Criminal Macabre: My Demon Baby #1

Writer: Steve Niles
Art: Nick Stakal

Criminal Macabre: My Demon Baby follows the pill-popping monster hunter, Cal McDonald, as he is hired to stop a cult of satanic worshipers from bringing the devil to Earth. This first issue...has a problem or two.

The most glaring thing wrong with this title is....it's not written for people new to Cal McDonald. Generally I don't give a crap about new readers but, in the case of indie titles, it's sorta a big concern. No real backstory is given on Cal. You know nothing of Cal or his past, other then it has been pretty shitty. You have no idea Cal is a monster hunter till the priest pays him to stop some bad mojo from going down. Cal's partner Moloch is never even mentioned by name, and you never get the explanation of what exactly Moloch is, nor why he would help a "monster" hunter, being somewhat monstrous looking himself. Basically, this title is NOT written for someone looking to get into the world of Cal McDonald, as you'll be partly lost at times.

The art for this story is...alright, I could give Stakal crap but, honestly the guy is better then Kyle Hotzs' somewhat cartoony style, that seemed at times more to mirror Tony Moore's penciling work in Fear Agent. Stakal's art style is reminiscent of the kinda stuff you'd see in Hellboy or BPRD, it has a grittiness to it, which has long been absent from the Cal McDonald stories ever since Ben Templesmith parted ways. The lines are sharp yet have a chaotic feel to them which help set the somewhat unreal mood of the story.

NOW, all of the above being said, is this something those familiar with Cal McDonald would like? I would have to say yes. The general setup is good, you get the introduction of Moloch basically kicking Cal's ass to get him out of the depressive junkie mood he's in. You see some evil brewing towards the end, and have your appetite whetted just enough to get you to read the next issue. In general, you got all the elements of a classic Cal McDonald story, though there could stand to be a little more sprinkles of humor thrown in

So, in short, to Cal fans, your gonna dig this title, to non-Cal fans, read Niles & Templesmith's Criminal Macabre stuff first, it's a better starting point. B+

New X-men # 42 Review

Authors: Craig Kyle & Chris Yost
Pencils: Skottie Young
Inks: Skottie Young
Colors: Skottie Young & Jean-Francois Beaulieu

The Children of X-men kicks off after the events of the Limbo storyline and right before we get bombarded by Messiah Complex. First of all that cover is completely genius! I'm a huge fan of Norman Rockwell so that cover really shines in my eyes. This was a rare treat for the New X-men, it really seems that since Kyle and Yost took over the book it's been kids fighting, screaming, dying, and just no time to relax. With a huge cast like this, you figure an issue to take a breather would be nice.

The title of this particular story might be a little misleading. We don't get to see Amiko (Wolverine does not have a son...it's just a bad dream) Cable, Marvel Girl, Rogue, Colossus' son, or Shatterstar (oohhh wait...thanks for fucking that one up Loeb)! The theme of the story is taken right out of Children of Men; for some reason Mercury wants to identify the youngest mutant alive, because she believes their life could be in danger. She might have just watched Children of Men, so I guess it kind of makes sense....maybe. Does Franklin Richards still have his power? Someone might want to let Mercury know. Cyclops, Shadowcat, Colossus, and Wolverine also take time to get to know these 25 mutants that are lurking around, which make for some really funny scenes. These characters are really growing on me and I hope the death toll has maxed out for the New X-men, at least for the near future.

I really thought they changed the artist on me without giving credit to the new artist. However, Skottie Young has completely changed his style for this issue. He went from crisp and clean cartoony style to gritty, sketchy, and loose. Remember those great covers from Cable & Deadpool? The textures, especially for the flashback scenes were incredible. Even though Cyclops looks like a grunge skater, it still fun to see how he draws the kids. The tone of the book seems to be brightening up at least for now and after all the shit that the kids have been through, it's about time. Endangered Species was entertaining too...even though there is another fucking Guthrie sibling we knew nothing about. I didn't know the Guthries were Catholic. B+

Manga Reviews: Chicks with swords, guns, dolls, a gender changing fiancee, and amnesia!

Claymore Volume 10
Story & Art: Norihiro Yagi
English Adaptation & Translations: Arashi Productions
Publisher: Viz

When I read the first volume of Claymore I really thought of it as nothing more than an Escaflowne/Bastard/Berserk premise with chicks. Damn, I'm glad I was proven different by volume 3. The setting of Claymore's story is a fictional world with medieval technology, now you see why I thought of those manga. In this world, humans coexist with creatures called Yoma, shapeshifting sentient monsters that feed on human innards. By consuming a human's brain, Yoma can also absorb their memories, allowing them to disguise themselves as specific people without alerting any of their close friends or family. In this volume Clare and a group of Claymores are sent to the north to battle a group of Yoma that have banded together under the command of Isley. However, when confronted with this new threat, the warriors find their new enemies incredibly strong and extremely smart. There is no cutesy/slapstick-stuff in this book either, no animal sidekicks; just great story, great art (trust me, it does get better), and great characters. I only wish the books came out faster. It always bothers me when the artwork is edited and I know that Viz has edited some of the nudity in this title, mainly male zombie frontal nudity, but it really doesn't take away from the beautiful artwork. The story starts kind of slow, but really gets rolling around volume 3 and 4 and this particular volume is no exception. B+

Gunsmith Cats Burst Volumes 1 & 2
Story & Art: Kenichi Sonoda
Publisher: Dark Horse

The Gunsmith Cats are back and when I say back I mean all of them: Rally, Minnie May, Becky, Misty, and everyone's favorite badass Bean Bandit! It's been a long break for Sonoda working on Cannon God Exaxxion and coming back to old friends, but was it really worth the long wait? I hate to admit it, but I found a hard time getting into volume 1 of Burst. Don't get me wrong it is a great tale, but it didn't draw me in like the original series. There are mini chapters explaining the guns that Rally customizes for people and since I am no gun enthusiast, those chapters would literally put me to sleep. The pace picked up by volume 2 though and it really brought back everything that the first books had. The new story focuses on Rally's GT 500 being stolen from the GSC shop and used as a terrorist bomb. It was really hard for me to see the GT 500 blown to bits and Rally's expression really summed up what I was thinking. I think the second volume moved faster because it focused on Bean being captured by the police and his escape from the hospital. The artwork is better than ever, slick and polished, with the Sonoda style shining through in every frame. The women are still as perky and bouncy, but come on we all know that this book is about the cars and guns and let me tell you they are still drawn with loving attention to detail. The car chases and gunfights are drawn so clean and so action packed, unlike other artists that have to splatter their images with excessive action lines and sound effects that only confuse the reader and clutter the page. Like I said for some reason it was a slow start, but volume 2 really made up for all the slack. B

Princess Ai: Ultimate Edition
Created By: Courtney Love & DJ Milky
Story: Misaho Kujiradou & DJ Milky
Illustrations: Misaho Kujiradou

Courtney Love? What the hell? Rockstar, actress, and Mrs. Kurt Cobain? Now manga creator? You got it. This book came out in 2004 and all three volumes have been reprinted in one oversized collection. It seems that Love took many elements from her colorful past; hence we are introduced to her alter-ego, a young girl named Ai. She is a princess from a place called Ai-Land. Having somehow traveled to Tokyo, Japan from Ai-Land, our tough, but naive, amnesiac-princess secures a job singing at a local club and begins her path on discovering who she is and why she ran way from Ai-Land. I really surprised myself by reading the whole thing, considering the story did not keep interested, but I had to give it a fair shot. I think I know why I couldn't keep interested in this book, because it reads like a third grade storybook. The dialogue phrases things in awkward ways, and not only once either; they keep repeating themselves. Ai's supposed inability to recall memories seems to be defeated very easily, but she has to mention that's she's receiving a memory each time she does, no kidding, I realize the audience is supposed to be dumbed down a bit, but this really stretched things. I found the lyrics in the books to be okay, but silly at times. The only saving grace that this book had was the gorgeous artwork. Misaho Kujiradou's drawings are so stunning they make you want to turn the page to see more. So to sum it up it's a really dull story with some great art. C-

