Anthony Mauro Comic Reviews

Brothers Dracul is a surprising favorite new series of mine. I'm always wary when a writer tries to do their own retelling of a classic monster story, but Bunn knocked it out of the park. Brothers Dracul #2 is a great second installment of this series. It pushes deeper into the inner workings of the Vlad and Radu, while continuing to expand on the vampire myth. Though the pacing left something to be desired, the character moments more than make up for it.

I really really really like this series. I picked up issue #1 on a whim, and have been an avid reader ever since. Curse Words #15 is the perfect issue to cap off this arc. It is the culmination of storylines that have been in play since the first story arc. It is perfectly balanced between satisfying conclusion and gripping cliffhanger. And it is, most importantly, the funniest thing you'll read all week. Well, second funniest thing. Having honest-to-God news outlets reporting on the "Space Force" is actually the funniest thing. But hey, at least with Curse Words you know it's all fiction.

From its sci-fi action sequences to its quiet character moments about identity and autonomy, Descender is full of welcome surprises. If you've liked it up until now, Descender #30 will delight you and leave you wanting more. Luckily, we only have to wait thirty days until we get it.

All in all, The Hellblazer #22 just didn't do it for me. Like I said up top, I'm a fan of Tim Seeley and I really hope this series gets better. Otherwise, I can't justify keeping it in my monthly pull box. And hey, if this doesn't work out, DC should just give Seeley a The Huntress series to write. She's shown up in both his run of Nightwing and The Hellblazer now, and Seeley knows how to make her interesting.

Judge Dredd: Under Siege #1 is a lot of fun. It's a book that knows exactly what it is, and goes out of its way to make sure the best parts of Dredd's world are front and center.

Nightwing #45 is a great way to set up the rest of this arc. In what I think may turn out to be the most interesting Nightwing story since Rebirth, Percy brings in real life concerns and explores them in a way where we know we can win.

All in all, Port of Earth #5 is a great first issue to bring readers back into Kaplan's world after the nearly three-month hiatus. While it doesn't do anything drastic in terms of storytelling, it has some great action set pieces and doubles down on the more intimate character moments that helpbring the reader into Kaplan's Earth.

All in all, Port of Earth #6 is a great action-packed issue. It is the next step in an ongoing bug hunt, which further characterizes Rice and McIntyre through action (and inaction) while focusing on shootouts and "car" chases.

Proxima Centauri is not for everyone. It's weird, meandering, and a blend of old pop culture made new. So basically everything I love with a science-fantasy spin on it.