Moon Knight #16 Review

“Angels”

Published by Marvel Comics, Written by Cullen Bunn with Art by German Peralta

Cullen Bunn delivers another solid entry into Marvel’s Moon Knight, and while #16 is not quite as good as last month’s #15, the newest issue is still a great comic book. “Angels” is the second last issue of Cullen Bunn’s excellent run, and hopefully not the second last issue of the series. Marvel just released their September solicits, and so far there is no mention of Moon Knight following Secret Wars. If the end is in sight, at least we can look forward to this series wrapping up on a high note next month.

Anyway, to shift gears back to the present, Cullin Bunn has done a wonderful job of continuing the one-shot story style that started with the first 6 issues by Warren Ellis and Delcan Shalvey. Much like the Ellis/Shalvey run, you could (almost) read Bunn’s issues in any order and it would still (mostly) make sense. This month Moon Knight takes on a cult of Angels as they were attacking and abducting people to sacrifice to their Raptor Goddess. The visuals in this issue are fantastic as we get to see Moon Knight engage in aerial combat using several drones to take on the flying Angels and rescue their victims mid-air. The last few issues saw Moon Knight take some pretty brutal beatings and close calls, so it was kind of nice to see Marc Spector put down the Angels with a bit of ease. With the exception of having his glider and a couple of drones shot down, Moon Knight hardly took a hit and it was fun to see him on his A-game.

I think the single most amazing thing about this Moon Knight series is that despite changing creative teams every 5 or 6 issues, the book has been consistently good. This is no small feat, as many, many, MANY comic book series have been ruined by constantly changing creative teams, but the quality of Moon Knight has not suffered despite this. Some may argue that the Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood run was a low point for the series, but even though their ongoing 6 issue story was a bit of a change from the single story per issue style that Ellis started and Bunn returned to, Smallwood’s art was still stylistically similar to Shalvey’s. Regardless of the shifting creative team, Moon Knight has turned out to be one of Marvels best and most consistent books. One that hasn’t gotten been sucked into any crossover nonsense and gets to exists in its own little corner of the Marvel Universe; much like Remender’s like Uncanny Avengers did before AXIS.

Moon Knight has also been incredibly accessible for new readers, the first 12 issues are available as volumes 1 and 2 and require absolutely no prior knowledge or background reading of the character. This is a series that is easy for new readers to dive into, and they totally should. It’s a shame that one Marvel’s best books could be lost in the Secret Wars relaunch shuffle, but I guess the drawback of not tying into the big events is that a great series like this could fall through the cracks.

8.5/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 43 Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 43

By Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, Cory Smith, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee

I’m finally getting back to this blog after months of neglect. School, job hunting, and some attempts at creative writing have eaten up much of my comic reading time, so I’m a little behind. But, finally a new review! Hopefully going forward I will be a little more consistent with updating this.

Issue 43 is part 3 of the Attack on Technodrome story, and everything in the background of the first 40 or so issues has finally reached a boiling point in this arc. Krang’s plan to use the Technodrome to terraform Earth for his species to inhabit has been known about since early on in the series, but was never the immediate threat. Krang and Shredder have long been rival forces, but everything until very recently has been focused on the Foot Clan vs the Turtles. It’s exciting to see everything finally come together, and issue 43 is filled with confrontations that have been brewing for a long time.

Overall this month’s chapter is mostly great, but there were a few problems for me. On the plus side this was an action packed issue, we get to see the Turtles vs Baxter Stockman once again, as well as Stockman’s (obvious) betrayal of the Fugetoid. Splinter and Karai had a great showdown, and it was awesome to see the Mutanimals, especially Slash, toss around Hun the Purple Dragons. The cliffhanger on the last page is as good as it gets, although maybe a bit too obvious that Donatello was going to be in that exact dangerous situation. And that worry is kind of valid since the solicits for later issues are teasing some kind of a tragic fallout for the Turtles to deal with. On that note, Splinter is in a dangerous spot now too, and I get a feeling something bad will happen to one of those characters.