Ranma ½ Volume 36
Story & Art: Rumiko Takahashi
Translations: Kaori Inoue
English Adaptations: Gerard Jones
Publisher: Viz

I can't believe that I just read the last volume of Ranma. It's been 17 years since I have been reading this wonderful series (started in comic book format, when Viz was coloring the inside of the comics). I tell you what reading this, was like saying goodbye to some good friends and it was a mix of laughter and tears of joy and sadness. Almost every character makes an appearance in this volume. Ranma is doing battle with Saffron, when Akane suddenly vanishes and then transformed into a "doll" form, and only the water in Jusenkyo's heart will revive her. If Ranma doesn't douse her in it before her eyes close, then she'll die or even worse, Shampoo gets her hands on her. When the battle with Saffron and the bird-men is over, Ranma finds himself being roped in for a wedding, with all the trimmings. Unfortunately, his other fiancées aren't about to give up so easily and chaos ensues when the others learn that Guide has sent him a barrel of Spring-of-Drowned-Man water, which everybody wants, but only one can have. This was a great way to send of the fantastic characters that Takahashi has created over the years. The final volume of Ranma is sweet, sad, funny, romantic, and uplifting, and by the final pages there's a deep sense of satisfaction that we fans of the Ranma and Akane relationship will be happy with. Sure it leaves stories open for future possibilities, but this a way to end a series. Thank you Mrs. Takahashi. A+

Shinshoku Kiss
Story & Art: Kazuko Higashiyama
Translation: Monica Seya Chin
Publisher: Tokyopop

Dolls just freak me out, well not little dolls, but life size marionettes. So the idea of someone wanting to make dolls for fun or a living is just weird to me. Kotoko Kashiwagi is an aspiring doll maker who dreams of one day making dolls as life-like and beautiful as her idol's, the popular yet mysterious doll maker "Fool." Yeah, I know what a weird name, let alone the guy has a freaking fan. She'd also like nothing better than to meet him, but when she does, the circumstances are nothing like she imagined! First of all the guy kidnaps her. Second, he's kissed her hand, and third, he informs her she's going to become his servant or pay the price. There is some weird S&M stuff that goes on here, including chains, ropes, and lots of role playing. At least that's what I got out of it. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this manga. There's a cheerfulness and cuteness about the art and characters that is extremely annoying but engaging at the same time. That cover really stands out to me; it really lures me to want to know more about Kotoko. It's a pretty good start and I'm curious to see what happens next. B-

Welcome to the NHK
Author: Tatsuhiko Takimoto
Translation: Lindsey Akashi
Cover: Yoshitoshi ABe
Publisher: Tokyopop

Alright stay with me here. NHK refers to the TV channel and broadcasting corporation Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai, but within the series, the main character believes it stands for Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai, which literally translates to The Japanese Hikikomori Association. A hikikomori is an individual that is very reclusive and has chosen to withdraw themselves from social life. I believe these people are more extreme than hermits, because they go out of their way to get away from society. This story centers around Tatsuhiro Satou, a 22 year-old college drop out with an obsession for hentai (porn). He himself is a hikikomori, but gets aid from Misaki, a strange girl who seems to know a lot about him, despite never meeting him before. She presents him with a contract basically outlining that once a day they would meet in the evening in a local park where Misaki would lecture him in an effort to rid him of his lifestyle. During these outings, many subjects are discussed, though they almost always pertain in some way to psychology or psychoanalysis. One of their first meetings in fact deals with interpreting Tatsuhiro's recent dreams. I finished this book in one day, I don't know why but the idea of these people really intrigued me and I wanted to know what was going to happen in the next chapter and before I knew it I was done with the book and doing more research online. I really recommend this book, although some chapters are irksome, the story flows good enough to keep you entertained. A-

Resident Evil: Extinction

As I was watching it a few hours ago, it occurred to me that since it was a movie based on a video game and it had zombies and monsters in it, it probably applied to this site as far as reviewing goes, so here I am, writing a review / rant on the newest chapter of the movie series that claims to be based on the Resident Evil movies.

To preface, I thought the first had it's moments and was sorta ok. I watched the second and wanted to die. When the trailer for this one came out, the inner me (which is foolish and reliant on instant gratification) watched and went "Ooooooh.....that looks kinda cool! Maybe this one will be better!" However, my brain quickly nipped it in the bud and quoted Admiral Akbar, screaming "IT'S A TRAAAAAAP!!!"

Well I bit. I went for that cheese ladies and gentlemen, and on top of being full of holes, it's smelly and has gone terribly terribly bad. We open quite some time after the first second movie is over. The world has been ravaged by zombies and there are few survivors. Claire Redfield, Carlos Whathisname and Mike Epps the ridiculous racial stereotype have all banded together and found survivors and massed them all into a Hummer 2 / Schoolbus / Gas Tanker convoy and are heading through the desert, just kind of wandering around. Our protagonist Alice happens to be sort of nearby just wandering around too on her motorcycle, scoping out the sand and finding that besides being an ultra cool ninja with super kung-fu and the uber-accessory-like beastial strength, she also has super-keen telekinetic abilities! Woo! However, the drawback of these ridiculous Jedi-Powers manifesting is that the nearby underground Umbrella base picks up her psyonic (?) abilities and becomes aware of her continued existence. The three parties all converge nad mayhem ensues. That's all you need for setup. If you want to know all the rest of the stuff, go see the movie and find out, cuz I don't want to spoil anybody's remote chance at a good time.

The Good: It's got Zombies. It's got monsters. It's got people being eaten / killed by Zombies and Monsters. It's got a whole "Road Warrior" setting. C'mon. Plus, Ali Larter and Milla Jovovich are hot. Also....um.....no wait....yeah that's about it. I guess the huge Hitchcock homage is a plus too, with the added threat of Zombie birds, who are actually silly, but neat in theory.

The Bad: I know it isn't really expected of this movie, but even for a zombie movie, the writing is pretty silly. The action sequences are often just a little clumsy and too quick so that all you can really get out of it is that Alice is a kung fu master that beats stuff up in an efficient and Jackie Chan-esque manner. Also...there aren't really any monters in this like there are in the games. No giant animals, no hunters, not even any lickers, who've been in the past 2 movies. However, to be fair, there's sort of a Bandersnatch (from RE: Code Veronica) / Nemesis Tyrant Hybrid in it, which was fun. Alice's addition of telekinetic powers is also silly. And did you know that the Clown-Car equivalent for zombies is in fact a regular cargo-shipping container? One of them supplies enough zombies to....well I don't want to spoil anything, but they occupy an area pretty thickly after emerging from it.

The Ugly: This Movie is so frustrating. The games have a huge fan-following and yet the people making the movies feel like they have to do their own thing for whatever reason and pretty much bastardize the cool stuff in the games, making the game heroes play second fiddle to their uber-creation, the director's girlfriend. On top of that, they add stupid horrible characters like Mike Epps, who, even by his standards of acting, really phones it in on this one. His 'anonymous thug-lite black guy one-liners" are delivered as if he knew how utterly dumb his character is and how much people like me don't want him there. Claire Redfield never really has a badass moment, and doesn't really do justice to her video-game reflection beyond the point of being generally good natured and wanting to help people. Carlos is the same Carlos from the last movie.....although Carlos was just a bad choice for a character to bring in from the games because he's actually pretty annoying in the game anyway. The bright-line of the character-to-movie selections, though, is the (brief) involvement of Wesker! Neat-o! He's so cool, wearing those sunglasses in those dimly lit underground rooms. Bottom line, when I was watching this towards the end, there's a scene that, while i was watching it, thought 'hey, this could make a halfway decent game.' and then I realized it's supposed to be based on a game. It's so far removed from it's origins that it doesn't remotely remind me of it's origins. You can take that 2 ways, either I'm dumb, or I'm right about this apple falling far from the tree.

