Hellboy in Hell

I haven’t reviewed a comic book in a while. So I jumped at the opportunity when my editor at Forces of Geek.com asked me to write an advanced review of ‘Hellboy in Hell #7.’

Here is the official synopsis for “The Hounds of Pluto” Part 1 of 2.

A sickness eats away at Hellboy. Though he’s dead, he risks losing himself and becoming one of the hollow phantoms that haunt Hell. A team of doctors promise a cure, but they need something from him first . . .

My review is up now, and you can click here to check it out.

Krypto: SUPERman’s Best Friend

There is a lot of news coming out about the upcoming Batman V Superman movie regarding various characters who may or may not be in the film. Wonder Woman is confirmed, Aquaman and Doomsday are heavily rumored, and even secondary Batman villain KGBeast might make an appearance. However, I couldn’t help but notice that a certain super-powered canine was missing from the rumor mill. Continue reading “Krypto: SUPERman’s Best Friend” →

Rexdous is 64 Million Years of Fun in the Making

“Daddy needs you to step away from the apex predator,” Dr. Dixon nervously says to his 12-year-old daughter, Amber, as she accidentally awakens a living and breathing dinosaur from a 64 million-year cryosleep and brilliantly and humorously sets the tone for this fast-paced intergalactic tale of survival.

If you look at the cover, you see a little girl with an orange T-Rex who is wearing body armor and ready to attack the enemy.

“Maybe this is a comedy, a parody that is only meant to deliver a good laugh,” I thought as I judged this cover. Not that there is nothing wrong with a parody. James Farr and Jon Sommariva take what we know about these historical beasts and flip it upside down.

However, once you immerse yourself in these colorful pages, it becomes evident in a short amount of time that Rexodus delivers so much more than its perceived intent.

Changing what we know about history and our place in the universe had been done before. So, if I were to tell you that dinosaurs could walk and talk, you wouldn’t be so surprised.

Kelvin Sauridon is a relic of a time long ago and finds himself in the 21st century and realizes that everyone he loves is gone. However, something survived with him in the form of the life-sucking entity called The Black Blood.

Amber Dixon is a spunky and extremely savvy young lady who isn’t afraid of much, considering she gets thrown into this crazy interplanetary adventure and handles it like a champ.

The relationship between Kelvin and Amber is the centerpiece of the story.

James Farr handled this with a different type of care and perspective. Amber is anything but a damsel in distress that a person her age would normally be portrayed as. In fact, she helps Kelvin, and he quickly gains a sense of admiration for her. They’re both a fish out of water in this situation, but when the time calls for it, Kelvin is the protector as Amber looks for a way to assist.

Jon Sommariva’s illustrations remind me of a well-drawn animated series that has a strong and pronounced presence throughout the book. The design of the dinosaurs, or in this case, “Disaurians,” is well realized and made to look more humanoid in their portrayal.

My only complaint with the book is that on a few occasions, certain panels don’t completely jive with what’s taking place. In one instance, a small and conniving dinosaur is stepped on by his very large superior. In the next panel, the little guy looks fine and not even bothered by the trauma he experienced.

Stories with multiple layers sometimes fail to find a voice that connects with the reader because they can’t decide what they are trying to be. Whether we are talking about a goggle-wearing fighter pilot pterodactyl who loves to go fast or a surly triceratops who kind of has a Han Solo thing going on, all of the story elements are executed at the right moments and to perfection.

Laughter filled my soul at times, while other moments captivated my imagination by the real stakes involved. Then, there was an occasion or two that made my eyes water a little bit.

What ultimately makes this graphic novel unique is its simplicity. It is easy to follow and aimed at a younger reader. Rexodus is an eclectic gathering of heartfelt action, adventure, and humor that is highly imaginative and never lets up.

Originally written for Forces of Geek.com – 6/24/15

Planet Hulk # 1 Review

Sam Hunphries and Greg Pak hit comic book fans with a pretty snazzy 1-2 punch as they implement the beloved story arc of Planet Hulk into Marvel’s current big event, Secret Wars.

The other part of the combination deals with a gladiator Steve Rogers and his trusty steed in the form of a giant red t-Rex, Devil Dinosaur kicking ass and taking names.

I couldn’t help but notice the bump up in price compared to the other Secret Wars tie-in books. The book is certainly thicker, but does it add up in the realm of content? Of course, all things in Battleworld leads back to Doctor Doom, who is now referred to as God Doom.

Seeing a beaten down Steve Rogers being forced down at the feet of Doom harkens back to Secret Wars circa 1984. Doom obtained ultimate power in that outing, and Rogers got into his head by turning his own hubris against him.

Their interaction in this current state of affairs dropped some hints about whether or not Doom remembers everything before Marvel’s version of the big bang. It would make sense considering he is the shot caller, but many of the characters remember bits and traces of their past without realizing what it really means.

Enough about Doom and Rogers, though. The book is called Planet Hulk, and you want to hear about how they wreck shop and cause total destruction. Greenland is the name of this Gamma-infested region that has been carved out for Hulk-like beings.