I have a few nitpicks however; Shredder vs Krang round 2 ended far too abruptly and with Krang acting way out of character.  It also seemed way too easy for Old Hob to convince Mondo Gecko and Slash to abandon Splinter with Karai and the Foot, especially after Splinter saved Mondo from Karai. The last complaint I have is with a page involving Mikey and Raph, as Raphael just seemed like a jerk. Not in his usual angry, agressive Raph kind of way either, but just a jerk.

All in all 43 is still a good issue, and the series seems strong as ever. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is always the book I look the most forward to each month, and this is the first time since the 2014 Annual that I have been even a little bit let down. As usual the artwork is top notch, even though TMNT changes artists regularly it is still a consistent looking comic. This is a difficult issue for me to score as 43 is an exciting chapter that starts to tie up a lot of long term loose ends. On the other hand however, some out of character moments kind of killed the momentum the story has been building, especially with how abruptly the Krang and Shredder fight ended. This issue is still one I enjoyed more than most other comics this week, and I can’t wait to find out how Attack on Technodome ends next month. TMNT 43 is still a good comic, but the lower score is a reflection of some odd character moments.

6.5/10

Southern Bastards Volume 1: Here Was a Man Review

Southern Bastards Volume  1: Here Was a Man
Collects Southern Bastards issues 1-4

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Jason Latour

Earl Tubb is an angry old man with a big stick, and he is determined to right the wrongs in his hometown of Craw County, Alabama. 40 years after his father passed away, Earl returns to his hometown to clean out his family estate for sale. He thinks he’ll only be there for 3 days, but Earl is wrong. His father was the sheriff and a “mean old son-uv-a-bitch” who managed to uphold some sense of order in Craw County. Ever since ol’ Sheriff Tubbs death however, Craw County has been run by local football coach and crime lord,  Euless “Coach” Boss. The people of Craw County are poor, uneducated, violent, and set in their ways, but there are still some good people there. Or so Earl believes. It’s not much wonder he joined the army and left town as soon as he could. It also turns out he has some history with Coach Boss; Earl was captain of the Runnin’ Rebs football team in highschool, (The team Boss now coaches) and could have stopped the team from picking on poor Euless Boss, but chose not to.

Jason Aaron’s story and dialogue is every bit as strong as Jason Latour’s beautiful artwork. Both Men are from the South and it really helps them set the tone of this book. Anyone from a small town will get a familiar vibe from this story, and the use of the color red on almost every page really helps the reader feel the hot and humid southern air. The attention to detail is incredible in this story, from vandalized billboards to a dog that can be seen at times shitting in random places in the background, this is a great comic book. A lot is packed into each panel without feeling cluttered or overwhelming. Each page was entertaining and no scene really dragged on too long or got stale. Craw County itself is very much a character, much like Batman’s Gotham City. Oh, and then there’s the violence. Like this great scene involving Earl hitting one of the Runnin’ Rebs in the face with a deep fryer basket. Ouch.

I actually can’t think of anything negative to say about this series. Everything that makes Earl Tubb tick is slowly unraveled at pace that keeps the reader interested, as is the history between our main Character and Coach Boss. The relationship between Earl and his father is a big focus of the story, and again Aaron unfolds this dynamic masterfully. Even the amount of over the top violence managed to not feel unnecessary or excessive. The detail that went into Latour’s art is some of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. All the little background things like poster, billboard, and sign slogans really bring Craw County to life. Southern Bastards is a hell of a read, and I cannot wait for more. Fortunately, there is more to come as Issue 5 is set to come out later this month.

9.5 /10

Black Science #8 Review

Black Science #8
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Matteo Scalera
Colors: Dean White

If there was a contest for best opening page of a comic book, Black Science would win it every month.

Issue 8 picks up where 7 left off. Nate and Pia are left to fend for themselves after Kadir was unable to save them, we find out Grant’s children survived the fall unknown to the rest of the group, and that our Shaman friend picked up in the reverse European-Aboriginal contact dimension can in fact speak! He also is an expert on Black Science, explaining how his own people used and abused interdimensional travel until it ruined them. This issue certainly answered a lot of questions, while raising a lot more. Kadir also continues to become a more sympathetic character, but the rest of the group is far from ready to forgive his past sleaziness.  By the end of the issue, Grant’s children, Nate and Pia could be in their most dangerous encounter yet, or it could be their saving grace. We won’t know until late next month.

