Rick Comic Reviews

The writing isn't much to write home about, but with so many odd things happening (at one point the Power Armor is attacked by robot cats) I didn't really have time to notice the stilted dialogue. And honestly, with such an interesting visual language, I didn't much care. This title should come with a future electro-pop soundtrack to go with the visuals.

Its not that Im particularly interested in Bloodshot per se (although he is a cool character); Im just intrigued enough to see what else Valiant comes out with. Props to you, VE keep em coming!

The writing " especially in the dialogue " is subpar. The protagonist is breathlessly earnest. The first two pages are stacked with expositional narrative blocks, which is comic book poison, as far as I'm concerned. A word to all you comic book creators out there: if your character's interior monologue isn't all that interesting, do yourself a favor and skip it.

I'm ambivalent about this series: on the one hand, I'm intrigued enough to read the second issue. But judging by the dull writing and storytelling missteps in this pilot episode, I don't have a lot of hope for the rest of the series. If you do want to read 4001 AD: X-O Manowar, take my advice: skip the filler and start on page 9.

It struck me as funny, and apt, that retired gods would move to Florida. Maybe thats where they all are, these days.

On the whole, Angel City is a decent comic and a fun readbut as Noir, it falls a little flat.

I still think the arts too cartoony for this sort of thing, though. And there was at least one sequence that garnered an eye-roll the protagonist ninja-jumps up a wall. Sort of stretched my credulity muscles a little bit. Except for the grisly murder, Angel City seems to be aimed at younger readers; our heroine never seems to be in a terrible amount of danger, and always seems a little too sure of herself. The whole point of hardboiled stories isnt the crime and guns and detecting, but doubt and despair in a world where everything, including good and evil, is relative. Angel City is a nice romp through pop-Noir territory, but what it lacks in terms of story is a well-balanced sense ofdoom.

Ultimately Anno Dracula is a solid comic, but it never grabbed me " it's a workaday title. Just as every vampire pales in comparison to Dracula himself, this title can't wriggle out from under the monstrous bulk of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. So it goes.

Its the plot here that might get this comic in trouble with some readers, sincewell, there isnt much of one at all. I wasnt really bothered, personally; I knew what I was in for as soon as I saw the cover. Its just dumb good fun, as all such crossovers should be.

All right, AOD/XIll give you this one. But the action better get started by next issue. Promise? Okay, good.

So yeah, Dynamite: the time joke was funny in the first two issues. Now get on with the story.

Im going to give this comic one star. Not because it deserves a star, but simply because its too un-noteworthy to make the venerable Zero Star lineup. Theres just nothing here to get worked up about. Id launch into a rant about how Assassins Creed fans deserve better, but all I can manage is a hearty, Meh.

All in all, an okay double-feature, if you can sit all the way through the first reel. I think the second story definitely makes up for the first.

Unfortunately, Brik is just too frustrating to warrant a recommendation. This comic has two solid stories in there somewhere, but cramming them both into the same narrative is good for neither.

AnywayBritannia improved enough to warrant a star this time. Who knows? By the fifth issue, the series might even achieve mediocrity.

Ultimately, Corktown #1 is valuable as an example of how not to do a comic. Ill give it an extra star because of Candelarias writing (and for Detroit), but theres no reason Alterna comics should print a second issue.

Nothing too cerebral here; the writing in #3 had a fight-scene cliche problem. None of this is a dealbreaker. Cyberforce: Artifacts is a solid read, and a good introduction to the Cyberforce universe.

Ultimately, I got the sense this was another franchise tie-in used to sell Dark Souls games. Not bad as far as these things go, but still lazy.

I feel bad for the visual team, and the writers, that they were saddled with such slapdash production quality. Professionalism, Titan: thats what keeps readers coming back for more. You owe it not only to your creative teams, but to fans of the Dark Souls franchise as well.

Somehow writer Matt Kindt takes a story set in the present day (always a dicey prospect in comics) and featuring a superhero team with ninjas (gag), plus some drab "secret Russian space program" bits, and crafts it into an unbelievable narrative whose protagonists feel truly human even as they wield unbelievable powers. In this instance at least, I place Matt Kindt firmly on the same level as Alan Moore or Frank Miller, with extra props for his succinctness: where Moore would have used ten words, Kindt uses three.

