Keith Callbeck Comic Reviews

This issue kicks off the arc that will carry us most of the way to #1,000 and we get a lot thrown at us in these first pages. With appearances by Flash and a few other recognizable faces, this issue casts a wide net in its appeal.

This team continues to produce one of the most consistent books in the New 52 and as a reader who seeks that connective tissue we call continuity, this is a gold mine.

And all of the Sharknado elements are touched as well. Chainsaws revving, sharks flying, and cameos galore! Along with a hilarious meta-joke 14 years in the making, Archie vs Sharknado is the most fun you can have outside of the Riverdale Wild Summer Nights Dance!

At times risking being a bit heavy-handed in its politics, this issue nonetheless pulls back from that brink to tell a more human story of leaving this world better than you found it.

Engaging new characters, good dialogue, solid action, and bold narrative choices. Welcome to the Bat Family, Harper Row, you have a great future ahead of you.

Destined to sit with the great Batman stories, this is a must-read. With echoes of its narrative big brother, Superman: Secret Identity, Creature of the Night is a beautiful story well told.

Starting strong, this issue still manages to raise the stakes and dig deeper into this story.

There were times I was shocked, times I was appalled, times I was just bored. At no time was I in the least interested by what he had to say, if there was indeed something said at all. I am very tempted to give this book aminus rating because it will unfortunately reflect on my next reading of the original that this travesty has hit paper.

The anthology format continues to struggle and there will be talk for some time to come about what worked and didn't from this attempt. That it hits the shelves the same week as the announcement that DC Universe Presentshas been cut is worth noting. There seems little strength in the market to have a masthead carry a book through a cycle of creators and characters. More's the pity.

In a string of remarkable debut issues from Image, Danger Club is another unique and engaging work from a company that has been discovering the talent like no one since 90s Vertigo. Put this one on the shelf next to Morning Glories, it has the goods.

Jones art is clean and his characters expressive. Kid Vigilante grows as a character through quiet moments th

It's the future by way of the 60s, and I'm looking forward to where it goes from here.

Overall this one shot is a great addition to the DC/Looney Tunes fifth week alumni. An entertaining tale that does not require any pre-work to understand the characters and the state of affairs.

An interesting start with some enough meat on it to really feel like a meal.

One unique point that had me heading to Twitter after reading this, Earth 2 #1 is the only debut title from the New 52 that does not feature an appearance by the mysterious Pandora. The other three Wave 2 books we've seen this week do have this hooded woman search game, but not this one (unless someone leaps in to prove me wrong). My only thought is that Pandora is limited to Earth Prime. I will assume regardless that it is a story reason to have her absent. More to come.

A good start to what promises to be a bit of silly fun. If you want comics to be fun, then you came to the right place.

I am so grateful Niles and Jones came together to finish this series. Rather than issue a trade of an incomplete work with 5 scattered pages in as a footnote, this issue allows us to have a final, complete, story from a comics legend.

I'm not the nostalgic sort, but this issue reminded me that though I have enjoyed many of the narrative changes in comics storytelling over the years, it can be nice to step back to the comfort-food feel of a good guy fighting a bad buy to save the world.

Gideon Falls is one of the finest examples of craftsmanship I've seen in comics in recent years.

Benjamin Day is one of the most complete characters I've seen in a first issue in some time. While the lack of action in the middle slowed the pace, Keatinge has created a solid foundation that makes me care about what happens to Benjamin. As a debut, it has introduced a dozen threads that could be followed and I am very interested to see which journey they have ahead for us.

I'm still on board with Hell Yeah, and Keatinge has kept me interested in what he has planned. This is more a sci-fi book than a super-hero book and I want to stay with what he's playing with. This is the second issue in which his final twist had me thinking “what is going on here?” and that's a question that gets me picking up next month.

The real terror is waiting. Just beyond.

A note for those sensitive to 'problematic material' " this graphic novel series is attempting to be a very loyal adaptation of the Bond novels and so includes text and situations that would never make it to the page today. When the choice comes down to verisimilitude versus current sensibilities, the weight is firmly on the former. Vesper may have gained a grudging respect from this Ur-Bond, but he still believed firmly that "women were for recreation."

Overall, some good ideas but lacking clarity in some of the storytelling.

This is an interesting start to what seems another strong chapter in Dynamite's Bond line. Having recently become a fan of the novels, and being a long-time fan of the films, I greatly enjoy these new adventures.

