Captain Midnight v1: On the Run TPB

I had high hopes for this one. And while there were some entertaining moments, I’m afraid that Joshua Williamson’s story just never really hooked me.

Captain Midnight is sort of a jerk. He’s not quite as obnoxious as Mark Millar’s Captain America in the Ultimates, but that is the closest comparison as far as comic characters go. Midnight is a genius inventor who doesn’t really like listening to other people or considering anything besides his own opinion. I believe the reader is supposed to side with him over the surrounding government yes-men who surround him, but unfortunately I found myself not really rooting for anyone.

The villain, Fury Shark, other than having a hilarious last name, doesn’t have a ton going for her either. She didn’t have any sort of plan for world domination that I could discern. She is clearly a ruthless business woman and former Nazi, but it didn’t seem she had any imminent plans other than going after Captain Midnight.

Basically, the entire trade consists of Captain Midnight’s return, then a lot of running around to track him down. He does have a brief combat with Fury Shark’s underlings, but again, at no time did I detect a real sense of danger, for Midnight, his supporting characters, or the world.

I understand this is part of Dark Horse’s new super-hero line “Project Black Sky.” There is a mention of this organization. A strange, flare-using sniper named Helios apparently works for them. Not much more to sink your teeth into than that.

The art, by Fernando Dagnino, Victor Ibanez, Pere Perez, and Roger Robinson is fairly consistent. It seems most of the artists are going for a Paul Pelletier-style on Fury Shark, but a bit more of a DC house style on everyone else. I always enjoy Robinson’s art, so his pages were once again the ones that caught my eye.

Overall, this is a very skippable book. With so many other good trades and comics on the shelves, I’m afraid I can’t recommend this EVIL book over most of them. 

Star Wars v2: From the Ruins of Alderaan TPB

Ah, the continuing adventures of a continuity that never existed in the main franchise and now won’t even count in comic books. It’s too bad; Brian Wood has done a pretty good job adding missing pieces and chapters to the Star Wars mythos. How much did any of us really know about Mon Mothma? She’s an actual character in this story.

This story picks up with the secret squadron of X-wing pilots we met in the last collection.  They are still searching for a new Rebel base, but it seems there are a lot more things going on too. Leia is visiting the remains of Alderaan, Han Solo and Chewie are trying to smuggle themselves of Coruscant (and away from Boba Fett and Bossk). Luke and Wedge are now spies, sneaking around on Imperial ships. There is a lot going on. I respect the work that Wood put in to give this story ties to other “Expanded Universe” storylines. Too bad it is all for naught. Wedge suggests making his stealth squad permanent, under the “Rogues” call sign. A great origin for the stars of a series of books. But those books have now been declared non-canon, so oh well!

It’s a great choice to feature Leia so heavily in this series. She’s always been short-changed in Expanded Universe material, so having her anchor the series the way she does really lends her a sense of deserved importance. I also like the way Wood maintains the romantic tension with Han and just the hints of more tension with Luke. (Hey, when this story takes place, we didn’t know they were brother and sister yet. Maybe George Lucas didn’t even know!)

Carlos D’Anda’s return halfway through this book couldn’t come soon enough. It isn’t that Ryan Kelly did a bad job, but D’Anda’s stuff is like Jim Lee-lite, so having anyone else try to step in and fill the shoes just doesn’t cut it. D’Anda just has the Star Wars universe down. His Boba Fett, Vader, and Bossk in particular look fantastic. Fortunately, both artists can handle drawing spaceships and most of the aliens pretty well, so the space battles are strong throughout.

This is a light, breezy read that makes for a GOOD trip down memory lane. I’m confident that Marvel will be very capable of expanding on the Star Wars universe themselves, but that is no reason to short change the solid stories Dark Horse has been putting out for years.

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: A Cold Day in Hell TPB

So clearly this is one of my favorite comics, but I’m worried that after so many years of consistent high quality, that people are forgetting about the Hellboy universe that Mike Mignola has created. This is a changing, almost real-time world where there are consequences in each and every story. The world is physically changed (usually not for the better) as the result of the BPRD’s adventures over the past few years.

Now, with huge monsters releasing spores into the atmosphere that turn humans into monsters, with horrifying demons crawling up out of the earth at random, and with the “normal” villainy of the Hellboy universe, things are very dire for humanity. But instead of letting the reader become overwhelmed by the post-apocalyptic world that is the status quo; Mike Mignola and John Arcudi spend this trade focusing on smaller stories. Focused narrative beats that keeps the horror from becoming hopeless, because even a few men with guns can still do some good.

