Review: B.P.R.D. Vampire #3

So far, I’ve been a broken record on B.P.R.D. Vampire. I found both the first and second had the same problem: great setup, but no payoff. For $7.00, I wasn’t sure I could give an unconditional recommendation until I could see the payoff was worth it. Well, I have good news for you: in B.P.R.D. Vampire #3, Mike Mignola, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon have finally delivered on the promise of the series, and it’s totally amazing. Also, vampires! Actual vampires!

This is the issue in which we start to see payoff for all the great set-up that’s permeated the first two issues. After finding themselves stuck in the crypt, our protagonist, Anders, and his companion, Hana, try to find their way out. But while searching for the front door, Anders finds far more than he would have expected, and it becomes clear very quickly that things are not as clear cut as they originally appeared.

One of the things I love about this issue is the character development through action. Yes, action. That thing the first two issues sadly lacked (last time I mention this; I swear). Seeing Anders in tense situations, both in and out of combat, teaches the reader a lot more about his character than could be shown through dialogue and flashbacks. Yes, those tools can teach us a lot about a character, but when the pressure’s on, one’s true character is revealed, so to speak. It’s a balance all writers have to hit, and this issue strikes that balance beautifully. Anders has gone from a character to whom I held no emotional attachment to one for which I am actively rooting, and I’m definitely excited to see what happens next issue as a result.

My favourite part, however, was the way the issue balanced mystery and payoff. In every story, you need mystery to keep things interesting; no one likes knowing everything that’s going to happen before it happens. On the other hand, if you do nothing but shroud your story in mystery, you run the risk of alienating your audience. It’s a delicate balance, and this issue does it perfectly. We see more of what the characters introduced in the first issue truly are while also having Anders fight a vampire in a spectacularly handled fight scene. It’s beautiful payoff that makes me immediately feel justified in my previous investment to the story. But, in a move that only the best of comic writers know how to do well, Mignola, Ba, and Moon use that very same payoff to tease the next part of the mystery. Immediately, I’m sucked in by the very elements that were just used for payoff. It’s brilliant writing, really, and as a sign of what’s to come, I couldn’t be more excited.

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

I don’t know what more I can say about this artistic team I haven’t already said in my previous reviews. They’re awesome. Dave Stewart continues his work as one of the best colourists in the business, and Moon and Ba team up for some of the best vampire design I’ve seen in some time. The art does a great job of conveying scale while still paying attention to detail, and both the locations and individuals are handled equally well. Without giving it away, this book contains one of my favourite panels I’ve seen in a while from a purely aesthetic basis. This is truly a great issue all around.

I had my trepidations about this series, but they’re long gone now. This issue achieves the potential I’ve seen in it for so long and then some. I could not recommend it more highly for the $3.50 cover price, and now recommend that you all go out and catch the previous issues if I’d scared you off before. This is something you need to be reading. Enough said.

Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He is officially naming this his second favourite Dark Horse miniseries behind Amala’s Blade. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.

Review: Angel & Faith #22

I love the Angel & Faith series, but even by that standard, issue #22 (written by Christos Gage, illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs) floored me. I’m flabbergasted by this issue in the best way possible. I get the feeling that it’ll be polarizing, but put me firmly down on the side of loving it. Problem is, I can’t say why – everything past the first three pages (previously released as preview pages) is a huge spoiler, and you want to go into this blind. It’s hard to even explain why it’s so good without spoilers (there will be another article soon with spoilers), so I’m telling you here: if you have any interest, go and get it right now.

The last issue ended with the resurrection spell being interrupted by Whistler and crew attacking. This issue deals with the aftermath of the spell being interrupted… and it’s funny. They take it in an unexpected, humorous direction for what really is a very serious situation, but it’s not just a joke. They didn’t spend an entire season setting up a punchline, instead going for the mix of wit and situational humor familiar to fans of Buffy and Whedon’s work in general, something that the comics have been hit and miss with so far. To clarify without spoiling, the tone reminds me of “Tabula Rasa” from season 6, without feeling like a ripoff of that episode.

Onto other topics talking vaguely around spoilers, a character who’s been absent for a little while comes back into the story, and their presence greatly complicates the situation. It’s good to see this, as it has the potential to pay off something set up back in the first issue of the series. Even if you recognize that fact, this character’s effect on the story isn’t entirely clear quite yet. I’ve loved the writing in this series so far, but we haven’t yet seen it over the long term. We’re starting to see that even somewhat small and possibly forgotten story points and characters are going to pay off. It’s also great economy of writing – everything I’ve talked about in this paragraph came from two panels and no dialogue, letting just the visuals tell the story.