Keith Callbeck is the host of the We Talk Comics podcast and a columnist for Comicosity. He has Celiac Disease and cannot eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. Twix are also out.

Keith Callbeck is the host of the We Talk Comics podcast and a columnist for Comicosity. He has Celiac Disease and cannot eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. Twix are also out.

I greatly enjoy this series and the way it echos the Hostess Twinkie ads of yesteryear. And given that they usually offer them free, you can not go wrong with this one.

The splash pages and reveals are particularly effective and Magno shows great talent for framing the big moments. The last pages of this issue play like the end of the first chapter of a movie serial. Which perhaps summarizes the issue – Kong On The Planet Of The Apes is the movie serial that we can only dream of seeing. But thanks to the magic of comics, we can experience it. Don't miss the next exciting installment!

Gods of Skull Island carefully skirts the edges of the troubling history of colonialism. Not aggrandizing the explorers, but not making the story into a specific critique either. While introducing religious conversion and the exploitation of indigenous peoples, the creators leave space for the reader to draw their own conclusions. Though that conclusion may be that some of these topics should have been addressed.

The Trek parody is the main feature, so perhaps read this issue backwards so you start with the warm ups.

It's the end of an era for Byrne. I look forward to the next thing and will probably skip this little side trip the next time I visit in with the Next Men

I have a hunch this is not an intended message of the creators, but I note it as a reminder that the meaning of a story happens halfway between the art and the reader. As a story, I found the series quite strong, as a parable, I think there's a lot of gray.

As someone familiar only with the concept of Ninjak, though not the stories, I felt at ease. Being gently immersed in the backstory while not feeling either rushed or catching up.

If you don't feel you played out the “Oz as __” genre, then you should give this book a look. I'm still finding it a bit too clever clever to give a rave. It's a well-done book, I just want it to tell its own story instead of making me try to decifer what all of this has to do with Oz. Since the characters aren't analogues and it isn't set in that world, the whole concept seems forced onto the story instead of being an organic element. Jordan's art is worth a look regardless.

Peter Panzerfaust is one of the best books on the shelf right now, if you can get to that shelf in time. Both issues have second prints coming . This is good old-fashioned monthly comics. No trade waiting and no story decompression. The comic moves fast and you need to catch up right now.

Wiebe and Jenkins are making magic. First star to the right, straight on to the next issue.

This arc will be collected soon in a tradepaperback and the series returns in the fall with the second adventure, which promises to bring a different voice and perspective on Peter and his Lost Boys.

There is no excuse for missing out on this remarkable book.

The creators have promised that Peter Panzerfaust will continue to issue 25 and so far isseems the audience isgrowingsince this commitment. There is so much more to be told. Wiebe and Jenkins remind their loyal fans that as long as you believe, you can fly.

There is one downside to how heavily covered this small bit of POTA continuity has been, and that is repetition. If you have not read many of the various tie-in comics and books, you will likely get much more out of this. Having devoured as much as I could find over the years, I will be on my third or fourth variation on the Landon story. I'm not docking any marks for that, of course. I think the storyline presents interesting new ideas so far and I very much look forward to the rest of the series.

This continues to be one of the strongest POTA comics ever put on the shelves. A terrific midquel to the original talking apes film and developing into a fascinating character study of the most malevolent of apes.

Foul language, nudity, gratuitous sex, and Coney Island. This has everything you need for a weekend of strangeness. I know it won't be for everyone, but Queen Crab is a style of comic book I have been missing dearly the past few years.

Throw in a pin-up by Arthur Adams and we have another winner from the Rocketeer Adventures. It's a wonderful tribute to Dave Stevens that IDW has published his pioneering work in great collections and is bringing together talent of this calibre to continue Cliff's story.

History Lesson by Wagner and Canete is the oddest of the set. Told almost entirely in beautiful full-page montages, it is a great introduction to a character you've been reading for two stories already. If they shuffle the stories in the collection, it would a sensible decision to put this one first in it. Canete's art is very good, though there isn't a lot to challenge him as far as story-telling. Look at this one for the great pictures, but don't look for a lot of depth.

I am often reminded of Jack Kerouac's “Visions of Gerard,” about his own brother who died in childhood. There is an inescapable sense of loss in Royal City. Of an imagined ‘better world' that would have been had Tommy not died. A wish that the pain the family still feels could have been transformed into a wonderful life. If only…

As I anticipate Cornell keeping with the Vertigo tradition of writing for trade, I will likely trade-wait on this series as I did on Y: The Last Man. I'm not positive I can go that long without checking back in on these characters, though. I'm on board with what has started here.

