Rant-Reviews: I Haven't Done One of These For a Bit

 It's Been Some Time

I realized I have not done some of my beloved/reviled capsule reviews since the start of this year, so why don't I whip some up for you right now to enjoy? Let's review some recent-ish comics and examine what I liked and what left me wanting.

A Smattering of Comics

Warlash: Cold Metal Mayhem #1 (One-Shot)

I blogged recently about how great an experience I had ordering this comic from Asylum Press, and I finally had the chance to read it. Collecting an assortment of great stories, this one-shot of adventures features Warlash, a character who is a bit like Batman meets Judge Dredd, but with his own interesting quirks and complexities too. I really loved the first story which featured art by the amazing Steve Mannion as it told the dark tale (written by Frank Forte) of a man named Grubbs who also has monstrous mutations. The other yarns are great too and this is a lovely one-shot about a character whose adventures I continue to enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars.

Strange Adventures #12

Well, that was an anti-climatic ending. For those who have yet to read this final issue of the latest Tom King maxi-series (he's done some solid 12-issue series) or want to read the story in full, I won't spoil too much. The whole series was a bit about trauma, PTSD, and how it can affect us as a person. That was interesting. There was a lot of Mr. Terrific too. That was good too. The story had some twists and turns, but just kind of deflated in this final issue with the whole maxi-series clearly not being about Adam Strange so much as using him to tell an at first intriguing but overall just kind of melancholy yarn. It was an alright way to spend 12 issues, even if we peter out a lot here at the finish line. At least the alternating art with Doc Shaner and Mitch Gerards (one for past, one for present) was consistently a treat.

3 out of 5 stars.

Southside #1

This was the first comic I've read from Advent Comics. It was solid. This first issue is by Tony Kittrell and Chepe Rios, who make a good team. It follows a somewhat Punisher-style hero named Dalton Malone who tries to keep Washington DC clean of criminals. There's a lot of blood, gunfire, some nudity, and the comic has a nice edgy feel without being over-the-top gritty as it works in some humor too. Apparently, Advent Comics has been around 10 years and has been gaining in popularity, now it is big enough to be distributed with other larger indie comics. If, "Southside," is a good indicator of quality I'm interested in checking out some of their other books in the future!

5 out of 5 stars.

Monster Kill Squad #2

I swear, Bad Idea Comics puts out some good stuff and if they let their books speak for themselves without doing dumb P.R. stunts they'd still get plenty of ink written about them for their quality titles. That said, they keep doing weird stuff that overshadows how clever and fun some of their comics are. "Monster Kill Squad," is one of those good times, focusing on a team that kills horrific beings that started appearing at a rapid rate after the opening of the literal Pandora's Box. It's a good read with a winking tone from Christos Gage (sometimes a little too eager to crack a joke) and absolutely gorgeous artwork by Tomas Giorello. I just wish Bad Idea made their books easier to read for those who actually want to you, you know, enjoy them!

4 out of 5 stars.

Primordial #1

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have collaborated a bunch of times and rarely disappoint. "Primordial," imagines an alternate universe where something went horribly wrong with our space programs early on and something was discovered that resulted in the U.S. and Soviet Union shutting everything down. What exactly happened is a mystery, but it involves the animals sent to space by our nations and what exactly took them. Lemire and Sorrentino give us something creepy and delightfully sci-fi. No matter what publisher they're with (in this case Image) they almost always make awesome stuff!

5 out of 5 stars.

A Piece of News that Brought Me Joy and One That Resulted in a Mildly-Interested Shrug

What's In the News?

Today two announcements were made and one has me pretty excited and the other elicited a shrug. Shall we break them down?

Joy: Jeff Lemire Writing a, "The Question," Mini-Series

I have discussed on the blog before my immense love for certain iterations of, "The Question," especially the one written by Denny O'Neil with art often by Denys Cowans and Bill Seinkewicz. Well, today it was announced none other than the fantastic writer Jeff Lemire will be doing a project for DC's Black Label (it lived while Vertigo sadly died) about good ol' Vic Sage with art actually also being done by Cowans and Seinkewicz! This is fantastic news and a wonderful break from how the Black Label so far seems to be about 90% books involving Batman, Harley Quinn, or the Joker. Oh, and as if to prove that point Lemire is also doing another Black Label book with Andrea Sorrentino about...the Joker. It'll at least look gorgeous with Sorrentino doing art at least.