I'm excited to see where Divinity III goes. If the creative team holds onto their excellent storytelling chops, its going to end in something existential and mind-blowing. I'm ready to find out.

Divinity III: Stalinverse #4 is a definite disappointment, and not just because of the “letdown factor”: it's rushed and anticlimactic. If you have no idea how to end your comic, at least give us a full-on, earth-shattering ending battle as a consolation prize. D3S4 doesn't even do that.

Ultimately, its not a bad comic, but neither is it particularly compelling. Id rather read about Komerad Bloodshot.

If Escape had been put out by a religious organization, it could be dismissed as some sort of religious propaganda, however well-meaning it was. Instead, it was Valiant, a secular company, that dared to step out on a limb and risk making a fool of itself for the sake of a powerful and delicate subject. It's fumbling, it's awkward, and ultimately I don't think they'll pursue the subject too much further. But for simply having the courage to try this story in a comic, I think Escape from the Gulag deserves an extra star.

Count me as a fan...the Stalinverse looks like its going to be a lot of fun.

Ultimately, Shadowman and the Battle for New Stalingrad is an okay comic, but considering how powerful the Divinity series is, it suffers by comparison. Id much rather see the next Divinity issue than worry about all these ancillary characters.

Cybermen has its moments. The Sisterhood of Karn has a Lovecraft-lite feel, like something out of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. Some of the "reveal" pages were admittedly cool. And yes, it is a fun read; I'm really hard on the comics I read to begin with, and feel like I should cut Dr. Who a little slack for its inherent "Who-ness". At the same time, I don't have a lot of tolerance for sloppiness in comics, even if they are franchise tie-ins.

Sighthree more issues of this stuff to go. Not as bad as The Eleventh Doctor series where he disappears for some reason, but still. Why not have all three Doctors wave their magical sonic screwdrivers and return everything to normal? Boom. Just wrapped up a whole series for you, Titan. Youre welcome.

Here's the problem, as I see it: Dr. Who functions best in very short story arcs " maybe two or three episodes at the most. The Eleventh Doctor series not only stretches its story to incoherence, it commits the mortal sin of removing the Doctor from the proceedings (or in this case, replacing him with a dour surrogate). Fans of the Eleventh Doctor might want to pick up this story, but for the most part, you can count me out.

A bit dodgy on the presentation, but with a complex layering of flavors and textures, finished with a satisfying crunch. Very British cuisine.

The story is still excellent vintage Who, the art is charmingly terrible, and the monsters are appropriately tacky. The Fourth Doctor is my favorite Dr. Who miniseries from Titan Comics so far, and I'd love to read the rest of them as they come out.

The story is the charming muddle we've come to love and expect from Doctor Who: something about Time Wars and aliens and abducting impressionable young "Companions" and sonic screwdrivers. Who cares? We're along for the ride, which is always weirdly fun. I really did want to know why and how the Doctor was meeting his doppelganger, and the Reveal at the end left me rubbing my hands with glee (of course this glee was predicated on my prior knowledge of the series and its monsters, so if you're not acquainted with a few seasons of the TV show, you'll be left scratching your head).

This issues saving grace is its writing, which is, amazingly, quite a bit better than in the first issue. It was also pretty fascinating to see the political entanglements of the Slitheen organisms and, in classic Dr. Who fashion, we find out that the bad guys are at least more complicated than wed been led to believe. If only the quality of art matched the quality of the writing, I could give Dr. Who: The Ninth Doctor #2 an extra star; as it stands, my disappointment barely affords it a 2 out of 5.

I was able to overlook most of this stuff for the first two issues, hoping for a cool denoument; but the clumsy wrap-up and teaser ending on The Ninth Doctor #3 made me finally lose patience. I've had quite enough of Titan's Ninth Doctor, thank you " I'll stick to the other Doctors.