The first story in the collection is A Cold Day in Hell. It follows Johann and a small team of BPRD agents as they try to track down what happened to a previous team sent in to stop a cult in Chicago. Complicating factors include the aforementioned monster spores and tunneling demons. When the team’s chopper goes down outside Chicago, the BPRD folks have to hoof it in on their own, meeting up with a few stragglers of the apocalypse along the way.

Again, society has collapsed. There is almost no one left alive for the agents to encounter. Yet they persevere and maintain their humanity as they complete their mission. With one possible exception. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be as suspicious of Johann as I am… the ghost man has no face, after all, but he just seems… off. There is one important scene where I’m not sure if Johann isn’t allowing someone to die so that he can complete his mission. The other agents are all well realized and it is easy to root and grieve for them, even after only a few pages of exposure.

The second story focuses on newer lead characters. The Russian Occult Sciences Division has an important mission to complete, with the help of a few stranded BPRD agents. It’s an excellent glimpse into the history of the Hellboy world, but it also shows one of my favorite aspects of the line. While accomplishing his mission, the Russian director has teams out saving civilians. Unlike Superman in Man of Steel, Director Nichayko remembers that if everyone is dead, winning doesn’t matter.

Dark Horse continues to maximize its artists too. Laurence Campbell knocks it out of the park in the Chicago sequence. His agents look memorable and recognizable, and dang if I’m not looking forward to seeing Agent Howard do a lot more. It still pays to have super-heroic agents on the team after all. Peter Snejbjerg is an old hand at this stuff, so his chapters look fantastic too. I particularly enjoyed how well detailed the Russian town felt as the team accomplished their missions.

This is an EXCELLENT comic. Don’t forget about it just because it has been coming out for years.

Star Wars: In the Shadow of Yavin TPB

For someone who no longer considers himself a huge Star Wars fan, I sure read a lot of Star Wars comics. I’ve heard such good things about the current series, I had to check out the first trade from the library and see what all the fuss was about.

I’m glad I did, this is a pretty strong opening statement. Too bad Dark Horse is losing the rights and none of this will end up counting in continuity. (C’mon, you don’t really think Marvel is going to let DH’s version of things stand, do you? You KNOW Marvel is going to re-mine each and every one of these eras.)

Leia is the surprising protagonist of the first few issues. There is panel time for Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewie, along with Wedge Antilles, but Leia is the driver of the story. It’s a good choice, and I applaud Brian Wood for adding a bunch of new competencies to the character. Leia is a covert team leader and skilled X-wing pilot, all while maintaining her more diplomatic role from the movies. Wood also plays up the fact that Luke and Leia don’t exactly know they are related (Spoiler!). Leia gets jealous when the hot-headed Luke Skywalker starts hanging out with his attractive new squad mates.

Wood populates the world with some good additions. He’s got some new imperials that seem like credible threats, and the covert “black X-wing” squad of pilots all have potential too. Plenty of the myriad Star Wars races are represented, so it feels natural seeing all these folks teaming up.

If there is one character that Wood clearly “gets,” it is Han Solo. Luke, Leia, and the others are well-written, but with an updated feel. Han feels like he stepped off the screen. The character shines, especially when bickering and plotting with Chewie, who hollers and howls through the whole trade.

Plus, BOBA FETT! That's a letter grade raise right there!

I used to write off Carlos D’Anda as a Jim Lee clone, but he’s expanding away from that. He still has a habit of drawing people’s necks too long, but his facial work is great. The acting is top notch, and the aliens look like they fit perfectly in amongst the more human centric cast. It isn’t easy to convey the sense of motion and battle in a space dogfight, but D’Anda hits the mark consistently. He also has a fun sense of timing with his splash pages. Not only are they dramatic, but I bet D’Anda is going to make a lot of money selling these original pages.

This is a Good comic that will most likely end up forgotten. But I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. 

Lobster Johnson and the Burning Hand TPB

Man, I simply can’t believe the batting average that Mike Mignola has going in his Hellboy universe. Lobster Johnson has gone from oddball, ghostly guest-star to headlining his own mini-series. And he belongs here! Even with the very minimal details we get on the guy, there plot and conflicts are strong enough to make this a thrilling read. Factor in the amazing art from Tonci Zonjic, and this is another thrilling collection.