That economy in storytelling was not just specific to that scene. The pacing is basically perfect, managing to mix moving quickly with not rushing past things before they can sink in. I had to check to make sure that this was not more than the standard 22 pages (it’s not) because so many important moments happen that it felt longer than it was in the best way possible.

There’s no direct crossover with the Buffy series. I didn’t expect there to be (that rumor was debunked a while ago), but they do maintain continuity. The big events currently happening in the Buffy series have a subtle but tangible effect on the action in this issue, distracting and possibly costing the characters some time in a very serious situation. This type of crossover is one of my favorites, as it’s a bonus for those who follow everything but doesn’t detract from understanding if you don’t.

Rebekah Isaacs’s art continues to be good for all the reasons I’ve mentioned previously. Something in particular caught my attention in this issue: rooftops. Dialogue heavy scenes usually take place on rooftops because they allow for interesting visuals, and Isaacs always delivers on that point. There’s only one such scene here, but it sticks out as a rather long and character heavy scene. It could easily be just talking heads, but the view from the roof adds just enough detail to make every panel interesting while not distracting from the characters. She also provides a really good interpretation of someone else’s art, which I did not expect to see here and need to give credit to, even though it would be a spoiler to reveal what exactly it is.

Overall, I cannot recommend this issue enough. It’s definitely worth the $2.99 cover price. Even though it’s late in the arc, I think it’s actually accessible to people who aren’t big followers of the comics, and though you won’t get the full depth of the character work, it should still be accessible, so even if you’re not already following the series and this has piqued your interest, just buy and read it already.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew, and is at a loss for words. Follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings to find out when he gets them back.

Review: Dragon Age: Until We Sleep #3

Well, here we are at the end of Until We Sleep, and… I still honestly don’t know how I feel about it. It started off strong, but then the second issue just utterly underwhelmed me, which brings us here. This final issue does conclude the mini-series quite nicely, and it’s definitely a far sight better than the previous issue, so for those reasons alone I’m rather relieved. It’s just…overall, I can’t decide if I’m pleased or annoyed that I read the mini-series, and that’s the toughest sort of review to write.

I have a weird relationship with Dragon Age. I hate them as games, to be perfectly honest (seriously, I rage quit Dragon Age my first playthrough because the battle system was so atrocious, and I dozed through the battle encounters in Dragon Age: II – when they weren’t glitching, that is), but I really, utterly, completely and totally adored the characters. So, you’d think character-centric comics would be right up my alley, wouldn’t you? They should be about everything I loved regarding the series, minus the annoying button-mashing-oh-god-dammit-Alistair-you’re-already-dead-again aspect of actually playing the games. And yet, they aren’t, as these reviews increasingly show.

With this final issue, I’m beginning to get why. The pacing overall is just not good, for starters, but it’s more than that. Yeah, the story gets rushed – the game felt like that too at times, so maybe they’re just trying to be accurate. I’m not necessarily reading for the story, though; I’m reading because, as I said before, I really like the characters they’ve created… but therein rests the problem. There’s no consistency. Some panels, characters look like themselves, act like themselves, and feel as they should. Then suddenly they don’t, and you have no idea who you’re dealing with anymore.

This one was a bit better, because Alistair really shone through (for the first few pages, anyway), and Varric’s narration was on-point as always. That’s probably my biggest compliment for the series; Varric’s narration always sounds like Varric, and thus makes for my favorite bits from the series overall. Alistair and Varric actually felt like themselves for most of this issue, but then Isabela felt like she wasn’t there at all, which is really damn annoying.

The resolution of the overarching conflict (finding King Maric) is well enough. It was a touching moment, it made insightful commentary (you can’t live in a dream just because reality is no longer what you wish it), and, well, it concluded. It all just felt a little underwhelming, and it had a bit of a downer final page (a well-done one, to their credit, but a downer all the same). The whole thing actually feels a bit like when I finished Dragon Age: II; it left me thinking, “That’s really it, isn’t it.”

So… I don’t really know how to advise you, dear reader. If you’re an avid Dragon Age fan, you’re probably going to pick this up no matter what I have to say, and you’re probably going to be a bit disappointed but satisfied enough to not resent spending money on it.  I wouldn’t call it an “essential addition to the Dragon Age canon” as the Dark Horse page does, because really, if it’s incredibly vital, it’ll be mentioned in Dragon Age 3, but it’s entertaining enough for $3.99 if you’ve already picked up Issues #1 and #2. It just leaves you feeling a bit conflicted; as a fan of the characters and the series you want to like it, but it’s just not particularly good or bad: it just is.