All in all, Ninth Doctor #5 was a hoot, and less of a garbled mess than the last few issues. If Titan can keep their quality this high, Id be happy to read their next installment.

In the end, Ninth Doctor #6 is trying to do too many things at once. Giant monsters tend to overwhelm the narrative (quite literally), so you cant keep cramming in subplots until the issue gets indigestion. The Ninth Doctor just doesnt have the constitution for that sort of thing.

As for the comic itself, the artwork isnt particularly compelling. The writing is better, moving the story swiftly from point to point; Number Three is quirky and funny without being annoyingly self-aware, and the other characters do their part. All in all, its the comics equivalent of a British television episode from the sixties. Im not complaining. Its a fun comic, and an interesting take on the Doctor.

What I like most about Frost Giants Fury is that it doesnt take itself too seriously; too often in the D&D franchise (especially in some of the video games), theres a dour-faced seriousness that sucks the fun out of the proceedings. By contrast, FGF keeps things light and quick, and makes for a great read.

The iffy part of Eclipse is its human element: the characters are, like the linework, barely sketched-out. While I really dont need to know where Our Hero graduated college with a degree in culinary science or whatever, Id like to have seen more personality than your standard-issue Downtrodden Gritmeister. I found my attention wandering. If youve seen one Apocalypse, youve pretty much seen them all; its the characters and their choices that make the end of the world interesting.

But who cares about the presentation if the comic itself is dull, dull dull! Boring, bland, mediocre, porridge, vanilla, mundaneIm out of synonyms. Even if they hadnt cannibalized my favorite storyline, for which I shall never forgive them, Id still be asking: why did this need to be made?

In other words, there was nothing I didnt like about Ether. Pitch-perfect. Goofy, enchanting, haunting, poignant. Pick your adjectives as you will but definitely pick up Ether when you can.

This title is a one-trick pony, and is best served by its brevity. I hope Zenescope doesnt try to drag out the series for more than five issues.

My only hope is that the creators of EH dont drag it out too long stop when youre ahead, guys. End it with a world-shattering bang, and then let the pieces float off into space. Preferably with the main bad guy trapped on one of them, vowing revenge.

I cant wait to read more Forever War; given the chance, Ill see if I can read the novel, as well.

The Forever War is the anti-Star Wars and Star Trek: pessimistic, bare-bones, cold, brutal. And the horrible thing is, it may be a more realistic depiction of a future space war. I highly recommend it.

I think the title, in extrapolation, says everything you need to know about this comic: Generation as in, generated by marketing analysis. Zero as in, the amount of patience I have with this comic.

If only the other four members of Generation Zero (or the protagonist, for that matter ) were anywhere near as interesting, this issue might have warranted a solid recommendation. As it stands, though, GZ still has to make up for an awful misfire of a pilot episode. My suggestion for the creative team: just cut all the other characters and the story, and give us the Zygos Twins/Super Fetus Superteam. Thats a comic I could recommend.

The art has a quasi Japanese-woodcut feel that I really appreciated; the dialogue, as well as the characters, are wonderfully hammy. Godzilla himself is a sight to behold, especially as he issues a savage beatdown upon attacking Mongol hordes. There's a passel of monsters I've never heard of for Godzilla to destroy, as well as the Wonder Twins (or whatever the Geisha fairies are called). It's eve

So yes, the art is the best thing about this comic: rather than comping frames from the film reels, the creative team went ahead with their own style. Problem is, its the wrong style. If I wanted to yawn over the quaint peccadilloes of Mary Worth, Id open a newspaper.

Its not a bad comic, per se it hits all the story bits nicely, and doesnt actively offend the eyes but still. Its a lot more fun to laugh at than to actually read.

Id like a little horror with my Horror, please.

Theres a famous question every writer should ask themselves: Is this the most interesting part of the story? The answer for Harbinger Renegade #1 is, No. This isnt a bad comic. It could just be way more interesting.

Ill state it baldly: I like Peepland. If youre a fan of the sleazy, the pulpy, and the weird, you probably will too.