I’m not sure how the work is divided up between Mignola and John Arcudi, but I love the tiny bits of background we get in this one. We know the Black Flame pretty well, but I certainly never expected to see him used as a mob enforcer. I suppose that’s only fair, though, because Lobster Johnson seems to have some amazing abilities going on too.

That brings up an interesting point, though. We know nothing about the man behind the mask, including his abilities. He seems to rely on his network of operatives, each one filling a required niche or sidekick stereotype. (It’s a good thing Lobster has so many; vigilanty-ing is a dangerous business!) Does Lobster actually get hit with all those bullets? Is he wearing a vest? Is he supernaturally protected? I literally have no idea, and it doesn’t even matter.

Even with the vaguely-defined powers he exhibits, Lobster has a real challenge on his hands. Gangsters with guns, strange foreign assassins, and basements full of zombies make for some good antagonists. Heck, the book opens with glowing Indians scalping policeman! As I read through one great set piece after another, I thought what a great movie this would make. Whoever scripted this thing really lays down a great rising action and climax. The world seems like a great place to visit too, complete with dynamic dames and plucky local cops.

The whole thing wouldn’t be quite as wonderful without Zonjic’s art. He’s got a really simple, almost animated-looking style. The details are fantastic (I loved reading the bonus materials to see him updating the look of Lobster’s gun for accuracy.) I’d absolutely love to buy a page from this series, but I don’t think I can afford it. That page where Lobster goes into the wrong basement? That ranks as one of my favorite scenes in a long time.

Excellent

BPRD: The Devil's Engine & The Long Death TPB

Is everyone tired of me raving about BPRD yet? I hope not, because every time I read a trade, I’m reminded that this is one of my favorite books on the stands. What is even more amazing is that while I like the main characters in this trade, none of my favorites are here. Abe Sapien and Hellboy are gone, and I like everywoman Kate Corrigan. Johan and Andrew Devon are the leads in this collection, and they do just fine carrying the load. Mike Mignola and John Arcudi can make anyone the lead now; that is how riveting this overarching plot has become. 

The Devil’s Engine follows Devon and the psychic Fenix as they attempt to get out of the American Southwest. That’s it. They don’t actually get anywhere; they don’t even interact with that many other characters. This is simply a study in how hard it is to get by in the new monster-filled world of the BPRD. With planes attracting too much attention, everyone travels by train or car. But those aren’t safe either, with earthquakes and gigantic bat-monsters complicating things. Devon gets to show off some of his special agent “Defense” training, even though he always focused more on the “Research.” Fenix’s powers are frustrating for Devon, but it’s a nice touch because that frustration carries through to the reader. What good are special powers if they don’t actually help you that much?

I also love the ongoing developments at Zinco. While the CEO seems like a nice guy, he’s obsessed with bringing back the Black Flame, a dangerous villain from earlier collections. While he never seems threatening, the obvious terror in his associates hints at an interesting dark side. He’s turning out to be a strong villain.

Tyler Crook clearly studied Guy Davis’ body of work with the BPRD. It’s not that everything looks exactly the same, but the tone, of the action, the clothes, the faces; everything looks like it inhabits the same world as when Davis did his wonderful work on the series.

The Long Death gives Johann even more time in the spotlight. He’s really carrying the series these days. It is a good thing he got his new tough-guy body from Russia or he wouldn’t be much of an action lead. This story finally resolves the Captain Daimo/Wendigo subplot that has gone on for years. I’m a tad saddened because I know I’m forgetting important history in this conflict, I am certain the story is even sadder and more dramatic than I realize.

That said, James Harren makes sure that the action keeps the story pumping. This thing is full of terrible, horrific monsters and they all make an impression. How anyone could stay in the BPRD after seeing the Jaguar beast staring into your campsite I’ll never know. Harren is a bit cartoony, which works better with Johann and the monsters than it does with the humans. There is never any doubt about the emotion the characters display, but sometimes the faces are a bit too much. But man, that action. Top notch monster fights, people! Doesn’t everyone want to see an undead moose fight a jaguar god?

Excellent

Black Beetle #0

I have been burned by so very many independent super-hero books. The Heretic. Danger Unlimited. Ultraverse. Comics Greatest World. Basically most of Image’s output. So it takes a lot for me to pick up a new indie super-hero book. But I’ve enjoyed Francesco Francavilla’s Marvel work so much I felt I had to give the Black Beetle a chance. 