… if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon read The World of Thedas, because that actually satisfies my world-building, information-craving hunger and doesn’t leave me going, “Was that even worth bothering with?”

Jeni “Science Whyzard” Hackett wishes that something Dragon Age-related would actually do its characters justice. Speaking of Justice, she rather likes Anders, although she thinks she mentioned that in one of these bylines already. The segue was just too perfect to ignore. You can find her on twitter under the name @allonsyjeni, email her at jeni.is.a.geek@gmail.com, or find her on tumblr at hellomynameisgeek.

Review: Amala’s Blade #2

I’ve been looking forward to this title for weeks (since I finished Issue #1, to be specific). When I last reviewed Amala’s Blade, we had just left our titular hero as she set off on her next assassination assignment. Issue #2 picks right up where it left off, with more combat, more teasing of Amala’s past and abilities (including some of which even she’s not aware), and more fantastic-as-always art. I wouldn’t call it a perfect issue, as it did seem to bump into some pacing issues, but it’s still living up to its promise of being an incredibly enjoyable and intriguing comic, and definitely the one I look forward to most.

The first panel might be one of my favorites, mainly because there’s a lot going on at once without it looking busy. The observant reader will recognize the people in the panel, although they’ve never met them before, technically. Each of the men in it is a ghost following Amala (as seen in Issue #0, unless my memory is really wonky).  Just like that, we know we’re in a flashback, even before (adorable) little Amala runs out. It’s a neat trick that gives us a hint at her past while not giving too much away.

When I say action happens, I do mean action. There are many ways to learn about a character, and how she goes about dispatching two surprise enemies is definitely one of them. How she reacts to sudden explosives is yet another.  Amala isn’t just brawn and no brain, however, as later on we’re treated to seeing a more clever, cautious side of her in her display of her impressive disguise skills. Through her actions, we learn a lot more of what Amala can actually do– we don’t need to take her word for her assassin skills, we’ve seen them in action, and it’s great.

We also see how badly she’s wanted captured in a quick scene on Smitty’s farm, which boasts my favorite line of the issue (“Either leave disappointed, or leave dead”). I don’t have much to say about that page, actually, I just really wanted an excuse to work in that line because I really like that line.

Also, recall those ghosts Amala’s been hanging out with? Well, this issue is pretty pivotal in understanding what’s going on with them. They’re far more than just the manifestations of a guilty consciousness, I’ll say that much, and they add an intriguing spiritual side to the story. Those of you who read Issue #0 may recall a line that stated Amala would bring harmony to the Modifiers and Purifiers as a spiritual leader, and my bet is that we’re seeing the ramifications of that in this issue. (I could be totally wrong, though, so don’t take my word for it – this is my speculation!)

It closes strong with another beautiful sequence of pages that unveils more of the story behind the woman Amala is sent to assassinate, and a bit more about the Modifier/Purifier conflict along with it. Seriously, I thought the earlier Amala-in-the-woods sequence was my favorite, but then the last few pages happened. I must confess, I’ve a weakness for color-coding, and these pages set up a purple-orange contrast between Modifier and Purifier that’s used to beautiful effect. More than just the artwork, though, these last few pages provide insights into what’s going on with the world at large and create an emotional connection with two brand-new characters, all while also advancing the immediate plot (Amala’s assassination of Lady Strawbale). It’s another ending that leaves me eager to know what happens next, although this time I’m almost afraid because I got a little emotionally attached to a character that I might not want to be.

This issue does suffer a bit from pacing issues, however. There’s a pretty abrupt shift between two panels, for example; one moment it’s dark and she’s realized a wound sustained in battle is more than it seemed, the next it’s light and she’s running. I’m not sure if she’s hallucinating by that point or she’s just been running all night, and taking a moment to figure that out is a moment where you’re taken out of the story. However, it’s also a moment of confusion followed by some absolutely stunning, well-executed artwork, so it didn’t take me too long to dive right back into the story (just like the ghost monkey! Man, I love that thing.) I also felt like the ghost reveal was a little abrupt, although I do understand that showing what happened would take up precious pages in a mini-series, so I don’t find it  to be a terribly egregious problem.

