"White Boat," #3 Finally Was Released and is a Stellar Finale

The first issue of, "White Boat," came out from DSTLRY back in mid-2024. It took some time, but the second issue was released as well, and a hoot. Then...delays. It got to the point DSTLRY announced a temporary shutdown/pause, and it had me worried there wouldn't be a third and final issue. Thankfully, they got back up and running, with, "White Boat," #3 finally hitting stands this week. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Francesco Francavilla have crafted a masterful tale of surreal genetic experiments, ancient secret technologies, and a big ol' superyacht. 

Considering how long it took for all these issues to come out, it did take me a minute to remember a few plot details, but by the issue's end, I was just as engaged as back in 2024 with the first issue, and this tale that, at its heart, is about the love one has for their sibling/s through good and bad. Plus, the magazine-size format lets Francavilla's art truly sing. There will be a full collection of, "White Boat" before long, and I'd highly encourage folks to pick it up so they can enjoy it without any extensive waits between chapters.

5 out of 5 Stars.

A New, "The Twilight Zone," Comic Series is on the Way

The original version of, "The Twilight Zone," is amazing. I'll rewatch old episodes of the series that had Rod Serling as the showrunner (and oftentimes writer/executive producer/etc.) and be amazed how good a job the episodes did of telling stories that still ring true today in regards to our xenophobia, perceptions of beauty, and more (some episodes were simply intense and clever too). There have been multiple revivals of the series and a feature film (another is allegedly on the way too), but that original series is still the best. Now, a cool comic-book take (the latest of a handful that have occurred) is on the way.

This latest, "The Twilight Zone," comic will be an anthology--just like the television series--where each issue stands alone. The artwork will intentionally be in black-and-white as the OG version was too. Set to be published by IDW, some great names are attached to the initial five issues, including such talents as Tom Scioli, James Stokoe, Francesco Francavilla, and more! I know I'm excited, and I look forward to the first issue this September!

"White Boat," #1 is Creepy and Gorgeous

"White Boat," #1 is a new series from the publisher DSTLRY, who make treasury-sized comics in various genres. A short promotion for the story was in the debut book from the publisher, "The Devil's Cut," #1, along with other titles and it was the most intriguing yarn to me. The first full issue is a treat, with writer Scott Snyder and artist Francesco Francavilla following a character named Lee who writes about yachts for a living while trying to function with the horrible trauma of having lost his brother in a freak boating accident when they were young. Lee finds himself invited to tour the mysterious mega-yacht known as the White Boat, and from there, things only get weirder.

Both Snyder and Francavilla have been making comics long enough I expected them to knock it out of the park with this first issue of, "White Boat." They surpassed my already lofty expectations, as this initial issue was amazing. Full of moody imagery, things really get scary when Lee finds himself trapped deep within the boat and it morphs and shifts in ways that seem impossible. If the whole series had Lee stuck in a boat that might get old, but by the issue's end it seems the White Boat is only the start of a wild and twisty journey. I eagerly await the next issue!

5 out of 5 stars.

"The Devil's Cut," is a Strong Start for DSTLRY

DSTLRY is a new publisher with plans to release a variety of creator-owned comics, as well as collectibles. They've done some weird stuff with digital scarcity that are not NFTs, but still strange (you can only buy a digital copy of stuff to a certain date then it is gone or something unless you resell a digital copy to someone else) and have hyped up how their first one-shot, "The Devil's Cut," will never be reprinted but all that silly buzz aside I was curious about the aforementioned debut one-shot they released this past Wednesday. It's an anthology of short stories and previews and having read it, my interest is piqued in DSTLRY's possible future offerings.

"The Devil's Cut," is itself an impressive comic. It looks like an oversized magazine with an eye-catching cover by Jock (other covers look neat too) that just begs a reader to open it up and check it out. Then you dive in and see it is an anthology book with shorter stories, that can inspire some worries. Anthology comics are practically by law a mixed bag. You get a mix of good and bad, with the hope being that there is enough great stuff you can forgive the yarns that are lacking. From reading, "The Devil's Cut," I can say no stories were atrocious and certain ones were quite cool. 

I'm down with the first part, okay with the second, a bit befuddled by the third.

