The origin of Pelops, and the rescue of Demeter’s daughters Summer and Winter make Olympus #3 quite a ride.

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Charlie Adlard (pencils and inks), Cliff Rathburn (gray tones), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Our group goes looking for Dale before finally finding Father Gabriel’s church.  We also finally meet the much-hyped “Hunters.”

What’s Good: This arc looks to be a great one as for the second month in a row, we get an absolutely stellar issue. I really enjoyed the fleeting glimpse that Andrea got of the Hunter and the panicked paranoia it inspired.  While it’s not as unsettling as the midnight sighting last month, the Hunters are working really well as a horror device.  As the series has worn on, the actual zombies have become less frightening so it’s refreshing to have a new presence in the book that actually puts fear in me. With the Hunters, the horror has returned to the Walking Dead.

Speaking of which, Kirkman once again delivers another crushing, shocking ending. The man truly has no mercy for his characters. I highly advise a reader to NOT– by any means, look at the final page before reading the rest of the book.  You really don’t want to spoil the shock here, which is delivered with pitch-perfect, expert pacing.

The final scene also does well in distinguishing these hunters from the Governor’s forces. This is clearly a new kind of threat, simpler perhaps, but also more brutal.

The Hunter leader Chris is creepy as hell, but also fascinating. Considering the ending, I look forward to hearing their logic expanded upon. It’s a really promising start to a new host of enemies and a new aspect of survivor psychology.

One has only to look at this issue’s ending to see that Kirkman loves his shocks and thrills. For this reason, I loved that Gabriel’s story was actually fairly mundane and subtle; horrific yes, but because it wasn’t at all shocking or surprising shows just how much us readers have come to accept the desolate world Kirkman has crafted. Gabriel’s story is dark, but its poignancy comes from how depressing it is without being surprising, that something so horrible is now so run-of-the-mill.

Adlard delivers the art that Walking Dead readers have come to know and love. That said, I particularly enjoyed his drawing of Gabriel’s church, which evoked a “classic horror,” Night of the Living Dead feel.  The eery, night-time chapel almost felt like an homage that worked really well in black and white. I also loved the final two pages depicting the Hunter’s encampment; from the glowing firelight, to the shadowed faces, to the calmly insane features of their leader, Adlard succeeds in furthering the deeply unsettling nature of this new threat.

What’s Not So Good:  Nothing of note.  That said, readers should note that Carl is entirely absent, so don’t expect any more developments regarding his recent actions. This issue is more or less entirely centred on the hunt for Dale.

Conclusion: The Walking Dead #63 contains all things that a good horror comic should have. Pick it up! It’s good to see TWD returning to its visceral, generic roots.

Grade: A-

-Alex Evans

(w) Ivan Brandon

(a) Nic Klein

(l) Kristyn Ferretti and Nic Klein

Hey folks, TJ here with his review for the week. I was going to review Creepy #1, but before I could squeeze off that first turtle in the can while I read it, I got an E-mail from Mike with his review, the cover art, and his condolences for my fallen iMac. He did everything I was going to do, like go into the history of the title and the legendary artists, but with a lot less words like “fuck” and “asshole.” Kudos to you Mike.

So I had a Blueberry muffin for breakfast this morning. Seems like pointless information, right? Well, it is until you learn that I sometimes eat this fine product of nature to keep me regular. The desired effect occurred and I went looking for my “to-read” pile. Oh Shit, literally, I left it in the car, so I had to search my desk for something that I left here for just this occasion. What? You don’t keep a stack of comics at your desk for when the mood strikes your bowels… I think you, good sirs and madams, are liars.

Viking #1 has been staring me in the face since it’s release and I have put off reading it because of the dumbest reason, I hate the design. The book is oversized. It will not fit into a bag and board, and cannot be stored in a normal comic box. This pissed me off to no end. It may seem petty, but as a comic fan it is my god damned right to be just that.