To close, I’d like to point out that this is a comic series you actively want to talk about, and I say that from experience. The editors here at Red Shirt Crew are Amala’s Blade fans (I know at least MaristPlayBoy, BakerStreetHolmes and Mischlings follow it), and when we received our advance copy of Issue #2, I know a bunch of us dived for it, eager to know what happened. More importantly, as soon as Chase (MaristPlayBoy, for those of you new ‘round these parts) finished reading it, he messaged me going “did you read it?!”, eager to discuss what he felt about it. That’s a good thing, even if he had concerns to raise about it, because if we want to talk about something it means we’re invested in it.

Editor’s Note: (There used to be something here. There isn’t anymore because it was dumb. That is all.)

Amala’s Blade is the one mini-series I’m avidly following (I am reading others, such as Akaneiro, but Amala is the one I am actively eager for), and I will continue to follow it with glee. I really do encourage basically everyone to pick it up – it has something to interest you, I know it, because it has a little bit of, well, everything, and in the best possible way. For $3.50, it’s more than worth picking up. It might feel a bit poorly paced at times, but so long as it continues to make up for that with stunning artwork, an intriguing lead character and a story that keeps me questioning, I’m pretty okay with overlooking that.

Jeni “Science Whyzard” Hackett STILL really, really loves this series, you guys, and still isn’t afraid of gushing about it. She also really wants to stay at the Seven Silvers Inn, but she’s not sure she’d be able to resist making a crack about the name, and then it might be too expensive for her. You can find her on twitter under the name @allonsyjeni, email her atjeni.is.a.geek@gmail.com, or find her on tumblr at hellomynameisgeek.

Review: The Last of Us: American Dreams #2

Officially, this is a review for The Last of Us: American Dreams #2.  That being said, I don’t see how I can do a true review of this comic without discussing both its predecessor, The Last of Us: American Dreams #1, and saying at least a little about the upcoming game, The Last of Us.  Lots of stuff in this review, so keep reading!

First, a little about the game: The Last of Us is an upcoming game from Naughty Dog (creators of Jak and Daxter, Crash Bandicoot, and the Uncharted series) for the Playstation 3.  In the game, out June 14, 2013, you play as Joel as he traverses the post-apocalyptic United States with his young companion, Ellie. The world has been ravaged by a deadly fungus, and the United States has devolved to a number of quarantined cities under martial law.  Joel is tasked with bringing Ellie to a resistance group called the Fireflies while surviving in a very wild America teeming with fungus-spreading, humanoid creatures that certainly nothing like plain old zombies at all. No sirree, completely different.

The comics are a prelude, following not Joel, but Ellie, and the events that lead her to where I assume we’ll meet her in the game.  It’s a very interesting introduction to the setting, as Ellie, in a contrast to the game’s main character, grew up in this post-apocalyptic world.  Whereas Joel remembers the world being as we know it, the comics give us a chance to see what it would be like for someone who has only ever known the world this way.

The comic is written by Neil Druckmann, who is also the creative director for the game, and Faith Erin Hicks, who is also the artist.  Since this is officially not about the first comic, I’ll leave it brief: we get introduced to Ellie and her school situation.  She’s fierce, obstinate and headstrong.  I like her, especially because I think her lack of trust and her distaste for authority figures will make her an interesting travelling companion for the older, more experienced Joel.  We also meet Riley, who is basically the same girl, but with less of a temper and more rebellious.

The second issue was better than the first in my opinion.  So you get the full scale of what I mean by that, you should know the first printing of issue 1 sold out.  Gone.  They are all owned.  They’re doing a second printing, out the same day as the second issue.  The difference for me is simple: the first one is introductory and basic, but this issue, we get a peak at the darkness behind the world.  In typical teenage fashion, Ellie and Riley sneak out to go to the mall, albeit an abandoned mall.  We get a beautiful, yet creepy scene from Ellie’s imagination of what it was like before, during, and after the apocalypse.  It really makes me hope the game gets the same morbidly fascinating looks at how some of the areas the player explores undergo that transformation.

I highly recommend this series if you like action-adventure/horror games, or have PS3 and the money for the game when it comes out.  I can’t speak for the overall quality of the game, but Neil Druckmann has shown his prowess as a writer in this series thus far, and Naughty Dog tends to make good games.  If you don’t think you’ll buy the game for one reason or another (my lack of a PS3 being a good reason for me not to), it’s still a good story, but it’ll also make you a little depressed about all the fun you’ll miss out on.  But please, whatever you do, there are going to be four issues, and like this one they will all be $3.99.  Don’t buy the trade paperback for $16.99 and waste a $1.03.  My inner mathematician will tell my outer mathematician to hunt you down and beat you up

Matthew Bryant, aka Baker Street Holmes, would like to recommend that his fellow Red Shirt Crew editor, Chase, never read these comics, as they take place in a destroyed Boston.  Holmes also feels obligated to inform the readers that there is a bit of swearing, and that if you don’t want to read that kind of language, you should not be reading these comics.  You can find him on twitter at @BStreetHolmes or e-mail him at HMCrazySS@gmail.com.

