Tristram Taylor Comic Reviews

This issue picks up right where the last issue left off. Liz Sherman is confronted by two crazy hillbillies, neither of which prove to be much of a challenge. Unfortunately, once Liz thinks she has a victory, it turns out she in even deeper trouble. And repeat, and repeat aaaaand repeat. It turns out that there's a lot more to this than just two sadistic rednecks. Poor Liz never really catches a break this issue, not even really at the end. Not that she expects one. Liz's sardonic humor and stern expressions really convey her frustration, but not surprise, at the fact that she has found herself in yet another dire situation despite trying her best to hide from it all.

I could tell almost immediately that Im going to really enjoy Baltimore: The Curse Bells, which follows Lord Henry Baltimores single minded hunt for one particular vampire through Europe in 1916. Baltimores motivations are very personal, though that doesnt stop him from taking time out to destroy any other unholy creatures that cross his path, and apparently Europe is riddled with them.

Now, Im not entirely sure if this is a companion piece or a retelling. In fact, there are a few minor inconsistencies between the two series that bothered me. For example, there were some characters whose heads appeared as Franks trophies in the original book that were shown to be dispatched by Wolverine here. This might just be a minor mistake or it could be evidence that the two series are separate entities. The conflict is certainly the same, as are the events that lead up to the conflict, but there is no indication that Frank is involved. Where the original series started with Franks war already well in progress, this issue focuses on the development of the crisis, and Wolverines realization that things have changed forever.

Punisher MAX #14Posted: Friday, June 10, 2011By: Tristram Taylor Jason AaronSteve Dillon, Matt Hollingsworth (c), Cory Petit (l)Marvel Ive never been a huge fan of the Punisher, but I am loving this series. Jason Aaron has become one of my favorite writers and has opened me up to series that I otherwise would not have paid attention to. Aaron understands that writing a good Punisher series is not just putting Frank in very violent situations. Aaron keeps evolving Frank beyond a mere one man killing machine. Frank is a good man who does bad things to bad people not because he wants to, but because he has to. Aaron keeps adding layers to a character that I had always viewed as one-dimensional. That doesnt mean there isnt plenty of violence, too.

I'm not really sure what the point of this series is. It seems to me that it's a test to see if readers would still buy a Supreme Power book. If this is the case, it's a pretty lousy test. Halfway through the series and we still have only seen two members of the Squadron Supreme, and it's two of the least interesting characters at that.

The Traveler #8 (Tristram's review)Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2011By: Tristram Taylor Mark Waid, Tom PeyerChad Hardin, Chris Beckett (c)BOOM! Studios Before I start this review I should admit that I have not read every issue in this series. I read the first couple of issues, but not the recent ones. Its not that I wasnt interested; I just neglected to put it on my pull list and the issues sold out very fast. Ive been intrigued by this series from the start. The Travelers origin is tragic and makes for some great motivation. I was impressed by the nature of the main characters powers and how the writers keep innovating new ways to utilize them. I also liked the initial villains and how they each utilized powers related to the fundamental forces of the universe.

Though the introduction of so many new characters and mysteries is great for a jumping on point, a new reader might not know what he/she should be already familiar with and this can take away from the book. If you're a new reader, just go with it. There is nothing you really need to know that isnt summed up in some way through the dialogue. This really does start a new chapter in the Travelers career and its setting up to be a very compelling one.

The Vault is a story about a group of treasure hunters exploring a pit similar to the Oak Island pit in the Atlantic Ocean. From the beginning its pretty obvious that they will discover much more than just treasure. The opening pages imply that its Biblical in nature, and this is supported by occasional references such as the ship named Revelations and a character named Jesus (which all seemed a bit heavy handed).