For those of you who haven't played the games and don't know what they're about, it's about an evil company that makes a virus that turns you into a zombie, and then later makes a bug-thing that gets into your body and makes you all cranky and obedient. As far as similarities to the movies....well the movies have characters with similar names and kinda similar outfits, Zombies, Zombie dogs, and monsters. The story has really nothing to do with the games other than "UMBRELLA BAAAAD" and those previously listed similarities dragged and dropped from the games.

I know I'm probably jumping on a pretty overpopulated bandwagon of nerdy video game / movie loving purists, but I can't help but wish they'd pull somewhat of a 'Batman Begins' on this concept and start not from scratch, but from where the movies have paved the way. Zombies are always fun, but not when I feel like they're mocking me, knowing that I'm enslaved to pay and see them, no matter how disappointing they may be or how far off the mark they are. Want to go turn your brain off and see a flick? Be my guest, but if you're a fan of the Resi games....wrestle with it for awhile, and if you really want to see it, just keep your gaurd up for the sillyness that lies ahead. See ya next time kiddies! I give this movie a D+.

Catwoman # 71 Review

Author: Will Pfeifer
Penciler: David Lopez
Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Cover: Adam Hughes

It's the beginning of a new story arc for Catwoman and it's been a long time since I reviewed a Catwoman book, I believe OYL was the last issue I reviewed. It peaked my interest if this title was still going on after Dan thought it was cancelled. I haven't read the book for almost a year, but I went back and re-read all the books in that gap. All I have to say is how is it possible the same writere is responsible for the last great years of Catwoman sotries also be responsible for the horrible Amazons Attack mini?

If only all the DC titles had managed to sustaing the same One Year Later storytelling momentum like Catwoman did. With the exceptioin of Aquaman, I can't think of another character being effected so long and drastic as Cawoman has. Selina is trying to keep a balance between being a mother and having to don the Catwoman outfit knowing it could endager the life of her child. There is a wonderful moment with Selina and Bruce/Batman which really reminded me of how much I missed their relationship they had back in Hush. A perfect understanding of how much Batman has changed since Infinite Crisis is show in one great panel of Bruce holding Helena. She wants to destroy the persona of Catwoman, even if it means destryoing her old life and going into hiding leaving her child without a mother.

I love the way that Pfeifer shows the moral complexity of Selena Kyle. He's got me wondering if she will actually give up the mantle and I worrying about the future of her little girl. David Lopez's art is always a joy to see, though his proportions on his facial expressions shift a bit throughout the issue. His backgrounds are truly amazing, if comics didn't work for him the guy could be an architect. It's really amazing to see this relationship between mother and daughter grow and to see the lengths that Selina is willing to go for Helena. A-

JLA/Hitman # 1 Review

Author: Garth Ennis
Art: John McCrea
Colors: David Baron

Hellz yeah! Tommy is back! If you've never read Hitman by Garth Ennis, do yourself a favor and try to find some back issues. If you have read it then you know how big a deal this is. To have the two creators come back and have Tommy join the Justice League even if it's in the past and even if it's just for two issues is just a treat for fans of Hitman. This was supposed to be a story told in JLA Classified, but I'm not sure why they made it into a mini, but hey as long as I get my fix, I'm not complaining.

If you haven't read Hitman here is a little history on the character. Tommy Monaghan first appeared during DC's Bloodlines crossover in the early 90's...you know the one where each annual came in a polybag with a card. I believe it was a Demon annual, but I can't recall which one right off the top of my head. He is a hitman from Gotham city and ran into Batman several times during his 60 issue series. He is a telepath and has x-ray vision all given to him during the Bloodlines story where an alien bit him. Unfortunately his powers come with a side-effect of having dark eyes, which is why he always sports those sunglasses. Grant Morrison introduced Hitman to the JLA at one time, but he just checked out Wonder Woman's rack with his X-ray vision and left after turning down the salary to join the JLA. The ending of Hitman came like the ending of the Angel TV series, even if in the last page we are to assumed he went out in a blaze of glory. It really could have gone so much longer, but in the end it was just a book fated to be cancelled. The trade paperbacks didn't collect the whole run either, and are all out of print which makes it impossible to get the whole story.

The story begins with Peter Kirby a neophyte reporter talking to Clark Kent and wants to know how Tommy Monaghan ended up with Superman's autograph. Enter the flashback: The Justice League needs one of the Bloodlines Metahumans to enter a Nasa probe swarming with Bloodline creatures and this is how Tommy is brought to the picture. However these Bloodline creatures seem stronger than Tommy; strong enough to take the Justice League's powers away. By the end of the issue the whole League has forgotten how to use their powers and Superman is stranded out in the vacuum of space. This issue also gives us a quick tour through Noonan's and Tommy's history, but it was good to see some of the supporting cast again. Even Baytor behind the bar.

This is truly a book for fans of the original run, which brings up my negative part of the review. If you have never read Hitman before, then you really won't understand most of what's going on here. Characters are not really introduced because it's assumed that you'll know exactly who they are. There are jokes that only fans will laugh at. Past issues are referenced and annotated, but not really explained. His take on the JLA is interesting. Flash and Batman come across as complete dicks and Green Lantern is back to being an incompetent newbie. Although the Lord Vader comment Tommy made was fucking priceless. It's really hard to rate this book, because I was a fan of Hitman, but I don't want to misguide anyone that hasn't read it before into thinking it's going to be a fantastic read. So keep that in mind and you'll be fine. B

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax Review

Author: Ron Marz
Penciler: Adriana Melo
Inker: Marlo Alquiza
Color: Jason Wright

If you've heard the podcasts we've done since the Sinestro Corps story line started, you know how we feel about it. We are loving it! Personally I can't wait for each chapter to unfold and get excited when I see it in my stash of comics. When this one shot was announced and the name Ron Marz was attached to the project, I got as giddy as a schoolgirl during a Sadie Hawkins dance.

Marz is the man that introduced us to Kyle and his stories are usually pretty tight. Although his Ion maxiseries was decompressed it was still a fun story. Every part of this story takes place inside of Kyle's psychic plane. There are flashbacks about how Kyle is afraid of letting people down because of all the women he knew that passed away or killed because he couldn't save them. We see the women in Kyle's life from poor refrigerator stuffed Alex to Donna Troy and Jade and then to his mom that was killed by Sinestro. Kyle confronts the Parallax and is defeated, but rises again and again not giving up. He ends up finding hope in a painting that hung in his house that was painted by his mother. Ohh yeah and he stabs Parallax in the eye with a pencil, which goes to show you that omnipotent evil beings can be intimidated by the mighty pencil!

I have mixed feelings about this book because I was expecting more out of this story than what I was given, but I also enjoyed the psychological aspect. Marz does a great dissection of Rayner's character here by allowing the character to face his own fears while attempting to combat the Parallax entity within his own mind. At least we know now that Kyle is still in there somewhere trying to fight his way loose from the Parallax and by the end of the issue we see hope. This is of course no biggie since Kyle is now part of the Search for Ray Palmer cast and we know he makes it out somehow. It is definitely not as action-packed as the other Sinestro Corps books have been, but at times it was still engaging. To be honest with you it really reminded me of an episode of Bleach, where Ichigo confronts his inner demons (white Ichigo) in a psychic plane created by his sword, Zangetsu....go read or watch this phenomenal series.