Review: King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #1

The Hour of the Dragoncontinues the adventures of Robert E. Howard’s Conan, and is adapted from Howard’s novel of the same name. The King Conanseries tells the story of the Cimmerian after he becomes king of Aquilonia, starting at a point much later in his life than Dark Horse’s ongoing Conanseries. The creative team of Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello, and José Villarrubia returns in King Conan, and their work here is much the same as in their earlier Conanstories, from Rogues in the Houseto Iron Shadows in the Moon. If you’ve read those comics, you know what to expect. There are very few surprises here, but that’s by no means a bad thing with Conan. Truman’s writing attempts to stay faithful to Howard’s original stories, and Giorello and Villarrubia’s artwork is consistently great. This team knows how to write a Conanstory, and King Conanis no different just because the Cimmerian himself is older.

In the same style as the early issues of the Conan series, the stories of King Conan are framed as tales told by a character long after the events have passed. The difference is that those stories were told by Conan’s nemesis, Thoth-Amon. In King Conan, they are recorded by Conan’s scribe, Pramis, while the Cimmerian, now an aging king, reminisces about his past. In The Scarlet Citadel and The Phoenix on the Sword, this took the form of first-person narration by Conan. His descriptions gave the stories a uniquely personal tone. In the Hour of the Dragon, these have largely been replaced by the notes Pramis keeps. The narration here is more matter-of-fact; Pramis is writing a history of Conan’s reign, and it reads like one. The story seems to lose some of its potency, at least when compared with Conan’s rugged narration in the earlier issues.

There really isn’t much to say about the story itself; this issue is essentially an introduction to what promises to be a solid series. Several characters are introduced and a battle begins, but one of the most important characters in The Hour of the Dragon has only been mentioned so far. If anything is unusual about King Conan, it is seeing a much older Conan, at least in the opening pages.The stories he tells take place only a short time after he became king, and they read very much like any other Conan story. This comic features an ancient wizard and a dramatic battle, as many Conan stories do, but that’s about all that fits in the issue after the introduction of the characters and details of this particular adventure.

Giorello’s images and Villarrubia’s colors are, as always, vibrant and detailed. The artwork, much like Conan’s Hyborean world, is full of contrast and depth. The deep shadows of crypts compete with the glow of magic, and both create a sense of mystery. The cities of Aquilonia rise in the background of several panels, never in full detail but enough to suggest the scope of this world. Conan’s face is always fierce and determined, while the evil wizard is grinning and scheming; in other words, what you expect from a Conan comic. 

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

That’s probably the best way to describe The Hour of the Dragon: it’s what you expect from a Conan story. The writing and art are both good, but the story doesn’t have much complexity, at least so far. Hopefully, that will change in the next several issues; the best Conan stories are always deeper than they seem at first.

Would I recommend it? The $3.50 cover price gets you an introduction. This comic sets up the conflict, but the real meat of The Hour of the Dragon is coming in the next few issues. If you really enjoy Conan, go for it. This comic is adapted from one of Robert E. Howard’s own stories, and it promises to get more interesting over the next several issues. If you’ve never read a Conan comic before, this isn’t a bad place to start. There are a few references to Conan’s early adventures, but you don’t need to know very much backstory to enjoy this comic. Conan is the same as he’s always been. He just keeps treading and re-treading the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He knows it’s useless to pray to Crom, but he hopes that the next few issues are more interesting than this one was. You can follow his travels to distant Hyborean lands on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: Lobster Johnson – Satan Smells a Rat

Lobster Johnson is an important character in the Hellboy Universe. I know this because his wiki page told me so. In all seriousness, this is a character I’ve never previously encountered, but this is the thirteenth comic that Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and artist Kevin Nowlan have written about him, so he is clearly a character held in high esteem. That said, since I’ve never experienced him before, I’m going to review this comic as the one shot it is, without taking the character’s larger context into account. And for what it is, Lobster Johnson: Satan Smells a Rat is a very enjoyable comic, albeit not as deep and intellectual as typical fans of the Hellboy Universe have come to expect.