The art is painted and very pretty. It has a darkness that one would expect from a story about Vikings and Norsemen. There are times when it is very rigid and sometimes on the same page it is very loose. I found this very distracting, especially since it didn’t really go with any rhyme or reason as to why the style would change. I think this artist is much better suited for covers than interior art. The other problem with the art has to do with the story. In a story that has as many characters as this one does, you damn well better make the art for each one different, otherwise I am going to get confused, unless you have a fantastic writer who can make you differentiate with his writing. Which leads me to the writing…

Fucking horrible. Everyone talks the same; this book seriously could have been a one-person stage show because they all have the same voice. It makes you rely too heavily on the art to get what is going on, and as stated above, the art fails in this department. I had to re-read pages multiple times, not because I was enjoying it, but because I had no fucking clue what the hell was going on.

The story starts off with three pages of Viking at a campsite, while one is complaining of constipation, an ailment I wish I had at the moment so I wouldn’t have been in the can to read this piece of garbage. Two more Vikings move in, whom I never thought weren’t part of the camping ones, and start killing them. Somewhere down the line we run into two older ones who I think was one of the killer’s grandfathers and who I think was his younger brother. I seriously don’t know because when they were introduced I thought they were using the same names as the killers, so I thought the story just instantaneously jumped into the future. I still really don’t know what happened. We then meet a girl and her father, who we learn is king, but why they are fleeing or even if they are fleeing is very unclear.

I would truly avoid this book at all cost. In fact it seems that a lot of you have, as Image has re-solicited the book and even told people it was still the original printing. I usually like to give love to indie guys searching out something they enjoy and writing about, but I am honest, and I am trying to get people to read good comics.

-TJ

Writing: We’re knee-deep in “Fear the Hunters” now. Kirkman continues to twist the knife, but, thankfully, my delicate stomach remains intact. Kirkman suffered some criticism for pitting his survivors up against man, so soon after the horrific events of issue #48. That hasn’t bothered me at all. It’s part of the transition between prison life and the harsh, new world. Yes, prison life was good in The Walking Dead.

Art: Don’t think that just because this arc is human-centered that Adlard won’t get a chance to draw some cool zombies. Expect one in here, and it looks good. I also enjoyed seeing a lighter side to Adlard’s art when he gets the chance to render some eye-rolling. And, as always, Adlard provides an unsettling last page.

Final Word: I must stress this again, these new enemies differ from the Woodbury folk. Besides a different approach in attacking, we get a peak at the hunter’s motives in this issue. They’re much more basic and understandable than Phillip’s lunacy. Another solid installment, for sure.

Grade: B+

Writing: Layman puts a unique spin on a tired genre, one that I’m not too fond of, actually. The main character, Tony Chu, is Cibopathic, which means that when he eats something, he can sense its origins. Oh, and Chu is a cop, so you can see how his ability could be useful, and unusual. Layman exploits the possibilities nicely.

Art: Judging Guillory’s art is a bit unfair, since this reprint is lacking the colors it should have. I once owned a black & white TV that I used to watch “The Simpsons,” so I know the flaws that come with material that should be colored but isn’t. However, since this is a review, I have to say that I’m not impressed with Guillory’s work here. It looks so bland, like an Image house style. You’ve seen this art before, but you don’t remember it. Of course, as I said, I’m looking at incomplete visuals here.

Final Word: Image was very generous by offering a reprint of this sold-out issue for free, and it’s attached to an even better comic. Layman’s writing is impressive. He manages to execute some twists & turns and adds a dash of political commentary to the background. This comic is worth checking out.

Grade: B-

For more comic goodness, go here.

What if life came with power-ups?

From the creator of Earthworm Jim comes this [autobio]graphic[al?] novel about the life of lowly retail employee Hugh [Randolph] and his dream of creating “the world’s greatest video-game!”