When it comes to what I dug in, "The Devil's Cut," certain shorts stick out. A futuristic thief story by Jock titled, "The Stowaway," looked gorgeous as anything by Jock is wont to do. "What Happens Next," by Jamie McKelvie (writer and artist) and Aditya Bidikar as the letterer is a snazzy sci-fi yarn. The best of the bunch in my opinion, however, was, "White Boat," by Scott Snyder and Francesco Fancavilla with Andworld Design as the letterer and Tyler Jennes as a story assistant. It's a creepy horror tale that feels right out of a good episode of, "The Twilight Zone," and hits the reader hard. Those stories were quite fun.

"The Devil's Cut," is an impressive first release from DSTLRY. I'm not big on the whole digital scarcity thing they are hyping but I'm totally down for big, well-written, and gorgeous comics done by fantastic creators who own the rights to their creations and see a profit from them as opposed to being mistreated by a publisher. Should you be in the mood for some wild narratives I'd recommend picking up, "The Devil's Cut," from your local comic shop.

5 out of 5 stars.

Rant-Reviews: Sex, Politics, and Zombies

The Things We Love and Hate

Almost all of us love sex, and almost everyone hates politics or at least certain aspects of it. We both love and hate zombies too. I wanted to do a post discussing comics that touch upon these subjects in various ways, so here we go!

Nudity, Voting, and the Living Dead = A Fun Time!

Sex #28

Joe Casey continues his ever-so-slow build of tension with this series that is still incredibly weird, but now is starting to show more of an overall arching plot that has taken awhile to become apparent.Plus, in its process of forming a story it has revealed to be holding quite a rewarding to those who have played close attention. The seemingly simple concept of what happens after a man named Simon Cooke retires from being a city's super-hero--The Iron Saint--morphed into tale of competing gangs, mid-life crises, and of course lots of sex (I mean, that is in the title).

This issue moves us ever-closer to the possibility that Cooke maybe isn't done being a hero which is a bit ironic as the always-fascinating back-matter which features the musings of writer Joe Casey talks about how he is feeling disenfranchised by mainstream super-hero comics lately. Piotr Kowlalski supplies the usual incredible art to compliment the increasing wild-vibe of this series, and I undoubtedly am excited to see where things continue to go.

4 out of 5 stars.

Citizen Jack #6

This comic jumped around so much for me, alternating between being a really clever and funny look at the absurdity of politics to being so on-the-nose that it was less funny than it was obvious. This issue concludes the mini-series but makes it clear more will most likely be on the way. It also throws in a joke about how other politicians have made deals with devils that I should have seen coming but did not. This was a series where I kept seeing lots of potential within and it occasionally was hilarious or clever, but in the end this petered out a bit. Perhaps the sequel its clearly setting-up will be good with Jack as our President.

2.5 out of 5 stars.

Nighthawk #1

I was interested when this comic was announced as I enjoyed the, "Supreme Power," comics until they sort-of trailed off and died (before the comic's world officially dying). The idea that one character escaped that reality and came to the main Marvel Universe is an interesting one (and he's part of a team full of refugees from other worlds as, "Squad Supreme" explores), and I quite enjoyed reading about this Nighthawk before in the older comics. This isn't a Marvel Max book anymore so swearing is blurred out, but the illustrations by Ramon Villalobos are sufficiently brutal as to remind me of those previous comics. Writer David Walker gives us a good balance of Nighthawk out being a super-hero killing white supremacists (who readers of "Supreme Power" know are responsible for his parent's death) and his civilian identity (his real name is Kyle Richmond but he can't use that on this Earth as there is another Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk too).