I have to say that I'm not very familiar with Adriana Melo, but her work reminds me of Dale Eaglesham. She has a great sense of detail, shows incredible range in this issue, and finds a fantastic balance between action and emotion. It was a nice breather between all the cosmic destruction that is taken place in all the other books, but it kind of makes me worry about how the other Sinestro Corps one shots will be handled.
B-

Oh My Goddess! Volumes 21 - 26 Review

Story & Art: Kosuke Fujishima
Translation: Christopher & Dana Lewis
Lettering & Touch-up: Susie Lee & Betty Dong
Publisher: Dark Horse

I figured since I reviewed the first five volumes of Oh My Goddess why not review the latest volumes as well? It's always a pleasure reading these little stories and breaking away from the sometimes depressing world of American comics. First a little info on why there is a huge gap in between volume 5 and 21. In 2005 Dark Horse changed the format of the manga starting from volume 21. They cancelled the monthly comics and made the manga un-flipped, which preserves the orientation of the original drawings. It is smaller in size, closer to the size of the Japanese manga, only real difference is we still don't get a dust jacket. With volume 21 the manga chapter content closely corresponds to the Japanese manga. Now we won't miss anything here, but re-releasing the older volumes is taking a while or you could just buy the edited ones that Dark Horse already put out if you are impatient.

The fourth Goddess Peorth returns, but she is still trapped in the body of a little girl and the only one who can release her from her spell is the person who put her there to begin with, Velsper. However, Velsper has been condemned to spend the rest of his eternity in the body of a kitten. To everyone's surprise Velsper has the ability to talk and tells the Goddesses of someone that can help. Hild, chief of the demon realm, the big honcho of all the demons, who also happens to be Urd's mom. She agrees under one condition, Urd has to return to the demon world with her. Of course this is a ridiculous condition, so after turning Peorth back to her normal status, Urd ends up owing a favor to her mom. It is nice to see Peorth become part of the temple family and now Keichi ends up living with four Goddesses, two robots, one demon-kitten, and tons of spirits. Man, what a life.

It is in volumes 23 and 24 that we finally get to meet Keichi's parents. For 22 volumes we knew his parents lived out of the city and sent him money every once in a while, but we finally get the pleasure of meeting both of them. His dad Keima is shy of women and his mother Takano wants to know the secret of Belldandy. I don' know what it was about these two books, while they were pleasant enough reading, these installments lacked the spontaneity and charming surprises that endear its predecessors to me. I understand that this is all just set up for the next volumes' huge battles, but to take two whole volumes and have so little happen in it was kind of unexpected of Fujishima. The character development of the parents is a little shallow; it is still a nice story and always fun watching the rest of the cast make fools of them. But I'm starting to miss Tamiya, Aoyama, and Sayoko; would be nice to see them again.

At the end of volume 24 is the set up for the next two volumes with the first appearance of the fifth Goddess, Lind. Someone has taken the angel eater and the story turns darker with the return of Mara and a chibi sized Hild, but don't let her size fool you. Behind those cute little eyes hides the most powerful demon to appear on earth. All of the angels are being taken away and Lind figures out that the Angel eater must be living inside of her. There is just so much greatness that happens in these two volumes; Skuld gets her little angel again, Lind's binary angels reunite, and Belldandy becomes possessed by a demon and now has the ability to summon her angel or an angel-infected demon. Keichi ends up taking the demon angel that was lingering in Belldandy, because it was making her magic act up. The cliffhanger ends with the demon taking off to who knows where.

This was such a fun story to read, I literally couldn't put these books down and read them all in one sitting and re-read them again to just awe at the beautiful artwork. Every time I read these books they always seem to take me away to a more innocent time. I have to say my favorite part about the books was Keichi's realization that one day he is going to die, but Belldandy is immortal. I guess I never really thought about that even though it makes sense it's really sad in away, but like Peorth told him that people will live forever in the hearts of the Goddesses that truly love them. My only gripe is that the books seem to read faster than they used to. They are definitely more story driven than character driven. With lots of grunts, interjections, and exclamations of powers in every battle, there leaves very little room for those more of the character driven stories from the past. I still think this is a must read series for any manga fan or anyone wanting to try something new. A-

John Woo's 7 Brothers Vol. 1 TPB Review

This review was submitted by Ray2007

Creator: John Woo
Artist: Jeevan Kang
Writer: Garth Ennis
Publisher: Virgin Comics

Yeah, that's right, boys and girls! John Woo, the great film director has now traveled into the realm of comic books. To which I can only say, "ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME!" Many of his films, such as "A Better Tomorrow I and II", "The Killer", "Bullet in the Head" and "Hardboiled" are so much like a comic book that I'm surprised it took this long for him to arrive at this genre. (Seems John Woo has been in recent times expanding on what media he works with, what with the release of his videogame "Stranglehold", that is a direct video game sequel to "Hardboiled" and features the actual voice of Chow-Yun Fat as his original character, Tequila!) And now, with the combined talents of Garth Ennis and Jeevan Kang, comes an explosive story that jumps out of the page.

But first, a brief history lesson...or at least what SOME consider history. Right now, there is currently a theory being debated amongst historians and archeologists known as the "1421 Theory". This theory is based on archeological evidence that some believe strongly suggests that the Chinese discovered and mapped most of the New World, long before Columbus, or Cortez, or anyone. The theory is that the Emperor of China, Zhu Di, in 1421, sent out a vast fleet of hundreds of massive ships to sail to the four corners of the earth and not only map what they saw, but to establish peaceful, trade relations with whomever they encountered. After two years, the fleet returned to China, only to discover that because of the enormous expense the emperor devoted to the 1421 expeditions, the country was bankrupt, and civil war erupted. Millions starved or were killed in battle. The fleet was dismantled, with no hope of future return trips. And any records obtained during these voyages was destroyed, thus robbing the Chinese of a historical legacy, before it could be born.

Or so the theory goes. It's very controversial, but John Woo does a cool thing and simply takes the story as true and gives it a supernatural spin: On one of these voyages, traveled a sorcerer, modestly called "The Son of Hell" and he used the trip as a way to harness the natural powers of the earth, using "dragon lines", (Westerners call them "ley lines") but regardless of the name, they are the lines that supposedly can be used to harness nature...and control it. If one has the power over these lines, volcanoes can be made to cool...and explode again. Deserts can become green, rain and snow can occur ANYWHERE on the planet...the potential is limitless. And the Son of Hell wants all that potential for himself.

What he doesn't realize is that his student, Fong, who is learning sorcery, has also learned about the dragon lines, but so that he can stop the Son of Hell from using them for evil. Then, their ship, along with all the others are recalled to China, where the emperor will not sanction any more trips. The Son of Hell, in a rage, because his work mapping the dragon lines is incomplete, curses the crews of the other ships to a painful afterlife limbo in death, and then gets caught up in a magic battle with Fong. A battle that takes both of them out of the picture...for six more centuries.

Fast forward to present day L.A. Seven men are brought together by a mysterious Chinese babe named Rachel Kai, and are told the most incredible story of the Son of Hell...for he has been resurrected...and only these seven men, these "brothers"...with seemingly nothing in common, except each possesses a superhuman ability...these men, are the only ones who can stop the Son of Hell. It's a destiny that was set up more than six hundred years before by Fong...will they fulfill it?

Can they?

Having been a fan of John Woo's films for many years, this trade collection was a total delight. The seven brothers in this story are loosely based on a Chinese folk legend of ten brothers who together defended the Great Wall of China from invading forces. What's great about this story is that it still incorporates common themes in Woo's best movies: Loyalty, brotherhood, betrayal, redemption. For any readers who are also John Woo film fans, there are plenty of moments that were this a movie, you could instantly identify it as a John Woo movie. (I'll let you spot them for yourself) But for me, one of the best parts of this book was something a bit more subtle. You see, in about every John Woo film, there comes a moment when at least one character steps up, and outside and beyond themselves and do something supremely heroic. It makes you stand up and cheer. There are many moments like that in "7 Brothers", but there is one moment in particular, that I know will have you on your feet. It was hilarious, outrageous, appropriate and powerful all at once. And it involves a pimp! That's all I'll say, it's too good to reveal!