Hugh is frustrated with complacency, but reluctant to take chances and possibly improve his situation. His best friend and co-worker, Doyle, on the other hand, is content to trot along the path of least resistance, or, as Doyle’s boss puts it, “Doyle … will never advance.”

Moreover, Doyle’s deranged: as the duo drive to work, he pretends to consume pedestrians with his “Pac-Man hand” (”wocka-wocka-wocka”).

So what draws together this unevenly matched pair? Their love of playing and designing video-games, of course! And, in only a minor contrivance, Hugh stumbles across an antiquated game system at a yard sale. Soon, he discovers that the game is capable of bestowing powers upon him: “invisible shields,” a “continue flag,” and “boots of speed” (among others that any gamer/reader will surely recognize and appreciate).

As Hugh begins to activate such powers and improve his life (and, he hopes, the lives of his wife and son), he discovers that he should have been careful about his reach exceeding his grasp.

The story’s strongest elements belong to Hugh, who experiences his powers as would any other developing superhero: by trial-and-error, often with humorous results (Hugh’s thwarting of an attempted armed robbery is particularly funny).

Unfortunately, a sub-plot concerning Hugh’s strained relationship with his son is never really resolved and the plot’s conclusion is a literary “cheat” in the mode of many stories concerning wish fulfillment (but I’ve probably said too much already).

From a technical standpoint, TenNapel’s work is solid: each page possesses a simple layout, which serves the artist’s bold line-art and precise comic timing. Barker’s lettering is a great complement to the work as it functions in both a dynamic and loose way (the sound effects are particularly evocative).

Power Up is available from Image Comics, Inc. ($12.99)

One of the things that makes comics a unique artform is the concept of a superhero “universe.” It’s hard to imagine a world with just one superhero now. Why don’t we see this sort of crossover in other media? And why do we love it in our comics?

Everything But Imaginary #314: A Universal Truth
Inside this Column:

Well, my first solo children’s book is nearly complete. To celebrate, I decided to post some character sketches today.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for more details for P.T.A. Night.

A sneak peek at the 3rd issue of Nathan Edmondson and Christian Ward’s exciting new take on Greek mythology, Olympus.

By Mac Carter (Writer), Tony Salmons (Pencils & Inks), and Adam Byrne (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I didn’t review the last issue of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft because I wasn’t able to get my hands on it until last week. Now that I’ve read it, I can say that I found it bizarre and somewhat frustrating because of how surreal the Lovecraft scenes were. It was enjoyable, sure, but not quite as clear as I would have liked.

The Story: Lovecraft is the target of a manhunt after the events at Sylvia’s fiancé’s house. He knows how the creature that kills comes into being. But will anyone believe him?

What’s Good: The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #3 is quite compelling and fixes nearly all the problems that plagued the last issue. The moody artwork is easier to follow, the storytelling isn’t as jarring, and the plot moves forward at a better pace. In short, my faith is renewed in the creative team, thanks to how “Never Again to Sleep” plays out.

Mac Carter ramps up his mini-series by effectively telling two interconnected stories (one’s about H.P. Lovecraft’s encounter/battle with the supernatural and the other’s about the manhunt for H.P. Lovecraft) without really sacrificing anything. What’s most notable about Carter’s writing is how well H.P. Lovecraft is written. He’s appropriately desperate and intense when the situation calls for it, yet heart-wrenchingly melancholy and self-depreciating when narrating.

With Carter’s effective storytelling, Tony Salmons’ artwork adds a lot to the surreal tone of the story. Tony Salmons handles the characters well and does a nice job of bringing Lovecraft’s horrors to the page. Also, as I mentioned in my review of the first issue of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft, Salmons’ style continues to really capture the story’s time period.

What’s Not So Good: Predictability is one thing that brings down Carter’s Lovecraft story. You can see pretty much everything coming from pages away and it takes away from a lot of the suspense that Carter is clearly working hard to build. Another thing that brings down Carter’s mini-series is some of the artwork. While Adam Byrne’s colors add a lot to the more surreal scenes (a few of which look awesome), the average panel seems muddy or lacking with a final layer of polish. I’m all for the “indie” look, but not when the visual storytelling suffers because of it.