I’m glad I did. This is a moody, atmospheric piece that really hits the pulp target. The Black Beetle is a sort of mix of the Blue Beetle, Dr. Mid-Nite, the Spider, and Lobster Johnson. He’s got some sweet eye bubbles, and he totes a gun. This guy is not afraid to shoot Nazis, in keeping with the pulp roots Francavilla is clearly going for. 

The story is very brief, it is basically the Beetle taking on a few jetpack-wearing Nazis and acquiring a mysterious Egyptian artifact. There is enough backstory that it is clear Francavilla has spent a lot of time planning this out, this reads like a dream project. That is, the passion is clear on the page. 

Francavilla loves this color palette. This thing is all blacks and reds, with swatches of color to bring out moods and emotions in certain panels. Another of Francavilla’s strengths is panel design. No two pages look the same, the layout and panel grids on each page move and shift to enhance the story. The panels vary in size and location to increase the atmosphere of violence.

I definitely dug the first issue, but I’m sad to see the next one will be $3.99. That means I’ll probably wait on the trade for the rest of this. I’ll get the whole package for a more reasonable price. But for fans of noir and pulp, this is worth checking out. 

Good

BPRD Hell on Earth v4: Russia TPB

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Let’s celebrate with some fantastic horror comics, shall we?


I’ve long been on record with my love of the Dark Horse Mignola-verse, and that statement continues unchallenged. Mike Mignola and John Arcudi deliver another gut-punch of action and drama as they send Johann Krauss and Kate Corrigan. (Devon, the newest field agent gets some groundwork set for the next mini-series, including an interesting reveal about his past, but that’s only about 10 pages or so).

Kate and Johann are summoned to Russia to deal with another horrific situation. Infected citizens are turning into monsters and going berserk. Plus the dead have risen and are building some unnatural throne above an old mine. The Russian BPRD is on the case, but they can benefit from some good ol’ BPRD know-how. The head of the Russian’s Supernatural Service is Iosif, who we saw as a silent, mopey zombie back in Abe Sapien’s Abyssal Plain series. Iosif is a jolly, friendly zombie now, living in a seawater-filled diving suit. He’s a huge fan of both Corrigan and Johann, and in fact states that he and Johann are practically brothers due to their strange conditions. This guy is fantastic, and I hope he gets to stick around. We need more good monsters to make up for losing Hellboy, Roger, and the rest!

Johann is always so desperate for any connection; I loved seeing these two grow closer as the series wore on. Plus it is neat seeing the Russian commandos work with Johann and battle their way to the Cthullian monster in the mine. The commandos’ design is fantastic, and seeing them packing flamethrowers and acid sprayers made me like them; Mignola and Arcudi give the commandos an amazing amount of personality considering we only see those guys for a few pages!

The design work doesn’t stop with the commando designs. Johann gets a new suit (based on one of Iosef’s old suits). It looks a lot closer to the nice, combat-capable rig Johann sported in Hellboy 2. Maybe Johann will finally fit in on those field missions now! Abe Sapien spends this one in a coma, but he does seem to be recovering. The problem is, he’s a lot more lizard or fish-like than he was before; I just hope we can still get some of that great expression on his new, dangerous features.

Tyler Crook had massive shoes to fill, taking over for the fantastic Guy Davis. But he’s done it. The bonus materials show an artist who knows and respects the giants who’ve gone before, but Crook clearly stamps this material as his own. From the casual power in Iosef’s suit to the horrific “taking” of Johann’s commando team, this book is gorgeous and disturbing. As I’ve said before: best comic on the stands.

Excellent

B.P.R.D.: Being Human TPB

There’s got to be a common theme in my reviews these days, and it’s that I seem to be enjoying these creator-produced books more than the corporate ones. Not overall, but in general. BPRD continues to be one of the strongest titles on the stands, with stories that thrill and frighten, with art that grabs hold of your imagination and doesn’t let go.

This book in particular has a stacked deck. Written by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, and John Arcudi, a list that includes two of my favorites. The Dead Remembered by Mignola and Allie is a neat glimpse into Liz Sherman’s first days with the BPRD. I worry a little about the timeline, she’s already a teenager in the 70’s, but that’s a small issue. I like seeing her interact with more of the normal world. And seeing the Professor interact with some of his friends is a nice touch too. Karl Moline excels with the younger characters, but his art isn’t scary. I don’t get lost in a panic reading even the spookiest scenes.