Watching Kyle balance his life between fighting criminals and then fighting corrupt businessmen is entertaining. Speaking of those businessmen, one wants to force out the residents of affordable housing out so he can build condos, and our hero wants to help fix-up them up, which is interesting with its introduction of class and racial elements into the book. I look forward to writer David Walker having that element more in the story as much of the first issue was focused more on Nighthawk fighting folk than his day-time activities. The political-stuff with Nighthawk's regular life always fascinated me as much as if not more-so than his heroics, after all, but this was still a solid start.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Afterlife with Archie #9

Everyone else reviewing this has already cracked all the good jokes about how long the waits are between issues, so I won't do any and simply say that yeah, it is pretty absurd. I has gotten to the point I dropped the, "Sabrina," book--which is another horror title in this line but set in a different continuity--due to its delays, figuring I'll read it in trade sometime. That said, I just won't ever quit, "Afterlife with Archie," even with its laughable delays as the book is just so good, so dark, and generally wild (plus it helpfully sums up the story so far at the opening for all of us who are bit hazy on things). Finally living up to its hint of Betty's life being in danger that the arc's title has carried, it seems that Reggie may be the threat the comic long hinted he was. I've always thought of Reggie as being a bit of a sociopath so having the comic discuss that, shut the idea down, but then bring it back with a vengeance was clever. Francavilla is the perfect artist for this book, providing amazing moody tones full of dark hues and drama. There just isn't much else to say besides, "Afterlife with Archie," is amazing no matter how late it always happens to be.

5 out of 5 stars.

Was it Good For You Too?

Whether you're making love, picking a politician, or fighting off some zombies, I hope you're happy and satisfied--although with politics the odds of you actually being satisfied are slim-to-none. After all, in sex and politics a lot of people get screwed. I know, that's a terrible pun to end this article on, but it's the one I chose. Maybe I should have done something zombie themed? Oh well. Wait, I've got it! Politicians are like zombies, they....um....damn it.

2014 In Review--My Favorite Ongoing Comics This Year

And The Winner Is...
To kick-off my series of segments looking at 2014 I thought I would make sense to start with some of my favorite comics from this year that were ongoing series. Now, I do have another post that deals with my favorite cancelled comics of 2014, but that will go up at a later date and these are ongoing titles that seem to be continuing into the foreseeable future. Now, in no particular order my top three ongoing series and an honorable mention...

...These Comics!
Zero

Ales Kot has a fascinating comic he is writing here. Each issue has a different artist (but the same colorist in Jordie Bellaire) but it isn't too jarring as often we view different times in the life of Edward Zero, a man who was raised by "The Agency" but then left it. It is a fascinating series exploring the mindset of a man who for so long lived in violence and then tried to achieve peace, but as we see from scenes set far in the future with Zero as a young man things went horribly wrong. Each issue's artist compliments the plot well, be it brutal violence, a peacefully quiet vignette, or whatever else Kot feels like having occur. I just really, really, enjoy this.

Moon Knight

Warren Ellis absolutely killed it on the first six issues of this comic with artist Declan Shalvey and colorist Jordie Bellaire (the same person from "Zero"!) contributing art that complimented the writing in ways that resulted in something quite often amazing. I was concerned when Brian Wood took over writing with art by Greg Smallwood, but since came on I have continued to be impressed. This results in a comic that despite having a big change in writer and artist (thankfully Bellaire continues to supply amazing color-work) still found itself as one of my favorite books of 2014.

Moon Knight is of course a hero I absolutely love to a degree you could argue is an unhealthy level of fanboy-ism, so even if his comic were terrible I would probably pick it up. Therefore, it is just wonderful that a comic about one of my most beloved characters can also be a book I think is just stellar and which continues to impress even as it seems Marc Spector may not be as much of the "Moon Knight" he once was. What will happen before the next creative team appears for the next arc will remain to be seen, but as long as it continues the trend of quality work I'll be eager to read "Moon Knight".

The Wicked and The Divine

This one took a little while to grow on me, besdies instantly loving Luci. The early issues had me unsure what exactly I was dealing with, the immense cast could be confusing, and I wasn't sure if the main protagonist Laura was especially interesting a person. However, as the first four issues passed I found myself being more and more drawn into this world where every ninety years Gods manifest on Earth--but only for two years. I was fascinated by the pantheon of characters as we got to know them a bit better, and then the absolutely shocking events of the fifth issue (why did they do that to Luci?) followed by an ominous sixth have me completely hooked.

Kieron Gillen and Jamie Mckelvie are of course a stellar team, turning in such amazing works as  "Phonogram" or "Young Avengers", so when you get a writer and artist duo that seem to work so perfectly in sync it just results in a wonderful title. "The Wicked and the Divine" is a prime example of that and I am excited to see where it goes.