Lobster Johnson: Satan Smells A Rat begins with a man taking a woman back to his room after a night on the town, only to discover a rotting corpse inside. It becomes clear quickly that someone is after him, and it turns out to be none other than Lobster Johnson himself. But why is Lobster Johnson after him, and what secrets does this man hold?

This comic does not tell a deep story. It reads very much like a classic detective story from the 1930s and 40s, which is when this comic takes place in universe, and that’s its big advantage. The characters are exactly what you would expect a comic in that genre to discuss; there isn’t anything revolutionary about the goon, boss, henchman, or the dynamics between those characters. It’s a simple “chase the bad guy, find the hideout, beat up the bad guy” story. But what some see as a weakness, I see as it’s greatest strength. It knows what it wants to be, and it executes those measures flawlessly. The atmosphere is really well done, and the comic is really a lot of fun. Yes, the moral it tries to bestow upon the reader is a simplistic one, but a good story well told is always worth dealing with these simplistic moral values, especially when executes as well as this moral is.

What I didn’t appreciate as much was the absence of Lobster Johnson in the first third of the book. Instead of following our hero in his attempts to track down these bad guys, thus giving us a reason to want this guy hunted down and these criminals’ schemes to be stopped, we follow the henchman himself. This isn’t a bad idea in and of itself, but it means that the reader doesn’t really know who the main players are or what’s at stake until the comic is almost over. And as soon as it’s established, the bad guys are dealt with, and its all over. This might not be an issue to some people, but I ended up appreciating the style more than this specific story as a result.

It’s worth mentioning that Kevin Nowlan‘s art here is incredible. It’s hard to point out what specifically is done so well, but that’s only because it’s basically all of it. The shading is great. The colouring is really well executed. And the attention to detail on things like bullet wounds is just superb. It’s exactly the kind of art that a comic of this genre needs, and Nowlan deserves some major kudos for it.

I know this review is rather short, but that’s because there’s not much to say about it. It lacks the depth that one might expect from a Mignola/Arcudi team-up, and the story could have used a little more Lobster Johnson in it, but what’s here is executed perfectly for the genre it wants to create, and sometimes, a bit of fun is all you need from a comic. For $3.50, you can do a lot worse than this comic, and for that, it gets a recommendation. That said, if you pass it by, I wouldn’t hold it against you, as there’s already so much great Hellboy out there, and money is sadly not an unlimited resource. At least not yet…

Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He admits that sometimes, you just need to turn of your critical side and enjoy something. But don’t worry; that day isn’t coming anytime soon. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.

Review: Dark Horse Presents #24

I always look forward to a new issue of Dark Horse Presents.  Most of the stories are excellent, and even when a story goes wrong here and there, there are enough in each issue that they are greatly outweighed by the successful ones.  This is no different: a couple flops, but all in all a pretty solid issue. To get a glimpse of which stories are in this issue, follow the jump!

Chapter 1 of Blackout introduces us to a fascinating character, a thrill seeker with a suit that allows him to create portals to… I don’t really understand where he goes.  A phase shifted version of the current setting I guess?  It’s like the flash game, Shift, except gravity doesn’t reverse.  The main character, Scott, is on the cover to the right.  Cool, right?

Chapter 5 of Alabaster: Boxcar Tales is back, after not appearing in last month’s Dark Horse Presents, not that I’d know they were part of the same story from the plot.  We left off with a raven telling the story of a half crazy albino girl in the bayou.  This story is about the strange events aboard a broken down spaceship.  No raven and no bible verse narration this time, so I doubt it’s the same narrator.  The same creative team of Caitlin Kiernan and Steve Lieber is about the only consistent element, but they do a good job, and this story is arguably more interesting, so I can’t complain.  This one will have to prove itself next time, me thinks.

Chapter 2 of Bloodhound: Plain Sight is in this issue too, and other than Clevenger still being a really dumb name for a character, I’m really starting to enjoy this series.  Why?  A good balance of superpowers, real science, and “I made up this science so I could have a cool story”.  If any of those is too light, the story comes out unintelligible or uninteresting.  Also, great pacing!  As of this point, clues are starting to reveal themselves: Clev is starting to figure out what’s causing the mysterious string of deaths, but there are still plenty of things left to wrap up in the final chapter.

Chapter 2 of Brain Boy is my favorite from this series, but I’m biased by my love for superheroes.  Following the previous chapter’s massacre, Matthew “Brain Boy” Price panics.  I loved that Fred Van Lente takes us on the whole range of reactions: first we’re worried because we’re not used to superheroes having panic attacks, then Van Lente changes to an almost playful tone, and then we see his true power!  MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  But we also learn that Brain Boy isn’t the only superpowered individual.  I can’t wait for the next issue.

