Joshua Rathbun Comic Reviews

This was a great read and one that is highly recommended to all looking for something fresh and different in what can feel like a stale market of heroes.

This is good stuff by Mendelson and Czaplarski.

Dark and suspenseful, A Walk Through Hell is another great collaboration between Garth Ennis and Aftershock Comics.

Overall, a pretty decent issue that's not exactly my cup of tea, but I can see what people like in it. While I enjoy Chip's Daredevil work more at the moment, I can appreciate that he's not looking to just be another comic writer who only knows about superheroes.

So the verdict on All-New Wolverine? It's good enough to keep reading. I really liked the pictures, man. Really, but the story wasn't too shabby, either.

It's as good a time as ever to jump into the updated world of Archie and this is a fantastic starting point.

I don't read Archie and don't care to pick it up but I would read a lot more Archie stories like this. Stories so out of whack with its own universe that you can't help but be curious about the end product. Highly recommended.

Another great story featuring the unsung heroes of the Valiant universe.

Perfect storytelling isn't easy to come by but Beasts Of Burden has continually been able to do that. Look What The Cat Dragged In continues the fine adventures of these supernatural-battling animals with another great story, chock full of beautiful art.

Beasts Of Burden always ends up being a great story and Wise Dogs And Eldritch Men is no exception.

You are definitely going to like this story.

Blackwood #1 is the start of a fun and sinister series with all sorts of creepy goings on. For some, Evan Dorkin's name might be enough to buy this but there's more than just his involvement in the series and it's got some killer visuals to go with it.

Bloodshot's latest series is an action-packed blast.

Straight-up, I have no complaints here. However, for a company that basks in its own history so much, I do with this would have been called a Yearbook, which is what the 90's Valiant referred to its annuals. Not a knock, as that is just a personal preference. As far as every page of Bloodshot Annual 1 goes, I enjoyed this so much and if this is what their annuals are going to be like, then the fans are going to be very happy.

I've really enjoyed everything Lemire has done with the character. He's made Bloodshot into more than just a gun pointed at a bad guy. It was just a few years ago that he got the character reins and with this new series, it feels that he has a great idea for where to take the character. Teamed with arguably Valiant's biggest artistic names, Bloodshot Salvation is primed to be a huge, successful book for Valiant.

While it is cool to have Ray's story told from his view, the story isn't enough to get past the lack of visuals.

Peter Milligan returns with another great chapter in the Britannia saga.

This wasn't anything I plan to continue to pick up.

Cemetery Beach feels like the beginning of a fast-paced and intelligent action story.

Issues like this serve a proper function with readers to help build the world around it.

A while back, I would have skipped this because of the last story, but DK III, so far, is great. DC, tone down the variants and just get this book out.

Deserving of bigger accolades.

A tremendously enjoyable first issue and killer art.

Both story and art are superb. The first chapter of something really great.

The story of Divinity has been told through a series of mini-series for the past couple of years and this one does a superb job of bridging the gap from the past stories into what Eternity will offer. It reads like a good starting point for what is to come. In the past, I have always scored the Divinity books high and this is as good as any in the series.

It certainly has the makings of a truly memorable story and it's not easy to throw a bunch of new characters out there, coupled with a multiverse, but I really dig what's happening with this book and can't wait to read the next issue.

A fun take on the mythology around the Greek gods.

Exilium #1 deserves a spot in your monthly comics pull list.

This first issue is a big one for Valiant, hoping to pick right back up with the success they previously had with the title. This is the first in a string of big launches the company has planned for this year, with a new book each month. There's quite a bit added to this issue after the main story to show readers what they have coming down the pipe. It all looks incredible.

Another great issue from what seems to be Valiant's big hit. Pick up Faith 5 for the stories. And regardless of where you land politically, it's still one of the best all-ages superhero books around.

Do you read Valiant? Then you are picking this up. But, this should be the kind of book that attracts readers from outside that circle. It's a good first issue.