Honorable Mention--Afterlife with Archie

Is this really an ongoing comic? I mean, I suppose it officially is in that there is no determined final issue and we get a new entry in the zombie-infested adventures of Archie and crew every long once in a while. That said, this just comes out so rarely I wasn't sure I could truly say it was one of my favorite ongoing comics this year so much as declaring it is a stellar comic on the rare occasion an issue comes out of this sadly oft-delayed title. How delayed is it? Well, this issue discusses Thanksgiving and the next one which has an undetermined release date is the Christmas issue...and Christmas just passed us. All of that aside however, this is a stellar comic with art by Francavilla that blows my mind and quality story-telling by Aguirre-Sacasa. I just wish "Afterlife with Archie" came out more often than every 4 or 5 months.

There Are Plenty More Thoughts on 2014 to Share
That's the start of my thought-pieces on 2014. Come on back soon for more. It should be a fun six days.

Some Much-Delayed Thoughts on "Afterlife with Archie" #6 AKA How I Wish "Fatale" Had Been Done

If You'll Allow Me To Explain

I really loved the latest issue of "Afterlife with Archie" that came out some weeks ago. It took me until recently to read it but once I did I had two major thoughts, "This is incredibly good," and "This really reminds me of 'Fatale', and is actually how I wish 'Fatale' had been." Should this thinking confuse you or seem weird to compare two seemingly very different comics I'll explain. Basically, its all about the creeping sense of horror.

So Much Tension That It Eventually Got Boring
"Fatale" featured a female protagonist named Josephine with scary powers (in this case the ability to basically mind-control men and recover from any injury whilst not aging) who was trying to escape from an evil cult that seemed to worship a variety of horrifying Cthulhu-styled creatures. It jumped around in time, and despite starting out promising I found myself growing bored with it. I ended-up quitting the comic around the point it had jumped-forward in time from what was arguably the "main" story to a tale about Seattle in the 1990's.

I did like the earlier issues.

As I stated, it began quite well, with Josephine--also known as "Jo"--being interesting and a bit scary, yet also sympathetic. I've loved past works by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Philips, so I was intrigued when I began the series. There was this sense of tension and foreboding...and then nothing much happened for a bunch of issues. You can only have tensions ratcheting-up for so long without a release before people just get exhausted along with possibly bored, and well, with Fatale I became pretty bored. For all I know the last issue paid off in a big way and cashed-in expertly on all that led into it, but as it stands, when I remember "Fatale" I think of how it had so much tension that it eventually got boring, if that paradox makes any sense. Then in comparison we have "Afterlife with Archie" #6, i.e. how I want a comic to build-up my anxiety and then pay off on it.

Not the Kind of Dream Wedding Most People Hope For, But Delightful For A Reader

"Afterlife with Archie" has centered on a zombie invasion of the town of Riverdale brought about by Sabrina (The Teenage Witch) using magic she shouldn't have in an attempt to help Jughead bring his dog named "Hot Dog" back to life. After the first issue where Sabrina was banished by her aunts to a nether-realm the comic has focused on Archie and crew, with us readers only able to wonder what came of Sabrina. Well, the sixth issue of this comic offers a bit of an interlude from the goings-on in Riverdale and fills us in on Sabrina. Basically, she has been at an institution for troubled youth since the supposed deaths of her aunts. Clearly, something is amiss.

This may sound quite different from "Fatale", but in this issue there are many similarities. The issue features a female protagonist with scary powers (magic), who is trying to escape from a sort of asylum run by an evil cult that worships Cthulhu. See how that sort of links up? There are little things too, like how the motif in "Fatale" of people seeing creepy things for a split-second before "reality" sets back in happens a bunch in this issue of "Afterlife", which was in fact one of the first things that made me start thinking of "Fatale". From my noticing how this was like "Fatale" I started to see how it did something very well that I've made clear "Fatale" did not--the tension-building.

The issue opens with Sabrina describing a nightmarish dream to Doctor Lovecraft (see what they did there?) and continues from there as we see her in the institution. Sabrina is trying to figure out why everything seems off, and if this strange belief that she is actually a witch is true or some delusion--as she has been informed as such by folk at her establishment of forced housing. As the issue continues a sense of palpable dread and fear grows and grows until a heck of an ending where Sabrina learns the truth is she is a witch that the Doctor's snatched from the nether-realm and is to be the bride of none other than Cthulhu himself. Yeah, not the kind of dream-wedding most people hope for, but delightful for a reader.