I've seen this art style before, but never in a comic; it gives a freshness and an endearing quality to the proceedings that I haven't seen in a while. Combine that with the quirky story and hilarious little details (like the names of the illicit coffees!) and you have a comic that put a smile on my face from start to finish. Helena herself, of course, can kick ass with all kinds of style.

Im most interested in the villain here. What horrible rituals was he enacting? And what was the deal with that snake? Eggs are supposed to come out the other endanyway, well find out in the next issue. Im counting on Hellchild to serve up another heaping helping of monstery goodness. Keep em coming!

I'm excited to see what bloody mayhem Hook Jaw will be serving up next. Count me as a fan.

All in all, still great quirky, funny, and nightmarish at the same time. I cant wait to see where this series goes.

Ultimately, Immortal Brothers: The Tale of the Green Knight #1 is a decent comic and a fairly entertaining read. It wont grab you by the lapels or anything, but I think they did themselves a favor by keeping the Immortal Brothers involvement to a minimum, and mostly focusing on the classic story.

Read Jeff Steinberg when you get the chance; Im looking forward to seeing the trials that await our heroic protagonist.

Jeff Steinberg is one of those legitimately funny and subtly poignant comics that are an Oni Press specialty. With this second installment, JS has settled down a bit from the expositional scavenger hunt that was the pilot issue; now that weve gotten setting out of the way, we can get into the gist of the story. Its significantly pared down, but still well-handled. A climactic mob sequence is hilarious. You actually end up loving the man-child ex-fratboy loser that is our protagonist; beneath this slacker-fantasy tale runs the terrifying question: If nobody believes in me, am I worth anything?

Jeff Steinberg continues to be one of my favorite series. The humor is ridiculous, and the protagonist is oddly likeable at times. You even find yourself rooting for him. I think of Jeff Steinberg as a Kevin Smith film, with a dose of melancholy thrown in for good measure. Definitely a slacker classic.

If you havent yet checked out this slacker-humor classic, pick it up immediately. The fate of earth may depend on it.

I cant wait for the next issue of Jeff Steinberg! In which Jeff finally kicks some ass. Or maybe not. Well see.

Anyway, JStein gives me a big ole chuckle with every new issue; it has a lot of heart, and balances its snarky humor with an undercurrent of Sympathy for the Man-Child. Ultimately, Jeff Steinberg is funny and sincere, and I look forward to every issue. Keep it up, Jeff!

The story starts out fairly strong, leading with Orwellian references to Earths totalitarian government promulgating the fear of outer space to keep its citizens quiet; after our heroes reach the moon, however, things thin out a bit. Mostly the oppressive Triumvirate comes off as uncool parents who wont let their kids party with aliens. I didnt mind that much, honestly, since the story is just a vehicle for the visuals.

Of course this all begs the question: was something lost in translation? Is this comic much better in the original French? All I have is the Titan translation. Maybe someday Ill find a better one.

Ill admit, the premise is original, and the sequence at the end was on its way to inspired; give it a different tone and art style, and it might just be interesting. Unfortunately I found the whole comic unnecessary. Oni has a lineup of great, cartoony comics; Kim Reaper falls badly into the you might also like bin.

On the whole, Lumberjanes is a cute comic, but it's strangely empty. I imagine some character drama will be injected in later issues; unfortunately, drama isn't the same as poignancy.

All in all, an interesting comic not the greatest, but still solid. Itll be interesting to see a French take on the superhero genre, as well.

According to the authors notes at the end, Mayday is intended to cover a different decade with each issue. I applaud that maneuver: instead of trying to wrap up this story, which was slight to begin with, the series simply fasts forward to tell a new (linked) tale. Its a refreshing take on serial comics, which these days seem hellbound to play out whatever overblown, minutely subplotted mess they began with regardless of the narratives quality. I cant wait to see what Mayday has in store for us in the 80s.

The writers and artists are talented, and you really feel their frustrations as they work around the requirement to showcase the action figures. Throwing in terms like "entropy-wave" and "Twenty percent on principle" just ratchets up the squirm-level as the reader wonders, Exactly who is this comic aimed at? Younger readers will be vaguely interested but confused; older readers will be turned off by the toy-franchise connection. The unnecessary vigor of the art and writing will alienate the Micronaut-nostalgia crowd (all three of them), because who wants to see the chunky toys of your youth reinterpreted? At the end of the day, this comic is " everybody say it with me " Yet Another Reboot Nobody Asked For.