Now Guy Davis, his stuff scares the hell out of me. The short story Casualties by Mignola and Allie is horrifying in just 8 pages. That is one scary werewolf! And the panel where he looms out of the darkness? I want to own that page!

My affection for Richard Corben’s artwork is well documented. The guy draws horror, emotion, action, he can do everything. His Hellboy is iconic, and his work with Roger makes me miss the big guy even more. Corben’s work promises a few things: hulking dudes, overly endowed women (but not exploitative), and dynamic action. Being Human delivers.

I feel like I’ve read The Ectoplasmic Man before, but I loved it once again. Johann Strauss is a hard character to really root for, but his heart is in the right place. I love that his melancholy at his ghost-state is overcome by his thirst for justice. And it doesn’t hurt that Ben Stenbeck’s style is distinctly Guy Davis-y at numerous points in that story.

Excellent

Hellboy: The Storm and the Fury TPB

It is a simple fact: There are no better books on the stands than Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comics. The world he’s created is wonderful, with only BPRD reaching the level of brilliance he’s achieved in this core title. The fact that Mignola has only been writing is a testament to his story and the tremendous skills of Duncan Fegredo. Fegredo is so good, I haven’t missed Mignola’s art, and I love Mignola’s art!

This trade just about brings things full circle. The creatures outside space and time have waited a long time to return to Earth, and they do so by taking over the form of the witch queen Nimue. The design on Nimue is fantastic, and her gradual transformation into the dragon is subtle and chilling. It’s thrilling seeing first her arms elongate, then her tiny little tail. The battle is huge, climactic, and the tremendous destruction gives it some high stakes. I hate seeing innocent bystanders die in comic books, but man, it sort of has to happen when the world is about to end. And things sure look bleak at the close of this chapter. Sure, Hellboy voices his intention to return to the BPRD, but he’s going to have a pretty big obstacle blocking his return to active duty.

The Hellboy vs. Dragon fight takes much of the book, but it is packed with other treasures too. The hedgehog warrior might have been my new favorite character, especially after the scene of his fall. That little guy lying there bleeding... I showed it to my daughters and told them it was “the saddest comic ever.”

The armies of the Dragon get a lot of stirring moments. Having them massed around the Nimue’s castle really gave me a Helm’s Deep vibe. The epic battle between the hordes of creatures and the “honored dead of England” must have been awesome, but Mignola and Fegredo would have needed another 20 pages to do it justice.

So the next arc is Hellboy in Hell. That should be pretty sweet. And we can keep up with the fall of the world in BPRD. Sounds like a plan.

Excellent

Baltimore: The Plague Ships TPB

Oh man, do I love the Mignola-verse of Dark Horse comics. I’m afraid I have absolutely no memory of Lord Baltimore, even though I think this is the second trade I’ve read starring the character. (Or am I confusing him with the Witchfinder character? I might be…)

Here’s the problem. I just don’t care about vampires. At all. They are so played out in mass media that even turning them into Nazis doesn’t greatly increase my interest. Now, turning them into big bat-monsters? Now that works. Any panel where the vamps are big furry monsters is OK by me. Fortunately, this trade has a slew of other threats too. Floating, Lovecraftian jelly-fish. Fungus-zombies (including deep-sea diving zombies)!!!

Vanessa is Baltimore’s new sidekick and a great POV for the reader. It certainly makes sense that she would be overwhelmed by the madness of Baltimore’s life, it’s just too bad it looks like even her brief association with him might prove troublesome.

I just saw an interview with Mike Mignola where he talks about his co-writers on the Dark Horse horror books. It seems he gives the germ of an idea, and leaves it to his co-writers to script and hammer out. That means that Christopher Golden handles the heavy lifting for Lord Baltimore. Golden sets some absolutely fantastic set pieces, many of which would look spectacular in a film. Can you imagine seeing Baltimore chasing a bunch of Nazi zombies onto a blimp in the middle of a lightning storm?

Ben Stenbeck has a habit of pulling his “camera” back and just drawing the outline of his characters. Sometimes the trick works, with hordes of monsters, zombies, or vampires. But I found it a bit distracting when he used it with his main characters. Seeing dialogue bubbles popping out of featureless faces is just a bit jarring. He does a wonderful job with the sunken zombies, though. The variety in costume, diving suit, and implement is a joy to examine. The sketches in the rear of the trade add a lot too, you can see the time that went into each design.

Good

Witchfinder v2: Lost and Gone Forever TPB

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi can pretty much do no wrong for me, but factor in one of my favorite sub-genres of the weird west, and we have a winner.