Another great aspect about this book is that the dialogue is articulate, literate and SHARP! Garth Ennis really has a good ear for character. And who better than Ennis to write this script, since he had a hand in writing "Hitman" years ago, clearly a John Woo-inspired character at some levels. But Ennis's dialogue really seems to demonstrate his understanding not just of character, but culture, since there are diverse ethnic groups represented in the story, Chinese and African-American among them. But considering some of the supernatural elements, Ennis also has keeps a very tangy motif of dark humor that the art only enhances.

I savored Jeevan Kang's art, clearly inspired by manhua (the Chinese equivalent of Japanese manga), but it's an individual style all the same. He knows when to bring depth to a given frame and how to maintain the sense of motion, and stillness when it's needed. Check out some of the crazy martial arts fights to see what I mean. What's great about this trade collection is that there is a section in the back where Kang talks about in-jokes and inspirations for some of his favorite panels. There's also a deleted scene, that was sketched and scripted but never used. Man, this is just like a DVD!

Overall, I can't say enough good things about this book, so for crying out loud, BUY IT! It is TOTALLY worth every cent! And, this made me look forward even more to John Woo's historical period piece martial arts drama "Red Cliff" coming out next year.

So, bring on "7 Brothers, Vol. 2". Wait...this is John Woo, baby! Bring on the MOVIES!

A++

Daredevil #100

Daredevil #100
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: A CRAP LOAD

Yes, its' finally here, Daredevil has reached 100 and my reaction...meh?

This issue starts off part one of a six part story. The story basically has Matt up against a crappy Scarecrow wannabe aka Mister Fear. Fear infects people with gas and chemicals basically making them act crazy and afraid (sound familar?). ANYWAY, Matt/Daredevil ends up in Fears' clutches, surrounded by henchmen, and poisoned with fear gas. Kicked out a window by Mister Fear & co., still infected, Matt starts hallucinating, facing visions of his greatest fears.

Each hallucination is illustrated by different artists. Though many traditionalists will likely love the John Romita SR/Al Migrom illustrated pages, I'd have to say the hallucination pages done by Sienkiewicz and Bermejo are some of the best in this issue. Bermejo's lighting of each of the characters' bodies especially are intricate and fascinating.

ANYWAY, Matt eventually makes it through his hallucinations and the "fear gas" stumbling his way home to find Foggy lost in thought...finally exclaiming to Matt that he thinks his wife Milla may be going insane. Pretty much the story ends here and spliced in is an old issue of Dardevil from way back when. The old Daredevil issue is a nice touch but...I'll be honest, I just skipped it. Skipping over this issue you find more content (comic script pages, sketches of art from other pages, etc) that pretty much make this 3.99 comic kinda worth the price.

Everything being said I am done with Daredevil for awhile. I dig Brubakers' writing but, it has just gotten too dark and repetitive in the last couple of issues of DD. I'd hope by this issue I'd see Matt catch a break from the insanity, or have something go right for him but, yeah, I get the feeling Daredevil is gonna be going through a non-stop barrage of crap for awhile. In short, the issue's art and story are both good but, don't enter this title hoping things are gonna eventually get better and lighter for Daredevil, cause you might be waiting awhile. B+

Manga Reviews: From Students Killing each other for survival to a resurrecting Princess!

Battle Royale: Ultimate Edition Volume 1
Authors: Koushun Takami & Masayuki Taguchi
Artist: Masayuki Taguchi
English Adaptation: Keith Giffen
Publisher: Tokyopop

The wonderful folks at Tokyopop have decided to start releasing these Ultimate collected editions a couple of months ago. So far this Hardcover edition of BR featuring the first three books is the best collected edition I have seen. Set in the future, the premise of Battle Royale is very simple and extremely brutal and disturbing. Set in Japan in the not so distant future where the greatest entertainment show is simply called The Program. Every year a random school class is picked, delivered to a certain location and told the rules of the game. Every single student of the 42 in total receives a random weapon, they are all in a restricted area and they have three days to win the game and kill each other. There can only be one winner and the weapons range from a megaphone to a machine gun. You get more on the background stories of the students than you do in the movie and the death of the characters is definitely more detailed. Not only is the story disturbing, but the art definitely adds a creepy tone to the book. There is a lot of detail in every panel, and although his character designs are sometimes bizarre, Taguchi gets a lot of human emotion into his drawings. Sometimes his over the top violence helps an already disturbing scene become more haunting. This book has the perfect balance of extreme horror and intense violence to make it an instant classic. The price could have been a little less if they had put this in paperback format, but that is my only gripe. A -

Berserk volume 18
Art & Story: Kentaro Miura
Translation: Duane Johnson
Publisher: Dark Horse

When last we left Guts, he was getting revamped with a new sword and a new arm. Meanwhile Casca has gone missing and is now living with a bunch of prostitutes at a camp. Guts continues his long hike to the Tower in search of his lost companion and runs into a thief by the name of Isidro, who decides to follow Guts because he can sense his strength or just wants to steal his sword. Farnese and the Holy Chain Knights are exposed to the High Inquisitor's methods even further as they are witnessed to his torture chambers reserved for those he chooses to be Heretics. By the end of the volume Casca is caught by some demon worshipers and Guts has a conversation with the Skull Knight. As far as adult material is concerned this is probably the most intense volume I have read of Berserk. There is a huge chapter that is just filled with nothing but demons fucking humans and just really gratuitous and almost unsettling violence, almost. There is lots of character development in this particular volume and it was time to take a breather in between the last huge fight and the next one that is sure to come. Miura delivers the same goodness he always has with each volume in both a beautiful and repulsive way. Another great chapter in the saga of the Black Knight. A

My Heavenly Hockey Club volume 1
Art & Story: Ai Morigana
Translated and Adapted: Alethea Nibley
Publisher: Del Rey

When I looked at the cover I remember thinking that this was going to be another stereotypical sports based manga, but by the time the bear showed up to be a goalie for the team, I knew it was something else. Hana is a lazy high school girl that due to damaging Izumi's car, finds herself enlisted as the goalie on an all-male field hockey team and you know there is some cross-dressing to be had. She becomes embroiled in comedic adventures that involves much travel and practice, but no actual sports matches. and when Hana proves useless on the field she finds herself replaced by a bear. This is a crazy surreal adventure that is full of hijinks and insane moments. Although it's full of intense moments it is definitely a character driven manga. Hana is completely weird and makes weird noises occasionally and the other characters are also somewhat strange, though their personalities really haven't had much time to develop yet. I was down with the bear in a goalie outfit too. Unfortunately it isn't enough for me to keep reading. There seem to be better written manga out there with the same premise and the art is really nothing to write home about. By the end of the first volume the jokes were already getting old. C

Ohikkoshi
Story & Art: Hiroaki Samura
Publisher: Dark Horse

Samura is best known for one of my favorite manga of all time Blade of the Immortal and this book is completely different than his usual his ninja story telling. This book collects three stories; The longest being, "Ohikkoshi," which is a romantic comedy that uses manga elements but is still very unlike any manga I have ever read. It is very much like the British show Coupling with the main characters are a bunch of students who seem to spend all their time in bars, and much of the story unfolds through their conversations. There is a love triangle or more like a square at times, but for some reason I found myself wanting to read more and more. Luncheon of Tears Diary (Vagabond Shoujo Manga-Ka) is almost a mockery of the shoujo manga genre, in that the heroine, a manga artist, goes through a series of extreme personal catastrophes, but has a satisfying ending. The third story is Bloodbath it is very short and basically an omake (which is a bonus story), with a lot of in-jokes about Kyoto. You can tell that at times Samura was experimenting with new techniques such as blackouts, exaggeration, and frequent breaks in the fourth wall to convey emotion and ridiculousness at the same time. It really seems like a different person writing and drawing this book. As my good friend Chris says: I was pleasantly surprised. A