The best thing about Motro is that, due to its fantastical plot, the story can go anywhere at this point. What amazing realms will we see in the next issue? What bizarre villains? What wistful melancholy? Everything about Motro is just about pitch-perfect; as usual, Oni is showing us a different side of what comics are, and what the medium can accomplish, visually and conceptually. Bravo!

Reading the comic, I had the weird sense that Mr. Abdul-Jabar was trying to inject some intelligence into the script, but a coterie of yes-men were taking his work and building their own dumbed-down version around it, and using his name to sell copy. Then again, maybe this was the author's original vision " in which case I'd be even more disappointed than I already am

I've heard the characters in this comic described as "Medieval superheroes", and there certainly is a whiff of that (the terrifying Furie is a wink toward Batman, definitely); but Night's Dominion is so much more than a mere transposition. This is a genuine pulp-fantasy story in the best way. I was fully invested in every character (although the querulous Magus is definitely my favorite). I won't say much else, and I'd like to read the whole series before I give it my full praise; but Night's Dominion definitely has my heart.

All in all, its no Manowar, but Im intrigued enough to read the next issue.

If you stop and think about it, the protagonists are fairly ridiculous " a techno-ninja and an axe-wielding immortal? " but by playing it straight, Valiant pulls it off. Ninjak #19 even manages to be funny, especially when the two heroes awkwardly order a hotel room in Vegas. I'm also floored by the villains in this series: many-armed Fakir is weird enough, but doesn't hold a candle to the seriously creepy mad science-warlock, Dr. Silk. Ninjak #19 ends with a seriously awesome splash page. You have to see it.

I guess I'll call this comic a complete success from a technical standpoint: there was no alteration between the animated show and this comic issue. So"bravo?

If Zenescope had anything interesting to say, I might forgive (or indeed embrace) their fairy-tale fetish pinup characters. But Zenescope is C-list at best. They dont try very hard at all. With the exception of Van Helsing Vs. Frankenstein (a wonderful anomaly), their comics are nothing more than justification for their covers, which are their sole selling point. And to be honest, even as pinups theyre not very good. Jaded indeed.

So heres the deal: if youve been following Action Man, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and all the other storylines involved, you might get a kick out of seeing them duke it out in this frenetic mash-up. I have not, and was left scratching my head. Reading this comic felt like taking a mid-term exam I hadnt studied for, and I find that annoying.

To conclude: pretty good art, really bad writing. I feel sorry for everybody involved; Image doesnt seem to care that much about this series. Why should we?

All in all though, Savage is shaping up to be an interesting and imaginative ride. It remains to be seen what sort of tale Valiant can spin from this promising first issue.

Savage is shaping up to be one of my favorite Valiant titles so far.

Savage is jugular-slashing good fun. After the twist at the end of #4, I cant wait to see what happens next.

Regardless of my quibbling, Sherlock #1: A Study In Pink is a good comic, and I can wholly recommend it both for fans of Sherlock, Manga enthusiasts, and casual comic-book readers. I say, good show, old Bean.

In many ways I prefer this treatment of the detective to the television series' puppyish worship of its main character: we're not thrust unwillingly into Sherlock's brain-case, but forced to consider the man from the outside, and contemplate the distance between the detective and other humans.

Not much new to say; Kadokawas Sherlock manga is still a great read. Im actually finding it more enjoyable than the show itself, which is a strange new experience; somehow the slower, low-key presentation ramps up the suspense.

Obviously this wasnt the intention here, but its still a bit of a drag; personally, Id have lengthened this particular issue so that it ended with a hard climax, instead of cutting off right in the middle of a scene. This issue gets caught in the slow middle of the episode, and its annoying.

