Grant DeArmitt Comic Reviews

Not every comic can pull off a title that's just a loudonomatopoeia, but BANG! makes it look easy.

The Riddler's entry into Year of the Villain is smart, sad, and deeply human. A must-read for fans of the character.

BREATHERS, Justin Madson's tale of a world without fresh air, is prescient but not preachy, full but not flashy, a must for indie comic fans.

Going to the Chapel is a great reminder that the comic format is great for romantic comedies, while still satisfying the every need of a modern comic fan.

TRIAGE #1 from Phillip Sevy and Dark Horse is for anyone looking for high-concept story told through high-weirdness art.

Triage continues to be a resonant, engaging story with some refreshing sci-fi concepts and some very relatable characters. In fact, it's tempting to wish the series would be an ongoing, even though Sevy's absolutely knew what he was doing in making it a limited run. Still, there's a giant world (in fact, multiple worlds) within the pages of Triage. Dark Horse would certainly not be making a mistake in returning to it after this series is over.

GOING TO THE CHAPEL is everything you'd want from an indie book: a self-contained story that puts character over crossover and soul over spinoffs.

Going to the Chapel was one of the best indie comic experiences of 2019, and you'd be missing out if you didn't try it for yourself.

Batgirl is a fantastic character. You want to love her, and this issue is no different. She's still the same brave, witty police-chief's daughter, but does not take the events of the storyline lightly. Her clever quips make us feel closer to her, because we know that behind them is the weight of her brothers death at her hands. Fans of the New 52 Batgirl absolutely need to pick this issue up, no doubt about it. Batman fans, too, might want to consider this, not only for the exploration of the "no-killing" theme, but also for a rewarding reference to theBatman: Dark Victorygraphic novel in the beginning of the story. New readers will also find this book a decent jumping-on point. All in all, DC did a fantastic job hiring Gail Simone to write this book, and it's certain she has great plans for this character.

Vault Comics made a grand entrance into horror comics with THE PLOT. In BLACK STARS ABOVE, they've made it clear they plan on staying.

IDW brings the awkward hilarity of Napoleon Dynamite to the comic page beautifully, with a little intrigue added for good measure.

Nick Cagnetti knows the instruments of the Silver Age, but doesn't repeat any of the tunes.

Triage is a pull-no-punches, logic-challenging tour de force across a weird universe that you can't help but get sucked into.

Headless #1 is a horror comic for fans of mystery, magic, and small-town murder.

Ghost Rider #1 is not the strongest introduction to a series that Marvel has recently put out, but one can't read it without thinking that something huge is coming out of it. With Johnny facing threats both internal and external and Danny questioning the purpose of his powers, there's a lot for a good villain to use against the heroes in pursuit of the Throne of Hell. And when that Hell is drawn by Aaron Kuder and colored by Jason Keith, it's absolutely worth pursuing.

Issue four of Triage is a perfect showcase of what this tense, deeply human science fiction series can be.