I barely remember the previous trade, I guess Sir Edward Grey just didn’t make much of an impression on me after I read that one. But I think this book will stick with me for a bit longer. Heading off into the American West in search of a missing Englishman, Grey gets caught up in some witchery, Native American mysticism, and zombies. It’s just as varied as it sounds, full of nice characterization and action

As always, the horror moments are rare but powerful, my favorite being the appearance of the rock hell-hound and the whole mine sequence. (I mean really, shouldn’t occult investigators know better than to go underground when there are zombies about?)

It was neat seeing Grey’s origin, although we only see it pretty quickly. I love Grey’s interaction and deductive skills, the entire book is filled with him making educated guesses and leaps of logic that totally make sense and add to the narrative. (My favorite being that Grey takes note of how quickly his buddy Morgan Kaler deals with their first zombie. Kaler stays pretty calm too, mighty suspicious!) Kaler is a great addition to the BPRD universe, a buckskin-wearing man of action who would fit right in working with Hellboy.

There are some really fascinating uses of magic on people of faith (or lack of). I loved seeing how Grey’s beliefs handled the many tests from the witchcraft in this story. But it’s all about the horror and action, and this book delivers.

John Severin is a classic Western artist, and it shows. Every detail looks fantastic, and the horror designs are perfect. The Buffalo God who appears so briefly has a huge impact on the story, and I loved the white witch and her strange pull on the Native American’s she’s stealing power from. I'm glad he got to go out with such a wonderful book.

Time and again I’m impressed by Mignola’s corner of comics. I shouldn’t be surprised at that quality any more, but I’m happy that I am.

Excellent

Hellboy: The Bride of Hell & Others TPB

I've been waiting for Hellboy in Mexico for a long time. Mike Mignola talks about the convention card he drew years ago that inspired the story, and yeah, I've got one. I believe it was a Chicago con, if I remember correctly.

In any case, factor in monster-fighting luchadores with some beautiful Richard Corben art and this first story was just fantastic. I really hope there are some follow-ups on the way, either featuring the surviving luchadores OR the bat-monster dude. Just more Hellboy in Mexico! Corben does a great job with the wrestling moves too; this is a fun issue.

Double Features of Evil has the kind of high-concept BPRD case that I wish we could see more of. With Hellboy's own path in sort of a weird place these days, I relish these chances to see glimpses of his old cases. And that haunted house story! Wonderful!

The Sleeping and the Dead is surprisingly sad, given the amount of smashing and vampire-punching involved. Mignola provides a pretty neat explanation why there aren't many blood-suckers in his world. Heck, when they do pop up, Hellboy just kills them anyway. I also liked seeing some more random field agents in this story. The BPRD is staffed by government shlubs who know about monsters. They're not so good at killing them, but at least they know monsters exist!

Richard Corben returns for the Bride of Hell. Another fantastic short story featuring Hellboy's background at the BPRD. It's always neat seeing Hellboy mix it up with crusaders and religious nuts, so I dug this one too.

Buster Oakley gets his wish is just plain silliness. That's what I used to love about Hellboy in the beginning. It was fun seeing him bust heads when reality wasn't on the line! Kevin Nowlan handles the fun art and horror mix perfectly.

Good

Umbrella Academy: Dallas TPB

Gerard Way keeps things odd in the second installment of the Umbrella Academy. I don't totally remember where the first series left off, but I do like seeing the family trying to deal with the betrayal from the first series. That's actually my only big complaint, I read so many comics I was a bit lost trying to remember more about this world. Chimps are as smart as people there, right?

This story focuses on Number 5, the tough, time-traveling kid with ties to a pretty dangerous law enforcement organization. I think it is interesting that so many comic series have focused on time cops. What is it about enforcing the rules of time that people find so interesting? I would say the dinosaurs, but there weren't any in this one!

I do appreciate that Way has time travel is such an imprecise process. When most of the fam (including the most super-heroic, Kraken) try to go back in time to stop Number 5 and Rumor, they have to do a few rough years in Viet Nam first. It's a neat idea seeing a quick strike mission turn into years of rough living. It certainly lays some fantastic character development. Speaking of character development, I couldn't help but be amused by Hazel and Cha Cha. Sure, they look ridiculous and sort of act like the Joker, but those masks are pretty dang awesome.

Gabriel Ba has such an interesting artistic style. He's half Mike Mignola and half Michael Avon Oeming. That's a good hybrid, the cartoony art carries a lot of menace when it has to, even with fun elements like giant animal masks.

