William Mercado Comic Reviews

The writing was mediocre (except for that wickedly delightful ending) and, unless fully fleshed out, reads as just a standalone tale. Forgettable. The art was likewise uninspired; nothing spectacular or revolutionary here. Which is sad because aside from the reboot from SyFy a couple years back, this franchise is really just wading in the water. It seriously has potential to be great" again AND always" but it needs the serious talent and devotion required to do so. This issue just wasn't it.

I gotta say I love this book. Remender's writing is killer. It holds true to actual dialogue for the given situations. I could actually hear people saying things these characters are babbling, joking or screaming hysterically. This is only enhanced by the stellar illustrations by Scalera which are tight and gritty.

Remender and Scalera remain on top of their game and deliver another fine issue here in Black Science #5. Full of twists and turns, sci-fi tropes and old world intrigue, Black Science has yet to fail.

Look, you've read my other reviews (if you haven't, get on it) and this one is no exception: if you are not reading Black Science, you are obviously missing out! And that should really say something coming from a guy whose rave reviews are distinctly hard to come by. (Again, check the records.) Rick Remender & Matteo Scalera are in top form on this title and it is one of the best comics on the shelf! I mean, come on people" it's science!

The same detail put into the characters on the page and the imagination that brings them all into the same book needs to be applied to a level of writing that unifies all those fascinatingly weird elements and grounds them no matter how outlandish they may be. Until then, the writing seems elementary and disjointed making the drawings seem childish and disturbing, creating what comes off as a very amateur tangle of a book. Walt pulls the book out of the depths, but Bryan should stick to reading comics for his gig on AMC and steer clear of writing them.

If you're into a rich, alternate vampire story, Matt Gagnon & Michael Alan Nelson serve up a meaty one you can really sink your teeth into!

Give me a Dejah with a head bigger than her breasts and an ample mind to fill it. That would be something new " and definitely more worthy of praise than how well the character's ass was drawn. This is a large and swiftly growing medium. It should also be more respectful to it's increasingly diverse community. Look, I'm all for beasties, battles, and boobs, but that environment should really be left at a bar stool. Not Barsoom.

Overall,Dejah Thoris and the Green Men of Mars is an entertaining read, sure to capture your imagination– and your money– in search of future issues.

Even though the interior art is pretty cool, the only real redeeming quality to this comic was the explosive Alex Ross cover. Final words: save your money and save your time. Watch some vintage weekday afternoon G.I. Joe instead and be glad I told you so.

The writing did seem a little too blas for me and the story gets a little loose from time to time too, but that's somewhat expected from an initial issue considering all the weight and affect it must carry. The art by Neil Edwards is very well drawn, though I felt a little gypped on the palette; I was totally sold on the muted colors, expecting something far out and fantastic once we got magical. But the tone pretty much stayed the same throughout, which was a slight disappointment. The tale encompasses some death, some ghosts, and the wonderful revelation (at least to the reader) that Spektor's world is even larger than we all thought. It's an enticing tease and I'm falling for it.

Image has been consistent in rolling out top-notch titles in the past few years and in 2014 it does not look like this powerhouse is going to pull the brakes anytime soon. With new upcoming works teased every month, it seems like a comic should miss every once in a while, but Image has got their sh*t together! They take risks and invest in great stories, ideas, and the talent to see them through successfully. Dream Police is one of these said titles and if issue one is any indication of how this comic will proceed, it will hold up well to Image's current and future line-up. So here's to it!

Like I mentioned earlier, the title had serious potential, it just fell flat with this issue (the end of the first story arc). Stuart Moore's exposition was great in the first two issues, but not only did the ending feel rushed plot-wise, but the dialogue became jarred and confusing as well. The art is pretty cool though. One of the things I really enjoyed with Egos is the color palette that Gus Storms uses– really top notch. Overall though, this issue– and the story– leaves me wanting and disappointed. I mean, if you're going to be ballsy enough to title your comic Egos, you better bring your “A” game.

So far, I'm intrigued, and really that's all. I want to stick around and learn how Bemis takes us from point A to point B but in all honesty, I was initially thrown by the ending of issue one. Once I read the final page, I was baffled. Like, WTF?! To me, it didn't make sense. It came out of nowhere. And while it may be explained in the following issue, it really better be a good enough explanation to warrant the bomb that was dropped on the last page. Anything less and truly discerning comic book readers will drop the title after issue two.