Conclusion: The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #3 is predictable and features some frustrating artwork. That said, it’s also well written and does justice to the horrors that Lovecraft is known for. It’s definitely worth a look if you are a fan of the author or just looking for a good horror story.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

By Phil Hester (Writer), Nelson Blake II (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Arif Prianto of IFS (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m glad that it looks like Phil Hester is about to get The Darkness back on track. While I’ve enjoyed the re-launch of The Darkness quite a bit, there’s no denying that something has been missing.

The Story: Jackie wants to regain some measure of control and power. To do so he must take out the Sovereign…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The Darkness #78 tells a cool little story that not only works well as a (temporary) conclusion to the Sovereign arc, but also as a standalone story about Jackie Estacado being a total badass. It’s clever, it’s brutal, and it’s written/framed in a way that effectively adds to Estacado’s mystique as someone that’s not to be messed with. In addition, The Darkness #78 does a nice job of setting up the near future of the series which, from the looks of it, seems to be all about getting back to what made Jackie’s story such a hit to begin with.

Nelson Blake II is the big surprise of the latest issue of The Darkness. I’ve seen Blake’s pencil work before, but I don’t recall it ever looking quite as good as it does in The Darkness #78. Thanks to Ryan Winn and Arif Prianto, Blake’s work is bright, clean, and stylish in a way works far better than you’d expect; considering what an issue of The Darkness normally looks like. While the art isn’t really a prime example of the typical “Darkness” style, it still proves to be a nice change of pace for the series.

Conclusion: The Darkness #78 isn’t groundbreaking or particularly exciting, but it delivers as a solid piece of entertainment. The art impresses and the writing effectively sets the stage for the next chapter of The Darkness.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

With comparisons to Kirkman’s Walking Dead, Images new series, Chew gets fliped!

Writer: Mac Carter

Art: Tony Salmons

Colors: Adam Byrne

Publisher: Image Comics

That strange sound in your ear just might be the creature under you bed…or it’s the buzz surrounding Image Comics’ latest miniseries The Strange Adventures of HP Lovecraft.

Part horror comic, part biography, part noir thriller, Mac Carter’s The Strange Adventures of HP Lovecraft combines elements from several dark genres.  The book is one weird tale that embodies not only the spirit of legendary pulp writer HP Lovecraft, but also wittingly creates its own universe in which to tell its macabre story.

Set in the 1920’s, the comic uses HP Lovecraft as its protagonist: a mild-mannered horror writer living with his spinster aunts, trying to avoid the hereditary insanity of his parents and bide his time with lady-love Sylvia.  The synopsis for the series is this: “When an ancient curse transforms young HP Lovecraft’s darkest nightmares into reality, the timid writer becomes both an unwitting god of destruction and the only person who can battle the evil he’s unleashed into the world.”

We’re in a period where pulp, horror and noir inspired tales are inundating us with revenge-like fury – It’s like when the western was all the rage in the 1950’s.  So a book about the uncrowned king of weird fiction was inevitable.

HP Lovecraft’s real-life work was deeply pessimistic and cynical.  His protagonists often gambled with sanity and reason to momentarily glimpse at the horror of ultimate reality.  Carter, Tony Salmons and Adam Byrne capture that spirit in their mini-series – and have thankfully left out Lovecraft’s uncompromising racist views.

While the premise of The Strange Adventurers of HP Lovecraft is nothing new, it’s Carter’s dialogue and narration that makes the book compelling.  Carter could have easily filled Lovecraft with cliché stereotypes of the roaring 20’s, but his throwback prose manages to portray the time period without coming across as silly or quaint.  Hooch, jazz and flapper girls – oh my, that’s scandalous!

