Saturday, June 2, 2018

The Crow: Memento Mori #3 Review



Story: Roberto Recchioni
Art: Werther Dell’Ederia
Colour: Giovanna Niro
Letters: Giovanni Marinovich
Published By IDW
Cover Price 3.99
Reviewed by Wheezy

Back Up – Murder of Crows
Story: David De Fellips
Art: Emanuele Ercolani
Letters: Giovanni Marinovich

The quest for revenge picks up in brutal style in this issue with a little twist at the end identifying who the ringleader of the mob is that was responsible for the murder of David, Sarah and the rest of the procession.

Sonic The Hedgehog #5 Review


Eggman Must Be Punished

Written By: Ian Flynn
Art By: Tracy Yardley
Inks By: Jim Amash
Colors By: Matt Herms
Letters By: Corey Breen
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018
Review by: Simon West


IDW relaunched the Sonic the Hedgehog comic in April with a flurry, coming out every week for the entire month we were treated to 4 rapid-fire issues of SEGA’s blue mascot. Ian Flynn and his rotating team of artists managed to deliver a weekly book with an impressive level of consistency and quality. Now the pace has died down and the long wait for issue 5 is over how does the book hold up?

Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers #1 Review


Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Written by: Nick Roche
Art by: Nick Roche, Geoff Senior, and Brendan Cahill
Colors by: Josh Burcham and Josh Perez
Letters by: Shawn Lee and Tom B. Long
Release Date: May 30, 2018
Cover Price: $7.99
Review by:  Chris Groves


***Spoilers for this issue and Sins of the Wreckers series***

We pick up where the Sins of the Wreckers story ended with Verity Carlo and Springer going off the grid; only having knowledge of outside events from the Cybertronian communications array left by Prowl.  It is through The Array that they learn of Kup’s death (see Transformers vs Visionaries) which is the catalyst for the flashback of how Springer became a Wrecker through Kup’s guidance and Impactor’s suggestion.  Springer, in the present, is struggling to cope with the fact that he was a creation/experiment of Tarantulas, and following the news of Kup, goes to find his only past connection, Impactor.

My Little Pony Ponyville Mysteries #1 Review



Janitors Just Don’t the Respect They Deserve these Days


Written by: Christina Rice
Art by: Agnes Garbowska
Colors by: Heather Breckel
Letters by: Neil Uyetake
Release Date: May 30, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99
Review by: Pauly P

Our heroes the Cutie Mark Crusaders decide to take a break from Timberwolves and scary forests and volunteer in the Ponyville hospital to earn their Community Service Badge, but when supplies start going missing from the hospital supply closet, the Ponies vacation is short lived as they decide to jump in and get to the bottom of the thefts. All signs point to the curmudgeonly Janitor... but could it be as straightforward as that? Let’s jump in and have a look.

Cyber Force #3 Review


Written by: Matt Hawkins / Bryan Edward Hill
Art and Cover Art by: Atilio Rojo
Letters by Troy Peteri
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: 30 May 2018


It may just be an experience that is unique to me but I often find with books, comics, records, etc. it is often those works which seem most simple at the start, but that gradually weave a complexity which are the most rewarding. Take Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys for example. It is immediately accessible and appears simple, there is one melody to God Only Knows which we can hum along to almost immediately. Operating beneath that surface though are the harmonies, the detail of the instruments, the shifting rhythms, etc. The first issue of Cyber Force was enjoyable and seemed to me like a colorful, action-packed light read. By the end of this issue, I was looking at the mechanics behind the story and thinking, "this is going to be a very, very good story". Let's find out why.

Friday, June 1, 2018

The Last Siege #1 Review

Heir apparent

Written by: Landry Q. Walker
Artwork by Justin Greenwood
Colors by Eric Jones
Lettered by Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: 30 May 2018


This book was a strange experience. It seemed almost instantly familiar even though I hadn't read anything about it before I opened it. This is attributable to two outside factors. Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Come hither and I will tell ye a tale. A song of ice and fire.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill ep. 92 - Silver Age: 80 pg. Giant #1 (2000)


Pinch-Hitting Heroes

Greetings, comics enthusiasts! In this episode, unlikely heroes Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) do their bit for the podcast crossover event #JLMAY2018 when they read DC Comics' Silver Age: 80 pg. Giant #1 by Mark Waid, Eduardo Barreto, and others! They run down the other issues in the series to set the stage for the grand finale, which tests their (lack of) voiceover skills to the limit! After a break, our raspy pair the other stories in this issue, including creator bios for all of them. To wrap up, a discussion of what the Silver Age was--in comics and in American history! It's a millennium event that you don't want to miss! Which means it isn't actually Millennium.