The story obviously has serious background which should definitely lend to the current situation unfolding, but doesn't seem to be necessary as the book works well as a stand alone tale. Still, it seems slightly bare" I'm not exactly sure what's missing, but it doesn't feel complete. And with only three more issues to this, the third volume, I don't see it getting any more detailed unless it loses something else it already has in spades. A hot, almost nude, (and well endowed) heroine. Telekinetic water powers. Kidnapping, intrigue, and shady relations between misunderstood races. This stuff is standard, but understandably so" it sells! Vince Hernandez knows what he's doing here and tapping Giuseppe Cafaro to bring the story to visual life was genius; Cafaro's art is perfect in all its sultry goodness. However, I'm still leery to drop another $12 to see where things go from here, especially if I'm just teased into a following volume. I want to see more of the real goods.

I'm not a huge fan of the character to begin with, but I do know of him and what I know is that Flash sounds like a bad-ass any-guy superhero. In space. With laser guns and sh*t. I mean this franchise is gold! Someone just needs the talent to know how to mine it correctly.

The storytelling is fantastic, as expected from Mark Millar. Again, it's all in the details and Millar provides them in spades. Add to that the always-stellar artwork of Frank Quitely and this book is a no-brainer. Quitely is a living legend and his mark on this book is singularly spectacular.

Still, the story seemed a bit lacking and the characters seemed more-than-off for me. I definitely enjoyed the ride, but with a $4 price tag per issue on a very limited run, it just feels like the ride is going a bit too fast to really seem worth while. Give me more content, more depth.

I'm telling you, this title hits all the sweet spots. The writing is top notch, flipping between dramatic action and perfectly targeted one liners. The art is likewise spot on; between the action sequences and the neatly used graphics & text, the comic is a visual treat. Fred Van Lente (writer) and Cory Smith (artist) are running on all cylinders here.

Look, I know Venditti has a really hard act to follow coming after Johns' amazing run on Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, but I still blame the man for dropping the ball. But that's a different review. What Cullen Bunn (writer) and Dale Eaglesham (illustrator) have created with Sinestro is smart and has all the ingredients for become truly fantastic. They're deftly building off of the history of the character and using said history as a jumping-off point to really make the character their own. Sinestro #2 is smart and edgy.

Overall, Star Slammers #1 is a fine book with real potential. And my original impression holds true, it should lead to some seriously great stories as more and more people band about not only trying to destroy one thing or another, but also more likely trying to be Starf*ckers too!

Still, I admittedly got a kick out of the gender-swapping and I am always excited to see another Star Trek story. I just wish there was more meat on these Bones-es.

Totally cool. I was riveted from the variant cover (above) which shows the above described entity in real life and with each page turn I was equally as intrigued and excited. Coming off issue #30, Mike Johnson totally redeems himself here. The story is strong & well paced and the characterization is so well executed that I could actually hear the voices of each person as I've heard them on screen! Erfan Fajar's art is great too– crisp, bold, and fluid. The only downside to this issue is knowing the story ends with the next, as this is only a two-part arc. But man, I can't wait for next month!

I'm not entirely sold on IDW's Star Trek title just yet, being that I am literally on that fifty / fifty precipice, but if Johnson (writer) and Fajar (illustrator) keep on this course then the comic is sure to keep a reader in me.

Regardless, I'm not totally knocking this book. I really, REALLY liked it. I liked where it went and I already know I'm going to like where it's going. (While this is technically a stand alone tale, the story continues in other titles.) Together, this team made Superman: Doomed something to admire, especially when they could have easily slipped into silly repeats and money-grubbing cliches. I was already a fan, but I didn't need to be. If you haven't picked up this title, go to the store or flip open another tab in your browser and purchase this comic.

I could go on and on about the painted beauty of each page, the fanciful imaginings brought to life in each scene, and the inventive panel structures the artist uses to move the story along, but no amount of praise could do the work justice. I could slather a thousand flattering adjectives all over this review but they would be a meaningless waste of time. Instead, I will grace this post with a few choice pics from the book and tell you that once you're done gazing at them, you should back away from the monitor and purchase the book for yourself. Immediately.

In short, a great quick read with very strong potential. I look forward to issue two.

The writing was bare and wonky (who talks like that?) and the art felt just as rushed. The titles from both original entities were merged blatantly and haphazardly simply to draw interest (and cash) with what feels like no real intent to do the X-Files or The Crow any justice.