Princess Resurrection volume 1
Art & Story: Yasunori Mitsunaga
Translation: Satsuki Yamashita
Publisher: Del Rey

Any cover with a chick with a maid outfit holding a bloody chainsaw should promise a badass story. Hiro Hiyorimi is a boy who has just moved to the city to meet his sister. Suddenly he is hit by a car and dies. On the verge of death he is seen by a young woman clad in gothic clothes. She then resurrects him, leaving him alive in the hospital morgue. He wakes up confused over what happened, only to encounter the woman again as she eliminates some wolf creatures. She addresses Hiro as "her servant" and introduces herself as Hime, which is weird, because that is the Japanese word for Princess. The beginning reminded me of one of my favorite manga 3×3 eyes, where Yakumo becomes Pai's servant and is pretty much a walking zombie. The story is very intriguing, but I really have no idea where it's going and the sad part is I don't think the author does too. I'm not sure if some of the stories are supposed to be horror or funny, but with e more narrative momentum this series has the potential to be good light fun with a deeper story to be found. The art is really clean and clear and the panel to panel flow is top notch. It's good for a few laughs, but I wish I could see the bigger picture. B

X-men: Emperor Vulcan # 1 Review

Author: Christopher Yost
Penciler: Paco Diaz
Inker: Vincente Cifuentes
Colors: Brian Reber

X-men in Space are back! But the book is really called Emperor Vulcan. However, more than half the book is about the remaining X-men, who are now Starjammers. So shouldn't the book be called Some of the X-Men and One Shi'ar Warrior Who Are Now Called Starjammers....guest starring Emperor Vulcan? Hell, the title itself should move books off the shelves.

It's been a couple of months since we've caught up with Havok and gang. Now taking lead of the Starjammer ship and it's remaining crew after his crazy-ass brother killed their dad (Corsair) Havok is set on revenge. Marvel Girl and Korvus broke up because it got weird and Emperor Vulcan is also planning his attack on the rebellious Shi'ar when all the sudden out of nowhere the race of Scy'ar Tal come out of nowhere and blow up his imperial ship. Fuck, a whole race whose name literally means Death to the Shi'ar, I quake with fear.....not really. There is a big flaw here, much like Brubaker's run on Uncanny and his name happens to be on the title of the book. Vulcan is just not that engaging of a villain. He has no purpose to be emperor of the Shi'ar, hell his goal was to fucking destroy the race and now he leads them? He is a very one dimensional character who doesn't have a personality. I don't see how Gladiator can be so damn submissive to any emperor. In the 15+ years that Havok has been leading a team, he is still living under Cyclops shadow. He still doubts his decisions and hasn't had any character development in over a decade. But, I guess that's really the problem with most of the X-characters.

Paco Diaz did a really good job with the space-ships and backgrounds. Each of his characters is recognizable and the spaceship battles are done in the way that would make Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith proud. My only complaint was his facial expressions, he seems very limited to the way characters react, but I'm sure that is something that will come with practice. I don't know what this miniseries plans to do, but I hope we get more resolution than we did with Fall of Shi'ar Empire. C+

Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls Volumes 1-5 Review

Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls
Original Story: Futaro Yamada
Manga: Masaki Segawa
Translation & Adaptation: David Ury
Publisher: Del Rey

I have been fascinated with ninjas every since I was a child. This fascination grew to its intensity when I played a little arcade game known as Shinobi and years later watched the anime Ninja Scroll. The idea that a people could push their bodies to their extreme limits was just astounding to me. Even though I know that realistically speaking no matter how hard you train yourself, one can't fly, throw fireballs, and turn their body to stone ( I have tried, but I guess I could keep trying harder). This nonsense rambling actually has a point, to make sure you understand how I feel about ninjas! If you are at all interested in this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up and don't read this review because it is completely full of spoilers.

The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is a novel that was written in 1958 by Futaro Yamada and Basilisk is drawn from that particular story. This story certainly provides all the ingredients needed to make this a very dark and mature manga in the way that Berserk and Blade of the Immortal are made. From the very few pages we see that the scroll contains the name of 20 people and they are from two rival ninja clans, the Iga and the Kouga who are charged by Hattori Hanzo and Shogun Tokugawa Leyasu to have a ten on ten battle to decide who will be the next shogun in line. Unfortunately, a truce was established between these two warring clans, and some of the members have been able to put aside their differences, including the children of the leaders of the opposing clans. So as you can tell this is not only an action driven story but also a tragic love story of Gennosuke and Oboro. Neither have any idea that their happiness is at stake because of the breaking of the truce and they are about to witness their unlikely wedding plans ripped apart by these unfortunate developments.

Each one of the 20 ninjas is just a complete badass their own way. Here is a quick list of characters and their abilities. From the Kouga clan we have Kouga Danjo who specializes in poisonous needles and his grandson Gennosuke who his demon eyes to make his enemies kill themselves. Kageru who breathes poisonous breath when turned on, Kisagari Saemon who can assume the physical appearance of others and his sister Okoi who seems to be a succubus, and Gyoubu who can meld to any surface. Muroga is the man who trained Gennosuke, Jousuke has extra fat to protect his body, Jimushi has no arms or legs, but a deadly tongue, and Kazamachi can secrete glue from his mouth. Then there are the ten ninja from the Iga clan that include Ogen who controls a hawk and her granddaughter Oboro who was also born with "special" eyes. This clan also includes Akeginu who has the ability to control her blood, the immortal Tenzen, Chikuma who creates vacuums with his breath, Nenki who uses his hair as deadly weapons, Hotarubi who has a pet snake and can summon butterflies, and her lover Yashamaru a master of the wires. The remaining Iga are Rousai who has a power like Dhalsim and Jingoro who can take a liquid form.

I was hooked from the beginning; I really didn't want any of the ninja to die because each one of them had unique and interesting powers. I read this five volume story in one sitting and that really says something about how addictive this manga is. The action is completely amazing; Hell, I was so caught up with the amazing fights, I didn't even see the connection between the title and the two leading characters. It is good simply because of the promise of the future for Gennosuke and Oboro. But of course by the end of the story you start to lose hope and eventually the outcome is that all the ninja die and all that are left are Oboro and Gennosuke. Oboro kills herself because she could never harm Gennosuke and before killing himself he signs the scroll claiming that Oboro was the last ninja alive and the Iga won the contest. The first three volumes were very easy to get into because it's fight after constant fight. By the fourth volume we see some flashbacks and great character development that set up the final volume. I was upset to see the manga end this way, but I should have known better than to have my money on love conquering all in a tragic love story.

The story is not the only great thing about this title, what is even greater is the art. The heavy use of photographic and CGI backgrounds does create a very dark, grey look to the comic, yet somehow this also helps to put emphasis on the characters themselves, which are drawn in a very expressive and distinctive style. Though at times the character designs were somewhat goofy, it made it easy to distinguish them, which was very helpful considering the size of the cast in Basilisk. The CGI for some reason stood out more in the early volumes and for some reason the characters just didn't seem to fit with the backgrounds. However, by the second half of the second volume they blend in so damn well, I couldn't imagine another way of doing the art and really helps Basilisk stand out.

I'll make this quick. If you liked Seven Samurai, Lone Wolf and Cub, Berserk, Blade of the Immortal, or Ninja Scroll at all, there's a good chance you'll love Basilisk too. At first glance Basilisk appears to be little more than a Ninja Scroll rip-off even its subtitle of 'The Kouga Ninja Scrolls' is hard not to think so. I figure they just wanted to cash in on the success of the anime. Now I have to go and check out the anime that is based on this manga and the original novel. It's a great experience that I can't recommend highly enough. A-

Amazing Spider-Man # 544 Review

"One More Day" Part 1
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Joe Quesada and Danny Miki
Covers: Joe Quesada and Richard Isanove

Well, this is it. The big spider-event of 2007 has arrived and I can't say I'm very impressed with the first issue. Let's start off with the good. Joe Quesada is the man when it comes to his artwork. I'm not very fond of his big diabolical plot to undo the spider-marriage but damn can the man draw a fantastic Spider-Man. Just check out the last two pages of this issue, the art is just off the wall incredible! I'd even buy that image as a poster if Marvel chooses to make it available as a poster.

