The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb Review

The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb is a successfully funded Kickstarter project helmed and written by James Patrick, who’s been a writer on Batman and Harley Quinn books.

I had no earthly idea that this book was even a thing. Thanks to a strong recommendation from the nice lady at the comic book store, I took this home and dove right in.

The story wastes no time, making me wonder what I had gotten myself into. The eight-year-old titular character reads an essay in front of his class while a ghostly-looking female is murdering people in adjacent scenes. My thought process immediately came to the conclusion that Jimmy was somehow going to somehow incur her wrath. Continue reading “The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb Review” →

The Fall of A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #44 featured the death of Donatello which capped off a four issue story arc titled Attack on the Technodrome. A second printing has already been ordered and will be available on April 8th. Most comic book stores were sold out of the book within minutes of its release, which has made the first printing a tough item to acquire.

So, why kill Donatello? While the series is consistently one of the best reads on the shelf, it was the right time for something drastic to occur. Team members die and return to life in comic books all the time, which often cheapens eerie hold that death is supposed to hold over someone.

The team dynamic will be different going forward because Donatello was the smart one and his intelligence was often the key in getting the team out of sticky situations. That is gone now, and adjustments will have to be made which should provide for some interesting stories down the line.

I wrote a column at Forces of Geek.com reviewing the last five issues of the series which shows how this moment was set up along with everything else that was happening with out favorite turtles. Click here to check it out.

X-Men and Guardians of The Galaxy Enter The Black Vortex

The Black Vortex is the current big event going on in Marvel Comics with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men teaming up to stop an ancient artifact that is imbued with immeasurable power from destroying billions of lives across the universe.
This event will be a three month trek with four books that were released in February, five installments to be released in March with the final four chapters hitting shelves in April.

Here we’re going to examine the first four books while looking at story progression, character depth, and things that look to be shaping up. If you haven’t started reading this event yet, consider this your Cliff’s Notes on The Black Vortex.

There is one question that needs to be asked and that is, “why should we care about this event when Secret Wars is right around the corner?”

The Marvel Universe as we know it will be melded into one single cohesive alignment called Battleworld where continuity could be changed, altered, or remained untouched. While crossover events should deliver some high stakes excitement that augments the overall scope of the universe in some way, shape, or form.

However, sometimes, it’s all about providing a sense of wonderment while seeing your favorite characters in uncommon situations. If you’re a Guardians and or X-Men devotee, seeing them interact is half the fun.

Check out my review of the first four installments of The Black Vortex at Forces of Geek.com

Bitch Planet #3 Review

Bitch Planet has a strong feminist component that reinforces the message of self-acceptance when everything around us says we’re not good enough. While the male perspective might roll their eyes at this type of social commentary that doesn’t appeal to them, the reality is, it does.

Kelly Sue DeConnick has made Bitch Planet an enthralling and entertaining premise for the comic book medium that fits like a glove in all its splendor. The creators have laid out a format where every third issue will shy away from the main narrative and focus on the origin story of a specific character. Continue reading “Bitch Planet #3 Review” →

Darth Vader #1 Review

When it was first announced that Marvel obtained the comic book rights for Star Wars, everyone wondered what kind of stories we would get. Instead of looking towards the Expanded Universe, the publisher revisits the familiarity with the franchise’s most infamous character in Darth Vader. Dark Horse Comics produced several limited-run Vader books over the years.

Most of them did a great job of highlighting the dark lord’s ruthless aggression. Still, Kieron Gillen goes into uncharted waters by exploring Vader’s psychology at a time where he has lost favor with Emperor Palatine. Continue reading “Darth Vader #1 Review” →

Superman: Earth One, Volume 3 Review

Superman is more than a comic book character who saves the day by leaping into action in a single bound.

He is an ideal that we all strive for every single day. At least, that is what most people would have told you several years ago.

In 2015, the general consensus was that he’s too powerful, and therefore, he’s boring and unrelatable.

When you peel back all the layers of contempt that didn’t exist a generation ago, the answer is more intuitive than a super-powered skill set. The affluence of Superman’s deeds still causes us to look inward, but instead of finding inspiration, we see an underlying arrogance in the ease of his endeavors.

That is how much of an imprint The Man of Steel has on our culture: that we look beyond the obvious nature of truth and justice only to see a pronounced representation of what we can’t do. Continue reading “Superman: Earth One, Volume 3 Review” →

Bitch Planet #2 Review

Bitch Planet #2 | Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick | Artist: Valentine De Leabdro | Colorist: Cris Peter
Publisher: Image Comics | From my column at Forces of Geek.com

One of the many great things that Kelly Sue DeConnick accomplishes with Bitch Planet is that she sets the reader on one path and then without a moment’s notice, sends us down a completely different course.

The fact that we don’t see it coming is one thing, but the manner of execution along with the emotion the narrative extracts is pure genius. The titular planet is a prison where men send troublesome women who are “noncompliance.” Continue reading “Bitch Planet #2 Review” →

Rocket Raccoon #7 Review

The creativity of Skottie Young and the hijinks of Rocket Raccoon are a perfect match that can’t be denied.

The diversity of this series is produced like a variety show that has something for everyone. In this particular outing,

Rocket and Groot and stranded on the dreaded Winter Planet. Groot is angry at Rocket for breaking off a piece of his body to use as firewood.

Sure, the furry Guardian didn’t ask permission, but that’s ok, they need to stay warm. Ice giants looking to clobber the two outlanders halts the humorous banter.

Fun action turns into a grave situation for Groot. Young seamlessly tears away Rocket’s tough exterior as bravado is replaced with gut-wrenching concern for his best friend.

“I don’t need no stupid ice ninja’s help” is a spit in the face of adversity when the locals try to convince Rocket that Groot will not survive.

Filipe Andrade’s artwork is fun to examine and works extremely well with the stories multi toned approach due to his expressive style. This is a pivotal stop on Rocket’s journey towards a redemption of sorts.

The thought of losing the one constant in his life after discovering he is the last of his kind drives him to new heroic heights.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Star Wars #1 Review

I was barely five years old when my father came home with a VHS tape that said Star Wars on the cover.

This unfamiliar title sparked a resounding sense of curiosity because there was no explanation or synopsis as to what I about to witness or how it would change my life.

Five minutes before my bedtime, I was told to sit down, stare at the TV, press play and prepare to be transported into a galaxy far, far away. Continue reading “Star Wars #1 Review” →

Ant-Man #1 Review

Marvel timed the release of this book perfectly as the teaser trailer for this summer’s Ant-Man film recently debuted. More people are talking about the micro-hero than ever before. Hank Pym is the predecessor of this insect mantel, but this new generation will predominately associate the name Scott Lang with the character. Continue reading “Ant-Man #1 Review” →