Matteo Scalera’s art continues to be some of my favorite in comics today. Rick Remender has a hell of a premise with this series, but it couldn’t be nearly as specatular as it is without Scalera’s consistently amazing work. The reader really gets the sense of urgency and danger these characters are constantly in, the dangerous environments are visually stunning and the character tensions are just as gripping. Remender and Scalera are possibly my favorite creative team in comics today. Science fiction is not always my cup of tea, but any fan of comic books should be reading this series. I can’t recommend it enough.

9.5/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2014 Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2014
Story: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
Art: Kevin Eastman

The second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual came out last week, and this is the first time I’ve been disappointed by the series. The annual is both written and drawn by a co-creator of TMNT Kevin Eastman, and while I’m a huge fan of Eastman’s rough, gritty, art work, his writing and dialogue are absolutely awful. I almost didn’t bother finishing the issue because of how bad the dialogue was, and I can’t say that I’m glad I roughed it out. The artwork was great however, even shifting back to the old black and white style of the original series when the Turtles are transported back in time and to another dimension. After the amazing stand-off between Shredder and Krang in issue 37 this month, it sucked to be let down by the co-creator who has been involved in IDW’s rebooted and consistently great monthly series.

Bad writing aside, I did enjoy the art immensely which is Kevin Eastman’s real talent. It’s gritty, busy, and each panel is jammed full of crude, creative, and action packed drawings. The mostly black and white story felt like a long lost chapter from the original 1980’s Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman run, but in all honesty it should have just stayed in the 80’s. This interdimensional time travel adventure is loosely tied into the “Turtles in Time” miniseries, but is still a stand-alone story. There is no need to have read “Turtles in Time” to understand anything going on in this year’s annual, or vice versa.

Unless you’re a fan of Kevin Eastman’s art like I am, I would skip this issue. The dialogue is so bad that it just kills an otherwise decent story, and the art is the only reason the year late annual (The last annual was in 2012) gets a passing grade. Great art can sometimes make up for bad writing, but that is sadly not the case this time. Considering the huge amount of time this comic was delayed, I expected a lot more from it. Great art just can’t save writing this bad.

5/10

Moon Knight #6 “Spectre” Review

Moon Knight # 6 “Spectre”

Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Delcan Shalvey
Color: Jordie Bellaire

“Spectre” marks the final issue for the creative team of Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellaire, and what a great way to close to their run it is. Each issue has been a self-contained story and all six chapters have been brilliant. So far Moon Knight has been up against a sniper assassin, a forgotten and murderous former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, punk rock gangster ghosts, and more. In this issue, police detective Ryan Trent decides to become the new Black Spectre and kill Moon Knight after he embarrassed him in front of his boss. This new Black Spectre has about as much success in killing Moon Knight as Detective Trent does during his own day job, which evidently is not much.

Similar to the first 5 chapters, issue 6 is a fast paced and enjoyable read with incredible art. Warren Ellis and Delcan Shalvey have treated Moon Knight as Marvel’s answer to Batman, only he wears an all-white costume so his enemies see him coming as he lurks in the shadows. Because that’s his favorite part. Moon Knight makes pretty short work of this rookie Black Spectre as he beats down Detective Trent and unmasks him, all while explaining who Black Spectre really was. Much of the issue was dedicated to explaining who Ryan Trent was and the reasons why he decides to become Black Spectre, making him both sympathetic and crazy at once.

Here’s hoping that Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood can keep up the consistent quality that Ellis and Shalvey have spoiled us with so far. The self-contained stories have been a great break from the elaborate long term story telling approach most superhero comics take seem to take. Someone could pick up any single one of the first six issues and enjoy it immensely without any prior knowledge of the Moon Knight character or reading any other issue. That is not an easy accomplishment for any creative team. While “Spectre” was not necessarily the best issue out of the first six chapters it is still a great installment of this series and a fitting send-off for Ellis and Shalvey

8.5/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 36 Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 36

Writers: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz
Art: Mateus Santolouco, Mark Torres, Cory Smith
Color: Ronda Pattison

Issue 36 of IDW’s rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a bit of a mixed bag for me. We get an interesting new version of the classic villain Rat King who is related to the Foot Clan’s Kitsune, the woman responsible for recently brainwashing Leonardo into joining the Foot. She also resurrected Shredder from the grave, and it seems her brother shares many of her ancient and mystic powers, although he is much, much creepier. This issue demonstrates a bit of what the rebooted Rat King is capable of as he launches into a psychological attack on Leonardo and Spinter, digging into Leo’s time with the Foot and Splinter’s past life to try and turn the two against each other. The attack fails as Leo recognizes the tactics from his previous brush with mind control, but the Rat King erases most of the encounter from the memories of both Leo and Splinter.