The underlying idea of what is ‘true' and ‘real' is an on-going tension. Characters are told that even if they knew the truth, they might not understand it. During this arc, we saw our assumptions being challenged and deceived at every turn. It is beginning to feel like even when we find out the big secret, we won't know if it's any more trustworthy than the smoke and mirrors we've seen throughout.

I think this might not work for me. Perhaps I need to know if there is method to this, or if it's one of those “don't think about it! Comics R Fun!” sort of deals.

Having tried an earlier issue, I can see Byrne has certainly expanded this form since the beginning. The story is clearer and the photo manipulation more creative. If they could land the right artist, this could be drawn over like a light box and made into a traditional comic with no rearranging.

I highly recommend this first chapter in Strange Attractors. I'm very intrigued to see what will happen next. I expect Heller will find that the system he seeks to study may already be including him in its patterns. It can't hurtthe salesthat rumours Soule will take over Swamp Thing hit the day the debut issue was released.

Regardless, the team continues to fight the giant preying mantis while Stretch makes a phone call.

My Superman doesn't say "what can you do?" My Superman says, "Stay behind me. I havethis!", and now he's back.

All in all, a disappointed second chapter to what had begun as a good spotlight on Lois the reporter. While the primary teams on the Superman books have been so very strong, the fill-ins are increasingly better treated as fly-over issues (pun intended).

The only stumble to the issue is the final wrap up, which feels a bit like checking off a to-do list item related to a new status quo in the greater DCU rather than an organic end to the storyline.

This issue has that bit of drama and team friction that has always been a Teen Titans hallmark. Jump on the bus for a wild ride.

The backup story, Buried Virtue, is a beautifully-drawn story that unfortunately does not have enough space to develop into anything. Dinisio's colors add a lot to the thin four-pager. I wish this warrior woman story would have been given its own issue to breath a bit. A bite-sized piece that left me wanting.

Setting up the story to come, hitting a few fan service moments, and making an accessible sci-fi that does not require any previous knowledge to enjoy it. Everything fits together for a great issue.

A solid ending to the story, wrapping up threads going all the way back to the first short story in the Flintstones/Booster Gold one-shot last year. Mark it down on your to do list – “Meet George Jetson. His boy, Elroy…”

As I said, I was not on the Hickman bandwagon before reading The Manhattan Projects. This has convinced me to take a look at more of his non-Marvel work right away (made easier by the digital omnibuses just released). As for The Manhattan Projects, I can't wait to explore the world Hickman and Pitarra are creating.

The People Inside is an exceptional work and Ray Fawkes is pushing the comics medium toward its artistic potential. This isn't art with words pasted on it, it's the marriage of word and image in a unique form that is only possible with comics.

Lorimer's art is a good fit, sliding ably from realistic to 60s psychedelic. The flow of the action is smooth and the panels filled to the brim with detail, bringing the locations alive. He is particularly adept at layer panels over one another to create a step-by-step feel.

Ending on a final moment that brings the X-Files part of this story to the forefront, this issue kicks off an accessible and engaging take on the assassination. It almost makes one believe Mr. Mulder Sr. will show up somewhere in that last pile of files.

After a first issue that seemed a bit formulaic, issue 2 has made a hard left turn into a different story of a man full of regrets. I expect we'll still see the action of his old jobs for a bit, but it is all in service of developing Redmond as a character both now and then. I can easily see Kirkman's name turning up on a TV or movie screen again attached to this book.

The Fantastic Four analogue stretches a bit too far though as they fight a Namor analogue. I hope Byrne drifts from early F4 stories quickly or this will be an expensive way to get stories that are much more affordable in an Essential collection.

Given that we are between seasons, I would have liked a bit more sense of where this story fits, or if it does at all. It's enjoyable enough for a fan like me, but won't mean anything to a non-fan and the characters will be cyphers. Hand me an B-Positive bottle of Tru Blood and I'm in for the short term.

A few pages of story, a lot of pages of intense imagery. And all of it demands you find out more next issue.

I will confess after two reads I am still not completely sure what is happening. Is the gladiator battle Flynn's memory, or a VR game? Or both? My confusion only adds to my interest. I look forward to seeing this world unfold.