DC Comics Best Covers of the Week: May 30, 2018

Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe

It's a "fifth week," folks, and you know what that means: slim pickings on the DC Comics publishing front! This week, we actually did get a fair number of titles, thanks to the Looney Tunes crossovers, but it was still pretty sparse. And though there were four Looney Tunes titles, all with variant covers, most of them were pretty underwhelming! So I did the best I could to produce a list of the five best, and here it is!

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The Flash/Speed Buggy Special #1 Review


Speedy Exit

Written by: Scott Lobdell
Art by: Norm Rapmund, Brett Booth, and Andrew Dalhouse
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

Review by: T Funk


We begin our adventure with Wally being chased by a sentient skyscraper powered by technology from whom else but S.T.A.R. Labs.  The skyscraper has transformed into a huge dragon-robot named Kilg%re. The % sign is not a typo, as Wally even asks, “A percentage sign? How do you even pronounce that?”  I’m wondering the same thing, Wally.

Super Sons/Dynomutt Special #1 Review


A Man's Best Friend

Story and Words: Peter J Tomasi
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Oclair Albert
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Published by: DC Comics
Reviewed by: Andrew McAvoy

I was attracted to this book by the fact that (a) it was a Super Sons title (b) it was by one of my favorite writers Peter J Tomasi and (c) Dynomutt kinda reminded me of Krypto the wonder dog which is always a guilty pleasure of mine. There also seemed to be a huge potential for fun with those factors in the mix. Did it deliver on that? Let's see!

Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1 Review



Written by: Bryan Hill and Jeff Parker
Art by: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz and Scott Kolins
Colors by: Jeromy Cox and Tony Avina
Letters by: Janice Chiang
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

Voiced by jazzman and prolific voice actor Scatman Crothers (he voiced The Transformers' Jazz and the cartoon Harlem Globetrotters' Meadowlark Lemon among many others), Hong Kong Phooey was one of my all-time favorite Hanna-Barbera characters as a kid. (Right up there, in fact, with Scooby Doo and Captain Caveman.) There was a glorious blend of patently stupid authority, hapless heroism and sly fourth-wall-breaking humour in just the title sequence alone and, although I preferred my superheroes to be just a bit more serious when I was growing up (Bat-Mite? What the hell was that all about?), Hong Kong Phooey had a charm that was utterly irresistible. So, when the latest round of H-B titles was announced and the feeding frenzy that regularly accompanies such news broke out at Weird Science Towers, I had no hesitation in diving in for this title – particularly on finding out that Bryan (The Wild Storm: Michael Cray and soon to be Detective Comics) Hill was on writing chores and that Black Lightning would be pairing up with our mystery martial artist. How does it all pan out? Let's have a look…

Aquaman/Jabberjaw Special #1 Review


I Don’t Get No Respect



Written by: Dan Abnett
Pencils by: Paul Pelletier
Inks by: Andrew Hennessy
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Carlos M. Mangual
Review by: Simon West



On the surface, an Aquaman/Jabberjaw crossover is one of those ideas that makes you ask “why hasn’t this been done before?”. Nobody’s favorite Scooby-Doo rip off meets nobody's favorite character from the Super Friends, is there anything more these two outcasts share? Let’s dive in and find out.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Robin vs. Ra's Al Ghul #1 Review


Family Affair

Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Mick Gray, Jordie Bellaire and Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


Okay, there are not going to be too many people out there who will claim that these Preludes are not just money grabs as we get closer and closer to the wedding issue in July.  Still, that doesn't have to mean they are bad, right?  Of course not and with Tim Seely at the helm, I have hopes that we will at least get a couple of nice little diversions to keep our interest peaked.  Funny thing about that...I have been looking forward to these preludes more than the wedding issue itself.  So was this first one any good?  Let's find out...

