What, Again?
I've been reviewing a lot of first-issues of comics lately. How about I review some more?
Debuts
Seven to Eternity #1
Rick Remender is an author I can run really hot-and-cold on, with some of his stuff being great and other titles simply turning out...well, the less said about, "AXIS," the better. One thing in this comic's favor however is it re-teams Remender with his occasional collaborator and amazing artist Jerome Opeña. Apparently this first issue of, "Seven To Eternity," has sold-out all over and is a huge hit. I'll be honest and tell you I understood almost nothing that was going on in this book, but it was interesting (and amazing-looking) enough that I think I'll want to pick-up issue #2. This book takes place in another world where an evil, "King of Whispers,"has taken over the world by turning people against each other (those who dislike him call him, "The Mud King,") and gaining control of almost everything.
Much to the credit of Remender and especially Opeña, everything really feels alien and otherworldly, with this strange Universe actually giving off a vibe of unfamiliarity and strangeness that sci-fi books sometimes sadly lack. I imagine as this comic proceeds more will make sense (I hope) and that the art will remain fantastic (as long as Opeña is on it, of that I'm sure). I liked the story but didn't love it, and adored the artwork without a doubt. Interesting stuff.
3 out of 5 stars.
Ancient Dreams #1
A comic written by JP Roth, whom I met at my first Project Comic-Con back in 2013, this book looks pretty but I have zero idea what is going on, much like with the just-reviewed, "Seven to Eternity," but this differs from that book in that while with one book I was intrigued enough to want to at least learn a little more, this title was just confusing and dull. I mean, at least it looked pretty good? The whole things just seems so unreasonably dense, really. It has pages of text that as far as I can tell are as indecipherable as the story but are presented as some kind of compliment to the proceedings. It is just a bunch of boring nonsense, really (the comic and the text).
1 out of 5 stars.
Doom Patrol #1
Part of the new DC comics imprint, "Young Animal," which is spearheaded by Gerard Way--a comic-writer I adore thanks to, "Umbrella Academy," and who also apparently has a popular band--this first book to debut from the imprint is also written by Way with art by Nick Derington. While there have been many runs on this comic, almost 99% of people think of Grant Morrison and when he wrote the comic when they hear the words, "Doom Patrol," and yes, I made-up that 99% statistic but imagine it is true. Therefore, people often associate, "Weird," with, "Doom Patrol," and Gerard Way kindly brings the weird in full-force, much to the delight of myself and other reviewers.
Whether you know the Doom Patrol well or are completely new to the series, it is strange and unfamiliar (but in a good way) for all who dip their toes in. Derington supplies some artwork that gives the immense strangeness a delightful appearance, with the art and writing, "Flowing," together perfectly. An delightfully off-the-wall book I look forward to reading more of without a doubt.
5 out of 5 stars.
The Forevers #1
From the publisher Black Mask, this book centers on a number of celebrities who sold their souls (or something) to achieve fame, but when one of them dies they realize the death of others gives them all the remaining energy, I think. You see, the description about the comic says all this but the book itself is so decompressed that only half of that summary even occurs in this issue (somebody dies). When a story moves so slowly that it hasn't even yet fulfilled the prologue-pitch that can be extremely annoying, but thankfully, "The Forevers," does a great job with its dark tone, and scene-setting that lays everything about the characters out before the 2nd issue hopefully moves things along a tad more. This wasn't an amazing first issue, but it was good, and is making me curious what comes next.
3 out of 5 stars.
Widow: Progeny #1
Mike Wolfer returns to a, "Widow," story he started long ago but now is ready to conclude, and I'm pleased to read it! With art by Karl Moline this book involves chunks of the plot from the first volume of the original, "Widow," series but comes-off in a way where much of it can be followed and understood with minimal-to-no prior knowledge of Wolfer's work with his, "Widow," series. The horror-vibe is strong in this comic, with an eerily omniscient 3rd-person narrator giving everything a bit of a spooky-chill as a Coast Guard crew crashes on a seemingly-abandoned island only to discover a number of horrendous spider-monsters pose a clear threat (and other seemingly-normal people pose just as strong a danger). It's scary, it's pleasantly gross, and I quite enjoyed reading it!
Some cool back-matter is included that features Wolfer's artwork for a story that takes place before this issue and some snazzy production-art is thrown-in too. I was very pleased by this story and am eager to witness just how bad things get for the Coast Guard-members--it'll probably be pretty hideous!
4 out of 5 stars.
Hadrian's Wall #1
A murder-mystery set in space, with the, "Hook," being that the person investigating the mystery was chosen because they probably won't do a good job--a clever twist. Basically, someone is dead, and that someone once shot our main character and took-off with our protagonist's wife. Now, our hero is tasked with investigating the death and quite clearly some bad-business is afoot. Writer Kyle Higgins has made some good stories before and this one shows a lot of promise even if the start is a tad dull besides that delightful twist of our detective having every reason in the world to not care about any foul-play. Time will tell if this story goes places as promising as the setup or just kind of peters along. I hope it does more of the former than the latter.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Always Something New, Eh?
Clearly there are always new books coming out, and some are better than others. There is something exciting about a new series however, so it is always fun to check them out because even if some disappoint, usually just as many impress.
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