Erik Goodrich Comic Reviews

All His Engines is a thoroughly enjoyable read on plenty of levels. It's heart is in the right place, but this is not a feel good story and even though the ending isn't completely bleak, it does leave a bit of a bad taste in your mouth afterwards. John Constantine is one of my favorite comic book characters, and All His Engines embodies the character perfectly, and sets the stage for several large American based story arcs featuring our favorite "exorcist, demonologist, and petty dabbler in the dark arts". This is one of those graphic novels that needs to be part of your collection, so do yourself a favor and get to your local comic shop and get yourself a copy. Trust me, you won't regret it.

As something that is somewhat taking place of a previous title, Savage actually stands on its own merits. I am absolutely enthused by the possibilities that Savage presents us. The only thing that worries me is that this is a 4-issue miniseries, but knowing how tight Valiant likes to keep their universe, I've no doubt (depending on the outcome of the series that is) thatSavage will make its mark on the greater Valiant universe.

Again Savage has intrigued me as much as it entertained me. The story has suddenly become so much more than the "jungle boy vs. dinosaurs" story that the first issue presented us. Several serious questions have been raised, and I for one am chomping at the bit for the third issue! If you haven't gotten into this series yet, I highly suggest you get yourself to your local comic shop and grab them both, you won't be disappointed!

Do yourself a favor and get into Savage as soon as you possibly can. You'll be severely disappointed that you missed out on Valiant Entertainment's newest and incredibly ambitious miniseries. With only one issue left, I honestly cannot wait to see where The Boy goes from here!

Savage #4 is the perfect ending to a great miniseries. Since the relaunch of the Valiant Universe, I have been looking for something to fill the void left when they did not retain the rights to use Turok, as he was the one Valiant title I had been able to somewhat follow back in the original VU. Savage did so perfectly with The Boy. B. Clay Moore,along with the talents ofClayton HenryandLewis Larosacreated something awesome, and I for one cannot wait for what the future holds for the fruits of their labor!

The fans have been waiting for more Bloodshot, and we've got it! I'll admit that whenSalvation was announced, I was a bit hesitant towards the idea, as the "child has the powers of their father" had been done plenty of times, and nor always well. I'm very glad that is not the case here, and that my doubts were laid to rest (that's what I get for doubting Valiant right?). Leniredrops plenty of hints at things to come in theSalvation storyline, and I cannot wait to see what happens with Ray, Magic and Jesse. This month wait may in fact, kill me!

Rockstarshit me on a lot of levels, having certain love for several of the songs and bands mentioned in Jackie's narrative, not to mention my affinity for detective stories and tales of demon worship. The story is engrossing, and while it does give away some things right off the bat in the first issue, you can tell there's definitely much more to discover. I highly suggest this to any occult or rock lover, it'll pull you in just like it did me, and I for one, cannot wait for the next issue!

Divinity III: Stalinverse #1is a great first issue for the series and shows a lot of promise. The new reality feels alien, yet familiar at the same time, and she actions of those we once called heroes may tarnish their good names from here on out. If the previous twoDivinity series have any bearing on howStalinverse is going to play out, then I know I am going to be in for an incredibly enjoyable story with repercussions that will have a lasting effect on the Valiant Universe as a whole.

Divinity III: Stalinverse #2is another proving point thatStalinverseis going to be the best storyline of theDivinity series. It's hit it's halfway point and shows no sign of slowing down as Ninjak gears up to take down the world's Communist rulers. If you haven't checked this title out yet, you are seriously doing yourself a serious disservice!

This is a very strange place to start reading X-O Manowar, but that didn't stop me from still being to comprehend the sequence of events and enjoy my time reading Aric: Son of the Revolution. It is a welcome addition to what is already an incredibly entertaining story arc and definitely leaves me wanting more. Bring on more Stalinverse!

Divinity III: Shadowman & The Battle for New Stalingrad #1is an excellent addition to theStalinversestoryline, and gives us an appearance from a favored character that we haven't heard from in a while and that fans have been excited to see. Accompanying Battle for New Stalingrad is the story The Origin of Baba Yaga,by Matt Kindt and Juan Jose Ryp, giving us some backstory on one of Myshka's teammates.

Mayday hooked me with it's gorgeous art and a story that balances the nuances and trade craft of classic Cold War era spy stories and the debauchery of the 70's. It was a very satisfying read with a cliffhanger ending that has me chomping at the bit for more.

It does come with a $4.99 price, but honestly,The Few may be the best possible way for you to spend $5, especially being an extended page run than a normal monthly title. I grew up on the Mad Max trilogy, and always loved the genre, andThe Few is a very welcome addition to it. I knew next to nothing about the title when I started it, and now I'm fully committed and cannot wait to see where this story takes us and more about the world as a whole.

Cannibal has a lot of promise. The first issue wasn't shy on blood, and introduces plenty of believable characters. It has roots as a horror story for obvious reasons. However, it's in no way a jump scare sort of horror. Out of all of the new titles coming out this year, Cannibalmight have me the most excited.

This was a great second issue and didn't lose any steam from the series initial issue, which can be a problem sometimes. Cannibalremains my most anticipated new series of the year, and I'm happy to say that it continues delivering on all the levels promised by in the first issue. I highly recommend it to any horror lover that doesn't need tons of blood and gore spoon fed to them at all times, and would even say that if there were anything this year in comics would make a great tv series, this is it!

Cannibal continues to deliver not only a great story, but a believable one. Everything about this story hits on all the right marks, and still has me as excited to read issue #4 as I was to read issue #2. Each issue exceeds my expectations set by the previous issue, and I honestly cannot wait to get my hands on the next issue.

Now, I am a little in different to how they ended this arc, as it sort of feels like both an obvious and a strange place to leave off. It isn't a deal breaker in any way though, and I'm excited to see what these story lines go from here! Matias Bergara's art is as stunning as always, and the very last panel of the story is absolutely captivating and will leave you wanting more!

This story isn't without it's faults, but this single shot look into the past of Gilad Anne-Padda should be a welcomed addition to your collection and serves as a good jumping on point for any new reader.

In the end, I had a blast reading itWolf Cop #1. It was a quick read mind you, but that was just the pace of the comic, as they did not waste more than a couple panels on the first page to connect the comic to the movie. With the pacing being what it is,Wolf Cop may work better as a trade paperback, but that's only something that time will tell. But in the meantime, grab yourself a copy of #1 and have a good time with Lou and Willie as they discover that Lou's lycanthropy might not be the most terrifying of creatures on the Canadian back roads.

All in all, I'm excited for where this story could be taking us and how this new adventure is going to throw the crew once again into the sights of The Alliance. The pacing of this first issue is quick, and the story pushes along and really, the end of the issue kind of creeps right up on you. But, being as this is only the first issue in the story, it's very forgivable, and makes the wait for the next issue so much more worth it.