Zack Snyder is Making an Animated Show About Vikings for Netflix

When Zack Snyder isn't busy refusing to stop talking about his plans for, "Justice League," movies that now are just fever-dreams of fans (I could go the rest of my life without hearing about the so-called demand for a, "Snyder Cut," thank you) or threatening to make a movie out of one of Ayn Rand's books he now apparently has a new project. Tired of being told to, "Put up or shut-up," by everyone it seems Snyder will be making an animated show about Vikings for Netflix in the vein of popular, "Anime," series even though I don't understand how it can call itself anime if only American companies or folk are involved. As this is Zack Snyder we're talking about I'm sure the show will be incredibly grim, gritty, and possibly entertaining in spurts when it is able to get over itself and Snyder's worst impulses (I mean, I actually liked, "Batman VS Superman," after all).

There Was the News

I'm pumped for Lemire's take on, "The Question," and vaguely interested in what Zack Snyder has in store with his interpretation of Viking lore. That was the notable news for me today, at least, and I wanted to share my thoughts!

Gideon Falls #1 is Bewildering, Ominous, and Gorgeous

I read the new horror-themed Image title, "Gideon Falls," and found myself quite enjoying it. That shouldn't be a surprise as it is written by the talented Jeff Lemire and illustrated by the amazing Andrea Sorrentino. This creative team has of course worked together before, be it during a run on, "Green Arrow," for DC or the, "Old Man Logan," comic at Marvel. Sorrentino's art style is just abstract and stylish enough to really grab the reader's eye while not being overly garish or difficult to decipher. Meanwhile Lemire's writing always seems to be its best when he's allowed to tell a yarn at whatever pace he likes, with some (but not all) of his Marvel and DC work feeling rushed or incomplete but his pieces done for other publishers usually giving the sensation of being allowed to, "Breathe," a good deal. They make a good team, in other words.

In its first issue, "Gideon Falls," introduces us to two characters who don't yet know each other but their paths will surely cross sooner than later. Plenty of mysteries are introduced (what is this black barn?) and we get a nice sinister vibe throughout the whole issue. We have an old priest who has been called to town due to a death of the town's previous holy man, and things clearly aren't quite right. Also witnessed is a young man obsessed with gathering random garbage for an unclear reason when not reassuring his therapist he's perfectly fine. A few other characters pop-in but as a sudden and gruesome death at the end of the first issue makes clear, things are going to get bloody fast.

"Gideon Falls," has atmosphere to spare and sets a lot of groundwork for an intriguing story. It also is outright gorgeous. My only issue is that so many questions are raised I worry how long it will take to begin getting any answers. I'm excited to keep reading however and see where things go.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

My Dropping of Comics Strikes Again!

Cutting Comics Redux
Not too many months ago I did a multi-part look at how I was dropping many comics, and keeping others. It had four parts and I'll link to that at the end of this article should you desire to read it. The basic message was that comics that were merely okay wouldn't be able to keep coming home with me, as for $2.99 I can maybe do "basically good," but once you hit a cost of $3.99 you have to be pretty damn snazzy to be something I want to keep buying. Well, I said then I would eventually get to cutting more stuff, and lo and behold I have. Let's examine some choice examples and how they represent what I do and don't want to keep. I know I'm cutting a lot lately it seems, but don't worry, I'll still review comics even as I keep cutting, along with all the other stuff I enjoy discussing. I just thought you all would find it interesting to see more of my thoughts on what is right and what is wrong with comics. Let's proceed!

Stuff I Kept:
Various One-Shots/Mini-Series/Series That are Ending

You're just three issues and a good read? Sold!

A one-shot is a short little tale, why not give it a chance? If I don't like it, I only lost that amount of money, so one-shots are quite appealing. Also, if something is a generally self-contained mini-series from an independent publisher, and the story is pretty good, I don't flinch at maybe getting the six-issue run and then being done with the comic. I don't have to commit a ton of time and effort to understanding back-stories, or a bunch of money to a whole bunch of issues for a series that I may not even like at some point. Through being just a small number of issues, I don't hesitate to read "Absolution: Rubicon" or "Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde".

By the same point, if there were a series I happened to be following and was considering dropping, but it has om;y a few issues left, I figured I would get those last issues and not replace it with something else, still clearing out space in my wallet, just at a later time. A series such as "Avengers Arena" which is nearing its conclusion is an example of this.

Beautifully illustrated comics

Yeah, "Green Arrow" is worth keeping.

"Green Arrow" and "Clone" may not have incredible stories, but Sorrentino and Juan Jose Ryp are killing it on each respective book. Therefore, as long as they are illustrating those two comics, I definitely want them.