The art by Salmons, with colors by Byrne, is inspired, utilizing dark shadows and flat tones to create an unworldly sense of dread in the reader’s imagination.  Salmons makes a nice attempt at a free-flowing, expressionist style to match the jazz stained prose.  But for all the stylized detail, the art at times is a little sloppy.  Certain scenes that should come across as eerie and heart pounding, instead feel passively workable.

In spite of the flaws in the art, The Strange Adventures of HP Lovecraft is worthy of its pulp inspiration.  That probably says more about the book than anything.

Even before hitting comic book shops, The Strange Adventures of HP Lovecraft was destined to make a splash – it’s already been optioned for a movie by Universal and Imagine Entertainment, with Ron Howard attached to direct.  That tends to set expectations high.

But Carter’s strong writing and Salmons stylized art make this a book worth reading.  It should simultaneously open up a whole new world to Lovecraft virgins and satisfy long-suffering intellectual horror fans.  Just don’t blame those damn comic writers when the weird and uncanny thing from your imagination keeps you up at night.

-Mike Stewart

W/A Josh Howard
(C) Nicc Balce
(L) Jim Resonowski,Gregg Gaitlin,Nicc Balce & Nick Deschenes

If I were to describe this in terms of cooking ingredients I would categorize Dead@17 as 1/2 Buffy the Vampire Slayer (with a dash of Hack/Slash), 1/4 X-Files and 1/4 (god help me) Twilight. Don’t let that last ingredient fool you however, this is a top notch comic.

Its no secret that will all of the endless price gouging events and tie-ins being thrown at us by the big two these days, I have been thrust into the loving arms of creator owned independent works. Dead@17 introduces us to Nara Kilday (she’s 17 in case you are really stupid) , her best friend Hazy and her crush Elijah. One night Nara is brutally murdered but her death awakens her true destiny. I won’t spoil too much else but sufficed to say we learn more about Nara’s destiny and where she fits in a supernatural conspiracy. Along the way there are numerous red herrings plot twists and teen angsty drama.

This was a register buy for me and well worth it. Writer/artist Josh Howard presents a slick well paced and endlessly fascinating story. Howard manages to make each character distinct and more than just usual teen cliches. In a way the structure and relationships recall the classic feel of a good 1980’s slasher flick without degenerating into either cliche or parody. The dialogue is smart but not overly pleased with itself and the art is perfect for this type of story. Its no secret I’m not a fan of cartoony art when it comes to my superheroes. For a book like this however it is a perfect fit and gorgeous to look at. The coloring also really makes the book just look fantastic and the trade is handsomely presented.

Recently on our show we got into a great discussion on how comics are marketed towards that all important young reader. There was a certain frustration at how the big two seem unable to bring in new young adult readers without dumbing down the story. Dead @17 accomplishes that goal. Older comic fans like myself can enjoy a great story whereas young readers (14-17) can enjoy some gratuitous gore and flesh (though tasteful) and relate to the characters on their level. Its a handsome trade collecting 4 six issue minis which for the price ($24.95) is a great bargain. It also serves as a good primer for the next miniseries slated to debut appropriately enough on June 17th. Be sure to check it out.

Later

Kev

(w) Joe Kelly

(a) JM Ken Niimura

Sorry about the delay between Reviews folks. Sometimes life gets in the way of hobbies and fun, and until this actually pays me something then life will have to come first some times.

Last week was one of those rare times where I had nothing to get from the comics shop. I have been feeling sort of bad about that because my guy, Moose, has been hinting that the economy is hitting him hard and he doesn’t know how much longer he will be able to hold onto a shop the size of his. So this week I decided to pick up the trade for I Kill Giants from Image, a book that had heard many good things about.

Here is a major complaint I have about this book. Image could not have fucked up the marketing on this book more. Here is a message to the dudes at Image; not everyone listens to podcasts, reads comic news sites, or stay up on everything new coming out. Nowhere on this book is there a description on what the story is about. If I have never heard of it, I would have just walked by, picked it up and set it right back down because I would not have known the moving story that is inside those pages. Yes pull quotes and the like are great, but they rarely give the reader a hint as to what to expect inside, and in a time where every dollar is important and being fought for, the company should have made some sort of effort to summarize the title.