Whereas with "Fatale" I was putting up with issue-after-issue of a feeling of fear and trouble, nothing too big actually really occurred (yes, there were some smaller pay-offs, but not a "wow" moment like "Afterlife" contained). Meanwhile, in a single issue of "Afterlife with Archie", writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa expertly started things out with a creepy vibe, built up my worry and fear for Sabrina, and ended with a huge bang. If any issue of "Fatale" had been as good as this single one of "Afterlife with Archie" I probably would have gladly stuck with it till the end.

Top-Notch Stuff
I've sounded negative about "Fatale" but it was a perfectly good comic, it just got grating after awhile. At least the art in "Afterlife" is incredible thanks to Franco Francavilla, and Sean Philip's work in "Fatale" was top-notch too, so both books are beautiful; it just in the end comes down to the story the comics have been telling. While most of "Afterlife with Archie" has had more of a strange "Walking Dead"-type feel, this check-in with Sabrina was full-tilt Cthulhu and Elder Gods-styled. Therefore, trying to compare other issues of "Afterlife" to "Fatale" would be a bit silly, but works wonderfully for this issue.

Usually "Afterlife with Archie" has more zombie-smashing than Cthulhu

This issue of "Afterlife with Archie" is a stellar example of an interpretation of HP Lovecraft, period, not just how I wish "Fatale" had gone. In the end they are very different comics, but I just felt like sharing how while reading the sixth issue of "Afterlife with Archie" I couldn't stop repeatedly thinking, "This is how I wish 'Fatale' had read." It may be unfair to Brubaker and Philips to write this as they were doing their own thing, but its just an observation I had and wanted to share with you all out there on the internet. As it is, this issue of "Afterlife" is my favorite thus far and just a great comic. I mean, when one comic is so good you wish other comics were like it that means something, I would argue. Anyways, top-notch stuff.

5 out of 5 (for the sixth issue of "Afterlife with Archie").

Archie Comics and Their Intriguing Ability to Stay Relevant

Archie Comics, Kevin Keller, and...Zombies?
Back in the days of my childhood and early adolescence I would enjoy reading Archie Comics. Whether it was about Archie and his eternal conflict of whether he should commit to Betty or Veronica (by the way, I'm fully team Betty because she is much more pleasant even if she isn't rich), Jughead and his incomprehensible ability to eat anything and everything, Sabrina casting spells, Reggie being a total jerk, or any other member of the gang, I always had a moderate level of fun with Archie Comics.

Eventually I just sort of tapered off and stopped reading their stories as I switched more to super-hero related comics and then a variety of independent publishers. I thought Archie Comics made products that were cute, but a little outdated and definitely not topical or especially relevant to today. Seeing as how I'm talking about Archie Comics, clearly that changed at some point.

Kevin Keller, a pretty cool guy.

I would say when Archie Comics first started getting more attention from the "mainstream" comic-book crowd (and media in general!) would be when they announced and introduced Kevin Keller. He was the first gay character (at least openly, I've always had suspicions about Reggie, he tries a little too hard to get ladies) to ever appear in the publisher's comics, and suddenly a company that looked stuffy and old-fashioned was doing something quite progressive.

There was the whole fiasco with some homophobic group known as "One Million Moms" trying to protest the comic (folk may also recognize them as the the organization that urged a boycott of JC Penney due to their having an openly-gay spokesperson in the form of Ellen DeGeneres, a move which actually boosted sales at the company), and it seemed some folk took a whole, "Think of the children" platform, even though I've never understood why teaching children to hate gay people is a supposed family value to some people. In the end however, Kevin Keller was introduced, became quite popular, and actually has his own series with Archie Comics right now.

A lot of thanks for Kevin's success as a character goes to the fact that he is well-written (Dan Parent pretty much always writes Kevin and does a great job) in a way that does not play into any gay stereotypes, or which makes him little more than a token "cause" character. Kevin is just another likable person in the Archie-verse who gets into various misadventures and also happens to be gay. Kevin Keller is popular, Archie comics is getting more press attention, and then things get even more interesting with a new comic that just came out that I at first thought was a joke when I heard it announced. Yes, I'm referring to "Afterlife with Archie".