Meanwhile, Issue 36 gives us a short glimpse of Casey Jones following his beating at the hands of his father, Hun, and the Purple Dragons. Unfortunately, that’s as far as it goes for the rest of the cast. A month ago, in issue 35 we learned more about the plan Old Hobb has hatched to build a mutant army to take on the Foot while Slash had a huge character building moment. Then there was also the introduction of the newest and most hilariously failed mutagen test subject, Pigeon Pete. None of this however, was touched on this month. With so many interesting plot threads going on it’s a shame the series had to step away from these other events. Fortunately, this months installment did a passable job of setting up things to come even if it was at the expense of the larger narrative. On the bright side, the last page gave us a very interesting and unexpected twist that should launch the series forward as tensions rise amongst the villains.

Ever since IDW rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles it has been among my favorite comics each month, and an average TMNT comic is still a great one. Issue 36 loses a few points for branching away from the main storyline even if it was a necessary step. There is just so much going on in the world of the Turtles since their recent return to New York that the balance of the story was finally thrown off a bit. On the positive side this issue was saved by the introduction of a new (old?) villain, and Leonardo and Splinter got a bit more of the spotlight than they seem to have been given lately.

7/10

Deadly Class Volume 1: Reagan Youth Review

Deadly Class Vol 1 Reagan Youth
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Wesley Craig
Colors: Lee Loughridge

I must admit that I wasn’t sold on the concept of this book when I first heard about Deadly Class, but I’m glad I gave it a chance; it was a reminder for me not to doubt Rick Remender. He has been on fire lately with Black Science, his work at Marvel on Captain America and Uncanny Avengers, plus his upcoming series Low looks very promising. Deadly Class however, might be his best work since his acclaimed run on Uncanny X-Force. This series is also a big step away from his usual over the top sci fi style. Deadly Class is more grounded within the realm of possibility than anything else I’ve read from Remender. There are no super powers, aliens, or interdimensional space travel; instead we follow the story of Marcus Lopez, a homeless teenager living on the streets of 1987 San Francisco.

Marcus soon finds himself recruited to enroll at Kings Dominion School of the Deadly Arts, a highschool that trains its students to become the world’s most feared international hitmen. The first half of the book follows Marcus through his first day at his new school with some close calls with jocks, bullies, and the outcast stoners hanging out at the back of the school. The big thing to keep in mind though is that the schoolyard bully here won’t just push you around and take your lunch money; he could also dismember you six different ways. Not to mention these kids don’t attend math or science classes but rather lectures such “Assassin Psychology”, “Hand-to-Hand Combat”, and “AP Black Arts”. Marcus is the embodiment of the outcast kid in a school where not fitting in could mean much worse than being stuffed into a locker or cornered into a schoolyard fight.

Deadly Class Vol 1: Reagan Youth collects issues 1-6 of Deadly Class.

The second half of the story sees Marcus and his “lab partner” Willie fail their first assassination assignment when Marcus murders a homeless man who did not fit the instructed criteria. Following his punishment, Marcus and his fellow outcasts sneak off to a Grateful Dead concert to make some quick cash selling drugs outside the venue. Here Marcus overdoses on LSD after eating an entire sheet of blotter acid, and the last two chapters are filled with heavy influence from Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, only with more death and violence. There is even a man who looks like Thompson hidden in the background of one of the panels.

Wes Craig’s artwork is absolutely astounding in this series; it is equally as strong as Rick Remender’s writing, if not better. But in a book this good there is no need to compare whether the writing or art is better, one is simply complemented by the other with fantastic results. This series is also a very personal one for Remender, many of the events in this story are based off his own life experiences growing up in the late eighties. I found Marcus an incredibly relatable character which is scary given the fact he’s such a murderous little psychopath. This book is for all the punk rock/metalhead outcast kids who felt out of place at school and had trouble fitting in while growing up. As teenagers most of us felt our mistakes were the end of the world, and fitting in meant everything. The difference for these kids is that their mistakes actually do carry life or death consequences. Ours only felt like they were life or death and I think the whole point of this story is that things could have been a lot worse than we remember.