Green Arrow Annual #2 Review


Tie-In/Tied Up

Written by: Julia and Shawna Benson
Art by: Carmen Carnero, Trish Mulvihill, and Deron Bennett
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


Entitled rich boy Oliver Queen grew up a member of elite society. But after a drunken escapade left him stranded on a deserted island, Oliver learned to survive and become more than a man—he became a hunter. He became a survivor. He became a hero. But when Green Arrow comes face-to-face with a challenge he never saw coming, his entire worldview—his reason for being a hero—comes into question. Because that challenge has a name: Amanda Waller!

Raven: Daughter of Darkness #5 Review and **SPOILERS**

Stop Me if you heard this one...

Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Pop Mhan
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Cover: Emanuela Lupacchino, Arif Prianto
Assistant Editor: Michael McCalister
Group Editor: Marie Javine
Secret Weapon: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: May 30, 2018

Say it with me... or better yet, don't.

Boy, I wonder if this issue will have anything to do with the fact that Raven is the daughter of Trigon the Terrible?

Man, that joke's getting to be about as played out as... stories featuring Raven being centered on the fact that she's the daughter of Trigon the Terrible!


Bane: Conquest #11 Review



Kobra Cons


Written By: Chuck Dixon
Art By: Graham Nolan, Gregory Wright, Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


It's the penultimate issue of Bane Conquest........ and I somehow forgot that this was a title in between the last time this came out.  Yeah, that's not the best way to start out a review, but in my defense, this hasn't been the best series either.  That being said though, there was some fun and interesting things that happened in the last ten issues, they were just few and far between and this whole thing feels like it could have been told in a tighter manner if it was just a six issue mini.  Let's jump into this issue and see if Chuck Dixon can remind why Bane's so cool with his continued war against Kobra.  Let's check it out.

Green Lanterns Annual #1 Review



The Lost Lantern


Written By: Andy Diggle
Art By: Mike Perkins, Andy Troy, Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


Well, we're almost fifty issues into the regular Green Lanterns run and now we finally get an Annual.  Not that I'm complaining because with Annuals you can pretty much take them or leave them, but I'm curious to see what we'll get out of this for all the character development we've had with Simon and Jessica over the past two years.  Hopefully, we won't get a retread of the most basic concepts of the character (hint hint).  Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

Justice League: No Justice #4 Review



No Justice For All


Written By: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson
Art By: Francis Manapul, Hi-Fi, AndWorld Designs
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


It's the final issue of our little mini event here and while I'd like to say something cliche like it was a roller coaster ride of emotions or some nonsense like that, this story for the most part was just pretty confusing overall.  I never felt like I had a grasp on what the story actually was or how any of it was taking place and I know that anyone can go and fill in the blanks to create how the story works for them, I was just looking for something to give me a road map to what these Omega Titans and Brainiac were really up to because here we are in the last issue and I still can't say that I know what I've been reading.  Hopefully, everything comes together here and this becomes a story for the ages, but from what it looks like right now, it just seems like things will fall into place because they need to and this will only act as a setup for the new books coming out of DC.  Let's jump into this issue and find out.

The Man of Steel #1 Review and **SPOILERS**




Now You’re a Man

Script: Brian Michael Bendis 
Pencils: Ivan Reis 
Inks: Joe Prado 
Art (pp. 21-22): Jay Fabok 
Colors: Alex Sinclair 
Letters: Cory Petit 
Cover: Reis, Prado, Sinclair 
Associate Editor: Jessica Chen 
Editor: Michael Cotton 
Group Editor: Brian Cunningham 
Cover Price: $3.99 
On Sale Date: May 30, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

We’ve been getting just the tip of Brian Michael Bendis at DC Comics up to this point, and with this issue we get a full, penetrating thrust. Of course, the internet has been on tenterhooks waiting to see what BMB will do to make this character his own: will he kill Lois and Jon outright? Or will he make the first five story arcs all about Superman’s search for his missing red trunks? The time has come to find out! Let us delay no longer in reading my review of The Man of Steel #1, appearing below!