Current fans might not dig this but it's great for those checking these characters out for the first time.

The spotlight is on the Baroness and it's good to see the backstory explained.

A very fun, pulp-y action story.

The first issue is a beauty and I hope the hero-vs-hero stuff is up to the task at hand.

Harbinger Renegade was one of the books from the Future Of Valiant presentation earlier this year that I was the most eager to read and there is no disappointment here. Being a long-time reader of Valiant, I was very pleased with this. The trick will be to bring new readers into the fold but Harbinger Renegade is a good enough book to do that.

Hit-Girl is just the right kind of crazy and violent girl that we need in our (comic book) lives.

Incursion certainly has all the makings of an enjoyable story.

A book I would recommend for someone looking for something a bit darker than your typical comic story.

This issue returns Constantine to his proper place in the dark, seedy places that the heroes don't venture.

All I can say is that even though stories like this aren't my cup of tea, Jonesy was a lot of fun. It'll be great to see what happens with the remainder of the series.

This is something I've been waiting to read for a long time, since I saw the announcement at Image Expo back in April. But again, I'm sure you've read The Fade Out, Fatale, or picked up the recent Criminal one-shot. I shouldn't need to sell you on this. But if I have to, I would want you to know that these are creators at the top of their game doing something pretty special in the medium. Pick up Kill Or Be Killed. And if you haven't picked up their previous work, then shame on you because you are missing out on some exciting work.

I breathed a breath of fresh air after this one, knowing a book I looked so forward to lived up to the hype.

It's a solid issue. Books like this remind me that I probably should venture into this universe a bit more. Again, B.P.R.D. is my only real source of knowledge of the character. I imagine that for the regular reader, this is a bit hit.

This series has been a wonderful adult blend of fantasy and humor.

Overall, I think MCMLXXV #1 was pretty fantastic. Lots of cool elements added to this that I feel it stands out from most everything coming out this week.

Wholly original and serves as another great example of comic storytelling being something more than just superheroes.

If you are looking for a unique treat of a book to read and/or look at, you are looking for Murder Falcon.

This could be a fun book for readers of all ages.

Truly one of the best Ninjak stories and it's happening right now.

This issue shouldn't be missed by anyone and might serve as a great jumping-on point for readers new to Ninja-K.

It was a pretty damn good issue and I enjoyed every bit of it. While maybe not the best of places to jump onto a book you aren't familiar with, Valiant does a great job of recapping before every issue.

Overall, a really great read for an issue that might fly right under the radar with a lot of readers. Don't miss it. And is you can, remember the name Kevin Maurer, because he seems to have what it takes to craft a great comic book story.

A cool new world of craziness for fans of Outcast and The Walking Dead.

Marvel's recent relaunch has made me enjoy some books that I normally would not care for. I really like All-New Wolverine and I like Old Man Logan just as much. This is the start of a great series.

Poser delivers a great blend of horror and punk rock.

Another great issue. Maybe not one for the squeamish but like I had stated in another interview, if you like your slasher horror films or horror stuff, Poser is definitely a great book that you should be reading.

Poser pulled off a great straight-up horror comic book, chock full of blood and violence without pulling punches.

A great tie-in issue for Valiant's big summer event.

A great jumping-on point.

Hastings and Browne were a good fit for the characters and it would be good to see the creative team return if and when Quantum & Woody return.

Rai blends fast action, fresh dialogue and stunning visuals into a great first issue.

A rather nice done-in-one.

This was an excellent first issue. I'm not sure how new reader-friendly this was, as I feel that reading Ninjak would certainly get one ready for this tale. Still, it's exciting to see how Kindt caps his Ninjak run and I am certainly ready for more Shadowman.

I'm not a fan of $4.99 comics. However, ROM: Dire Wraiths has a much higher page count and a quality creative team. For this kind of effort, I won't mind paying a bit more. I'm a huge ROM fan and I probably own every appearance and I feel that while I know there are differences with the old and new material, these stories are in the right hands and that newer fans of ROM and the old school ones can enjoy a tale like this one. However, if you just want ROM, you won't get much of him in this issue.