9.5/10

Walking Dead 129 Review

The Walking Dead 129

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artwork: Charlie Adlard

It has been two years since Rick defeated Negan at the end of All Out War, and thus a lot has changed in the Walking Dead world. Negan has been locked away in a prison, and the current status quo begins with a new group joining Rick’s settlement. So far every time Rick and his group have met another colony of people, he has gone to great lengths to make sure that he’s the law. Now that he has been in charge for a while it’s interesting to see a group of newcomers who are just as untrusting as himself. Predictably, Negan plays the victim when these new survivors sneak into the jail and find him, but will they buy his act? Have their suspicions been confirmed? Was letting Negan live a mistake?

Meanwhile, Rick and Carl are making their trip to the Hilltop when they are attacked by a group of zombies, who possibly are part of a larger herd. After the attack, Rick chews out a patrolman who should have had the area cleared, shoving him and threatening to report his incompetence. I feel like this scene is intended to show how Rick has lost it over the years, and this could be a hint that Magna and her group are justified in being so cautious around him. Even still, it felt a little out of character for Rick to act like such a tyrant and for Carl to be so okay with his behavior.

Charlie Adlard’s art is strong as usual, the black and white drawing always helps to set the tone for a horror comic. It’s impressive that his artwork is so consistent especially when the book was on a two week schedule just a month or two ago. Kirkman’s dialogue during Rick and Negan’s tense conversation was great as well –“It’s because I’ve f***ing  neutered you like a dog” is now one of my favorite things Rick has ever said. Overall, despite a weird character moment with Rick and a kind of predictable cliff-hanger, this month’s Walking Dead is an enjoyable installment for the series.

7.5/10

Dead Body Road Vol. 1 – Review

Dead Body Road Volume 1
Writer: Justin Jordan
Artwork: Matteo Scalera

I have often compared comics to story boards when talking about my love of comics with friends and family, and that description could not be more accurate for Dead Body Road. This trade reads more like a script for a Jason Statham thriller than a comic book, and that’s what’s so great about it. The story is about a man named Gage Orson, who is on a Punisher like quest for revenge on the men guilty of killing his wife. Orson is a former cop, but any sense of morality he may or may not have had before the death of his wife is now long gone. Forced to team up with his former, crooked partner, Orson faces a very violent and bloody uphill battle to settle his score.

Matteo Scalera has recently become a favorite artist of mine with his work on Black Science, and his artwork shines just as much here. Scalera’s art is definitely the selling point for this miniseries, and he manages to draw one of the best car chase scenes I have ever seen or read. Car chases are not seen in comics very often as they are not easy to convey in a series of still images, but Scalera makes it seem effortless. The car chase is one of the best and most unique scenes in any comic in recent memory, and that scene alone makes this book worth picking up.

Justin Jordan’s writing is very strong, but also kind of where the book suffers. Unfortunately, since this book reads like an action movie full of gun fights and explosions, it also contains about as much character development. On the plus side however, the story is moved along only by dialogue. There are no narrative text boxes or scenes explained by a character’s inner monologue, which forces the plot to keep moving at an appropriate break-neck pace. Even with stunted character growth, there is a sense of attachment to our main characters in a Breaking Bad or Sons of Anarchy kind of way. Although I will add that Gage Orson is a much more likable/relatable character than Walter White or any of SAMCRO. By the end of the story you will want to see Gage get the redemption he seeks, even though he admits killing these men will not bring his wife back or give him closure.

This was a book that I couldn’t put down; I burned through it in one sitting and have read it three times since it came out a week ago. Despite some lackluster character development, this story has great dialogue and even better art. I would recommend this to any fan of Darwin Cooke’s Parker graphic novel adaptations or Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal series. It would even be a great book for people who don’t necessarily read comics or graphic novels but love a good action movie full of bloody violence, gun fights, and car chases.

8.5/10