Fair

Star Wars Vector TPB 1

Whose idea was this? As I'm working through the Star Wars Legacy series, I realized I was missing a VERY important chapter where Cade Skywalker takes on the Sith Lord. As I researched, it looked like that chapter was part of Star Wars Vector, a separate storyline and trade, so I queued those up and checked them out from the library.

And I have no clue what is happening. I guess there is some series that takes place way in the past, before the Star Wars movies. Knights of the Old Republic? There are a ton of Boba Fett guys running around doing something, and there are Jedi in it, but that's about all I can figure out. The whole first half of this book makes absolutely no sense to me. Perhaps people can follow this, but I sure can't. I don't understand why the leads are important or what they're doing. To be honest, I quit reading it about halfway through. The art is too cartoony for a Star Wars story too.

Poor

The second story holds up much better. This one is pulled from Star Wars Dark Times, and it features a smuggling crew dealing with Darth Vader. See, that's a high concept I can instantly understand! It's a nice, quick little story with these guys caught up with Vader and some clones. I think I'll read more of this series. Not too bad at all. The art is fantastic too, Darth looks awesome!

Good

So overall, the last bit of story saves the rating on this.

Average

Comics on the Bubble: Aliens vs. Predator (1990)

Wow, is this series ever wordy! You'd think that a franchise featuring two essentiallly mute alien races would be just action, but there is a lot of talky in these things! Randy Stradley really wanted to spend some time building up the ranching planet so he could destroy it.

Phil Norwood's art is very cool with the movie properties, but his futuristic design is pretty funny. It may be space, but everyone has very early-90s designs.

Issue 0 - So damn talky I couldn't even make myself read it! The black & white artwork is decent, but the many, many boxes of dialogue from two human pilots just takes away from the coolness of the Aliens and Predators. - SELL

Issue 1 - This is better than issue 0, but still, awfully wordy. The book gets better when the Predators start killing people, but there is still something off. I think what bothers me is that having the Predators "seed" the Aliens kind of makes the Aliens less cool. Plus, I want some space marines! - SELL I guess

Issue 2-4 - More of the same from issue 1, in fact, barely anything changes except that we get some more time with future cannon fodder. I will admit that once the creatures get down to the killing, things get a lot more interesting. Even then, too many people live! SELL

This is ok, and if I were a bigger fan of movie property comics, I'd be keeping these. For me, I need this space for super-hero comics.

Summary: SELL 0, 1, 2, 3, 4

15 bucks plus shipping and this could be yours!

Catalyst: Agents of Law #1 (1995)

Dark Horse launched their Comics Greatest World line while I was in college, and by far my favorite of the new titles was Catalyst. Set in the fictional Golden City of Northern California, the series starred Grace and her Avengers-like team as they declared independence from the U.S. It had a great bit of that Squadron Supreme dystopia while still being a super-hero book.

For some reason, when the book was cancelled and re-launched as Agents of Law, I only bought the first issue. Somehow that first issue bubbled up and was on my desk, so I flipped it open to see how I'd like it, especially once I noticed that Keith Giffen plotted it.

What a good comic! The setting is obviously fun, but this series launches with Grace missing and the Catalyst team trying to lead Golden City in the way she'd want. Mecha is an awesome armored soldier and Rebel is an energy casting flyer, they get the most screen time here, along with the new city leader, Madison.

Law shows up cradling Grace (or a lookalike, is my guess) and they are promptly shot by a sniper. This launches Law into the public favor and he takes over as leader of the city. The problem is that he's a full on villain. He kills Madison and the other city council. Ruby is sleeping with him, Rebel thinks he's great. Mecha doesn't trust the guy, and the only other team-member is crying in the shower over Grace's death. Nice set-up!

The art by Dan Lawlis is stunning. Is this guy out of comics? His art looks like a mix of Terry Dodson and Paul Pelletier, two of my faves, so I really dig the look.

The problem is, I only have this one issue! Time to seek out some dollar bins!

Good

Star Wars TPB 4: Alliance

Once again, John Ostrander takes us away from Cade and the core cast to focus on the greater Star Wars universe. This time I really appreciated it. I love the idea of a new (Rebel) Alliance and we get a ton of it here. Admiral Gar Stazi is a neat character, he's such a strategic thinker that I loved watching his confrontations with the Sith Empire. I sort of had confidence he'd come out on top, but in this weird storyline there are no guarantees.