"Afterlife with Archie" is a comic that feels like it shouldn't exist in within our universe yet thankfully does. It is not all-ages appropriate and therefore only found in comic shops due to its darker and more violent content. You see, it features zombies invading Archie's town of Riverdale. Yes, you read that right, zombies. With amazing art by Francesco Francavilla that carries an amazing amount of dread, it is absolutely goregous. Plus the weird mish-mash of normal everyday Archie conflicts (will Archie take Betty or Veronica to the big Halloween party?) and gruesome horror of zombies attacking people actually works in a surreal way that boggles the mind.

Jughead, Hot Dog is not your friend anymore, run!

Basically, Jughead's dog is sadly run over (we later learn by Reggie) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch tries to help make things better by bringing "Hot Dog" back to life, but instead a monstrous zombie rises. Before long Jughead is infected and not long thereafter he's a shambling flesh-eater making his way to the Halloween party, with a cliffhanger on the last page of his arrival to said party making it clear we need to read the 2nd issue to see things really get nasty. It is all extremely weird yet incredibly fun.

All these factors result in the panel for Archie comics this year at NYCC apparently being absolutely jammed with fans eager to hear what 's next. Oh, and what is next? Apparently, Betty and Veronica may be disappearing in some manner in the main Archie-verse to be replaced by two other female characters. To this news I can only be surprised and also kind of wonder how long such a change this major sticks. Sure, introducing a new character such as Kevin Keller can last forever, and a mini-series set in another world where Archie faces zombies could go on for a bit, but getting rid of Betty and Veronica, how can that work? Then again, just a couple of weeks ago I would have asked how in the world an Archie & zombies comic-book could be possible, so perhaps we shall see.

A publisher I once had pretty much written off as obsolete is now more topical than ever, and making quality stories to go with the boost in relevancy. Archie Comics is producing some good stuff and I wholeheartedly look forward to seeing what comes next.

Batman And Black Mirrors, Johnny Boo, and Modern Warfare 3 Goes "Boom"

I Can See Clearly Now The Rain Is Gone
Today we shall discuss a great collection of Scott Snyder's run on Detective Comics with Jock and Francesco Francavailla as artists that was collected as, "Batman: the Black Mirror." We will also discuss a fun children's book by intriguing author James Kochalka titled Johnny Boo: Twinkle Power. Lastly, the game, "Modern Warfare 3," will be looked at and reviewed even though by now it has sold a ba-jillion copies and can't sell much more without people buying a second copy to play. Let's make this weasel go pop!

The Last Hurrah Of Dick Grayson As Batman, And What A Hurrah Indeed--Batman: The Black Mirror

The title is a bit of a misnomer, as this actually is a collection of the late/now re-launched Detective Comics. this is a heavy book collecting issues #871-881, and do keep in mind some of the material started as back-up strips back before DC cut those out of their comics. The intriguing thing is that all the story-lines end up coming together. From the seemingly unrelated tale of Jim Gordon's son coming back to Gotham that starts out as said back-up strip to Batman investigating a new mob-boss or two. Scott Snyder expertly works it out so things have a bit of a synergy and feed into one another. Plus, he's got two killer artists illustrating various bits to make sure things go well.

Whether it is Jock providing art or Francisco Francavilla, things look beautiful. Both can do ominous and haunting, and both can do frenetic action scenes quite well too. Between a well-told story and some masterful art this is a quality package. The only downside is it seems the whole mystery of if James Gordon is a psycho killer or just a misunderstood person who has reformed gets a rushed conclusion--probably as DC told Snyder with the re-launch coming he had to wrap things up. Still, before we find out what the answer is, you find a fair bit of evidence pointing either way, and boy is James Gordon just plain creepy.