Okay, now on to the actual book. J.M. Ken Niimura handled the art duties. His style is slightly mangaish, which I normally cannot stand, but in this story it seemed to fit. There were pages where the art made me think I was viewing an old speed racer episode but with a ton more heart and a shit-load less monkeys. Niimura perfectly captures emotion on the characters faces without getting too over-stylized, which is something that I dislike about most manga.

The writing is dead on. Kelly really understands the emotions that a fifth grade girl will go through and the class structure in an elementary school. Most of the arch types are present, and each is written with a certain charm that you can understand where each is coming from. And the reveal at the end is handled with such heart and emotion, you have to think that possibly some of the events in this book are autobiographical.

The story centers on a fifth grade girl that is being raised by her sister. Throughout the title you see the girl struggling in school, not because of her intelligence but because she just does not fit in nor does she care to. The girl lives in a fantasy world, a la D & D (and if I have to tell you what that stands for then I doubt this is the webpage for you). She meets up and befriends the new girl in town who comes to accept her idiosyncrasies. We meet bullies and counselors and teachers, each of which are trying to help the main character out, even though she pushes them away every chance she gets. The book hurtles towards an amazing, emotional ending that I am still thinking about.

The common “capes” comic fan will not enjoy this book. But if you are searching for a slice of life story about a girl that feels she can conquer all, but needs a little help which she pushes away, then this is a fantastic title that will hold you from the title page to the last word of the afterward.

TJ

Here’s a preview of Image Comics’ The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft.  A new horror comic which tells a fictional story of the famous horror author’s encounter with some of his creations.  Looks compelling.

Click on images for a larger view.

by Joshua Luna (writer & letterer) and Jonathan Luna (art)

The Story: Dara’s battle with the Earth god Knossos comes to its brutal and bloody conclusion.

What’s Good: Goddamn this was a brutal comic.  Once again, the Lunas prove that the Sword is sharp.  Damn sharp.  Limbs fly and people are gutted.  That said, it’s not brutal in a “random people exploding all over the place” sort of way.  It’s brutal because every single act of violence is loaded with emotional intent.  Every chopped limb actually means something.

The sheer scope and size of the battle is nothing short of ridiculous.  Its impossible to talk about the story of this issue without also mentioning the artwork, as the two go hand in hand in depicting the battle.  The Lunas do an amazing job of conveying the size of Knossos and the unbelievable odds against which Dara is fighting.  It’s the sort of awe-inspiring stuff  we’ve come to expect, and it leads to some unforgettable images.

I also loved the ending of the issue, which delivers a twist that provides the landscape for the coming battle with Malia.  It really is an unexpected turn that reshapes the world of the Sword.  It also guarantees that this series will have a very different feel as it heads into its last arc, and that the battle with Malia will be like none before; this time, with the world watching.  Not running the risk of repetition, the Lunas have changed the rules in shocking fashion.

What’s Not-So-Good: Unfortunately, the bottom-line is that this battle just wasn’t as fun as the one with Zakros.  In that battle, I marveled at the sheer creativity of the Lunas, giving the gods endless ways to use their powers.  Not so much in this issue, which sees Knossos stay in his rock man form.  It’s just a little more one dimensional than I’ve come to expect.

I also wasn’t a huge fan of Malia’s continued interference in Dara’s battle.  It made the conflict between Knossos and Dara feel less personal and less important.  The one-on-one dynamic was lost and thus so too was some of the impact.  I wanted Dara vs Knossos, and having it be Dara and Malia vs Knossos needlessly diluted the conflict.

