is in black and white which is really the only way you can present his detailed art style. You really need to read Blade of the Immortal to get the full experience of his art and see the detail on each character, each facial expression and even more surprisingly the backgrounds and architecture on every single page. There is never a doubt that the Itto-Ruy are storming a castle because the setting is so detailed and historically accurate that it takes you there and makes you a believe it.

I think it’s worth mentioning that Blade of the Immortal is a very mature title; meaning that if you’re thinking about picking it up for a kid you should probably read it first. That doesn’t stop it from being one of the best comic series ever. I know that’s pretty bold, but once you read it for yourself you’ll see why this book has won five awards in the industry and is critically acclaimed. If you’ve ever read Blade of the Immortal then picking up this volume is a no-brainer and if you’ve never read the series before you can either start at the beginning or just dive in and follow it from here on out.

 

Score: 5/5 (It’s aclassic so it doesn’t really need a score so don’t expect future volumes to get one)

Art Friday: Thanksgiving Weekend Edition!

Unfortunately there isn't a lot to talk about in the world of comics due to the holiday and there's even less that I'm interested in reviewing. I missed posting art this past Friday due to being in a car all day so here's so cool stuff that I found over the weekend. Enjoy!

Episode 7: Thanks For The Suck

What!? Episode 7 already? Well Thanksgiving has come and gone and we've got a few things we're thankful for... kind of. This week we're going to talk a lot about Jason Aaron and his "writing" with minimal side barring about Modern Warfare 3 and a dash of the Dark Wolverine!! There's only three episodes left for the year, so get your comic ears on and start listening!

This Kicks All Kinds of Ass: Masters of the Universe Art

And you thought his TMNT work was amazing...well it is, but this pretty damn amazing too! Dave Rapoza is a true talent.

Review: 27 - Second Set #3

I love the idea that “Fame” and “Talent” are given by external forces. It’s what interested me about the first series of 27 and it’s a concept that continues in this issue as well. It’s very fitting that a book dealing with a rock star and his chase of fame and attention would leave its readers the same way it’s main character does, always wanting more. I said on Twitter before writing this review that there was only one book that I was looking forward to tomorrow and if you haven’t guessed by now, this is the book. From the first issue of the first series this book has had its hooks and me and it’s one of the few titles that I would chase down if I had to and if you missed the first series then you now need to go pick it up.

This issue starts off with a bang as our injured protagonist presses the button once more. He snaps a nearby twig and draws in the air creating green stick figured people who he asks for help. Soon enough a crudely drawn ambulance pulls up to a hospital to drop off our injured rock star and manager. From there our story is cut in half as one half of the page shows Garland and his manager healing and bounding with each other, while the other half has Valerie our “one-hit wonder” cultivating musical artifacts. These events all lead up to a party that Valerie hosts for all of her one-hit wonder friend that ends in a bargain with yet another external force.

What I really enjoy about 27 is the writing. I love comics that have many layers of story and allow readers to take and understand the events of the story differently. I tend to describe this as surface story that is there for everyone to understand and enjoy, but then there is the deeper story that’s layered and stacked below that story. That’s where books like 27 are truly brilliant and exciting because there is always so much more to take from the story. I would describe writer Charles Soule as a writer’s writer,because you can’t help but read his work and want to attempt your own story or simple dissect his work in the best of possible ways so that you can get to each and every layer of the story. Literally after each issue of 27 I feel inspired; I feel that I can do more than read this comic but actually do something meaningful and lasting in this world. Because of that I hope that 27 never ends, but continues to develop in well-thought out pieces of some of the deepest story telling in comics today.

The art continues to be strong and beautiful and play to the story in all the right ways. As I mentioned in the review for the first issue the art is cleaning and to use a musical term, has a studio feel to it. It could just be artist Renzo Podesta developing as a creator, or it could be an intentional technique to play into the story more. Art is subjective so I’ll choose the way I want to look at the art, but at the end of the day it’s hard to argue that there is something beautiful about Podesta’s style and how fitting it is for the series.

I skipped reviewing the last issue because sometimes you don’t want to share your favorite book with everyone. This book sits very near the top of my list of favorite series and it has a certain effect on me that I haven’t had since Blue Monday, in which I want everyone to read and enjoy the series but wish I could keep it all to myself. With this third issue I just couldn’t see myself not sharing how good the book is with everyone. Lastly this issue should give away the theme to the covers for the second series (not that it’s really been a secret), so look back at the first two issues and figure it out. In the meantime, it should be a no-brainer that you need to pick this book up this week and frankly if it wasn’t releasing tomorrow I wouldn’t even bother going to the comic shop.

Score: 5/5

Review: Milk and Cheese - Dairy Products Gone Bad!

If you were just a young lad or lassie in the 90's much like myself then you probably missed out on this classic series Milk and Cheese. Thankfully you have a second shot at the title with Dark Horse's omnibus collection Milk and Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad. I'm actually glad that I didn't read the book upon its first release because frankly I wouldn't have understood a lot of what the book has to offer. The simple fact is that Milk and Cheese is still ahead of its time and many of its jokes are still relevant today. From one new reader to another let me just say that it's best not to try to read the book in one sitting. The simple fact is that the one page stories lose their effect if read back to back. It's like a Far Side book, if you read it all at once the back half isn't nearly as funny as when you started. That's exactly how Milk and Cheese is and I found that I would stop reading from the nearly 300 page omnibus, when I stopped laughing out loud. The book is broken into chapters which contain that years comics and starts with 1988 to 1989.

Milk and Cheese begin with a simple breakdown of who they are, where they're from and what they're all about... I mean not really. They're from New Jersey, they're very modern and like to have fun. Simple right? But they're dialog and actions are rarely as simple as the captions would have you believe. In our first panel "They're from New Jersey," Milk spouts off that they're sensitive about it while Cheese holds a sign that reads "Any where but Newark or bust." Its this balance of comedy which makes fun of itself while poking fun at others which gives Milk and Cheese its real charm.

There is also a real sophistication to the series as it brings up societal issues with its satirical nature. I was particularly amused by the socialist undertones of the series; it was as if these two products of capitalism sought to destroy the very beast that gave birth to them with violence and hate. Creator, writer and artist Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden) may not have sought out creating a comic classic/masterpiece, but that's exactly what he's done. His use of the single page format not only plays to the strengths of his storytelling devices, which then plays to the art style as well. Although very cartoony, Milk and Cheese always look very serious or at the very least have like human facial responses. Because of this it gives the two hate filled characters an iconic look.

This omnibus collects nearly every Milk and Cheese comic produced from Dorkin and frankly I'm glad that Dark Horse got the rights. This is yet another comic gem that I don't think would have seen the light of day had they not tried to tackle it. Weather you pick it up for the art, the hilarious 90's references or the comedy that still remains a generation ahead; just know that at the end of the day you're picking up a story that's just fun and violent in a way that Mad magazine once was. Any you take out of their violence or comedy is just the cherry on the top of the over the top fun you'll have reading this modern classic.

Score: 5/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Evan Dorkin Publisher: Dark Horse Comics