Michael Smith Comic Reviews

I am very excited to see what happens with this ongoing series moving forward. It is a little early to compare the second issue of this series to a book like The Walking Dead that has passed 65 strong issues but this book has a real chance to make a name for itself and find firm footing as a top title for this genre. I can say without question though there are now two zombie-style books that should be on everyone’s pull list and 28 Days Later from Boom! Studios is one of them.

Michael Alan Nelson has done a great job of crafting a continual story with very little start and stop in the action but rather a rollercoaster ride that never seems to slow down. Declan Shalvey was born to draw this book. His visuals are a perfect compliment for each piece of dialogue. Together the creative team has captured a world of hopelessness and yet found a way to make you believe there is still a chance something good could happen in the end.

While I started out proclaiming my love for Kirkman and saying this book is not up to par I must admit the book has been really picking up momentum since issue #11 and the crossover with Invincible (which is a fantastic book on a side note) and given me hope for the future. I like the issue and I love the concept of a superhero in prison without his super powers. I still think there is more story development that could have taken place and I would like to have seen a little more reaction from Gary to the events taking place. I still think this is a title with a lot of potential... then again that might be my man crush talking again.

I started off by saying I love Batman. I also said that I was not buying into anyone other than Bruce Wayne playing that part and that Judd Winick is not on my Christmas card list. With all of that said. I still love Batman. I am now more intrigued to see how Dick Grayson can handle the mantle and Judd Winick did a great job of writing a powerful story that pulled together the past year of Batman. Even if you plan to only pickup Morrison’s Batman & Robin, I would encourage you to grab this first issue. It helps pull the story together and provides a good launching pad for the next chapter of the Dark Knight.

In the end, the issue was entertaining but again not necessary as an overall part of Battle for the Cowl. I would have expected a little more from Fabian Nicieza but I also understand the editors have limited the amount of detail and story that can be told in these one-shots as to not spoil the end of Battle for the Cowl. If you are somebody that feels like you need every second of event then grab this issue and you will enjoy a few brief moments of a decent story. However, if you dont fall into the completionist category, I would say this is one worth skipping.

The final page of the issue was actually a cliffhanger and refers you to Battle for the Cowl #3 and the newest Batman Universe title Gotham City Sirens. While an entertaining issue I felt like this issue existed for no other reason that to provide an introduction into Gotham City Sirens which will be launching after the conclusion of Battle for the Cowl. For me a one-shot should really be a self-contained story and even if it is a part of the bigger overall event. The issue was well written but we never really got a conclusion to the overall story. Unless you have to get all of the Battle for the Cowl tie-ins this might be one worth skipping.

If you are a fan of Garth Ennis’s Crossed or Warren Ellis’s Black Summer and No Hero type of books then this will be a great read. If you are somebody just looking to try something new and get outside of your comfort zone I would say give Berserker a chance, just be prepared to have your arms ripped off and beaten over the head with them.

How do I describe Chew? The perfect recipe for your comic book appetite:a healthy helping of police drama, a dash of humor, sprinkle in some action, and throw in some cannibalism for good measures. Chew has it all, just be sure not to read it on an empty stomach.

There are so many things that make this book but one of the most underrated items would be the word balloons used when the Triplets are talking. It could have been a challenge to know who was talking at a given time but creating word balloons with icons representing each of the characters was a great solution and a fun aspect to the book. Yes, I am talking about word balloons but I have to say I loved just about every aspect of this book.

In the end I thought this was a strong introduction for the miniseries and actually introduced a character that seems to be dynamic enough to provide more storylines in the future if this miniseries is a success. I was impressed with the book as a whole and felt like it offered readers a lot of storyline and character development to kick off a first issue of a series. I also would like to applaud the creators for introducing a strong, female leading character. That is not an easy thing to do and they executed it flawlessly. I really anticipate the next issue to be equally as strong, if not stronger and would suggest that everyone give this one a try and check it out.