The rock man form is also a bit of a double-edged sword as well.  While it provides some amazing visuals and an incredible obstacle for Dara, it also means that Knossos is encased in a giant suit of rock, unable to exchange banter with Dara while the fight goes on, which was part of what made the Zakros fight so awesome.  The one exchange of words at the end of the fight is perhaps the high point of the issue only serves to illustrate this fact.

Conclusion: By no means a bad conclusion, but it wasn’t quite as personal as we’ve come to expect.

Grade: B-

-Alex Evans

At Heroes Con last month, Freddie got a chance to interview Jonathan Hickman. Mr. Hickman is the writer of The Nightly News, Red Mass For Mars, Transhuman, Pax Romana, Secret Warriors, and the upcoming Fantastic Four arc starting with issue #570.

The film that Mr. Hickman references toward the end of the interview is called Fever Pitch. (starring Colin Firth, not Jimmy Fallon) Be a good consumer and buy it right now!

Keep listening until the very end of the interview for a special message from Marvel Comics superstar, Matt Fraction.

Click to Enlarge

Ok, I get it Liefeld. You think Barack Obama is a badass and will fuck a motherfucker’s shit up but did you have to have him posing next to a character who is a horseman of apocalypses? Is this how you feel about our president? Sure, people are complaining he’s not doing enough fast enough but you think he wakes up in the morning, smacks Michele’s ass out of bed, and grabs the biggest gun he can find?

What next? He’ll have an endless number of pouches that don’t do anything? Or maybe he’ll hunt down Shatterstar to make your “he’s a warrior… and not a gay one.” comment true.

You think making Shatterstar gay is the worse thing that could ever be done in comics but you think it is ok to turn an intelligent, black role model (forget that he is president) into a gun-toting, psycho killer befriending, badass is in good taste?

Can’t wait to someday undo this. Seems totally contrived.

No truer words could have been spoken about all of your work.

…I will be at the San Diego Comic Con on Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th.

I’ll be signing books (or anything else you care to have my name scribbled on) at the Shadowline/Silverline booth on Saturday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and on Sunday from 11:00 AM to noon.

There’s also a chance that my sister Bethany, who I collaborated on “I Beg Your Pardon” with, might also be at the table during those same times. So if you’re Con bound that weekend, stop by the booth and meet some Shadys.

These times could change, but if they do I’ll be sure to post updated information as the date gets closer.

Whale’s vagina,

-Shady

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (pencils & inks), FCO & Ivan Plascencia (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Father and daughter make up, father and daughter team up, and father goes undercover.

What’s Good: Yes! I can finally start liking Chloe again! For many issues now, Chloe, has been a poorly written character. She hasn’t sounded her age and almost every line was too painful to hear. I sincerely wanted her to die a painful death.  To me she felt power-hungry, ignorant, and generally nasty, which isn’t good considering that Kirkman was aiming for her to be a sympathy-garnering character lost in emotional pain. Yet, despite all of my Chloe hatred, I couldn’t help but give a little “awww” when she finally spoke to her father this month. While she still isn’t the best written character, she’s not gratingly off this issue.

Meanwhile, Kursk’s broken English is always fun. I loved the dude in Invincible, so it was great seeing him here. What was daring though was Kirkman’s portrayal of him and Thrill Kill as possible rapists. A possible hint of Walking Dead in Wolf-Man? Shocking.

I also enjoyed the depiction of Cecil in this comic, though I’ll admit that Wolf-Man readers may not fully appreciate it if they’re not familiar with the Invincible. This issue again shows a nicer, more human Cecil, a Cecil that Invincible readers have probably forgotten about by now; but through Wolf-Man, Kirkman shows how multi-faceted a character Cecil really is. I also liked that Mecha Maid looks poised to become a major player in the comic; I’ve always thought she was a great character with a lot of potential.

Jason Howard’s art continues to be an enthralling visual treat, as he delivers another faultless issue here.  As is the case over on Invincible, Plascencia’s colouring has taken the art to a whole new level.