OK, on to the story. Not much happened in this issue. Aunt May is dying, we get it. That has been repeated time after time in the spider-books since Civil War ended last January. We realize that Peter and MJ have no money and Peter will storm the gates of hell to save May. But did we really need the entire issue to re-convey this message? Well, that is exactly what this issue did. Dr. Fine tells Peter and MJ that they need to move May to the charity ward of the hospital. Peter flips out, but Dr. Fine tells Peter that he owes Spider-Man a huge debt for saving his brother's life years ago. This lets Peter go out and find someone with a bottomless pocketbook-Tony Stark. Peter arrives minus costume at Stark Tower (didn't that get destroyed in World War Hulk #1?) and literally sets off the alarms. Iron Man comes running and the two fight in my favorite part of the entire issue. Peter has nothing to lose and isn't holding back. Peter finally webs Tony up with all his internal webbing (a very bad-ass sequence done by Joey Q) and tells Tony that May is dying and it's his fault. Tony tells Peter he feels his pain but can be of no help since Peter is still a wanted fugitive. Tony breaks free of the webbing and tells Peter that he will let him go and spend time with May as she approaches her final days. Peter is crushed and pissed that he has failed May yet again. He returns to the hospital, unsure of what to do next.

Later at Stark Tower, Tony looks at a picture of the New Avengers before Civil War split them apart. Tony looks at Peter, MJ, and May in the picture and actually shows human emotion. Maybe the tin man has a heart after all. Nah, he's probably really a skrull trying to play with human emotion, but now isn't the time to get into that. Tony tells Jarvis what has happened with May (although it isn't mentioned on panel) and Jarvis rushes to the hospital. Jarvis claims to be May's cousin and gives the hospital a two million dollar check to cover her medical bills. Jarvis is heartbroken by this, claiming he still has feelings for May. Peter and MJ thank Jarvis, and Dr. Fine tells Peter the hospital will make sure May's last days are spent comfortably. Peter is still in denial and promises to do whatever is necessary to save May. (OK Peter, we get it. Stop saying that.) On the roof, Peter suits up in the red and blue costume and tells Mary Jane he loves her. Peter swings away; ready to do what it takes to help May.

Thoughts/Comments:
This was a pretty slow start to the big spider-event of the year. The artwork was awesome, but like I said there was very little story. Since this is the supposed ending of the spider-marriage, I wish MJ had more time in this issue. The Peter and Tony fight was great, but I wish Peter didn't keep going on about how he is going to save May. We have heard this over and over all year and it just got repetitive and boring. There was no mention of what happened to the black costume and I still don't see how Stark Tower is standing due to the events of World War Hulk. Also, the Marvel Handbook entry for Spider-Man was an unnecessary bonus in the back and it shouldn't have made this book 3.99. I have plenty of Marvel Handbook entry stuff on Spider-Man and his various costumes over the years. I don't need it repeated here to up the price of the issue. All in all, this issue gets a B- .I would have rated it lower, but Quesada is the man when it comes to his artwork.

Lobster Johnson #1 (of 5)

Lobster Johnson #1 (of 5)
Writer: Mike Mignola
Art : Jason Armstrong

Before I picked this up, I knew nothing of Lobster Johnson...now....well...after reading this issue I am gonna hunt me down some Hellboy issues. The story and art within this title are both top notch and hit all the right notes with this first issue.

Mignola's sometimes gritty writing style plays up well against the initial 1930s backdrop for the story. A random man in an experimental suit is being hunted by pretty much everyone from the start. Lobster takes this Mr. Sacks under his wing, protecting him from monsters, mobsters, nazis, and every other form of bad guy you can think of. Eventually you are drawn more and more into the story as Sacks (the guy in the suit) starts to show what the suit, he is in, can really do. I won't go into the abilities of the suit too much other then to say..he's sort of a big-ass bug zapper you don't wanna piss off. As the story progresses further you learn Sacks is just an assistant who escaped before the suit's inventor and daughter were captured by a group of warriors. Through a clue later on Lobster learns these warriors to be a tribe of fighters who fought for Genghis Khan long ago but had since disappeared after Khan's death. In a roundabout way, I think the suit and all of this may lead to some plot they have to ressurect Genghis Khan....I could be wrong though. There are other high points in this story but, I don't wanna ruin the whole thing for you. Needless to say asskicking occurs throughout this story and it's goood.

Jason Armstrong's art for this issue fit everything well, as the style closely matches Mignola's dirty/gritty style and follows along the lines of traditional artwork from past Mignola projects as well. Lots of shadows are used to great effect in evoking a sense of dread within the reader. Nothing is safe, nothing is normal, everything is chaotic, that's the general feel your gonna get at times by Armstrong's art.

So, for those that have not yet picked this weird little title out, go pick it up, try something different. Come on, it's a guy named Lobster Johnson who is a pulp 30s vigilante/detective that beats up Nazis and monsters....do you really need anymore of a reason!! For those still unconvinced I give you a preview. Now go buy it already! A+

Toyfare#122: 10th Anniversary Collector's Issue

Review was submitted by forum user Ray2007

Toyfare#122: 10th Anniversary Collector's Issue

Editor: Zach Oat

Oh, my freakin' GOD! This issue had me both rolling in the aisles and salivating at the new toys coming out. Of course, it always did that ever since I picked up my first issue back in 1998, and the fun hasn't stopped since.

Boy, did they pile on the goodies! The "Twisted Toyfare Theatre" segment this month was a scream, as usual, parodying one of my favorite TV shows, "Lost". And NOTHING is sacred, which is just the way I like it! LOL!

And of course, they had a double helping of previews of all the insane toy goodness that's due out this fall. I'll give you one tasty morsel for a start...
Towards the very beginning of the issue, on pages 2 and 3, there is a "Transformers" toy ad that will make Trans-fans cream their shorts! There are so many other must-sees, that in order not to spoil the moment, I'll give you the page #'s. The ones I recommend are pages 15, 17-20, 24 (this one gave me the chills), 30-32, and 38.

Best of all, all the regular departments are here: Top 10 Hottest Action Figures, Twisted Toyfare Theatre, and a funny version of Fanfare, where readers' letters are read. But in addition to all that, there is also great articles, including an interview with the voice cast of "Robot Chicken" for Season 3, a look by Toyfare at the 100 best toys over the past 10 years, and a great article about toys that have (and haven't) come out on "Toyfare"'s wishlist, and how the official releases stack up to the custom figures made by the "Toyfare" staff. (I'll let you guess which ones are funnier! )

Overall, a definite MUST HAVE issue for any fans of "Toyfare"...or Mego Spidey. Smile

A++

Batman: Face the Face

Review was submitted by forum user Ray2007

Batman: Face the Face TPB

Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Leonard Kirk, Don Kramer

Publisher: DC Comics

I never thought I would actually say this about a Batman trade book, being a fan and all. But, the best compliment I could give this book is that I'm glad I checked this out of my local library this week, instead of buying it. I actually had to read the trade twice, and it wasn't because it was so good the first time.

First things first. This story takes place after the events of "Infinite Crisis" and "One Year Later". After the changes that occured in "Crisis", Batman was one of a number of heroes who took a year-long sabbatical, simply disappearing from sight in Gotham City with no warning, or explanation. Then, a year later, he returns, with no warning, and still no explanation. Robin had accompanied Batman on his leave, so who was left to look after Gotham? None other than a (yet again!) newly facially restored Harvey Dent...at Batman's request! It seems that with his face restored for the umpteenth time, Harvey has also managed to submerge the dark side of his personality...and actually does a good job of keeping order within Gotham.