Sam Humphries sets things up nicely by establishing how dangerous this place is as it is conveyed to be the most feared place in Battleworld.

Greg Pak writes a nice little back story that shows life in Greenland before, well, it turned green. The cover had a retro sixties vibe, which almost seemed like a gag at first.

However, even though Battleworld is a bastardization of reality, these are still real people who live their lives until things took a turn for the worst. Pak’s gives Planet Hulk perspective through this origin story.

Most of the time, tie-in books fail to add any real depth to the overarching story they are trying to enhance. While it would have been nice to see more of Planet Hulk in its current form, Humphries did a great job of establishing everyone’s role where green goliaths appear to play background noise to a much larger issue at hand.

Score: 4 out of 5

Secret Wars #2 Review

Enter Battleworld, a new plane of existence somehow created in the wake of the Marvel universe’s destruction. It’s a crazy, dark place where the characters we know have new lives and have taken on radically different roles. A seemingly medieval symmetry encapsulates the motif and lifeblood of this realm.

Various families and houses squabble, politic, and plot to expand their dominion under the watchful eye of one supreme monarch. While there are certainly no songs of fire and ice, I got the impression that winter is coming. Continue reading “Secret Wars #2 Review” →

Secret Wars #1 Review

Time has officially run out. Only two worlds remain.

This is the story that Jonathan Hickman has been building towards since Avengers #1 and New Avengers #1 kicked off the Marvel NOW initiative back in December 2012 and January 2013. Hickman has done something special here as he’s weaved a story that is easy to appreciate regardless of whether you’ve been keeping up with his Avengers’ books or jumped right into the deep end without knowing how to navigate the waters of this universe-ending event.

Secret Wars has been synonymous with Marvel comics since the inaugural series carrying that name occurred in 1984. The Mattel action figures based on the story coincided with the release of the famed limited series. There have been other limited runs using the name, but this 2015 edition promises to change everything……and it does! Continue reading “Secret Wars #1 Review” →

Secret Wars #0 Review

This was the most anticipated release of Free Comic Book Day, as Marvel kicks off its big event of 2015. Secret Wars looks to change the Marvel Universe as we know it, and it will include over 55 books between tie-in issues and special one-shots.

Jonathan Hickman has been the maestro wielding the creative force that has led to this moment, with almost two years of backstory in the pages of his run on Avengers and New Avengers.

Most of the story here shows Valeria Richards telling the Future Foundation about the world incursions the Illuminati tried to prevent. Hickman makes the book new reader-friendly while giving current readers some nice reminders. I loved the artwork in this issue. It was just right and conveyed a sense of world-ending calamity.

There was also a bonus, which included the Marvel Universe heroes battling the gigantic humanoids of Attack on Titan. Manga really isn’t my cup of tea, but the show gets recommended to me daily. Three episodes in on Netflix, and I’m hooked, gave me a greater appreciation for what I had read earlier. The artwork and color were the stars of this particular show and were well-realized.

If you’re a Marvel fan or have been out of the loop for some time, this is the book you need to read. The primer for Secret Wars more than did its job, and you just might find yourself enamored with a completely new franchise.

Star Wars #4 Review

Star Wars #4 serves as the beginning of a new story arc dealing with the fallout of the Empire’s weapons factory on Cymoon 1 being destroyed.

The majority of the book takes place on Tatooine as Darth Vader arrogantly keeps Jabba the Hutt in check while maintaining the assurance of Imperial supplies provided by the mammoth gangster.

Jason Aaron was able to keep the dialogue between the two villains interesting. Vader was steadfast in his demands while Hutt surgically picked his spots to rub salt on the wound of recent Imperial damages. It reminded me of how one would book a match/story in professional wrestling with the idea being one person wins without the loser taking any damage to their credibility or character. Continue reading “Star Wars #4 Review” →

Run Love Kill #1 Review

My initial thoughts after reading this book were, “Holy @$%&! This is really good.”

This creator-owned series follows an assassin on the run named Rain Oshiro who is trying to escape a barricaded city called the Prygat.

There is a pronounced cinematic quality that shines in the opening pages with interchanging scenes of song and sorrow. Continue reading “Run Love Kill #1 Review” →

Taking Artistic License On A Local Comic-Con

I’m late to the party with this one, but I wanted to write about my experience at Beverly Comic Con 2. Some of you might be thinking, what and where is Beverly? Well, Beverly is a city in Massachusetts. It’s about 30 minutes outside of Boston, boasts a population of approximately 39,000, and if you ask its citizens, she is the birthplace of the U.S. Navy.

This sounds like a weird place to hold such an event since most comic book conventions occur in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, and San Diego. Also, I grew up in Beverly, and for a long time, it was a place that, in my opinion, was allergic to fun. However, over the last five years, there has been a social revitalization that has been inspired by and celebrates art, music, and culture. Continue reading “Taking Artistic License On A Local Comic-Con” →