Well-Written Stories with Great Concepts
This is kind of an obvious point, but it deserves stating that if a comic has a great "hook" and is written extremely well, I will of course want to read it. "Saga" springs to mind as a book I couldn't live without, and even though I'm not reading any other Spider-Man book I am loving "The Superior Foes of Spider-Man". Also, even though I dropped some books by Joe Casey, one of his current works, "Sex", is just spectacular in its weirdness and has some great art too. Also, "X-Men Legacy" is something I shall keep reading as long as it is coming out with Si Spurrier doing his amazing work.

Dumb but Fun Comics
The "Justice League" comics tend to be kind of dumb and silly, and "Forever Evil" is a bit absurd too, but they are a fun sort of stupidity that makes them worth reading because even if the comics aren't making a deep and insightful point, there still is something awesome to seeing super-heroes smash each other up.

Stuff I Dropped/Won't Start Getting
Boring/Impossible to Understand Comics

"Lazarus" makes even a cool scene of someone coming back to life from wounds boring.

A comic can be dumb and still be enjoyed by me if it is fun, if a comic is just boring though--regardless of how clever or stupid it is, I just would rather give it a pass. "God is Dead" was kind of a snore, and "Indestructible Hulk" was slowly losing me too. "Lazarus" started out with a great concept, but all the pages of people talking, and talking, and talking about little of interest made me want to pull my hair out. Also, some comics weren't boring, they just made no sense. I love Joe Casey but I was having trouble understanding much of "Catalyst Comix" so I gave up on that.

Comics that were just "okay" and therefore not worth the price
This probably made up the largest number of comics I cut. From "Superman Unchained" being decent but uninspiring, to "Uncanny" having some good ideas but just seeming to lack a spark, so many comics I cut were by no means bad, they just weren't at that level of "good" I need with the lesser amount of money I want to spend on comics. As much as "Fatale" could be interesting sometimes, there were plenty of issues that had me saying, "And, that's it?" so I had to let it go. "Suicide Risk" is a perfectly fine comic by the talented Mike Carey, but it just wasn't really leaving me satisfied in a way that had me feeling my money was well-spent.

Absurdly Over-Priced New Comics

Everyone has heard the big news that Marvel is going to start publishing the famous Marvelman/Miracleman comics again (which took forever, I mean they bought the rights how long ago?), but a point less discussed is how expensive these issues are going to be. We're talking something like 5 dollars for a comic that is a reprint of some admittedly great stories, but how can Marvel think charging me that much for a comic that lacks anything super-special (extra pages, some silly gimmick like fold-out pages) will make me want it? A comic such as this or others will not be in my pull-box, that's for sure.

Most New Comics
Part of the problem with cutting comics is that there will always be new things coming out I might want. However, if I make sure not to start getting new comics unless there is something really special about them--or I cut something I currently get if I add something new--then I can keep my amount of comics I read down to a more wallet-friendly level.

"All-New X-Factor" is one of the few upcoming comics I will be buying.

Marvel has announced a new "Punisher" series, and that sounds great, but unless I hear it is absolutely amazing I am probably going to skip it. The "All New X-Factor" comic by Peter David is of course something I want, however, because Peter David is awesome, but another "Ghost Rider" comic is a title I won't lose sleep over missing. As long as I avoid adding much and letting what I currently have run its course, I can be more fiscally responsible and still enjoy the comics I truly like.

So, What Does It All Mean (Again)?
The first time I did my big dropping of comics I got rid of many of the same sorts of things I cut this time. Comics that were okay but not really worth the time they took to read, boring comics, and of course things that cost way too much for what I was getting. I kept stuff that was  written well, fun, had good art, and basically made for stellar comics--which sounds so easy yet seems to be so rare.

As I continue to cut things and read only the stuff that I feel is really worth my time, I hope to get more enjoyment from reading comics as there will only be ones I really treasure, and I will save a lot of money too, which can be used for other things that I hate to admit is more important than comics, but are--like food, shelter, and clothing. Anyways, there you go with what else I decided to drop and why.

Articles from the first time I did a big cut of comics:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Afternoon Rant-Reviews--Some DC, Boom, Image, and Other Indie Comics

As I spent the morning discussing Marvel comics, I thought it would make sense to now discuss some of the other varied stuff I've enjoyed/had to endure lately.

3 New Stories
Dash Shaw is a fabulous artist, and even if these three new stories are mostly just funny weird yarns it still is a pleasure to read them. As these are short tales you get nothing as expansive or insanely complex as his other works, but sometimes bite-sized chunks of an otherwise gigantic meal can be satisfying in their own way too.
4 out of 5 stars.