Chapter 1 of Trekker: The Train to Avalon Bay is a great story set in the 23rd century about a female bounty hunter, Mercy St. Claire.  St. Claire is actually not new to Dark Horse Presents, appearing back in the ’80s in Dark Horse Presents #4.  Props to Ron Randall for creating an engaging female lead who is strong and capable, without detracting from her strengths by dressing her in skimpy clothing or giving her ridiculous proportions.

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

Chapter 2 of King’s Road: The Long Way Home was a bit of a let down, mostly because the first chapter was action packed and really worked at establishing the strange setting.  This chapter is less involved; there are about two pages which elaborate the situation, while the rest is spent introducing the reader to the fact that the main characters have kids.  I was bored, then intrigued as the situation was explained/expanded in the middle, then bored again.

Chapter 5 of Crime Does Not Pay: City of Roses is really confusing.  First of all, I have no idea when the last chapter was, but it hasn’t been in the past four months that I’ve been reading Dark Horse Presents.  Not only that, but this chapter is basically 8 pages of the characters running around screaming “We’re corrupt cops!” at the top of their lungs.  There doesn’t seem to be any character development or plot, just “La dee da, we like drugs!”

Chapter 2: of Nexus: Into the Past was one of the comics introduced last time for which I was most looking forward to seeing in this issue, other than Brain Boy.  Time travelling to visit Sherlock Holmes! If you have a mystery to solve, he would be the one you’d want for help.  Holmes seems a little too willing to accept the time travel explanation, which I felt was uncharacteristic, but Holmes seems to notice something about the time traveler’s hands, so maybe his reasoning will be elaborated at the end in true Doyle like style.

Hunter Quaid: Armageddon Outta Here.  I’m not sure how I feel about this comic.  On the one hand, the art is gorgeous: I love the ancient chanting at the beginning being on parchment instead of speech bubbles and the SHWOOOSH of flowing water being worked into the water itself.  I even love the horrible puns, as most writers for this site will attest.  But it felt like it shouldn’t be a one shot, that it should at least be Chapter 1 of something larger.  It’s like it wanted to be, but Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal couldn’t convince Dark Horse their story was worth more than one part, and that’s a shame.

Chapter 4 of Villain House is another of my favorites, but this week, it was very political, and that lost a lot of my interest.  Basically it’s about how America has a tendency to unnecessarily involve ourselves over vague, perceived threats.  Blah, blah, blah politics.  Not really my cup of tea and it took a cute, silly, and clever comic series and made it serious and preachy.  Hopefully the next one will return to the antics I’ve come to really appreciate from these series.

While this was not one of the stronger issues of Dark Horse Presents that I’ve read, if you’re a fan of Superheroes and high tech gear, there’s enough in here to be worth the $7.99.  6 out of 10 stories I liked a lot though, and only two of the others were actually displeasing rather than disappointing. I’ll take that percentage every time.

Matthew Bryant, aka Baker Street Holmes, is an editor for the Red Shirt Crew, though he often forgets it.  This article is dedicated to all the orphans out there: remember, you probably have the best chance of becoming superheroes.  You can find him on twitter at @BStreetHolmes or email him at HMCrazySS@gmail.com.

Review: Akaneiro #1

Akaneiro #1 (written by Justin Aclin, illustrated by Vasilis Lolos) is the first issue of a comic prequel to the video game Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, itself based on Red Riding Hood as interpreted by American McGee, best known for the video games Alice and Alice: Madness Returns. All of that adds up to a rather convoluted backstory if you decide to research the origins of this comic. Ultimately, this background would be much more helpful if I had any knowledge of the Alice games, but since I do not, I can only comment on the comic itself.

I was pulled in immediately by the cover. Though it’s very different in style, it’s not false advertising: the art inside is really good. I’m not sure what it is that I love about the art; the best I can tell is that I’m drawn to the style for reasons I can’t put my finger on. The one thing that I can say for sure that I love is the coloring, for which I should really give credit to Michael Atiyeh (colorists are very underappreciated in general). The pencils are so detailed that I get the feeling (though I’m not sure) they would be overwhelming alone. By going with bright colors, they bring out the detail instead of allowing it to become a distraction. It’s there if you’re looking for it, but had they gone with more subdued coloring, the same pencils would be muddled and distracting. It’s a choice that many others would be likely to go with, but they avoided that pitfall here to great success.