It was fun seeing the action based around Mon Cal, the home planet of Admiral "It's a Trap!" Ackbar. However, naming a city Ackbarea is laughable. The issue is packed with Sith atrocities to really build them up as big bads. Darth Krayt is an evil, evil dude. I'm really invested in seeing the Imperial remnants and the Rebels teaming up to take him on.

There are a ton more character introduced, but since we don't have time to get attached to most of them, I can appreciate Ostrander's shorthand. While they are different characters, the reader can get a feel for many of the supporting cast from how their races appear in the movies. There is an overconfident dug (like Sebulba from Ep 1) and it's easy to feel like he's an old character.

Darth Wyyrlock gets an issue too, and he's an interesting character. It's neat seeing his level of loyalty in a Sith, it's fascinating that his behavior goes so against the grain for the Dark Side. There is a great confrontation with an old Sith lord that really highlights the differences. I have to imagine that Darth Krayt is much more effective having a right hand guy like Wyyrlock around.

The art by Omar Francia and Alan Robinson is clear enough, if a bit on the sketchy side. I'm not sure they'd fit as well in a super hero book, but it works well in a sci-fi title like this.

Good

The Goon TPB 8: Those That is Damned

I sort of begrudge Eric Powell's decision to include a bunch of Goon work by other creators in this trade. It's not that the other folks do a bad job on the Lonely Street gang, in fact, some of the short stories are quite fun, but I'm so dang involved in Powell's ongoing story that I'm desperate to read the next chapter.

The trade opens with the disturbing history of Horse Eater Swamp and the curse that fouls Lonely Street. Buzzard shows up to tell the Goon that the folks in town will never be happy, that the curse draws horrible things and the Goon is the only hope they have for protection. Goon of course weighs the decision, and starts to leave, but there are too many bad dudes in need of a knife to the eye for Goon and Franky to actually leave. The trade also includes the outing of a traitor in Norton's pub after the spy arranges an ambush that leaves one of Goon's bog lurk buddies dead. It isn't too hard to catch the guilty party, and I have to admit I was bummed to see this character go out like he does. Goon doesn't have mercy for someone turning on him, and this character really has a rough time of it after he's caught. Remind me never to cross the Goon.

Eric Powell's art is fantastic as always. He uses his lush pencils on the Goon and most of the bad guys (those zombie babies are so gross!) but uses a simpler Orphan Annie or Dennis the Menace look for the Lonely Street kids. I've grown to love those kids, they're a great addition to Goon's squad of allies.

Main story - Good
Backups - Fair

Star Wars Legacy v1: Broken TPB

This wasn't too bad. After a brief dalliance with Star Wars comics back in the 90s with stuff like Dark Empire and Boba Fett, I've generally stayed away from the whole Star Wars universe in comic format. I decided to give this a try from the library because I do usually like John Ostrander and Jan Duursema's work together. I'm glad I did.

Taking place over a hundred years after Return of the Jedi, this was basically a new sci-fi story with some trappings that I remember fondly. The Empire is around, but they're practically good guys at this point. Coruscant is still running the galaxy, but now the Sith itself is running things. There are a ton of new Sith guys fighting Jedi Knights, but there are also Imperial Knights factoring in. I really like the mix of new ideas like that with the classic "Jedi on the run" type stuff. The ships are vaguely familiar, so the main things carrying over from the movies are the cussing (Et Chuta!) and lightsabers.

Cade Skywalker is the lead character, but he's kind of a scumbag. He's a bounty hunter who still has moments of compassion. When he bumps into his old Jedi buddies he ends up helping them out, but not before he tags and turns in a Jedi that he didn't know personally. That makes it hard to like him too much. The coolest new Jedi is a tentacle headed (Twi-lek? I dunno) dude named Shado. He's pretty cool because he's so confident, at numerous points in this trade he's outnumbered and outgunned and he never seems concerned. The new Sith lord is interesting, because I guess he's sort of a free-thinking Sith, but he's got some disease or parasite that I know nothing about. There are a few scattered elements that totally confuse me, I guess I missed something in the books or previous comics.

Jan Duursema sets up the action really nicely. The character and ship designs are strong too. I will say she skimps out on the violence occasionally, making this comic feel like it is rated PG. That's not a bad thing, just an observation. There are a ton of characters in this trade and many of them dress in a similar fashion, it's a testament to Duursema's skill that she makes it easy to tell who's who.

Fair