Like stated before, TKO Studios has made the first issues of all of their titles available to read digitally. There's no risk there, save the time it takes to read it. I greatly enjoyed this first issue of Sara, enough that I plan to purchase the series. Garth Ennis is a master storyteller in the field of war comics and Sara is another quality story. Added into the mix is the rather detailed artwork from the team of Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser, making Sara a new title not to miss. Ultimately, nothing should stop you from reading a free comic. With how TKO Studios is going about getting noticed, there's no reason you shouldn't be reading Sara.

Tartarus is a fun, gritty and fast-paced first issue and if you like that in your sci-fi, then this is the book for you. I do feel that with the extra page count that this first issue definitely is worth the money and sometimes, you need those extra pages just to get a really good first issue.

I have questions about this character that aren't answered just yet but The Forgotten Queen is a nice first issue to help get me there.

It's easy for me to recommend this, and I do, as there's nothing in it that bothers or offends me. That can't be said for the regular reader. It's a book about God giving up on humanity and how people batter each other to pieces and curse their creator. It's a great book. After plowing through it, I just want more to read. I hope it finds a good amount of readers because I feel it's every bit as good as the early issues of Walking Dead or Saga. It's just crazy how Image finds great creators to do great things for them. This is for sure my favorite thing Image Comics is putting out.

The Life And Death Of Toyo Harada features some of the best art from Valiant.

A great first issue that will definitely leave you wanting more. The Magic Order is fantastic.

All in all, Sheriff Of Babylon is the right amount of real world for someone like me. And, it's good to see Vertigo still churning out great adult material. There's a strong history there and while this won't be the next Sandman in scope, it could turn out to be every bit as enjoyable.

I thought The Stringbags was a great read. It's hard to call any war story 'fun' but I did enjoy this very much. Any war comic by Garth Ennis is worth the read and if PJ Holden is along for the ride, the pair are going to deliver something that's truly enjoyable.

Not much great about Unity. Part of the problem is all the male protagonists in this book have their own titles and they are great books(Eternal Warrior's new title dropped this week) and what would have been better is to focus more on Livewire. My one true gripe with Unity, apart from just being lackluster.

Part super-villain story and part comedy, it has the right stuff to entertain today's comic reader.

So while my score reflects my enjoyment isn't going to be high, I do want to point out that I think that if you like books about romance, Virtually Yours would definitely be one to read and with so much about our world now being online, I think a lot could very well relate to the content in an enjoyable fashion. Also, I did think this my feelings towards romance comics being what they are, Virtually Yours was definitely one of the better Comixology Originals that I have read.

A great first issue to get you excited for more.

I love a good war comic and none come finer than those by Garth Ennis.

While I felt the first issue was a good launch to the title, the second one lagged a bit. Not here. This was a really good issue in my book.

Another stellar issue from Venditti and Allen. Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior 4 is another good issue from Valiant Entertainment.

Jump into Labyrinth and find out just how bad someone wants to know all the secrets of Gilad Anni-Padda. After reading the issue and gazing upon the art, you'll know that you were treated to something great.

X-O has to be shaping up for something great at issue 50. This was a good point to hop on and find out.

Valiant's flagship title is as good as ever right now. I've felt like ever since the Armor Hunters story that X-O has had better stories, better art. The Kill List is certainly one not to miss out on.

It'll be sad to see it go but issue 47 is the start of X-O going out on top. While it is the end, it's shaping up to be a hell of a story. Get in on the action. If you've been looking for comic book action, this is the home of it.

For someone new to the characters, it is as perfect a place to start X-O Manowar, without being bogged down by numerous mentions of the past adventures. Whether you seek an exciting and compelling story or just want mind-blowing visuals, X-O Manowar will deliver both.

The return of X-O Manowar is an action-packed beauty.