Doomsday Clock #5 Review



See The Light


Written By: Geoff Johns
Art By: Gary Frank
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


Holy cow, the Doomsday Clock has found us worthy enough to come out and grace us with its presence....... Yeah, that's a little dramatic, but for how much I was looking forward to this title, the delays have seriously gotten the wind out of my sails on this event.  That's not to say that I don't enjoy the majority of the issues that come out, it's just that I'm not looking forward to it the way I was and when it actually does come out........ it shocks the hell out of me.  In our previous issue, we saw Saturn Girl use her telepathy to get all caught up on what went down in the Watchmen Universe and used this knowledge to ascertain that the new Rorschach is someone that she can trust in completing whatever mission she still has and also helping Rorschach find Dr. Manhattan.  Who knows though, maybe their individual missions could turn out to be one and the same.  Let's jump into this issue and see what Geoff Johns has in store for us.  Let's check it out.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

PREVIEW: Green Arrow Annual #2


Written by: Julia and Shawna Benson
Art by: Carmen Carnero, Trish Mulvihill, and Deron Bennett
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

Entitled rich boy Oliver Queen grew up a member of elite society. But after a drunken escapade left him stranded on a deserted island, Oliver learned to survive and become more than a man—he became a hunter. He became a survivor. He became a hero. But when Green Arrow comes face-to-face with a challenge he never saw coming, his entire worldview—his reason for being a hero—comes into question. Because that challenge has a name: Amanda Waller!

PREVIEW: Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Robin vs. Ra's Al Ghul #1


Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Mick Gray, Jordie Bellaire and Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

Ra’s al Ghul returns to have a heart-to-heart with his grandson, Damian. Once upon a time, Ra’s thought Bruce Wayne would be the heir apparent to his criminal empire, but now that Batman has turned his back on Talia for good, Ra’s wants to know if Damian Wayne will honor his mother by stepping into the family business at last.

PREVIEW: The Flash/Speed Buggy Special #1



Written by: Scott Lobdell
Art by: Norm Rapmund, Brett Booth, and Andrew Dalhouse
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

When Wally West tries to take down Kilg%re, he’s stunned to find he has an unknown ally who can move just as fast as he can. Dr. Pernell, a brilliant S.T.A.R. Labs scientist, has found a way to power his buggy using the Speed Force. When The Flash agrees to help test the limits of the vehicle in a race, something sends them spiraling out of the Speed Force and into the unknown. They land in a post-apocalyptic future, but Dr. Pernell is gone, leaving only the buggy, which is now sentient. Together with his new anthropomorphic ally, The Flash must find a way to repair the time stream and stop the triple threat of Savitar, Speed Demon Buggy and…Reverse Speed Buggy!

PREVIEW: Super Sons/Dynomutt Special #1


Story and Words: Peter J Tomasi
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Oclair Albert
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

It’s no fun for Jon Kent to be visiting Big City with his parents for the funeral of an old friend. So his best pal Damian Wayne decides to follow along and give him the inside scoop on the city. But when they go to meet Robin’s local friend, Dynomutt, they find him injured and in need of help. And Dynomutt’s human superhero companion, Blue Falcon, has seemingly turned evil. What’s the reason for this betrayal between once-loyal companions, and what role might the evil Red Vulture play in this scenario? 

PREVIEW: Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1



Written by: Bryan Hill and Jeff Parker
Art by: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz and Scott Kolins
Colours by: Jeromy Cox and Tony Avina
Letters by: Janice Chiang
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018


Back from Viet Nam, kung fu master Hong Kong Phooey has set up his own detective agency in the inner city. Meanwhile, Jefferson Pierce (a.k.a. Black Lightning) has uncovered a plot by three assassins to collect the components of a sacred text revealing the darkest secrets of Martial Arts magic, and they’ll kill anyone who owns them—including the dog who holds the last chapter of the book, Hong Kong Phooey. Plus, a tale of the Funky Phantom as he goes toe-to-toe with the Spectre in a tale by Jeff Parker and Scott Kolins

PREVIEW: Aquaman/Jabberjaw Special #1



Written by: Dan Abnett
Pencils by: Paul Pelletier
Inks by: Andrew Hennessy
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 30, 2018

When the town of Amnesty Island is besieged by a series of shark attacks, authorities call Aquaman for help! What’s unusual about this case is that the shark isn’t trying to kill people—he just wants to talk to them. The very confused Jabberjaw needs to get back to Aqualand, the future undersea utopia where he came from. But that peaceful city where man and sentient sea life have been living in harmony has been turned into a dystopian nightmare created by a new Ocean Master. Now the King of Atlantis and his friendly shark ally have to team up to set things right. Also includes a Captain Caveman meets the wizard Shazam in a short story by Jeff Parker and Scott Kolins.