Getting to the writing, it starts off slow. The beginning is very heavy on unclear exposition. I might understand it better with more knowledge of Japanese mythology and tradition (or it could be fictional for all I know), but it’s still a failing of the book that its scene setting exposition is unclear. Knowing that it’s a prequel to the game, I might get more of that background there, but requiring outside knowledge to understand the story is a huge problem.

Once it gets going, the story really starts to pick up, and not understanding that exposition doesn’t matter. The tension goes way up and Kani (the protagonist) has some really great lines (at least one will go into my mental registry of awesome quotes), but this isn’t until about the 2/3 mark. Since this is in a single issue, this gives us barely enough time to get excited, and then the issue ends. It makes me want to read the next issue, but the little that is in this issue is underwhelming.

One more point about the writing, which is probably more a personal pet peeve, is the heavy reliance on narration. It isn’t “describe what we’re already looking at” bad, but there are long stretches where we’re given almost all of Kani’s thoughts in narration. Some of it is needed, but I would much prefer that most of it be done visually. The art is definitely up to the task, but the writing doesn’t let it, which frustrates me.

Would I recommend this book for the $3.99 cover price? I’m not really sure. If I did, it would be on the potential for the future more than what is in this issue. I don’t like to make that sort of recommendation, but what is here shows a lot of promise. I’m going to be more cautious and wait to see if the next issue really gets the story going before giving it a full recommendation.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is caught off guard by a lack of video game knowledge interfering with reading a comic, but knows that he shouldn’t be. Follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings to read his other thoughts in bite-sized pieces when he actually has any worth sharing.

Review: The Deep Sea

The Deep Sea is quite a tale: Rip Van Winkle meets Fantastic Four #1 meets 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  A combined work by the likes of Washington Irving, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Jules Verne might seem like an untouchable combination,  but if there was ever a team that could pull it off, it would be the writing duo of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (co-writers for so many things like The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, Powergirl, and, most recently, Jonah Hex) backed up by dynamo artist Tony Akins (best known for his work on Fables, Hellblazer, and the current run of Wonder Woman).  Supposedly a one shot, it ends with a cliffhanger and “End. (For now)”, leaving plenty of room for a return.  I certainly hope so!

First off, take a second to look at those suits they’re wearing on the cover and tell me that you aren’t reminded of the Fantastic Four.  Go on; I’ll wait.  Since I can’t hear you, I’ll assume you agree.  I’m still waiting for them to turn out to have superpowers.

The man in the middle is Paul Barry.  On the morning that he and his crew were supposed to delve into the Challenger Deep in 1958, he was injured and unable to join them.  That was fifty five years ago, and Paul has never forgotten.  It is the day that haunts his dreams, the day that plagues his mind, the day his friends and his lover were lost to the sea.  Melodrama.  But today, their craft has been recovered, and he will finally get some answers as to what happened on that fateful day.  But the deeps have a few more surprises in stock for him than he expected!

I don’t know what it is about this comic, but I want more.  The plot is unpredictable.  Well, some of it is pretty predictable.  But there is a massive surprise about halfway through.  And it is certainly not a “one shot”.  There is so much about the events of that day that are left a mystery while test results on the contents of the vessel are tantalizingly dangled in front of the reader’s face.  We know they’re important; we just don’t know what they say.  And like I said, it ends on a bit of a cliff hanger.  Most one shots are structured so that if there is no sequel, the audience will still feel like all is resolved.  If there is no sequel to this, everyone who reads it will become a ghost after death due to “unfinished business” on this world.

I love the art in this comic.  You get a glimpse of a volcanic vent at the bottom of the ocean that;s just beautiful.  There is plenty of detail in the faces, which I always love to see in comics, as well as a good use of shadowing.  I also love that the last couple pages have sketches from Akins, with notes explaining his process, which is normally reserved for “making of” specials, personal websites and books specifically about art, like some of the ones we review here.

I give a major recommendation for this comic.  Unlike many of Dark Horse’s comic issues, this is $2.99, so it’s an amazing deal.  I’d recommend it even if it cost way more.  And don’t believe the people at Dark Horse: it’s not going to end up being a one shot.  This is issue #0.  They aren’t fooling anyone.

Matthew Bryant, aka Baker Street Holmes, hopes that he doesn’t have to eat those words, especially because he’d really like to see this team come together again.  Also, more   [no spoilers allowed]  !  You can follow him on Twitter at @BStreetHolmes or e-mail him at HMCrazySS@gmail.com.