Then, the murders start occurring. Murders occur everyday in Gotham, but these are special, because the victims are high-profile personalities such as KGBeast, Magpie and the Ventriloquist. And it looks like Harvey is to blame. Evidence at the scene of each murder points in his direction, or should I say to TWO FACE'S direction. But is the case as cut-and-dried as it appears to be?

Granted, I've been out of the loop with comics for a long time, and I've been recently re-familiarizing myself with my favorite characters, reading as many books (trades in particular) as I can to bring me back up to speed. So, in a sense, I'm coming back to Batman with fresh eyes. But when I finished this book, my first thought was, "Aside from the extraordinary step of Bruce Wayne wanting to legally adopt Tim Drake as his son, since Tim is now an orphan, was there ANY point to this story at all?" From other sources I've looked at about this story, this was meant to show a new direction for the Batman mythos and the Batman character. Yet to me, very little has changed.

Take the title: "Face the Face". Two "Faces" in the title. Get it? Does this drop a not so subtle hint as to what the core of this story is supposed to be about? Then, the latest restoration of Harvey's face. Come on, let's be honest with ourselves. How long is this restoration REALLY going to last? Do any of us WANT Harvey to be restored? Not if we want to maintain one of the most classic tragic villains in Batman's history. So, does anyone NOT think that eventually, he'll back to his dual self before long?

Next, we have characters like Jason Bard, a private eye, and Great White Shark, another villain locked up in Arkham Asylum, that were deux ex machinas that were totally unnecessary to the story. Why were they unnecessary? Because the story itself was told badly. Bard and Shark both represented to me elements of the story that were totally unbelievable. And in each case, it was based on a new characterization of Batman. Introducing new character traits is a tricky thing, and I felt that the writers were using a water bucket, when they really needed an eyedropper. Shark especially, is there to create an enormous irony in the story. But the irony only works if you can believe in the underlying causes.

In this case, Shark is behind the murders because he wants to be the supreme crime king of Gotham. But, Batman can't prove it, even though that's what all the evidence he's gathered suggests. So, Batman defends Harvey. And yet, sure enough, Harvey is back to his Two Face ways before long, because, his dark side was never suppressed to begin with.So, the irony is, though Harvey is innocent of the murders, he's too far gone (again!) to appreciate it!

For me, it would have been better if Harvey HAD committed the murders, but cleaned them up to make himself look innocent, making Batman TWICE the fool for defending him and choosing him to defend Gotham in the first place. That would have been a much better irony. And since when does Batman hire a second rate gumshoe to do some investigating for him, when he has the resources of people such as Robin, Oracle, Batgirl...or just HIMSELF? This is NOT the behavior of the World's Greatest Detective.

The story also concluded with Bruce Wayne proposing to Tim Drake that he become his son. Granted, throughout the story, we are shown Batman having that decision at the back of his mind, until he finally talks to Tim. But, unless you're Madonna or Angelina Jolie, adopting a child is a VERY big step in the lives of everyone concerned. Such a momentous decision should have been given more than a few panels worth of treatment. Maybe THIS should have been the story, where Batman is thinking about all the pros and cons of adopting Tim as his son, and maybe getting the reactions of Dick Grayson, Barbara, Alfred and others close to Bruce.

To be fair, there were good things about this book. The artwork was very concise, especially the way the Batmobile was drawn. The cover of the trade was very eye-catching and compelling. There was a good segment during a fight against the Scarecrow where Batman and Robin are both exposed to the Scarecrow's fear inducing gas, and have to confront demons, especially Tim, so soon after the deaths of his parents and Connor Kent, whom he had befriended during "Infinite Crisis". And much of the dialogue in certain scenes was actually good.

The problem is, like in film, good dialogue scenes and great production values mean little if the story you're telling is bad. And unfortunately, they did little to make this one a keeper.

C-

Manga Reviews: Bleach, Doubt, Dr. Slump, and Trinity Blood

Bleach Volume 20
Story & Art: Tite Kubo
Publisher: Viz Media

If you remember the all manga podcast episode 67, we briefly talked about the greatness that is Bleach. This is my favorite story out of the entire run and trust me when I say you won't appreciate it if you haven't read this series since volume 1. Everything has been built up to this volume. After the climactic battle between Ichigo and Byakuya and the cliffhanger ending of the last volume we find out what everything is about. I definitely recommend to stop reading right now if you want to know what happens Click here to read the review with spoilers.

Doubt!! Volume 6
Story & Art: Kaneyoshi Izumi
Publisher: Viz Media

The final chapter of Doubt comes to a dramatic conclusion when So's first girlfriend is back in the picture and now Ai has to be confident that her relationship with So will outlast her return. This was another enjoyable and entertaining manga featuring Ai Maekawa and her journey to transform from a nerdy, plain jimi, which is Japanese slang for a plain, studious girl, to a cute, popular girl. Fans of Kare Kano will relate to this kind of situation. Following a rather pained journey through middle school Ai studies for her high school entrance examinations with exuberance determined to change her life. After a crazy diet and beauty regiment she enters a high school where she doesn't know anyone hoping for a fresh start. In the end it all turns out perfect for Ai and So. I could see fans of similar series being able to identify with the main character, but to me I just really didn't care that much. The art is good enough, but the story just dragged for too long, even for a soap operaish story like this one. C+

Dr. Slump Volume 13
Story & Art: Akira Toriyama
Publisher: Viz Media

The latest volume set in Penguin Village introduces us to Caramel Man 004, Dr. Mashirito's latest sinister creation. On the outer shell he looks like a sweet innocent boy, who remarkably looks an awful lot like Astroboy, but on the inside hides a killing machine set on world domination. Of course, much like everything else that Mashirito creates the machine backfires and ends up falling in love with Arale and instead of destroying her he befriends her. But it doesn't stop there! How can it when more and more terrifying robots can be created in the Caramel Man series? This book is always a joy to read, it's funny in a weird sesame street/ Meet the Feebles kind of way. I have been a fan of the series from the beginning and you figure after 13 volumes the jokes would get repetitive and dry, but the somehow it is all kept fresh. At any point can a reader just pick up a certain volume and catch on rather quickly. This is not only a plot driven book, but damn the characters are fun, such as Senbei Norimaki, Gajira, Suba-man, and of course Arale. I highly recommend anyone wanting to take a break from the seriousness of comics to try this book out. A

Trinity Blood: Reborn on the Mars
Volume 1: The Star of Sorrow
Story: Sunao Yoshida
Art: Thores Shibamoto
Publisher: TOKYOPOP

When the back of the book tells you that this is the source material for the Hit Anime, it is a bit misleading, just because I think the anime wrapped up this book in two episodes. This story is about a mysterious terrorist organization that is hell-bent on orchestrating a war between the New Human Empire and the Vatican. Special Ops AX Agent Abel Nightroad teams up with a spunky young novice named Esther to try and stop Gyula, the bloodthirsty Marquis of Hungary, from unleashing the legendary Star of Sorrow. Set against a neo-gothic backdrop, this second Trinity Blood series which is connected to the Rage Against the Moons series promises plenty of action and intrigue as Esther and Abel struggle to save the lives of humans and vampires alike! The end of the novel follows the manga and anime, yet it still contains several surprises. In the long run, this book is well worth reading if for the fact that the anime version is just the bare bones version. Although the story is pretty solid, I think at times the translation left a little wanting, I would rather people check out the Trinity Blood manga series, which is also available from TOKYOPOP. The artwork seems like overblown panels of the manga series, instead of new artwork. I guess its really small gripes for an otherwise enjoyable read. B