What’s Not-So-Good: There’s nothing particularly wrong with Wolf-Man, though I’m still not certain I buy “Chloe, Vampire Girl superhero.” Somehow it just doesn’t feel as substantial as it should.

Perhaps it’s due to how fast and fleeting Chloe and Gary’s reunion was. I suppose that was the point, but given the build-up, it’s still disappointing. Their quick, “barely there” interaction just feels like a missed opportunity that ends up feeling a little vague, and at times cliche. Kirkman finds time to throw in the old “I’m grown up now” line.

The problem is that this was by far the biggest development/moment of the issue and it should’ve been one of the best of the whole series. The rest of the book, while not bad, is really just a case of Kirkman moving the plot along, or moving the pieces across the board in necessary but expected fashion.

Conclusion: Wolf-Man #17 is by no means a bad book, but it could’ve been better. It just does’t feel as important as it should be.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

Writer of Image’s Olympus, Nathan Edmondson, talks future volumes, evil villains, and the greatest Greek gods of all time!

Issue 1 sold out in nano seconds, and issue 2 is just as good. Be sure to check out John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Chew from Image.

McFarlane’s first arc in his re-imagining of Spawn, “Endgame”, hits part 9 and just keep on trucking.

By Ron Marz (Writer) and Stjepan Sejic (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: “The War of the Witchblades” event got quite a jolt from the last issue, thanks in part to the (possible) deaths of not one, but two main characters. While I’m sure that at least one of the Witchblade bearers will turn out to be at least somewhat ok, it all made for a very nice cliffhanger.

The Story: The Angelus warrior Sabine sees an opportunity to make the Witchblade whole again, but needs to manipulate Dani in order for the plan to work…

What’s Good: Let me just say this this section is going to look a bit misleading because I actually like Witchblade #128 quite a bit… Anyways, “The War of the Witchblades” continues to intrigue, thanks to the mystery surrounding some of the elements of the mythology that the story has introduced. Ron Marz is doing a nice job of crafting a memorable event and handling the characters; the latest chapter of the story reads rather well. And thanks to Stjepan Sejic’s unique painted style (the artist’s work is as strong as ever in Witchblade #128), the event is as compelling to look at as it is to read.

What’s Not So Good: The problem with the latest issue of Witchblade is that it doesn’t do a whole lot to move the Witchblade war forward. See the story summary above? That’s pretty much all that happens in the issue outside of the (now standard) mysterious old shop owner appearance. Sure it sets the stage for what looks to be a classic battle, but that doesn’t feel like enough when it seems like more could be happening. It’s always frustrating when a good event is bogged down by pacing issues.

Conclusion: I know that’s not much of a review written above, but there just isn’t a whole lot that needs to be said about Witchblade #128. On a technical level, it’s a pretty standard issue of a good series. What that means is that the book reads well and looks absolutely spectacular at times (the “to be continued” page is poster-worthy for sure). As part of an event though, the latest chapter of “The War of the Witchblades” is a bit weak because not enough happens to make Witchblade #128 as satisfying as it could be.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

…I thought about writing a story about two old grandmothers (both recently widowed) who meet and fall in love at a retirement home.

I was interested in writing this story because I wanted to write about something that was far from my grasp of normal, everyday life. And what could be further from “normal” to me than lesbian grannies, right?

Eventually, this story would morph into “The Roberts”, a graphic novel I released last year with Shadowline/Image Comics. The lesbians became serial killers, the women became men.

When I was doing press and interviews for “The Roberts” I would openly discuss my creative process for the book and how the story sprouted from this idea of lesbian grandmothers.

Here and here are examples of such interviews.

So imagine my surprise today when my girlfriend sends me this link to an article in “Variety” magazine.

Lesbian grannies, huh? In a nursing facility. Really?

Not sure how to feel about that. That’s either a huge coincidence or outright thievery. Guess I’ll let you guys decide.

Contacting my lawyers,

-Shady