This issue gives us the well balanced blend of action and adventure with real life situations and dialogue of a group of superheroes doing every day activities. I love the way Faerber is able to write every single issue as with elements of a stand alone story and yet continue to build to the overall arc. Every issue of Dynamo 5 seems like a great jumping on point based on this unique writing style. The art was perfect as always with Yildiray Cidar adding some assistance on this issue to normal artist, and Dynamo 5 co-creator, Mahmud Asar. Things are building up quickly to issue #25 and rumor is there something big on the horizon as the tag line “Change is Coming” has been included with many of the recent solicitations for this title. This book is one of my favorite each and every month and if you have not checked it out before there is no better time than now.

There was little that I did not like about this book and I am glad that I picked it up. I am eagerly looking forward to the next two issues in this miniseries and would highly recommend anyone that is a fan of the above mentioned Brubaker/Phillips titles to go out and give this book a shot as I am confident that you will not be disappointed.

I thought the overall set-up was solid and the foundation has been laid to develop a lot of story moving forward. I hope to see the art improve because there is too much talent on this book not to be exceptional. I am sure there is going to be a lot of criticism because of McFarlane being such a polarizing figure in the business. There are going to be people who hate this book and never read a page and people who love it before they even open the cover. For those that read it and give the book an honest overview I think they are going to find an enjoyable story and a pretty darn good comic book.

In the end the book on its own is decent but nothing spectacular. The series was entertaining and I an sure once I sit down and read all four issues in one sitting I may gain a better appreciation for some of the things that bothered me about this issue. I believe there is potential to the concept and world that Nelson created and with a little more experience under the belt Rios could do a nice job. I do hope to see another installment of the series because I liked what was started here.

The whole premise of this promotion was “dare to compare”. I have compared this book not only to Invincible but to pretty much everything that I had read in the past year and it just falls short for me. I love the approach the creator of the book is taking with giving away free issues in the select shops. I also think the marketing strategy might be overzealous and a bit arrogant when comparing a new book to Invincible. I would say that as Watson and Danridge look to improve their craft, there are other great independent books on the market that you could target as you “dare to compare”. My advice to the creators is look at The Uniques from Comfort Love and Adam Withers as an example of how an independent comic should look, feel and read. Your “dare to compare” aimed a little high this time.

This title gives you the sense of a prestige format title but with a $2.99 price tag. Radical Comics has really impressed me with this series and I actually am now looking at picking up some back issue of other series such as City of Dust, Freedom Formula, and Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising to see if they can live up to the high bar Hotwire has set. I am thrilled that I picked up this title right off the bat and have been able to experience it from start until now. If you have not checked this book out you are really doing yourself an injustice.

Matt Timson’s art creates a perfect backdrop of eeriness and unrest in a time when humanity is facing its greatest challenge for survival. William Harms seems to have a vision and direction that he is taking this story and I for one am ready to sit back and enjoy the ride. The series is scheduled to go two months on and one month off instead of a true monthly but to be honest when something is as good as this appears to be it is well worth the wait. If you are a fan of vampires, or true horror, then this book is worth picking up.

I have been highly impressed with this series – to the point I ran out and picked up all of the Criminal trades. Brubaker’s writing is hit-and-miss with me on different books but when it comes to this genre he is on the money. If you are a fan of Brubaker’s work at all then you really need to be checking out what might be some of this best work to date.

As I read through this issue a couple of times, my only complaint is that the events between Deltus and Barock were addressed a little too quickly. I also realize that needed to be done as part of the storyline but I would have liked to see a little more between those two. I also realize that we are still left hanging at the end of the book for the next issue so I just might get my wish. If you have yet to check out this book there is no better time than now. With only four issues out this is a great opportunity to pickup issues one through four and become enthralled in the next great thing.

I have to applaud Glen Brunswick and Dan McDaid for launching a new book the right way. The first five issues were all released on time and kept the momentum going strong. The writing held steadfast throughout and the art seemed to get better with each issue, if that is even possible. I sincerely believe that Image Comics has a legit epic title in the making with Jersey Gods. For those that might have missed it the first time around or were not sure they wanted to take a chance, the first trade is scheduled to release in July and I would implore everyone to run out and pick it up.