This issue, chained to the episode, suffers for the sake of its television namesake. It also stumbles all over itself trying to assemble a coherent visual sequence from the episodes jumble of images, especially at the moment of brilliant deduction. Kadokawa makes a valiant effort, but the material it has to work with is simply too scatterbrained. As often happens when Im watching the series, I kept twirling my finger and saying under my breath, Get on with it.

With the sixth and final installment, Kadokawas Sherlock: A Study In Pink gets back to what the comic was good at in the first place: simplicity and brooding atmosphere. In this issue, theres also plenty of tension to go along with it. Id say the confrontation between Sherlock and the villain is more harrowing here than in its film incarnation. After the frantic scene-switching of previous issues, aping the TV series frenetic squirreliness, its nice to let the comic settle down and present its images in a calm, cold, hypertense fashion. A well-crafted wrap-up to an inconsistent series.

I'm still a big fan of Kadokawa's Sherlock (published by Titan Comics); most of my complaints are due to the foibles of the television series. The Blind Banker continues this excellent adaptation, with artwork that depicts the distinctive leading actors, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, through Japanese eyes. Sherlock Holmes himself comes off as vulpine, an intelligent and slightly menacing gleam in his eye as he struts, cogitates, and deceives his way through each strange mystery. I haven't seen The Blind Banker as a television episode yet, so it will be interesting to compare it to its Manga incarnation.

Sherlock is a great comic series; I love to see the British actors rendered as Manga characters. Its biggest weakness, however, is the show itself: the Manga matches the television series frame-by-frame, and dialogue that worked relatively well on film becomes weird when translated to the page.

Sky Doll is drop-dead gorgeous. I want to re-read the comic just to find all the little things I missed in the backgrounds. Its not often you find a comic with this kind of weird humor and the artistic chops to back it up.

This is a rare first issue that makes me want to read the rest of the series. I can't wait to see what Natalie Riess has cooked up for her spunky protagonist. Bravo!

I really like this comic. Our second outing with Peony and her fellow weird space-chef contestants is surprisingly action-packed, while keeping its cute-yet-cool Cartoon Network vibe. This allusion is especially apt now that I've seen several episodes of Adventure Time, a show ostensibly for kids but exhibiting astonishing sophistication without resorting to obnoxious irony. It's this innocence that makes Space Battle Lunchtime and others like it really stand out among the herd of alternative comics available today, and provides us with a comic that is actually fun to read. I can't wait for Issue Three!

Natalie Riess needs to figure out that her fictional chef competition is nothing more than a framing device, with the real action happening away from the set. Otherwise, SBLT is doomed to remain a one-trick pony, joining the sad heap of other comics that started out strong but couldn't sustain their initial excitement. I'm going to give SBLT #3 an extra star in hope that the series will find an exciting direction, but #4 had better be a humdinger.

Issue three had a lot of that placeholder feel that sometimes occurs when creators are trying to drag out a story; Im still a bit miffed about that. But Space Battle Lunchtimes Natalie Riess took my advice (well, not really) and decided to mix things up for this outing. Im not going to give away the twist, but it has to do with a dastardly watermelonand an evil version of the title show. Im definitely looking forward to subsequent issues.

Natalie Riess continues to weave her charming magic with Space Battle Lunchtime #5. She tops off this delectable confection with a big dose of humor; everything from her previously, on plot synopsis, to her meditation on the post hive-mind careers of sentient space-crystals, to her hilariously frightening new villain all tickled me pink. Peony is one of my favorite comic book protagonists of all time. I cant wait for the next issuegood luck, Peony! Youre gonna need it

Anyway! If you havent read Space Battle Lunchtime yet, shame on you. You are a bad person. Go out and read it right now.

Space Battle Lunchtime is still one of the funniest, most original comics out there. With its quirky characters, watercolors, and quippy dialogue, it expands the notion of what comics can be. I cant wait to see what Natalie Reiss has in store for us in the finale.

I hope this isnt the only series Ms. Riess creates; with any luck, shell continue to craft amazing indie comics for years to come.

My only gripe? That this comic wasn't longer. MORE TANK GIRL!

Where will the story go from here? Who knows? Like with most hardboiled stuff, Im just along for the ride. Wherever this weird train is headed, Im along for the ride.