Storm Dogs #5
David Hine is a great writer and this mixture of sci-fi and police procedural is fascinating stuff which proves his skill. In the span of these five issues I care so much about these characters and really hope this sells well enough to get more "seasons" as it is stated by Hine he is eager to do. Plus, the book does a spectacular job asking questions that make you think, be it about sexuality and gender, or what it means to try and "save" a culture by basically destroying it (in this case that culture being all the native aliens our team encounters). Superb stuff even if all the plots being juggled can result in one needing to slow down and think about everything that is going on--but is it ever a bad thing if a comic actually makes you think?
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Green Arrow #20
I honestly did not read this series at all until I heard about it getting what was basically an entirely fresh start under Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino, with them providing quality writing and beautiful art, respectively. Once I learned of this soft-reboot (that basically followed the Nu52 hard-reboot of the character, but whatever) I checked the comic out and was extremely impressed by the aforementioned writing and gorgeous drawing. I've been enjoying this series since and this issue was no exception. We get some conclusion to Oliver Queen's conflict with "Komodo" but clearly a lot of the story is still just beginning. Pick up that first Lemire & Sorrentino issue and give this a chance, you'll be glad you did--even if just for the amazing art.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Rogues #1
Ah, the debut issue of new publisher "Amigo Comics" pirates-tale (that actually features a cast from past comics, apparently). This is basically pure fan service with its violence and sex, but the comic's writer El Torres says in the back of the comic book that is kind of the whole point of what he is going for with this series--bringing back that feeling of 1990's excess. It helps that he has the spectacular Juan Jose Ryp on art as there has never been an attractive woman or spurt of blood Ryp would hesitate to draw the heck out of. That said, it is unfortunate that the art is the biggest selling-point of this book because Ryp is no longer doing it after this first issue. Still, it might be worth a glance along with the other upcoming releases from this new comic imprint.
3 out of 5 stars.

Parker VS Aliens #2
I picked both this and the first issue up at once because I have enjoyed watching writer Paul Scheer in his normal work as a comedian ("Human Giant" is one of the best comedy shows ever, for real). That said, while this comic does finally pick up some steam in the second issue I still found myself a bit bored by the plot, characters, and--worst of all considering Scheer wrote this--the jokes. We have the various cliches making up the crew of space deliverymen and the requisite mystery on a strange planet they set off to explore where things unsurprisingly go horribly wrong. It's just all so dull, which is quite unfortunate as I really was hoping for this book to be good. Oh well.
1.5 out of 5 stars.

Suicide Risk #1
Mike Carey returns to hero-styled comics! I enjoyed his work on (the older) "X-Men Legacy" and his contributions to the "Endangered Species" back-up/mini that a lot of folk hated but I loved was some of his best stuff too--not that "The Unwritten" is bad, I just kind of quit reading it when I moved almost two years ago and didn't bother to start picking it up again. Anyways, we've now got Carey writing this whole new world where it seems by having a special genetic marker you can pay to have something done to you that grants you superpowers. The problem is that most of the people with these superpowers seem to be villains, so being a hero is a...Suicide Risk (and now you see where that title came from). Carey faces the classic 1st-issue problem of trying to build up a new world and introduce us to our main character, a police officer named Leo. The thing is, Carey takes that problem head-on and does a pretty good job making us care about Leo and also be intrigued by this depressing universe where there are more bad-guys than good. I still am not quite sure what possesses Leo to try and gain powers at the end of the comic (I'm not spoiling anything, the solicit for this series said as much happens) as opposed to just shutting the dealers down, but perhaps as the issues continue things will become clear. A good return to super-heroes for Carey and I am eager to see what happens next.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Justice League of America #3
This is interesting enough, with its mystery of just what a secret society of super-villains could be up to. However, as it has already been basically revealed that all of that ties-in to the upcoming "Trinity War" cross-over I suppose I'm not too excited as what seemed like an interesting story-line is in fact just a lead-up to a big event (kind of like how that Bendis-penned "Moon Knight" series was a big 12-issue promo for "Age of Ultron"). Still, the book looks pretty snazzy, is written decently, and otherwise is an example of how a comic can be good enough to be better than average, without achieving anything resembling greatness.
3 out of 5 stars.

Between my morning-post full of Marvel comics and this afternoon one of a variety of stuff I would hope there is a comic I've discussed that you now know to go and pick-up, or one you are now aware you should avoid like the plague. Whatever the case, have a great rest of your day.