This was a great yarn, and it wasn't completely removed from continuity because as far as I know Dick Grayson still acknowledges how he was Batman for a time (so if you're one of those "it has to count" people you can maybe read this and be okay). Regardless of where this stands in the new DC Universe, it is a great story with some solid art, so you ought to give it read and not let the large size and slightly larger price tag to go with it scare you away--or you could wait for the trade paperback if you're having some funds issues. Lord knows I need to spend my money better and go out to eat less.
4.5 out of 5 stars

The Ghost With The....What Was It Again?--Johnny Boo: Twinkle Power

Johnny Boo is a fun little ghost. He has a some friends and they have a pretty good time in this book illustrated by comic artist Jame Kochalka. Kochalka has done a variety of comic work, ranging from kid-friendly stuff to things that surely aren't (he had a comic called, "Superfuckers"). No matter what he's done though, he always has an adorable art style. Johnny Boo is a cute book that both the grown folk and kids should be able to enjoy as it has good humor, good art, and Kochalka's fun style.
3.5 out of 5 stars.


A Fitting End To The Trilogy--Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The first, "Modern Warfare," had some decent action scenes but the plot was actually kind of neat and fun. the second had some incredible scenes but the plot sort of went off-the-rails at certain points and just confused the hell out of me. Therefore, I've got some good news in that, "Modern Warfare 3," packs in amazing set pieces and the plot actually has some semblance of coherence even if it is pretty far-fetched with the whole Russia-invading-the-US thing that carries over for the 2nd game.

I won't spoil all the awesome things that happen, as I myself purposely went out of my way to not read press that would tell me some of the cool things you got to do. Seriously though, you must be having a hard time avoiding spoilers, as this game has some incredible moments of action. True, unlike open-world games where you can make your own  neat moment, everything here is scripted to a "T" but its okay because you really are sort of in your own interactive movie.

The action is good, the characters you've grown to care about somewhat continue to impress and have their own forms of plot resolution--be it happy for some and not as much for others, and lots of things explode gloriously. It's Modern Warfare 3 and its a grand time. I should note I didn't bother with the multi-player because I have Battlefield 3 for my multi-player hi-jinks (I need vehicles to be happy), but for those of you who love the multi-player aspect you'll be even more pleased with this game, I imagine. Based on single-player alone, however, I had a pretty great time. The thing is though, once its over, you are done. You can replay the game, but you know all the action that will occur now, so your 8-hour action movie is essentially pointless if you just wanted the single-player. Hence, you might want to just rent this and beat it.
4 out of 5 stars (based on single-player alone)

I'm Having More Trouble Seeing In The Storm Now
A really great comic, a fun children's book, and a game that was a lot of fun. Seems things aren't always so bad, eh? Then again, this is a world where it now costs $10.50 at some movie theaters for an evening ticket, so I guess not all is right with the universe. Seriously, 10 bucks to sit in your supposedly, "stadium seating" and then be told I...I mean you...have to pay a ton more for water, soda, or popcorn? No wonder I'd...er...you...would rather spend the cash on above items most of the time unless the movie is really good.

This Is An Awesome Comic Cover--Detective Comics #877

That is a really cool cover by Jock for the current Detective Comics run Scott Snyder has been writing the hell out of and which Jock has been doing killer art on when Francisco Francavilla isn't also doing great stuff. I saw it when I picked it up Wednesday and my jaw dropped. Now we get what is just one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen, with the outline of a body and Batman inside it...just wow. You know what, let's get a focus on that main image:

Damn, that is super-cool, you have a sexuality-and-death sort of thing going on, light-and-dark...just, incredible stuff.

Rant Review--Dull Avengers, Black Panther Does Well, And Deadpool Family Is Just Awful

New Avengers #12 keeps jumping around in time to a point where I've pretty much lost interest, Black Panther #518 wraps up its first story-arc nicely, and Deadpool Family has a terrible one-shot.

Rant Reviews--New-Yet-Old Avengers, Black Panther, and Wolverine

In this late-day post, the New Avengers continue to take have a storyline both in the present and past with neither garnering that much attention, Black Panther continues to be really good, and Wolverine fights his inner-demons in a literal sense.

Rant Reviews--Three Comics With Three Different Sociopaths.

I discussed these in-depth on my first-ever podcast, but still wanted to get my thoughts down in text too about these three comics that seem to involve sociopaths, interestingly enough. They are Detective Comics #875, Daken: Dark Wolverine #7, and Osborn #4.