The art wasnt breaking any ground here: the linework isnt exquisite, but gets the job done; the dialogue manages to convey a snarky weariness to its speakers without going overboard. Its in the concept that TGD really shines. The problem of operating a society without any physical contact is intriguing. Is there a kind of social commentary going on here? I do hope so, because the clich of man-as-animal in post-apocalyptic stories is worn to the bone. We need something different, and I hope TGD can live up to its initial promise, without turning into a dull slog.

I'm hoping the Mummy team (or at least Mulligan) keeps up the level of storytelling displayed in their first issue. If anything, they've introduced a kickass heroine with a truly original backstory. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Its a shame the creators (or their editors) couldnt have spent more time on this comic; the first issue was interesting on so many levels. Mark The Mummy up as another casualty of rushed deadlines and publishers apathy.

The art in this comic is cartoon cool, a lot of blocky shapes, and the colors are strong. The writing is refreshingly calm and even erudite, if longwinded at times. The themes of divinity versus humanity, expectations and origins are ones rarely explored in comics, and even more rarely with TRPs style of brooding, almost haunted questioning. Definitely a series worth keeping an eye on I just hope they can develop their theme without drilling it into the ground.

Because of this, youll probably want to skip buying the individual issues and just buy the trade paperbacks when they come out. That way you can hole up in your room on a rainy night, with the city lights blazing through the blinds, and the neighbors argument filtering in through the cracked and waterstained walls, and just sink into Triggermans dark underworld vision.

This is one of those rare cases where the interiors were better than the cover. We're plunged right into a shadow-drenched world of carnage populated by gruesome ghouls and badass females. I was hooked by page three. The tongue-whipping ghoulie on page six sealed the deal for me, artwise: the linework is excellent, and the colors are gorgeous. Action scenes are parsed with frenetic, jittery blocks of layout that heightened the intensity without getting in the way. Even when the coherence of a scene broke down, it was still pretty to look at. The dialogue and writing are also spot-on

VHVF is a slice of gory fun. The art is excellent, the story fast-paced and pretty much everything youd need from a comic about hunting monsters. Theres even a bit of pathos, for you emotional human types. The creators of this little gem dont waste too much time; each issue begins and ends with a fight, with a little bit of buildup in the middle. Thats what we want! Feed your public, Zenescope! We crave that sweet, gooey, slightly fish-smelling monster blood.

Writing? Blah. Layouts? Boring. It's like someone wrote a computer program to create a comic book. The whole thing is notable for its sheer lack of care; Vikings #1 is somehow less than the scant sum of its parts. If you're a real die-hard fan of the Vikings series, you might buy this comic in a completionist frenzy. Otherwise, don't even bother.

So yes, Ye Gods have answered our prayersor someones prayers, anywayand sent us a better Vikings. Not improved enough to warrant a full recommendation, mind ye, but enough to keep me from raiding up the metaphorical coast of this review, burning and pillaging as I go.

A solid entry in Titans otherwise checkered lineup, but not one Im interested in.

If you haven't picked up X-O Manowar yet, definitely give it a read. It's a lot easier to digest than Valiant's other titles, which suffer from crossover-mania; here, we just have a power-suited Gothic warrior fighting alongside former enemy aliens to defeat towering goo-monsters. Pretty simple.

The weird, wild, and wonderful world of XO Manowar continues. Im a huge admirer of the series excellent art and solid writing. I dont have much to comment on here, since the story is still developing, and Id like to have the whole arc in hand before I drop the gavel; however Im optimistic that Valiant has the situation well in hand. Mostly Im wondering how Manowar is going to defeat the Torment, since they seem to be all-absorbing and all-powerfulI cant wait to see how it pans out.

Whatever it is – restart, reboot, revamp – it's pretty good. I'm interested in reading more. Hopefully they'll continue the theme of Man vs. Armor, which is quite interesting in and of itself.

Z Nation deserves respect for finding the lighter side of the zombie apocalypse, and traipsing through a dull genre like a happy kid through a fussy flower bed. But seriously, after this"no more zombie comics. Thank you.