As I mentioned earlier, I feel like this is a high school graduation of sorts for these characters. I personally am hopeful that we will get a high school reunion to catch-up with the Noble family. Thanks to Jay Faerber and his cast of characters for giving us a glimpse of what good comics should look like.

I have been a fan of The Authority for a long time. That makes my opinion biased but also can make it more critical. Names like Ellis, Hitch, Millar, Quietly, Morrison, Turner, Brubaker, and Nguyen read like a” who’s-who” in comic book annals. It is an even more daunting task to live up to the lofty expectations those creators set on a title like The Authority. DnA have lived up to, and in some areas exceeded, those expectations. I find this to be one of the top 5 books that people should be reading and aren’t. I would encourage anyone who has not checked out the new status-quo for The Authority to pick up this issue.

This miniseries seems to be showcasing many of the qualities that make a Kirkman book so compelling such as character development, strong storyline, and unexpected twists and turns. Even with the comparisons to one of his other titles, I would encourage you to check this miniseries out. It is especially a great chance for fans that are not familiar with his various Image Comics titles. If you are not reading this book, at a minimum I would encourage you to grab the trade when it comes out.

Without giving anything away, Umbrella Academy: Dallas is about the group traveling back in time to stop somebody from killing President John F. Kennedy. For any of us that have seen Back to the Future we know something of this magnitude will throw off the space-time continuum. So what will happen in the end? Will they succeed or will they fail? This issue is another spectacular look into a team that can do nothing right and doesn’t always save the day but you cheer for them none the less. When you have talking monkeys, time traveling corpses, alien hit squads from the future, and characters with names like Space Boy, The Kraken and Hazel & Cha-Cha you know something different is going on with a book. This was another great issue, upon past great issues, and I just hope more people are checking this series out. For all of you that say you are looking for “something different”, please allow me to introduce you to the Umbrella Academy.

The recent collection of teaser ads were in the back of this issue and brought about a feeling of excitement as it was made clear “The Dead Don’t Hunt”. If the dead don’t hunt, then who does? When it comes to The Walking Dead we might as well call Robert Kirkman the UPS man because he is going to deliver each and every time.

There are a lot of books out on the market today that are full of shock and awe for no other reason than to push the limits. I have to commend Robert Kirkman because time-after-time he delivers shock for relevance and when people die you actually feel it emotionally. He has developed a world of characters that are highly relatable and seem to be genuine and real. If there is one book that I continued to be shocked that people do not read based on story and diehard fan dedication it is The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman really is an excellent writer and this title may be the best of any of his books. If you are not reading this give it a shot and pickup the first trade. I’m almost certain that you will be glad you did!

This story arc wraps up in the next issue and more now than ever Kirkman is pushing the human drama to new heights and readers continue to ask the age old question “what would I do if that were me in those situations?” This book more than any other I have read conveys a sense of reality that allows you to relate to the terrible things that characters go through and the choices they make just to survive. I have truly enjoyed this story arc and look forward to seeing how it all wraps up next issue.

I feel bad looking back thinking that this book wasn’t going to be something I checked out. Great writing, strong character development, good art, and a story worth reading is always something that I am in the mood to check out and Underground delivers. For those that were on the fence or might have missed this one I suggest you give it a second thought and check this book out – it is worth your time and money.

I wanted to love this concept. I really wanted to rally around and get behind this project. When I first picked up the issue I envisioned this being something I could hand to a random person that does not read comics and get them interested in some good stories. I did not envision this as something that needed to be bagged and boarded and stored away for days to follow. It is just hard for me to justify the $3.99 price tag for fifteen pages of story. I know there are those that will scream how incredible and innovative this new concept is and how this is a great new vehicle to convey comics. There is some truth to all of these things but I cannot get past the limited amount of story that I am going to get each week and the overall price of the book. I think DC Comics tried something new and I applaud them for going outside the box and trying to bring new life into comics but it just is not the super phenomena that I was hoping to see. I hope down the line DC collects all of these stori