Frankenstein Alive, Alive #1 Review

The story takes places years after he “died” on a funeral pyre, and he is at peace while working as a circus freak.

Steve Niles adds another notch on his horror belt as he weaves a tale that recalls Frankenstein striving to embrace his humanity.

It’s a struggle that traces the line between truth and treachery because there may not be humanity, to begin with. Life and death can make strange bedfellows, especially when consistent torment from your creator can make you crave one over the other.

He has found balance right now but is there something that will take it all away?

Bernie Wrightson’s art truly brought Frankenstein’s lowest points to life. What makes the story stand out is that it’s not a story about a brooding monster but a monster of a man searching for a grim finality while journeying great distances for something bigger than himself.

Grade: A

Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Review

[Avengers Vs. X-Men No. 1 (1st printing, standard cover - Jim Cheung)]

Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 | Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Art: John Romita & Scott Hanna | Colors: Laura Martin Publisher: Marvel Comics | Price: $3.99

The fantasy matchup that fanboys have been dreaming about has arrived. The Phoenix Force is heading to Earth, and Captain America isn’t taking any chances. He wants Hope in custody, but Cyclops ain’t havin’ it.

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Daredevil #10 Review

A friend of mine who reads this column called me a Mark Waid fanboy. I just might be because I don’t think I could say anything bad about his writing if you paid me. His work on Daredevil is just that good and never ceases to amaze me. The same can be said for Paolo Rivera, who will be at Boston Comic Con this month!

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Ultimate Comics Spider-Man # 7 Review

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7 | Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Art: Chris Samnee | Publisher: Marvel Comics | Price: $3.99

Brian Michael Bendis has done a masterful job of providing comic book fans with a feel good story that follows a character you love to cheer for.
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Red Lanterns #6 Review

British professor Jack Moore has dealt with a lifetime of torment and ridicule. He buried his anger, thinking he could keep his feelings in line. Things change for Mr. Moore as the instrument of rage selects him and begins a harrowing transformation of the mind, body, and perhaps, soul. Moore tries his best to fight it as a tidal wave of awful memories floods his mind.

Reminders of the past begin to chip away at his consciousness until Jack realizes he can no longer control himself as he’s encountered the one thing that can make him the monster he hid from everyone: A Red Lantern ring.

Meanwhile, Atrocitus and Bleez fight each other for leadership of the Red Lanterns as many of the Lanterns watch on, rooting for one over the other.

The crux of the story is Moore’s emotional struggle as the power ring plays the devil’s role on the shoulder, telling him to embrace the hate.

There was nothing special or bad about the artwork as it did a great job orchestrating Milligan’s script. It is detrimental to our mental health to keep things bottled inside because eventually, you will snap.

The red ring was drawn to Moore like a moth to a flame, and the end result produces the first human Red Lantern.

Grade: A-

Batman #5: One of the Best Comics I’ve Ever Read

One of the great things about being a comic book fan is when you find the perfect book that completely captivates your attention from beginning to end.

Comic book nirvana has arrived as Scott Snyder puts Batman through the wringer in a story with the Dark Knight battling his own sanity. Bats has been trapped in a dark labyrinth by the Court of Owls for eight days without food, water, or rest. He hasn’t bathed or shaved, his costume is torn up, and the white left eyepiece is missing from his mask.

The missing eyepiece is excellent because it allows us to see Batman’s true emotions as he faces unspeakable peril. Over the years, I always wondered if a punch or a kick hurt more than he let on or how horrified he was, if at all, when he examined a crime scene.

At one point, the lights inside the labyrinth are turned on, and a stylish Owl-shaped water fountain is revealed. Knowing it’s drugged, Batman drinks the water without hesitation. The mind games begin to take shape as secrets are revealed, and the horror is unleashed.

As you read the book, you come to a page layout where you have to turn the book left-side up to make sense of it all. When you turn from that layout, the next page is upside down, which looks like a mistake.

You naturally turn it right-side up to examine the page, thinking you are correctly holding the book again. As you continue to read, it takes you a minute to realize that you’re reading the previous pages repeatedly, thus experiencing and sharing Batman’s mental madness.

The ingenuity of it all was simple and brilliant. The artwork is almost in sync with the story, more than any other comic book I have read in quite some time. Even this early in the year, Snyder’s number 5 has all the makings to be the single best issue of the year.

Grade: A+

Fatale #1 Review

Ed Brubaker’s Fatale combines 1950’s noir with the horror approach of H.P. Lovecraft to bring us a crime story. We begin at renowned author Dominic Raines’ funeral, coordinated by his godson, Nicolas Lash. As Lash leaves the gravesite, he bumps into an eye-catching woman named Jo, who reveals a connection to his family.

Later on, catastrophe enters Nicolas’ life going eighty miles an hour as car chases, explosions, attempted murder, a killer airplane, and lost body parts set the stage for a trip to the past that begins to unravel a mystery.

If you are looking for something besides the superhero thing, look no further because this is it! This is not a story you can simply skim through as you really need to read every word balloon and examine every panel to truly take everything in and enjoy. To drive the point home on how good of a tale this is, my wife is an avid book reader who never picks up a comic book.

She read this one and can not stop talking about it and feels February is too long to wait for part two to be released. I completely agree, and so will you if you pick it up.

Grade: A-

Daredevil #7 Review

Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil has been simply amazing, and lucky number seven is no exception. Matt Murdock takes some students from the Cresskill School for the Blind on a field trip that quickly turns into a quest for survival.

Harsh weather conditions render Matt’s powers next to useless, and the terrified children create some tense moments page by page. Waid’s script and Rivera’s complimentary artwork shows the gravity of a tense situation that makes you wonder how he will get them out of this one.

I also found myself thinking about how anyone could find success in that situation, considering the circumstances. This book will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, which all great comic books accomplish.

Grade: A-